Kochkonavolok petrogliphs destroyed

In August 9th 2002 the workers of the Karelian State Regional Studies Museum visited the Kochkonavolok peninsula (right bank of the Vodla river) where a big number of ancient petrogliphs (cut-in-the-rock drawings) were known. This place is a part of the unique historical monument – The White See and The Onego Lake Petrogliphs, that has been entered into the 2002 list of The World 100 endangered historical monuments.

The scientists found that a substantial part of the drawings in the center of the petrogliphs constellation (so called E group) was cut over by some hard, presumably iron, instrument and is practically destroyed (groups E-V, E-VII, E-VIII, E-IX). Near the groups E-V, E-VIII and E-VII there were cut the words "Dima, Spring 2002", "Maxim", "Igor" and also some bad words. About 70 ancient drawings on the area of about 20 square meters were damaged.

The scientists expressed their opinion that the Kochkonavolok peninsula petrogliphs totally lost their exposition value and the historical monument itself is destroyed to the bigger extent.

The Pudozh regional procurator's office initiated the legal suite on the fact of destroying the historical monument.

The investigation found that the vandals, destroyed world history monument were local teenagers that could not be prosecuted due to their young age.