Region of Caucasian mineral waters. What attracts tourists to the Caucasian Mineral Waters region? Treatment in Caucasian Mineral Waters

And in Karachay-Cherkessia.

Treatment in Caucasian Mineral Waters

The Caucasian Mineral Waters region is located on the northern slopes of the Main Caucasus Range and occupies an area of ​​about 5.3 thousand square meters. km from the foothills of Elbrus in the south to the city in the north. In these places, hundreds of springs make their way to the surface of the earth, giving people healing mineral waters, which are used for drinking, bathing, inhalation, irrigation and help in the treatment of many diseases.

In addition to the springs, in this region there is Lake Tambukan - a rich deposit of healing mud, used in all resorts of the Caucasian Mineral Waters.

An additional healing factor in all resorts of the Caucasian Mineral Waters is the local soft microclimate, which forms in valleys protected by mountains from cold winds. Therefore, all resorts in this region are considered not only balneological, but also climatic.

On the slopes of the mountains, according to the recommendations of doctors, special paths have been laid, walking along which has a healing effect not only due to the beautiful landscapes soothing the nerves, but also because of dosed, well-calculated physical activity.

Sights of Caucasian Mineral Waters

You can get acquainted with the architectural monuments of the Caucasian Mineralnye Vody at the same time as undergoing treatment, because sanatoriums, mud baths, and pump rooms are located in amazing buildings built in the last and century before last. Noteworthy neoclassical mud bath named after Semashko in Essentuki, neo-Gothic Central drinking gallery And Main Narzan baths in Art Nouveau style in Kislovodsk and much more.

The environs of Kislovodsk and Pyatigorsk are associated with the name of M. Yu. Lermontov. In these cities and their surroundings there are many attractions that the writer described in the novel “A Hero of Our Time.” In Kislovodsk it is worth seeing the famous Mount "Ring", in Pyatigorsk - walk to gazebos "Eolian Harp", before Lermontov Grotto, go down to place of the duel Lermontov with Martynov and bow to the first poet's burial place.

The entire region of Caucasian Mineral Waters is filled with natural attractions. From almost any trail you can enjoy uninterrupted views of breathtaking scenery. Local mountains incredibly beautiful: Mashuk near Pyatigorsk, Beshtau and Zheleznaya near Zheleznovodsk and, finally, towering on the horizon, covered with a cap eternal snow Elbrus. Definitely worth a visit Valley of Narzans, where 20 springs gush out of the ground from this healing water.

How to get to Caucasian Mineral Waters

To Caucasian Mineralnye Vody by plane

Airlines fly to the city airport daily from and other cities

Caucasian Mineral water(Kavminvody, KMV) - a collection of cities federal significance located in the north of the central part of the slopes Caucasus Mountains. The conglomerate of resorts is successfully located between the Black and Caspian seas on an area of ​​more than 500 thousand hectares.

The lands are widely known for hundreds of unique useful sources, which can cure a number of ailments. Except water resources located here, unique lake Tambukan, rich in deposits of life-giving mud.

The possessions of the KMS cover the lands of three regions of our country:

1. The Stavropol Territory unites the health resort cities of Essentuki, Zheleznovodsk, Kislovodsk, Lermontov, and Mineralnye Vody.
2. Kabardino-Balkaria with Lake Tambukan with silt mud and the Narzan Valley.
3. Karachay-Cherkessia is considered to be the place of origin of the formation of water sources.
4. A conglomerate of cities combines all healing resources into a huge artesian basin with gravel waters. That is why Caucasian Mineral Waters is considered the most environmentally protected area in Russia.

The surrounding area of ​​the KMS is characterized by a mild, temperate mountain-steppe microclimate. The health resorts are located just 85 km from Elbrus, the highest point in Europe. The highest snowy peak of the mountain can be seen from almost anywhere in the region. On the Kavminvody, among the flat steppes, there are also mountains: , Byk, .

The sloping terrain is covered with dense oak and shady forests. The proximity of the snow-capped peaks of the Caucasus Range? on the one hand, the CMS, and deserts with steppes off the coast of the Caspian Sea, on the other, cause a temperate continental climate. Due to the fact that it is formed in valleys protected from the winds by mountains, health resorts are also considered to be climatic.

Main cities of the CMS

Caucasian Mineral Waters is a unique resort and sanatorium area where there are real natural storehouses of waters of different composition and healing properties. In total, CMS include about 130 sources, and just over 90 of them are used for medical purposes. The largest underground deposits of carbon dioxide water are distributed over the territory of four administrative units: , And .

This list can safely be considered a unique health resort not only in Russia, but throughout the whole world. There are about one and a half hundred sanatoriums here, which are equipped with special diagnostic equipment for mineral treatment. Every year approximately 700 thousand tourists visit Kavminvody. Vacationers are also attracted Mountain peaks, endless valleys with dense vegetation, fresh alpine meadows, azure waterfalls, blue rivers, as well as clean air with rich aromas of resins and pine needles.

Essentuki

A balneological drinking low-mountain resort located at an altitude of about 600 m above sea level. The city is surrounded by mountains of different heights, due to which a contrasting microclimate prevails here with dry, hot summers and rainy, frosty winters. Throughout the territory resort town there is a magnificent view of Mount Elbrus and the main Caucasian ridge.

The subsoil of Essentuki is rich in sodium carbonate chloride-bicarbonate waters. The most popular of them: “Essentuki-4” and “”.

Even in the depths of these lands, carbonic hydrogen sulfide springs of medium mineralization flow. The resort is suitable for treatment with drinking water and external procedures (baths, irrigations).

People with diseases should rest here:

• digestive tract;
• duodenum;
• liver;
• biliary tract (viral hepatitis, chronic hepatitis, chronic cholecystitis);
• metabolism (obesity);
• endocrine (early stage diabetes).

Zheleznovodsk

The city is literally considered the pearl of the Kavminvod. The acclimatization zone here has great amount warmth, and nature of extraordinary beauty. Due to the city's location in the mid-Alps, a mountain forest microclimate predominates. The weather is mild in winter and cool in summer. Zheleznovodsk is surrounded by the slopes of Mount Beshtau and Zheleznaya, on which dense beech and oak forests grow. In the mountainous surroundings there are endless health paths for walking, which provide a healing effect due to calculated physical activity.

As for deep-sea sources, the same type of sulfate-hydrocarbonate calcium-sodium waters of low mineralization predominate. They are used for drinking and external balneological procedures. The springs flow cold and hot, and there are also bitter-salty mineral waters. Water from the Smirnovsky and Slavyansky springs is bottled.

The resort is indicated for people with diseases:

• gastrointestinal tract (gastritis, gastric ulcer);
• duodenum;
• kidney;
• urinary tract.

Kislovodsk

A city with a temperate climate of low mountains, suitable for the treatment of diseases of the nervous and cardiovascular systems, respiratory organs (including bronchial asthma). Scientists have proven that prolonged exposure to the sun's rays in Kislovodsk summer time can slow down the development of atherosclerosis and hypertension. Winter here is dry and clear. The area can be distinguished by the stability of atmospheric pressure, which has a very good effect on the healing process.

The deposits of Kislovodsk are represented by the world famous Narzan spring with bubbling carbon dioxide boiling water, which is useful in the form of baths and drinking. Kislovodsk Narzans belong to sulfate-hydrocarbonate magnesium-calcium sources. Their main difference is the amount of mineralization. In total, there are 3 types of waters: Main, Dolomite and Sulfate Narzan.

People with illnesses should come to Kislovodsk:

• circulatory system;
• heart disease;
• cardiac ischemia;
• angina pectoris;
• hypertension (first 11 stages);
• diseases of the nervous system;
• cerebral atherosclerosis;
• respiratory tract diseases (outside the period of exacerbation).

The resort is located in the center of the KMV on the slopes of Mount Mashuk. The peculiarity of the city lies in the huge variety of healing procedures. Carbon dioxide, nitrogen, hydrogen sulfide, saline-alkaline and radon waters of complex ionic compositions, as well as sulfide mud of Lake Tambukan, accumulate here. Silt mud has a strong bactericidal effect and also contains a large number of organic compounds, methane and hydrogen sulfide. In addition to balneotherapy, climatotherapy, aerotherapy, balneotherapy and radon therapy are widely developed here. Bottled water is bottled under the names “Mashuk-19”, “Goryachevodskaya” and “Pyatigorskaya Canteen”.

Indications for visiting the health resort:

• diseases of the peripheral nervous system;
• problems with the musculoskeletal system;
• diseases of the digestive tract;
• skin diseases (eczema, neurodermatitis, psoriasis);
• diseases of the cardiovascular system (atherosclerosis, Buerger's disease);
• female inflammatory processes;
• polyneuritis.

Remarkable places of Kavminvod

Caucasian Mineral Waters are also famous for their interesting spaces. A large number of hospitals, sanatoriums and pump rooms are located in architectural monuments that were built in the 19th and 20th centuries. For example, some of the amazing buildings that deserve attention are the neoclassical mud baths named after Semashko in the city of Essentuki, the Central Gallery for Drinking Treatment in the neo-Gothic style and the Main Narzan Baths in the Art Nouveau style at the Kislovodsk resort.

It is impossible to mention places near Pyatigorsk and Kislovodsk without the beloved poet Mikhail Lermontov, who repeatedly mentioned the Caucasian Mineral Waters in his works. In the KMV, you should definitely visit the “Ring” mountain in Kislovodsk, as well as the “” gazebo in Pyatigorsk. Here is located and, and next to it Martynovsky, as well as the first burial place of the poet.

The surroundings of Kavminvod are rich and picturesque natural places. Here you will see incredible beautiful mountains Beshtau, Mashuk, as well as the snow-capped peak of the highest point in Europe -. You can also enjoy endless breathtaking landscapes of forests, rivers and waterfalls. Don’t forget to visit the Narzan Valley, because 20 water sources, different in composition, emerge from it at once.

How to get to KVM

A plane flies to Mineralnye Vody from Moscow. Flight time is 2 hours. Then you can get to the destination city by taxi or minibus.

There are also a budget option- train with the route “Moscow-Kislovodsk”, travel time will be 27-35 hours. Along the route there are stops at all resorts populated areas, with the exception of Zheleznovodsk. To get to this stop you need to get off at Beshtau station and get to Zheleznovodsk by minibus, and the travel time will be only 20 minutes.

Caucasian Mineral Waters- one of the oldest resort regions in Russia. The first written information about its mineral springs is found in the physician G. Schober (1717), who was sent by Peter I to examine the mineral " treasures"North Caucasus. First detailed descriptions they were made by I.A. Guldenstedt (1773), and then by P.S. Pallas (1793). In 1801, research was carried out on a hot spring in Pyatigorsk, and in 1802 a special commission concluded on the possibility of using mineral waters for medicinal purposes.

The official history of the Caucasian Mineral Waters dates back to April 24, 1803, when Tsar Alexander I signed the famous Rescript “On the recognition of the national significance of the Caucasian Mineral Waters and the need for their construction”:

“The Minister of Internal Affairs will deliver to you the conclusions made by the State Medical Board on the action of the Caucasian mineral springs, according to the testimony of doctors sent to test and describe them. From them you will also find proposals for setting up the establishments you need from the sources.

Based on your report about one of them, located 30 versts from the Konstantinogorsk fortress, I already allowed you on March 7th to build near a small fortification. Now I instruct you to begin setting up all those institutions that are necessary for the convenience of healing. Having made the appropriate local considerations and drawn up an estimate of the work, you will deliver to me a calculation of the amount required to assign it from the treasury.

Meanwhile, from the medical board, one of the most skilled doctors and an assistant will be appointed there.

Between the assumptions, the benefits and convenience of these waters, providing, the idea of ​​​​settling linear Cossacks near these waters, I especially leave it to your consideration.

The benefits of this proposal are obvious: but putting it into effect on the Kabardian lands depends on the discretion of local conveniences, which you can determine more closely and better and about which in due time I will expect a report from you.”

Specially protected ecological resort region Russian Federation– Caucasian Mineral Waters located on the territory of three constituent entities of the Russian Federation:

Stavropol Territory - 58% of the entire area of ​​the region;

Kabardino-Balkaria - 9% (Zolsky district, where Lake Tambukan is located);

Karachay-Cherkessia - 33% of the area of ​​the republic (Malo-Karachay and Prikubansky districts - the zone of formation of mineral springs).

Caucasian Mineral Waters is one of the most densely populated areas of the North Caucasus. The average population density is more than 150 people per 1 km 2.

The Caucasian Mineral Waters includes 7 cities:

- Kislovodsk, located in a small and cozy picturesque valley, surrounded by the slopes of the Main Caucasus Range and formed by the gorges of two merging rivers - Olkhovka and Berezovka, flowing into the Podkumok River at an altitude of 750–1400 m above sea level;
- Essentuki, located along the river. Podkumok at an altitude of 600–640 m above sea level;
- Pyatigorsk, located at the foot of the city of Mashuk at an altitude of 510-630 m above sea level;
- Zheleznovodsk, located in the valley between Beshtau and Zheleznaya, on the slopes at the foot of the latter at an altitude of 600–650 m above sea level;
- Lermontov, located in a valley surrounded by mountains - directly at the foot of Mount Sheludiva and the western (northwestern) slopes of Mount Beshtau;
- Mineral water, located at the foot of Mount Snake at an altitude of 330-350 m above sea level;
- Georgievsk is located on the right bank of the Kuma River at an altitude of 308 m above sea level. Previously, the city was called Gum kala (Gvym kala), which means “sand fortress” (Abazak).
And also 3 districts- Predgorny, Mineralovodsky and Georgievsky.

Caucasian Mineral Waters is the largest and one of the oldest resort regions of the Russian Federation. Over 130 mineral springs and large reserves of silt mud from Lake Tambukan (and Lake Lysogorskoye) make the KMS a unique balneological resort. The CMV region is distinguished by picturesque natural landscapes, mountain healing climate and is famous for its sanatorium and resort complex enterprises in Russia.

Caucasian Mineral Waters - the largest and unique resort pearl Russia, which in terms of the composition and quality of its climatic and balneological resources, concentrated in a relatively small area, has no analogues on the Euro-Asian continent. More than 115 health resorts in the region (at the beginning of the 21st century), specializing in the treatment of dozens of various diseases, determine its importance as the main, comprehensive and multidisciplinary health resort of the country. 118 health resorts equipped with the most modern diagnostic and treatment equipment and 26 tourist and hotel complexes of the Caucasian Mineral Waters can accommodate over 40 thousand people at a time. Their main specialization is the provision of medical and health services, treatment with world-famous waters and mineral mud.

The area of ​​the Caucasian Mineral Waters is more than 500 thousand hectares (5.3 thousand sq. km).

By absolute altitudes The territory of the Caucasian Mineral Waters belongs to the middle mountains.

The region is located in the south of the European part of Russia, almost at the same distance from the Black and Caspian Seas, at the junction of the Mineralovodskaya sloping plain and the northern slopes of the Greater Caucasus.

The Caucasian Mineral Waters region is located within the junction of the Stavropol Upland and the northern slopes of the Main Caucasus Range. The region is distinguished by its unusualness and variety of relief forms.

The relief of the Caucasian Mineral Waters region begins at the foot of Elbrus, where the Rocky Range with a number of peaks clearly stands out. In the western and southern parts of the KMV, the mountains drop off steeply, in places with sheer ledges to the south (the depth of these cliffs reaches 1000 m), and the long northern slopes are slightly (gently) inclined and merge with the foothill plain.

These are the Pastbishchny and Skalisty ridges. They are divided into a number of river valleys mountain ranges. The Pastishchny ridge within the KavMinVod is cut by Podkumkom into two parts: the western (Borgustan ridge, Darya heights of the Borgustan ridge) rises to 1200-1300 m, and the eastern (Dzhinalsky ridge) has an absolute elevation of the top of the Upper Dzhinal of 1542 m. It stretches south of Pastbishchnoye Rocky Ridge with vertices Big and Small Bermamyt. Big Bermamyt is actually considered the main peak of the plateau. But this is also a visual illusion. Nai highest point Bolshoi Bermamyt is 2592 meters, which is actually 50 meters lower than Maly Bermamyt (2643 meters above sea level). It turns out that in fact Maly Bermamyt is the highest point of the ridge and is considered the highest point of the Caucasian Mineral Waters. Maly received its name due to the smaller area it occupies. He is also southern border region of the Caucasian Mineral Waters. From Bermamyt to Elbrus 30 km in a straight line. In the early morning on Bermamyt you can sometimes see the so-called Brocken Ghost.

The Rocky Range also includes Bermamyt plateau, Zhatmaz ridge(city Shidzhatmaz (Shatjatmaz) 2127 m) and Kichmalkinskoeplateau(Manglay 2055 m).

On Zhatmaz ridge a high-mountain scientific cluster was formed. Organizations operating in various fields of science are located here:

Kislovodsk mountain astronomical station, founded in 1948;

Roshydromet weather station;

Kislovodsk high-mountain scientific station of the Institute of Atmospheric Physics named after A. M. Obukhov;

Caucasian Mountain Observatory of the SAI MSU;

FSUE Research Center named after. M. V. Keldysh";

Between Zhatmaz ridge And Kichmalkinskyplateau in the picturesque valley of the Khasaut River at an altitude of 1300 m above sea level there is the Narzan Valley, where 20 powerful mineral springs of the Narzan type emerge on the surface over a distance of 1 km.

On the Mineralovodskaya inclined plain, in the northern part of the Caucasian Mineral Waters region, a group of isolated remnant igneous mountains forms the Pyatigorye area. The picturesque laccolithic mountains of Pyatigorye, like structural geological elements, also actively participate in the formation of mineral waters.

There are more than 20 mountains in Pyatigorye, of which 18 are recognized as specially protected landscape natural monuments. Among them, the dominant one is Mount Beshtau (from Turk. Besh -5, tau – mountain). Height 1401 meters above sea level. Located in the central part of Pyatigorye. The diameter of the foot is about 8 km. The mountain gave its name to the surrounding area (Pyatigorye) and the city of Pyatigorsk. To the northwest of it rises Mashuk (993 m). To the north is Mount Zheleznaya (851 m). You can also see several other mountains around. Mount Camel (886 m) resembles a camel with its two humps. Mount Razvalka (928 m), when viewed from the road from Mineralnye Vody, looks like a sleeping lion. Previously, it was called “Sleeping Lion”. The phenomenon of “summer permafrost” is associated with the peculiarities of the geological structure of Razvalka. Mountains-laccoliths Ostraya (881 m), Tupaya (772 m), Byk (817 m), Lysaya (739 m), Sheludivaya (875 m) with their appearance justify these names. The sharp summit ridge of Mount Kinzhal once rose to 507 meters, but when mining the stone, the upper part of the mountain was cut off. Besides, in CMS region, almost next to each other are the mountains Zmeyka (994 m), Yutsa (972 m), Dzhutsa (1189 m), Golden Kurgan (884 m) and Medovaya (721 m).

In the Caucasus, a phenomenon is known when mountain peaks suddenly turn into clouds.

“They left the village on a clear, bright morning., when at the first sun the wholeRidge, bright white and in blue recesses, stood accessible close, visible in every cut, so close, that an unaccustomed person would remember to drive to him in two hours. He rose so big in the world of small human things, so miraculous in the worldmade. For thousands of years, all the people, as long as they lived, carried here with a solution of hands until failure and piled up in plump heaps everything they had worked or even conceived - they would not have erected such a super-imaginable Ridge.

From the village(Saber) beforestationsthis is how the road led them all the time, that the Ridge was right in front of them, they were going to him, they saw it: snowy expanses, bare rocky ledges and shadows of guessed gorges. But from half an hourby half an hour it began to thaw from below, separated from the earth, no longer standing, and hung in a third of the sky and was swaddled, there were no scars and ribs in him, mountain signs, but seemed like huge united white clouds. Then the clouds are already torn to pieces, no longer distinguishable from pure clouds. Then they were washed away. The ridge has completely disappeared, as ifwas a heavenly vision, and ahead, as on all sides, the sky remains grayish, whitish, gathering heat. So, without changing direction, they drove more than fiftyversts, before noon and after noon, - but the giant mountains in front of them were unprecedented, and nearby rounded hills approached:Camel; Bull; baldSnake; curlyIron…»

A. Solzhenitsyn. « August fourteenth», epic« Red wheel»

Therefore, to enjoy the panoramic view of the Caucasus Mountains, it is best to go to the panoramic viewpoints early in the morning before dark. Contemplation of beauty also heals, which is why landscape therapy (aesthetic therapy) always occupies an important place in the overall treatment package of any resort.

The rivers flowing through the territory of the Caucasus Mining Waters originate in the Rocky Range. These are the rivers - Kuma and Podkumok with tributaries Eshkakon, Alikonovka, Berezovka, Bolshoy Essentuchok, Bugunta, Yutsa and other smaller ones. They are shallow and do not provide the area with enough water. The region receives water for domestic, resort and economic needs from Kuban through a special water pipeline. The natural Lysogorsk lakes and Lake Karras are salty.

Medicinal mud is extracted from Lake Tambukan. Silt fine-textured mud contains organic and inorganic acids, gases, and has antiseptic properties. The healing mud of Lake Tambukan also goes to the balneological sanatoriums of Nalchik.

The main wealth of the area is mineral waters. In a relatively small area, about 130 mineral springs of 12 types of complex chemical composition. The total flow of mineral water reaches 12 million liters per day.

Conventionally, the Kislovodskoye, Essentukskoye, Pyatigorskoye, Zheleznovodskoye, Lysogorskoye, Kumagorskoye, Krasno-Vostochnoye and Nagutskoye fields are distinguished.

The origin, formation and properties of mineral waters are associated with the Pyatigorsk laccoliths and the high mountain regions of the North Caucasus, where groundwater is formed. Atmospheric precipitation that falls in the mountains penetrates into the rock strata to great depths, is mineralized, heated, saturated with gases (they are released when molten magma cools in the earth's crust) and comes to the surface through cracks in river valleys.

Along with mineral waters, the resort resources of the KMS make up the favorable climate of the central and southwestern parts of the region, used for climatotherapy. The climate of the KavMinVod region has long been highly valued by balneologists and has been successfully used as a healing factor. The main advantages of the local climate are associated with the large number of sunny days. It is relatively dry here; moist air masses from the Black Sea do not reach here - they are delayed by the Main Caucasus Ridge. Diversity in topography creates differences in climate CMS resorts, and is formed under the influence of a number of factors: the difference in the altitude position of cities, protection by mountains determines the characteristics of the microclimate. The foothill nature of the area and the proximity of the snowy peaks of the Main Caucasus Range on the one hand, and on the other, the proximity of arid steppes and semi-deserts of the Caspian coast determine the continental climate features of this region.

KMS resorts have wind conditions favorable for climatic treatment. There are frequent calms here, especially in the Kislovodsk basin in winter (the average annual wind speed in Kislovodsk is 2.4 m/sec).

The air temperature depends on the altitude of the place and the season of the year. average temperature January in Pyatigorsk −4.0°C, in Kislovodsk −3.9°. July temperatures are +22° and +19°, respectively.

The amount of precipitation decreases from the mountains to the plains: in Bermamyt - 724 mm, in Kislovodsk - 599 mm, in Pyatigorsk - 472 mm; the least number of them is in Essentuki. More than 85% of all precipitation falls in the form of rain (rain predominates over snowfall in winter). The snow cover is low and unstable, snow falls and melts quickly. In Kislovodsk, snow cover lies continuously for an average of 10 days. More than half of winters pass without any snow cover at all. The greatest cloudiness on the plains is observed in winter; in the mountains (Kislovodsk, Bermamyt, Narzanov Valley), on the contrary, the clearest winter months are. Best time years for recreation and travel in Kavminvody - late summer and autumn. It can be sunny, dry, rich in fruits and bright colors landscapes.

The railway, then the center - Beshtau, the name of which can be translated as Pyatigor. In general, the number 5 on the CMS is somehow special: Beshtau has 5 peaks, 4 satellite mountains (Sheludivaya, Dutaya, Sharp and Honey) and 4 neighboring mountains - Mashuk, Zmeyka, Zheleznaya and Razvalka, and this “five in five in Five" forms the center of the entire scattering of 17 lonely mountains of the KMS. There are also 5 historical cities, the largest of which is Pyatigorsk, within which there are 5 railway stations... I think that quite a few other “fives” can be found here, so it is no coincidence that one of the names of the KMS region, and even the entire adjacent part of the Caucasus, is Pyatigorye.

The KMV mountains are laccoliths, that is, lava domes squeezed out of the mantle millions of years ago. Beshtau is the largest (8 kilometers across) and the highest of them (1401m). But I didn’t climb any of its peaks, limiting myself to hiking along the slopes from Pyatigorsk to Zheleznovodsk. And along the way there are uranium mines, the Second Athos Monastery, the city of Lermontov, the most beautiful Eagle Rocks and a warm April forest.

The first time I saw Beshtau from afar, I thought that it would be too tough for me, but in fact, climbing the central peak and returning back in a day is not so difficult. Moreover, the mountain is crossed by numerous roads, and there are several convenient climbs to it. The easiest one is from the Lermontovskaya station (see the previous part), the surroundings of which reminded me of the scenery for scenes of gang warfare from the movies of the 1990s. The fact is that here is the largest car market in the North Caucasus, serving primarily the republics, where car dealers are very reluctant to open anything. In the background is Mashuk, unmistakably identifiable from the TV tower:

To the left, behind the car market with its dubious personalities of Russian and Caucasian appearance scurrying around since the morning, the road to Beshtau begins. Ahead are the peaks of Two Brothers (1124), Big Beshtau (1401) and Goat Rocks (1157), and in the title frame the view from the opposite side shows Goat Rocks, Big Beshtau and Small Beshtau (1254), hiding Shaggy Mountain (1180) behind them. The first kilometers of the road go through an unpleasant area with concrete fences and the ruins of some kind of industry:

By left hand- Pyatigorsk. Garden partnerships near Lake Ivushka, high-rise buildings in the area with the poetic name White Chamomile (after the pre-revolutionary tuberculosis sanatorium - in those days this flower was a symbol of the fight against consumption), the long Dubrovka forest on Shaved Mountain (since half of it is bald) and the most distant of the 17 mountains Yutsa (973) and Jutsa (1190), behind which the Caucasus is visible.

But the center of Pyatigorsk is not visible from here - it is at the foot of Mashuk:

But then, from the flowering bushes at the foot of the Goat Rocks, an old industrial abandoned building appears. This is “village No. 1” - nothing more than the remains of a uranium mine enrichment plant, very unexpected in the resort area.

The local laccoliths consist of quite specific rocks - I already wrote in one of the previous parts about beshtaunite - a hard and corrosion-resistant stone used in technology. And there are also Davidites and Lermontovites - uranium-cerium ore. In the ensuing Cold War, the USSR was in dire need of uranium - raw material for atomic warheads, and mined it wherever it could - a few months ago I already showed the first Soviet one in (Kyrgyzstan). Beshtaugorsk uranium has been known since the 1930s, “village No. 1” was built in 1949-53, and mining there was carried out until 1976. By analogy with the same Mailuu-Suu, most likely the surviving building was a factory power plant - the enrichment plant itself should have been demolished as “dirty”.

They say that Beshtau is all pitted with adits, forming the largest system of catacombs in Russia, with a length, according to various sources, from 160 to 230 kilometers. The entrances to the adits are marked on Wikimapia, and here are the notes of a person who was inside them.

Of course, uranium could not help but give rise to traditional horror stories: supposedly, the background is on the mountain in Chernobyl, and giant mushrooms grow here, the locals will never buy them, but the unlucky tourists are poisoned by cunning mushroom pickers. And prisoners worked in these mines and were buried there... In short, I don’t presume to judge the reliability of the rumors. Beshtau is a place even without any radiation. And you can go to it several times - for example, on the slope of Big Beshtau there is the so-called Temple of the Sun, which many consider to be a Scythian megalith (which, I admit, I seriously doubt). But I headed towards the foot of the Two Brothers peak - and I suspect that the name of this mountain was given by those two remnants on its “facade”:

About 4 kilometers from Lermontovskaya station, the climb ended - I came out onto the ring road built in 1927, which encircles all 5 peaks at a good height. She herself passes at approximately the same level, now rising and now falling, and I turned left, heading clockwise:

Along the road there is a forest, a slope on both sides, an abundance of flowers and stones. On some stones there are biblical quotes: the asphalt part of the road leads from Pyatigorsk to the Second Athos Monastery, which, however, is still several kilometers away.

Sometimes the warm forest on the slope parted, revealing a panorama of Pyatigorsk.

In the distance are the already familiar Yutsa and Jutsa, and right at the foot is a low Pine Hill, also similar to a laccolith.

The wide field and the Stalin-era building with a tower are not an abandoned terminal of the old airport, but a hippodrome founded in 1885 near the Skachki station - one of two in Russia of federal significance, along with the Moscow one.

And in the distance the Caucasian peaks are blazing, which I won’t even try to identify, but apparently this is Kabardino-Balkaria, east of Elbrus. The highest point of Russia on that day was not visible behind the clouds lying on its slopes, but on other days it loomed in the background more than once.

Behind is Mount Two Brothers:

And in the distance the outline of Camel Mountain (885m) looms - the westernmost of the 17 laccoliths, it is the first to appear in sight on the road from Stavropol. On the slopes, as you can see, there are a lot of cars - Beshtau is popular with both holidaymakers and locals, and I even saw a jeep with South Ossetian license plates here.

We continue our way to the monastery - in fact, I walked for a long time, an hour and a half, hoping to see temples around every turn. Here on this rock they are going to recreate the icon that adorned the cliff before the revolution:

For now, only this memorial plaque - probably crashed on this rock in a car:

And finally, the Second Athos Monastery itself appears against the backdrop of Greater Beshtau - how strange and at the same time organically the Russian church looks in the mountains! This is the Church of St. George the Victorious (1999), but the cylindrical building is the original fraternal building:

The monastery was founded in 1904 by two monks from Greek Athos, and since the New Athos monastery had been in the Caucasus for 30 years, it was called Second Athos. In those days, it was known for its strict rules and loyalty to traditions, so it very quickly gained fame in the age of modernism and renovationism as a stronghold of genuine Orthodoxy. In 1927, the Second Athos was closed and gradually destroyed - this is what its Assumption Church looked like (1906):

IN new church They apparently want to play with Greek motifs, and in general I would say that the second Second Athos Monastery, revived in 1997-2001, is architecturally more interesting than the first:

For example, a church under open air- they say they wanted to build new cathedral here, but abandoned the idea due to the threat of landslides:

In the last frame, do you see the gap between the “eagle” and the lonely pillar a little to the right? That's where I headed:

View from the crevice of Sheludivaya Mountain and three cities near it:

A view ahead - as you can see, I’m not alone here, two whole families were enthusiastically climbing the cliff - husbands, wives and boys of 10-12 years old. I think Beshtau is not so crowded on weekdays, especially since I was here not just on Sunday, but on Easter.

Around the next turn there is an abyss, and Zheleznovodsk is visible between the rocks:

It turned out to be not so difficult to climb onto the “eagle’s head” - sharp turns The trail is even equipped with an improvised handrail:

And the round platform at the top immediately reminded me of the place of Pechorin’s duel with Martynov Grushnitsky and the rock where he climbed while shouting “Give me back the sausage!” Father Fyodor - being neither one nor the other, she serves as an ideal image of the Ciscaucasia in the imagination of the Russian writer.

Top of a rock with a small grotto:

And the view through this grotto:

Closer are the Ostraya and Tupaya mountains (767m, also Kabanka), further away are the Bull and the Camel. There are again two cities in the frame - Lermontov on the left, Zheleznovodsk on the right. And below is not military unit(as I thought), and the huge abandoned pioneer camp "Eagle Rocks":

To the right is another interesting mountain quintet. On the left are Tupaya and Byk, on the right are Zheleznaya (853, closer) and Razvalka (926, further) hanging over Zheleznovodsk, and in the middle is Honey Mountain (725m), the last of Beshtau’s “satellites”:

She is seen against the backdrop of the non-resort part of Zheleznovodsk:

Zheleznovodsk is a small city (24 thousand inhabitants), but its structure is very interesting. Its center and resort part are in a narrow (less than a kilometer) valley between Beshtau and Zheleznaya, and the main part of the residential areas is on the plain to the east, and such isolation resort area gives it a more intimate feel.

The most important sights are the Ostrovsky baths (1893) near the station at the bottom left, the Palace of the Bukhara Emir (1912, essentially a personal sanatorium, which the ruler of vassal Bukhara built for himself here), at the top left, the Pushkin Gallery (1901, Kursaal), and Below is the local administration.

To the left is the Church of the Intercession, built in 1996 in the New Baths building (1912), and the house with a turret below is on the station square:

And in general, I decided to go to Zheleznovodsk. But first we had to go down. and here I was very stupid - I climbed off the rocks without any problems, and then decided not to go back, but to look for some path. There were indeed paths, but they all led upwards, and I was tired and followed the one that went downhill. It eventually disappeared at a rather steep slope, along which I decided to descend through stones, fallen leaves and flowering herbs. The descent turned out to be not exactly dangerous, but boring and difficult. In one place I grabbed a thick dry branch, it broke off and, right in my hand, with decent speed, by inertia, flew into my eye. By some miracle I managed to close my eyes, but the blow was such that there was a natural echo in my head. Not so much from pain, but from fear, I howled and realized that I was afraid to open my eyes - what if I was now crooked?! But I opened it, and it turned out that I saw everything as I saw before, only the “blind spot” lasted for another 20 minutes. Later I discovered that the blow did not leave a bruise or even a hemorrhage, although I still had pain somewhere inside my eyes for a couple of weeks . In general, I can’t get over the idea that all the dangers come from people... however, for the first time on the Road I got hit in the eye not from some kind of gopnik, but from a tree. Soon I again came out onto the blooming, crowded Ring Road:

And I turned at the direct descent to Zheleznovodsk, which is still 2-3 kilometers downhill:

Palace of the Bukhara Emir and Soviet buildings of the Telman sanatorium. It seems like the first time I walked from city to city (except for my periodic walks from home to neighboring Lyubertsy):

The road led me to the station behind these trees. By the way, how did you correct me?

Attractions

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At the junction of the Stavropol Upland and the northern slopes of the Greater Caucasus Range, almost at an equal distance from the Black and Caspian Seas, five cities are located, forming a polycentric agglomeration - “Caucasian Mineral Waters”. The history of this exceptional place as a popular balneotherapeutic resort dates back to the 19th century, namely in 1803, when Alexander I signed a rescript “On recognition of the national significance of the Caucasian Mineral Waters and the need for their construction.” Since then, large-scale development of the area began, in particular, the study of its main wealth - mineral springs, of which there are more than 130! There are also large deposits of healing mud on the territory of the KMS. The advantages of the resort, which is considered one of the most environmentally friendly and hospitable regions of Russia, also include a mild climate with big amount sunny days, Mountain air and incredibly beautiful landscapes.

The numerous advantages of the CMS were appreciated by famous figures in politics, science, culture and art, with whose names a number of monuments and historical places, which, together with natural splendor, make up the appearance of famous resort cities.

Museum, Landmark

A kind of gateway to the “Forge of Health” is the city of Mineralnye Vody, located at the foot of Mount Zmeyka, in the valley of the Kuma River. Today it is, first of all, transport node and a transit point: from here tourists, as a rule, go to the mineral water resorts - Zheleznovodsk, Pyatigorsk, Essentuki and Kislovodsk. This role is due to the historical past of the city, which arose in 1878 as a village at the Rostovo-Vladikavkazskaya junction station railway. City status former village Sultanovsky received it in 1921. And in 1925, an air station was opened here, making Minvody one of the first “winged” cities Soviet Union. Modern international Airport“Mineral Waters” appeared in the 60s. XX century, in the early 2010s it was reconstructed and is now largest airport in the south of the country.

Another “transport” attraction is the building of the Minvod station, which is an example of Soviet neoclassicism. It should be noted that, in general, the architectural appearance of Minvod is made up of buildings from the post-war period: the city was seriously damaged during the fascist occupation. The main city temple - the Intercession Cathedral - was built already in 1997.

The Mineralovodsk Local Lore Museum tells about the history, culture, and natural wealth of the region. It will be interesting to visit the house-museum of Alexei Bibik, a proletarian writer who lived in Minvody until he was 99 years old. This amazing example of longevity is not the only one in the region with incredibly healthy conditions.

The picturesque surroundings of the city were no exception for the location of a wonderful health resort here - the Mineralnye Vody sanatorium, on the territory of which there is a spring with a drinking pump room.

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Sight

Name oldest resort Kavminvod was given by the nearby five-domed Beshtau Mountain - the highest elevation in the region. The city is located at the foot of another mountain - Mashuk, on the southwestern and southern slopes of the Stavropol Upland. Within the boundaries of Pyatigorsk there are also mountains Dubrovka, Piket, Post and others. Healing waters, the amazing beauty of mountains and valleys, a mild climate, and a large number of historical attractions make up the specifics of Pyatigorsk tourism. But first things first.

Pyatigorsk, first of all, is famous for its exceptional variety of mineral springs, the first of which were explored back in the 90s of the 18th century. Since 1803, medical institutions began to appear here, and new sources began to open. Thus, gradually the former military fortification in the valley of Mount Mashuk turned into a first-class Russian health resort. Today in Pyatigorsk there are about 50 wells and mineral springs with different types healing water, more than 20 of them are actively used for medical purposes. Such water wealth in combination with the healing mud of Lake Tambukan, used in Pyatigorsk sanatorium complexes, allow us to classify the city as one of the most effective multi-profile resorts in modern Russia.

Sanatoriums in Pyatigorsk are adjacent to numerous parks, museums and historical and architectural monuments. In the center of the oldest city park “Tsvetnik” (before the revolution - “Nikolaevsky”), planned back in 1828, there is the Lermontov Gallery - an interesting building of the early 20th century and a concert and exhibition complex that is still operating. From the Flower Garden you can climb a wide stone staircase to another historical building- Academic (Elizabethan) gallery, from the observation deck of which a magnificent panorama of the city and its environs opens.

A number of attractions in Pyatigorsk are inextricably linked with the name of Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov. Among the must-see places are Lermontov's House, where one of the departments of the State Museum-Reserve M.Yu. Lermontov; the place of Lermontov's duel with Major N.S. Martynov; Diana's Grotto, where the poet visited more than once; Lermontov's grotto, depicted by him in the novel “A Hero of Our Time”. Another cult place of Pyatigorsk, immortalized in Russian literature, was Proval - karst cave with an underground lake. It was here that the character of “The Twelve Chairs”, Ostap Bender, managed to earn money by charging a fee for visiting the legendary attraction. Today, at the entrance to Proval you can see a modern bronze sculpture of the “great schemer”. And the monument to the main hero of Pyatigorsk - Lermontov - has been decorating the city since 1889. Numerous monuments and ancient buildings are surrounded by dense greenery of centuries-old trees and the mesmerizing beauty of mountain landscapes.

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Sight

Among the four resorts of Kavminvod, the first place in terms of the number of health resorts is unconditionally occupied by cozy and sunny Kislovodsk, whose main asset is the world famous Narzan. Like Pyatigorsk, the city arose from a military fortress and village. Its founders and first inhabitants were Russian soldiers. The activities of General A.P. were of particular importance in the development of the city. Ermolov, on whose orders the creation of the famous Resort Park, once the largest park in Europe by area, began.

In the second half of the 19th century, Kislovodsk was already a popular, comfortable resort, attracting representatives of famous merchant and noble families. Today, like more than a century and a half ago, numerous people who want to improve their health gather at the Narzan Gallery, built in the Gothic style. Healing Narzan is not only drunk, but also used for bathing. "East" building of the Main Narzan baths, built at the very beginning of the last century, is one of most interesting buildings cities.

In total, there are more than a hundred architectural monuments and historical attractions in Kislovodsk. So a holiday here promises to be not only useful, but also educational. You should definitely visit the ancient theater and concert hall named after. V. Safonov (Philharmonic building), where Sergei Rachmaninov gave a concert, Fyodor Chaliapin sang. The great artist of the world opera theater not only toured in Kislovodsk, but rented a mansion here for his family. IN historical building, known as Chaliapin's Dacha, today houses a literary and musical museum dedicated to the legendary singer.

Walks along the winding streets of the center of Kislovodsk with its original ancient buildings can be alternated with longer routes that involve gradual ascents into the mountains. The Resort Park, where six different routes are laid out, is perfect for a health path (health walking). A sea of ​​greenery and the purest rarefied air will make it easy to cover more than one kilometer and at the same time get great pleasure.

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Sight

There are more than one legend about the origin of the city and toponym Essentuki; there are also many scientific points of view on this issue. According to the most common of them, the name comes from the name of Khan Essentuga, the ruler of a large Golden Horde settlement located not far from modern city. But from the Karachay language “essen bale” is translated as “living hair”. The explanation for this is the beautiful legend about the healing of a boy, the son of a rich prince, on whose head, after bathing in a local spring, beautiful curls grew.

Today, mineral waters bearing the same name as the famous balneological resort town are used to treat many ailments. The richest springs in terms of water volume and mineral composition are “Essentuki-4” and “Essentuki-17”. There are other sources, each of which has its own medicinal properties.

The pride of Essentuki is the Mud Bath named after. ON THE. Semashko is the largest establishment of its kind in Europe. The grandiose complex in the spirit of neoclassicism was erected in 1913–1915. For more than a hundred years, procedures have been carried out here with the healing mud of Lake Tambukan. Another large-scale attraction of the city is the largest drinking gallery on the European continent, “Pyatysyachnik”, which can accommodate up to 5,200 vacationers per shift. It is impossible not to mention the Zander Institute of Mechanotherapy, built in late XIX century. The building of unusual architecture housed an institution no less unusual for its time - the prototype of a modern fitness center, which housed “simulators” for therapeutic exercises developed by the Swedish physiotherapist Gustav Zander.

At the foot of Mount Zheleznaya and partly on its eastern slopes is located the smallest of the CMV cities - Zheleznovodsk. The area of ​​its territory is only 93 square meters. km, which in no way detracts from the advantages of the resort, which is also distinguished by its wealth of mineral springs and the presence of interesting historical and natural monuments.

The first two hot springs on the slope of Mount Zheleznaya were discovered in 1810 by the outstanding Russian doctor Fyodor Gaaz. In the same year, a health resort with a bathhouse was established. To date, more than 20 springs come to the surface in Zheleznovodsk. The oldest of them - the Lermontov spring - is still functioning, and is also one of the city’s attractions: the great Russian poet visited here too.

Mud therapy has been practiced in Zheleznovodsk for centuries. For medical procedures, in 1893, a building was erected in the Moorish style - the Baths, named after the Russian statesman, Minister of State Property M.N. Ostrovsky.

By analogy with the Lermontov Gallery in Pyatigorsk, in the medical park of Zheleznovodsk there is the Pushkin Gallery - an original structure made of iron and glass, created for holding concerts and exhibitions. Not far from the gallery there is another famous monument of the city - the Emir's Palace, reproducing the features of Central Asian architecture. Today, the former residence of the Emir of Bukhara is occupied by a sanatorium.

The resort features amazing picturesque nature: The city, located in the valley of the Dzhemuk and Kuchuk rivers, is surrounded by mountains and natural forest. From the foot of Mount Zheleznaya - the main natural attraction of Zheleznovodsk - a path route over 3 km long has been laid. From the top of the mountain, at an altitude of 853 m above sea level, there is a magnificent view of the entire surroundings of the Caucasian Mineral Waters.

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