The Devdoraki Glacier is located on the eastern slope of the Kazbek mountain massif.
Its name comes from the Georgian word “Devdorak,” which translates to “devil’s pillow” (“deva” meaning devil, and “dora” meaning pillow).
This unusual name is linked to a centuries-old history of massive glacial collapses that have occurred repeatedly in this area.
The first documented collapse took place on June 18, 1776.
Enormous masses of ice and rock blocked the channel of the Terek River for three days, forming a natural dam.
When it was breached, a destructive torrent rushed downstream, flooding several villages located more than 75 meters above the level of the Terek.
According to one of the most common theories, it was precisely as a result of one of these catastrophic collapses near the village of Verkhniy Lars that the famous Yermolov Stone appeared—a giant boulder with a mass of about 15 tons.