Natalia GOLYANOVA
The most mystical sights of the North Caucasus
Lake Proval
This natural monument at the foot of Mashuk has long attracted a lot of researchers and ordinary people. Tunnel to underground lake laid out later. At first they could be admired through the collapsed vaults of the cave. Somewhere far below you could see a spot of a blue-marble hydrogen sulfide lake. Walks to the Proval were a favorite pastime of the first holidaymakers. In “Princess Mary,” Mikhail Lermontov wrote: “In the evening, a large society went on foot to Proval. According to local scientists, this failure is nothing more than an extinct crater; it is located on the slope of Mashuk, a verst from the city. A narrow path between bushes and rocks leads to it.
WHAT THEY SAY
Among the first inhabitants of these places there were legends that a terrible fire-breathing snake lived in the lake, which flew out at night and ate people. The lake had a bad reputation. It happened that the bodies of the dead were thrown into it from above. Later, scientists proved that the hydrogen sulfide water of Proval is saturated with beneficial bacteria. And so in late XIX centuries, a small stone font was made here, which was called the Shameless Baths. And now many take them even in winter, because they believe that after several procedures, you can be cured of all diseases.
Location: at the foot of Mount Mashuk. We go by bus number 1 from railway station Pyatigorsk to the stop "Proval".
Elsa's cottage
It was built at the beginning of the 20th century in the pseudo-Romanesque style and resembled medieval castle under a hotel for vacationers. Its owner Elizaveta Gukasova, daughter of a German merchant and wife of the famous confectioner Alexander Gukasov, rented out furnished rooms on Brat'ev Bernadazzi Street, and her husband opened a restaurant and a coffee shop there. The couple was doing well, but the building had to be rented. Therefore, in 1903 they bought a plot on the outskirts of Pyatigorsk and built a luxurious cottage with a large number of rooms. The country hotel was given the romantic name "Elza". Comfortable rooms in it opened two years later. After the revolution, the building was nationalized and a sanatorium building was opened in it.
WHAT THEY SAY
Now the building of Dacha Elsa is in a deplorable state. According to one of the popular versions, the ghost of Elizaveta Gukasova herself lives in the mansion, whom the Bolsheviks allegedly shot and walled up in the walls of the building. And now the rebellious spirit of the unfortunate Elsa, who, by the way, divorced her husband even before the revolution, wanders through the dilapidated rooms. Some visitors to the dacha are sure that the ghost of the lady is not at all kind, but with a heavy, evil character. She does not like to be disturbed out of curiosity, but if she feels that talent has come to her, she helps to open up, however, with an ominous, mystical tinge.
Location: Pyatigorsk, Lermontov St., 15. We get from the Pyatigorsk railway station to the Flower Garden by trams No. 1, 3, 5 and go towards the Academic Gallery.
Rome Mountain HISTORY
It is located near Kislovodsk in the valley of the Podkumok River. Archaeologists have found more than 150 catacomb burials near the slope of Rim-Mountain with numerous household items, jewelry, and weapons. It is believed that the catacombs belonged to the Romans. The locals called the mountain Rim-kale, that is, the fortress of the Rums, or Eastern Romans. It is believed that an ancient trade route ran here. And according to one of the legends, a detachment of Roman soldiers hid in the fortress, who died in battle with the locals. Later, archaeologists partly confirmed the assumptions. They established that in the 10th-12th centuries there was a trading town with an impregnable fortress in the Podkumka valley. And in the catacombs, where the Romans buried their own, scientists found arrows, spears, jewelry, dishes.
WHAT THEY SAY
You can look at the archaeological values in the Kislovodsk museum-fortress. They say that if you are lucky, during the tour you can find a fragment of ancient ceramics or the remains of weapons.
Location: 18 km west of Kislovodsk. You can get there by car.
Second entrance to Shambhala 
STORY
Speleologists told the well-known local historian Viktor Kotlyarov about an interesting cave. On the plates that crowned it, they found a German swastika.
The entrance to the underground mine is carefully laid out from huge side slabs. It continues to a depth of several tens of meters and is lined with massive stone blocks, Viktor Kotlyarov told KP. - This is a shaft with a length of about 80 meters from several knees with transition chambers from one to another. The first of them, going outside, is two solid stone slabs, set in parallel, with sides laid with neat small stones measuring 134 by 43 cm, so that not everyone can squeeze through.
It can be seen with the naked eye that the mine is partly man-made. Researchers continue to study it. It is quite possible that, having passed through another narrow passage, they will stumble upon a large cave with interesting artifacts, and maybe the entrance to a parallel world.
WHAT THEY SAY
According to esotericists, the entrance to the other world, where you can acquire the properties of a superman, is located in Tibet. But there are others.
For example, not far from Elbrus - the sacred mountain of the Aryans. In the Northern Elbrus region there is a plateau, which is popularly called the "German airfield". Some researchers believe that the Germans found a mysterious object on Elbrus. mystical place with high energy, prayed from ancient times, and set up an occult laboratory there. Tibetan lamas were brought there for meditation in order to comprehend, and possibly change the future.
The North Caucasus is a graphic and mystical point where the beginning and the end of present-day humanity are united. The meeting point of positive and negative forces, the axis of the world, - says Viktor Kotlyarov. - It is quite obvious that Hitler perceived the achievement of the summit of Elbrus as a harbinger of the last battle between the forces of good and evil.
Location: Baksansky district of Kabardino-Balkaria.
City of dead 
STORY
One of the most mysterious archaeological sites, which is located in North Ossetia near the village of Dargavs, in the valley of the Midagrabindon River. The burial complex consists of 99 above-ground crypts.
Scientists attribute it to the XIV - XVIII centuries. It was then that family tombs for collective burials were built in North Ossetia. The tradition of burial in such structures among the Ossetians was associated with the cult of ancestors, who were buried in full attire, with small household items. The deceased were laid on special wooden beds or in wooden boats. Scientists are still arguing where such a tradition came from in the mountains. From Mount Rabinyrag, where the City of the Dead is located, you can admire the peaks around. The monument is located in a very beautiful place.
WHAT THEY SAY
Ossetians are sure that the souls of their ancestors are immortal and there is a constant connection with the dead. Visiting a mystical place affects everyone differently. Someone says that there you can see a ghost dressed as a prince. Someone after visiting sees prophetic dreams. The main thing is to come to the tombs with pure thoughts and behave calmly and judiciously.
Location: in the Prigorodny district of North Oestia - Alanya, not far from the village of Dargavs. There is a daily bus to the village from central station Vladikavkaz, located near the central market.
Ahnenerbe Elbrus. Secret division of the German troops Ahnenerbe, created to search for mystical places and artifacts, also visited the Caucasus, on Mount Elbrus. They tried to find a "mental gate" into the mystical and mysterious city Fenugreek…
Seventy years ago, on February 13, 1943, fascist symbols were dropped from the top of Elbrus, and four days later the state flag of the USSR was hoisted on it.
These facts are public knowledge. It is much less known that these two military operations, as well as the mystical events that took place here, were directly related to one of the most closed and secret Nazi organizations, the Ahnenerbe, and the no less secret department of the NKVD.
On the eve of the Great Patriotic War between the USSR and Germany, more precisely, between the leadership of these states, in addition to the political one, there was another area of confrontation - the struggle for ... the help of supernatural forces. It is no secret that both Stalin and Hitler were inclined towards mysticism and devoted much attention and resources to the study of the occult sciences.
The Germans were engaged in this top-secret institute "Ahnenerbe". Himmler personally patronized him, the Reichsmark was allocated for his work, perhaps even more than for the creation of the FAA and the atomic bomb. The Soviet special services, which were part of the VChK-OGPU-NKVD, were also active in this direction. These studies were supervised by the head of the special department of the Cheka, Gleb Bokiy.
Among other things, its employees searched not only for traces of ancient civilizations, but also for a mysterious country Shambhala.
Shambhala for all esotericists- a mystical place, entering which you can become a superman. The main entrance to it is in Tibet. But there are “side gates” to this other world, through which you can connect with Shambhala on a mental level.
According to German occultists, there are those on Elbrus as well. It is no coincidence that they called it the mountain of the Aryans. And here are other parallels. On Tibetan banners, the entrance to Shambhala is depicted as a flat top, as if sticking out of the water. Do you have an analogy with Atlantis? But there is such a thing with Elbrus. For example, Kalitsky Peak. This peak, sticking out of the middle of a huge ice lake, is named after a climber who visited here in the 30s of the last century.
But in Tibet there is sacred mountain Big Kailash. It is believed that somewhere on it is the entrance to Shambhala, which Hitler was so eager to get into. Does this parallel bother you? After this, is it any wonder that in August 1942, at the very height of the battle for the Caucasus, when the Nazis rushed to Tuapse, to Georgia and oil-bearing Azerbaijan, in the midst of the battles for Ordzhonikidze (Vladikavkaz), the mastery of which opened the way to Transcaucasia, the German the command suddenly made a strange maneuver: they removed 4 divisions from the front - more than 40 thousand people - and threw them (including the pride of the Wehrmacht - the Edelweiss mountain rifle division) onto Elbrus, which was strategically not needed by anyone.
However, there was much incomprehensible in the behavior of the Soviet command in relation to this area. General Shtemenko, more than knowledgeable in military secrets, drew attention to this. During the war years, he headed the Operations Directorate of the General Staff, after the war he was chief of the General Staff for several years, then he headed the Main Intelligence Directorate.
Here is what he wrote in his memoirs:
“The main Caucasian ridge was not included in the zone of operations of either the Black Sea or the Northern group.
At the headquarters of the front, a special body was formed, called the headquarters of the defense forces of the Caucasian ridge.
It was headed by General G. Petrov from the NKVD. In fact, this headquarters replaced the Directorate of the 46th Army.
For what?" What the NKVD did in those years in this area is unknown. One can only assume that his employees were watching something. And there was something to watch. Elbrus has long been surrounded by numerous legends. In one of them he is called "mountain of happiness" and they say that the one who, despite all the dangers, reaches its summit, will be filled with miraculous power.
Hitler perceived the achievement of the summit of Elbrus as a harbinger of the Last Battle of the forces of Good and Evil, and in general the Caucasus - as the Axis of the World, in which the beginning and end of humanity converge, a meeting place for positive and negative forces. German astrologers, seeing the Fuhrer's special disposition towards Elbrus, guessed that as soon as the flags of the Reich rise above this "roof of Europe", the Land of Soviets will collapse under the crushing blows of the Wehrmacht.
Therefore, when on August 21, 1942 the group commander "Edelweiss" the Bavarian captain Heinz Groot stuck the German flag into the top of Elbrus, the Goebbels propaganda machine trumpeted the whole world about this ascent. Under the photographs was the caption:
"Under the feet of Captain Groot - defeated Europe!". And Groot himself was awarded the Knight's Cross.
There were many legends about the stay of the Germans in the Elbrus region among the locals. Climbers, who visited here much later, said, for example, that the Germans found here a mysterious mystical place with high energy - the "gateway" to Shambhala already mentioned by us - and set up an occult laboratory.
Allegedly, once even a group of Tibetan lamas was brought into it, who conducted meditation classes there, trying to comprehend, and possibly change the future. They were brought there on the Focke-Wul-Fach, having equipped for this purpose a small secret airfield on one of the plateaus.
But the unexpected happened. According to one version, during meditation (it took place during the Battle of Stalingrad), the lamas saw not the coming triumph of the Fuhrer, but Soviet tanks on the streets of Berlin. Tibetan soothsayers, of course, were immediately liquidated and buried, having performed a certain mysterious rite.
Another fact is significant. At the very beginning of the war, a group of Soviet mountain climbers turned to the General Staff with a proposal to use them to train fighters in units stationed in mountainous areas. Among them was a young scientist Alexander Gusev. Soon he was appointed and became responsible for the mountain training of the soldiers of the 9th Mountain Rifle Division.
In January 1943, Captain Gusev, who was recovering in Tbilisi in those days after an unsuccessful parachute jump, received an order from the front headquarters. It said: “With a group ... go along the route Tbilisi - Ordzhonikidze - Nalchik - Terskol to carry out a special task in the Elbrus region to ... remove fascist pennants from the peaks and establish state flags THE USSR".
A detachment of the best climbers in the country was formed more than promptly. About what Elbrus is in winter, my old friend told me many times
Master of sports in tourism, an experienced climber who has conquered almost all the peaks of the country, an instructor of one of the Sochi military sanatoriums Viktor Marvani.
He climbed Elbrus both in summer and in winter. “In February, this is Caucasian Antarctica with frost down to minus 50 degrees, hurricane winds and kilometers of steep ice slopes polished by him,”
He told. Captain Gusev himself confirms this in his memoirs. Shelter of Eleven was damaged by bombs, he writes.
The weather station is destroyed. Snow everywhere and damaged gun emplacements. The hurricane wind raged for almost a week. Products are running out."
But, despite this, on February 13, 1943, six climbers under the command of Lieutenant N. Gusak dropped Nazi banners from the western peak of Elbrus, and four days later - on February 17 - a group under the command of Gusev himself hoisted the flag of the USSR on the steepest - eastern.
Years have passed. After the war, Heinz Grooth worked in Germany as a civil judge and even compiled a guide to the Alps. Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Professor Alexander Mikhailovich Gusev headed the department at the Faculty of Physics of Moscow State University, headed the Institute of Applied Geophysics.
At one time they were separated by ideology, upbringing, the front line. One thing connected them - climbing Elbrus during the war years. They never met, but knew about each other and even corresponded. And both died in the same year - 1994.
After the war in this region of the Elbrus region, judging by various sources, not everything was clear either. The Soviet troops cleared the territory, removed the German antennas that stood here and until the 60s declared it a restricted zone, even local shepherds with flocks were not allowed everywhere. But gradually the severity weakened.
Members of one of the expeditions, led by Vyacheslav Tokarev, went from the village of Verkhniy Baksan along mountain gorges through the Chatkara pass at an altitude of more than 4 thousand meters and ... got, as the climbers later recalled, into the Lost World.
At the already mentioned Kalitsky peak, one of the three peaks was obviously artificial and surprisingly resembled the figure of a man bending over a stone book. Climbers discovered sites of cult sanctuaries, a place similar to an altar, an altar, several clearly man-made pillars resembling the figure of a warrior in a helmet.
But on the southern slope of the peak, climbers stumbled upon many cave cavities filled with combustible volcanic gas. It is these gases, and not the height of the mountain or technical difficulties, that, according to experts, become the main obstacle on the way to the tops of Elbrus for some climbers who are sensitive to their effects.
How can one not recall the ancient Greek Delphic oracles. Judging by historical sources, it was after inhaling the gases coming out of the ground that they plunged into a drug trance and began to predict the future.
Maybe this was the reason why the employees of "Ahnenerbe" brought lamas-soothsayers here from Tibet? In any case, they learned the truth from them: a year and a half later, as the lamas saw, Soviet tanks marched through the streets of Berlin in a victorious march.
It is no coincidence that the North Caucasus is one of the favorite destinations for domestic tourism in Russia. Here, in an amazing way, various vegetable world, magnificent landscapes, fast rivers And high mountains, semi-desert and healing mineral springs, architectural monuments and delicious food. Be sure to visit this wonderful land. At least virtually.
Elbrus
The highest point in Russia is rightfully considered one of the seven wonders of our country. The mountain is a cone extinct volcano, which erupted for the last time at the beginning of our era.
It was here, according to legend, that the titan Prometheus was chained in chains for daring to bring fire to people. In the powerful glaciers of Elbrus, the Kyukurtlyu, Ullu-Khurzuk, Ullu-Kam rivers originate, which, merging, form the Kuban - the most big river in the North Caucasus.
In the depths of Elbrus, there are still hot masses that heat the local "hot narzans" - springs saturated with mineral salts and carbon dioxide, the temperature of which reaches +52 and +60 ºС.
Tobot waterfall
An unforgettable view opens up to travelers: a flat plateau suddenly breaks off, as if the universe ends here, and from the top of the gorge, resembling the Latin letter V in this place, the previously calm river falls with a terrible roar, flying past picturesque rocks. Below, water crystals rise from the bottom of the canyon and, illuminated by the sun, play with all possible colors.
“However, lovers of winter landscapes can argue about beauty: in the frosty months, Tobot freezes like a giant icicle, hollow inside (crystal clear and incredibly tasty water runs through this cavity). The whole gorge is covered clear ice as if turning into a kingdom snow queen', he writes.
Blue lakes in Kabardino-Balkaria
Five amazing karst lakes are hidden between the rocks in Kabardino-Balkaria. In their waters, the mysteries of nature are hidden, which man has not yet fully unraveled.
Not a single river or stream flows into one of them, the Lower Lake, although it loses up to 70 million liters of water every day, but its volume and depth do not change at all. The Lower Lake, or Tserik-Kol, is one of the deepest in the region. It rightfully bears the title of one of the deepest lakes Europe.
It is best to admire them, especially Tserik-Kol, in clear sunny weather, when the water there has a really pale blue color (it is due to the content of hydrogen sulfide). During the day, the lake can change color up to 16 times - from azure to emerald. But the water temperature in it is constant: no more than +9 ºС - both in winter and in summer.
Lake Proval
The beautiful turquoise color of the mineral water that fills the reservoir is due to the high sulfur content and the presence of certain bacteria in it.
The landmark of the Failure is two lions guarding the entrance to the cave. These sculptures appeared here in the middle of the 20th century. Since then, tourists are sure to take pictures (for good luck) with at least one of them.
In the time of Lermontov, however, the locals called the lake "hellish abyss" and believed that it was inhabited by a fire-breathing monster that circled over the city at night in search of victims. Nevertheless, one of the amusements of the "water society" - the society of visitors and the military, which gathered around the family of Prince V.S. Golitsyn, - there were dances over the abyss: on the initiative of the prince, the famous architects, the Bernardazzi brothers, built in 1837 a platform over the Proval, on which those who wished to dance a quadrille. The most inquisitive had the opportunity to go down in a special basket to the very water.
Watchtowers of the North Caucasus
The North Caucasus is one of the few places in Russia where ancestral guard towers have been preserved - a vivid example of an original mountain culture. They are located on the slopes of the Main Caucasian Range: on the territory of Ossetia, Dagestan, Ingushetia, Chechnya and Kabardino-Balkaria.
In the North Caucasus, the towers had both a residential and defensive function, which is why they were most often tribal guards. Due to enemy invasions, most of these structures have not been preserved. Some of the towers were family. According to custom, the tower had to be built no more than a year, otherwise the family could be considered unsuccessful; it was usually erected near the settlement.
The North Caucasian towers symbolize the honor of the family, unity and courage, being the pinnacle of the construction and architectural skills of the highlanders of the North Caucasus.
Caucasian dolmens
Dolmens are buildings built from large stone blocks, presumably of a cult nature. Today, about three thousand of them have survived in the Caucasus.
Tiled dolmens usually include four walls, a roof and a floor consisting of one large or several smaller (heel) slabs. The chamber is rectangular or trapezoidal. There are grooves in the plates, due to which they are all tightly connected. The front plate forms a portal.
Composite dolmens are partially or completely assembled from separate small blocks. They have a complex geometric connection. The shape of the chamber is diverse: rectangular, trapezoidal, horseshoe-shaped, round and multifaceted.
Trough-shaped dolmens were carved in the thickness of the stone, and then covered with a slab from above. Dolmens-monoliths are entirely carved from one block of stone or in the rock.
List of attractions that you should definitely visit in the North Caucasus. Top list of natural and man-made wonders of the North Caucasus.
Mountain Elbrus
North Caucasus. Mountain ElbrusMount Elbrus is the most high point Russia. It is located on the border of the Kabardino-Balkarian and Karachay-Cherkess republics. In the powerful glaciers of Elbrus, rivers originate, which form the Kuban River - the largest river in the North Caucasus. Today, the Elbrus region is one of the largest centers for skiing, mountaineering and tourism. And at an altitude of 3500 m on the territory of the Mir station, you can visit the highest mountain museum in the world - the Museum of Military Glory of the Defenders of Elbrus and the Caucasian Passes during the Great Patriotic War.
Naryn-Kala fortress
North Caucasus, Naryn-Kala Fortress The Naryn-Kala fortress is the oldest fortress in Russia, located in Derbent (Republic of Dagestan). She is 1600 years old. The fortress was built as a powerful defensive complex that blocked an important trade route - the Great Silk Road, for which a fierce struggle was constantly waged. At present, buildings of different eras have been preserved within the walls of Naryn-Kala: a cross-domed temple, the ruins of the Khan's palace, the Khan's office and even an old underground prison. And if you climb the wall, you can admire a beautiful view of the old city.
North Caucasus. Mosque named after Akhmat-Khadzhi Kadyrov The Akhmat-Khadji Kadyrov Mosque is the largest mosque in Russia. It is located in Grozny, on the banks of the Sunzha River. The mosque was built in the classical Ottoman style and was named after the first president of the Chechen Republic. More than 10,000 people can be in it at the same time. This mosque is also called the “Heart of Chechnya”. It is the center of the Islamic complex, including the Russian Islamic University named after Kunta-Khadzhi and the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of the Republic.
Barkhan Sarykum
North Caucasus. Barkhan Sarykum A unique sandy mountain with a special climatic zone is located near the village of Korkmaskaly in Dagestan, at the foot of the Kumtorkalinsky ridge. Its height is 250-260 meters. The area of the dune is three times the size of Monaco. The mountain consists of fine-grained golden sand. The origin of Sarykum is unknown. Interestingly, during strong winds, the shape of the dune “walks” and can change before our eyes.
Dargava necropolis
North Caucasus. Dargava necropolis The Dargav necropolis is often compared to the Valley of the Kings in Egypt. This object is listed by UNESCO. It is located in North Ossetia near the town of Dargavs. The Dargav necropolis has about a hundred stone ground and underground crypts, which served as family tombs for the ancestors of the Ossetians. An interesting fact is that the bodies of the dead were placed in wooden boats, although there is no sea nearby. The microclimate of the gorge favors the natural mummification of bodies.
lotus valley
North Caucasus. lotus valley The North Caucasus also has its own lotus valley. Sounds strange as we have heard about lotuses in Thailand, Vietnam and other countries South-East Asia. She is located on Taman Peninsula Krasnodar Territory. The Lotus Valley is located on the site of an ancient sunny estuary. In the nineteenth century, local residents desalinated the reservoir, the estuary became smaller and appeared in it. different kinds fish and plants. The lotus was introduced by biologists and spread rapidly.
Lake Proval
North Caucasus. Lake Proval Proval Lake is located at the foot of Mount Mashuk in Pyatigorsk. Previously, it was possible to admire the beauty of the lakes only through holes in the rock, but later a tunnel was laid through which you can go down to healing spring. The lake is filled mineral water turquoise color. The water is healing due to hydrogen sulfide springs located under the lake. Two stone lions are sitting at the entrance to the Failure, guarding the entrance to the cave.
Jeirakh Gorge
North Caucasus. Jeirakh Gorge
The Dzheyrakhsky gorge is located in one of the regions of Ingushetia. It is part of the complex of the Dzheirakh-Assinsky State Historical, Architectural and Natural Museum-Reserve. This ancient settlements Egikal, Khamkhi and Targim, the Christian temple of Tkhaba-Erdy, located near the village of Khairakh. This museum-reserve is one of the largest in Russia. It occupies an area of 64,000 hectares, its length from north to south is more than 50 km, from west to east - more than 70 km.
Blue Lakes
North Caucasus. Blue Lakes
Five amazing karst lakes are located between the rocks in Kabardino-Balkaria. In their waters, the mysteries of nature are hidden, which man has not yet fully unraveled. Not a single river or stream flows into one of them, the Lower Lake, although it loses up to 70 million liters of water every day, but its volume and depth do not change at all. The Lower Lake, or Tserik-Kol, is one of the deepest in the region. It is one of the deepest lakes in Europe. It is best to admire them, especially Tserik-Kol, in clear sunny weather, when the water there is really pale blue. This is due to the content of hydrogen sulfide in it. During the day, the lake can change color up to 16 times - from azure to emerald. But the water temperature in it is constant: no more than +9 ºС - both in winter and in summer.
Watchtowers are a vivid example of the original mountain culture in the North Caucasus. They are located on the slopes of the Main Caucasian Range: on the territory of Ossetia, Dagestan, Ingushetia, Chechnya and Kabardino-Balkaria. The towers carried both a residential function and a defensive one, which is why they were most often tribal guards. Due to enemy invasions, most of these structures have not been preserved. Some of the towers were family. According to custom, the tower had to be built no more than a year, otherwise the family could be considered unsuccessful; it was usually erected near the settlement. These towers symbolize the honor of the family, unity and courage, being the pinnacle of the construction and architectural skill of the highlanders of the North Caucasus.
Dolmens are buildings built from large stone blocks, presumably of a cult nature. About three thousand of them survived in the Caucasus.
Tiled dolmens usually include four walls, a roof and a floor consisting of one large or several smaller slabs. The chamber is rectangular or trapezoidal. There are grooves in the plates, due to which they are all tightly connected. The front plate forms a portal. Composite dolmens are partially or completely assembled from separate small blocks. They have a complex geometric connection. The shape of the chamber is diverse: rectangular, trapezoidal, horseshoe-shaped, round and multifaceted. Trough-shaped dolmens were carved in the thickness of the stone, and then covered with a slab from above. Dolmens-monoliths are entirely carved from one block of stone or in the rock.
North Caucasus. Mud volcanoes of Taman One of the most mysterious places Black Sea coast – mud volcanoes. They are located on Taman. Total in this region There are about thirty places where you can take therapeutic mud baths. The most famous and beautiful volcano is Karabetova Sopka with a crater size of 1380x860 meters. In all places where therapeutic mud bathing is allowed, special pontoons have been built, thanks to which it is completely safe to take mud baths. These places are very popular among tourists, especially during the summer season.
In November, the national competition "Seven Wonders of the North Caucasus" ended, in which Internet users voted for the best sights in the region. As a result, seven out of 100 Caucasian beauties were selected. We will tell you about them.
First place: Mount Elbrus
The highest peak in Russia and Europe, popular ski resort, the place where they searched for the entrance to the mystical Shambhala
Elbrus is located on the border of the Kabardino-Balkarian and Karachay-Cherkess republics. It is called the "two-headed mountain" because it has two peaks. They are separated by a saddle and separated from each other by about 3000 m: the western one has a height of 5642 m, the eastern one is lower by 21 m.
Today, the Elbrus region is one of the largest centers for skiing, mountaineering and tourism. The ski season lasts from December to early May. It offers vacationers 35 km of trails of varying difficulty, 12 km cable cars, equipment rental, entertainment centers, wireless Internet. For climbing and hiking trips The most favorable time is the period from June to September.
Main tourism infrastructure The Elbrus region is concentrated in three settlements: Elbrus, Tegenekli and Terskol. In the village of Tegenekli there is a mountaineering and hunting museum named after. V.S. Vysotsky (ticket price - 50 rubles). By the way, it was in the Elbrus region in 1966 that the filming of the movie "Vertical" took place.
At an altitude of 3500 m on the territory of the Mir station, you can visit the highest mountain museum in the world - the Museum of Military Glory of the Defenders of Elbrus and the Caucasian Passes during the Great Patriotic War (ticket price - 50 rubles).
How to get there
Nearest airports: Mineral water and Nalchik. Every day, at least six to seven flights fly from Moscow to Minvody, and two flights to Nalchik.
Taxis are best booked in advance. The distance from Minvod to Terskol is 180 km, the journey takes 3.5-4 hours. From Nalchik to Terskol - 130 km, travel time 2.5-3 hours. Many hotels offer shuttle service.
In addition, a minibus departs from the bus station in Nalchik in the morning to Terskol.
Every day from the Kazansky railway station in Moscow departs branded train to Nalchik (travel time 34 hours). By train Moscow - Kislovodsk you need to go to the station Mineralnye Vody or Pyatigorsk, by train Moscow - Vladikavkaz - to the station Prokhladnaya.
Also, during the ski season, travel agencies in the Southern Federal District and the North Caucasus Federal District organize bus tours.
Second place: Naryn-kala fortress
Touch the wall, which is 1600 years old
The oldest fortress in Russia is located in Dagestan, in Derbent. The old part of the city with the Naryn-kala citadel and the historical landscape are included in the UNESCO list.
This territory was inhabited already in the III millennium BC. era. Important trade routes, including the famous Great Silk Road, always passed along the Caspian lowland - there was a constant fierce struggle for their control. The powerful king of the Sassanid dynasty succeeded in reliably blocking the road by the 5th-6th centuries.
In a powerful defensive complex, stone walls were erected in two rows. On one side of the fortress, the walls went into the sea for 500 m, blocking the entrance to the harbor, on the other, more than 40 km long, they rested on the Dzhalgan Range. The citadel, located on a high hill, with two lines of fortress walls, remained impregnable for several centuries.
Today, buildings from different eras have been preserved inside the fortress: a unique cross-domed church of the 6th century, the remains of water tanks, the ruins of the khan's palace of the 18th century, baths of the 16th-17th centuries, the khan's office of the 18th century, which was later converted into a commandant's house, a guardhouse of the 19th century, an old underground prison - zindan. If you climb the wall, a beautiful view of the old city opens from above.
The Naryn-kala complex is open daily, in summer from 09:00 to 17:00, in winter from 10:00 to 16:00. The cost of an adult ticket is 100 rubles, excursion service - 500 rubles.
How to get there
Nearest airport: Makhachkala (Uytash). Flights from Moscow are carried out four or five times a day. The airport is located 21 km from the center of Makhachkala and 4 km from the city of Kaspiysk. You can get to Makhachkala by taxi. Minibuses go only to Kaspiysk, from where you can transfer to a regular bus to the capital of Dagestan.
A train departs daily from the Kazansky railway station in Moscow. Travel time is 39 hours.
You can get to Makhachkala by bus from Nalchik, Mineralnye Vody, Maykop, Cherkessk, Baku, Sochi.
To Derbent from the Makhachkala bus station every half an hour or an hour there is a regular bus or fixed-route taxi.
Third place: mosque named after Akhmat-Khadzhi Kadyrov
"Heart of Chechnya"
The largest mosque in Russia
The mosque is located in Grozny, on the picturesque bank of the Sunzha River, in the middle of a huge park with fountains and alleys. "Heart of Chechnya" is the center of the Islamic complex, which includes the Russian Islamic University. Kunta-Haji and the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of the Republic.
Built in the classical Ottoman style. It was opened on October 17, 2008. Named after the first president of the Chechen Republic.
More than 10,000 people can be in this mosque at the same time, the same number of believers can pray in the summer gallery and square adjacent to it. Tourists are allowed to visit the mosque between prayers. At the entrance you need to take off your shoes, women - to cover their heads.
How to get there
Nearest airport: Grozny. Five flights fly from Moscow daily. The airport is located within the city, 9 km from its center, where a fixed-route taxi runs.
On odd days, a train departs from the Kazansky railway station in Moscow. Travel time is 42 hours.
Fourth place: dune Sarykum
Sand Mountain is a unique natural monument with a special climatic zone
The largest single dune in Europe, Sarykum, is located near the village of Korkmaskaly in Dagestan, at the foot of the Kumtorkalinsky Range. Its height ranges from 250-260 m (this is approximately a 55-story skyscraper). The area of the dune is three times the size of Monaco. The mountain is made up of fine-grained golden sand.
Experts disagree on the nature of the origin of the dune, but are of the opinion that this corner of the desert is at least several hundred thousand years old. It has its own microclimate: the only place in the North Caucasus where for five months, from May to September, the average monthly air temperature is +20 °C. Sand on a sunny summer day warms up to +60 ° C or more.
An amazing view opens in spring, when a sunny mountain of sand rises among the flowering steppe. It is also beautiful to watch it during strong winds: the sand “walks”, and the shape of the dune changes before our eyes.
How to get there
Nearest airport: Makhachkala (Uytash). Regular buses and minibuses go from the bus station in Makhachkala to the village of Korkmaskaly (20 km). More convenient by car or taxi federal highway E50 / M29 drive to Korkmaskala, then turn onto a dirt road. After about 2 km you will see Sarykum. Other cities closest to the village of Korkmaskaly are Kaspiysk and Izberbash.
Fifth place: Caucasian Mineralnye Vody
Resorts Pyatigorsk, Essentuki, Zheleznovodsk, Kislovodsk
Perhaps, in the world there is no more large-scale accumulation of different in chemical composition and medicinal properties mineral water sources in such a small area.
Not without reason, back in 1803, Emperor Alexander I signed a rescript recognizing the state significance of the Caucasian Mineral Waters. After 189 years, in 1992, the region was given the status of a specially protected eco-resort region by presidential decree. Russian Federation. Today in this territory there are about 130 sources of mineral water 13 various types and 40 varieties. And besides, there is Lake Tambukan with a unique healing mud.
Each of the federal resort cities has its own profile. In Kislovodsk, diseases of the circulation, respiration, and nervous system are treated. In Essentuki - gastrointestinal tract, liver, biliary tract, metabolic disorders. In Zheleznovodsk - digestive organs, kidneys, urinary tract, metabolic disorders. In Pyatigorsk - diseases of the musculoskeletal system, nervous system, digestion, skin and gynecological; in addition, a radon clinic operates here, which has no analogues in the world.
Being here on vacation, it is convenient to visit the sights of nearby republics.
How to get there
Nearest airport: Mineralnye Vody. From the airport to the city of the same name (4 km) in the daytime go fixed-route taxis: travel time to the railway station - 20-25 minutes, to the bus station (stop "Rynok Ruslan") - 10 minutes. Further, the resorts can be reached either by bus or by electric train. The electric train Mineralnye Vody - Kislovodsk runs several times a day, travel time is 1 hour 40 minutes (it does not enter Zheleznovodsk, you have to get off at the Beshtau stop, then by minibus or taxi).
The Kavkaz branded train departs daily from the Kazansky railway station. Travel time along the route Moscow - Kislovodsk - about 27 hours.
Sixth place: Dargava necropolis
Listed by UNESCO, it has been compared to the Valley of the Kings in Egypt
The necropolis is located near the village of Dargavs in North Ossetia.
IN " city of the dead» There are almost a hundred stone ground (XIV-XVIII centuries), semi-underground and underground crypts (IX-XVII centuries), which served as family tombs for the ancestors of the Ossetians. The more noble and richer the family was, the higher the family crypt was erected. For poor families, the last journey ended with the usual "box" of stone slabs. The dead were buried in full attire, along with small household items and weapons. It is interesting that the bodies of the dead were placed in wooden boats, although there is no sea nearby.
A reliable fact: during the plague epidemic in the Middle Ages, many infected people, sometimes with their families, voluntarily went to die in crypts so as not to infect their neighbors.
The microclimate of the gorge contributed to the natural mummification of bodies. Tourists with strong nerves can see it with their own eyes.
The cost of an entrance ticket to the territory of the necropolis: 50-100 rubles. Opening hours - from 10:00 to 18:00 daily, except Monday.
How to get there
Nearest airport: Vladikavkaz (Beslan). Daily from Moscow to North Ossetia there are two or three flights. From the airport to Vladikavkaz can be reached by taxi (21 km).
A train to Vladikavkaz departs daily from the Kazansky railway station. Travel time is 36-38 hours.
From Vladikavkaz to the village of Dargavs there is a bus(Vladikavkaz - Dzhimar). It departs from the central market at 16:30, on the way it takes at least two hours, since it takes a detour through the Kurtatin Gorge. From Dargavs to the necropolis, a little over a kilometer on foot. When the road is repaired in the Dargav Gorge, the travel time will be 30-40 minutes.
Seventh place: Jeirakh Gorge
In the gorge there is a museum-reserve, the area of \u200b\u200bwhich is four times the area of the Principality of Liechtenstein
The Jeirakh Gorge is located in the region of the same name in Ingushetia. It is part of the complex of the Dzheirakh-Assinsky State Historical, Architectural and Natural Museum-Reserve.
The museum-reserve combined the natural attractions of the Dzheyrakhsky, Salginsky, Assinsky gorges with monuments of history, archeology, culture of the Ingush people from the Bronze Age to the end of the late Middle Ages. These are the ancient settlements of Egikal, Khamkhi and Targim, the Christian temple of Thaba-Erdy (VIII-XII centuries), located near the village of Khairakh, the castle complexes of Erzi and Vovnushki. Each of them has information stands, but it is still better to hire a guide - the story will be much more complete and interesting.
In addition, it is desirable that the guide orient you in time and space, since the museum-reserve is one of the largest in Russia. It occupies an area of 64,000 hectares, its length from north to south is more than 50 km, from west to east - more than 70 km.
How to get there
Nearest airport: Vladikavkaz (Beslan). It is better to get to the mountainous Ingushetia through North Ossetia - Vladikavkaz. A regular bus runs daily to the regional center Dzheyrakh (about 30 km). In Dzheirakh, you can arrange with someone from the locals about a trip to Egikal, Targim, Erzi, Vovnushki, to Tkhaba-Erdy. You can walk: it's 6-12 km depending on what you want to see. It must be borne in mind that rides are extremely rare.
Mountainous Ingushetia is located in the border zone, so a permit is required at the tourism committee.
