The glorious city of Pyatigorsk stands out among other resort places; it is the precious pearl of the Kavminvod. One of the most majestic and amazing sights of the city is Mount Mashuk in Pyatigorsk.

It is included in the list of mountains in the Caucasian mineral waters region, which were formed as a result of volcanic processes. This article will tell you about all the interesting facts related to Mount Mashuk, which is a natural landscape monument of the city of Pyatigorsk.

Every year the resort town is visited by a huge number of tourists, who, first of all, are attracted by the healing properties of mountain air and mineral waters. It carefully protects and enhances historical and cultural attractions. In a word, there is a lot to admire in Pyatigorsk.

After visiting this city, you should definitely visit the unique attraction Mount Mashuk. How many important historical events are connected with it, and what interesting legends there are about its formation... First, it’s worth retelling interesting and unique legends that reveal the meaning of the name not only of Mount Mashuk, but also of other mountains in the Caucasian mineral waters region.

Legends about Mashuk

In folk art, there are several legends that talk about the history of the origin of the name Mashuka. It’s worth telling the most common and interesting ones.

According to one version, Mount Mashuk got its name from the words “mash”, which means millet, and “ko” - that is, a place for sowing millet. These words are of Kabardian origin. Another version says that this mountain was named after the courageous horseman Mashuko. This legendary story is about how in ancient times there was a clash and bloody struggle in the Kabardian lands.

Suddenly, the Khan of the Golden Horde and his army attacked civilians. They mercilessly robbed and killed civilians. The courageous, strong and fearless Mashuko came to their defense, with hot horseman blood playing in him. He lost his bride, she was killed by the khan's soldiers. And the brave guy wanted to take revenge on the Horde. But the forces were not equal, and Mashuk, not wanting to surrender to the enemy, jumped down the mountain.

Another legend tells a different story about the origin of the name of the mountain. In ancient times, the Karachay Khubiev Mechuka, who was a talented weapons maker, moved to the vicinity of modern Pyatigorsk. Mount Mashuk was named in his honor.

The most interesting and widespread legend is about the love and misfortune of two lovers, the beautiful girl Mashuk and the brave hero Beshtau. In folk art there are several versions of this legendary story. Let's try to convey its main storyline.

Thousands of years ago, when there was a fertile plain on the site of the modern Caucasus Mountains, legendary horsemen lived there. They were engaged in attacking the surrounding villages and mercilessly plundering and ruining them. Their leader was an old warrior named Elbrus. He had a son, Beshtau, a courageous, strong and fearless hero.

His life passed without worries, in daily campaigns and raids, as well as in cheerful feasts with his friends. He was very clever and resourceful. Beshtau perfectly understood the language of animals, and four animals always took part in his endless campaigns:

1. The cunning and silent snake
2. Fearless and strong Ox
3. Hardy and patient Camel
4. King of beasts Leo

Not far from this village, where Elbrus ruled, lived a beautiful girl named Mashuka. Poems and songs were written about her beauty. She loved spring walks and solitude with nature. Her head was always decorated with wild flowers and greenery. Against the backdrop of blooming nature, Mashuka was like a queen of the field. And then one day an incredible event happened. The mighty conqueror, the son of the ruthless Elbrus, fell in love with this beautiful girl.

He could not live a day without her magical eyes and enchanting smile. Mashuka could not resist this courageous, handsome hero. A strong, fiery and all-consuming love began between them. They wanted to get married, and Beshtau immediately asked his father for permission.

The news of the imminent wedding of a young horseman and a beautiful girl spread throughout the Caucasus. This event was celebrated magnificently and cheerfully for three days. But then grief came from where the newlyweds did not expect it at all. The gray-haired lord of the mountains, the father of the hero, fell in love with his son's wife. He desired her for himself, and made a terrible plan to separate the lovers.

Immediately after the wedding festivities, Elbrus called his son and gave instructions to go on a raid on a village where ferocious non-humans lived, who cruelly ate the living. Everyone knew that few people returned alive from there. Young Beshtau did not dare to go against his father’s orders, although he did not want to leave his beloved young wife.

But, he gathered his army and set off on this dangerous campaign. After some time, old Elbrus started rumors about the death of his son and his subjects. He forcibly married the grief-stricken Mashuka, who resisted with all her might, for which the hated husband imprisoned the poor girl in a hut.

But, as it turned out, the young and brave hero did not die, and one late evening he returned to his native place with his army. With him he carried rich booty, which spoke of the success of the campaign and victory. But, before he can get to his home, he learns from his faithful friends about the terrible deeds of his father.

Without thinking twice, the hot horseman rushes to free his beloved from captivity. Creeping up to the rock, he finds her exhausted and crying. Seeing her beloved alive, the beautiful Mashuka immediately comes to life. The poor lovers decide to run away from the ruthless father who separated them. That same night they set off on a long journey, wanting to start a new life. Faithful friends volunteered to accompany them.

In the morning, old Elbrus, having learned about the absence of the beauty, rushes with his army to catch up with the young lovers. Beshtau and Mashuka could not escape; Elbrus’s army overtook them on the site of the modern mountains of Pyatigorsk.

The battle between the troops of father and son raged for a long time. And so, on Mount Mashuk, a bloody duel between father and son took place. It was a very bloody massacre. But the young man could not resist the strength and skills of the old warrior. The father cut his son's head into five pieces, and the young horseman fell dead. Elbrus himself did not survive this fight.

The hero also cut his father's head into two parts. And the young girl Mashuka could not bear this terrible and terrifying loss of her loved one. Bending over him, she pulled a dagger from her beloved’s belt and stuck it straight into her heart.

And the earth shook under them. She could not endure this terrifying battle. From the bloody spectacle, the horsemen warriors turned into huge snowy stones, which today are the mountains of the Caucasian Mineral Waters region and the Caucasus.

And nearby you can see a powerful two-headed woman. So to this day poor Mashuka lies with a wound in her chest, where her hot and innocent blood is still oozing. The beautiful Mashuka turned into a snow-capped mountain with a hole in its very heart.

This is the sad ending this tragic legend has. It describes one of the options for how Mount Mashuk was formed and why it has such a name.

The value of Mount Mashuk as a landscape landmark

Mount Mashuk is a unique place, on the top of which you can admire the glorious city of Pyatigorsk. Archaeological treasures from ancient eras have been found on this mountain at different times. The main attractions of Mashuk include:

• Proval - a cave with an underground natural lake;
• TV tower;
• Rock carving of V.I. Lenin;
• A historical monument on the spot where the famous Russian writer and poet M. Lermontov was killed in a duel, more details in the article “”
• Church of St. Lawrence;
• Majestic sculpture of an eagle;
• Monument to the famous topographer A. Pastukhov;
• On this mountain there are rare zones where permafrost reigns.

Everyone is very surprised by the fact that in a relatively small area of ​​the mountain, sources of mineral and healing waters of five types were discovered. All these varieties of Mashuk waters are used today by sanatoriums in the city of Pyatigorsk for the complex treatment of various chronic diseases.

Also, at the very foot of the mountain, traces of stone mining remain visible, which were left by the first inhabitants of Pyatigorsk while extracting stone for building houses. Several buildings made of white stone can still be seen today on the streets of the city; they are also landmarks of ancient times. Almost centuries-old trees, which the first inhabitants of Pyatigorsk planted to decorate the mountain, have survived to this day.

At the end of the 19th century, people began to understand that Mount Mashuk is a truly valuable landmark that needs to be protected and cherished. At this time, a special nursery was created in which they began to grow a variety of rare plants to decorate and improve the health benefits of those staying at the resort.

Today, this territory contains plants of various species from all over the world, about a thousand unique and medicinal trees, shrubs and flowers.

Mount Mashuk attracts tourists with its architectural monuments. At the beginning of the 10th century, famous figures in the field of architecture and construction built an unusual musical gazebo on a mountain cliff. A musical instrument was installed in its middle, which produced amazingly beautiful sounds.

Unfortunately, the harp has not survived to this day. But, in warm seasons, everyone can visit the musical gazebo and enjoy the music produced by modern audio equipment.

Also, Mount Mashuk is known throughout the world for the fact that at its top there is the tallest television tower, which was built in the middle of the last century. The tower looks especially amazing at night, as hundreds of beams of bright spotlights are directed at it. Its height above sea level reaches 112 meters.

For a long time, this tower has been considered not only a device for transmitting television and radio waves, but also the most delightful and aesthetically beautiful attraction of the Caucasian mineral waters.

Mount Mashuk is also famous for its amazing natural reserve, in the area of ​​which it is located. You can read more in the article - Pyatigorsk underground lake “Proval”. A lake appeared in a cave in the south of the mountain under the influence of natural forces. The failure looks like a triangular well with rare mineral water. Its depth at some points reaches 11 meters.

Back in the middle of the 19th century, thanks to the hard work of builders, the opportunity arose to approach the lake through a tunnel. In ancient times, visitors could not only take a close look at the attraction, but could even swim in this clean and warm lake. Today, tourists can only admire this amazing beauty; swimming in this cave lake is prohibited.

At the top of Mount Mashuk, it is also worth visiting the place where there is a monument to the famous explorer and topographer A. Pastukhov. This is the only person at that time who was able to climb the tops of most of the Caucasus mountains. His last dying wish was the desire to be buried on Mashuk.

Another attraction that cannot be ignored is the majestic sculpture of an eagle holding a snake in its paws. It was installed in 1901 on a hot mountain near the foot of Mashuk, as a symbol of the healing power of nature and springs. The eagle is a prototype of the winner who overcomes the snake, which also symbolizes illness.

How to get to the top of Mount Mashuk?

Today, climbing to the top of the mountain is not a problem. The very first road, laid back in the 19th century, is a footpath. You can still climb the mountain along it today, but you need to take into account that in some places it is slightly damaged.

Later, a wide road was built along which it was possible to quickly reach the top of the mountain by horse-drawn carriage. At the beginning of the last century, a road was built, along which to this day visitors get to the top of the mountain using vehicles or on foot.

The most convenient and popular way to get to the top of Mashuk is the cable car. It was built in the early 70s of the last century. You can get to the highest point of the mountain by cable car in just three minutes. The trailer of this amazing transport can accommodate up to twenty people.

It doesn't matter which way to get there. In any case, there is an opportunity to contemplate all the beauty of natural and historically memorable places. Having reached the very top of Mashuk, you can look from afar at the majestic and beautiful Mount Elbrus, which is located somewhere 148 kilometers from Pyatigorsk.

There is an especially large influx of visitors in warm and clear weather. You can meet very different people here. Someone here is looking for peace of mind in communication with nature, someone decided to simply admire the beautiful views of Pyatigorsk from above, someone is interested in historical sights...

It doesn’t matter for what purpose you are going there, the main thing is that Mount Mashuk is really a place that is worthy of attention; it has never left anyone indifferent.

Having visited the resort town, it is simply impossible not to visit Mount Mashuk, because it is a landscape and historically valuable attraction that conceals a thousand-year history and the secrets of the Caucasian mineral waters.

The history of Pyatigorsk began in 1803, with the signing by Emperor Alexander I of the decree “On recognition of the national significance of the Caucasian Mineral Waters and the need for their construction.” The federal resort of Pyatigorsk opened the history of domestic balneology at the moment when the first balneological center was created here in 1863. The city in the Stavropol Territory is truly a real oasis of health: more than 40 healing springs, a climatic zone with a therapeutic effect, all this is known far beyond the Caucasus. However, like cultural values, events in the life of the city, captured in its architecture, natural monuments, chronicles and legends. Both admirers of the great poet’s talent and simply lovers of beautiful landscapes are drawn to take a stroll through the places glorified in Lermontov’s works. There are also special places here that are worth noting in advance on your personal travel map. Let's talk about the sacred corners of Pyatigorsk in a little more detail.

Mount Mashuk

An iconic place for Pyatigorsk is Mount Mashuk, 994 meters above sea level. From its top there is a panoramic view of the city; in clear weather you can enjoy views of Elbrus and the Main Caucasus Range. Memorable photographs from the top of Mount Mashuk will be a worthy reward from a walk through a beautiful natural site.

Getting to the top of the mountain is not difficult. Fans of hiking can climb to the top via a path; the route will be about 5 kilometers with an elevation gain of just over 200 meters. Or you can use the “lazy”, but so comfortable way - using a cable car. The Pyatigorsk cable car is located at Gagarin Boulevard, 2. The price of a ticket for an adult one way is 210 rubles, round trip is 360 rubles, children under 5 years old are free. Opening hours on weekdays from 10:00 to 19:00, on weekends from 10:00 to 20:00. It wouldn’t hurt to learn the beautiful legends associated with Mount Mashuk and other locallite mountains. You can rent an audio guide at the cable car ticket office.

Lake Proval

Another iconic place for those who once visited Pyatigorsk is a walk to Proval Lake and buying a ticket from Ostap Bender "so that Proval does not fail." Lake water has an amazing blue color and a specific smell, which is explained very simply. Getting an answer about the color of the water, and at the same time the opportunity to admire the underground cave will be a well-deserved bonus for those who get here. The attraction is located at the end of Gagarin Boulevard, you can get to Proval by bus number 1.

Interesting information sounds from the repeaters, which are located at the entrance to the Proval. The horizontal entrance to the cave was cut in 1858, and until that moment, brave and inquisitive citizens were lowered to the lake from above in a special basket. The height of the karst cave is 41 meters, and the natural entrance can be seen at the top if you raise your head. The lake itself and the cave were explored much earlier, this was done by the German scientist Peter Simon Pallas in 1793. Currently, Proval Lake is of a demonstration nature, so access to it is limited by a grate.

Shameless baths

Take a dip in shameless baths, how to buy a ticket from Ostap Bender to the lake, throw a coin into the hat of the unforgettable Kisa Vorobyaninov and go through the "Gate of Love" - ​​in the "list" of mandatory attributes of a walk around Pyatigorsk. This open-air spa is also called folk baths. Since the source of hydrogen sulfide baths has not been officially defined in any way, it is periodically closed. And society periodically returns to "public use" a year-round source of pleasure. Winter bathing in hot baths brings special bliss. But the healing effect that visitors to such baths want to achieve is greatly questioned by the lack of control and prescriptions from doctors. Here, every swimmer is his own doctor and independently regulates the degree of immersion and the time of taking baths.

To be sure of the therapeutic effect of the procedure, it is better to visit the Pirogov baths, located on Gagarin Boulevard, 4. The building was erected in three months in 1914 and originally bore the name of the director of the resort - Tilicheev, after the revolution it was already Provalsky baths, and they became Pirogovsky in the middle of the twentieth century, the renaming was timed to coincide with the 150th anniversary of the birth of the great doctor Nikolai Ivanovich Pirogov. The baths are still in operation today; water for the procedures is taken from the same sulfur spring from which the people’s baths are filled behind the building of the Pirogov Baths.

Gazebo "Eolian Harp"

The gazebo supported by eight white stone columns, located on a high mountain cliff, was built according to the design of the Italian architect Joseph Karlovich Bernardazzi in 1831. For more than 30 years, “wind music” has sounded here due to a special aeolian harp that responds to the movement of air. The gazebo got its name in honor of her. She is mentioned in “Hero of Our Time” by Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov. Today there is a modern musical arrangement, independent of the wind. But the views and beauty from the site where the Aeolian Harp gazebo is located have been preserved in their originality.

Lermontov's Grotto

The theme of Lermontov for Pyatigorsk is the main leitmotif for all excursion programs, walks of citizens and guests of the city. Lermontov fell in love with one of the most beautiful natural grottoes with the name Calypso and ennobled by the creators of the Aeolian Harp pavilion, the Bernardazzi brothers. He liked to retire to contemplate the magnificent views, and who knows, maybe it was here that the scenes from the dramatic poem "Mtsyri" originated?

Park "Flower Garden"

The Tsvetnik park is especially symbolic for the city. From this place, a resort town developed, and the first drinking pump room was opened here. Initially, the park was named in honor of the then reigning Tsar Nikolaevsky. The area landscaped in place of the swamps was planted with flowers, and later with exotic trees. The park has become one of the calling cards of the city; at its entrance, vacationers are greeted by a sculptural image of Kisa Vorobyaninov, who, according to the plot of the comedy, informed park visitors that he had not eaten for 6 days.

Noteworthy is the delicately executed structure of Alexander Gukasov’s coffee shop. The Art Nouveau building was built in 1909, the tradition of the coffee shop has been preserved, and vacationers can still drink coffee today on the second floor at 23 Kirova Avenue.

Lermontov Gallery

A walk through the Tsvetnik park, if you follow its main alley, will lead to an openwork building made of glass and metal. The Lermontov Gallery, a building built at the turn of the century in the Art Nouveau style with Gothic and Romantic elements, today remains a venue for concerts and exhibitions. Officially it has the status of a philharmonic society. It is curious that the ballerina Isadora Duncan danced here in 1923, dedicating her composition to the memory of Lermontov. Within the walls of the Lermontov Gallery the voices of famous opera singers Fyodor Chaliapin and Leonid Sobinov sounded. The great actress Maria Nikolaevna Ermolova performed here.

Grotto of Diana

The grotto in the rock, named after the ancient Greek goddess Diana, is associated with several historical events, and quite positive ones. This natural grotto was decorated and reinforced with columns in honor of the first ascent of Elbrus. Later it was given a different name - Diana's Grotto, a name that has survived to this day. Another historical fact that makes us perceive this place somewhat differently is associated with Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov. Here he was the organizer of a ball for ladies exactly a week before his tragic death. Apparently, this contrast in life - a ball and a duel make us especially perceive this amazing place, from where you can admire the views of nature and think about the vicissitudes of fate, such an unusually short step separating life and death, fun and duel.

Chinese gazebo

Pavilions in Pyatigorsk seem to specifically emphasize the status of a resort town - as a place designated for leisurely walks, admiring the scenery, visiting pump rooms and reflecting on the richness of the culture of Pyatigorsk's past. One of these places is the Chinese gazebo. If you look at it, it becomes clear why it was called that. A whimsical metal openwork ornament, created according to the project of the sculptor Shakhovskaya in 1974, will not let you make a mistake. Previously, there were other pavilions and other themes of their design in this place, in accordance with the trends of the times. In 1862, there was a musical rotunda, from where music for vacationers sounded. Later, at the beginning of the 20th century, according to the project of the sculptor Klepinin, a wooden arbor in the style of a Chinese pagoda was equipped, it was then called “Tsvetnoy”. In the Soviet period, in accordance with the spirit of the time, the gazebo was called "Freedom". In its modern version, it was created already in 1976. And one thing remains unchanged for any historical period - the beauty of the panoramic views opening from it, the breath of the spirit of freedom and spaciousness. All that makes up the feeling of the uniqueness of the Caucasus.

Pump rooms of Pyatigorsk

The pump room for Pyatigorsk means the same thing as the tea ceremony in Beijing. This is a symbol of the city. You can drink healing water at the Caucasian resort in several pump rooms. Each place has unique characteristics, both of the most mineral-saturated water, and the history of the discovery and design of the source. The tradition that has developed over almost two centuries makes itself felt. Drinking mineral water in the pump room is a whole ceremony. Pyatigorsk narzan is bottled in pump rooms, which is used for drinking treatment. In most cases, carbonic water from a well is heated by special automatic devices in the pump room, so next to the taps you can see signs - cold, warm or hot narzan. There is a special sulfate narzan in Pyatigorsk, which differs from other types in the rich smell of hydrogen sulfide or, as the people say, the smell of rotten eggs. Drinking a glass of such narzan will be unpleasant, but it is this type that has the greatest therapeutic effect.

In general, it makes sense to visit each of the pump rooms and combine the therapeutic benefits of taking one of the types of medicinal water with the process of enriching one's knowledge from familiarizing with the treasures of the Pyatigorsk culture. This will become a kind of tasting tour, which cannot be found anywhere else in Russia.

Pyatigorsk is called the natural museum of mineral waters. Not without reason, at the time of the emergence of a settlement in the North Caucasus, this place was called Hot Waters. Pyatigorsk is associated with the name of the great Russian poet Lermontov, who praised the city as a place of amazing natural power, in which there are resources not only for physical, but also for spiritual recovery. The sights of Pyatigorsk create an aura of an amazing historical city for it, it must be on the travel map of a self-respecting connoisseur of culture.
A visit to the Lermontov Museum and the place of the poet’s duel in Pyatigorsk is described.

Amazing Mashuk

A rounded hat with dark green small lambs of trees against the background of a serene azure sky - this is how Mashuk (Kabardian name - Mashuko) appears to the approaching gaze. On top of it is crowned with a sharp spire of a television antenna, which vaguely resembles a cartoon frame about settlements on other planets. This land is unusual, with volcanoes and bismalites (an outdated term is laccoliths) with endemic grasses generated by the Caucasus and living only here, with forests, although thinned, through which it was necessary to cut through three days to Zheleznovodsk 200 years ago with a hundred Cossacks instead of the current ones 30 minutes, and a whole range of mineral waters, starting with the basis of the resort Pyatigorsk - hot hydrogen sulfide water, with very modern medical equipment in southern-style buildings waiting for the visitor.

At Mashuk’s side is a spur of the Hot Mountain, a travertine daughter, born of pouring seething waters, now intercepted at a depth by deft punctures of pipes, but not completely: - and now, to our joy in the direction of Podkumka, along the rounded slope to the tram rails, steamers blurring on rough travertine are running trickles, leaving reddish traces, bordered in winter by the emerald green of grasses and mosses. Small streams are also found in the home gardens of Teplosernaya (what is the name!) Street, and in the Podkumka channel, which is why the temperature of its waters in places adjacent to the mountain is higher than in the rest.

On Mashuk itself, the incomprehensible opportunity to see the impossible through an iron grate is surprising and frightening - a kind of water-metering tube of an underground mineral system, its heart - a bottomless oscillating lake of hot water in Proval, covered with a thick blue-green layer of hydrogen sulfide bacteria, connected by overflows with all the sources of Pyatigorsk. Now, in order not to spoil all the waters, they do not allow to swim in it, as it was in the days of the foggy youth of the resort (thank you for looking at the inside of the heart of mineral jets!), but the mineral stream leaving the overflowing lake through a tunnel falls down a steep rocky bed of a secluded gorge, where, not excluding winter, half-naked savages enjoy life under a waterfall of warm water. More than once, the waters have found more and more exits for themselves on the mountain, stopping the exit in one and starting to pour out in the other, and, taught by experience, people now do not limit the freedom of water; for example, in the Pushkin Gallery, water from all taps flows freely around the clock.

And you can meet the very distant youth of the mountain on the opposite northern side of Mashuk in a reserved place - at the Perkal rock of the arboretum. Here, too, travertines were formed, but they are no longer as fragile as on the Hot Mountain, but at a more mature age, more dense, sometimes even with a honey-colored translucent yellowness - marble onyxes. These travertines were deposited earlier than the Goryagogorsky ones; their parents - hot springs - gradually closed their underground channels with salts, and went to the southern slope of Mashuk to the place of the future Hot Mountain, leaving here only tasty cold fizzy water, which is now beating from the tap of an observation well.

Hot water griffins seemed to be respected by our ancestors - as they came home in the Neolithic era to the sources with their feasible prey. This can be guessed from museum exhibits - finds of kitchen utensils cemented in travertines - flakes of flint and a knife-like plate, and "meat" products - an elephant's jaw, its cranial bones.

The uniqueness of the mountain

Ten million years ago, as a result of geological processes, a column of magma intruded into the earth's crust, lifted, bent and partially tore apart the overlying formations almost in a circle - sedimentary rocks of the Cretaceous and Paleogene age, forming a mountain-bismalite (from the Greek bisma - cork) Mashuk - dome-shaped fold with cryptointrusive - magmatic core pierced at depth. Significant masses of water, moving along the slope of the layers of the Caucasus Range, began to stumble upon an obstacle, heat up, and become saturated with rock salts. The waters, thanks to deep subcircular faults, in comparison with other Bismalite mountains, received the most favorable conditions for reaching the surface. Different depth of faults caused the release of thermal mineral waters of different composition. As a result of their flow, thick strata of travertine deposits formed around the mountain.

Significant masses of water, moving along the slope of the layers of the Caucasus Range, began to stumble upon an obstacle, heat up, and become saturated with rock salts. The waters, thanks to deep subcircular faults, in comparison with other Bismalite mountains, received the most favorable conditions for reaching the surface. Different depth of faults caused the release of thermal mineral waters of different composition. As a result of their flow, thick strata of travertine deposits formed around the mountain.

Variety of types of water Mashuk is like a "museum" of groundwater. Five types of mineral waters have been identified on a very small area: carbon dioxide-hydrogen sulfide thermal waters, Pyatigorsk narzans, Essentuki type waters, radon waters and carbon dioxide-nitrogen thermal carbonic waters of low mineralization. The basis of all these types are thermal carbonic waters of deep horizons, rising to the surface and displaced with fresh waters of the local feeding area on Mount Mashuk.

A wide range of thermal waters of various composition is combined here with a salubrious climate, an abundance of solar radiation, clean air, a large number of days with comfortable weather conditions. The geographical position in the center of the Mineralovodskaya foothill plain, paleogeographical conditions and, first of all, peculiarities of the paleoclimate contributed to the formation of numerous ecological niches. Plants of various genetic roots settled here - semi-desert, solonchak, steppe, forest, subalpine. Broad-leaved forests covering the slopes of Mount Mashuk contain beech, which is located on the border of its northeastern range.

The surroundings of the mountain are distinguished by a unique forest-steppe landscape with phytoassociations, including 81 species of rare and endangered plants. 29 plants of the mountain are listed in the Red Books of the USSR and the RSFSR. For the first time for science, 25 plant species were described precisely on Mount Mashuk and are reference. A peculiar faunistic complex has also formed on Mashuk, where there are about 100 species of birds alone, and the edge complexes are especially rich.

The varied topography of Mount Mashuk also determines its unique microclimatic features. In general, in terms of weather conditions, this is a more comfortable island compared to the surrounding steppe plain. In the cold part of the year, the southern and northern slopes are especially favorable for various outdoor activities, as they are reliably protected from the penetration of strong winds. In summer, more benign conditions are created here. The combination of rare natural conditions makes Mount Mashuk especially valuable in environmental, recreational, aesthetic and scientific-educational aspects.

History of the study of Mount Mashuk

The resorts of Pyatigorye began with the hot waters of Mashuk; they became known as connections with the North Caucasus emerged. The Russian people became acquainted with the North Caucasus a very long time ago. There were campaigns of Svyatoslav (10th century), Mstislav the Udal (11th century), and other princes to the Caucasus. Later, the Tatar-Mongols reigned in these places. On the site of the city of Budennovsk was their capital - Madzhary. From there, from the steppe summer heat, the khans fled to summer camps in the foothills of the Caucasus. The Arab traveler Ibn Batuta found himself in such a bet. “Then I went to the sultan’s camp, which was then at a place called Bish-tag (five mountains) and soon reached his horde ... in these five mountains there are sources of hot water ... everyone is healed of diseases ...” (Ibn Battuty (Abu Abdallah Muhammad Ibn Abdallah al-Lawati at Tanji), "A gift to those who contemplate the curiosities of cities and the wonders of travel", 1334)

It is reliably known about the annexation of Kabarda to Russia in 1553. Oppressed by the Crimean khans, the Kabardians, who still inhabit their lands, then gave themselves under the rule of the Russian Tsar Ivan IV (the Terrible), who strengthened Russia's ties with Kabarda by family ties - he married the Kabardian princess Maria Temryukovna. The first detailed geography of Russia in the Book of the Big Drawing, compiled in 1627, mentions the existence of hot springs in the Pyatigorsk region: “and along that river is the land of Pyatigorsk Cherkasy, the Hot Well” (Book of the Big Drawing, USSR Academy of Sciences, 1950, p. 90 ). The Kabardians were then called Pyatigorsk Cherkassy.

In search of healing waters by decree of Peter I dated June 22, 1717, the head doctor Schober mentions the Pyatigorsk hot springs in the Cherkasy land (Schober. Description of St. Peter's greenhouses near the river. Terka located. Monthly Works of the Academy of Sciences, November 1760) . A new mention of mineral waters without any data about them is in the message of the physician Johann Lerkh about his visit to the Caucasian Mineral Waters region during his travels in the North Caucasus in 1733-1735 (Monthly Works of the Academy of Sciences, 1790) The first scientific descriptions Mashuk and its mineral springs were given by I. A. Goldenshtedt (1778) and P. S. Pallas (1793). A significant contribution to the study of the sources of Mount Mashuk in the last century was made by such researchers as F. I. Gaaz, A. P. Nelyubin, F. A. Batalin, A. I. Nezlobinsky and other researchers.

Major discoveries of new sources of mineral waters in the area of ​​Mount Mashuk were made during the Soviet period and belong to Professor A. N. Ogilvy, the first director of the Pyatigorsk Research Institute of Balneology and Physiotherapy. Before the Great Patriotic War, N. A. Ogilvy, M. V. Chekhranova and F. A. Makarenko studied the geology of Mount Mashuk. Based on the data obtained by these authors, the first detailed geological map of Mount Mashuk was compiled. A significant revision of this map was carried out in the post-war period by V. L. Avgustinsky and R. P. Tuzikov.

The capital monograph devoted to the regime of mineral waters of the Pyatigorsk deposit belongs to the famous hydrogeologist I. I. Volodkevich, who devoted almost fifty years of his life to studying the mineral springs of the Kavminvodskaya group. Mount Mashuk was declared a complex natural monument by the decision of the executive committee of the regional council of workers' deputies dated September 15, 1961 “On measures to protect nature in the Stavropol Territory.”

By decree of the Council of Ministers of the RSFSR in 1973, the State Museum-Reserve of M. Yu. Lermontov was created. The Ministry of Culture of the RSFSR agreed with Giprogor of the State Construction Committee of the RSFSR and approved in 1988 the “Project of Protection Zones of Pyatigorsk”. The security zone included the entire Beshtaugorsky forest, the Armenian forest and the entire territory of Mount Mashuk, the floodplain of the river. Podkumok, Mount Dubrovka.

Relief of Mount Mashuk

Mount Mashuk (992.6 m) is located in the central part of the Mineralovodsk foothill plain, close to Beshtau, Zheleznaya, Razvalka, Zmeyka, Lysaya and other similar mountains of igneous origin. Above the level of the Podkumok River within the city of Pyatigorsk, Mount Mashuk has an excess of 500 m, and above the surrounding area - up to 300 m. The total area of ​​the mountain pedestal is about 10 square meters. km. Mount Mashuk is an asymmetrical dome with a steep southern and gentle northern slope and a slightly convex flat top, the presence of a number of spurs and terraced surfaces.

The steep southern slope of the mountain (40-45°), the origin of which is associated with the presence of semi-circular faults (Main and Southern faults), has an exposed, strongly dissected surface, composed of limestones and marls of the Upper Cretaceous. In places where harder limestone units emerge, almost vertical low (up to 3-5 m) ledges are formed, which can be traced along the entire slope. The top of the mountain is flat and slightly convex, which corresponds to a rather calm occurrence of bedrock in this place. The steepness of the southwestern, western and northern slopes is 15-20°, and the northeastern slope is only 9-10°, which is explained by the general elongation of the structure of Mount Mashuk in the northeast direction.

The relief of the mountain is complicated by a network of gorges and beams directed radially from the top. Beams are formed at the bottom of the slopes, and above they turn into typical gorges filled with moving gravelly screes and sometimes stone landslides. The southern slope is considerably dissected. There are 11 gorges here. During downpours, short-term streams-mudflows descend along them, penetrating into the resort part of the city. The deposits of mineral springs - travertines border the northern, eastern and southern slopes of the mountain. On the northern slope of Mount Mashuk, travertine deposits form, as it were, frozen huge streams. In each such stream, one can find "twists" in the plane of the travertines, where the griffins of mineral springs once acted.

On the southern slope, the relief is complicated by two ridges, one of which is called "Internal", and the other - "Hot Mountain". The first starts from the Aeolian Harp and extends in a direction perpendicular to the slope. This ridge is composed of Paleogene marls and clays, and is covered on top by thin travertine deposits.

Mount Goryachaya is separated from the “Inner Ridge” by a small flat depression on which the Academic Gallery is located. This spur of Mount Mashuk is entirely composed of travertines, the thickness of which reaches 70 meters or more. Mount Goryachaya owes its name to the hot carbon dioxide-hydrogen sulfide waters that circulate through the voids inside the mountain itself, as a result of which the rocks here at a depth of only about 20 m are already heated to a temperature of 40? C.

The region of Mount Goryachaya is unique in its beauty and unusual relief. Hot Mountain begins from a small mound on the southeastern slope of Mount Mashuk and then gradually decreases in a southwestern direction. The width of Mount Goryachaya varies from 150 to 250 m, its length is 1100 m. The northern slope of Mount Goryachaya is relatively gentle, almost completely covered with shrubs, while the southern one is represented mainly by bare steep cliffs.

On the slopes of Mount Mashuk, as well as in the rest of the CMS region, two groups of terraces are distinguished: the upper one (the absolute elevations of the surfaces are in the range from 870 to 690 m, the age of which presumably varies from the Upper Sarmatian to the Upper Apsheron) and the lower group (abs. altitude 680-490 m). The age of the terraces of the lower group, according to the data of various studies (I. K. Ivanova, 1946, I. I. Nikolaev, 1945, etc.), is determined from the upper Apsheron to the modern section.

Failure

Among other landforms of Mount Mashuk, the karst vertical funnel-shaped cave “Proval”, located on the eastern slope, attracts attention. The funnel of Lake "Proval" is formed by the activity of ascending carbon dioxide-hydrogen sulfide therms and is confined to the zone of the Main Fault, which has a maximum amplitude here and is accompanied by open cracks. The depth of the funnel to the surface of the underground lake is 41 m; in the upper part on the day surface, the funnel diameter is about 100-150 m, and in the lowest part - about 14-20 m.

In 1858, a horizontal tunnel 44 m long was pierced to Lake Proval from the side of the ring road in marls (at the expense of the Moscow honorary citizen, merchant P. A. Lazarik). In the southwestern lower part of the sinkhole, the tunnel leads to a small underground lake about 10 meters deep. The wedge-shaped sides of the lake gradually pass down into a narrow crack, cutting through the walls of the cave to a great depth. Due to the fault - the Main semi-circular fault with an amplitude of up to 300 m, which formed a fissure lake, on one side of the cave you can see dark gray Paleogene marls (30 million years old), on the other - white layered Cretaceous limestones (60 million years old) . Hot mineral water circulated and continues to circulate along the discharge crack. In the distant past, she dissolved the rocks, which led to the emergence of a cave with a lake. The ceiling of the cave collapsed, creating a crater.

The water in the lake is greenish-turquoise in color, which is associated with the presence of sulfur and sulfur bacteria in the water. The air smells of hydrogen sulfide, which is saturated with lake water with a temperature of 40? All silver things under the influence of this gas quickly darken. Twigs that have fallen into the lake are covered with a coating of salts dissolved in water. The level in the lake associated with deep cracks of mineral waters is variable. At a high level, part of the water flows out in a powerful stream through a closed channel in the floor of the tunnel, where tourists swim in the gorge under the waterfall. The thermal waters of the lake, as F. A. Batalin suggested, are associated with other sources of Pyatigorye.

To measure the level of mineral waters in the lake "Proval" a rail was installed, since the regime of the springs of Mount Goryachaya, the main group of mineral springs in the Pyatigorsk resort, significantly depends on the water level in the lake.

During the construction of the Rodnik sanatorium, on the extension of the Main Discharge zone to the west of Lake Proval, a whole zone of “Small failures” was established, the diameter of these funnels does not exceed 1-1.5 m, and the depth is 4-5 m.

Geological structure

In geological and structural terms, the region of Mount Mashuk is confined to the central part of the Kavminvodsky ledge, in the structure of which the ancient basement, composed of Precambrian and Paleozoic metamorphic shales and intrusive rocks, is intruded by Neogene intrusions of the porphyry granosyenite type, and sedimentary Meso-Cenozoic cover takes part. The foundation in the region of Mount Mashuk lies at a depth of about 2100-2200 m from the surface. Here it is intruded by intrusion (the magmatic core of the diapira mountain) of granite porphyry and granosyenite porphyry encountered by wells No. 27 and 33 at a depth of 1433 and 1327 m, respectively. Paleogene deposits. At the same time, Tithonian and Cretaceous rocks are uplifted in the dome part of Mount Mashuk, and along the periphery they are overlapped by sequentially layering each other and also uplifted Paleogene strata.

Mount Mashuk is an asymmetric dome-shaped fold of submeridional orientation (average strike azimuth 1-3?), disturbed by faults. The southern wing of the fold is steep with the rocks dipping at an angle of 40? and more, the northern one is gentle (dip angles are in the range of 12-15?), on the dome, rock folds also occur with very slight angles (geological map of Mount Mashuk; section along line 1-1). Among the tectonic elements of Mount Mashuk, R.P. Tuzikov (1960) identifies the following:
1 - radial axes of the fold, along which changes in the strike of rocks occur not smoothly, but with a break;
2 - high-order semi-concentric plicative dislocations;
3 - faults associated with the formation of a dome-shaped fold;
4 - tectonic faults of more ancient origin than Mashuk;
5 - folds with stepped microfaults.

The radial axes represent the elements of the structures around which there is a sharp change in the strike of the rocks. In total, R.P. Tuzikov identifies six axes on Mount Mashuk: main, southeast, east, northwest and northeast, dividing the entire structure into seven sectors. Within the sectors, there is a gradual change in the strike of rocks, but at the boundaries between them there are sharp bends and often discontinuity of the rocks with the formation of zones of increased fracturing. The main axis coincides with the oblong submeridional axis of the dome-shaped fold of Mount Mashuk. The remaining axes are located at some angle to the main one. Concentric plicative elements are expressed in the form of flexures and additional waviness, sometimes accompanied by faults and micro faults. On the southern slope of the mountain, the periclinal occurrence of rocks is complicated by a significant flexure, the dip of the layers within which reaches 60 and 80?. This flexure encircles the mountain in a semicircle and fades at the above-mentioned western and eastern radial axes. Additional waviness appears mainly in the upper part of the mountain and is also associated with individual sectors. R. P. Tuzikov (1960) divided disjunctive faults on Mount Mashuk into two groups: semicircular faults and faults of the northeast direction (foundations older than Mount Mashuk).

On the southern side, the city of Mashuk is bordered by two large semi-circular faults: the Main fault with an amplitude of up to 300 m and the Southern fault, which has a smaller amplitude - about 60-70 m. Between the two main faults there are a number of others with smaller displacement amplitudes (up to 50 m). The main fault passes through Lake Proval and drilling site No. 19. It is expressed by crushing zones up to 6-8 m thick, in which fragments of marls and limestones, friction clay, calcite veins and travertine layers are found. The southern fault is parallel to the Main fault and is located hypsometrically lower on the slope of Mount Mashuk. On the southwestern slope - in the area of ​​the Lenin Rocks - it adjoins the Main Fault. To the east of the Leninsky rocks, it passes through the springs of the Warm and Cold Narzan, under the Aeolian harp and Fungus, then branches off to the Narodny spring, where, apparently, it coincides with the zone of disturbance of the northeast strike.

According to V.L. Avgustinsky (1968), two branches of faults of northeastern strike are recorded: Southern and Northern. The northern branch starts from the sanatorium of the Ministry of Defense, then runs in the direction of Mount Kazachka, then west of the Lenin Rocks and in the direction through the top of Mount Mashuk on the northern slope, this branch is well expressed in the cliffs of the road to the top of Mashuk. The southern branch of the northeastern-trending faults passes through Mount Goryachaya, then the Proval-bis well and then extends to the Eastern observation well. Disturbances of a north-eastern strike are expressed by crushing zones or calcite veins.

Stratigraphy and lithology

Upper Jurassic

Tithonian stage. Tithonian deposits were exposed on the northwestern and northeastern slopes of Mount Mashuk by wells Nos. 27, 33 and 40 at depths of 1230, 1045 and 1911 m, respectively. They are represented in the upper part by gray limestones with interlayers of dark gray clays and bluish-gray anhydrites , and at the bottom - alternation of variegated sandstones, clays, siltstones, dolomites and anhydrites. The thickness of Tithonian deposits ranges from 190 to 240 m.

Lower Cretaceous

Valanginian stage. Valanginian deposits were discovered by the same wells at depths from 1055 to 1190 m. They are expressed as gray dolomitic limestones with interlayers of marls and clays. Their thickness ranges from 26-44 m, and in well No. 33 it reaches 90 m.

Hauterivian stage. Hauterivian deposits are expressed by gray and dark gray fine- and medium-grained clayey sandstones with interlayers of calcareous sandstones, and in the lower part - shell limestones. The thickness of the Hauterivian stage varies between 75-97 m.

Barremian Stage. The Barremian deposits in the upper part are composed of dark gray fine-grained quartz-glauconite sandstones on calcareous-clay cement with interlayers of clays and siltstones, and in the lower part - gray, inequigranular, calcareous sandstones with inclusions of pebbles. The depth of the Barremian roof increases in the northeast direction from 804-917 m (wells No. 27 and 33) to 1625 m (well 40). The thickness of the barrem is quite constant and ranges from 158-166 m.

Aptian stage. Aptian deposits, in addition to the three wells mentioned above, were also penetrated by wells No. 26 and 26-bis on the northern slope, the western observation well and well. No. 19 - on the western, and well No. 34 - on the south-eastern slopes. The Aptian deposits are represented by light gray, fine-grained calcareous-clayey sandstones. The thickness of the Aptian is 200-220 m, the depth of the roof of the stage varies from 651 to 1365 m.

Albian stage. Albian deposits in the Mashuk Mountain section were penetrated by 14 wells, of which 9 went through it at full capacity. These deposits are divided into lower-middle and upper-Albian substages. The lower-middle substage is expressed by gray and dark gray fine-grained sandstones on calc-clay cement up to 150 m thick. This substage was penetrated by wells No. 19, 26, 26-bis, 27, Western Observation, 33, 34 and 40.

The Upper Albian substage is composed of black mudstones, the thickness of which is 40-50 m. Sediments of the upper substage were recovered by wells Nos. 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 26-bis, 33, 34, Western Observation, Proval, Proval-bis and 40. The depth of the Albian roof varies from 108 to 1194 m, and the total thickness varies within a relatively wide range from 154 to 350 m, which is explained by the cutting of these deposits in certain areas by the faults present here.

Upper Cretaceous

Albian stage. Cenomanian deposits are represented by light gray, fine-grained calcareous sandstones. These deposits were found only by two wells No. 27 and 33 at depths of 497 and 375 m, respectively. The thickness of the Cenomanian is insignificant and amounts to only 0.4-0.5 m. In other areas, the Cenomanian deposits, apparently, have not been preserved.

Turonian and Coniacian stages. Deposits of the Turonian and Coniacian stages are exposed on the southern slope of Mount Mashuk, in a gully above drilling site No. 19. They are expressed as light gray and white limestones with interlayers of marl or clay. The thickness of the limestone slabs is 0.3-0.6 m, and the clay separating them is 0.5-1.2 cm. The thickness of the Turonian-Coniac deposits is 55-75 m.

Santonian stage. This stage is exposed in the Proval funnel and further in the form of a narrow strip it can be traced in the western direction to the Leninsky rocks. The thickness of the Santonian deposits is represented by thin-platy light gray limestones with a layer thickness of 0.15-0.20 m, alternating with interlayers of marl and clay with a thickness of 2-3 cm. The layer thickness is about 20 m.

Campanian stage. Campanian deposits on Mount Mashuk come to the surface on the southern slope and are expressed by the rhythmic alternation of limestones and marls. The thickness of the limestones is 0.3–0.6 m, and the thickness of the marls varies from 2–20 cm to 2.0 m. The thickness of the Campanian stage on Mount Mashuk is 95–100 m.

Maastrichtian stage. Maastrichtian deposits compose the most significant areas of the dome of Mount Mashuk in the central part, on its southern, western and northern slopes. At the Pyatigorsk resort, mineral waters in the Maastricht deposits are captured by many operational and observation wells - No. 16, 24, 20, 31, 29, 33 and the Pushkin adit. In the lower part, these deposits are expressed mainly by marls, and in the upper part by a limestone-marl stratum, ending in a thick layer of marl limestone. The total thickness of the Maastrichtian is 90-150 m.

Danish tier. Danish deposits on Mount Mashuk were first identified on its northern slope by N. A. Ogilvy (1937). These include the thickness of sandy marls, marly sandstones and sandstones. The thickness of Danish deposits on Mount Mashuk reaches 50 m.

Paleogene

Essetukskaya formation. The deposits of the Essentuki Formation encircle the slopes of Mount Mashuk along the periphery and are expressed as light gray and bluish-gray marls and marly mudstones. The thickness of the suite ranges from 40 to 100 m.

Goryachy Klyuch retinue. As well as the Essentuki, this formation encircles the slopes of Mount Mashuk in a ring. At the Pyatigorsk resort, mineral waters are extracted from the deposits of the Goryachiy Klyuch suite by many wells - Nos. 4, 10, 14, 17, 30, 32, 35, 36, 71 and Krasnoarmeisky Novy. According to lithological features, the Goryachiy Klyuch Formation is divided into three horizons: the lower one is mudstone, the middle one is sandstone, and the upper one is mudstone. The total thickness of the suite varies from 135 to 210 m.

Circassian and Kerestinsky formations. The Cherkessk and Kerestin formations also encircle the slopes of the mountain, but are almost everywhere covered with colluvium and are only exposed in places along the southern slope. They are represented by marls and, in places, sandstones of greenish-gray or light gray color. The thickness of all these undivided deposits is 63-96 m.

Kumskaya suite. The Kumskaya formation comes to the surface at the base of the western, southwestern and southern slopes, somewhat south of the loop of the ring road near the Lesnik house and on Mount Kazachka. The Kuma deposits are represented by coffee-colored thin-platy bituminous marls. The thickness of the formation is 24-35 m.

Beloglinskaya Formation. Sediments of the Beloglinsky suite along the periphery surround Mount Mashuk, and in the southern and southeastern parts they already lie on the right bank of the Podkumok River. Beloglinsky deposits are represented by marls of light gray, greenish-gray and dirty gray colors, in places slightly sandy. The thickness of the suite reaches 70 m.

Maikop series. The Maykop series represents a thick clayey strata, in the area of ​​Mount Mashuk, divided into the Khadum, Batalpasha and Septarian formations. Directly on the Beloglinsky deposits lies the Khadum Formation, expressed by dark gray calcareous and non-calcareous clays with interlayers of brown marls. The thickness of the suite reaches 200 m. To the north of the bypass road through Mount Mashuk, there are the Batalpashinskaya and Septaria formations, also expressed as dark gray non-calcareous clays with septaria concretions. The total thickness of these suites is about 200 m.

Geomorphology

Mount Mashuk (993 m) is located in the central part of the Kavminvod region near Beshtau, Zheleznaya, Razvalka, Zmeika, Lysaya and other mountains. It is separated from Mount Beshtau by a clearly visible saddle. Above the level of the Podkumok River within the city of Pyatigorsk, Mount Mashuk has an excess of up to 540 m, and above the surrounding area up to 360 m. The total area of ​​​​the pedestal of the mountain is about 10 square meters. km. Mount Mashuk is an asymmetric dome with a steep southern, gentle northern slopes and a slightly convex top, a number of spurs and terraced surfaces. The steep southern slope of the mountain (40-45 o), the origin of which is associated with the presence of semi-circular faults (Main and Southern faults), has an exposed, strongly dissected surface, composed of limestones and marls of the Upper Cretaceous. At the exit points, harder limestone units form almost vertical low (up to 3-5 m) ledges, which can be traced along the entire slope. The top of the mountain is flat, slightly convex, which corresponds to a rather calm bedrock occurrence in this place.

The steepness of the southwestern, western and northern slopes is 20-15 o, and the northeast is only 9-10 o, which is explained by the general elongation of the Mashuk mountain structure in the northeast direction. The relief of the mountain is complicated by a network of gorges and beams directed radially from the top. Beams are formed at the bottom of the slopes, and above they turn into typical gorges filled with moving gravelly screes and sometimes stone landslides. The southern slope is considerably dissected. There are 11 gorges here. During heavy rains, short-term streams descend along them - mudflows penetrating into the resort part of the city. The deposits of mineral springs, travertines, border the northern, eastern and southern slopes of the mountain. On the northern slope of Mount Mashuk, travertine deposits form, as it were, frozen huge streams. In each such stream, one can find swirls in the interlayers of travertines, where the griffins of mineral springs once acted. From the northwest, Mount Mashuk, through a relatively wide saddle, connects with Mount Beshtau. The width of this surface is 1100-1200 m, and the length is about 3-4 km. In cross section, this surface is slightly curved; the general slope of the surface of the saddle is observed in an easterly direction, while its absolute elevations vary from 580 to 520 m. In addition, in this part of Mount Mashuk there is the so-called Lermontovsky hill - (Perkal rock) representing a high terrace with an absolute surface elevation of about 645 m. The specified terrace breaks off to the foot of the mountain with a steep ledge.

On the southern slope, the relief is composed of two ridges, one of which is called Inner, and the other is Mount Hot. The first one starts from the Aeolian harp and extends perpendicular to the slope. This ridge is composed of Paleogene marls and clays, and is covered from above by thin travertine deposits.

Mount Hot is an independent, rather complex form of relief. It is separated from the Inner Ridge by a small flat depression, on which the Academic Gallery is located. This spur of Mount Mashuk is entirely composed of travertines, the thickness of which reaches 70 meters or more. According to detailed studies by D.S. Nikolaev (1948), up to seven independent stages of travertine formation are distinguished here, separated by breaks, and alluvial, deluvial, proluvial and lacustrine Quaternary deposits are hidden under the travertine cover. Mount Goryachaya owes its name to the hot carbon dioxide-hydrogen sulfide waters that circulate through the voids inside the mountain itself, as a result of which the rocks here at a depth of only about 20 m are already heated to a temperature of 40 o C. Mount Goryachaya begins from a small hill on the southeastern section of the mountain slope Mashuk continues to gradually decrease in a southwestern direction. The width of Mount Goryachaya varies from 150 to 250 m, its length is 1100 m. The northern slope of Mount Goryachaya is relatively gentle, almost completely covered with shrubs, while the southern slope is represented mainly by steep cliffs with groups of oreoxerophytes huddling here, many of which are rare and endangered.

Among other forms of relief of Mount Mashuk, the karst sinkhole Proval, located on the eastern slope, attracts attention. On the slopes of Mount Mashuk, as well as in the rest of the KMS region, two groups of terraces are distinguished: the upper (absolute surface elevation ranges from 870 to 690 m, the age of which is presumably from the Upper Sarmatian to the Upper Absheronian) and the lower group (absolute elevation 680-490 m). The age of the terraces of the lower group of terraces, according to various researchers (I.K. Ivanova, 1946; I.I. Nikolaev, 1945, etc.), is determined from the Upper Absheronian to the modern section. The surface of the terraces of the upper group is erosive in nature, their elevation above the bed of the Podkumok River varies from 225 to 405 m. The lower group of terraces is represented by the Armenian, Goryachevodsk, Jamagat and two Pyatigorsk terraces (upper and lower).

The Armenian (Upper Apsheron according to N.I. Nikolaev and other researchers) terrace stands out at absolute elevations of 680, 650 and 645 m, its excess above the bed of the Podkumok River is 175-200 m. The maximum mark of 680 m is reached by the surface of the Armenian terrace on the western slope of the mountain Mashuk (near the Forester's house), on the eastern slope the terrace surface marks decrease to 650 m (in the Proval area, including, apparently, the Proval funnel itself is confined to this remnant), and on the northern slope to 645 m (Lermontov Hill) . On the western and eastern slopes the surface of the terrace is eroded, while on the northern slopes it is covered with a thick cover of travertine.

The Goryachevodskaya (Lower Pleistocene) terrace stands out in the form of relatively long strips and individual remnants along the southwestern, eastern and northeastern slopes of Mount Mashuk at absolute elevations of 620, 610, 600 m. Mount Kazachka on the southwestern slope belongs to the remnants of this terrace ( absolute elevation 620 m), as well as a number of relatively narrow strips on the northeastern and southern slopes along the ring road from Komsomolskaya Polyana to Proval and from Proval to the New Radon Hospital (the absolute elevation of their surface ranges from 600 to 610 m) . On most of the southern and eastern slopes, the Goryachevodskaya terrace is covered by a layer of travertines accompanying the zones of semicircular and northeastern faults; in the rest of the territory, its surface is erosive in nature.

The remains of the Dzhamagat (Middle Pleistocene) terrace include Mount Post in the railway station part of the city of Pyatigorsk and the site on which the old cemetery with the place of the first burial of M. Yu. Lermontov is located. The absolute elevations of the terrace surface vary from 500 to 580 m, and the elevation above the channel of the Podkumok river varies from 90 to 115 m, respectively. Its surface here is covered with loess-like loams, closer to the foot of Mount Mashuk, there are covers of travertines among them. Even lower, the Pyatigorsk terraces stand out in absolute terms. elev. 560, 510, 500 and 475 m. The excess of the upper terrace above the bed of the Podkumok river is 20 m, and the lower one is 10 m. Both of these terraces are composed of relatively thick strata of deluvial and alluvial deposits.

Thus, the complex geological structure of Mount Mashuk, as well as the long history of the formation of the relief, determined its diversity and uniqueness.

Climate and microclimate on Mount Mashuk

The climate in the region of Mashuk is temperate continental, but the mountainous dissected relief, exposure of slopes, height above sea level, the presence of vegetation and other factors create their own microclimatic features for different slopes.

The average annual air temperature, as in the entire area, is 8.7 ° C. In the annual course, the maximum average monthly value is observed in July 21.7 ° C, the minimum - in January - 4.1 ° C. In the daytime (in 13:00) the average monthly air temperature for 10 months of the year is positive (from March to December). The air temperature in this area is variable. So, in winter, it can drop to 25 o C of frost or rise to 20 o C of heat. In summer, in some years, the temperature reached a maximum value of 39-41 ° C, and with the intrusion of cold air masses it decreased to 2-7 ° C. The duration of the frost-free period is on average 179 days a year (from April 19 to October 16), but it can vary from 139 (from May 12 to September 23) to 230 (from March 27 to November 24) days a year.

The Mashuk area is in conditions of insufficient moisture, which is more pronounced in summer. In winter, relative humidity reaches 75-77%, in summer the air is dry - 47-55%. During the year, an average of 548 mm of precipitation falls here, most of them (431) fall on the warm half of the year. In May-June, quite often (up to 30 days per season) showers with thunderstorms and hail are observed. There are up to 150 days with precipitation per year, of which 87 days are with significant precipitation (more than 10 mm per day). The rather low duration of sunshine for this region - 1750 hours per year (in Kislovodsk 2147 hours) is due to the increased cloudiness of the lower tier in the cold half of the year (up to 70% of the total surface of the sky). In the warm half of the year, cloudiness is low (lower level up to 38%).

In the area of ​​Mashuk, the average annual wind speed is low - about 3.3 m/s. In March and April, wind speed increases to 4 m/s. During the day, wind speed increases (3.7-5.0 m/s), and decreases at night (2.2-4.0 m/s). The wind direction is predominantly east (39%), southeast (20%), west (15%) and northwest (16%), which together account for 90% of the total number of observations. The eastern and southeastern wind drift is associated with dry-dry weather in summer, and cloudy weather in winter with fog and drizzling precipitation, ice and frost. Westerly winds are often accompanied by heavy precipitation. During the year on Mashuk there are 96 days with fog, 93 clear days and 95 cloudy days with low clouds, 31 days with thunderstorms, 12 days with blizzards.

Winter on Mashuk is mild, with unstable snow cover (lasting 73 days from November 13 to March 27), which lasts the longest on the northern slopes and in the forested area. In 37% of winters, stable snow cover lies from December 18 to March 1. Spring is warm and rainy. Summer begins in May and lasts until mid-September. At this time, there is often dry, arid or hot weather (up to 40% of the total number of days in the season). Autumn in September and October is usually warm and dry, and from November it is cloudy, rainy, often with fog. Within the city of Mashuk, there are from 70 to 100 days a year with comfortable, especially favorable conditions for conducting all forms of climate therapy in the fresh air. Minor restrictions for carrying out health promotion activities in the fresh air due to strong wind, fog, frosty or very hot weather are observed for 70-100 days a year. At the same time, it should be taken into account that adverse weather conditions usually last for a short period of time.

According to the bioclimatic zoning of the Caucasian Mineral Waters, in terms of the magnitude of the climatic and health resort potential, the Mashuk mountain region is in a relatively favorable zone. Within this zone, within Mount Mashuk, territorial microclimatic differences have been established. On Mount Mashuk, the most favorable microclimatic conditions are observed on the southern and southwestern slopes, where the value of the resort-climatic potential of the checkpoint can reach 80 points. The checkpoint increased to 72 points is installed on the western, gentle southern and southeastern slopes of Mashuk, located in the orographic shadow from the unfavorable eastern wind flow. On Mashuk, the most unfavorable conditions for resort and recreational activities in the fresh air are located on the eastern and northern slopes, which are most exposed to eastern winds in winter with drizzling precipitation, intense fog, ice, frost, and in summer - eastern dry-arid winds. On the microclimatic zoning map of the city of Mashuk, 4 zones with the highest, increased, moderate and decreased recreational and climatic potential are identified.

In general, Mount Mashuk is located in a zone of unstable moisture. However, the mountainous terrain and the presence of lush vegetation on the slopes create the prerequisites for a unique microclimate, where the incoming and outgoing parts of the water balance approximately coincide.

Air pollution comes from motor vehicles. According to route observations (PNIIKiF, 1990, gas analyzer), the concentration of carbon monoxide in the Proval area was 0.17-0.46 ppm with a maximum of 1.6 ppm. On Kalinin Avenue (0.5–2 km from Mount Mashuk), the concentration of CO at the same time was almost 10 times higher and varied from 1.6 to 3.0 ppm. The maximum values ​​of CO concentration on the busiest highways reached 3-9 ppm. The background content of CO on Mount Shadzhatmaz (2160 m above sea level) did not exceed 0.14-0.16 ppm. The urban addition to the surface layer of air due to CO emissions on the highways of Pyatigorsk is 1.4-8.5 ppm, and on Mount Mashuk 0.3-1.2 ppm. The content of submicron aerosol (episodic observations in 1985-1987, a stationary nephelometer in the area of ​​the flower bed) had a pronounced diurnal variation: in the first half of the day 0.40-0.55 µg/m3, and in the second half 0.6-0.9 µg/m3. m3. At the same hours on Mount Shadzhatmaz, it had the same direction - the content of submicron aerosol in the first half of the day was 0.2-0.3 µg/m3, in the second half 0.3-0.6 µg/m3, but in absolute value, as can be seen , was 1.5-2 times lower than in Pyatigorsk. The coefficient of air transparency in Pyatigorsk for 35 years (1955-1990) decreased from 0.750 to 0.700, that is, from the level of increased to normal air transparency. The forest park of the city of Mashuk has a huge impact on the purification of the surface layer of air.

In general, the weather regime of Mashuk during the year is favorable for recreational activities (265-300 days a year) in the fresh air. The most suitable time of the year for recreation here is the second half of spring, summer and the first half of autumn. Cloudless, warm, dry weather prevails during this period. But many fairly sunny, windless warm days are also observed in winter, when hiking in the Mashuk Mountain area is especially pleasant.

Vegetation

Mount Mashuk is characterized by a unique complex of associations, which can be learned from the Kavminvodsk researcher and expert Doctor of Biological Sciences A.D. Mikheev, who lives here. They include 81 species of rare and valuable plants. A significant part of the slopes is occupied by woody and ash-oak-hornbeam vegetation, which also includes maple, linden, beech, willow, poplar, etc. Hawthorn, thorn, elderberry, buckthorn, hazel, euonymus, and dogwood are often found in the undergrowth. The glades are covered with herbaceous meadow vegetation. Fragments of subalpine meadows are observed near the summit.

Mount Mashuk lies in a strip of forb-grass steppes, currently completely plowed up or developed for other purposes. The bismalite mountains of Pyatigorye, forming a kind of stone archipelago, stand out against the general background of the steppes in the form of islands, mostly covered with forest. Although the differences in heights of Mount Mashuk in absolute terms are small (from 400-500 to 900 m), this nevertheless greatly affects the distribution of vegetation cover: zonality is noted from steppe to subalpine cenoses. The change of cenoses is best seen on the northern and northeastern, gentler slope. At the base of Mashuk, only pieces of steppe vegetation have survived in some places. They, interspersed with protrusions of the lower strip of the forest belt - oak, hawthorns (thorny, pentapistillate), blackthorn, dog rose, form a narrow strip of forest-steppe character.

The lower part of the forest belt is mainly represented by oak plantations, now greatly modified as a result of logging and their replacement with ash. The species most often associated with oak (and now ash) are hornbeam and field maple (in the 2nd tier). In the undergrowth there is warty euonymus, hawthorns monopistillate and pentapistillate, medlar, and the herbaceous cover is often dominated by variegated pearl barley, noticeable short-legged forest grass (sometimes pinnate), benequin brome, mountain fescue, European barley, forbs - noctule, golden yellowweed, pentafolia, garlic, violets. There are many ephemeroids that give a change of aspects in spring and summer: goose bows, buttercup anemone (yellow background), Siberian scilla (blue background), Caucasian corydalis (purple-violet background), quickly replacing it Marshall's corydalis (yellow background), in some places - five-leaved toothwort (lilac background). In early spring, fragrant and pleasant violets are very abundant in places. These aspects do not always smoothly replace each other, and when spring is delayed and its rapid flow often mixes, giving a multi-colored carpet of ephemeroids that is aesthetically very impressive. At the beginning of summer, the aspect of Ornithischium arcuate is also effective.

The higher-lying strip of forest on steeper slopes consists mainly of ash and hornbeam, the most aggressive species (especially ash) and greatly expanded distribution due to the felling of oak (below) and beech (above). Ash and hornbeam are accompanied by field and Norway maples, Caucasian pear, sometimes Caucasian linden, glogovina, pedunculate oak, occasionally beech, in the undergrowth in places there is a lot of dogwood, southern telecrania, warty euonymus. The grass cover here is much poorer, with fewer grasses. There are often thickets of Caucasian and smooth-skinned kupena, spotted arose, fragrant bedstraw, Adam's root, hablitzia, orchis - nesting, pollenheads. In spring and early summer, the change in aspects of the ephemeroids is very impressive here too. The upper part of the forest should have been occupied mainly by beech, as is the case in Beshtau. Not so here. On Mount Mashuk, other strong factors interfere with the patterns associated with altitude - the relative insignificance of the mountain’s territory and its division into gorges and ridges that create microconditions. In this regard, beech plantations, of course, severely destroyed, do not occupy the upper strip of the forest, but huddle on the north-eastern side of the mountain in interridge troughs, gorges, cooler and wetter.

As stated in the chapter on the geomorphology of Mashuk, its southern slope is quite steep, complicated by well-defined marine terraces, travertine deposits and erosion. The forest cover of the southern slope is quite sparse. On rocky slopes with undeveloped soil, dryer-loving species huddle, forming crooked forests - primarily sessile oak (limestone); along the gorges there are other species (ash, hornbeam), but they are severely oppressed. Everywhere they are mixed with shrubs: buckthorn, blackthorn, rose hips, barberry, hawthorn pentapalm and prickly. The herbaceous layer is characterized by low sedge, sainfoin and Austrian astragalus, elm grass, speedwell, Baden grass, and in some places large patches of rockweed.

Here, on the southern slope, interspersed with crooked forests, led by sessile oak, the most developed groups of upland xerophytes are plants with various adaptations that reduce evaporation, the effect of sharp temperature fluctuations and eating by animals: fleshy leaves and stems, wax coating, secretion of essential oils, thorns , gray-haired pubescence, creeping shoots, powerful roots that penetrate deep into rock cracks, etc. These are mainly herbs and shrubs: stonecrop, Caucasian wormwood, whitish onion, gray-haired Dubrovnik, Veronica spiky, drooping symphiandra, Vasilchenko's sainfoin, thyme, Tauric asphodelina, carnation fragrant, prostrate fumana, large-flowered sunflower, Bieberstein's kopeechnik, Caucasian ash-tree, Caucasian onosma, leathery and Ural capitula, as well as shrubs: two-eared ephedra, Pallas buckthorn, low almond, prickly rosehip and some others. Such groups are especially confined to travertine outcrops. Features of xerophytism in the flora of Mashuk, expressed by the presence of thickets of oreoxerophytes (with the participation of elements of the steppes) show connections with the Crimean-Novorossiysk floristic subprovince and, in general, with the vegetation of the Mediterranean, on the other hand, with the vegetation of Western Asia.

The vegetation of the western and southeastern slopes represents the entire gamut of transitions from the vegetation of the northern slope, the most mesophilic, to the mostly xerophilic vegetation of the southern slope. The top of the mountain is treeless. Its northern and eastern parts are characterized by large grasses with the participation of subalpine elements - giant capitula, large-leaved doronicum, high ryegrass, Georgian bluegrass, etc. Russian, oriental, thorn-bearing, tuberous and iron ore goslings, Albov's and grave's goves, steppe bows, etc.

Vegetation of Mount Goryachaya, a ridge at the foot of Mashuk, 250 m north of the river. Podkumok, peculiar. The ridge of the Hot Mountain, 1000 m long and up to 500 m wide, branches off in the southwest from Mashuk. The highest height of the mountain is 557 m above sea level. The southern slopes of Goryachaya are mostly steep and rocky with grottoes and niches. There are also gentle and horizontal ledges. The slopes of the mountain are composed of Quaternary travertines up to 50 m thick. The soils reach half a meter thick in flat areas. Such areas occupy about 5% of the total area; in the rest of the mountain, the soil thickness (cid-Caucasian chernozems) does not exceed a few centimeters or is completely absent. The vegetation cover of the mountain on the northern slope is represented mainly by artificial plantings of lilac, and on the southern slopes by natural herbaceous communities. The southern and northern foot of the mountain is built up. Most of the area has roads and trails. The southern slope is crossed by an asphalt road. The northern macroslope of the mountain and the peak experience the greatest anthropogenic load.

First of all, attention is drawn to the fact that the flora of Mashuk is one of the richest specific floras; here, on an area of ​​only 1 thousand hectares, at least a thousand species live, which is due to many reasons, both florogenetic in nature, and repeated changes in paleogeographic conditions. On the other hand, one cannot fail to note the huge number of annuals and biennials - 28% of the total flora and a third of all herbaceous species. This fact is evidence of digression associated with the strong urbanization of the city of Mashuk, the disruption of natural vegetation cover and the introduction of many annual weeds and undesirable species: cockleburs (especially Californian), galinzog, cyclachena, ragweed, serrated milkweed and others, brought mainly from America.

The flora of Mashuk is extremely heterogeneous in florogenetic terms. As shown above, there are about 1000 species per 1000 ha, and 2.25 species per genus (generic coefficient). These figures indicate that the area of ​​the territory under discussion is extremely small in order to be characteristic of them, these figures; here, due to the small area, there are significant distortions, fragmentary tribal complexes. At the same time, a huge number of species per 1 thousand hectares and a low generic coefficient should indicate that representatives of many genera with 1-2 species have shelter on Mashuk and that the flora of Mashuk has a very variegated composition, which is due to the stratifications of various eras associated with mountain building, glacial pendulations of the Quaternary period. The most ancient, mainly of the Tertiary age, element in the flora of Mashuk are mesophilic species of the Colchis type, a derivative of the Turgai flora. Their number is small; this includes the main forest-forming species, part of the shrubs and some grasses that survived the glacial winter: oriental beech, Caucasian hornbeam, Caucasian linden, English oak, mountain ash-glogovina, German medlar, mountain elm, broad-leaved and small euonymus (now relic), honeysuckle honeysuckle , mountain fescue, barley-row sedge, large-leaved thick-walled, five-leaved tooth, Caucasian ranunculus, multi-cut sapling, etc.

Much more numerous is the class of xerophilous species associated in origin with the Mediterranean and Western Asian countries, and in habitation - most often with stony and gravelly substrates, limestones (on Mashuk these are mainly travertines). Mediterranean species include: 1) Balkan-Asia Minor: Bulgarian serpentine, Judaic wall, colchicum sternbergia, brilliant sunflower, etc .; 2) Euxinian (found mainly in Asia Minor, Crimea and the Caucasus): Crimean asphodelina, Crimean Iberian, etc .; 3) Crimean-Caucasian (peculiar to the Crimean-Novorossiysk floristic sub-province, extremely interesting florogenetically): rock spurge, Pontian toadflax, leathery capitula, blackheaded lamira, etc .; 4) Mediterranean-Turanian: grey-haired hernia, testicular hornhead, terrestrial tribulus, fabago double leaf, wormwood zozima, linear bindweed. To the Western Asian type belong: small-fruited kahris, three-column merender, gray-haired cherry, euphorbia arthropod and others. In addition to the xerophilic elements of the flora, associated in origin with the countries of Western Asia, one can also name mesophilic ones - large-leaved doronicum, bract-shaped poppy, ephemeroids of Pushkinia proleskovidny, Caucasian corydalis, three-columnar merender. Perhaps it would be more accurate to classify them as Tertiary mesophilic, Turgai in origin, which penetrated into the North Caucasus from the south.

Of course, not the entire complex of Mashuk's xerophilic flora is of the same age. Some of the species formed as early as the Pliocene, others could have come in the Pleistocene due to repeated cooling, and even in the xerothermic epoch of the early Holocene (tribulus, parnolistny, etc.). However, the boreal flora, in the narrow sense, takes the greatest part in the composition of the Mashuk flora in terms of the number of species (up to 40%). A significant number of species appeared here after the Kumo-Manych Strait dried up and the vegetation zones shifted to the south under the pressure of continental glaciations. The vast majority of boreal species on Mashuk are grasses that have entered under the forest canopy, as well as water and marsh ones. These are the oak bluegrass, the short-legged forest, the fragrant bedstraw, the sticky sage, the white and fragrant violet, the Adam's root, the forest cleaner, the evening, the Daurian sapling, the Swiss selaginella, and many others. Of the shrubs, probably common barberry, some wild roses, etc.

One of the latest stratifications of the Mashuk flora is the appearance of steppe elements in connection with the drainage of Ciscaucasia from the Manych Strait and the development of Ciscaucasian steppes. Despite the plowing of the steppe territories, many steppe species still have shelter in the communities of upland xerophytes on Mount Mashuk. Such are the most beautiful Eurasian steppe feather grass, steppe timothy grass, thin-legged slender, Volga and sticky smoky, sainfoin astragalus, Marshall's thyme, tuberous cornflower, Russian cornflower, etc .; European steppe: narrow-leaved peony, pseudo-burning clematis, Austrian flax, reticulated saffron, false armeric carnation, Tatar kermek, etc .; steppe Mediterraneans: hairy feather grass, unnoticed viper onion, hairy baby, etc .; Sarmatian: colchicum cheerful, etc.

Of particular interest are endemics, which are also extremely heterogeneous in their origin, connected by roots with different geographical types. Common Caucasian endemics include, for example, tamus-like gablicia, giant capitula, kosogornikova tsitserbita; to the North Caucasian: heart-leaved katran, fake iris, thin asphodelina, Dmitry's astragalus, calyx astragalus, capitate gypsum, narrow-leaved snowdrop, oblong-leaved bellflower, drooping symphiandra, Bieberstein's woodruff, Vasilchenko's sainfoin and some others. There are significantly more North Caucasian and West Caucasian endemics on Mashuk, which also enter adjacent territories (conditional endemics), such as the arcuate avian, the black-headed lamira, the forked iris, the Bieberstein's kopeechnik, the merry colchicum, etc. A small group consists of cosmopolitan species (species that are also found outside the Holarctic ): common reed, medium chickweed, chicken millet, etc.). And, finally, in the last decade, the group of adventitious (introduced) species, as a rule, undesirable, has been rapidly increasing. These are, first of all, American annuals: ragweed ragweed (quarantine object), cocklebur cyclaena, California cocklebur, small-flowered and setaceous galinzoga, euphorbia serrated, etc. Disturbances of habitats with natural vegetation cover contribute to their expansion.

A few words should be said about the relic nature of the Mashuk flora. It is quite clear that various geographical elements that settled in different eras in the most suitable ecological niches, due to the changing physical and geographical situation, as well as in connection with the age-old successions of phytocenoses, especially species with conservative heredity, no longer find suitable conditions for themselves at the present time. time. A striking example of such species is the small or dwarf euonymus, which has a single location in the Caucasus. In general, this is an extremely rare species, to the east of the Caucasus, found after a huge break in Mongolia and China, and to the west - in some places in Ukraine, Poland, Moldavia, Romania. We can say that this is a dying species, but an exceptionally valuable object from a scientific point of view.

The entire complex of upland xerophytes, characteristic of stony limestone slopes, should also be considered relic. This complex was formerly (during the xerothermal eras) widespread, and now its species huddle in places where competition is greatly weakened. These are species that are currently unable to create an independent type of vegetation cover (like the Mediterranean maquis). These include Crimean asphodelina, rocky spurge, blackheaded lamira, drooping sagebrush, Caucasian wormwood, leathery and Ural capitular, holly and capitate gypsum, dark purple, whitish and yellowing bows, Caucasian sedum, Caucasian juvenile, Caucasian feather grass, large-flowered sunflower, etc. time, a group of these species, relict in nature, suffers great damage from the destruction of their habitat - limestone slopes

A special group of relics are species that have become rare due to unconscious extermination by man. As the most characteristic, one can cite bract-shaped poppy, heart-leaved katran, narrow-leaved snowdrop, Caucasian hazel grouse, proleskovidnaya pushkinia, three-column merender. These are anthropogenic relics that are unable to successfully renew themselves due to the fact that a person destroys their generative organs (for bouquets), or entire plants (digging for transfer to gardens, terracing of slopes, etc.).

The uniqueness of the region of the Caucasian Mineral Waters, its natural wealth was the reason for the close attention of many outstanding natural researchers, botanists. P. S. Pallas, F. M. Bieberstein, H. H. Steven, F. B. Fischer and K. A. Meyer, M. I. Adam, V. I. Lipsky, I. M. Schmalhausen, D. I. Litvinov, K. G. Tsan, A. A. Grossgeim, A. I. Galushko and others. These researchers (and some others) from the Kavminvod region described many plant species for the first time for science, including those from Mount Mashuk . As a result, Mount Mashuk is a classic site for 25 species of vascular plants. Consequently, individuals of these species growing on Mashuk are reference in the identification of material collected from other territories.

Every biological species is born, lives and thrives in the depths of the biocenosis, and it is quite obvious that in order to preserve the gene pool of the plant world, it is necessary to preserve the natural vegetation cover, to preserve at least its surviving pieces as much as possible. There are very few of them left on the territory of the CMS - only on the Bismalites mountains - geological formations that are unique in themselves and require protection. One of these Bismalites is Mount Mashuk. At the same time, the most threatening situation for many species of the entire CMS region was created on Mount Mashuk.

About 120 species of about 1200 species of vascular plant flora of the CMS region require protection to one degree or another, and 81 species of 1012 species living on Mount Mashuk. Thus, the situation with the state of the flora here is completely unsatisfactory. At the same time, 19 Mashuk plant species are listed in the Red Book of the RSFSR, and 10 in the Red Book of the USSR. 12 species that previously grew on Mashuk have not been recently found during special searches (status - 0), 15 are on the verge of extinction (status - 1), 21 are candidates for the previous group (status - 2). 25 plant species are described for the first time in Mashuk; therefore, individuals of Mashuk populations of such species are reference. For this reason, all of them must be monitored and especially carefully preserved. Vegetation cover is important not only from the point of view of protecting the gene pool and the reference significance of species, its role is exceptional in protecting against the penetration of pathogenic microorganisms into the formation zone of mineral sources and maintaining a favorable water regime.

Percale nursery

On the northern slope of Mashuk there is the Perkal nursery, where the reference planting material of exotic plants is grown for landscaping the resorts of the Caucasian Mineral Waters group. The nursery was founded in 1879. It is located in a forest area dominated by ash Fraxinus excebsior L., hornbeam Carpinus betulus L., two species of oak (Quercus robur L., Petraea L.), beech Fagus orientalis L., elm Ulmus scabra Mill., maple Aber platanoides, linden Tilia caucasica Rupr., T. platyphyllas Scap. and other breeds. On the territory of the nursery, at different times, plots of dendrological plantations were laid, known as the Perkalsky arboretum and serving as the uterine-seed base of the nursery.

The first section (the beginning of the 20th century) The old arboretum has the shape of a rectangle elongated across the slope. The scientist forester V. M. Vasiliev, who graduated from the St. Petersburg Forestry Institute in 1899, played an important role in its organization. He bought seedlings of valuable and rare tree species and garden forms from the nursery of Count Zamoysky in Lviv. In the pre-October period, the nursery, on the basis of the created mother base, grew about 50 different tree species and garden forms. Many trees and shrubs of the Old Arboretum are well preserved to this day, and some are unique for the entire North Caucasus. These include purple-leaved forest beech, prickly spruce - 12 specimens, columnar berry yew, purple-leaved hazel - 14 mother bushes, black walnut, western plane tree, lochleaf pear, Turkish oak and many other trees and shrubs.

In 1929, according to the project of V. M. Vasiliev, on an area of ​​4 hectares on the northeastern slope of the Perkalskaya rock of Mount Mashuk, a dendrological garden (New Arboretum) was laid. The purpose of laying plantations was the introduction and testing of new tree exotics to enrich the landscaping and forestry of the CMS region. On the basis of the arboretum, in 1929, an experimental station for VIR was established, then the Arboretum Experimental Station. Since 1936, as the Forest and Park Experimental Station, it has played an important role in the introduction, testing and introduction of new valuable species and forms of trees and shrubs into production. Seeds, cuttings, seedlings and seedlings were issued annually from various domestic and foreign acclimatization institutions.

By 1941, there were about 400 species and garden forms in the Percala Arboretum; Up to 700 species were grown in the introduction area. The collection of herbaceous and flower perennials has accumulated 500 species and 300 forms. In 1941, the nursery occupied an area of ​​60 hectares and produced 13 species of conifers, 80 species and forms of deciduous trees, 58 shrubs, 7 lianas, 20 varieties of roses and other ornamental plants. The post-war years were the years of oblivion of the Perkal Arboretum, as well as many other similar institutions in the country. The total degradation of the species composition reached 80% by the 1980s, and only about 250 taxa survived that had naturalized here and did not require care. The Arboretum lost its status as a scientific institution. In 1982, on the basis of the Perkal Arboretum, a stronghold of the Botanical Institute of the USSR Academy of Sciences was organized. The scientist agronomist A. D. Mikheev restored the arboretum, and is conducting painstaking scientific and methodological work. Now the Arboretum collection has been brought to the previous level - about 1200 items.

Percal Arboretum- the first scientific center for the introduction of woody plants in the North Caucasus and one of the very first dendrological plantations of introduced species and garden forms in the south of Russia. It was organized in 1879 in connection with the needs of resort park construction, landscaping of the settlements of the Caucasian Mineral Waters. This establishment has always been the main breeding base of the Perkalsky nursery of ornamental crops and thus influenced the species and form composition of gardens and parks of the resorts of the CMS and other southern regions of the country. Being a scientific and practical center for tree growing, the arboretum is also a unique center for the protection of the gene pool of the plant world, a center for culture and promotion of environmental and biological knowledge, cultural and patriotic education of the broad masses of the population. This is at the same time one of the main attractions of the resort area, a corner of nature, where representatives of the flora of the Caucasus and the most valuable exotic plants from countries with similar climatic conditions are demonstrated.

The Perkal Arboretum consists of several areas: Old Arboretum - 0.7 hectares; New arboretum - 4.2 hectares; Coniferous plot - 1.0 ha; Introduction nursery and breeding areas - 1.8 hectares; At present, the collections of the Arboretum include 550 names of trees and shrubs in the rank of species, including about 40 varieties of lilacs and roses. In addition, in the last 15 years, collections of herbaceous ornamental, medicinal and other useful plants containing about 350 species have been collected. Of this range, about 120 species are listed in the Red Books: the IUCN (2 species), the RSFSR (85 species) (including 63 species in the Red Book of the USSR), foreign countries - 33.

In the Red Book of the USSR (and the RSFSR): bear hazel, Persian iron tree, pinnate and colchic chickweed, Nedzvetsky's apple tree, Japanese princepia, winged lapina, hornbeam hop-leaved, chestnut-leaved oak, ailantolium walnut, tall and smelly junipers, cross-leaved microbiota, chalky pine, yew berry, Caspian honey locust, small euonymus; Bortkiewicz snowdrops, Lagodekhi, narrow-leaved, Voronova, Kabardian, spring and summer white flowers, Greig and Gesner tulips, Caucasian lilies, Kesselring, drooping, Mlokosevich peonies, large-leaved, travelers, thin-leaved, sword-leaved irises, dwarf, doubtful, Georgian, sharp-lobed, Steven's katrans , heart-leaved, bract-leaved poppy, Caucasian Dioscorea, spinous euphorbia, beautiful thyme, Caucasian kandyk, Edward's hazel grouse, Caucasian, chess, heart-leaved aralia, Colchian Goryanka, etc. The collection of wild relatives of cultivated plants collected in the 30s is of great value in the arboretum years by employees of acad. N. I. Vavilova from the All-Union Institute of Plant Growing: pears - 6 species, apple trees - 7, hawthorns - 9, chaenomeles - 3, quince - 1, medlar - 1, plum - 2, bird cherry - 6, almonds - 3, walnut - 7 , caria - 3, lapina alata - 1.

Of the most promising for landscaping at the present time, the following plants can be noted: ginkgo, metasequoia (systematic relics of the Tertiary period), bear hazel, Lombard hazel purple-leaved, Wallich and Weymouth pines, Colorado fir, Montpellier maples and false sibolds, gutta-percha tree, racemosus exochorda and Gialda , pinnate and colchic calves, magnolia kobus, Sulange, Linnea, tree peony, Olympic St. John's wort and Hooker, Water creeping cotoneaster, Dils elegant, pressed, thyme-leaved, Dammer, Japanese quince, rough deutsia, canadian shepherdia, buddleia alternate-leaved, weigela florida and hybrid , narrow-leaved lavender, Wilson's barberries, otava. There are also about 100 species of medicinal plants in the Arboretum collections; of which, for example: species of aralia, eleutherococcus, magnolia vine, maral root, medicinal sage, lavender, peppermint, species of podophyllum.

Percale rock. Composed of travertine limestones. This is one of the sites of Mashuk with fragments of oreoxerophilous flora preserved from one of the xerothermic epochs of the past. Here (despite the strong destruction of the rock by quarries) such rare plants listed in the Red Book of the RSFSR as Symphyandra pendula, Asphodeline taurica, Trachomitum tauricum, Centaurea ruthenica, Celtis glabrata, Ornithogalum navashinii, Cephalanthera coriacea, Orchis tridentata, Iris notha, Fritillaria caucasica huddle here .

The reference site of the indigenous Mashuk forest. Main species: high ash, Caucasian hornbeam, pedunculate and rocky oaks, Norway and field maples, Caucasian pear, bird cherry, five-petal and one-petal hawthorn, German medlar, dogwood, common hazel, European and warty euonymus. The following species of herbaceous plants listed in the Red Book of the RSFSR are found in this forest: Ornithogalum arcuatum, Cephalanthera damasonium, C.rubra, Galanthus angustifolius, Platanthera bifolia.

Fauna

At present, a peculiar natural-anthropogenic association has formed on Mashuk, including species that have adapted to the human environment: hares, squirrels, hamsters, some rodents, and birds - corvids, tits, woodpeckers, hawks. Abundant in the recent past, the fauna of the city of Mashuk is today in a state of sharp depletion. The destruction of trees and shrubs on the slopes of the mountain led to radical transformations in the biogeocenosis, while many of its species die without having time to adapt to new conditions. As a result of violations in the biogeocenosis, the impoverishment of the fauna on Mount Mashuk has taken on a catastrophic character.

The following species belonging to the class of mammals have disappeared: wild forest cat (Caucasian subspecies), badger, common badger, dormouse, baby mouse, as well as some types of bats. The stone marten, forest dormouse, common hedgehog, common fox, Caucasian mole, as well as species of shrews and some mouse-like rodents have become very rare.

Species belonging to the class of birds have also disappeared: eagle owls, common owl, long-tailed tit, red-footed falcon. In addition, the larks stopped nesting. Many species have become rare and very rare, such as, for example: splyushka, common nightingale, common turtledove, common starling, lesser spotted woodpecker, little wryneck, song thrush, stone thrushes. The disappearance and reduction in the number of hollow-nesting birds and ground-nesting species are directly related to thinning, which destroys hollow trees and thickets of shrubs. Observations showed that the number and number of migratory and wintering species simultaneously decreased.

Birds not identified to species are not included in this list (predators, ducks, waders, small passerines). According to the nature of their stay, the birds are conditionally divided into two groups - sedentary and wintering, although for some species it is not entirely clear whether the wintering population is settled or nesting birds are replaced by birds of northern populations during wintering. The usual list of wintering birds includes 50-60 species. However, during abnormally warm winters, such as in 1996-1997, their number rises sharply. In addition, since the observations were not always regular, it is possible that the total number of wintering species is greater than indicated. Observations have shown that the species diversity of birds at different stations is relatively stable throughout the entire observation period. Its relative fluctuations are associated, as a rule, with weather conditions. With sharp fluctuations or deep snow, some species migrate in order to return during the thaw. Obviously, the main factor here is the availability of food, and not the low temperatures themselves. In addition, mountain views appear in our country only when a deep snow cover is established in the mountains.

During the observation period, a tendency to reduce the number of species and the number of wintering birds was clearly revealed. If in the 1970s and early 1980s it was possible to register 25-35 species with a total number of up to 5-15 thousand individuals per route on the survey routes in the Podkumka floodplain, and in forest stations, respectively, 10-15 species and up to several hundred individuals, then in the nineties in January, the figures decreased by 1-2 orders of magnitude. A significant number of winterers could be registered only in the initial period of wintering, that is, in late November-early December. The exception was the wintering of 1996-1997.

Many species that previously dominated wintering habitats before 1990 found themselves in low numbers and left the area at the height of wintering. For example, the common bunting and millet, which in the 70s were found in flocks of up to 1000 individuals, were recorded irregularly and in single specimens in the 90s. The hundreds of flocks of goldfinches that were constantly observed in the 70s and 80s have faded into oblivion. Forest biotopes are generally striking in their lifelessness. Small flocks of tits are found almost only along health paths, where they are fed by walkers. Wintering owls have practically ceased to be seen, although in 1991-93, with the onset of dusk, 3-5 hunting birds could always be observed in the Proval area. Quantitatively, the presence of large corvids became noticeable. Six species are constantly found on the territory: raven, hoodie, magpie, jackdaw, jay.

The raven (Corvus corax L.) is a rare resident bird. On Mount Mashuk, on a forest area of ​​800 hectares, one pair of ravens nests stably for many years.

Jackdaw (Colveus monedula L.) - their stable colony lived in Pyatigorsk relatively recently. Nested on the buildings of the Pharmaceutical Academy and the resort council. The reason for the departure was apparently noise pollution and the lack of a sufficiently stable food supply.

Jay (Gazzulus glandazius) - has been constantly nesting in Pyatigorsk since the early 70s, has become a common settled bird.

Magpie (Pica pica L.). According to literary sources, there were no magpies in Ciscaucasia at the beginning of the 18th century. Even 50-70 years ago, magpies were found only on the outskirts of the city during non-breeding times. Now, on some streets of Pyatigorsk, magpie nests are located at a distance of 50-70 m from each other. The number of flocks is 30-40 individuals, overnight - up to 300-400.

Rooks (Corvus frugilegus L.) have appeared since the early 1960s. The nests are located in the countryside. Every year from September to February, the area of ​​Pyatigorsk becomes the place of their traditional wintering. Rooks keep on wintering together with gray crows (but not necessarily) in a ratio of 3:1. A clear daily rhythm is as follows: at dawn, flocks of rooks and crows leave their places of lodging for the night in the foothills of Beshtau, and gradually move towards feeding places near garbage dumps, often waiting for the sunrise on tall trees within the city. The evening flight starts 30-40 minutes before sunset and ends in the dark. In the immediate vicinity of Pyatigorsk, up to 100-150 thousand rooks and gray crows winter.

The Gray Crow (Corvus corone L.) has become a breeding and wintering bird in Pyatigorsk over the past 2-25 years. Nests are arranged at a distance of 120-200 m from one another. By winter, the number of crows increases sharply due to birds flying up from the north. The number of wintering gray crows in the vicinity of Pyatigorsk ranges from 20 to 40 thousand individuals.

Disappeared belonging to the class of reptiles verdigris, zheltupuz, brittle godwit. There are practically no vipers, common snakes, snakes and other snakes. The number of green and quick lizards has sharply decreased.

The number of all species of amphibians has decreased due to the disappearance of springs and a decrease in the amount of moisture.

The number and species diversity of invertebrates has been catastrophically reduced due to changes in vegetation composition, soil compaction, and changes in habitats. A detailed clarification of the state of the entomofauna requires thorough and detailed research, however, even a small set of facts gives an idea of ​​the current situation. Cicadas, some species of locusts and hawk moths, and certain species of wasps and other hymenoptera have disappeared on Mount Mashuk. Butterflies, beetles and other insects have become rare.

The fauna of Goryachaya Mountain, due to the proximity of the city and the large number of people and domestic animals visiting Goryachaya, is limited to small and few species. There are no wild mammals. Reptiles - a rare steppe viper, rocky and other types of lizards are common. In 1996, zoologist Vladimir Zboritsky discovered a medium-sized lizard here for the first time in the region. According to the observation of entomologist V.V. Tikhonov, rare insects in need of protection are observed in this area: the steppe bumblebee, butterflies - Circe, Antaeus, the swallowtail and padalirium listed in the Red Book are common. A common inhabitant of the rocks in the area is the wall climber (this is the only area in the Kavminvody region where a bird was observed, which is not uncommon in other areas of the Stavropol region).

prehistoric archaeological finds

Archaeological monuments of Mount Mashuk have been studied rather poorly. Currently, about twenty of them are known, while their value and boundaries have not yet been established. The first information about the archaeological sites of the city of Mashuk appeared in the scientific literature in the early 80s of the XIX century. In the period of preparation for the V Archaeological Congress (Tiflis, 1879-1881), such famous Caucasian scholars as V.V. Antonovich and V.L. -western borders of the Konstantinovsky plateau. The burials in them mainly belonged to two periods - the 2nd millennium BC. and to the late Middle Ages - XV-XVII centuries. Similar monuments near the Konstantinovka colony were studied by D.N. Samokvasov, and at the beginning of the 20th century by V.R. Apukhtin. The burial mounds of this huge grave complex are directly adjacent to the spurs of Mashuk from the east side.

In 1951-1952 mounds with burials of the II millennium BC. e. I. S. Gumilevsky opened at the Pyatigorsk meat-packing plant. An exact topographical binding of the mounds to the natural-geographical boundaries of Mashuk has not yet been carried out. A.P. Runich pointed out that on Mount Goryachaya (the exact location has not yet been established), when examining rocks in a layer of travertine, N.M. Egorov found flakes of flint and a knife-like plate, possibly dating back to the 4th millennium BC. e. A location close in time (III millennium BC) was also noted near Komsomolskaya Polyana on the opposite northern slope of Mashuk. The monuments are poorly researched, but they are of great importance, as they are among the most ancient of those known in the city of Pyatigorsk. Such objects are generally little studied.

The territory was especially densely populated during the period when the Koban tribes spread here in the 8th-7th centuries BC. e. and in the Scythian time of the 7th-5th centuries BC. e. By this time are burial grounds: pos. Energetik, on the Perkalskaya rock, on the Komsomolskaya glade, on the Lermontov junction; and settlements: at the Perkal rock, to the west of the meat processing plant. Much less common in the river basin. Podkumok Koban sites of an earlier period. Therefore, especially from a scientific point of view, it is important to study the burial ground from stone boxes of the 5th-8th centuries BC. e. at the Lermontov rock.

List of paleontological finds

1. Elephant jaw. Found on the northern slope of Mashuk in quarry No. 1 of the Izvest trust (Perkal rock). Nakhodka N. M. Egorova. Pyatigorsk Museum of Local Lore, book of receipts, entry No. 6453.
2. Large fossil animal bone. Found in the VOK quarry behind the prison in 1937. Pyatigorsk Museum of Local History.
3. An imprint of the brain and partially cranial bones of a large mammal in travertines at Mashuk, east of the Perkal rock. Quarry of the 1st Kuban Sugar Factory, 1938. Nakhodka N. M. Egorova. Pyatigorsk Museum of Local History, book of receipts, entry No. 7041.

List of archaeological finds of prehistoric times

1. Burial ground in the village. Energetic. Age VI–V centuries BC. e. Accidentally discovered during construction work. Vinogradov V.V., p. 62, 335. Pyatigorsk Museum of Local History.
2. Burial ground near the sanatorium "Goryachiy Klyuch". Age I–IV centuries BC. e. Discovered on the slope of Goryachaya during the construction of a sanatorium. Pyatigorsk Museum of Local Lore.
3. The prehistoric settlement on the town of Goryachaya has been known since the 20s of the 20th century. Exit of the cultural layer of the 1st–4th centuries BC. e. near the Eagle sculpture, finds of ancient dishes in caves on the southern slope of Mount Goryachaya. At the top of the mountain, stone millstones were found, stored in the PMC. The settlement and the burial ground are described in the Archaeological map of Pyatigorye Runich A.P., the manuscript is in the Pyatigorsk Museum of Local Lore.
4. Burial ground on st. Factory. Burial in stone boxes. Age of the 7th-5th centuries BC. e. Pyatigorsk Museum of Local Lore.
5. A settlement west of the meatpacking plant. Dated to the early Iron Age. Description in the Archaeological map of Pyatigorye Runich A.P., manuscript in the Pyatigorsk Museum of Local Lore.
6. Burial mounds on the Konstantinovsky Plateau. Huge barrow field. Dated from the Bronze Age to the late Middle Ages. The southeastern part of the field is described in the Archaeological map of Pyatigorye Runich A.P., the manuscript is in the Pyatigorsk Museum of Local Lore.
7. Burial ground near Leninskaya rock. Burial in stone boxes. Age XIII-X century BC. e. Kozenkova B.I., 1989.
8. Burial ground on Perkal rock. Burials in the ground and in stone boxes contained unique material from the 6th-5th centuries BC. e. – Egorov N. M. Scythian burial ground near the city of Mineralnye Vody, 1955. Fomenko V. A. Report on archaeological exploration in 1989. Archive of the Institute of Archeology of the USSR Academy of Sciences.
9. Settlement at the foot of the Perkal rock (first and second). Age VIII-VI centuries BC. e. The material is stored in the Zheleznovodsk Museum of Local Lore. Krupnov V.I., 1960, p. 144.
10. Burial ground at Komsomolskaya Polyana. Soil burial ground of the Early Iron Age. Vinogradov VV, 1972, pp. 62, 335. The material is stored in the Pyatigorsk Museum of Local Lore.
11. Location of flint flakes and a knife-shaped blade at Goryachaya Mountain. Found by Egorov N.M. Indicated by Runich A.P., manuscript, funds of the Pyatigorsk Museum of Local Lore.
12. The location of the Eneolithic era near the Komsomol glade I millennium BC. e. Runich A.P., manuscript, funds of the Pyatigorsk Museum of Local Lore.

Historical monuments of the new era

By the first centuries A.D. e. (Late Sarmatian period) include three identified settlements: on Mount Goryachey, in the Provalskaya beam near the Pyatigorye sanatorium, Outpost, Energetik. A monument close to them in historical and cultural terms is the burial ground near the sanatorium "Goryachiy Klyuch" (I-IV centuries AD). It is quite possible that the late period of the existence of these objects falls within the boundaries of the next historical and cultural epoch - the early Middle Ages (V-beginning of the 13th centuries AD). Of particular importance for science and society is the burial ground from the early medieval catacombs discovered during the construction of the sausage shop of the Pyatigorsk Meat Processing Plant. According to preliminary estimates, the material from them dates back to the 10th–13th centuries AD. e. If so, then this is one of about a dozen such monuments throughout the central regions of the North Caucasus. Among the burial mounds of the so-called Old Kabardian XV-XVII centuries, in addition to individual groups from the Konstantinovsky plateau, there is also a burial ground near the station. Lermontovskaya.

List of archaeological sites of the new era

1. Settlement in Provalskaya gully near the Pyatigorye sanatorium. Age: 2nd–5th centuries AD An ancient settlement unique in its preservation. Fomenko V. A. – Settlement near Mount Mashuk. The materials are stored in the Pyatigorsk Museum of Local History.
2. A burial ground from medieval catacombs on the territory of a meat processing plant. Opened and partially destroyed during the construction of a sausage shop. Age X-XII century AD. e. The materials are stored in the Pyatigorsk Museum of Local History.
3. Settlement "outpost Energetik". Age I-IV century AD. e. Archive of Runich A.P. in the Kislovodsk Museum of Local Lore.
4. Late medieval burial mound at the Lermontovsky crossing. Dated to the 15th-17th centuries. Runich A.P., manuscript. Pyatigorsk Museum of Local Lore.
5. Abaza village and burial ground east of the meat processing plant. The burial ground was partially destroyed in 1941 during the digging of a water trench to the east of the "new" building of the meat-packing plant. Egorov N.M., entry No. 7802, Pyatigorsk Museum of Local History.

), in which a week before the death of M. Yu. Lermontov was the organizer of a fun ball; the grotto of M. Yu. Lermontov (1831, a decorative appearance was given by the Bernardazzi brothers), which he immortalized in the “Hero of Our Time”, the sculpture of L. K. Shodky “The Eagle” (1903), which became a symbol of the Caucasian Mineral Waters.

One of the oldest cemeteries of the North Caucasus stands out in the conditionally allocated cemetery complex, where there are tombstones, obelisks with expensive names. This is a monument (1901–3?) at the site of the original burial of M. Yu. Lermontov on July 17, 1841, the family crypt of the Verzilins and Shan-Gireevs, relatives of the poet, the grave of a friend of M. Yu. Lermontov and N. V. Gogol professor medicine I. E. Dyadkovsky, a monument on the grave of the builders-architects of Pyatigorsk, the Bernardazzi brothers, the grave of Tsalikova, a close friend of the Ossetian poet K. Khetagurov, the grave of the poet Kapiyev. There are many graves of contemporaries of M. Yu. Lermontov: Prince Bagration-Mukhransky, Bestuzhev and others.

Colonel of the Donskoy Army Rodionov with three officers and 136 Cossacks, who saved Pyatigorsk from inevitable death in 1828 and died heroically in this battle with the highlanders, were buried in this cemetery. There are many graves of people who entered the history of the resort: a friend of F. S. Dostoevsky, the famous doctor and botanist A. E. Rizenkampf; professor Conradi, one of the first head physicians of the resort; Doctor of Medicine E. A. Larin; major balneologist, doctor of medicine V. A. Kobylin - president of the Pyatigorsk Republic in 1905; prominent hydrogeologist I. I. Volodkevich. Here is the grave of the outstanding photographer G. I. Raev, who held the world championship for half a century; the grave of the scientist and poet V. M. Budrik, the sculptor L. K. Shodky and many other famous people who deserve the eternal memory of peoples.

In the church fence of the cemetery church, at the foot of Mount Mashuk, 102 victims of the civil war, the color of the then Russian officers and nobility, are buried; among them 23 generals, 10 princes and other famous people then; outside the fence lie the ashes of two more generals from infantry: the national hero of Bulgaria Radko Dmitriev, who commanded the 8th and 12th Russian armies on the German front in World War I, and N. B. Ruzsky from the Lermontov family, who commanded the Northern, then the North-Western fronts and enjoyed immense popularity among the people. It is believed that to the north, beyond the border of the Military Memorial, there is a mass grave of four thousand Red Army soldiers who died of wounds and typhus in 1918. Some of the graves are no longer visible, the rest are in the form of nameless mounds. On the southern slope of the Mashuk spur called Kazachka, 10 officers of the Shirvan regiment, who died on the Turkish front in 1914-1916, were buried. The burial is now unmarked.

Approximately 1.5 km north of the cemetery there is another mass grave - presumably, this is the grave of 204 Pyatigorsk citizens executed in 1920.

Cemetery - a necropolis with valuable architecturally decorated tombstones, reflecting the taste of the population and all beliefs, with the graves of famous people who went down in the history of Russia, the Caucasus, Pyatigorsk, with the War Memorial adjacent to the cemetery, the burial place of the Red Army soldiers, officers of the Shirvan regiment, as well as an architectural monument - Lazarevskaya Church with a modern baptismal, with a church cemetery - this whole complex is a monument of history and culture.

Almost at the top of Mashuk is the grave of the famous geographer and topographer A. V. Pastukhov, the explorer of the highest peaks of the Caucasus. In 1900, an obelisk by A. Andreoletti was installed on it facing the snow-white mountain range.

Monuments of culture of republican significance

1. Monument at the site of the original burial of M. Yu. Lermontov, 1901. Old cemetery. State Lermontov Reserve.
2. Obelisk at the site of the duel of M. Yu. Lermontov, 1915, sculptor V. M. Mikeshin, northern slope of Mount Mashuk.
3. Obelisk near the top of Mashuk on the grave of Pastukhov A.V., 1900, sculptor A. Andreoletti.
4. Sculpture "Eagle", 1903.8? sculptor L. K. Shodky, Mount Hot.
5. Monument at the grave of the Bernardazzi brothers. Old cemetery.
6. Tomb of Shan-Girey E.E. Old cemetery. State Lermontov Reserve.
7. Crypt of the Verzilins and Shan Giray. Old cemetery. State Lermontov Reserve.
8. Grave of Dyadkovsky I. E. State Lermontov Reserve.
9. The grave of A. A. Tselikova, a close friend of K. Khetagurov. Old cemetery.
10. Grave of E. Kapiev, Dagestan poet. Old cemetery.
11. Portrait of V. I. Lenin on a rock in the city of Mashuk, near the sanatorium "Lenin rocks", 1925, artist N. N. Shuklin.
12. Monument "Memorial Wall", built on the site of the execution of members of the Central Executive Committee of the North Caucasian Republic, 1957, architect Svetlichsky, Mashuk, southern slope.
13. The old cemetery-necropolis completely.
14. Lazarevskaya cemetery church (late 19th century) with a church cemetery.
15. Grave of Radko Dmitriev, Bulgarian national hero, infantry general of the Russian army, behind the fence of the church cemetery.
16. The grave of Ruzsky I.V., a general from infantry, behind the fence of the church cemetery.
17. The grave of Riesenkampf A. B., scientist, doctor, friend of F. M. Dostoevsky. Old cemetery.
18. Mass grave of 102 hostages, victims of the civil war. In the church cemetery.

Condition of the natural monument

Mount Mashuk is located in the zone of intense anthropogenic impact of the city of Pyatigorsk and other nearby settlements. At present, more than half of all industrial enterprises in the Kavminvod region are located in the city of Pyatigorsk. 43 enterprises are concentrated here, employing 22,000 people and with a production volume of 510 million rubles. (in 1990 prices). Only in the industrial zone "Skachki" there are about 92 units of enterprises, institutions, warehouses. The largest and most dangerous enterprises in terms of emissions, such as the Pyatigorskselmash plant, Spektr and others, are also located here. The Skachki railway station serves as a transshipment base for receiving goods by neighboring republics - Kabardino-Balkaria, North Ossetia and others. In addition, over 30,000 vehicles are concentrated in Pyatigorsk. Most of the products manufactured by the enterprises of the city of Pyatigorsk are not connected with the needs of the resort and are exported outside the area.

All this creates a high anthropogenic load, and, above all, on the air basin. The highest level of pollution of the surface layer of the atmosphere is observed precisely in Pyatigorsk, where the total emission of harmful substances into the atmosphere is 27,363 tons per year (about half of all emissions in the region of the Caucasian Mineral Waters). In recent years, the air transparency coefficient here has decreased from 0.780 to 0.700. In the central part of the city, according to the maximum one-time indicators, there are multiple excesses of the maximum permissible concentrations (MPC) for chromic anhydride by 6 times, by the amount of phenols by 8 times, by suspended solids by 17-25 times in the residential area and up to 3-9 times in the resort (including in the Proval area on the town of Mashuk). There is an increase in the level of CO pollution for the summer period (by 3-4% per year). In general, there are 1437 sources of emissions into the environment in Pyatigorsk, and the volume of industrial effluents is about 26.4 thousand m 3 per year.

In the Pyatigorsk resort, the reserves of mineral waters are about 2300 m 3 /day, and taking into account the necessary dilution of the mineralized radon water of the Beshtaugorsk well No. 113, the total supply of hydromineral resources is 3700 m 3 /day, which should meet the needs of the resort with full development up to 26 thousand beds at a time . However, even at present, with half the capacity (12,600 seats), mineral water was not enough to provide the resort in the summer.

In 1986, the debit of the main carbon dioxide-hydrogen sulfide waters at the resort has sharply decreased and now it is only 1100-1200 m 3 /day (reserves are 1740 m3/day). In addition, about 1000 m 3 /day of mineral waters at the Pyatigorsk resort are unfavorable in sanitary terms (Academic drilling, radon sources of radio adits No. 2 and Teploserny Nos. 1 and 3) and are discharged without use into the Podkumok River. The main reason for the sanitary problems of these sources is the unsatisfactory condition of the first sanitary protection zone in Mashuk.

The joint resolution of the Council of Ministers of the RSFSR and the All-Union Central Council of Trade Unions of December 24, 1985 “On measures for the conservation and improvement of the resort cities of the Caucasian Mineral Waters”, resolution No. order in the sanitary protection zones of resorts, including the city of Mashuk.

The slopes of the southern and southeastern exposure of the city of Mashuk are significantly built up, which creates an unfavorable sanitary situation here (Gagarin Boulevard, Goryachaya Mountain, S. M. Kirov Avenue and others). Due to the excessive influx of visitors to the Mashuksky forest, there is a widespread violation of the biological ecological balance, and the viability of the phytocenosis, a centuries-old community of plant organisms, is interrupted. Intensive logging weakened the viability of trees and created conditions for the proliferation of pests and diseases.

A television center was built on the top of Mount Mashuk, on the southern slope there is an Upper Radon Clinic, fresh water reservoirs were built, on the southwestern slope there are complexes of pedagogical and pharmaceutical institutes with educational buildings and dormitories; on the western slope there is a sanatorium-dispensary "Neftyanik". A rather significant Energetik settlement was built on the northwestern slope. The northern and northeastern slopes are partially occupied by summer cottages, vegetable gardens and garbage dumps. The development of Mount Goryachaya (sanatorium "Goryachiy Klyuch") causes particular harm.

The value of a natural monument

Environmental protection - the surface of the mountain through fracture zones is connected with the horizons of formation of medicinal mineral waters, which determines its water protection value. The forest and meadows covering the mountain are the guardians of the purity of mineral waters and the most valuable gene pool of the forest-steppe zone of the Ciscaucasia, purify the air, soften and improve the climate of the resort.

Resort and balneology - due to the presence of unique healing mineral waters and favorable landscape and climatic conditions, it is the territory on which a resort of world importance is located

Scientific – as a scientific object, the mountain has geological, hydrogeological, paleontological, archaeological, historical and botanical significance. Geological - for further study of the internal structure and origin of the igneous mountains of Pyatigorsk; hydrogeological - to study the formation of mineral waters, the relationship of their types; paleontological (study of fossil finds in travertines) - to study the biota that existed during the period when the hydromineral system began to operate after the passage of volcanic processes in Pyatigorye; archaeological - to study traces of human life in the initial period of the Kavminvod hydromineral system; historical - to study the life of a person in Pyatigorye in historical time; botanical – for inventory and monitoring of the unique flora of vascular plants of the Kavminvod.

Educational - mountain gaps are used to introduce students and schoolchildren to the geological structure, elements of the hydrogeological system of the formation of mineral waters.

Cultural - archaeological, historical and cultural monuments in the mountain area have all-Russian and world (Lermontov places) significance. Unique natural conditions and a wealth of monuments make it possible to raise the question of classifying Mount Mashuk as a monument of world significance and inclusion in the World Heritage List.

The Caucasus Mountains are shrouded in legends; these silent witnesses remember everything - from antiquity to modern times. The vegetation on their slopes gradually changed, only fragments of household items remained from the first settlers, and now thousands of travelers climb the trails in order to take stunning photos as a souvenir. One of the "tourist magnets" is Mount Mashuk, on the slopes of which the resort is located Pyatigorsk.
The symbol of the city was formed as a result of volcanic processes; its height is 994 meters. The observation deck of the mountain gives tourists a unique opportunity to admire the surroundings of the city and see Mount Beshtau. In good weather, when fog does not envelop the peaks of the massifs, you can see the Caucasus Range and Elbrus, part of the plains of the Stavropol Territory.
Even travelers unprepared for heights can climb to the top along the gentle slopes. During the walk, deciduous forests give way to small clearings in which southern grasses grow. Along the way you can look into a small grotto or cave. Mountain has the shape of a cone with a truncated peak, surrounded by the Kazachka and Goryachaya mountains, the Mikhailovsky spur, and nearby is the Britaya hill with the famous Proval.

Mineral springs

The unofficial name of Mashuka is “the giver of healing streams”; it was from this mountain that the local health resorts began their history. Initially, approximately 40 mineral springs were discovered on the slopes (radon, carbon dioxide, and hot thermal springs were found). The waters from them were actively used for taking health baths and as an additive to the daily diet. In the 19th century, drinking galleries and small baths were equipped for the “elite” segments of the population; people with low incomes could not afford to visit them. The problem was solved with the advent of inexpensive Soldier Baths. They did not function for long, they were demolished, and later a new place, carved into the mountainside - the “shameless baths” - became popular. The non-trivial name is due to the lack of separation of areas for men and women; everyone swam in thermal water at the same time. The authorities, in an attempt to preserve the chastity of society, filled up the pits with thermal springs, and new ones quickly appeared in their place. At the beginning of the 20th century, the People's Baths were opened, entry to which was free.

The Legend of Mashuk

Local residents have been passing on a beautiful and dramatic legend from mouth to mouth for many years, shedding light on the origin of the name. Long ago, in the place of the Caucasus Mountains there were endless fertile plains, where wise and fearless Narts lived, led by Prince Elbrus. He had a son, Beshtau, who chose the beautiful Mashuko as his wife. The pompous wedding was a sad event only for the prince, who himself fell madly in love with his son’s chosen one.
He sent his son on a princely campaign, and soon after this a rumor spread throughout the Caucasian lands about his death. He took Mashuko as his wife and imprisoned her in a high tower, forcing her to put a wedding ring on her finger. When Beshtau returned home and found out what had happened, he stole his beloved. The fugitives did not manage to get far, the prince's retinue caught up with them and in an unequal battle all the young guy's friends died. The son managed to cut his father's head into two equal parts, but the dying prince gathered all his remaining strength and cut him into five parts. The girl, distraught with grief, grabbed a sharp dagger and stabbed it into her heart, and then threw it far away from her.
From universal grief, which nature could not bear, everything around was petrified, all the fallen warriors turned into mountains. This is how Elbrus appeared with two peaks, the five-peaked Beshtau, not far from which is Mashuk with a deep Failure - a wound in the heart of a beauty from a dagger.

Ways to the top

The most popular mountain trail starts from the Resort Exhibition on Gagarin Boulevard, starting from Proval and going down to the Academic Gallery. The 3 km long zigzag road can be covered at a leisurely pace in about 45 minutes.
Climbing the southern slope is much more difficult; tourists often choose the path from the northern side of Perkalskaya Polyana - one of the most picturesque places. On its territory there is a dendrological nursery in which a large number of subtropical plants grow, including a relict tree - Ginkgo biloba. In summer you can see magnolia trees blooming.
A narrow road with a length of approximately 10 km wraps around the mountain in a spiral. You need to move with transport with caution; the route is also a health path (the treatment method of the same name is practiced, consisting of dosed physical activity) for vacationers in numerous sanatoriums in Pyatigorsk.
The most popular method of getting to the top of the laccolith is the legendary cable car. The plying aerial tram is completely glazed so that the traveler is protected from wind and rain (the “cable car” operates in any weather). You can get to the top in a few minutes, having time to take unique photos of the opening panorama. Opening hours: daily from 10.00 to 18.00, boarding is carried out at the lower station near the Radon Baths (bus No. 1 goes from the train station). Cost of ascent/descent: adult 360 rubles, children 100 rubles.
There is a separate track on the slopes for those who engage in mountain biking (a type of mountain bike tourism). Here, every year, masters of freeride (descending from natural hills) and downhill (bicycle racing) hone their skills.

Attractions located on Mount Mashuk

TV tower

The pride of the city, the creation of which was completed in 1959. From a distance it looks like an arrow, giving the impression that the mountain is rushing upward. The metal structure is of an openwork type, reminiscent of the Parisian landmark "Tour Eiffel". Pyatigorsk residents call it “our Eiffel Tower”; the similarity is especially visible when the TV tower is shrouded in evening twilight. Illumination by powerful spotlights creates an ephemeral aura woven from lilac-golden and white-blue rays. In winter, the metal patterns are covered with an ice crust and shimmer with all the colors of the rainbow.
The TV tower is a kind of beacon; it is visible within a radius of more than 40 km from Pyatigorsk. The height of the structure is 113 m, together with the mountain (596 m) it is more than 1000 m above sea level. Compared to this symbol, the Eiffel (325 m) and Ostankino (540 m) health resorts towers are inferior, at least in height.

Lake Proval

How to get there: walk from the Lermontov Grotto and the Academic Gallery, bus No. 1 (exit at the final stop).
This is a 41 m deep cave that was discovered at the end of the 18th century on the southern slope of the mountain. At its bottom there is a karst lake with bright blue water, but not everyone would want to swim in it. The hue is due to the presence of a huge amount of bacteria and hydrogen sulfide, so the smell inside the cave is, to put it mildly, unpleasant. Spending more than a few minutes there is very difficult for the human body.
In the middle of the 9th century, at the behest of Prince Golitsyn, a 58 m long tunnel was made, the descent to the lake was landscaped, and the entrance was lined with stone. Later, a niche was made in the stone wall and an icon of the Mother of God was placed in it. Now in its place is the face of the Holy Great Martyr Panteleimon.
An entire chapter in the immortal novel “The Twelve Chairs” by Ilf and Petrov is dedicated to the famous Failure. It was for its repair that Ostap Bender organized a fundraiser. At the entrance there is a sculpture of the Great Schemer; you can take a picture of yourself against its background or sit down to rest on a chair.

Sculpture "Eagle"

The monument is located on one of the spurs of Mashuk - Mount Hot. The sculpture was installed in 1901; it became a symbol not only of this area, but of the entire KavMinVod region. The stone originally embodied an urban legend about an eagle receiving a fatal snake bite. On the mountain, he drank healing water from one source and was cured. In the claws of a huge bird there is a snake - a symbol of victory for the Caucasians.
The first viewers of the monument gave it different assessments; some thought the figure was too ugly (the first “eagle” with an open beak and a huge wingspan looked predatorily and mercilessly at the snake with its left eye, its head turned to the right). Already in the evening, a red sparkler was lit near the sculpture. Later it was planned to create illumination, but the lion's share of the city budget went to maintaining the colorful image of the Tsvetnik park.
During the Civil War, the bird's head disappeared and its wings became smaller, and after restoration the head turned to the left. During the Second World War, the authorities saw in the monument a resemblance to the winged symbol of the Third Reich and almost completely destroyed it. After the fighting, the bird acquired a modern appearance - a closed beak, reduced wings with moderate plumage, the head lowered down and looking at the snake in its claws.

Definitely worth a look:

- Grotto of Diana - a cave located on the northern slope of Goryachaya, an artificial type, was opened in 1831. The name is given in honor of the hunter goddess, who loved to relax in the midday heat in the shade of the grottoes.
- Monument to military topographer A.V. Pastukhov , his grave is also located here (the will indicated the wish that the remains rest at the top).
- Aeolian harp - a place for romantics and pragmatists to walk on the Mikhailovsky Spur. This is a classic gazebo with white stone columns. According to legend, at this place the wind used to play on the weightless strings of harps, creating wonderful music. Even now, in windy weather, you can hear unusual sounds amplified by acoustics.
- Academic gallery - decorates the white stone miracle at the top of the Flower Garden park. In the 19th century, there was an Elizabethan Gallery on this site. The architecture of the building is the work of the Bernardazzi brothers. Initially it was a modest building made of wood, the walls of which were covered with fabric. It was later demolished and a beautiful stone building was built on the site. The mineral spring inside has No. 16.
- Metal panel - located on one of the retaining walls in the forest. Depicts a Red Army soldier, the sun, a beautiful star with a hammer and sickle inside. The wall around is covered with various inscriptions, however, it is not recommended for a particularly impressionable person to read some of them in order to avoid culture shock.
- Gate of the Sun (Love) - are located on one of the sites on the Mashuk slope, a 15-minute walk from the Kanatka cafe. A stone and concrete structure in the form of an arch welcomes wedding processions; according to legend, the groom must lead his bride through them several times so that the family ties are strong and the marriage long and happy. Before City Day in September, stone boulders are covered with gray paint due to constantly appearing inscriptions, which does not at all prevent, just a few days later, modern lovers from spray-painting themselves into history again.
- Lenin Rocks - got their name after on the southwestern slope in 1925 by artist N.K. Shuklin created a portrait of Lenin. The rock art was dedicated to the first gathering of Terek Cossack women. The image was restored in 1960. Nearby is the Lenin Rocks sanatorium, a young health resort that accepts adults and children for treatment all year round.
- Place of Lermontov's duel - a clearing on the northwestern slope, marked by an obelisk, where the great poet and prose writer died on July 15, 1841. At first he was buried not far from the site of the duel with Major Martynov, later the remains were reburied in the village of Tarkhanovo next to his mother’s grave.

The place where Pyatigorsk is located can be seen from afar. Many kilometers before the city, Mount Beshtau rises above the steppe and, together with the neighboring Mount Mashuk, its outlines resemble the ancient Egyptian pyramids. The city is located at the foot of these mountains. He even got his name from the mountain: “Beshtau” and is translated from the ancient languages ​​of local peoples as “five mountains”.

Up close, Pyatigorsk is quite surprising: at the entrance to the city, it’s as if you find yourself on the giant Tagansky Row in its worst years - the roads are in dead traffic jams, because along them there are huge markets that attract a large number of both buyers and sellers, and everything is on cars. Roundabouts, set up in abundance among shopping arcades, do not save the situation - there are too many cars. You can avoid standing in traffic jams for hours if you enter the city from the side where there are no markets.

Having broken through the markets, you no longer expect much from the city - but it turns out to be quite nice. Pyatigorsk is a fairly lively old town with all the attributes of city life. It does not have that feeling of a “monotown” that is inherent in those built around the Resort Park.

The city center is located at the foot of Mount Mashuk, to the top of which there is a cable car. There is a natural observation deck on the mountain, from where you can see the entire city and surrounding area, which is what I did. The lower cable car station is located in a somewhat unexpected place, seemingly in the central part of the city, but somehow on the outskirts, in the middle of a small park laid out right on the mountainside.

The cable car belongs to the same type as, for example, the cable car on Mount Ai-Petri or the old lines of cable cars on the slopes, that is, it has two cars resembling a tiny bus, moving in antiphase.

The cable car leads almost to the very top of Mount Mashuk, the total height of which is just over 993 meters. Not much by Caucasian standards, but since there are no continuous mountain ranges in this part of the Caucasus, the views from it are impressive.

The carriage unloads passengers at the upper station, arranged in an absolutely fantastic way: openwork narrow platforms with thin railings hang directly above the abyss.

From the mountain you can clearly see that Pyatigorsk is a fairly large city.

The city has several “centers”. The historical center is shifted from the geographical one and is located at the very foot of the mountain.

Here is the main city cathedral, many magnificent ancient public buildings and monuments. It can be seen that the city has preserved a large and integral ensemble of historical buildings - blocks, streets, squares and parks.

There is also a Soviet-era administrative center. It is decorated in the functionalism style typical of the 70s and 80s: large-scale buildings of laconic architecture, spacious squares, wide green alleys.

The Intourist Hotel and the City Hall stand out here.

From above you can see several more interesting objects.

Modern high-rise. Fortunately, so far there are only isolated cases of this in the ancient city.

Railway station. An electric train is visible standing at the platform. By train from Pyatigorsk you can get to the city of Mineralnye Vody, as well as to Kislovodsk and Rostov-on-Don.

The luxurious and ancient St. Michael the Archangel Cathedral turned out to be lost among the workshops of some Soviet factory. Interestingly, the proximity to the temple also influenced the plant: the building standing to the right of it has a rather non-trivial appearance for an industrial building.

That same giant market at the entrance to the city.

Residential area and agglomeration.

In addition to the city itself, you can consider the surroundings near and far.

Mountains Jutsa 1st and Jutsa 2nd.

Behind them you can see snow-covered Elbrus.

Mount Lysaya

Podkumok River

Essentuki city

Mount Beshtau

Mount Snake

In addition to the beautiful views, there are also other noteworthy objects on the mountain.

Firstly, this is, of course, a sculpture of an eagle. By the way, the eagle in canonical images torments a snake with its claws, which, due to the composition and features of sculpture as a form of fine art, is usually difficult to see.