I've never been abroad. Well, not yet. However, as a student, I did travel a bit across Russia and Ukraine. I want to write a series of posts about my travels across our vast land. I plan to change my international travel plans this month, before the New Year... And now, let's get down to business! I'd like to dedicate this, essentially a pilot post, to a trip to the North Caucasus I took in the fall of 2009.
Just think—eight years have passed, so much has happened in that time, and yet the views of snowy peaks and twin-peaked Elbrus, even in photographs, still take my breath away. Incidentally, the photographs I use in this post are not intended to be considered art. They were taken with a regular point-and-shoot camera, just for keepsakes. Although, frankly, some of the shots, in my opinion, turned out quite well, despite the primitive equipment.
My trip to the Caucasus began, as usual, with KavMinVody, specifically Pyatigorsk. I don't know why, but I really love this city. There's something captivating about it. Maybe it's the preserved spirit of pre-revolutionary times. Or maybe it's some literary image from "The Twelve Chairs" in my head, similar to the image of St. Petersburg in Dostoevsky's works.
The underground lake Proval, to which the "ideological fighter for banknotes" Ostap Bender sold tickets, is, incidentally, a natural monument.
And here, by the way, is the "great schemer" himself, whose monument was erected right next to the cave entrance. Don't forget to buy a ticket!
At the foot of Mount Mashuk is also one of my favorite places in Pyatigorsk: a memorial obelisk marking the site of Mikhail Lermontov's duel and death. There's something magical about this place. The golden age of Russian poetry, the time of heroic mountain battles, the era of honor and courage—all intertwined around a small clearing on the slope of Mashuk.
This photo doesn't have much of a pre-revolutionary feel, but you can't take words out of a song. So Vladimir Ilyich is surveying the surrounding area, not from the highest point in the city, of course, but he's quite high up.
This is already Kabardino-Balkaria, we are heading to Elbrus region.
The village of Zayukovo (meaning "dogwood valley" in Kabardian) in the Baksan district. Cows boldly walk along the roadway, and cars are forced to dodge the horns of the persistent animals.
The snow-capped peaks are getting closer. One of my favorite photos taken on this trip.
Azau Station. Elbrus begins here. The new lifts pleasantly surprised us with their speed and comfort, but the price per lift was a bit disappointing. Well, comfort comes at a price.
And here it is, the handsome Elbrus itself. It's 5,642 meters high. I remember that number well because I bought myself a T-shirt with the silhouette of the ruler of the Caucasus back then... and I also tried "5642" beer in Nalchik. There are many photographs of Elbrus from different angles, but for some reason I like this one the best.
Incidentally, the old tram-lifts still operated from the Stary Krugozor station, where this photo was taken. The new line had already been completed. I wonder if the old trams are still running... You'll agree, they looked quite nice and colorful.
We returned in the evening, tired and impressed. A very interesting landmark along the way was the town of Tyrnyauz. Situated in a picturesque spot in the Baksan Gorge, it leaves a heavy, oppressive impression. This is most likely due to the abandoned tungsten-molybdenum mining and processing plant, which once played a key role in the town's development.
These picturesque cliffs reminded me of the American curiosity – the Grand Canyon, although I have never been there... But it seems to me that there are similarities.
The sun sets quickly in the mountains. Before we knew it, it was already dusk. And we were almost out of the Baksan Gorge and heading for Nalchik…
Source: travel.ru