Did you know that in ancient times the mighty Vepsian lords built stone fortresses right into the cliffs, defending their realm and keeping the land of Vepsia independent for centuries? You’ve never heard of it? Good—because we made the whole thing up.
What you actually see in these photographs are unique Finnish fortifications, carved directly into a massive diabasic rock—an extremely hard, granite-like stone—on the banks of the Svir River, not far from where it flows out of Lake Onega. During the Finnish occupation of this region, the site was called Ahvansilmn, the Wolverine’s Eye.
Despite the monumental effort of creating this cyclopean stronghold, the Finns eventually withdrew, and the Vepsians, with a touch of folklore humor, gave the place its present name: Veps Castle.
Military architecture isn’t usually our focus, but we couldn’t resist visiting a spot with such a name. We didn’t regret it: the “Wolverine’s Eye” is a striking and atmospheric place to wander, with sweeping views that stretch for miles across the surrounding wilderness.
P.S. The Veps are a small Finno-Ugric people living in northwestern Russia, related to the Finns and Karelians. Historians consider them descendants of the ancient tribe known as the Ves’. Today, only about 5–6 thousand Veps remain, preserving a unique language and culture on the edge of Europe.
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