Millennia-old rock paintings were damaged by blasting in the Irkutsk region. A criminal case has been opened.
In April 2023, employees of a geological exploration company carried out explosions near the left bank of the river Talmas. how clarifies press service of the prosecutor's office Irkutsk regionIn the process, they partially destroyed a cultural heritage site and archaeological significance: the Talminsky petroglyphs, which are between 3 and 12 years old.
Preliminary estimates place the damage at approximately 6,8 million rubles. A criminal case has been opened under the article on "violation of requirements for the preservation of cultural heritage sites of the peoples of the Russian Federation."
Previously "People of Baikal" told, that it was only when one of the ancient human sites, Khortey-2, had already been destroyed by explosions; it was more than seven thousand years old, that attention was drawn to the problem.
The Talma petroglyphs themselves and the ancient human sites of Hortey and Hutergen are currently under threat. The explosions have not yet reached them.
Local residents claim that the work near the Talminskie petroglyphs is being carried out by the Seismopoisk company, which is searching for oil and gas deposits. Historians, however, are perplexed as to how such a project passed the assessments and received permits to carry out the work.
Photo: "People of Baikal"