Caucasian mineral waters history briefly. Open the left menu Caucasian mineral waters. Amorphophallus: photo, home care

Completed by: Zabolotnaya Kristina and Kolesnikova Yana

Caucasian Mineralnye Vody is one of the most densely populated areas of the North Caucasus. The average population density is more than 150 people per 1 km2.

The composition of the Caucasian Mineral Waters includes 7 cities:

Kislovodsk

Essentuki

Pyatigorsk

Zheleznovodsk

Lermontov

Mineral water

Georgievsk.

And also 3 districts - Predgorny, Mineralovodsky and Georgievsky.

Caucasian Mineralnye Vody is more than 500 thousand hectares (5.3 thousand sq. km), located on the territory of three constituent entities of the Russian Federation within the boundaries of the district of the mountain and sanitary protection:

in the Stavropol Territory - the cities and resort towns of Georgievsk, Mineralnye Vody, Pyatigorsk, Zheleznovodsk, Lermontov, Essentuki, Kislovodsk.

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

in Kabardino-Balkaria - Zolsky district - 9% (therapeutic mud of Lake Tambukan, Narzanov Valley and others);

in Karachay-Cherkessia - Malokarachaevsky and Prikubansky districts - 33% of the territory (zone of formation of mineral springs).

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

Story.

KMV is one of the oldest resort regions in Russia. The first written information about its mineral springs is found in the doctor G. Schober (1717), who was sent by Peter I to examine the mineral storehouse North Caucasus. The first detailed descriptions of them were made by I. A. Guldenshtedt (1773), and then by P. S. Pallas (1793). After a study of the hot spring in Pyatigorsk (1801) and the conclusion of a special commission on the possibility of using mineral waters for therapeutic purposes (1802), by decree of Alexander I of April 24, 1803, the provision on the Caucasian Mineral Waters was approved, when the historical Rescript "On the recognition of the state significance of the Caucasian Mineral Waters" was signed and the need for their device, ”and their official existence as a resort area began.

The history of the development of this unique resort region of the Russian Federation was characterized by ups and downs, with the transition from state management to private counterparties. Long distances from the central cities of the Russian Empire, when those wishing to receive medical treatment on Hot, Iron and Sour Waters were forced to make a real journey on horse-drawn carriages lasting one and a half to two months, military operations in the Caucasus, the unsettled nature of the springs and resorts themselves - all this created certain difficulties in development of the Caucasian Mineral Waters.

Relief

The relief of the region of the Caucasian Mineral Waters begins at the foot of Elbrus, where the Rocky Range with a number of peaks clearly stands out. The dissected relief, which creates a wide variety of landscapes, is explained by the long development and complex geological structure of the territory. The northern part of the region of the Caucasian Mineral Waters is open, it is revived by laccolith mountains - failed volcanoes: magma could not pass through the thickness of sedimentary rocks and froze in the form of domes. The southern part of the region is cut by deep gorges and gullies. All local mountains are laccoliths, that is, stone pits. About 10 million years ago, the formation of mountains began in this area. Magma rose through narrow cracks in the earth's crust, breaking up, lifting layers of the earth and in some places bursting to the surface. On other mountains, lava masses were exposed due to the process of weathering and erosion. There was not enough temperature for powerful eruptions. But the set of chemical elements and minerals that filled these stone pits turned out to be unique and determined the amazing variety of mineral waters of future resort cities.

Brief history of the Caucasian Mineral Waters (1803 -2018) (to the 215th anniversary of the formation of the CMS). On April 24, 1803, Emperor Alexander I, by his decree, assigned the status of a region of special importance to the Caucasian Mineral Waters. This date has become the official date of birth of the CMS. The history of this region is rooted in the distant past. Archaeological excavations carried out here testify that Caucasian tribes lived in this area in the Stone Age. rich vegetable and animal world , favorable climate, the presence of hot mineral springs contributed to the fact that ancient people could hunt, livestock and farm here. In the vicinity of the city of Mineralnye Vody on the eastern slope of the city of Zmeyka in the 30s of the last century, a fragment of a stone bracelet about 6 thousand years old was found, and on the slope of the city of Dagger, archaeologists discovered stone tools of an ancient man dating back to the Acheulian era. The age of these finds is about 250-300 thousand years. These data indicate that people settled here a very long time ago, and this area is one of the most ancient human habitats. After the Stone Age came the Bronze Age. At that time (2-3 thousand years BC) tools were made of bronze, since iron had not yet been discovered. Archaeologists and local historians of the KMV have long explored the burial mounds of the Bronze Age. They are located in the vicinity of the cities: Mineralnye Vody, Kislovodsk, Pyatigorsk, the village of Suvorovskaya, etc. One and a half kilometers from the village of Borgustanskaya, a large number of bronze axes, sickles, arrowheads and spears were found in two clay vessels. The Bronze Age was replaced by the Iron Age (beginning of the 1st millennium BC), iron became the main material for the production of weapons and tools. In the CMS, this period was marked by the appearance of Iranian-speaking Scythian tribes. The Scythian tribes were distinguished by a high material culture. On the territory of the Caucasian Mineral Waters, you can find a whole network of mounds of the Scythian period. They can be seen in the vicinity of Georgievsk, Kislovodsk, Mineralnye Vody, Inozemtsevo, etc. In 1952, on the right bank of the Kuma River, in a clay quarry (Mineralnye Vody), a Scythian necropolis was discovered during work. These were stone boxes made of sandstone and beshtaunit. During the excavations, an iron sword, spear and arrowheads, and household utensils were found. According to Professor V.A. Kuznetsov, the Scythians lived settled here and new discoveries can be expected. The same burial was found in the area of ​​the Perkal rock (Pyatigorsk). All the exhibits that were discovered by archaeologists are stored in local history museums of the region. For about a thousand years, the Scythians dominated the North Caucasus. At the end of the 1st millennium BC. Sarmatian tribes related to the Scythians spread widely in the North Caucasus. The Sarmatians were distinguished by great militancy and a lower level of material culture. They were mainly engaged in cattle breeding and military campaigns. Even women fought among the Sarmatians. Sarmatian archaeological sites are widely represented in the CMS. They were found in the vicinity of Zheleznovodsk, Essentuki and on the banks of the Yutsa River. At the beginning of our era, the Alans tribe emerged from the Sarmatian tribes. Alans in this historical period reach great military power and populate the entire Central Caucasus, the North Caucasus and, in particular, the region of the CMS. Evidence of this material culture in the form of ceramics, furnaces, man-made earthen ramparts, stone tools for agricultural purposes can be found everywhere here. These are Klin-Yar (Kislovodsk), Rim-Gora, the foot of Beshtau, Zmeyka, Razvalka, etc. During the reign of the Alans, one of the branches of the Great Silk Road passed through the territory of the CMS. This route was followed by caravans with silk, precious stones and other valuable goods from China and Central Asia. The caravans went through the territory of the CMS, stopping at mineral springs for a rest, and then along the valleys of the Kuma and Podkumok rivers they went first to the valley of the Kuban river, and then to the Klukhorsky pass. In the VI century, the Alans were invaded by the Huns, and in the VIII-X centuries - by the Turkic-speaking tribes of the Khazar-Bulgarians. In the 11th century, nomadic Polovtsian tribes appeared in the steppes of the North Caucasus. On the territory of the CMS, and indeed the entire Stavropol Territory, they left traces in the form of the so-called "stone women". In 1238-1239. the countless hordes of Genghis Khan invade the North Caucasus. They destroyed the Alanian cities, burned crops, stole cattle, exterminated the population. To save themselves, the Alans began to go high into the mountains. After the fall of the Golden Horde, the Adyghe tribes began to settle in the river valleys near the mineral springs. The first written mention of the area Besh-Dag (five mountains) with sources of hot water dates back to 1334, when the famous Arab traveler Ibn Battuta visited here. The first Russian information about the population of Pyatigorye dates back to the middle of the 16th century. It was reported that Pyatigorsk Cherkasy live in this area (as the Kabardians were called at that time). The desire to protect themselves from Turkey led the Kabardian princes to Ivan the Terrible, who at that time ruled Russia. In 1557, Kabarda voluntarily became part of the Russian Empire. The accession of the CMS region to Russia had purely political goals. No research was done, the existence of healing keys was unknown. A special search for mineral waters was launched in 1717 by decree of Peter I. This work was entrusted to the life physician G. Schober. While traveling through the Caucasus, Schober could not visit the CMS region for some reason, but he collected numerous data that there are mineral springs in the Pyatigorye region. Only many years later, in 1773, the Russian scientist A.I. Guldenshtedt described Mount Goryachaya (the southern spur of Mashuk). Proval and Tambukan Lake were also described, the Kumagor spring was mentioned (near Mount Dagger). Seven years passed, and in 1780 the Constantinogorsk fortress was founded, which gave rise to the city of Pyatigorsk. In 1793, the Russian traveler PS Pallas arrived in the Caucasus. The main result of his research was a detailed description of the Pyatigorsk springs and the discovery of the Kislovodsk narzans. Having drunk Narzan for the first time, Pallas was delighted and called it the best champagne. After a visit and a detailed description of the Kislovodsk springs by Pallas, the news of the healing waters began to spread more and more widely. Finally, in 1803 a fortress was founded here. Kislovodsk now stands on the site of this fortress. In 1809 -1810. the famous physician F.P. Haaz worked in the Caucasian Waters to study their healing properties. In 1810, he discovered the Zheleznovodsk mineral springs. In fact, the discovery of these sources by F.P. Haaz served as the basis for considering 1810 as the date of the founding of the city of Zheleznovodsk. In the same 1810, he discovered the Essentuki mineral water springs, and quite by accident. One day he received news from the Cossacks that 11 versts from the Constantinogorsk fortress, horses were greedily drinking some kind of "special water". Haaz went there and found 3 sources at the elevation. But the alkaline springs were not fully explored by him and for a long time consigned to oblivion. In 1824, the sources were again investigated by Professor A.P. Nelyubin. In the people they received the name "horse". In 1825, by order of the commander-in-chief in the Caucasus and Georgia, A.P. Yermolov, a fortification was laid here. 1825 is considered the date of formation of the city of Essentuki. In the same year, Nelyubin published a major work "A complete historical, medical-topographic, physico-chemical and medical description of the Caucasian mineral waters." In fact, this is the first detailed description of the CMS, which reported on the chemical composition of the waters, as well as methods for the treatment of various diseases. Caucasian Mineralnye Vody includes 7 cities. Kislovodsk - founded in 1803. Population 130 thousand people. Essentuki - founded in 1825. Population 107 thousand people. Pyatigorsk - founded in 1780. Population 145 thousand people. Zheleznovodsk - founded in 1810. Population 25 thousand people. Mineralnye Vody - founded in 1878. Population 75 thousand people. Lermontov - founded in 1953. Population 22 thousand people. Georgievsk - founded in 1777. Population 69 thousand people. For the city of Mineralnye Vody, 2018 is an anniversary year, this year it celebrates its 140th anniversary. The city of Mineralnye Vody owes its birth to the construction of the Rostov-Vladikavkaz railway. It was completed in 1875. In 1878, the village of Sultanovsky was formed. It received its name from the name of Sultan Dzhanbek-Girey, on whose lands it was formed. The construction of the railway breathed new life into the resorts of the Caucasian Mineralnye Vody and dramatically increased the number of vacationers on the waters. In 1903, in the year of the centenary of the CMS, the resorts received electric current from the first in Russia state hydroelectric station "White Coal" near Essentuki, in Pyatigorsk in the same year the first tram was launched. Caucasian Mineralnye Vody keeps the memory of the stay here of such great Russian writers as A.S. Pushkin and M.Yu. Lermontov. A. Pushkin was at the CMS twice, in 1820 and 1829. He wrote a large number of poems dedicated to the Caucasus and the poem "Prisoner of the Caucasus". M.Yu. Lermontov visited the Caucasian Waters many times. This happened for the first time in 1820, when the five-year-old Lermontov came here with his grandmother. It is quite possible that A. Pushkin and M. Lermontov could meet by chance, but this is only an assumption. The work of M.Yu. Lermontov is closely connected with the Caucasian Mineral Waters. In his works, he sang of this land of mountains, rivers and healing magical springs. The novel "A Hero of Our Time" is entirely devoted to the events that took place here at that distant time. Many famous people loved this amazing region. These are: A.I. Odoevsky, A. Bestuzhev-Marlinsky, A.I. Herzen, M.I. Glinka, N.P. Ogarev, S.V. L.V. Sobinov, F.I. Chaliapin, V.V. Mayakovsky, A.M. Gorky, I.E. Repin, N.A. Yaroshenko, S.A. Kuprin, M.M. Zoshchenko and many others. In 2017, the Stavropol region celebrated the 90th anniversary of the birth of the famous Stavropol writer A. Gubin, who was born and raised in Essentuki, the author of the famous novel "Wolf's Milk". Last year 2017 marked 90 years since the satirical writers I. Ilf and E. Petrov visited the Caucasian Mineral Waters. One of the chapters of their famous novel "The Twelve Chairs", published in 1928, tells about the adventures of the main characters in the Caucasian Waters. Our land is rich in talents. This year, 2018, the entire world and Russian public is celebrating the centenary of the birth of the Nobel laureate and our countryman A. I. Solzhenitsyn, author of the famous novels "The Gulag Archipelago", "The Red Wheel" and the story "One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich". V.S. Vysotsky, whose 80th birthday was celebrated in this jubilee year for the CMS, also repeatedly visited the Caucasian Mineral Waters, met people, was friends with local television journalists, in particular, with Rimma Tumanova, one of the first announcers of the Pyatigorsk television studio and her husband Vadim Tumanov - a participant in the Great Patriotic War, who repeatedly sat in Soviet camps. It was from Tumanov, according to the testimony of people who personally knew Vladimir Semenovich, that he learned about many details of the life and life of prisoners, which was later reflected in his many songs. Not without pride, we can say that one of the last recordings of V. Vysotsky was made at the Pyatigorsk television studio. This is far from full list outstanding people who visited the Caucasian Mineral Waters for more than two hundred years of their existence. Before the revolution, treatment and recreation at the resort were available only to wealthy people. Only after the revolution, resorts began to develop rapidly. Hundreds of thousands of people began to rest here every year on free trade union vouchers. The slogan "Resorts to the people" was put into practice in just a couple of decades. Dozens of sanatoriums and medical institutions were built, new reserves of mineral waters were explored. CMS cities also began to grow. Currently, about 900 thousand people live in the CMS, which is comparable in terms of population with such a large metropolis in the south of the country as Krasnodar. It is necessary to protect this natural forge of health, so that future generations of Russians can, as now, walk through the shady parks of Kislovodsk, Zheleznovodsk, Yessentuki, improve their health with the help of amazing and unique in their chemical composition sources, breathe in the healing air flowing from the peaks of the Caucasus, see a panorama of seventeen majestic laccolith mountains, and having climbed on the cable car to the top of the Small Sedlo mountain to a height of more than 1300 meters above sea level, admire how beautiful the majestic Elbrus is at sunset - highest point Europe. Caucasian Mineralnye Vody is our small homeland, and therefore it does not need to be divided into parts and enclosed with fences. Healing springs, blue sky, pine trees on the slope, ancient laccolith mountains, relic steppe, fast mountain rivers - all this should belong to everyone. Good luck to you, Caucasian Mineral Waters! Y. Selivanov, Director of Mineralnye Vody City Tourist Club LLC, member of the Union of Russian Writers.

Caucasian Mineral Waters

Coat of arms of the region

Region map

Caucasian Mineral Waters(Kavminvody, KMV) - a group of federal resorts in the Stavropol Territory; specially protected eco-resort region of the Russian Federation, which has a coordinating administration. The direct state administration of this region is entrusted to the administration of the Caucasian Mineral Waters, the head of which is appointed by the president of the Russian Federation on the proposal of the governor of the Stavropol Territory.

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

The electrified railway Moscow - Rostov - Baku with a branch to Kislovodsk (and a branch to Zheleznovodsk), an asphalted federal highway Rostov - Baku passes through the territory of the district. Mineralnye Vody Airport connects the KMS region with direct flights to all major centers of the Russian Federation, neighboring countries, and also operates flights to non-CIS countries.

Geography

The region-agglomeration Caucasian Mineralnye Vody, having an area of ​​more than 500 thousand hectares (5.3 thousand sq. km), is located on the territory of three constituent entities of the Russian Federation within the boundaries of the district of the mountain and sanitary protection:

• in the Stavropol Territory - cities and resort towns Georgievsk, Mineralnye Vody (including the resort Kumagorsk and resort area Naguta), Pyatigorsk, Zheleznovodsk, Lermontov, Essentuki, Kislovodsk, as well as the Georgievsky, Mineralovodsky and Predgorny districts proper, - 58% of the total area of ​​​​the region;
• in Kabardino-Balkaria - Zolsky district, - 9% (therapeutic mud of Lake Tambukan, Narzanov Valley and others);
• in Karachay-Cherkessia - Malokarachaevsky and Prikubansky districts, - 33% of the territory (zone of formation of mineral springs).

The regional center of the CMS with the seat of the coordinating administration is the city of Essentuki. Previously, this status belonged to the city of Pyatigorsk, even earlier - to Georgievsk.
At the same time, the regime of special nature management in adjacent territories is also carried out by state bodies of the republics.
The head of the administration of the KavMinVod, in accordance with the Regulations, is the first deputy chairman of the Government of the Stavropol Territory ex officio.

Physical and geographical characteristics (location)

The Caucasian Mineralnye Vody region occupies the southern part of the Stavropol Territory and is located on the northern slopes of the Main Caucasian Range, just a couple of tens of kilometers from Elbrus. Here the earth seems different, the sky seems different. From a distance, motionless white clouds are visible, which, when approached, turn out to be the snowy peaks of the Caucasus Mountains. The southern borders of the region are the foothills of Elbrus, the valley of the Khasaut and Malka rivers; in the west - the upper reaches of the rivers Eshkakon and Podkumka; The northern border of the region is the city of Mineralnye Vody, behind which the steppe expanses of Ciscaucasia begin.

In terms of hydromineral resources, the region includes:

• in the south: carbonic waters of the Upper and Lower Berezovsky in the Berezovsky gorge, the Belovodsky and Bely springs in the upper reaches of the Alikonovsky gorge (the Belovodskaya Balka river), the Malkinsky gorge - Tkhobzashkhops springs (in the Kamennomostsky area), the Seraphim Sarovsky spring with healing spring water (on the northern slopes of Dzhinal ), Valley of Narzanov, Cheget Lahransky, Lahransky Narzans [Kichmalka plateau, Mount Ullu-Lahran (1883 m)], spring (Khasautsky) in the area of ​​Mal. Bermamyt (2644 m) and the village of Khasaut (in the southwest; in the extreme south (adjacent to the Elbrus region) the source of Yungeshli).
• in the west: in the Kumsky gorge - carbonic water of the Kumsky deposit in Krasno-Vostochny (the village of Krasny Vostok) and Suvorov baths, springs in the upper reaches of the Podkumka and Kum-rivers near the Gumbashi pass, and east of Gudgora (2489 m) on the Eshkakon river (Lower Eshkakonsky and Upper Eshkakonsky; tract Kanta-Tukele?); on the watershed - springs in the area of ​​​​the villages of Michurinsky and Kholodnorodnikovskoye (near the village of Schastlivoe), and on the northern slopes of the Pastbishchny Range in the Coal Balk (above the forestry enterprises Coal Dacha and Bekeshevskaya Dacha - in Karachay-Cherkessia).
• in the north: in the resort of Kumagorsk, Nagutsky springs in the balneological Nagutskaya resort area (sources near the villages of Nagutskoye, Soluno-Dmitrievskoye (Nagutskaya station - a plant for bottling mineral waters of one of the largest Nagutskoye deposits in the region (250 million bottles per year, 80- f)), this also includes the mineral springs of the town of Camel).
• in the east: Lysogorsk springs (Lysay Gora, including Batalinsky), as well as St. George's baths.

Story

KMV is one of the oldest resort regions in Russia. The first written information about its mineral springs is found in the doctor G. Schober (1717), who was sent by Peter I to examine the mineral storehouse North Caucasus. The first detailed descriptions of them were made by I. A. Guldenshtedt (1773), and then by P. S. Pallas (1793). After a study of the hot spring in Pyatigorsk (1801) and the conclusion of a special commission on the possibility of using mineral waters for therapeutic purposes (1802), by decree of Alexander I of April 24, 1803, the provision on the Caucasian Mineral Waters was approved, when the historical Rescript "On the recognition of the state significance of the Caucasian Mineral Waters" was signed and the need for their device, ”and their official existence as a resort area began.
The first information about Lake Tambukan was also reported by I. A. Guldenshtedt (1770s), but the use of its therapeutic mud began much later (since 1886 in Pyatigorsk and Essentuki, then in Zheleznovodsk). Initially, CMS attracted a limited number of patients, mainly from the military and the nobility. There were no plans for the development of resorts; the management of the CMS was usually entrusted to the military administration. Only a few of the administrators showed interest in the KavMinVody.

The history of the development of this unique resort region of the Russian Federation was characterized by ups and downs, with the transition from state management to private counterparties. Long distances from the central cities of the Russian Empire, when those wishing to receive medical treatment on Hot, Iron and Sour Waters were forced to make a real journey on horse-drawn carriages lasting one and a half to two months, military operations in the Caucasus, the unsettled nature of the springs and resorts themselves - all this created certain difficulties in development of the Caucasian Mineral Waters. According to the memoirs of contemporaries, at the beginning of the 19th century, vacationers on Hot Waters lived in Kalmyk tents, specially sent here for the summer holiday season. Selfless work on the arrangement of the Cavalry Ministry of Waters of outstanding Russian patriots (in alphabetical order):

• Johann K. and Joseph K. Bernardazzi
• G. A. Emanuelya
• A. P. Nelyubina
• M. V. Sergeeva
• N. N. Slavyanova
• S. A. Smirnova
• V. V. Khvoshchinsky

and many others has allowed step by step to turn them into a well-known balneological resort in Russia. During the Soviet era, Caucasian Mineralnye Vody became a popular source of health for the population of the Soviet Union. In 1990, about 1 million people from all over the country and from abroad rested and improved their health at the all-Union resort [kavmingroup].

But at the same time, the local population was growing at a rapid pace (see below - agglomeration). All this began to create a large anthropogenic load on the ecology of the CMS (see Pyatigorsk). Some shortage of mineral resources began to be felt. Excessive development of industry in resort cities, not related to medical and health-improving (sanatorium-resort) purposes, the use of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers in agriculture also posed a real threat of pollution of the hydro-mineral resources of the unique resort. This could not but disturb the representatives of balneology, the leadership of the Stavropol Territory, the Russian government.
That is why the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation B.N. Yeltsin was signed on March 27, 1992, according to which the KavMinVody is a specially protected ecological resort region of the Russian Federation. It directly defined the goals of creating the region - the preservation of the natural resources of the CMS resorts - a world-famous area with unique health and healing factors, a unique historical, architectural and cultural image.

Mountains Kavminvod

Above all the resorts is Kislovodsk (817-1063 m), the rest of the resorts are approximately at the same height: Essentuki - along the river. Podkumok (600-640 m), Pyatigorsk - at the foot of Mashuk (510-630 m), Zheleznovodsk - in the valley between Beshtau and Zheleznaya, on the slopes at the foot of the latter (600-650 m). Vegetation is represented mainly by massifs of oak and hornbeam forests, alternating with meadow steppes; in the foothills there is steppe and forest-steppe vegetation, which in the mountains (at an altitude of 800-1100 m) is replaced by broad-leaved forests (beech, oak, hornbeam).

The relief of the region of the Caucasian Mineral Waters begins at the foot of Elbrus, where the Rocky Range with a number of peaks clearly stands out. In the western and southern parts of the CMS, the mountains are steep, in some places sheer ledges break off to the south (the depth of these cliffs reaches 1000 m), and the northern long slopes are slightly (gently) inclined and merge with the foothill plain. These are Pastbishny and Skalisty ridges. They are divided by river valleys into a number of mountain ranges. The pasture ridge within the KavMinVod is cut by Podkumkom into two parts: the western one (the Borgustan ridge, the Darya heights of the Borgustan ridge) rises to 1200-1300 m, and the eastern one (Dzhinalsky ridge) has an absolute elevation of the top of the Upper Dzhinal 1542 m. The rocks on the spurs of the ridges are decorated with niches, openwork vaults, carved sandstone columns. To the south of Pastbishchnoye stretches the Rocky Range with the peaks of Bolshoy and Small Bermamyt (2592 and 2644 m (the highest point of the CMS), 30 km to Elbrus; in the early morning on Bermamyt you can sometimes see the so-called Brocken ghost). Bermamyt plateau, and Zhatmaz Range(Shidzhatmaz (Shatzhatmaz) 2127 m, astronomical station of the GAO RAS (2072 m), scientific base of the Institute of Atmospheric Physics of the Russian Academy of Sciences) and Kichmalka plateau(Manglay city 2055 m), below which in the picturesque valley of the Khasaut River at an altitude of 1300 m above sea level is the Narzanov Valley - about 20 mineral springs (34 km south of Kislovodsk, in the southern foothills of the Rocky Range of the Greater Caucasus), - inclined towards Kislovodsk and rest against the steep ledges of the Pasture Range. To the south of the Rocky Range towards Elbrus extends the vast Bechasyn Plateau (with Mount Bechasyn 2364 m). In terms of absolute heights, the territory of the CMS belongs to the middle mountains, the maximum amplitude of heights is 2464 m (and taking into account Elbrus - 5462 m, the second place after Kabardino-Balkaria).
The dissected relief, which creates a wide variety of landscapes, is explained by the long development and complex geological structure of the territory.

Geology

The region of the KavMinVod is located within the junction of the Stavropol Upland (Ciductaucasia) and the northern slopes and foothills of the North Caucasus. This is the center of the Caucasus, where, over a long geological history, along with folded and vertical movements, horizontal movements also occurred. Its territory is bordered on all sides by huge deep faults. Faults are associated with the origin of laccoliths. These mountains were formed by gradual uplift or tectonic extrusion of viscous, cooling lava through the thickness of sedimentary deposits. Volcanic bodies are still cooling down in our time. At the base of the stratal plains inclined to the north, at the very bottom, there are Paleozoic rocks crumpled into folds and permeated during mountain building by veins of acidic magma: quartz-chlorite schists, quartzites, granites. The most ancient rocks of the area can be seen in the valley of the Alikonovka River south of Kislovodsk, 4-5 km above the Castle rock, one of the local attractions. Here, pink and red granites come to the surface, the age of which is determined at 220-230 million years. In the Mesozoic time, the granites that came to the surface were destroyed and formed a thick (up to 50 m) layer of the weathering crust, consisting of crystals of quartz, feldspar, mica. Geodes come across - "stones with a secret." Splitting such a stone, you can find inside white crystals of calcite, gray opal and translucent chalcedony. Sedimentary deposits of the Jurassic and Cretaceous seas, having a thickness of more than 1000 m, can be seen on the southern slopes of the Borgustan and Dzhinal ridges. Here brownish-gray and yellowish limestones, dolomites, red ferruginous sandstones come to the surface. These are the famous Red and Gray stones (see the park). On Mount Goryachaya in Pyatigorsk, one can see various forms of travertine deposits - a stone that arose during the evaporation of mineral water. Petrified leaves and twigs are visible in travertine. Karst is developed here, which is also found on the Rocky and Pasture Ranges. The peculiarity of the geological structure of Razvalka is associated with the amazing phenomenon of “summer frost”, which is explained by seasonal air circulation in the cracks of the mountain.

With all the diversity of the composition of the waters and the nature of the deposits, the mineral springs of the CMS are closely related by the common geological conditions of formation and the general history of the development of a group of famous, oldest resorts in Russia on their basis.
The presence of mineral springs is associated with a complex of sedimentary formations of the Meso-Cenozoic age, gently plunging from S to N from the Greater Caucasus to the Stavropol Upland. From the point of view of the possibilities of accumulation and movement of groundwater, the rocks of the Meso-Cenozoic sinking to the north form a large artesian slope, the main area of ​​​​the supply of which coincides with the area where the most ancient metamorphic rocks come to the surface. Of several aquifers, the most abundant are: the Titon aquifer complex, flow rate 0.1-10 l / s, depth of occurrence from 260 m (Kislovodsk region) to 1000 m (Essentuki); Valanginian complex, debit of St. 15 l/s, depth from 170 m (Kislovodsk) to 800 m (Essentuki); Aptian complex, flow rate 10 l/s, maximum depth up to 500 m (Essentuki); Upper Cretaceous complex, flow rate up to 5 l/s, depth up to 300 m (the total flow rate of the most abundant is about 3-3.5 million l per day). Of great importance in the hydrogeology of the region are faults and intrusions of igneous rocks (intrusions), which form peculiar dome-shaped mountains-laccoliths in the relief (Mashuk, Beshtau, Zheleznaya, Razvalka, Zmeyka, etc.). Separate deposits of mineral waters (Berezovskoye, Kislovodskoye, Kumskoye, Essentukskoye, Pyatigorskoye, Zheleznovodskoye, Nagutskoye, Kumagorskoye, etc.) and a large number of outcrops of various mineral springs are associated with zones of tectonic disturbances, as well as with contacts of intrusions and sedimentary rocks. Groundwater resources of the CMW (fresh and mineral) are formed mainly due to infiltration of atmospheric precipitation (in the mountains of the Greater Caucasus). Part of the groundwater is enriched with gases (carbon dioxide) formed under conditions of high subsoil temperature. The formation of the composition of mineral waters proceeds with a significant participation of the processes of leaching of host rocks, cation exchange and mixing; this last process is especially widespread in the upper parts of the section, where deep highly gas-saturated portions of water ascending along the faults from the basement enter. Pushing aside less mineralized streams and partially mixing with them, the rising waters here form the final chemical and temperature appearance of the region's mineral waters.

Climate

Along with mineral waters, the CMS resort resources make up a favorable climate in the central and southwestern parts of the region, used for climatotherapy.
The climate of the KavMinVod region has long been highly appreciated by balneologists and has been successfully used as a healing factor. The main advantages of the local climate are associated with a large number of sunny days - in Kislovodsk there are only 37-40 days a year without sun. It is relatively dry here, moist air masses from the Black Sea do not reach here - they are delayed by the Main Caucasian Range.

The diversity of the relief creates a difference in the climate of the CMS resorts, and is formed under the influence of a number of factors: the difference in the altitude position of cities, the protection of the mountains determines the characteristics of the microclimate. The foothill character of the area and the proximity of the snowy peaks of the Main Caucasian Range on the one hand, and on the other hand, the proximity of arid steppes and semi-deserts of the Caspian coast determine the continental features of the climate of this region. According to climatic conditions, the Kavminvod region can be divided into two zones: the southern one - the Kislovodsk region with features of the continental climate of the low mountains, and the northern one - Yessentuki, Pyatigorsk, Zheleznovodsk with typical features of the steppe zone. The most favorable, according to medical climatology, is the southern zone.

The region of the resorts of Zheleznovodsk, Pyatigorsk, Essentuki is a climatic zone with a lot of heat and moderate rainfall. The average annual precipitation is within 600 mm, mainly in spring and early summer. Compared to the southern zone, here, as a rule, the average annual air temperature is higher, relative humidity is at the level of 65-71%, the number of days with fogs and without sun is 85-92 (thick fogs are typical in winter), days with precipitation are 120-160, and frosty about 90 days. Cloudy days with fogs and frost occur in the autumn-winter period, which creates a contrast with Kislovodsk. In Pyatigorsk, summers are warm, winters are moderately mild (a third of winter days are with rains, thaws, fogs). The climate of Zheleznovodsk corresponds to the mountain-forest and moderately dry climate of the middle mountains of the Alps. The number of hours of sunshine here is relatively high, but the greenery and constant winds soften the heat. The climate of Essentuki is characterized by contrast - the summer is hot and dry, the winter is frosty, often rainy. Spring and autumn are clearly expressed. Kislovodsk is famous as a climatic resort, where, due to the closed conditions of the basin, clear, dry weather prevails; for example, winter in Kislovodsk is “frost and sun, a wonderful day”, the sun shines 300 days a year.

The air temperature depends on the altitude of the place and the season of the year. The average January temperature in Pyatigorsk is -4.0 °C, in Kislovodsk -3.9 °C. The July temperature is +22° and +19° respectively.
The amount of precipitation decreases from the mountains to the plains: in Bermamyt - 724 mm, in Kislovodsk - 599 mm, in Pyatigorsk - 472 mm; the least of them are in Essentuki. More than 85% of all precipitation falls as rain (in winter, rains prevail over snowfalls). Snow cover is low and unstable, snow falls and melts quickly. In Kislovodsk, the snow cover is continuously on average up to 10 days. More than half of the winters pass without snow cover at all.
The greatest cloudiness on the plains is observed in winter; in the mountains (Kislovodsk, Bermamyt, Narzanov Valley), on the contrary, the clearest winter months.

CMS resorts have a wind regime favorable for climate treatment. Calms are frequent here, especially in the Kislovodsk basin in winter (the average annual wind speed in Kislovodsk is 2.4 m/s). In the mountains, for example, on Bermamyt, there are strong winds - more than 15 m / s.
The best time of the year for recreation and travel in the Caucasian Mineral Waters is late summer and autumn. It is sunny, dry, rich in fruits and bright colors of landscapes.

Natural resources

Min. waters of various composition, on the basis of which the so-called North Caucasian recreational and medical region arose.

In terms of the composition and quality of its climatic and balneological resources, concentrated on a relatively compact territory, in terms of the richness and diversity of mineral springs, the resort region of Russia - KavMinVody - have no analogues on the entire Euro-Asian continent, and indeed in the world; in terms of chemical richness and diversity, quality and healing properties, the mineral water springs are extremely diverse and have no equal. The origin, formation and properties of mineral waters are associated with the Pyatigorsk laccoliths and the highland regions of the North Caucasus, where groundwater is formed. Atmospheric precipitation falling in the mountains, as well as melt waters, penetrate into the rock masses to great depths, mineralize, heat up, become saturated with gases and come to the surface through cracks in river valleys. In terms of chemical composition and use for the treatment of water, for the most part, they are low- and medium-mineralized with a salt content of 2 to 15 g / l. The highest mineralization at the Batalinsky and Lysogorsky springs is 21 g/l.
In a small area (546.5 thousand hectares), unique hydro-mineral wealth is concentrated, a wonderful bouquet of healing mineral waters with approved operational reserves of 15.6 thousand cubic meters per day. According to the data for 2001, 2.2 thousand m³ is extracted and used per day. At the same time, 1.5 thousand m 3 /day (68%) of them went to drinking and balneological treatment, and 0.7 thousand m 3 /day (32%) - to industrial bottling of medicinal and medicinal table waters.
Within the district of the mining and sanitary protection there are 24 deposits and sites. Conventionally, several separate deposits can be distinguished: Kislovodskoye, Essentuki, Pyatigorskoye, Beshtaugorskoye, Inozemtsevskoye, Zheleznovodskoye, Zmeykinskoye, Lysogorskoye, Krasno-Vostochnoye, Kumagorskoye, Nagutskaya resort area, etc. Of the total approved reserves in category A + B, 13,706 are concentrated within the Stavropol Territory .8 m³ per day, within the borders of the Karachay-Cherkess Republic - 1910.0 m³ per day (13.9%). In addition, prospective reserves (categories C 1 +C 2 +P) amount to 7629.9 m 3 per day. Of the 5 hydrochemical provinces of underground mineral waters, 3 turned out to be characteristic of our region: the provinces of carbonic (at the Mashukogorsk deposit in Pyatigorsk, for example, these are the 1st, 2nd and 4th Pyatigorsk types), radon waters (3rd type) , and nitrogen and nitrogen-methane waters (5th Pyatigorsk type).
At the same time, Pyatigorsk is called the MinWater Museum for the exceptional variety of mineral springs concentrated in a small area around Mount Mashuk. These are the famous hot hydrogen sulfide waters, carbonic waters (Pyatigorsk Narzans), radon waters, mineral waters of the Essentuki type (fourth Pyatigorsk type), nitrogen-methane waters. The unique salt-alkaline waters of the Essentuki resort (Essentuki-4, Essentuki-17) are famous all over the world for their healing properties. The dolomitic, sulfate and simple Narzany of Kislovodsk are widely known. Invaluable for the treatment of a large number of diseases are carbonic sulfate-carbonate calcium-sodium (Smirnovskaya and Slavyanovskaya waters), as well as bitter-salty waters of the Batalinsky and Lysogorsky springs. Almost the entire spectrum of human diseases can be treated at Caucasian Mineralnye Vody.

More than 50 enterprises and specialized workshops are engaged in industrial bottling of mineral waters in a specially protected eco-resort region. In 2001, 200,642.6 thousand liters of mineral water were produced and sold. Thanks to this, the healing properties of our waters are well known in all regions of the country and abroad.

The unique wealth of the Caucasian Mineral Waters is the healing brine and mud of the Tambukan [near the border of the region and Kabardino-Balkaria] and Lysogorsk mineral lakes. The Tambukan lake is fed mainly by rain and melt water, and since it is located in the arid steppe zone, it undergoes cyclical changes in the water surface. The area of ​​the water surface is about 180 (230) ha, the depth is from 1.5 to 3.1 m. The water of the lake is a brine of sulfate-chloride sodium-magnesium composition (mineralization 50-60 g/l). The total operational reserves of the most valuable black and dark gray mud are 1600 thousand cubic meters. m. (reserves of silt mud (contains 0.4% hydrogen sulfide) in the lake are estimated at 2.3 million tons). The mud is used in the resort facilities of the KavMinVod (most widely - in Pyatigorsk and Essentuki; in Zheleznovodsk, brine and mud of the Lysogorsky [Inozemtsevsky] lakes are equally exploited; in Kumagorsk, sulfide-silt mud used for mud therapy is extracted from a small salt lake located on the territory resort), as well as sanatorium-resort institutions of Dolinsk (Nalchik), Sernovodsk and North Ossetia. Therapeutic mud is also sent to health-improving institutions in Moscow, Rostov, Volgograd, Sochi.
In addition, a therapeutic (so-called biostimulating) drug [of the FiBS type, peloidin] is obtained from the mud, which retains its healing properties and can be used in non-resort conditions.

Caucasian-Mineralnye Vody agglomeration

The core of the Caucasian Mineralnye Vody region is the Caucasian-Mineralnye Vody polycentric urban agglomeration, uniting the cities of Kislovodsk, Essentuki, Pyatigorsk, Zheleznovodsk, Lermontov, Mineralnye Vody. The Kavkazsko-Mineralovodskaya agglomeration has 946,000 (2010 census) (only in the territory of the Stavropol Territory, including the urban (658,000) and rural population (288,000) of the Predgorny, Georgievsky and Mineralovodsky districts), surpassing the Stavropol one in size, and is the largest in the Stavropol Territory and the North Caucasus Federal District. The transport and economic center of the agglomeration is the city of Mineralnye Vody. The largest city of the Pyatigorsk agglomeration is the center of the North Caucasian Federal District formed in 2010.

The administrative center of the specially protected ecological resort region Caucasian Mineralnye Vody is located in Essentuki.

Caucasian Mineralnye Vody is one of the most densely populated areas of the North Caucasus; the average population density exceeds 150 people per 1 km2.

Peculiarities

Caucasian Mineralnye Vody is the largest and one of the oldest resort regions in the Russian Federation. Over 130 mineral springs and large reserves of silt mud from Lake Tambukan (and Lake Lysogorskoye) make KMV a unique balneological resort. The CMS region is distinguished by picturesque natural landscapes, a mountainous salubrious climate and is famous for its sanatorium-resort complex enterprises in Russia. Their main specialization is the provision of medical and health services, treatment with world-famous waters and mineral mud. Also, land plots located on the territory of the CMS (within the boundaries of the districts of sanitary (mountain-sanitary) protection of the CMS resort) by virtue of the law are lands of specially protected natural areas. The fact of referring land plots to the number of lands of specially protected natural areas (land resorts) means that it is impossible to provide it to the property of the company in connection with its classification as land plots with limited circulation (subparagraph 1 of paragraph 5 of Article 27 of the Land Code of the Russian Federation, paragraph 8 of Article 28 of the Law about privatization)

see also

• Resorts of Caucasian Mineral Waters:

Notes

Literature

• A. M. Prokhorov (editor-in-chief) Caucasian Mineral Waters //

Kavminvody - the name speaks for itself. Famous resort places, the all-Russian balneo-climatic resort Caucasian Mineralnye Vody are four cities with their own characteristic features, cozy and attractive.

The healing power of the local mineral springs has long been known to the local population. Legends also tell about this, where the truth is intricately intertwined with poetic fiction. An echo of such a legend is contained in the name of one of the popular local mineral waters - narzan. This word can be translated into Russian as "heroic drink", "water of heroes". Narzan was considered a source of strength for a tribe that once supposedly lived in the North Caucasus - the Narts.

The first historical information about the "hot waters" of Pyatigorye dates back to the 14th century and belongs to Arab traveler Ibn Batuta. Scientific interest in them was shown by Peter I, who sent an expedition to study. However, the information received was soon forgotten. Interest in them revived again at the end of the 18th century, when the first Russian settlement appeared in these places - the Constantinogorsk fortress, built near Mount Mashuk in 1780.

The date of birth of the resort is considered to be 1803, when the state significance of the Caucasian mineral waters was recognized and the study of their medicinal properties began. Settlements spring up near the springs. The first such settlement was Goryachevodsk at the foot of Mashuk. In 1830, it was renamed Pyatigorsk - after the name of the nearby five-domed mountain Beshtau. Then there were Kislovodsk, Essentuki, Zheleznovodsk.

The poetic discovery of the Caucasus belongs to the great Pushkin. The first time he saw the Caucasus was on the waters, where in 1820 he arrived with the Raevskys, heading into exile. And this meeting left an indelible mark on Pushkin's poetry. He himself wrote about this in a dedication to N. Raevsky to the poem "Prisoner of the Caucasus":

Caucasus...
Where is the cloudy Beshtau, the majestic hermit,
Auls and fields ruler five-headed,
Parnassus was new to me.

There have been many outstanding people on the waters. Such great names are associated with the Caucasian Mineral Waters, such as: Odoevsky A.I., Ogarev N.P., Glinka M.I., Rakhmaninov S.V., Balakirev M.A., S.I. Taneev, L.V. .Sobinov, Chaliapin F.I., Gorky A.M., Mayakovsky V.V., Yesenin S.A., Repin I.E., Yaroshenko N.A., Tolstoy L.N. But a special place among them belongs to M.Yu. Lermontov.

Lermontov was on the waters several times, first as a child, then during his exile to the Caucasus in the army. He knew the Caucasus perfectly, knew the society that gathered on the waters. The novel "Princess Mary" was written based on the impressions of life on the waters. It has full recognition of cities and their environs, characters and types. A gifted painter, Lermontov was also one of the first to create a romantic landscape of the Caucasus. In Pyatigorsk, in the 27th year, Lermontov's life was cut short, he was killed in a duel. A memorial to M. Lermontov was created at the resorts. And in the center of Pyatigorsk, a monument to M. Lermontov was erected in 1889, created by the sculptor A. Opekushin with funds raised by subscription.

Today Caucasian Mineralnye Vody is a recognized balneological resort. At least a million people are treated and rested here every year. The main wealth of the resort is its mineral springs, unique in their diversity and healing properties, supplemented by deposits of therapeutic mud. Treatment at the resort is carried out strictly on a scientific basis. Each of the resort towns, depending on the composition of the springs and the microclimate, specializes in the treatment of various diseases. And all together they bring people health and joy. In the cities of Caucasian Mineral Waters, health resorts have been created with high level services, much is done here for the convenience of those who come to be treated and just relax.

Caucasian Mineralnye Vody (Kavminvody, KMV) is a group of resorts of federal significance in the Stavropol Territory, which includes the resort towns of Zheleznovodsk, Essentuki, Kislovodsk, Pyatigorsk, and of course, the city of Mineralnye Vody itself. KMV is a specially protected ecological resort region of the Russian Federation. The region is located in the south of the European part of Russia, almost at the same distance from the Black and Caspian Seas.

In terms of the variety of mineral waters, the region of the Caucasian Mineral Waters has no equal not only in Russia, but throughout the world. Over 130 sources of mineral waters of 30 types have been identified on the territory of the Caucasian Mineral Waters. By Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of January 17, 2006 No. 14, the cities of Essentuki, Zheleznovodsk, Kislovodsk and Pyatigorsk were given the status of resort cities of federal significance. Every year more than 700 thousand people are treated and have a rest at the resorts of the Caucasian Mineral Waters.

City of Mineralnye Vody

The city of Mineralnye Vody is a small cozy town in the Stavropol Territory. Despite the name, there are no healing springs in the very administrative center of the Mineralnye Vody District, all of them are located in neighboring Zheleznovodsk, Lermontov, Pyatigorsk, Essentuki and Kislovodsk. The city serves as a kind of gate that annually passes hundreds of thousands of tourists to the resorts of the Caucasian Mineral Waters. It is here that the largest transport hub of the region is located - international Airport, railway interchange and federal highway.

The climate of the city is relatively dry, moist air masses from the Black Sea do not reach here, they are delayed by the Main Caucasian Range. The city of Mineralnye Vody is located mainly in the steppe zone. One of the most interesting natural sights is the magmatic mountain Zmeyka. It attracts tourists not only with beautiful mountain landscapes and unique flora and fauna. On the slopes there are several holy springs and monuments of the Great Patriotic War, as well as adits and quarries. Often you can meet outdoor enthusiasts with climbing equipment. In Mineralnye Vody there are several temples and cathedrals that will be of interest to believers and those who want to get acquainted with the history, culture and architecture of the city. The main religious attraction is the Cathedral of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos. Among its shrines are the relics of St. Theodosius of the Caucasus, the patron saint of these places.

Kislovodsk

Do you want to get into the "city of 365 sunny days a year"? Then go to Kislovodsk. It is an amazingly sunny city surrounded by picturesque slopes. Caucasus mountains that protect it from strong winds. Here is the famous source of acidic mineral water "Narzan". Hence the "sour" name of the city - Kislovodsk. It is worth coming to Kislovodsk just for the sake of one resort park! This is not just a park, this is a whole amazing planet with beautiful rocks, seething waterfalls, green meadows and countless all kinds of plants and animals. The uniqueness of Kislovodsk is not only in healing mineral springs and beautiful park areas.

At one time, the most talented people who glorified our country rested and worked here: Pushkin, Lermontov, Tolstoy, Chekhov, Mayakovsky, Gorky, Chaliapin, Rimsky-Korsakov, Glinka, Rachmaninov and others. Perhaps that is why the culture here is developed no worse than in the same St. Petersburg.

Ring Mountain is a favorite place for tourists. It got its name due to the hole that was formed in it by the winds. A magnificent panorama of Kislovodsk opens from the mountain. No less popular are the Honey Waterfalls in the Alikonovsky Gorge. The waterfalls got such a delicious name thanks to honey plants that bloom all summer in this valley. And the old-timers say that the main contribution to the sweet name of the waterfalls was made by hardworking bees, who opened their “factory” for the production of honey right in the mountain crevices. In Kislovodsk is the famous Lermontov rock. At its top there is a platform that ends with a steep cliff. It was this site that was the site of Pechorin's duel with Grushnitsky in the famous "Hero of Our Time". I believe you have no doubts and you will certainly visit this wonderful city!

Pyatigorsk

Most Big City- a resort of the Caucasus Mineralnye Vody region - Pyatigorsk. It was founded after the signing of the famous rescript by Alexander I in 1803. Pyatigorsk lies at the foot of Mount Mashuk at an altitude of 520 meters above sea level. The city is the oldest Russian balneological resort. The emergence of the city of Pyatigorsk is a kind of commercial project. From year to year, high society traveled "to the waters" abroad, taking away a lot of money from the country. As soon as the Caucasian sources were recognized as curative, it was decided to establish a balneological resort on Russian territory, and this project was successfully implemented.

The best way to travel around Pyatigorsk is by tram. Not for the sake of economy, of course, but because the Pyatigorsk tram is an attraction in itself! This is the first electric tram on the territory of modern Russia. Pyatigorsk is a storehouse of sights that will not leave you indifferent.

One of them is Lermontov's House. This is not even one house, it is a whole block of old, early 19th century buildings, “mothballed” in time and perfectly preserved to this day. Looking at them, one can imagine what Pyatigorsk looked like almost 200 years ago. In one of these same houses under a thatched roof, in the estate of Major Chilaev, Mikhail Lermontov settled in 1841. In fact, the poet lived in the "Lermontov's house" for only two months - the last in his life. You can honor the memory of the poet by visiting the place of his duel, located on the opposite slope of Mashuk. The monument to Lermontov was entirely raised with public money - they were collected by subscription for several years. The next attraction is the Aeolian Harp gazebo. This is an antique-style stone gazebo on a steep, rocky ledge of Mashuk. At all times, observation posts of troops were located on this site, since the approaches to Pyatigorsk are clearly visible from here. Its builders were the architects brothers Giuseppe and Giovanni Bernardazzi.

The location turned out to be so successful, and the views of the city and its environs opening from it are so charming that this modest-sized gazebo constantly attracted a lot of visitors. The gazebo is named after the ancient Greek god Eol, the lord of the winds. Another outstanding place is the building of the Pirogov baths hospital, which was built in 1914 on the site of a wooden barrack soldier's hospital. The outstanding Russian surgeon Nikolai Pirogov demonstrated to the doctors of the Caucasian Corps the method of using ether anesthesia for pain relief during surgery in the field. It was in the Caucasus that, for the first time in the history of medicine, Nikolai Pirogov began to operate on the wounded with ether anesthesia in the field. The hospital changed its name three times. In Pyatigorsk, there are still a huge number of places worth visiting. I hope you find it interesting and you will definitely want to see them for yourself.

Essentuki

In the steppe valley of the Podkumok River, the world-famous balneological resort of Essentuki is located. This is the youngest among the resorts of the Caucasian Mineral Waters. Nature has generously endowed this land with amazing healing sources of mineral water, which cure diseases of the digestive system, endocrine system, gynecological diseases, diseases of the nervous system, organs of the musculoskeletal system. Thousands of people come here to improve their health and enjoy the beauties of this land. The waters of the healing salt-alkaline springs "Essentuki-4" and "Essentuki-17" are used for drinking treatment, baths, inhalations, irrigation. Here they also improve their health with the help of sulfide silt mud of the Tambukan Lake.

Among the most beautiful buildings in the city are the Upper Mineral Baths, made in the Russian Empire style with baroque elements. The building of the mud bath is also a real monument of architecture. It is decorated with massive columns, sculptures of ancient gods of healing and lions, beautiful bas-reliefs. Inside the mud bath is spacious, light, as well as many decorations and mythological sculptures.

The building of mechanotherapy, and now the Zander Institute, is more than a century old. A beautiful, light, elegant brown-pink structure with small turrets and domes on the roof, with wooden carvings and a huge vase above the main entrance - just a real fairy-tale tower. Another interesting place in Essentuki is the three-story former dacha of I. G. Zimin in the Art Nouveau style. Turrets of 2 and 4 floors adjoin its facade. Many windows of various sizes and a warm light yellow color give the massive structure a very welcoming look.

You can also see the dacha-museum of the famous surgeon Razumovsky, the estate of the itinerant artist Nikolai Yaroshenko and the dacha of Fyodor Chaliapin. As you can see, you won't be bored here! On this amazing friendly land, you can perfectly improve your health, recharge your batteries with vigor, energy and new impressions, as well as just relax in the greenery and flowers of the most wonderful parks.

Zheleznovodsk

Zheleznovodsk is the smallest of the listed resorts. There is no other reason to belittle his dignity. On the contrary, Zheleznovodsk is unique in many respects, as it is a well-known balneological resort of the Caucasian Mineral Waters, located at the foot of Zheleznaya Mountain, at an altitude of 570-650 m above sea level, in the valley of the small rivers Dzheymuk and Kuchuk. On the territory of the resort there are over 20 carbonic sulfate-hydrocarbonate calcium-sodium mineral springs (Slavyanovsky, Smirnovsky), actively used in the treatment of diseases associated with the digestive and genitourinary systems.

Zheleznovodsk is an ideal resort for those who suffer from diseases of the kidneys and urinary tract; this is the specialization of the resort - the main profile of treatment. More precisely, one of them. The main profiles of treatment at the Zheleznovodsk resort include urological diseases and diseases of the nervous system. Related profiles - diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, metabolic disorders, ENT diseases, gynecological, pulmonological and dermatological. In addition, in Zheleznovodsk there are several sanatoriums where they undertake to treat diabetes, but - pay attention! - only at an early stage, when sugar-lowering drugs are not yet needed.

Treat in Zheleznovodsk, of course, mineral water. It is used for oral administration, inhalation, baths and other water procedures. Local waters are also bottled - they are produced under the brands "Smirnovskaya" and "Slavyanovskaya", according to the names of the sources. These mineral waters are very popular and even exported, only few people know that they are bottled in Zheleznovodsk. The Smirnovsky spring is named after Dr. Semyon Alekseevich Smirnov, chairman of the Russian Balneological Society: he cleared this spring, long known to the locals, and studied its properties. Now a rather large pump-room has been erected over the Smirnovsky spring. The Slavyanovsky spring bears the name of its discoverer, the outstanding hydrologist and mining engineer Nikolai Nikolaevich Slavyanov. Above Slavyanovsky there is also a pump-room in the classical style.

The oldest source of Zheleznovodsk is Lermontovsky. It was opened in 1810 by Dr. Fyodor Petrovich Gaaz, and the history of the city began from this event. Lermontov really came to this source, which was still practically not equipped. As for Dr. Gaaz, Zheleznovodsk owes him not just "a lot" - there would be no resort without Haaz.

Zheleznovodsk also owes its name, not very romantic and resort, to Gaaz, or rather, to one of his delusions. The reddish-rusty sediment that the doctor noticed around the springs was attributed to the presence of a high concentration of iron in the water. In fact, this is a mistake, and there is relatively little iron here. But the name stuck, and the cute resort town with unique “healing factors” remained with a name that evokes thoughts more about a mine in the Urals than about rest and treatment. Not only the waters and the city became iron, but also the mountain on the slopes of which Zheleznovodsk stands.

It is here that the only forest park of natural origin in the Caucasian Mineral Waters is located, in which plants of the steppe, forest and subalpine belts grow. The climate in Zheleznovodsk is mountain-steppe, moderately dry. Clean ionized air and dense oak-hornbeam and beech forests protect this resort from the exhausting summer heat. There are many active and sightseeing routes that introduce you to the unique sights of the Caucasus.