Sacred Landscapes of Eastern Europe. Mythological Space

How and why does the landscape acquire certain properties and qualities in the eyes of people? What prompts us to endow sacred rivers or mountains, trees or stones with profound meaning? Answers to these questions are rooted in the peculiarities of human thought, in our perception of all that exists. When the surrounding environment is seen as a reflection of the divine world, it becomes something greater, and geography itself, that is, "description of the land," becomes sacred. The author examines some patterns of this process as a cultural phenomenon, primarily using Eastern European materials, but also drawing parallels from other regions of Eurasia.