The Legend of the Rakhman Spring

(Source: Kelgembaeva Baykytzhan. People and land: textbook. – Oskemen: Media Alliance, 2005. – 168 p.)

Long ago, at the foot of the Altai Mountains, there lived a hunter named Abdyrakhman. One day he went hunting, taking his only son with him. In the forest thicket they met a maral with her baby – a maral calf. They aimed at the prey, and the boy pulled the bowstring and released an arrow. The arrow hit the maral calf, it fell, and blood flowed from its wound. Seeing this, the hunter’s son lost consciousness in horror.

Abdyrakhman heard the sound of water nearby and hurried to the spring to get water for his son. And there, at the spring itself, he again saw the maral with the maral calf. To his surprise, the wound on the baby’s leg had already healed, and the bleeding had stopped. The hunter realized that the water from this spring had miraculous powers.

He hurried back, gave his son some water to drink, and he soon came to his senses. Then Abdyrakhman brought the water to his village and began distributing it to the sick. Since then, this spring has been called the Source of Abdyrakhman, and later – Rakhmanov Springs. It is believed that the water from the Rakhman Springs has healing properties to this day.