Arzhan sou. Mountain Altai: Silver spring Arzhan-Suu. For Altai people, the Arzhan Suu spring is a holy place

But the beast did not fall, but quickly galloped away, as if life had no intention of leaving it. The hunter noticed horns with precious stones on the head of the wounded deer and rushed after him, not wanting to miss such treasures.

Bleeding, the wounded deer ran to the Arzhan-Suu spring and ran into the water. While the hunter was descending from the mountain, the animal’s wound healed.

The maral jumped out of the water and rushed away faster than the wind. The hunter was very surprised by this and threw dried grayling into the water. The fish came to life and swam, moving its fins. The hunter threw the otter skin into the water. The otter emerged and swam just like the grayling.

But the beast did not fall, but quickly galloped away, as if life had no intention of leaving it. The hunter noticed horns with precious stones on the head of the wounded deer and rushed after him, not wanting to miss such treasures.

Bleeding, the wounded deer ran to the Arzhan-Suu spring and ran into the water. While the hunter was descending from the mountain, the animal’s wound healed.

The maral jumped out of the water and rushed away faster than the wind. The hunter was very surprised by this and threw dried grayling into the water. The fish came to life and swam, moving its fins. The hunter threw the otter skin into the water. The otter emerged and swam just like the grayling.

8 km from the village of Manzherok, a transparent spring gushes out of rock cracks - the Arzhan-Suu spring. This is one of the most popular and mystical places Altai. It's difficult to drive past. There are always a lot of cars and buses on the highway. Every guest of Altai strives to visit the famous spring.

Translated from Altai, “arzhan-suu” means “silver water.” Indeed, the water here has a high content of silver ions, and there is even more divalent iron in it than in famous Essentuki. An ancient Altai legend tells about the healing properties of the Arzhan-Suu spring.

In ancient times, there were many deer - mountain deer - in these places. These were very beautiful animals with powerful branched horns and smooth fur. One day a hunter spent a long time chasing a beautiful large deer with amazingly beautiful horns. He even managed to wound the animal, but the deer gathered all his strength and tried to escape from the hunter along mountain paths. The hunter really wanted to take possession of the beautiful deer antlers. They ran for a long time along the rocks and gorges, the deer became completely weak, and then he headed to the Arzhan-suu spring. He reached a steep cliff and ran into the water. While the hunter carefully went down to the source, the wounds on the animal’s body healed, and with renewed vigor he took off running and in a few moments disappeared into the thickets so that no trace could be found.

The hunter was surprised at such a miraculous healing. He found dried grayling in his knapsack, which he took with him to eat while hunting. He threw the fish into the water. A second later, the fish moved its fins and swam away alive and unharmed. Then the hunter took the tanned otter skin from his shoulder and also threw it into the water. Not even a moment passed before the otter came to life and swam away after the grayling.

Since then, the miraculous water of the Arzhan-Suu spring has been known far beyond Altai. Well, if you make a wish near the spring, it will definitely come true. It just has to be kind and most intimate.

Today, next to the Arzhan-Suu spring, there is the largest souvenir market in Altai. Here everyone will find something for themselves that will remind them of the distant and beautiful Altai.

The village of Maima (with the accent on the last syllable, by the way) is the largest village in the Altai Mountains, stretching along the Chuysky tract and the Katun River for several kilometers. The village was founded in 1810; currently more than 15 thousand residents live here.

Getting to it is very easy: moving along the Chuysky tract, you simply cannot pass by =) The distance from Biysk is about 90 kilometers. Just 6-7 kilometers away from the Chuysky tract is Gorno-Altaisk, which essentially makes Maima its suburb.

In Mayma there are several shops, gas stations, a branch of Sberbank, a cinema, a geological museum, and the Temple of the Descent of the Holy Spirit (the first stone structure in the Altai Mountains). Unlike most local villages, in Mayma you can often find high-rise buildings.

If you haven’t refueled, for example, in Biysk, then here a good place to fill your car's gas tank. In Mayma there is the only gas station in the Altai Mountains, so beloved by our driver, Gazpromneft. You can also buy groceries here for the trip if for some reason you haven’t done so before.

Between the villages of Rybalka and Souzga along right side from the road you can see the old one, which is no longer in use.

Cheremshansky waterfall

About 4 kilometers after the village of Souzga along the Chuysky tract there is the village of Cheremshanka (114 km from Biysk). Not far from it on the river of the same name there is a small waterfall.

The waterfall is not very popular among tourists because it is small (the height of the water fall is only 5 meters), there is not even a sign on the road, we had to drive back and forth a couple of times and finally ask the locals for directions. There is so little information about the waterfall that it will take us much longer to tell the story about the road to it. more space than about the waterfall itself =)

If you are coming from the north, then before the bridge over the river you need to turn left and drive along the dirt road to the beginning of the forest. You will have to leave your car at the fork and walk the rest of the way (400-500 meters).

You walk along the path along the stream, admiring the surrounding landscapes, cross a small bridge, you see a spring and next to it a cross, on which there is an inscription that the spring is consecrated, and whoever litters will be overtaken by various sorrows =)

Walk a little further and the Cheremshansky waterfall will appear in front of you. Since this will be the first waterfall on your way, it is worth a visit, especially if you have children with you. As a first impression of the waterfalls of the Altai Mountains, Cheremshansky is quite suitable.

A little more along the Chuysky tract and you find yourself in the famous village

Source Arzhan-Suu

Leaving Manzherok and passing the bridge near Biryuzovaya Katun, at the 478th kilometer of the road you will first see a small market, and at the end of it - the holy spring Arzhan-Suu. You can also get here from the Aisky tract via the already mentioned bridge.

The market sells traditional Altai souvenirs, honey, etc.

Market near Arzhan-Suu

Arzhan-Suu is perhaps the most popular spring in the Altai Mountains. Here, almost all travelers collect water for their journey; at the height of the season, the number of visitors to the source per day reaches a thousand people.

The water is indeed tasty, can be stored for a long time, and besides, it is also healthy, classified as hydrocarbonate-calcium-magnesium with a high content of silver, as well as copper and manganese, which in total has a beneficial effect on metabolism. It is no coincidence that one of the names of Arzhan-Suu is “Silver Spring”.

Arzhan-Suu is not just a popular source of water, it is a natural monument. And among the indigenous local residents The spring is also considered sacred, as evidenced by numerous traditional ribbons.

Sacred spring Arzhan-Suu

Naturally, like most sacred places, Arzhan-Suu has its own legend. She talks about a hunter who chased a wounded deer for a long time, and then saw him plunge into the waters of a spring and rush off into the distance, as if nothing had happened. Surprised by this fact, the hunter threw dried grayling into the source and was surprised again, because the fish came to life and swam away. The same thing happened with the otter skin. So people realized that the source gives life to everything and began to consider it sacred.

In this mountain are the Tavdinsky caves

Kamlak

The small (population of about 550 people) village of Kamlak is located approximately 160 km from Biysk and 70 km from Gorno-Altaisk at the confluence of the Kamlak River with Sema.

This is the first village in Gorny Altai after the Chuysky tract crossed to the left bank of the Katun along a new bridge in the Ust-Sema region. The village begins at the 504th km of the highway and stretches along it for about 3 kilometers.

The village has several camp sites, a small store, and even a stadium. There are many apiaries in the vicinity of the village, so you can buy good honey here.

Most often Kamlak is used as transhipment point for further movement along the Chuysky tract, but if you stay here longer, then comfortable spot allows you to visit several attractions nearby, in particular the Botanical Garden and the Bison Nursery.

Gorno-Altai Botanical Garden

The botanical garden is located near the Chuysky tract near the village of Kamlak. To get there you need to turn left at the entrance to the village at the corresponding sign.

The territory where the botanical garden is located (the "Chisty Meadow" tract) is a natural monument with all the ensuing consequences for visitors. They say that in the summer they even force or ask you to take off your shoes and walk barefoot on the grass =)

The garden was founded in 1994, today it has more than one and a half thousand species and forms of the most diverse, including rare, flora.

Plants are divided into groups according to the regions in which they grow ( Mountain Altai, Siberia, North America, Far East).

There are also thematic exhibitions: rock garden, medicinal plants, etc.

In addition to plants, you can also see and do a lot of other things in the botanical garden: visit observation deck, located above Katun, walk along the eco-trail, look into the village, which can rightfully be considered a mini-museum.

The garden will be interesting not only for adults, but also for children, especially near such interesting places and exhibits =)

In addition to viewing the exhibition in Botanical Garden you can visit the herbal bar, buy seeds, herbal preparations, teas, honey.

In 2003, a small recreation center "Katail" was opened on the territory of the botanical garden, offering accommodation in summer houses, meals, and excursions.

The cost of a ticket in 20016 for an adult is 200 rubles, for a child - 100 rubles. A walk without a guide costs 50 rubles, although the price list nearby also lists the price as 150 rubles. We were allowed in for 50, for whom the walk costs 150 remains unknown. The price list also states the option for 150 rubles. put up a tent per day.

Bison nursery

The bison nursery is located outside the village of Kamlak, 4 kilometers from it near the village of Cherga.

To get there, you need to turn right at the signpost at the 510th kilometer of the Chuysky tract and drive another two kilometers along the dirt road. First there will be a farm, followed by a nursery.

You will have to leave the car in front of the stream and climb a little more to the place where there is a house of the bison staff, who will give you a tour.

If you are lucky and the bison are nearby, you will walk a little before you see them. If you are unlucky, then tourists are taken to the bison by car, which takes a little longer.

Cost of the excursion in 2016 - 150 rub.

Important: Remember that if you rely on luck and arrive without an agreement, you may not find the nursery staff on site and the excursion will not work (you don’t know how long you’ll have to wait for them). We came twice like this, once empty-handed, the second time we got it. So it’s better to call and agree in advance.

The bison nursery in Gorny Altai was organized in 1982, when 3 males and 8 females were brought here. This is one of three bison breeding grounds existing in Russia, and beyond the Urals it is the only nursery with purebred bison. Bison have taken root well in Altai; the current bison are already in their third generation, and the population size is 48 animals.

In summer, bison feed on their own in natural environment(the territory of the nursery is 470 hectares), in winter they go down to the fencing net every day, where they are fed with hay. Visitors are generally treated calmly as long as they are kept at a distance, although in winter you can even hand-feed bison through the netting.

Advice: When going on an excursion, take a camera with a good zoom or telephoto lens, as they won’t let you get too close to the bison.

Interesting information:

1. In a bison herd there is a “matriarchy”; all affairs are run by the most “authoritative” female.
2. The bison calves once every two years, and feeds the baby with milk for more than one and a half years.
3. The bison becomes an adult at 4.5 years.
4. Bison live 15-20 years
5. At a local nursery, the female's record is 5 calves in her lifetime.
6. The female weighs 700-900 kg, the weight of the male can reach 1500 kg.
7. The body length of the bison reaches 3.5 meters, height - up to 2 meters.
8. Despite such dimensions and heavy weight, bison are capable of picking up speed up to 40-45 km/h, and it is better not to stand in their way at this moment =)

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