We decided to go to Mount Beshtau. The weather was great, it's a sin not to climb the rocks. The route was chosen unknown to us - the pagan labyrinth of the Slavs, the glade of relic poppies, the Bastion rock.
Top of the Bastion. Us there. On the left is a meadow of poppies, but our path will pass through the rocks on the right.
We run into a maze. ancient shrines. The restored "labyrinth" was a Slavic-pagan community, in the likeness of the Solovetsky. But the most interesting thing is that at the moment when it was folded, a “reflection in the sky” appeared above it in the form of a cloudy spiral. Here the ancient rite of "Summoning Spring" takes place: scaring away "evil spirits", ritual chants, ditties. This ancient Slavic tradition of seeing off winter was carried through two millennia.
The reconstruction of the rite has been held on Beshtau for several years in a row after the spring equinox, when astronomical spring comes. The ancient customs that existed on our land long before the Baptism of Russia are of considerable cultural interest.
The Beshtaugorskaya glade was chosen for the reconstruction of the rite not by chance: according to some information, this place was once one of the ancient Slavic settlements. Evidence of this has survived to this day: the ruins of the bastion on the rock " fox nose”, the ruins of the wall that protected the settlement, huge stone blanks - up to 120 cm in diameter, turned millstones. Experts attribute them to the 4th-5th century AD.
The Russian Geographical Society is engaged in the study of Slavic culture, traditions, customs, historical mysteries of the ancient Slavs. By analogy with the Cretan labyrinth, 5 years ago they built a labyrinth on Beshtau.
Away handsome Mashuk
Rock with eagles. A crow has crouched down below and constantly makes sounds of an unusual tonality, this is not a croak, but something like call signs =)
GPS showed - that we came to the Bardovskaya glade. Beshtaulyubs gather there to relax, sing songs, enjoy clean air.
Barbecue for barbecue
The middle of the road, there is not much left to the Bastion.
Monastery lake.
Phew ... let's take a break and look to the left)
Field of poppies. Hurry up, maybe you will still have time to see the flowering of Beshtaugorsky poppies.
We kindly ask you not to pluck or trample the flowers, as there are very few of them left on our planet. They are listed in the Red Book. We did not hit the Pole, we go to the right.
Poppies will appear for 2 weeks in June. From 1 to 15 June
Juniper.
stone in the form of an anvil, hung on the rocks
It's better not to look down
And here is the top of the Bastion.
A look at the main peak of Beshtau, as always full of people)
Route on the map.
The name Beshtau is translated from Turkic as "Five Mountains". This mountain, which has five peaks, is one of the most beautiful and highest in the North Caucasus. Its height is 1400 meters above sea level. It is over it, for some unknown reason, that the appearance of unidentified flying objects (UFOs) is most often observed.
Even in the chronicles of the Second Athos monastery the “heavenly fires” and “battles of the heavenly hosts” observed by the monks in the Beshtau region were mentioned. With the creation in Soviet times near the city of Lermontov, the Almaz enterprise, which was engaged in the extraction of uranium, visits by unidentified objects to Mount Beshtau became more frequent. Fighters repeatedly rose from Mozdok to intercept objects, but to no avail.
It still remains a mystery what exactly Beshtau attracts aliens. In addition to the uranium mining enterprise, there are two powerful energy faults in the mountain area. One is the receiving type, and the second is the transmitting type. The receiving rift has a negative effect on people, absorbing energy. Therefore, those who fall on the northern slope immediately feel causeless anxiety and a rapid decline in strength. Once on the southwestern slope, in the area where the buildings of the monastery are located, people feel an unusual surge of vital energy.
Despite the fact that the reason for the appearance of objects remains a mystery, they appear in the Beshtau region with enviable constancy.
In August 1992, eyewitnesses observed two unidentified objects near the mountain at once. They appeared with different sides. One, radiating a bluish light, flew in from the west, and the second, glowing green, appeared from the south. In complete silence, the objects slowly approached each other at a height of about four kilometers. And they stopped at a distance of about five kilometers.
One of the UFOs released a red sphere from itself. And this sphere flew to the second object. Before she had time to fly even a quarter of the distance, a white beam escaped from the second object. When the beam hit the sphere, it sharply increased in size, from red to white. A loud bang reached the people watching the development of events, and the sphere fell to the ground, almost under the feet of one of the eyewitnesses. Later, at the site of the fall, a slag-like mass with a greenish tint that did not have time to cool was found. Whether this was an exchange of blows remained unclear, but both objects were not injured.
At the end of December 2003, a resident of Lermontov, Boris Sinitsyn, with his wife and friends, went to rest for a few days to a hydrogen sulfide source located on Mount Beshtau, located not far from the Second Athos Monastery. Suddenly, vacationers noticed three figures standing higher on the slope. The figures had a height of about two meters and different colors - yellow, silver and blue. There was a noticeable glow from them. Motionlessly frozen in four hundred meters, they looked at the people. And people, for some reason immediately deciding that they were seeing aliens, watched them. And then the creatures disappeared. Before the eyes of observers, they simply vanished into thin air.
The case received wide publicity, and Pyatigorsk ufologist Stanislav Donets said that one of the permanent alien bases was located on Mount Beshtau. Whether this is true or not is not clear, but aliens continue to appear.
In January 2012, a guy and a girl, walking in the vicinity of Lermontov, at about nine o'clock in the evening, noticed a large luminous cloud above the mountain, which began to move directly towards them, but then hovered over the left slope of the mountain. The girl felt unwell and vomited.
On July 22, 2012, while at home, a local resident Claudia and her relatives noticed two UFOs in the sky, which quickly moved towards Kislovodsk, glowing red.
On August 10, 2012, a resident of the North Caucasus named Evgeny, at about 21.40 Moscow time, observed an object flying in the sky over Zheleznovodsk. The UFO was shaped like a ball, glowing dimly in the dark. Flying at a constant speed, the object slowed down and, diving towards the slope of Mount Razvalka, disappeared from sight. The eyewitness had the impression that the UFO flew up the mountain.
A participant in several expeditions to Beshtau, Sergey Aleksandrenko, found out that in addition to the security units of the KGB of the USSR, in Soviet times, employees of the 18th department of the KGB were at the Almaz enterprise. This department was engaged in the study of anomalous phenomena.
During the next expedition, one of its participants suddenly got up and, being in some kind of trance, went towards the forest. Trying to find out the reason for Aleksandrenko's departure, she confusedly explained that "they want to take her with them." The girl was returned to the camp by force, and a few minutes later a spherical UFO appeared over the forest with a reddish tint.
Taking into account numerous eyewitness accounts, it can be concluded that the Beshtau mountain area really attracts unidentified objects. Thus, this mountain can be quite attributed to the places where the frequent appearance of UFOs is most likely.
It has become fashionable for residents of Stavropol to ride the most big mountain Pyatigorye. Temple of sun-worshippers, abandoned adits, a monastery - this is not the whole list of sights that unique Beshtau is famous for, full of secrets and mysteries.
AT recent times residents Stavropol Territory experienced a tourism boom. People spend their weekends picturesque corners region, looking for the most amazing places. Especially popular is the largest of the 17 volcanic mountains of Pyatigorye - Beshtau, which was once active volcano. People are attracted by the abundance of different geomagnetic zones in this mysterious place, rumors about UFOs, the opportunity to get acquainted with the temples of various religions and, of course, the picturesque slopes.
Beshtau is translated from Karachay as "five mountains". Indeed, the mountain has five peaks: the highest is Big Tau, 1400 m high; on the eastern slope is the peak of the Goat Rocks (1167 m), on the northern slope - Small Tau (1254 m), on the western side - Shaggy Kurgan (1080 m), on the south - Bald Mountain (1116 m). The names of the peaks are unofficial, so there are often variants of their names. Together, with the center in the Big Tau, they form a kind of cross, called the Beshtaugorsky. And among the fans of this mountain exists honorary title"crusader" - a person who, in one ascent, passed all five peaks of the Beshtaugorsky cross with a sort of pendulum with an obligatory entry after each to the Big Tau.
The fact that Beshtau is called a laccolith mountain is wrong. The correct name is volcanic mountain. Moreover, the rocks of Beshtau are those places where magma broke out through the cracks. Over time, the residual and soft rocks were weathered and rocks were formed - Eagle and Goat.
In Soviet times, the mountain was actively explored: uranium reserves were found in its depths. A specially formed enterprise "Almaz" worked here in small town Lermontov. In the early 90s of the last century, uranium mining was stopped, the enterprise was redeveloped, and the uranium mines on the mountain were closed. But local and visiting diggers for a long time descended underground along the cut through adits, studying the mountain from the inside, until the flood of 2002 destroyed and filled most of the passages with water.
I climbed in adits .. there is not so much radiation, but all sorts of collapses, ore throws of 70 meters, various holes, an iron mesh, which is on the ceiling, has long rotted to prevent scree .. I tore one with my own hands.
but it's very interesting.
Video
Video: virtuoskmv on YouTube
Adits of Mount Beshtau
Many legends and rumors are connected with Beshtau. Especially often UFOs and even aliens are seen on the mountain or in its vicinity. For example, remember such a case.
At the end of December 2003, on a clear day, Boris Sinitsin, a resident of Lermontov, his wife Tatyana and several friends were relaxing at the hot hydrogen sulfide source on Mount Beshtau, not far from the Second Athos Monastery. Suddenly they noticed three figures standing about four hundred meters up the mountainside. The figures were about two meters tall, yellow, silver and blue. They stood motionless, and a barely perceptible radiance emanated from them. There are quite a few such stories about Beshtau, just like there are many people. Who come to the mountain in the hope of meeting space guests, but experts are skeptical about such stories.
I don't believe in aliens or UFOs on Beshtau. If someone saw something, then it is most likely some kind of optical effects, or, as they say, one should consume less strong drinks. As a scientist, I am more than skeptical about such rumors.
But if scientists treat aliens and UFOs on Beshtau ironically, then obvious facts still allow us to record the mountain in the category of unusual ones. It was on Beshtau that the Second Athos Assumption Monastery was founded and erected, the blessing for the construction of which was given by John of Kronstadt himself. Consecrated in 1904, the monastery burned during the revolution, its monks were subjected to harassment and bullying, by the 40s of the last century it was completely destroyed, but now it has been rebuilt and is very popular among residents and guests of the region.
The book about the biography of Elder Hieroschemamonk Stefan tells that the Second Athos Assumption Monastery on Mount Beshtau became in troubled times the only solid stronghold of Orthodoxy in the vicinity of the Caucasian Mineralnye Vody who unwaveringly held the lamp of the true faith. Today it amazing place, where perhaps some of the most righteous monks of Russia climbed in.
In addition to the current monastery, artifacts can also be found on Beshtau.
On the northeastern mountain slope there is a rocky outcropping protruding sharply. There are the ruins of the temple of the Sun from the time of the Scythians. This temple is a rocky platform on which various boulders are piled up. In the middle 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, you will feel quite a strong energy.
They tell about Beshtau and legends connected with Noah's ark. True, not much has been written about its remains, preserved on the mountain. But there is an interesting mention by the Turkish traveler of the 17th century, Evliya Celebi.
The five-domed mountain Beshtau in Pyatigorsk, the most high peak which - 1400 m above sea level, along and across traveled by tourists. During the holiday season, novice climbers train here on the goat rocks. Big Tau is traditionally conquered on February 23, and pilgrims visit the Second Athos Monastery. It is not surprising that during its history the mountain has acquired legends and traditions. AiF-SK understood what was true and what was fiction.
Myth one. Labyrinth of "ancient Slavs"
Under one of the peaks of Beshtau, which is called Two Brothers, there is a labyrinth. It is laid out of stones on a small round edge, surrounded by forest. The guides say that this unusual building belongs to the culture of the ancient Slavs. Tourists are offered to make a wish, walk through the labyrinth with their eyes closed and never stumble, and then, they say, the wish will come true.
Who laid out the labyrinth is still unknown, but the fact that it is ancient is a fiction.
“Beshtau is full of archaeological surprises, here they find the remains of ancient settlements, ceramics,” says local historian Roman Nutrikhin.- But as for the labyrinth, it's a frank remake. The type of its structure has nothing to do with the ancient Slavic culture; it is not characteristic of the ancient inhabitants of the mountains of the North Caucasus either. Outwardly, it is similar to the northern European type of labyrinths. Yes, and appeared relatively recently.
Labyrinth on Beshtau. Photo: From the personal archive / Valentina Sapunova
Myth two. Radiation
Rumor has it that one cannot stay on Beshtau for a long time due to the increased level of radiation. If you stay there overnight or have a picnic, you may experience itching, a rash, and a metallic taste in your mouth.
“The stories about the increased radiation background at Beshtau are primarily associated with uranium mining,” continues Roman Nutrikhin. - And there is some truth in this. The fact is that many mines and adits are still not closed, they are mothballed, that is, the entrance to them was closed, but not completely, you can climb through if you wish. The mines themselves were not flooded with water, they were not covered with soil. But what about itching, rashes and a strange taste in the mouth - this is definitely an exaggeration. The level of radiation there is indeed elevated, but not so much as to be dangerous. It is within the normal range, just slightly higher than the average for Stavropol. Any excess of the radiation background has very serious consequences, so it is unlikely that anyone will hide it. In addition, thousands of tourists stayed there overnight in tents, rested for several days - and all without consequences. And Pyatigorsk and Lermontov are still very close to Beshtau, but none of the residents have radiation sickness.”
Myth three. temple of the sun
On the eastern side of the mountain between Big Tau and Goat Rocks there is ancient temple sun worshipers. Since the 19th century, it has been believed that it was created human hands but with the help of an unknown divine power. Many people say that this place has its own special atmosphere. There is also a version that the Temple of the Sun is the oldest observatory.
“There is more truth in this than speculation,” says Roman Nutrikhin. - It's really a very strange object. Some scientists believe that it is of natural origin. Others say that this is some kind of megalithic building, that is, a structure erected by a man from huge stone blocks (IV-III millennium BC).”
Temple of the Sun. Photo: From the personal archive / Valentina Sapunova
Outwardly, this is a cone-shaped object - a monolithic stone, of the correct shape - pyramids. Inside the stone is hollow, there is something like an entrance and a window that looks strictly to the east, that is, to the sunrise. This object was introduced into scientific discussion by the famous historian of the Caucasus Efgraf Savelyev in 1915. He claimed that this man-made structure was an observatory.
“My theory is that it could have been an observatory of the Persian Magi,” continues Nutrikhin. -Zoroaster - the creator of the Persian religion - predicted to his followers that someday the very power of the sun would incarnate on earth in the form of a divine person who would be the bearer of the world. In the ancient Syrian and Egyptian apocrypha, it is said that far from their country, in the North in the mountains, away from the world, the Persian sorcerers created an observatory temple, in which they constantly stayed, watching the sun and stars. They were waiting for a star from the East. And then one fine day this star appeared - known to us as Bethlehem, and from there the Magi went to the east with good news.
In addition, outwardly this "Temple of the Sun" on Beshtau corresponds to the description of the temple of the Magi in the ancient apocrypha. So this hypothesis makes Beshtau involved in biblical events.
Myth four. UFO
UFO fans believe that the unusual energy of the mountain attracts aliens. Many tourists who have visited different points of Beshtau (the mountain is about eight km in diameter) say that it was here that they saw something similar to unidentified flying objects. However, the majority describes some luminous balls.
“I have been to Beshtau many times, studied it, read about it, but I have not personally met a UFO. Bad luck, alien civilizations they didn’t make contact with me, - the local historian-historian laughs. - But I often heard stories of acquaintances that they saw unidentified flying objects there. I have studied a lot about UFO myths. So, according to ufologists, UFOs appear most often where, firstly, there are mountains, and secondly, serious man-made objects. And the city of Lermontov, which is located near Beshtau, was created in the 50-70s. The twentieth century is just for the development of uranium deposits, which were discovered in the mountain. Therefore, Beshtau, from the point of view of ufologists, is an ideal place for the development of myths about "flying saucers".But, of course, there are no scientific justifications, let alone confirmations of these stories.
Myth five. Missing water lilies
There is a lake not far from the Second Athos Monastery. The legend says that the monks dug it several centuries ago. They were engaged in cattle breeding, and animals needed water, so they made a dam into which the spring flows, it is considered sacred. The monks, according to legend, also planted water lilies. When the monastery was destroyed in the 1920s, water lilies also disappeared. And allegedly only in the late 1990s, when they began to restore the monastery, water lilies reappeared on the water.
The lake was indeed dug by the monks. But “mermaid flowers” appeared only in the early 1990s. According to one version, they were landed together with his wife by a Pyatigorsk biologist.
Monastery lake. Photo: From the personal archive / Valentina Sapunova
“It’s amazing that these plants took root, and they appeared for the first time 30 years ago, they were planted by some kind person who did not advertise his name,” says Chief Agronomist of the Pyatigorsk Ecological and Botanical Station of the Russian Academy of Sciences Zoya Dutova. - But nymphs (water lilies) do not grow in our latitudes. They are good at Astrakhan region, on Azov - it is warmer and lower there, and the lake is located at an altitude of 1000 meters above sea level. But thanks to the sunny side, the water has time to warm up, and due to the fact that the roots of water lilies are planted deep in the silt, they do not freeze out in winter. They bloom all summer. At noon, the flowers fully open, with the sunset they close their petals and seem to go under water, and at dawn they “emerge” again and open towards the sun.”
