Mount Mashuk is one of the iconic landmarks of the city of Pyatigorsk; it offers a dizzying view of the city and other mountains, for example, Beshtau, in clear weather you can even see Elbrus.

The height of Mount Mashuk is almost 994 meters.

Several mineral springs have been discovered on the slopes, and sanatoriums are located nearby, making the place popular for vacationers who want to improve their health. For treatment, health paths are also practiced - health-improving walks along Mount Mashuk. To cope with the climb to the top, you don’t have to be an athlete; almost anyone can walk along the asphalt road and trails. Moderate physical activity combined with the beauty of nature, stunning views and local attractions has a strong effect on many tourists.

The Legend of Mount Mashuk

People tend to wax poetic Beautiful places, so a beautiful and sad legend is associated with the origin of Mashuk. A long time ago in place Caucasus Mountains There were vast plains inhabited by Narts. They were led by Prince Elbrus, who had a son, Beshtau, a strong and brave warrior. One day Beshtau met the beautiful Mashuko, fell in love with her with all his heart and soon married her. Only the father was not very happy about this event - after all, he himself liked Mashuko. Wanting to achieve it, Elbrus resorted to a trick - he sent his son on a campaign to distant lands, and a little later he himself provoked rumors about the death of Beshtau. Mashuko was inconsolable, Elbrus forcibly put the ring on her finger, but she did not want to be his wife. To break her resistance, he imprisoned her in a tower.

Returning Beshtau, having learned about this, stole his beloved and ran away with her. However, the cruel Elbrus set off in pursuit and overtook the fugitives. In the ensuing battle, both warriors fell - Beshtau managed to cut his father’s head in half, and he cut him into five pieces. Unable to live without her lover, Mashuko pierced her chest with a dagger. The witness to the events - nature - was so amazed by what happened that everything around was petrified with grief. And now Mount Mashuk with Lake Proval (symbol of a wound in the heart), Beshtau with five peaks and Elbrus with two remind us of this.

Attractions

Besides beautiful nature and its feathered inhabitants, there are many attractions along the way to the top. Near some there are tablets with information; for a complete picture of the mountain, its places and legends, you can rent an audio guide at the lower cable car station, its cost is 50 rubles.

You should definitely visit Lake Proval, located in underground cave. It was discovered thanks to a collapsed vault. Particularly attractive is the unusual blue color of the lake, which is due to the presence of sulfur and special bacteria in it. Near the lake there is a monument to Ostap Bender, the enterprising hero of the work “12 Chairs”, who made money by selling tickets to the lake viewing site. Not far from the lake are the so-called People's Baths.

Interesting and Observation deck- gazebo “Eolian Harp”, previously there were harps here, which, under the influence of the wind, produced beautiful music. Now there is musical equipment installed in this place; the melody can be enjoyed in any weather, regardless of the wind.

Perhaps the most romantic place is the Gate of the Sun or, as they are also called, the Gate of Love. This arch, made of stone blocks, especially attracts newlyweds; there is even a tradition - the groom must carry the bride under it three times, then a happy woman awaits them family life. There is also an observation deck next to the gate.

The city of Pyatigorsk is associated with the name of the famous Russian writer - M. Yu. Lermontov; a duel took place on the slope of Mount Mashuk, which claimed his life. An obelisk was installed at this place, which can be found during the ascent. Another place associated with the poet is Lermontov’s grotto.

Other interesting sights are the rock portrait of Lenin, the Academic Gallery, the Perkal Arboretum, a cascade fountain, and a majestic eagle sculpture.

At the top of the mountain, in addition to viewing stunning views, you can admire the high TV tower and see signs with the names of cities and the distance from them to Pyatigorsk. Many tourists enjoy finding signs with their hometowns.

How to get to Mount Mashuk

You can get to the top of Mashuk by hiking or cycling, or by cable car. Tourists come here not only during the season; even in winter there are visitors, because the snow-covered landscapes are no less beautiful.

The road to Mount Mashuk on foot and by bike

Ascent and descent on foot can require a lot of time and effort, so many spend the whole day exploring the mountain and its attractions. An asphalt ring road encircles the mountain, walking along which you can see the main interesting places. To get to the top, you need to turn off the road onto one of the many paths, any of them will lead to the top. There are many routes that go to the top of the mountain. The climb to Mashuk takes on average 1.5-2 hours, but it all depends on the chosen path and level of physical fitness.

Many vacationers prefer to get to the cable car by minibus No. 1, going from the Railway Station. You need to get off at the Lenin Rocks stop. You can also get to the place by car or taxi using the following applications: Yandex. Taxi, Gett and others.

Then you can walk to the Gate of the Sun and continue along the serpentine road to the top. This road is also convenient for cycling. Walking along the serpentine, you can also turn onto paths; they offer more picturesque views, but at the same time they are more difficult to climb.

Cable car to Mount Mashuk

If you don’t have the time or desire to climb on foot, you can use the cable car. The carriages travel to the top in about 3 minutes, during which time you can appreciate the views and beauty of the landscapes.

Price for using the cable car:

  • for children from 5 to 8 years old - 50 rubles. (one way), 100 rub. (both)
  • for adults - 210 rub. (one way), 360 rub. (both)
  • children under 5 years old travel free of charge.

You can have a snack like fast food at the lower station of the cable car; at the top you can have lunch in a cafe with panoramic views.

Video about Mount Mashuk

And not to visit the top of the mountain Mashuk. On our website we have repeatedly written about our ascents to the top of Mashuk and described walks around the mountain along the path. In this topic we will try to collect all available information and help the tourist.

Mashuk is a mountain of igneous origin in the center.

Height of Mashuk- 994 meters. Some sources provide more accurate data - 993.7 m. However, we will not be able to verify these figures, because the peak is surrounded by a fence, behind which there is an edge repeater with a television tower.

Legend of the name of the mountain. Mashuk is a local toponym, left to the descendants of the peoples who lived in the region until the end of the 18th century. You can hear from any tour guide beautiful story about the beautiful girl Mashuko, who turned into stone while mourning her murdered groom. In this version of the story, everyone died and turned into mountains. There are other, more prosaic translations of the name. Some attribute the name of the mountain to the name of a person, others find roots in Turkic and translate the name as “cat”. On old maps and ancient documents of the first half of the 19th century, the mountain is sometimes called Mechukha or Mashukha.

Underground lake "Proval"

Geological structure of Mashuk. We wrote about it briefly in a separate article. We looked at what could happen in resort town. We will not dwell in detail on the scientific description of the geological structure of the mountain. Perhaps we will write about this later. Mashuk is a remnant mountain of igneous origin. It is precisely its origin that reveals what its depths hide. At a time when the Caucasus was shaking violently and Elbrus was active volcano, magma from the depths rose through cracks, penetrating into sedimentary rocks. The magma froze and was unable to break through the cover of sedimentary rocks. The top of the mountain is composed of upper Cretaceous limestones and marls, and on the slopes clayey rocks, marls and, less frequently, sandstones are more common. The active activity of mineral springs over thousands of years at the foot has created a powerful layer of travertine rocks. The Mikhailovsky spur, Perkalskaya rock and Mount Goryachaya are entirely made of travertine. The magmatic core of the mountain is located at a depth of about 1.5 km.

How to get to Mashuk

  • Ring Road and
  • Old wheel road to the top of Mashuk
  • Car road to the top of the mountain
  • mountains on the southern slope

Attractions on Mashuk


An old mansion on the resort boulevard. In the background is the peak of Mount Mashuk
  • Monument at the burial site of topographer A.V. Pastukhova (peak of Mashuk)
  • and old resort buildings: Pirogov baths and ancient private mansions (and one more)
  • Rock portrait of V.I. Lenin
  • Resort parks with architectural monuments: Elizabethan Flower Garden with the Academic Gallery; gazebo Aeolian harp and Lermontov's grotto in Emanuel Park.
  • Small architectural form “Gate of the Sun” (Gate of Love)

Kurortny Boulevard named after. Yu.A. Gagarin

Many useful links and articles about the attractions of Mashuk can be found in the drop-down list at the end of the article.

Basic moments

Mashuk is distinguished by its cone-shaped shape with a truncated top; the diameter of the cone is 4 km. It is surrounded by, albeit smaller in stature, but equally majestic neighbors - the Goryachaya and Kazachka mountains, as well as the Mikhailovsky spur. The 558-meter Goryachaya, being a spur of the southern slope of Mashuk, is historically significant place, because it was with her that the city of Pyatigorsk began. Also next to it is Mount Britaya, which became famous thanks to Lake Proval.

Mount Mashuk is a treasure not only of Pyatigorsk, but of all of Russia. In the 19th century, five types of mineral water springs were found on its slopes. After this, people began to call her “the giver healing waters", with which the aristocracy rushed to be treated. Numerous sanatoriums were subsequently opened at the foot of Mashuk, in which everyone has the opportunity to improve their health. Vacationers and tourists enjoy walking in the parks, also located along the foot of the mountain, receiving a huge charge of energy and vigor.

At one time, Mashuk was also loved by fans of hiking, and since then this hobby has remained one of the most popular among tourists. There is a lot to see here: on the slopes, including the satellite mountains, there are caves and grottoes, places with the found remains of prehistoric settlements and ancient plants turned to stone, not to mention churches, galleries, gazebos and cemeteries. In order to take into account all this natural, historical and cultural heritage, you will need more than one day.

Flora and fauna

In the Mashuksky forest park - it, as if hugging, encircles the foot of the mountain and connects with the Beshtaugorsky forest park - mainly ash and oak grow. On the north side there is the Perkal Dendrological Nursery, where a very large and valuable collection of rare plants from different parts of the world is collected. In total, over 80 species grow in the nursery, many of which are endangered plants. There are also such rare ones as Mashuk's hawkweed, narrow-leaved snowdrop, Pyatigorsk hawkweed, dwarf euonymus and rocky spurge. 25 plant species are considered standard, since they were discovered here for the first time.

Just some 100 years ago, the slopes of Mount Mashuk were literally “overpopulated” - there was noisy noise from the singing of birds and the cries of animals. However, civilization has not had the best effect on the local fauna. There are fewer and fewer birds, animals and reptiles here. You will no longer see badgers and graceful wild forest cats; bats are on the verge of extinction. Hares, foxes and hedgehogs are rarely seen.

Recreation and entertainment

Tourists are well aware of the local cable car, which bears the name of the mountain itself - “Mashuk”. However, this is not surprising, since it has existed since 1971. Its length is 964 m, two trailers with a capacity of up to 20 people each move along it. They move at a speed of 8 m per second, which is quite comfortable. You can reach the top of the mountain in less than 3 minutes. The cable car operates on schedule: movement starts at 10 am, the last boarding is at 17:30.

For those who are keen on mountain biking - this is an independent type of mountain bike tourism - there is a separate route on the slopes. Every year, fans of downhill (bicycle racing), as well as fans of freeride - descents from natural hills, hone their skills here.

Sights of Mount Mashuk

The observation deck of Mount Mashuk is one of the most popular places, it gives vacationers the opportunity to admire the outskirts of the city from above and look at Beshtau. In clear weather, when the peaks of the massifs are not hidden under a veil of fog, you can see part of the plains Stavropol Territory, Caucasus ridge and even the famous Elbrus.

The pride of Pyatigorsk residents is the TV tower. It can safely be included in the Guinness Book of Records as the highest one located in Europe. If you look at it from afar, it resembles an arrow, giving the impression that the mountain, like a space rocket, rushes far into the sky. The TV tower itself is not high, its “height” is only 113 m. But since it is not on the ground, but on the top of Mashuk, it de facto rises above sea level by as much as 1069 m. “Our Eiffel Tower” - that’s what they call it local residents. There is a resemblance to the Parisian celebrity; it is especially noticeable at the moment when the evening twilight begins to thicken over the TV tower.

At the end of the 18th century, a vertical 41-meter cave in the form of a funnel was discovered on the slope of Mashuk, at the bottom of which there is a whole karst lake. It turned out to be quite large: 15 m in diameter, 11 m deep. Due to this unusual location, the reservoir was named Proval. Its bright blue water, the temperature of which varies between +26...+41 °C, contains hydrogen sulfide and bacteria. In the middle of the 19th century, Prince Golitsyn gave instructions to dig a 58-meter tunnel there, the entrance to it was lined with stone and a descent down to Proval was provided. Then the tunnel was consecrated, and in a niche near the water they placed an icon of the Mother of God, which was replaced several decades later by the image of the Great Martyr Panteleimon.

Another attraction of Mashuk - the sculpture "Eagle" - is considered a symbol of the Caucasian mineral waters. A visit to this huge stone bird, holding a snake in its talons, symbolizing the ailments it conquers, is included in everything excursion programs. This one is unusual sculptural composition was opened back in 1901, and since then interest in it has not dried up.

The Legend of Mashuk

Did you know that a long time ago the Caucasus Mountains did not exist and the area below them was occupied by fertile plains? So, at least, one of the local legends says. In these parts lived the Narts - mighty heroes, whose leader was Prince Elbrus. His son Beshtau fell in love with a beauty named Mashuko and decided to marry her. But the prince himself was in love with her and decided to prevent the wedding by sending his son on a campaign. To lead Mashuko down the aisle, he started a rumor about the death of Beshtau. The girl was very sad, but Elbrus forcibly married her to himself and decided to imprison her in the tower. However, the son returned from the campaign alive and unharmed and, having kidnapped his chosen one, ran away with her. The prince and his retinue set out in pursuit and soon overtook the fugitives.

The young prince and his comrades resisted as best they could, but the prince’s warriors were stronger. As a result, everyone died except Elbrus and Beshtau. And so they came together in a duel. Beshtau swung his sword and cut his father's head in half. Before he gave up the ghost, the prince found the strength to swing and cut his son’s head into five pieces. The crying Mashuko, who saw the death of her beloved, grabbed his dagger, stabbed herself in the chest, and then threw it away. The grief of the dead girl was so great and deep that everything around her turned to stone. The warriors killed in battle and Mashuko herself turned into mountains...

Those who watched the comedy “The Twelve Chairs” or read the novel by Ilf and Petrov probably remember the episode in which Ostap Bender tried to raise money supposedly for the repair of the Pyatigorsk Proval. Subsequently, it was decided to immortalize the image of the Great Schemer here - a sculpture of a Turkish subject, who is shown on the screen in different time embodied by such outstanding actors as Andrei Mironov, Archil Gomiashvili and Sergei Yursky, installed right at the entrance to Proval. Each visitor can take a photo with Ostap and even sit on one of the chairs from Kisa Vorobyaninov’s set.

Mount Mashuk is closely connected with the name of Mikhail Lermontov. It was at its foot on July 15, 1841 that a duel took place between the 26-year-old poet and Major Martynov, who mortally wounded him. Where the tragic duel took place, a monument has been erected, to which fans of Lermontov’s immortal work come. By the way, Mikhail Yuryevich was first buried in Pyatigorsk not far from the place where he shot himself. But a year later he was reburied next to his mother’s grave in the family village of Tarkhanovo.

How to get there

Mount Mashuk is a symbol of Pyatigorsk, and to see it in all its glory, you need to come to this wonderful city in the Stavropol region.

There is no airport in Pyatigorsk itself; the nearest air harbor is 25 km away, in Mineralnye Vody. It receives aircraft from Aeroflot airlines, Ural Airlines", "Russia", "Taimyr", "Donavia", "Sibir", "Red Wings", "Nordstar" and "UTair".

The cost of a ticket from Moscow to Mineralnye Vody is about 4 thousand rubles. Flights to Mineralnye Vody are operated from all airports in the Russian capital.

– the main attraction and symbol of the city. It, like the other 16 mountains - lacollites of the Caucasian Mineral Waters region, were formed as a result of volcanic activity, during which magma could only lift the earth without producing full-fledged volcanoes. Mineral springs originating in its depths also played an important role in the formation of Mashuk. The water that came to the surface evaporated under the influence of the sun's rays, leaving salt that soaked the grass and leaves, gradually turning them into solid rock.

Mashuk was called the “supplier of healing waters” because five types of mineral waters were discovered in a relatively small area: carbon dioxide - hydrogen sulfide thermal waters, radon waters, waters of the Pyatigorsk and Essentuki types, as well as carbon dioxide-nitrogen thermal waters with low mineralization. All these sources are used by sanatoriums in Pyatigorsk for the treatment of various chronic diseases.

In 1901, a sculpture of an eagle holding a snake in its claws was installed on Mashuk. The snake symbolizes diseases, and the eagle, the royal bird, symbolizes the power of the Caucasus Mountains, which defeats them.

On the mountain there are archaeological sites from different eras, from the Neolithic (4th century BC) to modern monuments.

Even the origin of the name of Mount Mashuk is shrouded in mysteries and legends. According to one version, it comes from the Kabardian words “mash” - millet, and “ko” - valley, because the inhabitants of these places were engaged in agriculture.

According to another version, one day the Khan of the Golden Horde, Kaplan Giray, suddenly attacked Kabarda and began to mercilessly rob and kill civilians. Among the population of Kabarda, a horseman named Mashuk stood out for his strength and courage, who wanted to avenge the death of his bride. In the end, he was surrounded by a large Khan's army, and, not wanting to give up, he jumped from the cliff onto sharp stones. According to legend, the mountain was named in his honor.

At the foot of Mount Mashuk, traces of old quarries are noticeable, which take us back two centuries ago, to the time when the first inhabitants of Pyatigorsk took stones here to build houses. Some of them have survived to this day and are a true decoration of the city. And after the stones, young Mashuk trees began to be planted for landscaping in the emerging resorts. Oaks, ash trees and maples decorated the Flower Garden and the State Garden, and young linden trees framed the main Pyatigorsk boulevard.

Already at the end of the 19th century, city residents began to repay the debt to Mashuk, and in 1879 they founded the Perkalsky nursery, growing standard plants for landscaping the resorts of the Caucasian Mineral Waters. Today, more than a thousand different herbaceous plants, shrubs and trees from all over the world have been collected here.

Mount Mashuk is famous both for its natural attractions and man-made monuments designed to perpetuate the most significant events in the history of the region.

Pyatigorsk failure

This phenomenon has occupied the imagination of people for many years, forcing them to speculate and make a variety of assumptions about its origin and purpose. As a result, the best minds agreed that this was just a karst cave, the roof of which became thinner under the influence of water vapors and collapsed.

For the first time, journalist and naturalist Batalin decided to explore this mysterious cave. He also proposed to break through the soil a tunnel to a hydrogen sulfide lake at the bottom of the cave, which has an unusual color and a temperature of +26-42 degrees. The event was sponsored by Moscow philanthropist Lazarik. Blasting work to lay a forty-three-meter-long tunnel lasted eight months and ended on July 15, 1858. The area in front of the Proval was paved and fenced with a border, but even in this “tamed” form, this cave excites the imagination and makes the imagination work. A resort area soon emerged near Proval, and in the 1960s. The Rodnik sanatorium grew up here.

Portrait of V.I. Lenin

One of the attractions of Mashuk is the portrait of the leader of the Soviet proletariat V.I. Lenin, painted on one of the rocks on the southwestern slope of the mountain by artist N.K. Shuklin. The portrait was timed to coincide with an event that was taking place in Pyatigorsk at that time - the first gathering of women - mountain women and Terek Cossacks. In 1960, the author restored his work. This place is called “Lenin Rocks”, and soon a sanatorium bearing the same name was built here.

Place of the duel M.Yu. Lermontov with N.S. Martynov

On the northwestern slope of Mashuk there is a sad monument erected in the vicinity of the place where M.Yu. was killed. Lermontov, highly revered by both his contemporaries and descendants. The fatal shot that took the life of the poet sounded on the evening of July 15, 1841. Disputes about the location of the fight are still going on. In the proposed location, a classic obelisk 8.3 meters high was installed, and in a round niche there was a bas-relief portrait of Lermontov in the form of a lieutenant of the Tengin infantry regiment.

Old Pyatigorsk Cemetery

On the western slope of Mashuk there is a cemetery - necropolis, one of the oldest burial places in the Caucasus. Many military leaders, cultural figures, scientists and researchers found their final refuge here. But most of all people come here to honor the memory of the great Russian writer - M.Yu. Lermontov, whose initial burial took place here. At the beginning of the 20th century, a small obelisk was erected on this site.

Monuments to the Second World War and the Civil War

A lot of places on Mount Mashuk are associated with the tragic events of the Great Patriotic War and revolutionary events. Not far from the Pyatigorsk cemetery stands the Church of St. Lawrence, near whose walls about a hundred Russians were shot in 1918 as a result of civil unrest. The memorial military cemetery on the Mashuk slope recalls the difficult years of the Great Patriotic War. And a modest obelisk near the ring road tells about the tragedy that occurred during the Nazi occupation, when several dozen civilians were shot by the German invaders.

Way to the top

Mount Mashuk is located in the resort area of ​​Pyatigorsk, so in the 60s of the 20th century it was surrounded by a “health belt” - health paths designed for therapeutic walking.

You can get to the top of the mountain in different ways. All of them arose at different times, and serve as milestones in the history of the resort.

The very first way walking trail, was available to everyone back in the 19th century. Then, in 1830, it was laid by the Bernadazzi brothers on the orders of General Emanuel. It has survived to this day, although in some places it is slightly damaged.

In the mid-19th century, by decree of the governor of the Caucasus, Count Vorontsov, a wheeled road was built for those who did not want to bother themselves with a tedious ascent on foot. Along this road you could get to the top with the breeze in a light horse-drawn carriage.

At the beginning of the 20th century, a road was laid to the top of the mountain highway, which is still used by both motorists and pedestrians. By car you can get to the top of Mashuk in about five minutes.

An even faster rise will be ensured by a fairly modern structure - cable car, opened in 1971. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that it stands on only two supports. The small trailer will cover the distance of 964 meters separating the supports in just three and a half minutes.

Top of Mashuk

There is also something to see at the top of the mountain. The most notable landmark is the television tower, erected in 1958. And already on September 19, 1959, the Pyatigorsk television studio began broadcasting. The tower is notable for the fact that it is the tallest in Europe, taking into account the height of Mount Mashuk. In the evening it is illuminated and is not only a transmitting device, but also an aesthetic object.

At the top of the mountain there is also a memorial obelisk, under which rests only person, who at that time visited all the peaks of the Caucasus Mountains - military topographer A.V. Pastukhov. He was buried here according to the last will of this courageous Russian explorer.

However, not only for these memorable places people come to the top of Mashuk. The observation deck offers a magnificent view. In clear sunny weather, you can see the resort towns of the Caucasian Mineral Waters, admire the mirror-like surface of the lakes and admire the majesty of the surrounding mountains. But most of all, visitors to the Mashuk peak are struck by the view of the snowy peaks, led by the giant Elbrus, located 70 km from Pyatigorsk. Once seen, this picture is forever imprinted in the memory of everyone who came here.

Mount Mashuk has a certain invisible attraction; on the top in clear weather there are always a lot of people: young and old, romantics and pragmatists, lonely travelers and cheerful groups. Everyone finds here exactly what they were looking for: some - solitude and peace, some - fun and new friends, some - health and a once lost connection with nature, and some - a solution ancient secret. One thing is obvious: Mashuk never disappoints his guests.

About the beautiful girl Mashuko, crying about her fiancé Tau, who was killed by old Elbrus.

There is an explanation of the origin of the name from the Kabardian Mashuko, where “ mung bean" - millet and " co" - valley, that is, the valley where millet was sown. Kabardians still have a common surname - Mashukovs.

In some sources the mountain is described under the name Mashukha .

Geological structure

It was formed by gradual uplift or tectonic extrusion of viscous, cooling lava through the thickness of sedimentary deposits. Volcanic bodies are still cooling today. It has the shape of a truncated cone with a diameter of 4 km, located at the foot. The flattened top is composed of Upper Cretaceous limestones and marls, and the slopes are composed of Paleogene clayey rocks, marls, and less commonly sandstones. At depths of 1300-1400 m, wells uncovered a body of beshtaunites, the introduction of which led to the formation of a dome and a ring fault encircling the mountain. In the ring fault, travertines are common, composing on the southern, eastern and northern slopes three large arc-shaped bodies up to 500 m wide and up to 70 m thick, forming a picturesque Hot mountain, Inner ridge And Percale rocks(in the north), with absolute heights of 610-650 m. The old houses of Pyatigorsk were built from them. In travertines you can find petrified leaves and branches of trees that grew thousands of years ago. The bones of southern, forest and trogontherian elephants were found in the lower layers of travertines, and in the higher layers - bison, bison and deer.

Satellite mountains, spurs and slopes

Slopes Mikhailovsky spurs - come out from the north-eastern side (from Inner ridge) from the main cone of Mashuk; The Mikhailovskie slopes run parallel to and above (north) Goryachaya Mountain, the western direction (from east to west) gives way to a small turn to the northwest, resembling a turn of a spiral-arc. Both of these spurs form a narrow valley-gorge (hollow), which in former times bore the name Goryachevodskaya. The valley was inhabited in the first half of the 19th century, before the construction of the Pushkin (Sabaneevsky) baths. On the site of the Sabaneev Baths there was the house of E. A. Khastatova (sister of Lermontov’s grandmother), where in 1825 M. Lermontov (a ten-year-old boy) came to Goryachie Vody with his grandmother. On Mikhailovskaya Hill there is the Emmanuel Park with the Mikhailovskaya Gallery (c); located Eolian slide(614 m), on which the Aeolian harp rises, and just below it is the Lermontov grotto. The upper parts of the Goryachevodsk and Mikhailovsky spurs seem to be connected architectural ensemble- Academic gallery. The Lermontov House Museum is located on the southern slope of Mikhailovskaya Mountain (Lermontov Street).

Slide Shaved(see below Failure) And Percale rocks(see above)

Satellite mountains

The “Mount Goryachaya” spur, as well as the Mikhailovsky spur, and Mt. Cossack woman located directly at the foot of Mashuk, in its upper belt. Dubrovka(690 m), Fast(555 m) and Picket(565.3 m) - accordingly, a little further away, in the lower belt (in the lower city).

Mountain Cossack woman(633 m) is located between the northern side of the Mikhailovsky slope and the southwestern slope of Mount Mashuk. Around Mount Cossacks there are: the Military Glory Memorial (old cemetery), the Lazarevskaya Church, the resort House of Culture, the Lenin Rocks sanatorium, nearby is the lower station of the Cable Car, a little higher, on the slopes of Mashuk - the “Gate of the Sun” (viewpoint).

All other mountains, hills, spurs, slopes, rocks within Pyatigorsk are rarely mentioned in literature and guidebooks, are unfamiliar to ordinary people and are (in fact) not considered mountains. Therefore, most often the conversation about mountains is about these “five mountains”.
Mashuk itself is a satellite mountain of the five-domed Beshtau, which in turn also has four satellites (see Mountains of Pyatigorye).

Lake Proval

On the southern (southeastern) slope of the mountain is the famous Pyatigorsk Failure- a deep natural well-cave with an underground lake (of karst-tectonic origin; also known as Karst cave"Big Failure"), a unique creation of nature that appeared during the formation of Mount Mashuk as a result of the influence of groundwater and subsurface waters on calcareous rocks. It has a [total] depth of 42 m and a diameter of up to 15 m. Its bottom part is occupied by a lake of warm (26-42 ° C) mineral hydrogen sulfide water with an area of ​​190 m² and a depth of about 8 m.
The Proval was first examined in 1793 by academician P.S. Pallas (the first attempts to study the lake were made back in 1773 by Guldenstedt). In 1837, a wooden hanging platform with a special mechanism for descending to the lake in a specially equipped basket was built over the funnel-well. Those who wish swam in the lake in floating bath, and on the platform on a wooden platform young people danced. Batalin (in the middle of the 19th century) was the first to scientifically examine underground lake A failure, descending to a depth of 26 m. Interest arose again in using the lake; in 1858, at the expense of the Moscow merchant P. A. Lazarik, a horizontal tunnel about 58 m long was built to it, and a road was built to it from the Mikhailovskaya Gallery.
The level and composition of the lake’s waters fluctuate in accordance with changes in the regime of underground mineral waters of the Kavminvodsk hydrological basin. According to observations dating back to 1830, they are influenced by the changing seasons, precipitation, earthquakes and human activity. Therefore, Provalnoye Lake is used as an important natural indicator of the state of underground mineral waters at the KavMinVod resorts. The water in it has medicinal properties, and until 1859 (when the tunnel was made) people descended into it for swimming and taking baths on a rope in special basket. [Internal] bathing was stopped only in 1880. In M. Yu. Lermontov’s story “Princess Mary” about the Failure it is said that “according to local scientists, this failure is nothing more than an extinct crater.”

A plot is connected with the Proval, widely known from the novel by I. Ilf and E. Petrov “The Twelve Chairs”.

Next to the Gap, directly above it, at the top of the well is slide Shaved(690 m). Its appearance resembles an earthen rampart (parapet), as if poured from an allegedly artificially dug cave (Proval). Gorka Britaya, together with Proval, is actually located on the Mikhailovsky slope.
Route No. 3 of the health path also goes to Proval [along Blvd. Gagarin, Mashukogorsk ring highway] with a length of about 3 km.

Cable car

In 1.5-2 minutes, an all-metal carriage with plexiglass windows covers a distance of 964 meters to the top station at the top of the mountain (exceeding 369 m).

Ecology

Concerns of environmentalists and citizens

  • Development of the mountain can harm underground mineral springs resort.
  • Plants, animals and birds may die, including rare ones listed in the Red Book.
  • The development will forever change the landscape and appearance mountains.
  • The appearance of a complex of cottages will not have a positive impact on the transport problem.
  • Activation of exogenous geological processes is possible.
  • The very legality of the land sale transaction raises doubts.

Mount Mashuk was recognized as a natural monument back in 1961, in 1972 as a state reserve, and in 2004 the Ministry of Culture of the Stavropol Territory gave it the status of a state historical and cultural reserve.

Sale of land

In 2005, a plot of walnut grove on the western slope of Mount Mashuk measuring 37.5 hectares, located in the 1st and 2nd environmental protection zones, was excluded from the boundaries of a natural monument of regional significance and transferred from the category of forest lands to non-forest lands, and then privatized by Kavminecocenter LLC on the basis of a decision of the Arbitration Court of the Stavropol Territory. The land was given to the buyer for 346 thousand 890 rubles, that is, at a price of about 90 rubles per hundred square meters. Territory from st. Kuchura to Polyana Songs was subsequently resold and divided into small plots, which began to be sold in parts. In 2009, the “General Plan for the Development of Pyatigorsk until 2030” was published, developed by CJSC Kurortproekt, Pyatigorsk, according to which all sold land was planned for “ … construction of high-tech sanatorium and resort complexes with a limited number of floors of 3-5 floors for 2.4 thousand vacationers" It is worth noting that this master plan was contrary to the development concept developed in the Soviet years, and, in fact, legitimized all decisions by the city administration on the sale and repurposing of protected areas, made without conducting an environmental assessment and comprehensive studies on the possible consequences for the resort from changes in anthropogenic load and construction in the zone of formation of mineral springs.

Beginning of development

The first attempt to begin development of the site was made in 2010, when the city administration was negotiating with Chinese investors about the construction of the Sana complex, but the project stalled. The second attempt to start construction on another part of the territory with an area of ​​5.29 hectares was carried out in April 2011, when, at the initiative of the developer, a project for developing the territory in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe street was submitted to public hearings. Kuchura. By August, geodetic measurements and marking of the land began, and already in September, vegetation felling began. By November 2011, 162 trees and 83 bushes had been cut down and the area was fenced off with concrete blocks.

Society's reaction

At the end of September 2011, social activists and environmentalists in Pyatigorsk demanded to stop any work on Mashuk, collecting more than 100 signatures under an appeal to the head of the city. At the initiative of the initiative group “Solar Patrol” in in social networks The campaign “Stop sawing Mashuk!” has started. in defense of the natural monument. At the first stage, collective official requests were initiated through the Democrator system to various departments. More than 600 people supported appeals to the prosecutor's office and supervisory authorities. Deputy requests were also generated. The problem was also supported by other environmental organizations in the Stavropol region.

The next step of the activists was a rally in front of the administration building on November 27, 2011. Notification of the rally was submitted to the Pyatigorsk administration on November 15 within the period established by law, but the city administration, violating the law and, despite the court decision in favor of civil activists, tried to prevent it carrying out. However, on November 27, 2011, according to various estimates, from 200 to 500 people gathered in front of the city administration, since the police, on the instructions of the administration, prevented the meeting from taking place, the action took place in the form of a citizens' meeting. It began collecting signatures in defense of Mashuk. The action did not go unnoticed by TV channels and the press.

After the rally, the collection of signatures continued. Activists and environmentalists of Pyatigorsk took to the streets every week, coordinating actions on social networks. In just a month, more than 4,500 signatures of Pyatigorsk residents and resort guests were collected, under an appeal to Medvedev, Putin and Khloponin. .

Reaction of departments

In January 2012, the Stavropol Environmental Prosecutor's Office responded to public concerns and found violations in the developer's activities. Based on the results of its consideration of the case, 2 employees of Kavzhilstroy LLC were brought to disciplinary liability. Also, the prosecutor's office ordered the developer "Kavzhilstroy" to pay the cost of cut down trees in the amount of 350,750 rubles, and the municipal unitary enterprise of the city of Pyatigorsk "Gorzelenstroy" to carry out work to restore green spaces in the city of Pyatigorsk.

In February 2012, the response to the appeal to Plenipotentiary Representative Khloponin, the request was forwarded to higher authorities: the Prosecutor General's Office for the North Caucasus Federal District and Rosprirodnadzor for the North Caucasus Federal District. A response was also received to an appeal from the Administrative Office of the President of the Russian Federation, in which it was reported that the citizens' appeal was sent for investigation to the Prosecutor General's Office.

On February 20, the Pyatigorsk prosecutor’s office issued a protest against the construction of a boarding house on Mount Mashuk. According to the supervisory authority, the administration of Pyatigorsk violated the requirements of the Urban Planning Code of Russia - it issued Kavzhilstroy LLC a permit to build a boarding house in the area of ​​​​Kuchura Street in the absence of a positive conclusion from the state environmental assessment, which, as noted, has not yet been completed.

Mineral water

In the past, about 40 mineral water springs flowed in the travertine ring of Mashuk, near which the famous Lermontov, Pirogov, Pushkin, Ermolov, Narodny and Teplosulfur baths, the Academic and Mikhailovsk drinking galleries were built. Currently healing waters taken from wells and adits. They are divided into four main balneological types:

  1. carbon dioxide warm, hot and cold (Pyatigorsk narzans), which are used for drinking;
  2. carbon dioxide hydrogen sulfide with a complex ionic composition, with a temperature of 42-48 ° C (second Pyatigorsk type), used for baths, less often for drinking;
  3. radon waters with radon concentrations up to 274 nCi/l are used for baths;
  4. hydrochloric-alkaline carbonic and carbonic-hydrogen sulfide (Essentuki type), used for drinking treatment.
    In addition, nitrogen-carbon dioxide and methane waters with a high content of iodine and bromine and weakly carbonated sodium chloride waters of the “Arzni” type are used to a limited extent.

Flora and fauna

Most of the slopes are occupied by natural ash-hornbeam forest, part of the Mashuksky forest park (adjacent to the Beshtaugorsky forest park). The glades are covered with rich meadow vegetation, with changing phytocenoses from meadow steppe to subalpine meadows. The flora includes more than 80 species of rare and endangered plants, of which 25 were first described on Mashuk and are standard. The extremely rare ones include: dwarf euonymus, Mashuk and Pyatigorsk hawkweeds, Pushkinia proletaria, poppy bract, snowdrop angustifolia, as well as a number of xerophytes on limestone slopes - Crimean asphodelina, rocky euphorbia, lamira gossamer, symphiandra hung I. 29 plant species are listed in the Red Books of Russia and the Stavropol Territory.

On the northern slope, 42 hectares are occupied by the Perkalsky dendrological nursery (1830s, 1879) with an ecological-botanical station - 11.5 hectares. On their territory there is a unique botanical collection consisting of (550) more than 800 species of shrubs and trees and about 700 herbaceous plants; the flora of not only the CMS region and the North Caucasus is represented, but also different parts of the world - Transcaucasia, Europe, Central and Central Asia, Far East And North America. These include about 100 species of medicinal and 120 species of rare and endangered plants.

Near the tree nursery there is a Komsomolskaya glade (north-eastern slope), on the western slope of Mashuk there is a Walnut Grove and a Glade of Songs. The Arboretum, together with the Mashuksky Forest Park, are natural monuments (see Specially Protected Natural Territories of Russia).

Monuments of archaeology, history and culture

On Mashuk there are numerous archaeological monuments dating back to the Neolithic, 4th millennium BC. e., Koban and Scythian cultures of the VIII-V centuries. BC e., the beginning of our era and the Middle Ages. There are especially many cultural layers on the travertine ledges and terraces on Goryachaya Mountain, Perkalskie rocks, Komsomolskaya meadow, and in the area of ​​the meat processing plant (plateau above Konstantinovskoe highway).

On the Mashuk southeastern slope, which gradually turns into a plateau, these Mounds on the Konstantinovsky plateau (good review- from the Mineralnye Vody - Nalchik ring road - highway M29"Caucasus"). Tens of centuries ago, one of the busy roads ran through the Konstantinovskoe Plateau, along which nomadic tribes passed - Scythians, Polovtsians, Khazars. In those mounds that were explored in the second half of the 19th century and in our time (late 20th - early 21st centuries), ancient burials, weapons, household and religious items were discovered. Finds made on the Konstantinovsky Plateau are stored in the Pyatigorsk Regional History Museum and in museums of the Stavropol Territory, Moscow and St. Petersburg.
Nearby on the eastern slope along the Mashukogorsk ring road (also known as the health path ring - route No. 1 “around Mashuk” [about 10 km long]: Gagarina Boulevard - Proval - Komsomolskaya Polyana - Perkalsky Arboretum - to the place of Lermontov’s duel and the Glade of Songs) behind In the gap, above these Mounds, there is an Obelisk at the Mass Grave of the Victims of the Nazi Occupation.

There are many historical and cultural monuments on the mountain, of which Lermontov’s places are the true national shrine: “Lermontov’s House” (in the urban area, in the upper city), the place of the duel (a monument at the place of death - on the northwestern slope) and the original burial (Voinskoe Memorial cemetery), monument to the poet (city square [Lermontovsky (?)] between Oktyabrskaya and Krasnoarmeyskaya streets), Lermontov’s grotto, Aeolian harp.

At the top of the mountain, from the observation deck a few tens of meters down the southern slope [according to the will - with a view of Elbrus], there is an obelisk monument at the burial site of the military topographer A.V. Pastukhov.

In terms of the significance and value of natural, historical and cultural sites, Mount Mashuk meets the World Heritage criteria.

Attractions

The mountain is a regional complex (landscape, geological-geomorphological) natural monument - a complex object of natural, historical and cultural heritage, combined with monuments of archeology, architecture, as well as Lermontov sites (Resolution of the Bureau of the Stavropol Regional Committee of the CPSU and the Executive Committee of the Regional Council of Working People's Deputies dated September 15 .1961 No. 676 “On measures to protect nature in the region”).

Nature management

A 964-meter long cable car leads to the top; located at the very top one hundred twelve-meter broadcasting tower with radio relay node (with operator base stations mobile communications; the tower is also a topographical landmark, a reference point of a geodetic network) and an observation deck.
Length walking route to Mount Mashuk (one way, to the top) - about 4 kilometers. There are several paths of “savages”: from Mount Cossacks up, or from the medical town (city hospital No. 1) and the Student Town (Kuchura St.) passing the Walnut Grove, through the “Gate of the Sun” and directly along the western slope; two well-trodden paths from the Mass Grave along the eastern gentle slope; from Proval along the southeastern slope - the shortest, but also the steepest climb. It is also possible to climb along the old wheeled road, which runs along the northern side of the mountain (from Komsomolskaya Polyana, Raduga camp). Health path route No. 2: st. Lermontov - Gagarin Boulevard - in front of the Upper Radon Baths, up to the right - "Gate of the Sun" and the Forester's House - and then along the serpentine road - we go up to the top of Mashuk, from where an amazing panorama of Pyatigorsk opens - the length of the route is about 7 km.
A serpentine road up to 10 km long leads to the top of the mountain - a popular wedding route. Entrance to the Mashukogorsk ring highway (on Gagarin Boulevard) from the center - from Lermontov, Pastukhov streets, etc. [from the southwest] and to the Upper Radon Clinic (along the route of the above-described health path), you can also climb from the meat processing plant - street Factory [southeast], Teplosernaya [from the south past the People's Baths] and again to the hospital, or from Kalinin Avenue at the northern entrance to the city - Arch (pylons) near the road to the place of the duel [from the northwest], bypassing the place of the duel Lermontov. All of them lead to the “Gate of the Sun” and to the coveted peak.

Sport events

There is a 3.5-kilometer mountain bike trail running through Mashuk. Every year the Russian championships in freeride (free descent), downhill (downhill) and biker cross are held here.

In art

  • The song “Golden Autumn Spells” performed by Gennady Belov. Words by A. Trilisov, music by Y. Turnyansky.

In titles

Events Industrial enterprises Medical institutions, hotels, travel companies mass media

  • Television company "Mashuk-TV"
Sports teams