This is a wonderful artifact that begs for interpretation. Here is what we can all agree to be true about the markings on this object:

One of the following is clearly true:

1. The markings are abstract designs with no meaning, or
2. The markings had some symbolic meaning for the artist and/or the people who looked at it.

Then, if anyone believes the second assertion is true, we must conclude the following:

Any attempt to interpret the abstract design as meaning one thing or another is pure speculation, and we can never be certain about meaning.

I am enchanted by this artifact, and I love thinking about what it might have meant, how it was used, and what the symbols were meant to convey. But I also understand that if this object dates to a time before written records - which appears to be the case - we are not likely to get past the point of speculation. Fun to imagine the possibilities; ultimately frustrating in our inability to draw conclusions.

It looks like you're referencing a specific article. Would mind linking that so we're all on the same page?

The article seems to take some statements out of context or just makes unsupported claims in general, possibly (most likely, actually) to catch the reader's attention.

Now Russian experts say the remarkable relic contains encoded information on the 'creation of the world' - a message to modern man from the Mesolithic era of the Stone Age.

This, for example, seems to be an exaggeration of this

Mr Savchenko argues that the idol tells the story of the 'creation of the world' as understood by Mesolithic man.

which seems a lot more likely.

Nowhere in the article is the 'message to modern man' ever mentioned again. In fact, there's no evidence anywhere on what it might've meant to do. It's like giving a VCR (we are on a history sub after all) to someone in ancient greece. It would be a very interesting object to them but without a manual they'll have no clue what it's meant to do.

It doesn't state any reasoning for why they think it's a message in the article. They seem to be making vague guesses at lines meaning water and snake and earth as if they asked a four year old what a squiggle looked like to them. As far as I can tell it just looks like decorative carving and the whole "message to modern man" or even any kind of message is just click bait. It's still a cool idol but they're just making wild claims.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2802962/what-world-s-oldest-wooden-statue-trying-tell-etchings-haunting-seven-faced-shigir-idol-hold-message-modern-man.html