Why Zorya?
Our beacon is named after the Zorya, the guardian star goddesses of Slavic folklore. They kept watch over the world from dawn to dusk so travellers could find their way. That is exactly the job we built Zorya to do on the trail.
The guardians of dawn and dusk
In Slavic folklore, Zorya means "dawn". She is often pictured as two sisters: Zorya Utrennyaya, the Morning Star, and Zorya Vechernyaya, the Evening Star. One opens the gates of the sun each morning; the other closes them at night.
Between them, they keep constant watch. Old stories say the sisters guard the world so that harm cannot break loose. Travellers and warriors called on them for protection before setting out.
Their roots are older still. The Zorya share the traits of the ancient Indo-European dawn goddess, cousin to the Greek Eos and the Roman Aurora.
Why the name fits
A guardian that never sleeps. The Zorya were defined by vigilance, not force. Our beacon sits in standby for weeks, always ready. Press the SOS button and every OA hiker within about 15 km is alerted while rescue services are on their way.
A star to guide you. For centuries, the Morning and Evening Stars guided people home. Zorya gives you sub-metre positioning and a direct line to GEO and LEO satellites when every other signal is gone.
Many sisters, one watch. The Zorya were never alone. In the OA network, every hiker is a beacon for everyone else. When there is no cellular coverage, Zorya switches to the LoRa mesh, relaying messages hiker to hiker, then to satellite. One device is a light; together they form a constellation.
From first light to last light. Hikes start at dawn and must end before dark, and those are the hours when people get caught out. The Zorya opened the day and saw travellers safely through it. So does our beacon.
A name close to home
OA was founded in 2024, with offices in France and Romania. In Romanian, dawn is zori, from the same Slavic root as Zorya. The name speaks to the mountains where we test, and to the people who keep them safe.
Old guardians, new technology. Get Zorya and you never hike alone.
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