On Far East at the confluence of the Zavitaya River with the Amur there is a mountain, which the local Russian population called the Hat. Maybe it reminded the early settlers of their hats. And according to a humorous legend, it was they who poured it with caps for the construction of fortifications for self-defense.

Of course, all the names of these near and far places come from the more ancient Chinese and Manchu populations. But it just so happens that everyone puts all the toponymy they encounter on their block.

The most famous Russian researcher N.M. Przhevalsky, who began his hiking activities in the Shapka region, in his further travels around Central Asia in the 70-80s of the 19th century tried to give Russian names to the mountains he discovered and studied: the Outskirts (Maomaoshan), Moscow (Achchikkeltag) ridges, etc. But they didn’t take root because they existed local names. After the death of the researcher Russian geographical society the Mysterious Ridge was given his name, but on maps and reference books it remained Arkatag (translated from Turkic as “back ridge”). At best, Przhevalsky's name is added to it in parentheses. By the way, the traveler saw in this ridge highest peak and called it not just a hat, but exalted it to the “Monomakh Cap”.

Let's return to the Cap at the Cupid. The Chinese suspected that the Russians in Przhevalsky’s expeditions were not just exploring unexplored territory, but were looking for something specific and important. In particular, treasures... Scientists of the Chinese imperial court found ancient documents, from which it followed that there was a capital at the confluence of the Zavitaya and Amur rivers ancient state Jur-zhen.

This people, somewhat similar to the Cossacks, inhabited the farthest outskirts of the Middle Empire. Organized by former oppressed fugitives, a powerful state even captured Central China for a time. Under the pressure of Genghis Khan's troops, the Jurchens retreated to their capital, then joined the hordes of the Mongols and left with the invaders to Central Asia and Europe.

But they hid their treasures in a mountain, later called Shapka. These jewels and their storage itself were described in detail in documents. The settlement on the mountain and at its foot fell into disrepair due to another plague epidemic. Religious teachers and rulers from nearby villages declared that mountain and its surroundings damn place and for fear of the plague they forbade anyone to enter there on pain of death. The lifeless city was destroyed and forgotten. But there was a reason to remember the treasures.

The note from the learned men of the imperial court said that the treasure on Mount Shapka had not yet been plundered by anyone, and it was recommended to send a detachment of Chinese there to get those Jurchen treasures. Attached to the note was a plan for the location of the storage facility. There was only a significant snag - Mount Shapka was considered disputed territory and was under the jurisdiction of the Russians. As for Przhevalsky, the sons of the Celestial Empire cared little about the fact that during his four long journeys through Central Asia he covered over 32 thousand km, explored and mapped more than 20 ridges and 7 large lakes, often rose to “terrible absolute heights,” and was on the brink of survival. In Beijing, he was seen primarily as an officer of the General Staff, and his Cossacks were seen as reconnaissance soldiers. And now also the miners of treasures hidden on the Cap...

People in clothes made of fish skins, painted with spiral patterns, walked up the embankment in an endless line, carrying earth in their hats. They climbed to the top, at a sign from the guard, they poured out the earth and, in single file, walked back. A little further away, in a thin chain, feathered arrows placed on the bowstrings of their tight bows, the guard soldiers froze. Closer to the river on the already finished tip of the man-made mountain stone idol sat a richly dressed leader. The guttural screams of the overseers were heard, and hat after hat was toppled over in the hands of the slaves...

Thus, according to an ancient legend, retold by many generations of residents of the village of Poyarkovo and nearby villages, a lonely mountain appeared at the confluence of the Zavita River with the Amur. They called her Shapka.

Local residents claimed that people lived on this mountain a long time ago. But when this happened, what kind of people they were and where they had gone, no one knew. The secret of Shapka was revealed only in 1961 by the expedition of Academician A.P. Okladnikov, which established that there was an ancient settlement here.

Now archaeologists, scientists and students have come here - a detachment of the North Asian Complex Expedition of the Novosibirsk Institute of History, Philology and Philosophy of the Siberian Branch of the USSR Academy of Sciences. They broke camping near the southwestern slope and began excavating the ancient settlement.

After the first working season, the head of the detachment, candidate of historical sciences Evgenia Ivanovna Derevyanko could say:

The hat was not poured by human hands; this hill is the remnant of the second terrace of the Amur River above the floodplain. On a mountain very convenient for settlement, there is a settlement, or rather, its remains: ditches and ramparts ringing the peaks, undoubtedly built by people. The first excavations allowed us to date the discovered structures to the 10th and 11th centuries.

Nakhodki

A steep narrow road runs up to the top of the hill. Our UAZ jumps from the pits onto the ledges. Sometimes the car tilts, but the young driver steers it toward the middle of the road with a confident and even artistic movement.

The ascent took a matter of minutes. The car rolled out onto a tiny plateau, where at that hour almost the entire detachment had gathered. After a short introduction, the deputy head of the detachment, Sergei Nesterov, or simply Seryozha, led us to show the excavations.

Under the carpet of thick and tall grasses, regular cup-shaped depressions with swollen edges are clearly visible. These depressions, as archaeologists call them, are traces of the dwellings of ancient inhabitants. Here and there between them and to the side, mounds of soil from exploration pits turn yellow.

Not far from the western ditch and a steep three-meter rampart, scientists set up an excavation, the total area of ​​which has already reached three hundred square meters. Strictly marked with pegs and strings, the excavation slightly shines with cleanly cut walls of lintels. On their vertical planes, gray and dark stripes and red calcined spots are clearly visible - this is a cultural layer. The guys deftly wield the tools. In their hands are small, like toy, scoops, brushes and cues, and like painters. Archaeologists clear a ridge of dirty gray stones. In the neighboring excavation, already completely cleared, earthen columns covered with flat stones are visible. These are the remains of a hearth and a chimney system that heated the house. The almost rotten bases of wooden pillars, the former supports of walls and roofs, are turning brown.

These dwellings, explains Seryozha Nesterov, were semi-underground. The walls were made of wooden blocks, and the roof was most likely two- or four-slope. But unlike similar buildings of the 7th and 8th centuries, which had a hole in the roof as an entrance to the dwelling, here there were ordinary doors that opened to the south or southeast. Look: this is the heel stone on which the door pillar at the entrance to the house rotated...

Archaeologists have found iron tools, spearheads, iron and bone arrowheads, shards of pottery with patterns of dissected molded rollers. Among the finds there is a stone button, a horse pastern covered with a transverse notch along the bone, an object of a game or a ritual object, a receptacle for the “soul” of the deceased. At the mouth of the fireplace lay the jaws of a pig. The pig is a sacred animal among the Jurchens; it was worshiped and sacrificed.

Based on the nature of the finds, it can be assumed that in this part ancient fortress there lived “black” people. Apparently, farmers and pastoralists.

There are many questions, but answers to them will come only after thorough research. But scientists can answer one question quite definitely today.

Who are they?

In the X-XIII centuries, the vast territories of our Amur region, Primorye and the northeastern part of modern China were inhabited by the mysterious Jurchen people. According to previously known archaeological sites and written evidence, the Jurchens, who led a sedentary lifestyle, had developed tribal relations by the 10th century. Here is some information from the historical essay by M.V. Vorobyov “The Jurchens and the State of Jin.”

Until the 10th century, these tribes were independent, then they came under the rule of the Khitans, who already had statehood. In 1114, the Jurchen leader Aguda, who had recently united his fellow tribesmen, rebelled against his enslavers. As a result of his victory, the Jurchens created the independent state of Jin, or, as it is also called, “ Golden Empire", which existed until the invasion of Genghis Khan.

They waged constant wars with their neighbors. Their military power was such that in just a year they destroyed the Khitan kingdom of Liao. And then they captured vast territories in the north of the Song Empire and made its remnant Southern Song, which paid a large tribute to the Jurchens, their vassal.

During the invasion of the Mongol conquerors, the Jin state was destroyed, and the Jurchens again split into a number of tribal groups. And only at the end of the 15th century the Nüzhi tribe (Nüzhi one of the later transformations of the name Jurchen) marked the beginning of a new unification of a number of half-blooded and other tribes, which later received the generalized name of the Manchus. Their settlements were located along the banks of the Amur and Zeya.

Thus, ethnically, the Jurchens are the ancestors of the Tungus-speaking peoples of Primorye and Amur region - the current Nanais, Ulchis, Orochs and Udeges.

Judging by the design of the dwellings and defensive structures of the settlement on Shapka, by the objects found during excavations, the bearers ancient culture This region were precisely the Jurchens.

If in Primorye the monuments of the Jurchen civilization have been studied and excavated for a long time, then in the middle Amur their settlement is being uncovered for the first time. This fact is of great value; it speaks about who exactly inhabited these places in very ancient times.

Jurchen battle "guitar"

When you look out the window of the An-2, making regular flights along the Poyarkovo Blagoveshchensk highway, Mount Shapka resembles a pear or a guitar without a neck. Its two sloping-flat peaks are ringed by a deep ditch and a powerful rampart, and half of the “guitar” is also separated by internal ramparts. The narrow part of the mountain faces northeast, towards the mouth of Zavitinka. The steep, sometimes vertical slopes below are densely overgrown with hazel trees.

Surrounded on both sides by rivers, swamps and lakes, the hill was at that time a strategically advantageous place for a stronghold combat post. And it is no coincidence that archaeologists are inclined to think that the settlement on Shapka could have been a military-administrative center, in the vicinity of which peaceful settlements of the Jurchens may have been located.

The ditches and ramparts surrounding the Shapka are undoubtedly intended for defensive purposes. From written sources and archaeological finds in Primorye it is known that the Jurchens watered the outer slopes of the ramparts and natural steep slopes with water in winter. Frozen ice often became an insurmountable obstacle for enemies.

The rampart, cutting part of the lowland to the hill in a semicircle, probably served as protection and at the same time as a fence for livestock, which were driven here from surrounding settlements during military operations or siege.

Excavations have not yet begun on the northeastern peak of Shapka. This part of the mountain is separated by three more rows of ditches and ramparts. Scientists suggest that there could have been a fortress within a fortress, which possibly housed warehouses, grain storage facilities, temples, and blocks of houses in which leaders and nobles lived. This speculation is not without a real basis, since scientists have not yet found traces of public premises on the hill and in its immediate surroundings. And yet, with such a stronghold administrative point, they should have been there.

Three kilometers from Mount Shapki there is a burial ground. The Jurchens had a custom of burying their dead in family and tribal cemeteries, which were most often located within a radius of up to 15 kilometers from settlements. Burial grounds are of great interest to science, since it is in them that the largest number of cultural objects of ancient tribes are found. Therefore, in parallel with the excavations of the ancient settlement, extensive burials will also be studied.

Studies of the excavated dwellings have shown that they are well preserved: there are no traces of fires or severe destruction, which would indicate a long siege of the fortress or a rapid enemy raid. The absence of human remains and the relative paucity of items found indicate that the inhabitants left their homes in a calm, most likely peaceful, environment.

It is possible that the Jurchens, not having the strength to defend the fortress, abandoned it in anticipation of the onslaught of the Tatar-Mongols, whose terrible cruelty was probably known in this region. After all, it was the Jurchens who offered the most fierce resistance to the hordes of Genghis Khan. And they knew that Genghis Khan’s warriors, having burst into the fort, literally wiped it off the face of the earth and completely destroyed the population, young and old.

Where did the remnants of the Jurchens go? Maybe far to the north, deep into the impenetrable taiga? This also remains unclear. But the painstaking work of scientists continues. And although the search is designed to take many years, and maybe even decades, scientists already know for sure today: sooner or later the day will come when Shapka will reveal all its secrets to them.

V. Galuzin, corr. newspaper "Amurskaya Pravda" specially for "Around the World"

Poyarkovo village, Amur region

Apiary and temple monastery at the base of Shahan

Where is Psebay

Village Psebay located at the very foot of Caucasus Mountains, V Southeast parts Krasnodar region. Administratively, it belongs to the Mostovsky district, which borders Karachay-Cherkessia and Adygea. Stretched along the left bank of the river Malaya Laba for 12 kilometers in a wide mountain valley. The altitude above sea level is 400 meters. From the east the valley is covered by a mountain range Shahan, consisting of a chain of mountains with maximum high point 1200 m. The ridge rises from the west Gerpegem from which there is a great view of the village itself and the entire valley.


View of the valley where the village of Psebay is located
Everywhere you see meadow flowers, sometimes of quite exotic shapes.
Where there is an abundance of flowers, there are fluttering butterflies

How to get to Psebay

I described the route in sufficient detail in my previous article. I publish here map route from Armavir and to the final point.


Armavir-Psebay travel route map

It’s better to get there, although there is bus routes from cities such as Rostov and Krasnodar. Nearest city with by rail- Armavir. From there there are minibuses and you can take a taxi if you arrived from afar and by train. (distance to Psebay -120 kilometers, - 1.40 - 1 hour 50 minutes) Price trips from Rostov around 500-600 rubles.


View of the peaks of Shahan

What to do in Psebay

In Soviet times, Psebay was positioned as one of the centers hiking in the North Caucasus. Here was the beginning of one of the popular crossings along tourist route « Psebay – Krasnaya Polyana». Now mountain tourism every year it becomes more and more popular. Also, local landscape conditions and weather in Mostovsky and Psebay are conducive to such types of recreation as rafting, jeeping And cycling.


Hotel in the form of an impregnable medieval castle colorful and actually accessible

Some routes pass through the territory Caucasian Nature Reserve. To avoid problems with rangers, it is better to register permission, the office of one of its departments is located in Psebay. 10 kilometers along the road to south direction, outside the village Transshipment There is border post, where, if necessary, you can obtain documents for passage through the border zone, address st. Industrial, 226.


If you climb Mount Shapka, you will see a picturesque view with depth in the background

For me, as a lover of hiking in the mountains, the Psebaysky mountain region has become an alternativeMountain Adygea with its famous plateauLago-Naki , where it became too crowded, especially on weekends. For 15 years, I went on vacation every year to those parts and followed the development of infrastructure. The places are not inferior in beauty to other areas of the Caucasus Mountains, but sometimes you want to be away from people and closer to nature.


Alpine meadow near Psebay
Plane SP-30 of the Psebay aviation club

On the right bank of the Malaya Laba opposite the village there is a village Andryuki , there is a grass airfield and flying club, where the annual gathering of small aviation enthusiasts from all over Russia takes place. When I first arrived in Psebay and while driving around the area I saw this airfield, I immediately stopped by and made an agreement with the local pilot hang-glider(not to be confused with a hang glider, which does not have a motor). The next day, for a reasonable fee, we flew with him over the valley and nearby mountain ranges.


A hang plane from the village of Andryuki will take you above Psebay
Petrovich on takeoff
The view from the deltoplane is open in all directions

Both the village and the mountains around it look fascinating, stunning views and a whole range of thrills are guaranteed to you. I recommend everyone to try a bird's eye view, especially since, unlike an airplane, the view is all-round and free, and not from the cockpit through the glass. Everything is clearly visible Caucasus ridge and nearby mountains such asBig Thach and famousDevil's Gate . If anyone decides to fly, then dress warmly; at altitude it is much cooler than on the ground, even in the heat.


View of Gerpegem from Shahan

You can climb one of the mountains of the Gerpegem ridge, since the climb can begin immediately from Psebay. Stunning views at any time of the year, and in the summer there are also aromas of mountain herbs and flowers. The hike is not difficult, accessible to any age and experience.


View from Mount Shapka to the Skirda plateau

In the village of Perevalka, which I have already mentioned, which belongs to the Psebaysky rural settlement, there is one of the nearby attractions of the mountainA cap, You definitely need to climb it. The ascent is short and not difficult; the path to the top passes through a shady forest with giant trees and giant boulders.


Petrovich on top of Mount Shapka

The mountain offers a picturesque panorama of the Malaya Laba River and a view of the plateauSkirda. If after this you are not overwhelmed with delight, and you do not mentally thank God for the opportunity to see this beauty, then it is better to sit at home and watch TV!


Petrovich on the suspension bridge in Perevalka

In Perevalka there is suspension bridge IR across the river, you can cross it and climb the forest road along the river Hungarian, in the upper reaches of which is located waterfall in several cascades. The places are completely wild; the passage to the waterfall through the thicket cannot be found right away.


Waterfall on the Vengerka River

But I followed the sound of the water and finally found it by half-overgrown marks on the trees made many years ago. Judging by the lack of a trail, no one has visited this waterfall for a long time. After something like this you feel almost like a pioneer.


The Malaya Laba River in the Perevalki area
In fact, the water in the river is not that cold

There are many in the forest mushrooms, can be found bison, according to the stories of local old-timers. Found in the river trout, and lovers fishing V mountain rivers They really love to come to these places.


Malaya Laba River in bad weather

The village is also interesting because it is after it that they begin high mountains, passes through it Mountain road along the gorge along the Malaya Laba river. The only path that leads to points such as villagesStormy , Nikitino AndCordon Chernorechye .


Petrovich in the waters of the thermal spring in Mostovsky

Mostovskoy – thermal springs

The administrative center of the district, the village of Mostovskoy, is located 40 kilometers from Psebay to the north. It is famous throughout the country for its thermal springs, the infrastructure of which has rapidly developed in last years, with hotels, recreation centers for every taste. The water temperature at the outlet is +85 +90 degrees, but it is supplied to the pools in parameters from +37 to +44. The water is saturated with many trace elements and mineral salts, which is extremely beneficial for the body. Helps with problems with the musculoskeletal system, nervous exhaustion and stress. The springs are especially popular in the cold season; in winter there is a full house, despite the rather high prices for accommodation for the area. have to to book places at the bases at the springs in advance, especially on weekends.


Place of fastening of beams of an ancient dwelling on Mount Shapka

But for his readers Petrovich gives hint How to get around this problem and not spend extra money. This recommendation is only suitable for those who travel with their own transport. You can live at bases somewhere in Psebay or the surrounding area, fortunately there are enough of them there, and prices are an order of magnitude lower than in Mostovsky and travel by thermal springs purchasing a one-time visit to the baths. I assure you that even with gasoline consumption it will be cheaper, I checked it personally, I tried both options.


Meadow flowers of Gerpegem will go to hikers

Mount Kizinchi Located 66 kilometers from Psebay on the left bank of the river Hodz, slightly before reaching the village Bagovskaya, north of the village Kizinka. You will have to go through Mostovskoy, more shortcut No. You can cross to the left bank by iron bridge, not very presentable in appearance, but strong enough for any type of transport.


Incomprehensible natural phenomenon in the mountains Psebaya awaits its researchers

The mountain stands alone and is very majestic, with an abundance of grottoes and niches that arose naturally as a result of natural influences. It consists of two tiers of rocks - the topmost and the second just below, consisting of separate pillars resembling fingers. Between the tiers there is a path along the entire southern slope. From this path and from the very top of the rock there is a picturesque view of the Main Caucasus Range and the Small Bambaki as well as towards Mountain Adygea.


In Kizinka, grazing horses came out to meet

On the road from Mostovsky to Psebay, in front of the village Shedok there is a left turn with a sign
"White Rocks", once there was a sanatorium on the banks of the Laba River, now it’s either a recreation center or a summer cottage, we’re not talking about it. Nearby is a children's sports camp, there is a suspension bridge to the other side. The place itself is interesting; the outcrop of white limestone rocks on the right bank and along the river bottom makes this place especially picturesque.


Petrovich swims on the White Stones

This is also a favorite swimming spot for the surrounding population, summer months The water running down from the mountains manages to heat up to a comfortable temperature while remaining crystal clear. The depth is quite shallow, which is very popular with children who love to splash around and scare the little fish scurrying along the bottom. Smooth limestone blocks of bizarre shapes create natural swimming pools in which you can relax under a natural massage with fast streams of mountain water. At other times of the year you can simply relax in good location, admiring the views.


Petrovich walks along the terrace to the top of Mount Kizinchi
Mountain flora
View from Mount Kizinchi to the valley
There is a legend among Far Eastern treasure hunters that ancient treasures are hidden near Mount Shapka.
On the banks of the Zavitaya River, 3-4 kilometers away, there is Mount Shapka. The first settlers gave it this name because it really resembles a headdress. The famous Russian explorer N. M. Przhevalsky began his hiking activities in the area of ​​the Amur Shapka.

But the Chinese suspected that the Russians in Przhevalsky’s expeditions were not just studying the territory, but were looking for something specific and important. In particular, treasures. Scientists of the Chinese imperial court found ancient documents, from which it followed that the capital of the ancient state existed at the confluence of the Zavitaya rivers. After several centuries, they joined the hordes of Genghis Khan and went with them to Central Asia and Europe, and hid their treasures in a mountain, later called Shapka.

These jewels and their storage were described in detail in ancient Chinese documents. The settlement itself on Shapka and at its foot fell into disrepair due to another plague epidemic. Religious teachers and rulers from nearby villages declared the mountain and its surroundings a cursed place and, for fear of plague, forbade anyone from entering there on pain of death. The lifeless city was destroyed and forgotten.

With the advent of Przhevalsky's expedition, there was a reason to remember the treasures. The note from the learned men of the imperial court said that the treasure on Mount Shapka had not yet been plundered by anyone, and it was recommended to send a detachment of Chinese there. Attached to the note was a plan for the location of the storage facility. There was only a significant snag - Mount Shapka was considered a disputed territory and was under the jurisdiction of the Russians. Therefore, the Chinese did not burn out anything.

Now Mount Shapka is located in the border zone, which excludes the possibility of excursions. But the very idea that someone could bury their treasures and then abandon them is questionable. Moreover, since 2009, they have been leading to the Shapka settlement archaeological excavations Amur scientists, and no treasures have yet been found there. In addition to items of interest to specialists, those working on Mount Shapka discovered this year on the banks of the Amur two bottles with love notes in Chinese. In one, a young man confesses his love to a girl, in the other, her answer is that she agrees to be with her lover. Neither the date nor the name of the destination are indicated in the notes. These notes are of no value either for culture or history.