Shadows over the Trails: Mystical Legends of the Almaty Mountains

The mountains surrounding Almaty captivate not only with their natural beauty and fresh alpine air but also with the legends that echo along their winding trails. Travelers speak of a ghostly woman in white, a towering old man with a chessboard, and a mysterious "Japanese Road" haunted by the spirits of the past. The vistas are breathtaking, yet around every turn, a chilling tale may be waiting. Urban legends have become integral to the cultural fabric of the Almaty region, shaped by the imaginations of hikers and storytellers alike. But could there be a grain of truth behind these supernatural accounts? The Almarasanian Maiden Most Almaty residents are introduced to local folklore during childhood, particularly during overnight camps in the mountain foothills. Beneath the star-strewn sky and beside crackling campfires, counselors often begin the night's stories with: “Have you heard the tale of the Almarasanian Maiden?” The best-known legend describes a spectral woman dressed in white, appearing along treacherous mountain passes. But older residents tell a more detailed and tragic version. According to this tale, a woman once abandoned by her husband in the Zailiyskiy Alatau mountains was driven to madness. In her grief, she killed her two sons, hanging them from birch trees before taking her own life on a third. Struck by lightning but not destroyed, the three birches remain: two standing strong, the third broken but alive. Climbers later erected two crosses beneath them in remembrance. Since then, sightings of the woman in white have persisted. She is said to either warn travelers of danger or exact vengeance on those who betray loved ones. Though the story may sound fantastical, real-life tragedies have kept the legend alive. In May 2025, a rockfall in the Alma-Arasan Gorge killed a young woman and led to the trail’s temporary closure for reconstruction. In 2009, 11 people died in a horrific accident when a truck collided with a bus stop. While the official cause was listed as a heart attack suffered by the driver, witnesses reported that he remained conscious and tried to steer the vehicle moments before impact. His widow later stated that he had no history of heart problems. The Japanese Road After Japan’s defeat in Manchuria in 1945, many prisoners of war were sent to labor camps across the Soviet Union, including Kazakhstan. In Almaty, they constructed what is now known as the Japanese Road. Built under harsh conditions, the road was originally part of a water supply system connecting Big Almaty Lake to the city. Modern hikers report an eerie atmosphere. Some claim to see ghostly figures, presumed to be the spirits of those who died building the road. These apparitions are seen as ill omens, urging visitors to leave before nightfall. The White Old Man Among the most curious legends is that of a ghostly, two-meter-tall old man with a flowing beard, who carries a chessboard. He appears to hikers and shepherds, silently inviting them to play. Refusing is said to bring bad luck or worse....

Urban Legends of Central Asia: The Global Allure of Supernatural Tales

Supernatural TV series coming out of the U.S. have captivated audiences with their blend of mystery, horror, and fantasy. Shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Stranger Things explore themes of good versus evil, the unknown, and human resilience in the face of extraordinary threats. Their storytelling and relatable characters have created devoted fan bases and influenced pop culture. This year marks the 20th anniversary of Supernatural, the television series that evolved into a global cult phenomenon over its 15-season run and was a hit in Kazakhstan. The show followed the Winchester brothers as they hunted ghosts, demons, and other preternatural beings, drawing on local legends and folklore. But tales of the uncanny are not exclusive to the American Midwest. Central Asia - and Almaty in particular - offers a rich tapestry of urban myths that could easily serve as material for a local paranormal series. Recent years have seen an explosion in the horror/paranormal genre across Central Asia, with domestic productions now outperforming foreign blockbusters at the box office in Kazakhstan, something which was unthinkable just a decade ago. The Hitchhiking Ghosts of Almaty One of the earliest episodes of Supernatural features a ghostly hitchhiker, an image that Almaty residents might find eerily familiar. “I often drive the Kapchagay highway past midnight,” said Vadim, a resident of a village north of Almaty. “A couple of times I’ve seen a figure in white, just like the one my grandfather used to talk about, the ghost of a girl thumbing for a ride. If you stop, she asks you to call her parents and gives you a city phone number. But it’s an old Soviet six-digit number. When people called, someone on the other end would say their daughter had died long ago.” In another variation, the phantom begins to flirt with the driver, until he looks down and sees that instead of feet, she has hooves. There are multiple versions of this legend. Another ghostly hitchhiker is said to haunt Zhandosov Street near a former fruit and vegetable factory, reportedly foretelling fatal accidents. A third ghost is rumored to dwell in a bank building at the intersection of Seyfullin and Shevchenko streets, which is allegedly constructed upon the grave of a woman who was murdered. This last tale, however, doesn’t hold up to scrutiny. The building once housed a design institute and later a high-end nightclub, hardly the kind of place a malevolent spirit would haunt. Local students and clubgoers have reported no paranormal activity. The Martyr of Baum Grove Baum Grove in Almaty has long been the subject of ghost stories, many centered on a buried treasure and the murder of an Orthodox bishop during the Russian Civil War. While the Soviet authorities never investigated the legend, literature offers a clue. In his 1925 novel Mutiny, Bolshevik writer Dmitry Furmanov recounted the extrajudicial killing of a bishop outside the city by drunken Red Army soldiers. Historical records confirm that on September 16, 1918, troops from Ivan Mamontov’s punitive detachment abducted Bishop...