The Shigir Idol is the oldest wooden statue in the world and was discovered on January 24, 1894 at a depth of 4m in the peat bog of Shigir, on the eastern slope of the Middle Urals, approximately 100 km from Yekaterinburg.
Investigations in this area had begun 40 years earlier after the discovery of a variety of prehistoric objects in an open-air gold mine.
Covered with Mesolithic symbols, archaeologists believe the 2.8 metre high statue is one of the most important discoveries in recent history.
The statue with seven faces has the potential to rewrite our history books and ways of thinking, as researchers say the coded messages on it contain information about the creation of the world and the origins of human beings. Read more here including large HD images of the statue.