Monastery in Ninotsminda. Monastery in Ninotsminda What kind of UV radiation from the Sun occurs

Monastery in Ninotsminda(English: Ninotsminda Monastery) are located on the road to Kakheti, 50 km from Tbilisi. This place cannot be perceived as ruins in the literal sense of the word. The two walls remaining from the temple still retain fragments of the original church painting under the ceiling vaults, in the place where the altar was previously located. And along the perimeter, the cathedral in Ninotsminda is surrounded by a strong and high stone wall with defensive towers, which are still capable of repelling a sudden enemy.

A little history and legends

Ninotsminda Cathedral was built in the 6th century AD. and is one of the three most ancient temples in Georgia, is the second built in the form of a tetraconch and the direct ancestor of the Jvari temple.

Throughout its history, the main building radically changed its appearance several times. This was not always for the good, because it was the ill-considered nature of some of the restructuring that led to its destruction.

It is believed that the beginning of construction of the cathedral dates back to 575, shortly after its predecessor Gavazi was erected and, shortly before the laying of the first stone in the wall of the well-known temple in Jvari.

In the 16th century, the inside of the walls was painted with frescoes, which have partially survived to this day, and a chapel was erected next door.

In 1750, the then Georgian bishop Saava Tusishvili decided to rebuild the dome, which greatly transformed the appearance of the temple, but King Irakli II did not like it. And for good reason. The dome turned out to be too large and heavy, and could not survive the earthquake that occurred in 1824. This was the beginning of the end and led to the almost complete destruction of the cathedral in 1848. After these gloomy events, only that part survived that we can observe today - the eastern wall and the altar part of the structure, opposite which, in the 19th century, a nondescript, but well-built a preserved brick church, which is closed to idle tourists.

What can you see there?

The entire large territory of the complex is fenced with a massive stone wall, which once served as reliable protection for the bishop located inside. It is very well preserved and truly inspires respect. If you don’t know what’s inside, the vast majority of tourists will think it’s a castle.

Inside, a green lawn interspersed with small flower beds and trees awaits you. The central place is occupied by the ruins of the cathedral, where you can walk freely and examine the preserved frescoes, ornaments and inscriptions in Greek and Asomtavruli. If you take a closer look at the material from which the walls are made, it will become obvious that each time, starting another reconstruction, a new architect brought his mark in the form of shell rock, brick, sandstone or stones.

Along one of the walls lie tombstones, the age of which is lost in the corridors of time. On some of them you can still read the carved dates of life and death of buried people, but there are those on which the stone has succumbed to the onslaught of time and has practically erased any mention of long-dead people.

The three-story bell tower contains 3 living rooms - one on each floor. Each has a fireplace and tiny loophole windows - this is explained by the fact that the bell tower also combined the function of a watchtower.

The Bishop's Palace was built in 1774-1777 by order of the same Saava Tusishvili. The building is only 2 floors high and looks very modest for such a high-profile title. You can go there only with permission, but it will be extremely difficult to get it, given that there is now a functioning convent there.

My tourist review

We do not regret visiting Ninotsminda, the place is very quiet and peaceful. There are no crowds of tourists roaming around there, which prevent you from taking a beautiful photo, and it’s only 800-900 meters from the road. A very beautiful and well-groomed area, which is looked after by the local nuns. Everything is very neat and decent, there is no feeling that you are superfluous here, no one will look at you sideways, whisper behind your back or force the girl to put a headscarf on her head. It takes 20-30 minutes to explore this attraction, but you can relax on the lawn and stay longer. After visiting, I had a certain association with the Gonio fortress, and so, this place is many times more interesting.

Helpful information

1. GPS coordinates for Navitel: N 41°44"11", E 45°17"52"
2. Coordinates for YandexMaps and Google Maps: 41.736464, 45.297753
3. The entrance is free.
4. Opening hours are not specified as such, so plan your visit somewhere between 10:00 and 18:00.

How to get there

If you are planning to go on an organized tour of Kakheti, then most of them include a visit to the convent in Ninotsminda. Kakheti is the most popular excursion destination from Tbilisi, and most tourists, even having their own car at hand, try to get to the homeland of Georgian winemaking as part of an excursion group, because everyone wants to try different types of wines, chacha, cheeses and shish kebab at a tasting, as well as see the Alazani Valley in all its glory.

In the case of an independent trip by car, it is better to combine this event, for example, with an excursion to the city of Sighnaghi (Sighnaghi) and the Bodbe Monastery. If you drive from the capital of Georgia, you will have to travel about 50 km, which will take about 50-60 minutes. The temple is located on the left hand side of the road and will not be visible from the highway, so use a GPS navigator or ask the locals.

From Tbilisi you can take a minibus that goes to Sagarejo or Ninotsminda from the bus station, near the Samgori metro station. A ticket costs several lari - around $2.

Armenians, Georgians,

Municipality of Ninotsminda (ნინოწმინდა ) is one of the most non-Georgian districts in Georgia. Almost entirely populated by Armenians, there are about a percent of Georgians there. The atmosphere of the area is that of the highlands. Almost everywhere here is above 2000 meters, there is little vegetation, and also people. It's cool and ascetic here. It's even too cold in winter. Naturally, there are several high-altitude lakes: Lake Paravani, which they want to turn into a resort, Lake Sagamo, Lake Madatapa and Lake Khanchali. Beyond Paravani are the conical peaks of extinct volcanoes.

It is interesting that the entire eastern border of the area is gentle, level, but completely roadless heights. One of the most deserted places in Georgia. At the beginning of the 19th century, the border with Turkey passed here.

Ninotsminda is Georgian Tibet. The landscapes here are approximately the same as in Qinghai, China. The same cold mountains, evoking thoughts of the other world. Except that there are no monasteries left here. There is a women's one and a men's one next to it, but they are still modern.

One good road passes through the area (Akhalkalaki-Ninotsminda-Tsalka), the asphalt is good, but the traffic is rather weak. Hitchhiking here may not be fast.

In Soviet times, the entire area was a border zone; people were allowed in only with passes. Traces of that era can still be found in the area from time to time.

Doukhobors

In the area south of the regional center of Ninotsminda, Russian Doukhobors once settled densely. Now there are the villages of Spasovka, Orlovka, Gorelovka and Efremovka. It was here that on June 29, 1895, the most famous “Burning of Weapons” in the history of the Doukhobors took place: the Doukhobors piled up all the guns they had and burned them as a sign of protest against conscription into the Russian army. This led to the “Dukhobor pogrom” and the expulsion of many residents. This incident is considered the first pacifist action in history. The burning site is located slightly south of the village of Orlovka.

Megaliths

From the historical point of view, it is very worth paying attention to the megalithic fortress of Abuli, which I consider one of the most interesting objects in the country. Another one - the Shaori fortress - is located a little to the east. The area falls within the belt of Transcaucasian megaliths, menhirs and cairns. Not all of them have yet been studied by science.

By area

(ნინოწმინდა) - regional center, a small Armenian town, actually on one street (Agmashenebeli St., former Lenin). The Internet, shops and, it seems, even a food shop have been spotted. No cultural monuments were noticed.

Akhali-Khulgumo(ახალი ხულგუმო) - it’s just Hulgumo. A small Armenian village 3 kilometers from the Tsalka-Akhalkalaki highway, on the shore of Lake Paravani. It is located close to Tambovka so that both villages actually merge into one. There are no temples, no shops either.

Abuli Fortress- an amazing place, completely incomprehensible and mysterious. Built at an altitude of 2500 meters. from here it’s 4-5 kilometers to the nearest housing, almost desert. Several towers and walls have survived. It is now considered a megalithic monument from the Bronze Age, but this is all very speculative.

Gandzani(განძანი) - an Armenian village on the main highway. The Armenians call him Gandzan. 20 kilometers from Ninotsminda. In my opinion, it is from this village that it is worth starting a walk on foot to the Abuli fortress. To do this, you need to go to the northwest, focusing on Mount Small Abuli. Gandzani lies at an altitude of approximately 2100 from sea level, Abuli - 2799, a total of visually 700 meters in height. The landmark is good. The village is alpine, cool, a kind of Georgian Tibet. there are several temples and a stone bridge. And the air is very clean.

Zhdanovi(ჟდანოვ) is a small Armenian village near Lake Madatapa, 3 kilometers from the Armenian border. The last village on the way to Armenia. It is famous for the fact that to the north of the village, near the highway itself, there is a large cairn - a pile of several large stones of an unknown era.

Orlovka(ორლოვკა) is a Russian Doukhobor village 4.5 kilometers from Ninotsminda and 15 kilometers from the Armenian border. It is interesting to see several Doukhobor cemeteries. If you walk south along the road for 3 kilometers, then about 800 meters on the left you will see the most famous place in the history of world pacifism, the “burning of weapons” in 1895.

(ფარავანი, Armenian: Փարվան) is a high-mountain lake on the northern side of the Ninotsminda-Tbilisi highway. It was located at an altitude of 2000 meters from sea level. A cool, usually grayish lake with flat shores, on the shores of which there are two small villages - Tambovka and Khulgumo. The shore is mostly rocky, occasionally sandy. The route offers a beautiful view of the peaks of extinct volcanoes beyond the lakes and, in particular, of the conical Mount Koroglu, on top of which is the megalithic Shaori fortress. It is believed that Saint Nina passed by Paravani on her way from Armenia towards the Borjomi Gorge.

Bye(ფოკა) is a small Armenian village on the main highway, at the southern tip of Lake Paravani. It is valuable because in the village there is a women’s church, which was allegedly founded by St. Nina. Subsequently it was severely destroyed, then restored, and is currently in operation. To the east of the village there is another monastery, for men. On June 1 of every year, the feast of St. Nina is held here with a religious procession from the lake towards Ninotsminda.

Sagamo- a small village near Lake Sagamo.

The capital of the municipality of the same name and one of the most “non-Georgian” cities, located in the province of Samtskhe-Javakheti, in the south of the country. Until the early 1980s. it was a small village founded by immigrants from the CIS countries and called Bogdanovka. In 1983, Bogdanovka was proclaimed a city, and received its modern name Ninotsminda only in 1991.

The population of Ninotsminda is about 6,500 inhabitants, most of whom are Armenians, since the town lies almost on the border with Armenia. This is the last opportunity to spend the remaining lari and refuel with inexpensive Georgian gasoline. A large railway line runs near the city, and in Ninotsminda itself there is a small railway station from where you can get to Akhaltsikhe. For several years, the construction of new railway lines Tbilisi-Ninotsminda and Kars-Baku has been underway.

Almost the entire Ninotsminda region is a high mountainous area, reminiscent of China's Qinghai. This is one of the most sparsely populated municipalities in Georgia - there is little vegetation and fields for farming. The climate is alpine, characterized by cold winters and rather cool summers, the average temperature in August is + 13C.

Near the city of Ninotsminda are the villages of Spasovka, Orlovka, Efremovka and Gorelovka, founded by Russian Doukhobors. It was in this place that the famous “Burning of Weapons” took place in the summer of 1895 - the Doukhobors collected all the weapons they had into one pile and set them on fire as a sign of protest against conscription into the Russian army.

Agmashenebeli (formerly Lenin) Street runs through the entire city, along which there are several shops and restaurants. Sellers in stores and waiters in cafes speak three languages: Armenian, Georgian and Russian. In addition, in Ninotsminda there is a Youth Palace, a Museum of Military Glory, a cinema and the Ninotsminda Theater, where performances of the local folk dance ensemble “moli” are regularly held.

The main attraction of the region is the Abulia Fortress - one of the most mysterious places in Georgia. It rises at an altitude of 2500 meters above sea level and is a striking example of a megalithic fortress built during the Bronze Age. The towers and walls of the fort are made of simple flat stones without the use of any mortar.

The most beautiful place in the Ninotsminda municipality is considered to be the high-mountain Lake Paravani, located at an altitude of 2000 meters against the backdrop of the conical peaks of extinct volcanoes. Local authorities want to establish a resort near the lake, although construction work has not yet begun. According to legend, St. Nina passed by Lake Paravani from Armenia to the Borjomi Gorge. Behind the lake, on the top of Mount Koroglu, there is another megalithic fortress of Shaori - an interesting place to explore.

The sun is the source of life on the planet. Its rays provide the necessary light and warmth. At the same time, ultraviolet radiation from the Sun is destructive to all living things. To find a compromise between the beneficial and harmful properties of the Sun, meteorologists calculate the ultraviolet radiation index, which characterizes the degree of its danger.

What kind of UV radiation from the sun is there?

Ultraviolet radiation from the Sun has a wide range and is divided into three regions, two of which reach the Earth.

• UVA. Long-wave radiation range
  315–400 nm

  The rays pass almost freely through all atmospheric “barriers” and reach the Earth.

• UV-B. Medium wave range radiation
  280–315 nm

  The rays are 90% absorbed by the ozone layer, carbon dioxide and water vapor.

• UV-C. Shortwave range radiation
  100–280 nm

  The most dangerous area. They are completely absorbed by stratospheric ozone without reaching the Earth.

The more ozone, clouds and aerosols in the atmosphere, the less the harmful effects of the Sun. However, these life-saving factors have a high natural variability. The annual maximum of stratospheric ozone occurs in spring, and the minimum in autumn. Cloudiness is one of the most variable characteristics of weather. The carbon dioxide content also changes all the time.

At what UV index values ​​is there a danger?

The UV index provides an estimate of the amount of UV radiation from the Sun at the Earth's surface. UV index values ​​range from a safe 0 to an extreme 11+.

• 0–2 Low
• 3–5 Moderate
• 6–7 High
• 8–10 Very high
• 11+ Extreme

In mid-latitudes, the UV index approaches unsafe values ​​(6–7) only at the maximum height of the Sun above the horizon (occurs in late June - early July). At the equator, the UV index reaches 9...11+ points throughout the year.

What are the benefits of the sun?

In small doses, UV radiation from the Sun is simply necessary. The sun's rays synthesize melanin, serotonin, and vitamin D, which are necessary for our health, and prevent rickets.

Melanin creates a kind of protective barrier for skin cells from the harmful effects of the Sun. Because of it, our skin darkens and becomes more elastic.

The hormone of happiness serotonin affects our well-being: it improves mood and increases overall vitality.

Vitamin D strengthens the immune system, stabilizes blood pressure and performs anti-rickets functions.

Why is the sun dangerous?

When sunbathing, it is important to understand that the line between the beneficial and harmful Sun is very thin. Excessive tanning always borders on a burn. Ultraviolet radiation damages DNA in skin cells.

The body's defense system cannot cope with such aggressive influence. It lowers immunity, damages the retina, causes skin aging and can lead to cancer.

Ultraviolet light destroys the DNA chain

How the Sun affects people

Sensitivity to UV radiation depends on skin type. People of the European race are the most sensitive to the Sun - for them, protection is required already at index 3, and 6 is considered dangerous.

At the same time, for Indonesians and African Americans this threshold is 6 and 8, respectively.

Who is most influenced by the Sun?

People with fair hair
skin tone

People with many moles

Residents of mid-latitudes during a holiday in the south

Winter lovers
fishing

Skiers and climbers

People with a family history of skin cancer

In what weather is the sun more dangerous?

It is a common misconception that the sun is dangerous only in hot and clear weather. You can also get sunburned in cool, cloudy weather.

Cloudiness, no matter how dense it may be, does not reduce the amount of ultraviolet radiation to zero. In mid-latitudes, cloudiness significantly reduces the risk of getting sunburned, which cannot be said about traditional beach holiday destinations. For example, in the tropics, if in sunny weather you can get sunburned in 30 minutes, then in cloudy weather - in a couple of hours.

How to protect yourself from the sun

To protect yourself from harmful rays, follow simple rules:

Spend less time in the sun during midday hours

Wear light-colored clothing, including wide-brimmed hats

Use protective creams

Wear sunglasses

Stay in the shade more on the beach

Which sunscreen to choose

Sunscreens vary in their degree of sun protection and are labeled from 2 to 50+. The numbers indicate the proportion of solar radiation that overcomes the protection of the cream and reaches the skin.

For example, when applying a cream labeled 15, only 1/15 (or 7 %) of the ultraviolet rays will penetrate the protective film. In the case of cream 50, only 1/50, or 2 %, affects the skin.

Sunscreen creates a reflective layer on the body. However, it is important to understand that no cream can reflect 100% of ultraviolet radiation.

For everyday use, when the time spent under the Sun does not exceed half an hour, a cream with protection 15 is quite suitable. For tanning on the beach, it is better to take 30 or higher. However, for fair-skinned people it is recommended to use a cream labeled 50+.

How to Apply Sunscreen

The cream should be applied evenly to all exposed skin, including the face, ears and neck. If you plan to sunbathe for a long time, then the cream should be applied twice: 30 minutes before going out and, additionally, before going to the beach.

Please check the cream instructions for the required volume for application.

How to Apply Sunscreen When Swimming

Sunscreen should be applied every time after swimming. Water washes away the protective film and, by reflecting the sun's rays, increases the dose of ultraviolet radiation received. Thus, when swimming, the risk of sunburn increases. However, due to the cooling effect, you may not feel the burn.

Excessive sweating and wiping with a towel are also reasons to re-protect the skin.

It should be remembered that on the beach, even under an umbrella, the shade does not provide complete protection. Sand, water and even grass reflect up to 20% of ultraviolet rays, increasing their impact on the skin.

How to protect your eyes

Sunlight reflected from water, snow or sand can cause painful burns to the retina. To protect your eyes, wear sunglasses with a UV filter.

Danger for skiers and climbers

In the mountains, the atmospheric “filter” is thinner. For every 100 meters of height, the UV index increases by 5 %.

Snow reflects up to 85 % of ultraviolet rays. In addition, up to 80 % of the ultraviolet reflected by the snow cover is reflected again by clouds.

Thus, in the mountains the Sun is most dangerous. It is necessary to protect your face, lower chin and ears even in cloudy weather.

How to deal with sunburn if you get sunburned

Use a damp sponge to moisten the burn.

Apply anti-burn cream to the burned areas

If your temperature rises, consult your doctor; you may be advised to take an antipyretic

If the burn is severe (the skin swells and blisters greatly), seek medical attention