A beginner traveling by car in the Caucasus. North Caucasus: the secrets of a successful trip. Alpine villages of Dagestan

Travel to the Caucasus

"If you go to the Caucasus, the sun shines right in ...." We could not verify the proverb - when they arrived on Caucasian land, the sun did not shine anywhere. It was 2 a.m. In general, it’s not difficult to get from the Crimea to the Caucasus. Once in the car, we drove along the powerful Kuban River to its source. Somewhere ahead were the eternal Caucasian mountains. The four-hour drive passed almost imperceptibly in conversations with the driver of our car. His name was Islam, the name most common in Karachai mountains. A driver with an accent, facial expressions inherent in Eastern peoples, and gestures (for which he often let go of the wheel), explained to us what kind, hospitable and fair highlanders. Only sometimes our conversation was interrupted by meetings with the local traffic police at roadblocks. Our driver went out, hugged with traffic cops and we drove on. “Our traffic police is spiritual,” Islam justified his brothers, “they take money with a smile and courtesy. Yes, I myself will give them cigarettes. He respects me - I respect him, why do both of us draw up a protocol? ”

We entered the village of Dombay with the first rays of the autumn sun. The beautiful Belalakaya mountain hanging over the village was already covered with the first snow. In Crimea, the "velvet season" is still in full swing, and here they are gradually getting ready for winter. Winter in Dombay is the nurse, the long-awaited season. Dombay is one of the most famous Russian ski resorts. The season here begins from mid-December until March.

Lovers of skiing and snowboarding come in thousands and leave their money here, taking in return a portion of health, impressions of the beauty of the mountains, the taste of local food and national hospitality. In the village there are almost no residential buildings - everywhere mountain hotels and hotels. There are inexpensive recreation centers with a minimum of amenities, and there are also chic hotels such as the three-star Crocus or the famous wooden valley, Sunny Valley. It was in it during the war that the headquarters of the SS division “Edelweiss” was located. For a fee, you can stay in these 5-bedroom general chambers. All hotels are remade at the request of a modern tourist - there is Internet, bowling, and swimming pools. And in the courtyard of one of the hotels we saw ... an old armored personnel carrier adapted for household needs. Well, this is the specificity of the region - the recent military past works for a peaceful future.

These lines from Vysotsky’s song were spinning in my head as soon as the next day arrived. Today, according to our plan, we had a trip to the Alibek glacier. The weather pleased - a clear sky with clearly traced peaks of snowy peaks. Our instructor, a Karachai mountaineer, about forty years old by the name of Islam (and how else!) Tolerably owned the necessary supply of a guide — local legends, jokes, place names, basic knowledge of geology. And we behaved as exemplary tourists - we opened our mouths with admiration and asked questions. True, sometimes too smart for the highlander. The glacier trail begins a few kilometers from the village of Dombay at the checkpoint of Russian border guards. Roadblocks here are not uncommon: literally ten kilometers in the mountains, the border with Abkhazia runs along the ridge lines, and there are Georgia and other “restless” Russian neighbors. Border guards regularly conduct raids and monitor the passes, and also consider tourists who have come and go to the border zone. Tourists are allowed upon presentation of a pass, which is issued in the village.

About 20 minutes along a winding path running past birches fallen by winter avalanches (they now grow only on a slope) and go to a solid waterfall. Yes, this is not the Crimean Dzhur-Dzhur ... A powerful wall of roaring water breaks off a ledge 50 meters high, and gives rise to a winding stream flowing through the valley. Sometimes a waterfall, according to Islam, “throws stones” - like a hand of the spirit of local mountains grabs a stream of mountain stream stone and throws it down the slope. God forbid to be at this time under his flight! And where the source breaks off the ledge, a rainbow shimmers with sparkling splashes against the backdrop of a bright blue sky. The rainbow is perfect - it has a beginning and an end, we reach out and touch this miracle. I manage to take pictures under a rainbow - the celestial arc clearly borders me.

Turning back, we freeze in surprise and groan - in front of us is a huge powerful glacier. Like in films, like in pictures in encyclopedias, as we were taught at school and university! The thickness of the ice spread across a circus-shaped mountain basin and slowly, centimeter by centimeter, has been grinding the surrounding rocks for hundreds of years, delving into its bed. On the edges of the glacier, elongated hills rise from a pile of rock fragments - these are real moraines! And where the glacier pierced granite rocks with its belly, torn deep strips and smoothed semicircular stones are visible - they are called "ram foreheads". A huge blinding snow mass is sandwiched between the peaks of Erzog and Sulahat. Everything sparkles under the hot rays of the spring sun, but a cold wind blows from the glacier - the difference in pressure between the glacier and warm rocks is very significant. The lower part or “tongue of the glacier” turned into dirty ice with stone fragments cut through by deep cracks. And from the deepest cracks closest to us, a stream of water erupts, from which the waterfall and river that we passed soon will be born. Here it is - the source of the glacial river. Having lowered our hands into the stream, we understand what truly “ice water” is. Colder than water does not happen in the world. Could not resist, we try this miracle to taste. Taste of thawed snow, but a million year old snow.

We look around with glee. Peaked peaks with ice caps, silently protecting from the rays of the sun, slowly glacier devouring and destroying them. Piles of granite rocks, loose moraines, as ideal scenery for science fiction films about lifeless mysterious planets. Again you recall the words of Vysotsky: "Blessed are the eternal ridges!" Suddenly, thoughts stop - in front of us in a deep hollow fed by a dozen streams from a glacier lies a small mountain lake. Almost perfect round shape, deep greenish-blue, with reflecting icy peaks - like the eye of a Caucasian Earth.

The return journey is easy, we run downhill. Along the way, Islam shows the remains of a ski lift, with which the Nazis during the war lifted weapons and ammunition to the passes for defense against our troops. But "these are our mountains - they will help us," and they threw off the Nazis from the passes. To the left of the path we notice a pile of stones, tin, brick, the remains of a burnt roof - there was some kind of structure. It turns out that these are the ruins of the most famous tourist shelter in the whole USSR - the Alibek Hut. Thousands of climbers and tourists passed through her comfort; Yuri Vizbor liked to be here. They say that here he wrote his famous "My dear, the sun of the forest" and much more. A year ago, the hut due to the negligence of grief tourists burned down. In the collapse I find a charred metal window handle and take it with me as a souvenir. Perhaps Vizbor had once held onto her.

Upon returning to the village, the soul requires kebabs and bottom-hole Caucasian songs. But the kebab is not ready yet and we are offered to drink tea from the leaves of a mountain rhododendron flower. We note with surprise that tea is made to us in a real pre-revolutionary Tula samovar with all the hallmarks and emblems on its golden belly. Sweet tea from an old Tula samovar in the very center of the Caucasus Mountains is a good conclusion to a hard day. We can’t go nowhere due to fatigue and fall asleep in a hotel room. Tomorrow we will have a long road to Arkhyz ...

Shrines of ancient Alanya

Arkhyz is a locality in the headwaters of the Bolshoy Zelenchuk River, whose valley is parallel to the Teberda Valley, at the source of which is the favorite Dombai. Between two villages - Dombay and Arkhyz in a straight line through mountain passes for about thirty kilometers, and about two hundred to detour along roads. You can talk about adventures along the way for a long time. From Dombay to Arkhyz traveled by an extreme hitchhiking. First, we were driven on a service-breaking “penny” by a Dombai policeman-philosopher who explained to us his views on geopolitical processes in the world all the way. Then we rode on a school bus collecting children from mountain villages to a school in Karachaevsk - here we had a feeling akin to Indiana Jones on his trips around South America. The whole bus, speaking in a foreign dialect, looked at us Europeans with backpacks with curiosity. Then there were a few more buses, a ride and a taxi.

And now we are entering the center of scientific life of the republic - the academic town of the Special Astrophysical Observatory. Special Astrophysical Observatory (CAO) - Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences. SAO was established in 1966 and is currently the largest Russian astronomical center for ground-based observations of objects in the universe. Telescopes are installed on the slopes of Pastukhov at an altitude of 2100 meters above sea level, at the foot of the mountain - the academic campus, in which astronomers and engineers live, about 400 people in total. Here is the largest number of candidates of sciences per square meter in the Caucasus, the most prestigious school - it recently won a grant from the President of the Russian Federation - 1 million rubles. The local leadership elite from the surrounding villages and villages is trying to give their children here.

We were already waiting in the town. A couple of weeks before the trip, we accidentally met on the Internet with Irina Glushkova, a local business woman. Irina is not just a sweet and very smart woman, but also an excellent expert on her land. Realizing that the study of distant planets did not feed two children, she opened in this remote corner ... a travel agency. I read special literature, learned the theory of tourism, mastered perfectly the computer and the Internet. And now it successfully accepts tourists in its region who want to touch the beauties of the Arkhyz mountains, lakes, waterfalls, mysterious historical monuments. And there is something to see here.

2 km from the village of NAO is the Nizhnearchyz historical and archaeological reserve. It is believed that in the period from the 9th to the 13th centuries the capital of the Alanian state, the legendary city of Meuse, was located here. It was the cultural, commercial and religious center of the Alans. Alans are a nation genetically related to the Sarmatian tribes. Settling in the mountains of the Central Caucasus at the beginning of our era, the Alanian tribes subjugated the local population. By the way, the Alanian tribes lived in the Crimea and participated in the formation of the Crimean original culture. Since the end of the 9th century increased Byzantine influence on the Alans. The turbulent nomadic life of the Alans gradually subsides, they adopt Christianity and settle in the Kuban. To this day, on the territory of the ancient Alanian capital, three unique ancient temples standing above the raging mountain river have been preserved in perfect condition. These temples were built in the 10th century and are the oldest Christian temples in Russia! One of them was the cathedral and the residence of the bishop of Alanya. It was here that Christianity was adopted - in 916. Now this place is one of the most famous pilgrimage routes in Russia. Interestingly, the Alans, having adopted Christianity, were very tolerant of the pagan faith of their ancestors. They did not have cruel extermination of idol idols, like the Slavs. Until now, in the immediate vicinity of the temples there are several pagan menhirs - separate vertical anthropomorphic stones.

Having reached its peak after taking control of the trade route from Byzantium to Khazaria, the Alanian state was not able to withstand in the 13th century a wave of wild Tatar-Mongol hordes that wiped out the city, but failed to destroy the temples. According to local legend, some priests escaped and somewhere in the surrounding mountains, the treasures of the diocese were safely hidden in the cave, and the most invaluable of them was the handwritten correspondence of Byzantium and Alanya.

The temples in architecture are somewhat reminiscent of the religious buildings of our Crimean monastery Surb-Khach. The hills surrounding Arkhyz temples are very similar to the mountains near the Old Crimea. In general, the local nature reminded us very much of our native land - after all, the Crimea and the Caucasus have one geological history and, accordingly, in approximately the same natural conditions, a relief was formed. Therefore, with surprise and delight, we recognized in the surrounding mountains either our Bakhchisarai kuests, the Boyka massif at Ai-Petri, the Quarantine beam of Sevastopol, or the grottoes of Chufut-Kale. And only the white bulk of handsome Elbrus looming on the horizon reminded that a thousand kilometers to the house ...

Literally a kilometer from the Arkhyz temples, on the opposite bank of the Zelenchuk River, is one of the latest shrines of the Christian world. In May 1999, an ancient image of the face of Christ was discovered accidentally by two local residents on a steep rocky slope of the mountain. This find was named "Arkhyz face" and excited both the scientific and the religious world. A face with dimensions of 140 by 80 cm is painted with three main colors (white, brown, dark red) on a flat sandstone outlet, and is clearly oriented eastward toward the temples. The icon has such iconographic features as the absence of a halo above the head of Christ and his undivided beard. Such techniques in icon painting were characteristic of early images, until the X century. Actually, the age of this hidden miracle is determined by the 9th century AD.

So, we went to Pyatigorsk. On the first day of the trip I reached Rostov and spent the night in the stunning guest house Southern Express, for 1000 or 1500 rubles. I don’t remember, the apartment was for 4, with a kitchen, shower, fridge. Everything is clean and carpeted, my daughter could crawl as much as she liked.

The next day we reached Pyatigorsk, the navigator drove us around the Mineralnye Vody district in circles, settled in the hostel Live Simply. The hostel is forbidden to stay with children, but the administration went to meet us. Of course, we agreed in advance. We even got an oilcloth on a mattress for a child! It's funny. But the place is simply amazing, comfortable, the hosts are friendly. They talk about the city where you can go, what to see. And a lot of people live. Someone met on the eve of dawn on Elbrus, shared his impressions, we listened with open mouths. At our disposal in the hostel there was again a room for 4. The kitchen is separate. A toilet shower is nearby, shared by two rooms, but no one lived in the next. Here we spend the night 2 nights.
So, it dawns, having settled, we go for a walk around the city. The first place we rush to is Mount Mashuk. We find the cable car pretty quickly. At the top there is a strong wind, walks through the open space, below the city lights are on, the sun is setting rapidly. We have time to walk upstairs, walk a bit along the hiking trail with signs of the panorama of the city. Elbrus is visible in the distance.

The next day we go in the morning along the pump-rooms of mineral water, we try narzans. Then we move to the famous Failure - a cave with a mineral lake. We move around the city by car, but we are very lazy. Then we bathe in shameless baths. I liked this action the most in Pyatigorsk and was very impressed! Imagine, on the slope of the mountain on which Pyatigorsk is located, a stream of white calcareous hot mineral water flows, forming a cascade of baths. The higher the bath, the hotter the water. It is so hot that it’s hard to lower even a hand there. But the lower the more comfortable. And now people are sitting in the bathtubs. We climbed into one of the spacious recesses, all together there we settled down and wallowed, played. It was a lot of fun. Then we went to try the hottest containers. I managed to lie down in one of them when the body got used to the degrees. It is very nice.

Mineral lake in failure

We are going to dinner at the hostel and after lunch we plan to explore some of the sights of neighboring resort towns.

Essentuki

We examine the Statue of Christ in the Temple complex.

And the Drinking Gallery was closed for a break. But we walked around the sanatorium park.

Kislovodsk

We arrive in the evening, walk in the park. Oh, how big and dark it is, perennial trees, evening dampness on the trails, a lot of people. We also go to the drinking gallery, try different water.

And in the evening of the same day, my brother and I decided to wander around Pyatigorsk. In the light of the lanterns, the city is completely different, it is difficult to recognize and easy to get lost, especially in the resort area, where there are many parks and paths-terenkur. But the city seems very comfortable and located. Lanterns are lined with paths, but not mountains around and not buildings, it is difficult to imagine the whole picture surrounding you. We wandered off to a crazy city view. And when looking up, they saw a rotunda in the evening light.

Now I wonder how all this could be visited and seen in one day, and even with a 10-month-old baby?
Yes, we must tell you that traveling with a child is a difficult choice, not everyone will decide on it. But we are a traveling family, we are used to doing everything clearly and harmoniously with regard to travel. I searched a lot about traveling with kids, but each has its own tricks. We are now watching photos from her trip with her, and she is very happy to see herself in dark glasses on the slopes of Elbrus. And we are all proud that we were able to, decided and went all the way together.

The next day in the morning, after the second night in Pyatigorsk, we again visited shameless baths, they were too good! Further on the plan, a daring journey, first to the Chegem waterfalls, and then along the "not very drawn" road map directly to Terskol. We learned about the road from the forums during the preparation, it leads along mountain passes, and not along the highway, and at the same time saves about an hour of travel and is passable for cars. But the main thing is that you can see the beauty of the mountains. We did not go along it, in front some family with two children was walking, we saw them on the Chegemskys, and now they are going along our route to Elbrus just like us.
Cheremsky waterfalls, in spite of their fame and popularity, impressed us. So much water is pouring from above, it is spraying you, it is bubbling down the river at a stone's throw below. And you can climb to the observation deck.

The bubbling river Chegem

Chegem gorge. The walls come very close together.

Mountain road.

Elbrus

By the opening of the cableway, we are already in the production of the first line of booths. We are going up. I'm scared! Unusually high! The booths are still closed, protected from ultraviolet radiation, there is nothing to fear so far, but still scary. And the scale of the mountains is impressive. Having reached the station, when the chairlifts begin, we dress in jackets and dress our daughter in winter overalls. We are all wearing black glasses, including a daughter. The glasses were fixed under her hat, she did not even try to take them off, she smiled at us. And the worst thing ahead is a single chairlift. At first I thought to stay below. But the cable car workers said that everything was fine. Yes, everyone around said nothing to fear. The child was fastened very securely in our carrier, I myself was stitching shoulder straps at home with an additional strap so that no, no, so that everything is secure. We are going. Mountain wind, there is a height, heaviness of the body, breathing. Upstairs unreal sensations. We climbed to a height of about 4800-5000 m.

In the evening we return to Kislovodsk.
Our trip to the North Caucasus is like a sun with rays. The center is a KVM, and there are many rays - branches: Elbrus, Dombay, Arkhyz, Dzhily-su all the time you need to return to the center to go somewhere else.
In Kislovodsk, we again have two nights in a guest house.

Riding on Jilah-sous

This phrase means warm water. Mineral springs, including healing ones at the northern foot of Elbrus. Crowds of locals and tourists come here, a large campground is set up. In recent years, an impassable dirt road has been made asphalt; 100r from a car and 50r per person are taken for entering the territory. The road is difficult in terms of serpentines, ascents and descents. You get tired more than you enjoy.

Here it is gray-headed Elbrus

We stop to rest and pose

Here are the difficult sections of the road

On a picnic, relaxing

Arriving, we had a picnic, fried chicken and pasta, ate watermelon and went ... But there is much to go here ... We went to the silver spring, which beats only a few weeks a year in August, the water is considered healing. This is not to say that the path was long, it was very long, led through the ups and downs, we crossed the river, climbed the pass. Staring at the radiance of Elbrus. We thought that we had almost arrived, but the scale of the opened valley did not fit into the usual calculations on flat terrain. But overall it was amazing. This place is far from civilization, there is nothing besides the paths. There is a special smell of grass, water, delicious air, indescribable sky and mountains around. Then gophers run underfoot, basking in the sun.

We pass the river into the ford.

Down there, that same key beats. UAZ medical service is collecting water in 5 liter bottles, they have 50 bottles, I guess.

In the Silver Spring bathe, ice water.

We return to the main camp.

Ahead there is a terrible bridge, this time we did not cut the path, we went along a path found.

I couldn’t walk standing across the bridge, it was scary.

Sultan Waterfall.

Returning from the silver source to the campground, we still walked to the largest waterfall here, it was in the abyss. Then we went back to Kislovodsk.

Dombay, Teberda

We leave for Dombay.
Ascent to Moussa-Achitara. And our mistake that we arrived late, at the closure of the cable car. At the very top we walked for about 10 minutes.
It could be postponed until the morning. But in the morning an even more daring journey awaited us. On foot. On the waterfall Alibek.
I remember and actually wonder how and by what forces we overcame all this, but I wanted to go and go forward, not to sit idle for a minute!
We need to talk about the place where we stayed in Teberda. Ski hotel Rostovchanka. It is deserted here in summer, we were the only guests. But a very pleasant atmosphere. In winter, among fellow skiers, it’s very sincere, I guess.

The next day was tracking. It was, of course, hard physically, but actually very cool and interesting. We were even stopped by border guards in the border zone. But we issued passes at the forester at the beginning of the route. Do not forget your passports, gentlemen!

This is a view from the ski lift. Landscapes are very different from Elbrus. There were steppes, and here were dense forests.

And we climbed Moussa-Achitar.

The baby is fastened tightly to me.

The next day we went to Alibek waterfall.

Against the background of a waterfall.

Alibek River Valley.

After spending the second night in Rostovchanka, we set off towards Tuapse, on the way we saw a couple of sights along the highway. The Shaoning Temple was very impressive.

And the dust-white Shahumyan pass, on which the Sword stands. Monument Span of the Earth also causes a storm of emotions. In each capsule there is a particle of Russian land on which Soviet soldiers stood to their death, defending our land from the Nazis and not letting the enemy go to the Black Sea.

Span of the Earth.

Shahumyan pass.

Tuapse

At every step there is a reminder that there were once fierce battles and heroic places everywhere.
But in general, they would have known in advance, would have stayed in Dombay, there are so many paths we have not shared. And the sea is boring and a lot of people.

We spent three nights here, one in Tuapse and two in the village of Lermontovo, instead of the four planned and drove home, flew unexpectedly quickly, did not even get up for the night. At 6 we left Lermontovo near Dzhubga, at 23-30 we were at home.
Yes, I was impressed by the way the fogging of the glass outside! When we left behind the hills separating the Black Sea from the plain and the sun shone on us, in a split second the air temperature changed, the glass fogged up instantly until the visibility completely disappeared. But the wipers coped with this. At first, out of habit, it seemed that the glass was sweating from the inside.

Separately, you need to say about the trip with the baby. For many, it’s hard to even imagine a many-hour trip, not to imagine a multi-day trip.
Therefore, not much information and useful advice was found in preparation.
Most importantly, we had planned nights, where you can safely cook, wash, relax, wash clothes. Secondly, we had all the food with us, we did not spend time shopping, we went of course, but much less often than we could. We had a lot of drinking water with us. Also, medicines for any occasion, but, thank God, were not needed. Also, each member of the expedition clearly performed their work. It is very good that my brother was with us, he helped a lot. Now you need to run into the car for something, then look after the baby. Ergonomically packed luggage is also a big plus. Snack, water, children's things and children's snack lay in the cabin, and the rest of the things in boxes, containers in the trunk in their places.
Also, the route was clearly worked out, approximate travel time, getting to the objects, the time of inspection was calculated in advance, thought over several times, laid out - in general, the trip plan was drawn up long and meticulously, so we got a lot of pleasant impressions and memories.

Auto Expedition "Caucasus Unknown"

On the slope of Mount Elbrus

Otherwise, this journey cannot be called a crazy adventure. A few months ago, in the fall of 2017, I went as part of a crew on the Caucasus Unknown expedition to the southern regions of our country. Why is the journey crazy? And what else to call a thirty-day trip by car with two young children so far ?! Not a pleasure walk, but a real trip in the rally mode - eight thousand kilometers, a whole month on the road.

Already on the road, I repeatedly asked myself the same question: why did I go for it? A tense research expedition, full of risk and suspense, in a wild rhythm, when you only have time to lay out your bags and children for the night, and the next morning again on the road. Only flickering road signs, steppes, sunrises, sunsets and new mountains ...

And the answer is on the surface. Six years on maternity leave - like seven in Tibet! Maybe this expedition is the only way to escape from the monotonous life of the metropolitan city, to see unusual Russia, such regions as Chechnya, Dagestan, Ingushetia, Kabardino-Balkaria, North Ossetia. Finally, just spend time with your children and husband, combining car racing with work.

Start of the expedition "Caucasus Unknown." Moscow, Sparrow Hills. 09/21/2017

City of Five Mountains

After two days of tiring road, we ended up in the Stavropol Territory. Pyatigorsk is the most attractive city of the Caucasian Mineral Waters. We arrived at the hotel well after midnight, and in the morning the first thing we did was to look out the famous mountains Mashuk and Beshtau from the windows. By the way, Beshtau is translated from Turkic as “five mountains” (or “five peaks”) - hence the name of the city.

At the foot of the Beshtau mountain

I wanted to slowly wander through the old streets of Pyatigorsk, as Griboedov, Pushkin, Tolstoy, Glinka, Lermontov, Chaliapin once walked along them. Try to imagine the era of the XIX century, the former townspeople and numerous vacationers, drink mineral water, admire nature. But, unfortunately, only one day was allotted to this paradise in our schedule.

Ostap Bender, the hero of the novel by Ilf and Petrov, chasing after twelve chairs, made an excellent advertisement for one of the local attractions. Failure Lake and the eponymous cave inside Mount Mashuk. At Failure, the great combinator took money from the Soviet workers for entry - so that "Failure would not fail too much." But today you can see the cave lake for free, in front of the visitors' entrance there is a chair and a sculpture by Ostap Bender.

Failure Lake in Pyatigorsk

When his life was cut short, Mikhail Yuryevich was only 27 years old - quite a mature age at that time to already write more than a dozen poetic masterpieces and go down in the history of world literature. I am now 28. What have I done over the years? The feeling that life is just beginning ...

Place of the duel M.Yu. Lermontov. Pyatigorsk

To the top of Europe

Mount Elbrus - the highest point in Europe (height 5642 meters) - is located on the border of Karachay-Cherkessia and Kabardino-Balkaria. A few years ago, my husband Sasha "fell ill" with mountains, a dream settled in his heart to climb to the top. And the route of our expedition just passed through Kabardino-Balkaria, near Elbrus.

I immediately remembered that a few days before our launch in Kabardino Balkaria, a natural disaster occurred: in the Baksan Gorge, mudflow flowed off from the mountains, bridges were flooded, several sections of the only highway were demolished and destroyed. But the consequences of the disaster we could only consider in the light of the next day.

The consequences of mudflow. Kabardino-Balkaria

On the Baksan River. The consequences of mudflow

Consequences of the mudflow in the Baksan Gorge

Do you know the Edward Grieg Suite Morning? It was this melody that sounded in my head when I went out onto the balcony. Majesty of the mountains and green meadows, horses and cows grazing in the distance, unusual for the urban dweller music of nature - fatigue gave way to delight.

Baksan River. Kabardino-Balkaria, Cheget.

A roomy cable car carries everyone to an altitude of 3200. There were also impressionable tourists with cameras, and stern athletic people with large backpacks, from which ice axes peeked out. Such brave souls are immediately imbued with respect, and even envy - it’s not the guys who gathered for a picnic, but to conquer the summit.

And here he is Elbrus, two snow-white chapters! We are on its southern slope, 3800 meters high. It seems that the peaks closest to us - Vostochny - are within easy reach, you can walk lightly, walk in an hour. But soon you will begin to feel that there is much less oxygen, and every 10 meters at this height require completely different efforts.

Western and Eastern peaks of Elbrus. View from the south slope

Elbrus tea party. 3600 meters

According to a proverb, "a smart mountain will go around." But we do not claim this title. Seeing Elbrus, my husband and I decided to climb. Without training and mountaineering skills, on one enthusiasm. If you do not climb the summit itself, then at least try ...

Leaving the children with Alla and Andrei from the second crew, Sasha and I went on an acclimatization trip to the Maiden’s Spit waterfall and the Terskol Peak Elbrus Observatory (3100 meters).

Here romance ended and a harsh mountaineering life began. A modest bunk in a cool trailer, a high-mountain “country” toilet (a wooden cabin, blown from all sides and hanging on the edge of the abyss over a millennium-old glacier), heavy boots-boots with metal cats, a ski mask from the blinding sun, a clumsy down jacket and oversized pants.

   “You don’t have to go to a disco,” they explained at the box office, “just to not freeze, there can be a very strong wind on the Saddle of Elbrus.”

The next acclimatization exit was at a height of 4200, past Eleven Shelter (burned down in 1998) to the Ministry of Emergency Situations (orange trailer) and the monument to dead climbers (a cliff above the cliff, to which many nameplates, photographs and dates are nailed).

Ministry of Emergency Situations on the southern slope of Elbrus

Monument rock to the dead climbers. Shelter of the Eleven

On this my climb to Elbrus ended - which, incidentally, was very delighted by the other members of our expedition. Still, physically, I was absolutely not ready for such an ascent, and my body needed much more time for acclimatization.

This, of course, is not Everest, but it is also impossible to underestimate our great Caucasian "five-thousandth". Every year, people die on Elbrus: someone leaves the trail and falls into ice cracks, someone, catching on cats, stumbles and flies down the ice slope to the local “corpse collector”, someone lacks oxygen, and an mountain sickness attack occurs, fainting or simply does not withstand the body load - and help does not have time. But anyone who has ever visited such mountains will never be able to remain indifferent to them. Even with the passage of time, these mountains cannot be forgotten!

Eastern Peak and Saddle of Elbrus. View from the slope of the Western peak

Alexander Egortsev on top of Elbrus. 5642 meters

On the Western peak of Elbrus

"We have conquered Mount Babus! .."

Descent from the top of Elbrus. Slanting shelf, height 5200

   “Mom, we live in the palace”, - in the morning the daughter is delighted to be awake. Yes, indeed, the building of the Spiritual and Educational Center at the Assumption Cathedral inside resembles a palace more. Here will be our house for the next week.

In the early days, I confess, it was scary to leave the church walls in a Muslim city. But one of the tasks of the expedition is not to sit out in comfort and warmth, but to leave the comfort zone and explore new places, the atmosphere of unfamiliar republics.

Assumption Cathedral of Makhachkala. Dagestan

I’m standing on the highway and don’t know which minibus to take, whom to ask. A girl with two children walks by, dressed in traditional Muslim clothes, I turn to her. The young mother willingly and benevolently explains how to get there, specially waiting for our minibus with me, having put us down, asks the driver not to forget to drop off the tourists at the right point. There are no seats in the minibus, only women are sitting; to pay for travel, you need to remove the backpack, but both hands are occupied by children.

“Let me hold the children”, “oh, give the backpack, it’s heavy, after all,” I did not have time to figure out how my children were taken apart. “You should go now, we have such a beautiful park, near the sea, the children will like it.” Here we are. And let October and “off-season”, but the sea and sand are always relevant!

The mood, of course, instantly deteriorated. It became especially alarming for the children - after all, we are here in full view ... Of course, I immediately wanted to drop everything and leave as soon as possible.

But you can’t panic. Tomorrow we already have a task from the Archbishop of Makhachkala and Grozny Varlaam - early in the morning we will be expected in Kizlyar at the annual procession.

Religious procession in Kizlyar

From Makhachkala to Kizlyar 150 kilometers, we leave at 6 in the morning with the first rays of the sun. Kizlyar is considered the most Russian city in Dagestan, and the Orthodox procession is a unique and large-scale event for the whole republic. Several thousand people take part in the procession, many with children and prams, Russian grandmothers with chopsticks, but many young people.

Our procession ends at the St. George's Church. Children are located on a hill near the church, near the eight-pointed Orthodox cross, and they deserve a rest. Near the temple, festive tables are set, all who come are treated with porridge, pies and tea.

After Kizlyar, there was still ancient Derbent (a city that is more than two thousand years old) and the most beautiful Sulak canyon with the Chirkey hydroelectric power station. Having traveled a lot in Dagestan, I realized that we still know very little about this amazing republic, and television does not give any objective picture at all.

Ingushetia
   October 14, we arrived in the city of Songju. On Novo Sinai Monastery that day was a patronal feast - the Protection of the Virgin. The liturgy was served by the Archbishop of Makhachkala and Grozny. Our leaders Oksana Tikhomirova (president of the Orthodox Initiatives Fund) and Dmitry Barannikov (director of the Caucasus - Home of the Peace Center) flew to the celebrations from Moscow. After the procession, when he saw the participants in the Pokrovsky church car expedition, Vladyka Varlaam came up to us and blessed everyone on the further journey.

With Archbishop Varlaam and President of the Orthodox Initiatives Fund Oksana Tikhomirova

Dzheyrakhsky mountain reserve is the pearl of Ingushetia, and probably the whole of the North Caucasus. Here we saw for the first time many old towers, abandoned villages, turned into open-air museums, entire tower complexes surrounded by the peaks of the Caucasus Range.

Tower complex "Egical". Ingushetia

Christian temple of Thaba-Erda. Ingushetia

In the City of Angels. North Ossetia

North Ossetia, Beslan. Probably, there is no person in Russia in whose heart the tragedy of 2004 did not respond. Families then went to the school line on the first day of autumn: worried dads and mothers, timid first-graders, high school students inspired by hopes. The joy of the holiday was replaced by horror, pain, fear, death. The militants seized school number 1 - more than 1,100 people are held hostage. More than three hundred people died, including 186 children.

The ruins of school number 1, the gym room. Beslan

We wander between the graves, peer into the faces. Night time is not the best time to visit the cemetery. A security guard is heading towards us, apparently, we are already straining, waiting for a comment to be made to us. “Now, I want to give toys to your children,” the watchman suddenly turns to us. “Thank you for the memory.” And gives our kids plush animals.

I can’t even believe that death went in these forests - nature is so joyfully meeting now. But you can’t relax, it’s better not to turn off the path. Who knows what other “surprises” this land has kept in itself since the time of war, mines or forgotten stretch marks may remain somewhere else. The echo of war.

Memorial service at the place of execution of the warrior Yevgeny Rodionov. Chechnya, Bamut

On the banks of the Fortanga River. Chechnya, Bamut

At the end of each week of our trip, already tired of the procedure, I was preparing to leave home. But each time, another great bummer awaited me - the expedition suddenly changed direction and continued on.

In Vladikavkaz, I had already begun to finally pack my bags for return to Moscow, but on the road the adventurous spouse suddenly saw a road sign to Tbilisi. It turns out that from here to the border with Georgia is at hand. To Moscow - almost 1800 kilometers, while to Tbilisi - only 198, 10 times less, a few hours.

Of course, we turned around and rushed into the Darial Gorge on the famous Georgian Military Highway. Last spurt, course to Tbilisi.

Church of the Holy Archangels on the Georgian Military Highway

With delight, all fatigue instantly passed. Only it got really cold on the street, it’s winter time, and the clothes we have from Moscow are light, autumn. But we will solve all these problems tomorrow, and now sleep ...

Trinity Temple on top and Mount Kazbek. Georgia

Hurriedly have breakfast and load into the car. We have only two ways: either back to the border to Russia, or still take the risk and try, despite the snowstorm, jump over the Cross Pass to Tbilisi. Choose the second. But the road is very slippery, with every minute it sweeps more and more, and the tires on our wheels are still summer - it’s unlikely to overcome the Cross Pass.

Dozens of trucks and trucks have already stood tightly along the curb in snowdrifts. Before the main ascent to the serpentines, the police block the road - only rare cars and jeeps with special chains fastened to the wheels pass on. And what, turn back? But there is no way back down, it is not visible, it is covered with sweat.

A Georgian comes up to us, offers for 5,000 rubles to rent two chains on the front wheels and move further, forward and upward. Madness of course. But since I took up the tug, do not say that it is not bad! It's good that the rental system for accessories for extreme driving has been debugged here. Go!

At the Krestovoy pass. Georgian Military Road

Maria EGORTSEVA
  Photo by Alexander EGORTSEV

The Caucasus Unknown expedition was conducted from September to December 2017 by the Orthodox Initiatives Foundation with the support of the Presidential Grants Fund. The organizational partner of the project is the Makhachkala Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Petroglyphs and dolmens are scattered on the top of the ridge, and you need to walk with your legs for several hours to get to them. The village has a camp site with all amenities where you can stay for the night. Food is prepared at will. There are no shops or gas stations.

After spending the night in Arkhyz. Of the sights along the road to Arkhyz - the miraculous face of Christ, found on a rock and has become a massive place for pilgrimage of tourists. A metal staircase of 500 steps was laid upstairs, a chapel, a souvenir bazaar and barbecue were put downstairs.

A little further from this place there is a turn to BTA (Alt-Azimuthal Large Telescope) - the largest telescope in Eurasia with a main mirror diameter of 6 m. It was the largest telescope in the world from 1975 to 1993, when it launched a ten-meter telescope in the United States. However, BTA remained a telescope with the world's largest monolithic mirror until 1998.

A serpentine seventeen-kilometer asphalt road leads to the observatory, at the very top of the ridge. The observatory is open to the public on weekends. They missed it in an unregulated time, learning that from afar. PPC meets before the start of the serpentine.

There is nothing to do in Arkhyz itself, except to find excursions to the Sofia glade, rafting, horses, spend the night with amenities, a souvenir bazaar and shops.

Refueling, despite a large number of tourists, is not here, but there is a well-known water plant Arkhyz.

I drive through the village and leave the road to the Sofia meadow, 10-15 km. I ask how to get to the waterfalls, the main local attraction, not counting the hiking trails on the glaciers. The road is only for UAZ-Niv-Kruzak. There is a section where the road runs right along the river.

I leave the motorcycle at the barbecue under a canopy and go to the waterfalls. Rise for about an hour and a half. The waterfalls offer stunning views of the Sofia clearing and the entire gorge.

This is where the acquaintance with Karachay-Cherkessia is over. I’m moving to Kislovodsk to narzans and mountain routes. The first place we went with Pyatigorsk motorcyclists and a friend from Stavropol came to the Bermamyt plateau, the place that was guilty of the fact that I wanted the Caucasus after seeing photos from Mount Bermamyt on the Internet.

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It is better to go to Bermamyt with local enduurists, there are few roads here and you can make a beautiful circle in the mountains if you know all the ways. Changeable weather does not always allow us to enjoy the beauties, but it favored us, and, despite some difficulties with my universal rubber and Lekhina, a large, not yet run-in, orange endura, we succeeded.

The next day, drove to the springs of Jila-su. Under the north side of Elbrus.

And if we are still together with Lech, we decide to explore the road from sources to the Baksan Gorge through the pass. We ask the locals about the condition of the road and, having heard that the quadric has passed, but the cars have not yet driven, we decide to look.

Height 3000 m and not a single soul. In the end, a long serpentine, descending from the once prosperous mines in Tyrnyauz.

We say goodbye to Lech, he is home to Stavropol, and I, under Elbrus, will explore the situation with climbing.

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Having gone to Cheget, I’m going through the pass to the Chegem gorge. Green mountains and Chegem waterfalls are local attractions.

According to the plan, there was another pass to the Bezengi Gorge, but part of the mountain road was washed away, and I had to drive around the asphalt. Blue Lakes is one of the main tourist attractions in Kabarda. Not impressed, as is often the case with untwisted places. Approximately the same with the Chegem waterfalls, however, the gorge gorge with a narrow road stretches the situation.

The most beautiful are the passes between the gorges.

Everything interesting is yet to come: the Dzheyrakhsky district in Ingushetia with tower complexes, the high-mountainous lake Kazenoy-Am in Chechnya, the Naryn Kala fortress in Dagestan.

After Kabardino-Balkaria, the turn of North Ossetia.

Here I am interested in the road between the Feagdon and Karmadon gorges, where you can see the city of the dead in Dargavs, Midagrabinsky waterfalls of 600-700 meters and the infamous Karmadon gorge, where in 2002 there was a glacier. The road there has not been restored to this day. You can get to Karmadon from the Feagdon gorge. Between these gorges a little to the side, in the border zone there are the highest Midagrabin waterfalls in Europe. In fact, there were no problems with the visit. You need to have a passport with you.

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In place of several loaves with tourists. If the bike is light, you can drive up almost under the waterfalls, on a dried river bed. The place is beautiful, two ridges converge here, forming a dead end, on the sides of which water falls.

I am returning to the main dirt road, passing the City of the Dead - ancient burial places. They charge some kind of entry. I took a photo from the road and drove to Karmadon.

There are no problems with gasoline in the Caucasus, there are a lot of gas stations. The price of gas is approximately the same as in the middle lane. Accommodation prices are lower. There are camp sites in the mountains and inexpensive hotels in civilization.

But the most interesting thing in the Caucasian service is, of course, food. It’s cheap, there’s a lot of it and it’s very tasty. If you are leaving the Caucasus, you catch yourself thinking - again a barbecue, again a hitchina, then the mission has been completed, it will not be easy to get enough of this.

I'm going to sleep in Vladikavkaz. In the morning I climb the Military Ossetian road and leave for Ingushetia, in the village of Dzheyrah. In the mountainous part of this small republic, there are tower complexes, the most interesting both on this side of the Caucasus Range, and on the other.

The whole tourist goes by to Georgia, and few people think that such unique places are located here. It’s safe here. Towers are everywhere on every hill. There are fighting and residential towers. The largest complexes can be seen by moving the pass from Jeyrakh to Guli. There is also the oldest Christian temple in the Russian Federation, Thaba-Erda. There is a large sanatorium with a ski resort in Dzheyrakh district, where you can stay.

I leave the border zone and drive through the republic down to the plain. The first time they wrote off passport data to the checkpoint. I do not meet any police lawlessness, and there will not be him all the way. Except, perhaps, one attempt at extortion on the border of the Stavropol Territory and Kalmykia is already our guardian of order.

In Ingushetia, a lot of honey is produced; the whole road is in apiaries. As in other republics, everyone speaks two languages: local and Russian. There are already more stringent traditions, people seem more closed.

On the road there is no food, but there are many small shops. And everywhere there are signs on the rental of dishes and tables for weddings and other traditional mass holidays. No poverty or devastation is noticeable, many fresh houses, all the villages of red brick. The road along the Assa River from the mountainous part of the republic to the plain passes quickly and is in good condition.

Next is the Chechen Republic. Having left on the Caucasus highway, I call up the Wild Division club, they are already waiting there. By lunch I drive into Grozny. The city does not leave you indifferent. Wide central avenue, good roads and no sign of war.

It is customary to say that at our expense. Let's look at your region. In Tver, even the central station square cannot be made. There is money in all the capitals of the regions, but they are not building it anywhere, as in Grozny, for themselves.

For this, Ramzan is loved and respected here. I do not go into politics or military clan history. When free from it - free from unnecessary prejudices and fears. What is happening here now - I like it. For those who think that not walking in shorts or thumping is finally stupid, they probably will not like it here.

The Wild Division has been visiting a family from Yalta for a couple of days. What is local hospitality I will not describe. I can only say that it is proud and described by traditions.

Motorcyclists in Chechnya, like in Dagestan, are for the most part relatively wealthy people. And according to the rule of the Caucasus, show-offs are more expensive than money; here they ride only on hot Caucasian sports motorcycles.

The next day I went to the high-altitude lake Kazenoy-Am in the Vedeno district on the border with the mountain Dagestan, one of the most beautiful lakes that I have seen.

In this part of the republic, the mountains are green, wide and open. After seeing the blue lake and having a snack with cheese cakes, I’m going to other Chechen mountains. Those that squeeze the road into a tall narrow gorge. In the Argun gorge of Itum-Kalinsky district.

For lovers of horror stories. A bit of an incident happened when I took photos of the towers here. The border area and the military are many. Having passed, I decided to take a picture of this place on the way back, there were a couple of cars and several people with machine guns, raised his hand - said hello, they too. After 15 minutes I’m going back, I stop. Worth Audi Ku7 and black Camry. I see that people are harnessing my stop. Who is being killed in the Caucasus? Police officers. What is the most dangerous position? Head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. He was here.

So, I stop next to Camry, get off my motorcycle, open my pack bag, and then I realized that something was wrong. The submachine gunners tensed already seriously, approaching me, I took out a camera, and only then was there a general relief. As usual, I was invited to spend the night and eat, I photographed the towers, politely refused and went to Grozny.

After spending the night at the Grozny hotel in the center for 1000 rubles, I go to Dagestan, which promises to be the most unpredictable. In this republic, most of all fears and often not unfounded. But the fact that Dagestan cannot be rolled unaccompanied is a clear exaggeration.

How the terrible Dagestan met me

At the entrance to Makhachkala I stop at a large gas station, I call the guys from the Black Eagles club. Most of the motorcyclists were on the road outside the republic, but I was ordered to stay in place.

Refuel, eat ice cream, wait. Refueling machine. A man from her goes to the store. It turns out, hands me a bag of fruit and says:
  - Welcome.
  He gets into the car and drives off.

I am standing, smiling. Camille arrives and go to the city. They bought oil, changed it at Camille’s house. Picked up a hotel in Derbent. Camille fed and let go. Midday heat. I am traveling along the Caspian Sea to Derbent.

In Derbent is the only UNESCO monument in the Caucasus - the Naryn-Kala fortress. The fortress stands on a hill and goes down to the ocean. Locals weave their buildings into the fortress, using the walls. The city itself is quite colorful, with low buildings.

It stands on the shores of the Caspian Sea and is the second largest city in Dagestan. The fortress is large and interesting. In the walls of the fortress from ancient times, different religions coexisted. Here is the oldest mosque in the CIS and one of the oldest Christian churches.

I spend several days in Derbent, taking advantage of the hospitality of local motorcyclists, hot weather and the sea.

The farthest point of this journey is Mount Shalbuzdag, which is on the very border with Azerbaijan. 120 km south of Derbent and then 30 km of a beautiful off-road serpentine to an altitude of 3000 m. The mountain is sacred to the locals and at the end of July-August it is full of pilgrims. Now is June, nobody is here. I leave the motorcycle, change clothes, pack my backpack and go up to the height of 3700 m.

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There is a place in the south of our country where you can enjoy the warm sun in the winter and sunbathe on the eternal ice in the summer. Here are the highest mountains of Europe and the most fertile valleys of Russia. And this place is called - the North Caucasus. In the article, we will travel with you to the North Caucasus and visit 7 republics and 2 territories.

The territory of the Caucasus is rich in reserves of oil, gas, valuable wood species, reserves of industrial metal ores and uranium ores. Delicious mineral water is produced here, and more than 70% of the territory is occupied by agricultural land.

The North Caucasus includes 7 republics and 2 territories:

1. The Republic of Adygea

The Republic of Adygea is a real paradise for travelers:

• Routes through Lago-Naki,
• rufabgo Waterfalls,
• Through cave
• Khojokh Gorge
• meshoko River and Gorge,
• mount Monk
• Sahrai waterfalls,
• Ammonite Valley
• St. Michael's Monastery.

All these and many other attractions are very popular among tourists. In addition, there are many thermal and mineral springs in the republic.

2. Dagestan

Dagestan, which looks more like an eastern state than Russia: Arab bazaars, women in headscarves, hospitable people.

For tourists, the sandy coast of the Caspian Sea, excellent cognac, local wines, architectural structures and the amazing ancient city of Derbent are of interest.

Unfortunately, terrorist acts are not rare in Dagestan nowadays, but, as a rule, they have nothing to do with tourists, rather, they are local showdowns.

3. The Republic of Ingushetia

The youngest and smallest republic of Ingushetia. The territory is divided into two parts:

1. Gornaya, where the protected Dzheyrakhsky district is located - the historical heart of the republic with its 9 inhabited and 10 abandoned ancient villages;
2. Plains, where tourists can attract only the capital Magas and the ruins of a Russian fortress in Nazran.

Elbrus is the oldest sleeping volcano, covered with glaciers and snow, a mountain sacred to many nationalities.

Travelers worship Elbrus, they come here to realize their most vivid extreme fantasies: kiteboarding, trekking, ice climbing, rock climbing, freeriding, skiing - this and many other attractive peaks.

In addition, the republic is famous for its five largest gorges of unearthly beauty, as well as the delicious narzan and ayran.

5. Karachay-Cherkessia

Karachay-Cherkessia, bordering Kabardino-Balkaria, Stavropol Territory, Georgia and Abkhazia.

The republic is famous for its beautiful ski resort Dombay, alpine lakes, mountain waterfalls, rivers, natural resources, mineral and thermal springs.

In the territory of Karachay-Cherkessia there is also the Teberdinsky and partially Caucasian reserves - protected natural areas rich in flora and fauna.

6. North Ossetia

North Ossetia-Alania attracts travelers with rugged mountain rivers, rocky mountains, unique cuisine, peculiar traditions and a complex history of development.

A sad celebrity was brought to the republic by the events taking place in Karmadon and Beslan, but now it is calm here.

7. The Chechen Republic

The Chechen Republic, in which very hospitable people live and modern cities continue to be upset.

Interest for tourists here is not only the capital of the republic, but also

• ski resort Veduchi,
• kezenoyam Lake,
• mosques
• amazing nature.

The population of the republic is very proud of its president Ramzan Kadyrov, on the streets of the capital you can often see hanging posters on which people thank him for his perfect actions.

8. Krasnodar Territory

Krasnodar Territory, first of all, is associated with vacationers with summer, sea and beach vacations. The resort towns are famous for the gentle sun and clean air, but in winter you can also relax here. For example, to actively relax in Krasnaya Polyana: freeride, rafting, caving, helicopter walks, jeeping.

In addition, tourists coming to the Krasnodar Territory should visit an ostrich farm and tea plantations in Krasnodar, try real Kuban wine, ride a horse.

And, of course, the city of Sochi is of great interest now, where after the games you can not only get acquainted with a lot of new construction projects, but also plunge into the adventure world of the fabulous Sochi Park.

Stavropol region. The city of Stavropol is called the Gate of the Caucasus. Near the city there is a huge archaeological monument of the Ciscaucasia - the Tatar settlement.

It is amazing how this place has been preserved, surrounded by city buildings, country houses, fields and roads. Also in Stavropol is a state-protected natural monument - Central.

It is worth talking separately about the Caucasian Mineral Waters that make up the Stavropol Territory, because this territory is unique in its natural and healing resources.

And the beauty here is such that you can’t take your eyes off: beautiful valleys, immense meadows, picturesque waterfalls, transparent rivers, a huge number of mineral springs. In addition, there is always clean, slightly giving off tar and pine needles air, and a mild climate. At any time of the year you can have a great rest and improve your health.

In Essentuki, Kislovodsk, Pyatigorsk and Zheleznovodsk there are many resorts and hotels of different classes.

In addition to treatment with mineral waters, here you can be treated with mud Tambukan, whose natural formations help to get rid of many diseases.

Combining balneotherapy (mineral water treatment), mud therapy, climatotherapy, physical rehabilitation and therapeutic nutrition, vacationers can significantly improve their energy and recharge their energy for years to come.

In addition, in the Caucasian Mineral Waters you can get acquainted with such attractions as Honey Falls, the place of the duel of Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov, Blue Lakes, Valley of Narzans, the famous Kislovodsk resort park.

The geopolitical position of all these territories is important, since the North Caucasus has access to the Azov, Caspian and Black Seas, as well as territorial connection with the Transcaucasian states.

The North Caucasus is the most populated region of our country.

The most hospitable people live here, ancient customs are honored and the culture of peoples is carefully protected. Ask any resident of the Caucasus about the history of his people, and he will proudly tell it.

The ethnic composition of the inhabitants of the Caucasus is extremely diverse:

• chechens
• dargins,
• lezgins
• ingush
• kabardinians
• circassians
• adyghe people
• russians
• armenians
• ossetians.

And this is not a complete list of nationalities living here.

Here people of different religious views coexist nearby:

• sunni Muslims
• shia Muslims
• orthodox Christians,
• christians of other faiths,
• the Jews.

In the North Caucasus, a temperate continental climate has formed; closer to the Black Sea, the climate is subtropical. There is a lot of sun and heat, most of the territory is provided with sufficient moisture and fertile soils.

Traveling to the North Caucasus is a favorite destination for Russian travelers. An unexpected combination of landscapes, unique natural resources, ancient architectural monuments - all this and much more awaits guests who will come to the Caucasus.

And there is no doubt that they will forever remember the bewitching, exciting, unusual beauty of these places.