The Bezdonnoe Lake. A legend in the Slonim district.

In the depths of the Slonim district, twenty-five kilometers from the district center, among the picturesque Belarusian forests, there is a place shrouded in silence and mysticism. This is Bezdonnoe (Bottomless) lake. Locals have long avoided it at dusk, and visitors to these parts are greeted not only by the picturesque nature, but also by an ancient legend explaining the harsh nature of the reservoir.

The legend of the beggar woman and the punished callousness.

According to the legend, which is carefully passed from mouth to mouth, once upon a time there was a rich village on the site of the current water spill. Its inhabitants were famous not so much for their hard work as for their callousness of soul. One day, a wanderer appeared in the village - a tired, exhausted beggar. She went around almost every yard, asking for alms and a place to sleep, but everywhere she was refused. People hid their eyes behind tightly closed shutters, afraid to share a piece of bread.

Only in one house on the outskirts was there a shelter for a poor woman. The hosts, an elderly father and his son, did not chase the guest away, but fed, warmed her up and allowed her to rest before a long journey. In the morning, when the wanderer was about to leave, her face became stern. She warned the rescuers about the great disaster that would befall the village for human cruelty.

"Leave immediately", the beggar woman ordered. - "Climb to the high bank and don't look back, no matter what you hear. If you look back, you'll stay here forever".

Father and son, taught by the bitter experience of their neighbors, obeyed. They quickly left the house and began to climb the hill. But human curiosity turned out to be stronger than fear. As soon as they reached the top of the hill, there was a deafening roar and splashing of water behind them. Unable to resist, they turned around.

At the same moment, a terrible sight appeared to their eyes: the flourishing village disappeared under the water column, in its place was a wide dark lake. But the punishment also befell the travelers themselves. For their disobedience, they turned into stone at the same hour. So two giant boulders were formed on the outskirts, which are still popularly called "father and son."

Stone guards and the geography of the miracle.

For a long time, these huge stones lay near the village of Klepachi, which is a kilometer from the lake, as if reminding descendants of the power of the ancient curse. However, time is inexorable: several decades ago, the boulders were moved to a large roadside moat. Despite the change of location, they continue to remain mute witnesses to the legend. If you look closely, you can see how the rocks have grown together in an unusual way, like the figure of an old man supporting a young one.

But the most amazing thing happens not only on land, but also on the water surface of Lake Bottomless. Eyewitnesses claim that in windy weather, two dark stripes form on the surface of the water, which cross each other. The most mysterious thing about this phenomenon is that these "streets" appear regardless of the wind direction. The local old-timers are convinced: these are the outlines of those flooded village streets, which were once walked by people who did not know mercy.

The mute testimony of the ages.

The Bezdonnoe Lake remains deserted today. There are no noisy villages next to it, only a pine forest that approaches the water. An ancient cemetery is hidden on a hill descending to the southern shore. This place makes a particularly depressing impression: the so-called stone graves have been preserved here.

Archaeologists who have studied this necropolis claim that it is more than 700 years old. Ancient burial structures made of rough stone blend seamlessly into the mystical landscape. One gets the feeling that this land preserves the memory of events much older than the written history of Slonim district.

Today, Lake Bezdonnoe attracts not only fishing enthusiasts (they say there are large fish in its depths, but the bottom goes down in sharp cliffs, hence the name), but also adventurers interested in Belarusian legends.

Standing on the shore, looking at the heavy dark water and remembering the fate of the father and son, everyone involuntarily thinks about the price of human kindness and that even a stone can become an eternal reminder of our actions.