Mount Beshtau ( Stavropol region, Russia) - detailed description, location, reviews, photos and videos.

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It was this mountain that gave the name to the main city of the region - Pyatigorsk, “Beshtau” translated means “Five-domed”. It has 5 peaks, only 3-4 are visible from the ground, all at once can be seen only from above. At the foot of the mountain lies Pyatigorye - a famous resort area in Russia with unique mineral springs. It appeared thanks to laccoliths - ancient unformed volcanoes, which Beshtau once was. In the second half of the 20th century, a deposit of uranium ore was found here, and 40 adits were mined over several years.

One of the chapters of Beshtau - Big Tau - is the most high peak Caucasian mineral waters- 1400 m above sea level. The remaining chapters: Maly Tau - 1254 m, Goat Rocks - 1167 m, Fox Nose - 1124 m, Lokhmataya - 1080 m.

You can climb Beshtau only on foot along hiking trails. There is neither highways, no cable cars. From mountain range There are several equipped healing springs with different compositions - two hot and two cold. The nature here resembles the Alpine, and huge oaks, beeches, hornbeams, and ash trees grow in the relict forests. At the foot stands the Assumption of the Second Athos Beshtaugorsky Monastery - a follower of the destroyed monastery of the 9th century.

Practical information

Address: Stavropol Territory, suburb of Pyatigorsk. Coordinates: 44.095783, 43.025125.

How to get there: from the railway station, Pyatigorsk bus station, 30 minutes by car.

Beshtau is the highest and most majestic mountain of the Caucasian Mineral Waters. From its top, which rises at an altitude of 1400 meters, a colorful all-round panorama of the entire resort region opens. In clear weather, all the laccolithic mountains, the legendary Elbrus, and the Caucasus mountain range are clearly visible. The diameter of this mountain is eight kilometers! The name "Beshtau" can be translated as "five mountains". Despite this, from almost everywhere the mountain looks three-headed. However, in fact, seven spurs diverge radially from its main pointed cone, which are separated by very deep beams. On the crests of these forts rise the battlements of Goat Rocks, Small Beshtau, Fox Nose, Two Brothers, Cape Verde, and Shaggy. All of them, together with Big Beshtau, form five main peaks.

How did the mountains appear...

Research by paleogeographers has proven that the intrusions of Pyatigorye began to form in the Neogene 8-9 million years ago. At that time, the Pyatigorye region was a kind of isthmus between the Ancient Stavropol land, lying in the lowlands, and the mountainous Caucasus island. They were washed by the waters of the warm Late Sarmatian Sea. The plains and mountains were covered with tropical forests and savannah, whose inhabitants were exotic animals. And some of them, in particular, the ancient proboscis mastodons, the ancestor of bears - Amphicyons, the ancestors of horses - Hipparions, which are now extinct, and others - rhinoceroses, giraffes can now be found only in hot countries. These animals could have continued to live a completely serene life in these parts, but the Pyatigorsk volcanoes began to actively erupt. And the most important of them was Beshtau, with its powerful vent. Animals began to escape the destructive heat. They rushed to the remote corners of the peninsula. All this, most likely, contributed to the emergence of peculiar cemeteries of vertebrate animals on the Ancient Stavropol land. An example of this is the Kosyakinsky courier near Stavropol. Scientist V. Gnilovsky called it an “underground zoological museum.”

In the middle of the Neogene, the center of volcanic activity began to shift towards Elbrus. Since then, wind and water began to have a destructive effect on the mountains of Pyatigorye. And gradually sediments were removed from the top of Beshtau. Also, as shown by the construction of special geological sections, there are approximately 200 meters of igneous rocks. By the way, the underground heat has remained in the depths of Mount Beshtau to this day. At first, hydrothermal solutions were actively released from the solidified magma, the temperature of which was +400 °C! From these solutions, calcite, quartz and many other minerals, including boron and uranium compounds, were deposited along the cracks. This is exactly how the legendary Lermontov uranium deposit arose.

After complete crystallization of the magma was completed, Beshtau became the cradle of mineral waters. Radon waters began to form in the body of the beshtaunites, which has high radioactivity. They are now supplied through pipelines to Pyatigorsk hospitals and effectively treat many ailments. On the eastern slope of Beshtau there is the Inozemtsevskoye deposit of Zheleznovodsk type springs, in the southwest there is the Beshtaugorskoye deposit of carbon dioxide hot waters of a rather complex composition with a temperature of +75 °C.

In the Quaternary period, an unusual natural complex island type with vertical zones. Glaciation played a key role in its occurrence. During this period, Beshtau was covered with a never-melting cap of snow.

Flora and fauna of Mount Beshtau

A relict, that is, unparalleled, island biogeocenosis with altitudinal zonation has been preserved on the mountain. Up to approximately an altitude of 1000 meters, the mountain slopes are covered with beech-oak-ash-hornbeam forest. It predominates in the Beshtaugorsky forest, which consists of more than six dozen shrub and tree species. About 177 hectares of beech trees occupy here. There are surprisingly many hawthorns here.

Broad-leaved forest in the subalpine zone is replaced by crooked forest, where mainly cold-resistant warty birch and Caucasian mountain ash grow. Somewhat higher there is a zone of steppe subalpine meadows, which forms a clearing measuring 461 hectares on the main peak. On it you can meet representatives of plants traditional for the subalpine zone - Wilhelm's grass, lovely primrose, yellow rhododendron. Also known among the endemics of Beshtau is the poppy bract, which is distinguished by its very large flowers. The local forest abounds in mushrooms, especially lamellar mushrooms - chanterelles, champignons, trumpet mushrooms, umbrellas, milk mushrooms. In addition, the forest is home to a large population of wild boars. Birds of prey nest in the forest and on rocks.

If you go to the southwest along the Pyatigorsk - Lermontov road, you can see how the hilly foot stretches. It is covered by forest-steppe and old forest plantations. This is where pheasants like to nest, foxes and hares live. About fifty years ago the mountain was declared state natural monument. Hunting on the mountain is strictly prohibited.

Minerals of Beshtau

In the 50-70s, a uranium ore deposit was developed here. It became known as Lermontovsky and is associated with the intrusion of beshtaunites. The enrichment and mining center is located in the town of Lermontov. The composition of these ores is rich in hydrous phosphates and uranium oxides. Much less common is the uranium-containing mineral davidite, as well as the aqueous phosphate of uranium, calcium and cerium, discovered only in Beshtau, lermontovite. Associated minerals are chalcedony, quartz, fluorite, calcite, datolite, limonite, and pyrite. It is no secret that when developing the uranium mine, officials used prison labor. The archives preserve orders for the transfer of prisoners from the St. George prison to the area of ​​Mount Beshtau.

But the most important wealth of this majestic mountain are naturally healing springs. They form two deposits and one production area. In the southwest, the Beshtaugorsk deposit was formed, which contains two types of sources: hot carbon dioxide with a high content of hydrogen sulfide and silicon, still close to the Zheleznovodsk ones, as well as weak carbon dioxide calcium-sodium ones. In the Upper Cretaceous limestones in the east of Beshtau, the Inozemtsevskoe deposit of sodium carbonate waters of the Zheleznovodsk type was explored. But in the upper part of this North Caucasian mountain, cold calcium radon waters pour out. They are part of the Beshtaugorsky production site, its reserves are estimated at 300 cubic meters per day. Many springs are well-maintained. The healing waters of Mount Beshtau became part of the resource potential of the resort cities of Zheleznovodsk and Essentuki. Radon water is supplied through mineral pipelines to Pyatigorsk hospitals.

Top of Mount Beshtau

A ring road was built around Beshtau back in 1927 at an altitude of 800 meters. Go to main page mountain peak The easiest way is to follow one of two paths that lead to the mountain saddle from opposite sides: one of them is from the side of Lermontov, and the other is from the side of Zheleznovodsk. From the last city to the top of Beshtau you have to walk more than six kilometers, while the altitude difference is 760 meters. The ascent will take at least three hours. From the top, a person will have a magnificent all-round panorama. Often an excellent view is hampered by a slight haze that hides the surroundings. If this haze is absent, then, looking south, you can see Elbrus in the distance.

In the nineties, a radio transmitting station was built on the top. According to some information, it previously served cellular networks. But according to other sources, this station is a special-purpose facility. It is used by the Ministry of Defense and intelligence services. During its construction, the necessary building materials were delivered by helicopter. Station keepers work in shifts, for several days at a time. They climb the mountain on foot, carrying a supply of food for the duration of their duty. Local radio amateurs often gather at the top near the radio station. Here they establish contact with various points on the planet.

Beshtau is shrouded in many mysteries. Locals noticed mysterious luminous balls near the mountain. Most likely, there is increased anomalous activity on this mountain. They try to explain this by the high concentration of radon and its effect on the human body. In addition, interesting reports appeared in newspapers about meetings in these places with Bigfoot himself. By the way, at the foot there is a monastery. It was recently revived. And it was founded in the 20th century by monks from Old Athos. Here, according to the monks themselves, God’s presence is surprisingly more clearly felt.

Eagle rocks on Beshtau

On the southwestern mountain slope there is a very wonderful place. It is called Eagle Rocks. If you look at this place from the side of Maly Beshtau, the contour of one of the rocks is very similar to the profile of an eagle. And the remaining rocks with a large V-shaped opening form a kind of wall of stones. Zheleznovodsk can be seen through it. From this place the west of the resort town is clearly visible. To the left, from behind the slope of Small Beshtau, a mountain called Shaggy is visible. A little ahead you can see Mount Sheludivaya. It is at its foot that the city of Lermontov lies. A kind of “eagle wing” forms a small semi-grotto with a rounded vault-window of natural origin. There are many very interesting climbing routes along the rocks. In terms of free rock climbing, the nearby Mount Kukla is also interesting.

Temple of the Sun

On the northeastern mountain slope there is a rocky outcrop that juts out sharply. There are the ruins of the Sun Temple from the Scythian times. This temple is a rocky platform on which various boulders are piled. In the “heart” of the site lies a massive stone standing on three abutments. There is an opinion that if you lie down on the stones in this small domed grotto, and you simply cannot stand there, you will feel quite strong energy. You definitely need to be in this place!

Beshtau impresses everyone. This mountain is truly majestic in every sense of the word. It's worth climbing or at least seeing in person!

Assumption of the Second Athos Beshtaugorsky Monastery

Russian monks settled in this monastery during the reign of Ivan the Terrible and lived there for subsequent centuries. It was from here that monks from Athos came to Mount Beshtau at the beginning of the 20th century to found a new monastery at the foot of this Caucasus mountain. The monk Gerasim played a key role in this. This is how the Assumption of the Second Athos Beshtaugorsky monastery appeared on the slope of Mount Beshtau. North Caucasus The monks did not choose by chance. This place is known for its beauty, the power of the mountains, the blueness of the sky close to God, and many healing springs.

Beshtau- a mountain of magmatic origin in the center of the Caucasian Mineral Waters. The highest of all 17 remnant mountains of Pyatigorye is 1401 m. The name of the mountain has Turkic roots and literally means “five mountains” (“besh” - five, “tau” - mountain). The mountain gave its name to the surrounding area and the city of Pyatigorsk.

Mount Beshtau is small natural planet, which has everything: feather grass expanses, ancient broad-leaved forests, narrow paths and country roads, hills, rocks, cliffs, eagles, wild boars and alpine vegetation. Beshtau is a small life that any Beshtau lover is happy to live.

The lower part of the mountain is quite flat; the slopes are composed of deposits of marl and clay. In many places the slopes are dissected by deep ravines and ravines. Above 800 m above sea level, rocky outcrops of beshtaunites begin, which form a highly rugged terrain with rocky outcrops and entire stone massifs.

It is customary to identify and designate five peaks of Beshtau:

• Big Tau (1401 m)
• (1254 m)
• (Fox Nose) (1124 m)
• Goat Rocks (1167 m)
• (1080 m)

In fact, on the northern slope of Beshtau between Big and Small Tau there is another nameless peak. Sometimes tourists ironically call it Kochka Tau. Goat Rocks are a long ridge of rock on the eastern side of the mountain. They have several officially named peaks.

Big Tau from the slopes of the summit Two Brothers

On the southern slope Beshtau not far from the Second Athos Monastery and the Monastery Pond near the ring road there is a rock called “ Damn fingers", and sometimes - "God bless you." In the western part of the mountain range on the slope of Maly Tau there is the Eagle Rocks rock massif. Not far from the Eagle Rocks there is the Kukla rock, the outlines of which have an anthropomorphic appearance. On the northern slope of Maly Tau there is a small nameless rock. In general, the slopes of this peak were once covered with screes, which suggests that in ancient times there were extensive rock massifs of the mountain.

Sunset over Mount Beshtau. View from

Minerals in Beshtau

The main wealth of Beshtau is its mineral waters. There are two deposits here: Beshtaugorskoye and Inozemtsevskoye. Warm and hot springs are similar in chemical composition to Zheleznovodsk mineral waters. The rocks that make up Beshtau enrich mineral springs radon is a decay product of radium, which large quantities found in granites. Therefore, Beshtaugorsk sources are considered highly radioactive. Their water is supplied through a special radon pipeline to a hospital in Pyatigorsk.

Back in the 19th century, stone began to be mined for construction needs on the slopes of Beshtau. At the beginning of the 20th century, the Trachit partnership was organized, which began the industrial development of stone. It was used for paving roads and in construction.

One of the peaks of the mountain - Two Brothers

In the middle of the 20th century, Mining Administration No. 1 was formed, which began to develop a uranium deposit in Beshtau. Over a quarter of a century, more than 100 km of tunnels were built in the mountain - adits, two mine shafts, and a powerful mining base was created. In addition to the oxides and hydrous uranium phosphates contained in the ore, some rare earth minerals were mined: davidite and lermontovite, found only at Beshtau.

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Animal and plant life

The flora of Beshtau has a pronounced altitudinal zone. The lower part of the mountain is covered with broad-leaved beech-oak-ash-hornbeam forest. It forms the basis of the Beshtaugorsky forest up to an altitude of 1100 m. Above this level, crooked forests begin with warty birch and Caucasian mountain ash. On the main peak of Beshtau there is a clearing with an area of ​​more than 460 hectares. It presents subalpine vegetation. Among the plants, many endemics grow here, for example, bract poppy.

Turn
Small Tau. There are always a lot of tourists on the mountain

Animal world the mountains are also varied. Due to the large number of tourists and proximity to urban settlements, animals often suffer. Despite this, quite large animals live in the forests: wild boars, wolves, foxes, hares and various birds of prey.

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How to climb to the top of Beshtau

The question of routes to climb Beshtau worried everyone who had climbed this mountain at least once. Much has been written about this now. Each route has its own characteristics and climbing difficulties. Because of weather conditions some trails become impassable and dangerous.

Goat Rocks

To the top of Beshtau by car

By car you can only reach the ring road. It was laid in 1927 around the entire mountain range. In the 2000s. its small part from Pyatigorsk to the Second Athos Monastery was paved. Now it is available for all types of cars. The rest of the ring road can only be traveled by four-wheel drive vehicles.

Snowy main peak

It is impossible to climb to any of the peaks of Beshtau by car. Although attempts were made several times to climb the main peak, they ended badly. Lighter ones have visited the peaks of Beshtau vehicles: bicycles, motorcycles and ATVs.

To Beshtau by bicycle

A bicycle is an ideal form of transport available for getting around in Beshtau. It causes minimal harm to nature, but is most beneficial for human health. It is convenient to ride a bicycle along the ring road in one daylight. In some places the road has a steep rocky slope where you need to be careful.

Sunrise over Beshtau

The situation is more difficult with climbing a bicycle to one of the peaks of Beshtau. There are known cases where extreme sports enthusiasts were lowered by helicopter to one of the peaks, and they were already sliding down the trails. It will be very difficult to lift the “iron friend” up steep slopes. The trails are not intended for driving, and numerous tourists will be in the way along the way.

Walking to Beshtau

Climbing Beshtau is a pleasure. Can be picked up walking route, which is suitable for people with varying degrees of fitness.

One of the most picturesque routes is a walk around Beshtau along the ring road. Its length is more than 13 km. Along its entire length there are many panoramic points for exploring the surrounding area. Most of the route is closed to vehicles, but sometimes they still occur. There are many in the Beshtau forest that are available for family hikes.

Along the Beshtau roundabout

The closest approach to the ring road is from the city of Lermontov. At the end of the street There are residential buildings on the border of the mountain forest. You can drive there by private car or taxi, and from there start the route counterclockwise - towards Pyatigorsk, or clockwise - towards Zheleznovodsk. It is preferable to choose the direction of movement depending on the time of year. In winter, the northern slopes of Beshtau (the path to the left of Lermontov) are different stern disposition. In those places, snow often remains until March. In the summer, it is very hot on the southwestern and southern slopes of Beshtau (the road turns right).

At the crossroads on the Lermontov side, the trail to the top of the Big Tau begins. First, it leads to the pass between the Big and Small Tau, where the tourist decides where to go.

The ascent to Beshtau from Zheleznovodsk begins around railway station. Behind the station complex, in the forest, the ancient road “Trachite” begins, about two kilometers long. Crossing the ring road the road soon turns into a trail. The ascent begins, which is less steep than from the side of the city of Lermontov.

The climb to Beshtau from the village of Inozemtsevo is less popular among tourists. It starts from a clearing at the end of Sovetskaya Street. You need to walk the entire clearing in the direction of the Goat Rocks. Next, focusing on the treeless hills on the right, begin the ascent to the ring road. Further ascent to the main peak can be done. This route will require effort and is contraindicated for people with acrophobia (fear of heights).

There are many places to stay overnight in Beshtau

The climb to the main peak of Beshtau from Pyatigorsk is considered the longest. You will have to go through a long climb about three kilometers long from the city to the ring road. From there you will need to walk along a rather steep, but very beautiful road, which was founded at the beginning of the 20th century by members of the Caucasian Mountain Society. In some places, to climb, you will have to grab the roots of trees and climb the stones as if on steps.

People with babies and older people climb to the top of Big Tau. , running for 40 minutes, ordinary tourists in sandals slowly rise. The ease of lifting only seems so. There are many cases where careless tourists complained about their health or were injured. Before planning a hike to Beshtau, you need to practice - climb.

Winter views from Beshtau

The highest in the Kavminvod region and protected among the landscape natural monuments, Mount Beshtau is the center of Pyatigorye. In the 19th century, at the very beginning of the development of local resorts, the Russian translation of its Turkic name, consisting of the words “besh” (five) and “tau” (mountain), helped give the name to one of the cities built at the foot of the city - Pyatigorsk, and became widespread as a beautiful definition for the entire picturesque area.

The Kavminvod Mountains are unique in many respects. Firstly, approximately 8 million years ago they failed to become volcanoes, since over hundreds of thousands of years of geological activity, magma only raised the earth’s crust, but did not lead to real eruptions.

Such mountains are called laccoliths, and in the area Russian Federation there is nothing else like it. Secondly, there is no other place in the world where, in a fairly modest area, there would be many laccoliths, which, moreover, differ from each other in geological structure. Thirdly, the local mountains are rich in healing mineral waters.

The main peak of Beshtau is at an altitude of 1.4 km, and the diameter of the extensive base of this multi-headed laccolith is 8 km. In addition to Pyatigorsk (See article “”), there is another resort town, which has a fairly solid history - Zheleznovodsk (See article ""), and the relatively young town of Lermontov; They are all connected by a railway.

Having climbed to the top, you can quickly forget about fatigue, because the panorama that opens from there is fabulously beautiful: good weather, in the absence of haze, not only the cities at the foot are visible, but also all the fellow mountains and the Caucasus ridge.

From the 1820s to the present day, countless vacationers have had the opportunity to visit Beshtau and other laccoliths - this has already become a tradition, without which it is difficult to imagine a stay in Pyatigorye. And at the beginning of the last century, R. Leitzinger, who founded the Caucasian Mountain Society, spoke of the peaks of the Caucasus Mining Waters as a real school of mountaineering, since there are climbing routes of varying degrees of difficulty.

Description of the five-headed mountain

From the main mountain, called Big Beshtau, spurs diverge in different directions; they are separated from each other by rather deep gullies. The ridges of the spurs form four other peaks, called Maly Beshtau (1.25 km), Goat Rocks (1.17 km), Lisiy Nos (1.12 km) and Lokhmata (1.08 km).

The gently sloping foothills may encounter forest thickets, ravines and streams for travelers who stray from the beaten path. Gradually the slopes become steeper, with rocky soil and giant boulders lying randomly. In many places - at the foot of cliffs, in crevices - there are scree stones.

A little about the past

Now it seems amazing fact, but from the late 1940s almost until the beginning of the 1980s, Mount Beshtau was a “closed” territory: it was protected in connection with the mining... of uranium-containing ore carried out there. The city of Lermontov owes its foundation precisely to these developments. They worked in the mines; The length of the adits inside the mountain reaches 150 km.

After the mines were closed, the entrances were blocked and concreted. Local residents say that there are many voids inside the mountain, and the mines go to a depth of up to 400 m below sea level, while its foot is 500 m above this level.

And in the 1990s, a radio station appeared on the top of Beshtau, the purpose of which is difficult to find reliable information about. Construction was carried out with the help of helicopters that delivered the necessary materials. The shifts of current station workers last for several days; getting here on foot, they bring food with them. The surroundings of this building attract radio amateurs: from here they can communicate with the most incredible distances.

Flora and fauna

As you climb the mountain, the landscape changes. First come the forests, in which more than fifty species of trees and shrubs grow, the main massif consisting of beech, oak, ash and hornbeam; there are a lot of mushrooms here (champignons, mushrooms, milk mushrooms, chanterelles, etc.). Then the so-called crooked forest begins, where cold-resistant species of birch and mountain ash grow.

Further, to the very top, subalpine meadows spread, the vegetation of which also reminds of the proximity of steppe areas. Many plants are listed in the Red Book. The fauna of Beshtau is represented by wild boars, foxes and hares, and the local bird kingdom is inhabited by pheasants and birds of prey, the number of cuckoos, blackbirds and woodpeckers is gradually increasing.

Mineral water deposits

The two mountain slopes (southwestern and eastern) and the upper part of the mountain are of great value in terms of reserves of mineral waters - there are 4 types of them, two of which are somewhat similar to those of Zheleznovodsk. Part water resources, forming in the depths of the peak sections of Beshtau, passes through large areas of granite rocks, which increases the radon content in the water.

A special mineral water line has been installed for it, leading to the Pyatigorsk health resorts. Beshtaugorsk reserves are also used in Essentuki and Zheleznovodsk.

Climbing Beshtau

All the peaks are accessible, you just need to correctly calculate your strength: you will have to walk a lot, under your feet there will be not only the road and trails, but also thickets, uprooted tree roots, and screes. This is not a reservation - there is also a road (dirt) that encircles the entire Beshtau Mountain, and it passes at an altitude of approximately 0.8 km, sometimes climbing higher and then descending.

It can be reached from the cities of Pyatigorsk, Lermontov, Zheleznovodsk and the village of Inozemtsevo (See article “”). In addition to natural beauty, travelers will see a memorial inscription carved on a stone about the construction of this ring road in the 1920s, and on the rocks - biblical quotes and a large image of a cross.

Walking along the road through the forest is a great pleasure: on the left hand is the rising slope of the mountain, on the right - going down, there are many flowers around, picturesque ruins of stones, and in the gaps between the trees you can see an ever-expanding panorama of the surrounding area. Two paths lead up from the road - from Lermontov and Zheleznovodsk. Depending on the composition and physical fitness of the group of tourists, the entire journey will take 2 - 3 hours.

Part of the road from Pyatigorsk to has an asphalt surface. If you continue your journey to the mountains from here, then along a dirt road after about 2 km you can reach Mount Shaggy, which in itself is unremarkable, but it offers a wonderful view of the mountain with the strange name Sheludivaya (0.9 km) and three cities immediately - (in the distance), Pyatigorsk (left) and Lermontov.

Moving on, enthusiasts hiking they get to the Eagle Rocks, the main one of which looks like a sitting eagle, and the bravest ones climb onto its “head”. From these rocks you can head to Maly Beshtau. There are simply paths running in this direction, and all around there is a wonderful sunny expanse, clouds very close, butterflies on wildflowers, the chirping of grasshoppers in the grasses, in a word, grace.

The northeastern slope of Beshtau is famous for the fact that on a large ledge of rock there is the so-called Temple of the Sun, or rather what remains of it from Scythian times.

No one has yet proven that this is not easy beautiful legend, but many come here specifically to stay closer to the great luminary on a rocky platform with randomly scattered boulders, climb into a small grotto-recess in the lower part of the main stone itself and feel the special energy there. The distant and near views from this rock are simply mesmerizing, and the forests below it seem like a rippling green sea.

Everyone chooses the most convenient route for exploring Beshtau, based on where he is staying and whether he is able to visit all the peaks, but having taken the trouble to climb, it is impossible to remain indifferent to the natural splendor.

Probably, the wonderful mood of people during this journey is one of the reasons that many greet each other when they meet. Mount Beshtau, a photo of which vacationers are sure to take with them, will beckon on their next visits here.

Mount Beshtau, like any mountains, requires attention and caution from tourists. When going on a hike, you should not take its preparation lightly, especially if there are children in the group. Be sure to take water and something edible with you to refresh your strength. Do not consider it difficult to stock up on mosquito repellent, warm clothes and a first aid kit with bandages, cotton wool, alcohol, iodine, hydrogen peroxide, and analgesics.

You will definitely need a camera on this day to capture and different stages ascension, and eternal, divine greatness, which will be revealed to the eyes from the peaks. There you will want to have binoculars on hand, but not everyone has this item, and some will decide that it is an extra burden.

What else to see in Beshtau

Not only natural beauties Mount Beshtau is famous: there are two more objects that are worth seeing, one of them has a particularly large flow of tourists, both on foot and arriving by various means of transport (buses, cars, bicycles).

On the southwestern slope are the buildings of the Second Athos Monastery, which look very unusual against the backdrop of the mountain landscape. There are always a lot of people here who want to pray, receive a blessing, or explore the monastery and communicate with the brethren. On the territory there are: the Temple of St. George the Victorious, a building where monks and novices live, small administrative buildings and a church shop.

There is also an open area for worship, on which the icons are simply arranged in a semicircle - it is used in the presence of numerous pilgrims. The monastery is gradually being revived after decades of oblivion.

At the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th centuries, Athonite monks founded 4 monasteries in the Caucasus, one of which - on Kavminvody - became known as Second Athos. The monastery on Beshtau was founded in 1904. Before the revolution, he lived meagerly and difficultly, kept a herd of cows and supplied milk to Pyatigorsk (this was the condition of the authorities when allocating the site), but the strict regulations were fully observed.

Pilgrimages were made here, and the church became a parish for several surrounding villages. In 1906 - 1911, a school operated at the monastery courtyard in Pyatigorsk, where 70 boys from the poorest families studied. During the First World War, the wounded were treated in the monastery and opportunities were found to help the front financially.

In 1927, an attempt was made to close the monastery, but this was done only two years later. Its buildings were given first to a sanatorium, then to a society of proletarian tourists, and before the war - orphanage, where the children of Spanish communists were brought.

However, during the occupation of Kavminvod (August 1942 - January 1943), few of them were saved from the Nazis. After these events, the semi-damaged monastery buildings became ownerless and simply collapsed.

In 1991, a campaign to revive the Second Athos Monastery began, and Mount Beshtau again heard the sounds of a prayer service - it was served at the former site of the monastery. In 1997, a worship cross was installed there, and the Cossacks from Pyatigorsk, who brought with them tents and a trailer to live nearby, cleared the place and prepared a pit for a new temple.

The Church of St. George the Victorious was consecrated in 2001, among its shrines are particles of the relics of the Great Martyr Panteleimon the Healer and the Venerable Kiev-Pechersk Fathers.

Not far from the monastery, a lake has been preserved since the beginning of the last century - then the monks built a dam here and drove the dairy herd to watering. Just above the lake there is a spring that feeds it, the clear water of which has a mineral taste.

There is fish in the reservoir, but the banks, overgrown with reeds and tall grasses, are not suitable for fishing. Rather, here you can see tourists simply enjoying the view of the lake with wonderful huge water lilies on its surface.

These amazing flowers rise from the water and, having begun to bloom with the first rays of the sun, finish this action by noon. Then the opposite happens - the flower gradually folds its petals and in the evening, taking on the appearance of a bud, again hides under the water. It can also close if the sun goes behind the clouds. The lake is also very beautiful in the spring, when numerous streams flow here from Beshtau.

(G) (O) (I) 44.098056 , 43.022222 44°05′53″ n. w. 43°01′20″ E. d. /  44.098056° s. w. 43.022222° E. d.(G) (O) (I)(T) A country Russia Region Stavropol region Top height 1400 m

Beshtau(from Karachay besh- five and tau- mountain) - an isolated five-domed mountain - laccolith, the highest of the 17 remnant igneous mountains of Pyatigorye on the Caucasian Mineral Waters. Height 1400 m. Natural monument. Gave the name to the surrounding area (Pyatigorye) and the city of Pyatigorsk.

Located in the central part of Pyatigorye. The largest in area among the 17 remnant mountains, with a diameter at the foot of about 8 km.

The mountain is a regional complex (landscape) natural monument (Resolution of the Bureau of the Stavropol Regional Committee of the CPSU and the Executive Committee of the Regional Council of Workers' Deputies dated September 15, 1961 No. 676 “On measures to protect nature in the region”).

Geological structure

The relatively flat (7-8°) lower part of the mountain is composed of marine Paleogene clays, less often marls and siltstones and is dissected by a radial system of deep beams. Starting from a height of 820 m, the upper part is an intensely dissected rock massif of beshtaunites with an area of ​​​​about 3 km², with individual blocks of limestone, sandstone and clay shales of Cretaceous age. It consists of the main peak - Big Beshtau - 1400 m high and four main spurs with peaks radiating from it (seven spurs in total, unofficial names in brackets):

The bases of the cliffs and crevices are dotted with extensive stone screes. In the saddle between Big and Small Beshtau, the remains of a cover of variegated pisolite tuffs - traces of Neogene volcanic activity - have been preserved.

Minerals

The Lermontovskoye uranium ore deposit, developed in the 50-70s of the 20th century, with the center of their extraction and enrichment in the city of Lermontov, is associated with the intrusion of beshtaunites. The composition of the ores is dominated by oxides and hydrous phosphates (mica) of uranium. Less common is the uranium-containing titanium-rare earth mineral davidite and the aqueous phosphate of uranium, cerium and calcium found only on Beshtau - lermontovite. Associated minerals: quartz, chalcedony, calcite, fluorite, datolite, pyrite, limonite.

The main natural wealth of the mountain - mineral waters - is formed by two deposits and an exploitation site. On the southwestern slope of the mountain, in the Upper Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous layers, the Beshtaugorskoye deposit is formed, containing two types of waters: hot (65-75 ° C) carbon dioxide hydrocarbonate-sulfate with a high content of silicon and hydrogen sulfide, close to Zheleznovodsk, and low-carbon dioxide sulfate-bicarbonate calcium -sodium, with a total flow rate of about 450 m³ per day.

In the fractured Upper Cretaceous limestones on the eastern slope of Beshtau, the Inozemtsevskoye deposit of carbon dioxide sulfate-hydrocarbonate sodium waters of the Zheleznovodsk type with proven reserves of 360 m³ per day has been explored.

In the upper part of the mountain, in fractured beshtaunites, cold sulfate-hydrocarbonate calcium radon waters are produced, which are part of the Beshtaugorsky operational area, with reserves of about 300 m³ per day.

The rock massif of the summit cone and the central part of Beshtau are composed of strong crystalline rocks. The waters are formed in the upper zone of the main cone; in terms of salt content, they are low-mineralized, but in areas where granite predominates, they are enriched with radon, since radium, the decay of which forms radon, is usually greater in granites than in other rocks. Where the path of water through the granite massif is quite long, and the rocks are severely destroyed, the concentration of radon in the water can reach 100 Mach units. (Mache unit = 3.64 × 10 −10 curies per liter.) The Pyatigorsk radon clinic operates on water with a concentration of 50 Mache units (in medicinal waters radon used for baths must be at least 14 Mach units, provided that they do not require heating, during which part of the radon is lost).

Some springs have been improved. Beshtau mineral waters are part of the resource potential of the resort cities of Essentuki and Zheleznovodsk. Radon water is supplied through a mineral pipeline to hospitals in Pyatigorsk.

Flora and fauna

On Beshtau, a relict island biogeocenosis with altitudinal zonation is preserved. Up to a height of 1100 m, the slopes are covered with beech-oak-ash-hornbeam forest, which makes up the main part of the Beshtaugorsky forest, consisting of more than 60 species of trees and shrubs. The eastern beech plantation located there occupies 177 hectares. In the subalpine zone, broad-leaved forest gives way to crooked forests with cold-resistant warty birch and Caucasian mountain ash. Above is a zone of steppe subalpine meadows, forming a clearing with an area of ​​461 hectares on the main peak. Representatives of typical subalpine meadow flora are found on it - lovely primrose, Wilhelm's myrtle, yellow rhododendron.

Among the endemic species of the mountain, the bract poppy is known, distinguished by its very large flowers. The forest is rich in mushrooms, mainly lamellar mushrooms (especially champignons, chanterelles, capillaries, milk mushrooms, umbrellas). The fauna of the mountain is also diverse: wild boars, birds of prey, pheasants, hares, foxes.

Second Athos Monastery

On the territory of the monastery

At the foot of the mountain is the Second Athos Monastery. Founded in 1904, closed in 1928, revived in the 1990s.

In 2004, about 20 brothers lived there. The monastery houses a church unique to Orthodoxy. open air. Electricity is supplied to the monastery.

Nature management

From 1949 to 1975, uranium deposits were developed inside Beshtau. The mountain has about 50 mined out mines. The mountain administratively belongs to the city of Lermontov (founded in connection with uranium mining), an abandoned mining town (Village No. 1) in the area of ​​​​the exit from the ring road to Pyatigorsk is a remote part of Lermontov. Even phone numbers belonged to the Lermontov ATS (4-digit, now defunct), despite the geographical proximity to Pyatigorsk. Total length the adit is 150 kilometers long. After the work was completed, most of the entrances were concreted.

Radio station

In the second half of the 90s, a radio transmitting station was built on the main peak. During construction, everything needed was delivered by helicopter, plying between the peak and the foot of Beshtau (from the side of the city of Lermontov, in the area of ​​Lake Podlesnoe).

Roads

You can only get to any of the peaks on foot, but a structure was built around the entire mountain in 1927. ring road with branches to Pyatigorsk, Zheleznovodsk, Lermontov and the village of Inozemtsevo. The construction of the road is described in a memorial inscription carved on a stone halfway between the exit to Pyatigorsk and the monastery. The road is unpaved; after the restoration of the monastery, the section from it to the exit to Pyatigorsk was paved (although the road itself from the ring road to Pyatigorsk remains unpaved). Along the road, on the rocks, monks carved quotes from the Bible and the works of the church fathers, as well as one image of a cross. On one of the spurs from the Mineralnye Vody side there is a tall metal cross.

Currently, the road from Pyatigorsk to the monastery is completely paved.

Notes

Links

• Mount Beshtau - the first site about the mountain
• English-language site about Beshtau (English)

Sights of Pyatigorsk
	Architectural monuments