A large – some say “mysterious” – pentagram in a remote area of Kazakhstan can be seen on Google Maps. The explanation for the massive shape, however, is quite simple.
The story of the “Kazakhstan Pentagram” (sometimes referred to as the “Russian Pentagram”) was first popularized in 2013. It was spotted near the town of Lisakovsk in Kazakhstan, a former republic of the Soviet Union. While some speculated as to the mysterious nature of the pentagram design, the pentagram seen in Google Maps turned out to be the remains of a 1200-foot long summer camp that was made in the shape of a star, but never completed.
The website englishrussia.com posted ground-level photos of the site, and noted, “This pentagonal star is located in Kazakhstan, nearby town of Lisakovsk. Someone ventured to go there and find out what is what. It turned out to be a park which was a superb view once. Neatly planted trees made it look like a pentagram.” (You can see another ground-level shot here.)
Despite its sinister reputation to many in the west, the pentagram isn’t always considered a symbol of all things evil. Emma Usmanova, an archaeologist familiar with the area told NBC’s LiveScience that the star was a popular symbol during the Soviet era.
Kazakhstan was part of the Soviet Union until it was dissolved in 1991.
- Lisakovsk Pentagram (EnglishRussia.com: November 5, 2009)
- Huge mysterious pentagram in remote Kazakhstan explained (Marc Lallanilla, NBC LiveScience: August 4, 2013)
Updated June 6, 2015
Originally published August 2013