January 11. Nature Reserves and National Parks Day in Russia. Caucasian Mineral Waters Parks
Nature Reserves and National Parks Day is celebrated on January 11 as an important holiday for ecology and nature conservation in Russia. This holiday was first marked in 1997 on the initiative of the Wildlife Conservation Center and the World Wildlife Fund. The choice of the date January 11 is not accidental: the first state nature reserve — Barguzinsky — was established in Russia on this day in 1917.
National parks attract tourists, offering them to enjoy the beauty of nature. Today we would like to tell you about the parks that you can visit in the Caucasian Mineral Waters Region.
Mashuk Forest Park
Mashuks Forest Park encircles the slopes of Mount Mashuk, the main symbol of the city of Pyatigorsk, like a horseshoe. It is adjacent to the Beshtaugorsky Forest Park, being part of the state reserve. The park has a rich diversity of flora and fauna.
The site of the duel of M. Yu. Lermontov, where the great Russian poet died on July 15, 1841, is situated in the western part of the forest park. There is an obelisk at this historical site, attracting the attention of visitors.
There are three hiking trails on the mountain, also known as terrain cures or “healing paths”. They vary in the degree of physical exertion, length and angle of ascent, making them accessible to people with different levels of training. The beginning of all the routes is at mineral spring No. 20, opposite the Tarkhany Resort House.
Treatment Park in Zheleznovodsk
Soldiers of a labor company, who laid “peaceful paths to all known springs”, founded Treatment Park in Zheleznovodsk in 1825. Situated at the foot of the Zheleznaya Mountain (the Iron Mountain), the park has no boundaries, and borders on the Beshtaugorsky forest park.
Two of the most famous mineral springs – Smirnovsky and Slavyanovsky – are situated in this park. Between them, you can see a fragment of the Zheleznaya Mountain – trachyliparite weighing 27,200 kg. It fell from the Zheleznaya Mountain on the night of April 10-11, 1892, and has been a landmark ever since.
Since 1977, three circular routes have been used for terrain cure treatment at the Zheleznovodsk resort, differing in length, terrain, and angle of ascent. The starting point of all terrain cure routes is near the Slavyansky spring.
Kislovodsk National Park
Kislovodsk National Park is located along the Olkhovka River valley, at an altitude of 800-1360 meters above sea level. Today, the area of the park is 948 hectares and is a nature conservation, ecological-educational and scientific research facility for regulated tourism.
The national park is divided into three parts: the lower one – starts from the Narzan Gallery, the middle one – from Sosnovaya Gorka (the Pine Hill) and the Valley of Roses to the Temple of Air and from there the upper park begins.
The national park has a variety of architectural and natural monuments. It is also famous for its recreational areas: the Valley of Roses, the Temple of Air, the Glass Stream and others.
The park has six terrain cure routes from 1,700 to 6,000 m long with three checkpoints. The terrain cure routes are divided into stations, each of them has its number, the length of the route from the starting point, the angle of ascent and the altitude above sea level indicated.
Yessentuki Resort Park
The ancient resort park is located in the city center, and is considered a favorite place for recreation for residents and guests of Yessentuki.
In the past, there was a swampy area where mineral water broke through to the surface and flowed in a small stream on the site where the Resort Park is situated now. Only horses of the Cossacks serving at the Yessentuki redoubt drank from it. People avoided this place, fearing the air saturated with Narzan vapors.
The first man, who talked about the healing properties of water from the “horse spring” in 1810, was the Moscow doctor F.P. Haass. 13 years later, Professor A.P. Nelyubin discovered dozens of new springs, numbered them and identified two main types of mineral water – saline-alkaline and sulfur-alkaline. He also gave the name to the Shchelochnaya Gorka (the Alkaline Hill), where the springs flowed. The improvement of the territory began in 1847 by order of Prince Vorontsov, the Viceroy of the Caucasus, which marked the beginning of the development of this unique resort area.
Today, the Resort Park occupies 60 hectares and is the main attraction of the city. It is divided into three parts: the lower (Vorontsovsky), the upper and the Panteleimonovsky parks.
The Lower or Vorontsovsky Park, has remained a favorite place for vacationers to walk since the founding of the resort. Here, by order of Prince Vorontsov, trees and shrubs brought from all over the world were planted. In this area there are also drinking pump rooms, made in the antique style according to the design of the architect Semenov.
In the Upper Park, located on the Shchelochnaya Gorka, there are mineral baths, the Theater Park, almost all the springs, romantic gazebos and sculptures.
Panteleimonovsky Park is located in the area of the Church of St. Pantaleon and is the youngest part of the resort park.
For vacationers, there are terrain cure routes in the park that start and end at the therapeutic gymnastics pavilion.
Nowadays, the Yessentuki Resort Park is available for recreation and walks to everyone. The atmosphere of uneventfulness and peace is preserved here just like a hundred years ago, and it makes the resort an ideal place to recuperate and enjoy nature.
Each park has its own rich history and unique natural resources. They serve as vivid examples of how nature and man can coexist in harmony. By visiting these parks, you will not only enjoy the beauty of the surrounding world, but also become part of the efforts to preserve the ecosystem.
