Photo: National Park "Elbrus"
Photo and description
The Elbrus National Park is located on the territory of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic. It was founded in 1986 with two main goals: to create optimal conditions for the development of tourism, recreation, mountaineering and, of course, to preserve the unique natural complex. The park is located within the Zolsky and Tyrnauzsky administrative districts of Kabardino-Balkaria. Within the boundaries of the Prielbrusye park, there are six settlements, where more than 6 thousand people live.
About 400 plant species grow on the territory of the park. A specially protected species is the Caucasian rhododendron. To the Red Book Russian Federation the following plants were introduced: dolomite bell, Radde birch, common hop-hornbeam, small chickpea, Dinnik's saxifrage. Birch Radde in 1885 was described by the famous Caucasian naturalist G. Rade. This endemic relict species can be found only in some regions of the Caucasus. Forests occupy only one tenth of the total territory of the Elbrus Park. Of the deciduous species, the most widespread are the Radde and Litvinov birches (52.6%), and of the conifers, the Koch pine (46.7%).
The fauna of the Elbrus Park is also quite rich. It is home to 111 species of birds, more than 60 species of mammals, 8 species of amphibians, as well as 11 species of reptiles, 6 species of fish and many species of insects. In the park there are animals of the European steppe zone - the common hamster, mole rat, gray partridge, steppe polecat and others, and European deciduous forests, among them - roe deer, European forest cat, pine marten and Brown bear... Among the endemics of the Caucasus are the Caucasian tur, snowcock, black grouse, otter and many others.
The Elbrus National Park is a skiing center, an excursion center for vacationers at local resorts, a mountain sports tourism center, a recreation place for residents and guests of the Republic of Kabardino-Balkaria. There are 23 recreational facilities in the park.
Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, Zolsky and Tyrnauzsky regions.
Foundation history. The unique nature of the Elbrus region attracts tourists from all over the world who want to enjoy the view of the majestic Elbrus, snow-capped mountain peaks, picturesque gorges of the North Caucasus. Marvelous landscapes, the purest mountain air, mineral springs, snow sparkling in the bright sun - all of this can be found here in abundance.
To preserve this unique natural complex and develop sustainable tourism in 1986, the Elbrus National Park was established with an area of 101 thousand hectares.
Physical and geographical features. The territory of the national park is located in the region of the Central Caucasus, includes part of the Main Caucasian and Lateral ridges.
The most famous object of the national park is Mount Elbrus (6542 and 5621 meters). This is an extinct volcano, on the eastern summit of which sulfur dioxide emissions are observed - signs of not yet extinct volcanic activity.
In the area of the mountain, lava flows are widely developed, flowing from it along the valleys of the main rivers. In the valley of the Malka River, the length of the lava flow is 23 km. About 15% of the entire territory of the park is covered by glaciers and snow.
More than 100 mineral water springs and many picturesque lakes are concentrated in the park. One of the most interesting is Syltran-Kol, located in the upper reaches of the Syltran river.
The rivers of the Elbrus region are famous for their waterfalls. These are "Maiden's Braids", a waterfall listed in the book "100 most beautiful waterfalls in the world", Sultan and others.
On the territory of the national park, the climate is generally temperate continental, with cold winters and hot summers. The very complex topography of the territory, a significant difference in absolute heights above sea level, the influence of glaciers, the proximity of the Black Sea and a large volume of air exchange with the free atmosphere - all this provides a rather sharp difference in the climatic features of this region from others. The coldest month is February with a temperature of -17.7єC at an altitude of 4100 meters above sea level and -3.4єC at an altitude of 1467 meters. In August, the temperature at an altitude of 1467 meters is + 17.0єС, and 2600 meters higher than + 0.2єС.
A variety of flora and fauna. Climate change with height determines the vertical zoning of the vegetation cover. A powerful belt of coniferous forests is replaced by a narrow strip of woody and shrub woodlands, which gradually turn into a belt of subalpine and then alpine meadows. The most interesting plant in the park is the Caucasian rhododendron, the largest in the heather family. Its lush, creamy and pale pink blossoms form giant fairy-tale flower beds that blend beautifully with the dark green foliage.
Alpine forests are rich in mushrooms, lingonberries, blueberries, strawberries, and drupes. Sea buckthorn is widespread, the thickets of which are strictly protected along the Baksan River.
The fauna of the Elbrus region is predominantly Asian in nature. Before the beginning of the great glaciation, the Caucasus united with the land of Western Asia, through which animals from Central Asia penetrated.
Tour is one of the ancient relics. Severtsov's tour and Dagestansky meet here. Probably, this is the most famous animal of the high-mountainous Caucasus. Another abundant species is the wild boar, which also lives in mountain forests. Chamois are less common. In the forests of the Elbrus region, there are wolves, jackals, common fox, lynx, brown bears.
Of the mammals living in the park, 8 species are listed in the Red Book of Russia, including the Central Asian leopard, Caucasian forest cat, pointed bat and giant nocturnal.
Among the birds, 11 are listed in the Red Book: Caucasian black grouse, Saker falcon, golden eagle, burial ground, Caucasian peregrine falcon, bearded vulture, white-tailed eagle and others.
The park has great amount wonderful places to visit. These are many natural monuments: Narzan Glade, the upper reaches of the Malka River, the Sultan waterfall, the Dzhil-Su tract at the foot of Elbrus and others.
Monuments of history, archeology and ethnography are represented here by the remains of residential and household buildings, burials. At the entrance to the national park in the Baksan gorge, a historical and cultural zone is created with a network of historical and ethnographic excursions and routes, as well as workshops on folk crafts. You can combine your visit to the park with a visit to the astronomical and neutrino observatory; in Azau, the glaciology museum of the MSU educational base is open for you.
Mukhtar Bottaev,
Nalchik
Since ancient times, people have been attracted by the snow-white Elbrus. Its grandiose size and classically austere forms were impressive, and the fantastic view of clouds swirling above it and curtains of fog gave rise to romantic legends.
The chronicle dates back to 1829. Expedition of General G.A. Emanuelya is located at the foot of Elbrus, and the Karachai Kilar from the Khachirov family reached the top. 40 years after the first ascent, courageous people will again go to Elbrus. Since then, the Elbrus Chronicle has been written. Currently, the two-headed Elbrus is the center of attraction for numerous tourists from all over the world.
The Elbrus National Park was established by the decree of the Government of Russia dated 09.22.1986 in order to preserve the unique complex of the Elbrus region and use it for recreational, scientific and cultural purposes. It occupies an area between the southern slopes of Elbrus to the main Caucasian ridge and the interfluve of Baksan and Chegem, which is 101.2 thousand hectares. Another part of the National Park, the northern Elbrus region, is located in the headwaters and sources of the Malka River.
The abundance of sun, cleanliness and transparency of the air, weak wind, pine forests, mineral waters - all this creates favorable conditions here for health-improving recreation. The unique relief, the long duration of the snow cover on the mountain slopes make it possible to develop mountaineering, tourism, and various types of skiing.
There are three functional zones on the territory of the Prielbrusye National Park. In the zone of the reserve regime, all activities are prohibited and visits to it are closed. This is a kind of reserve, where only scientific observations and activities related to the regulation of the number of animals can be carried out. The regime of the reserve zone is less strict.
62% of the territory of the National Park falls on the hard-to-reach relief: rocks, glaciers, snow fields. The alpine-glacial relief includes, in addition to Mount Elbrus, a complex of ridges and massifs of the Main and Lateral Caucasian ridges. From space you can see mountains Cheget, Donguz-Orun, two-horned Umba, five-toothed beauty Shkhelda, Yusengi, Chatyn-Tau and others.
A significant area of 155.5 square kilometers is occupied by glaciers and snow: 93 glaciers in the upper reaches of the Baksan River and 8 glaciers in the upper reaches of the Malka River. Observations of glaciers for scientific purposes began in the 1930s. The High Mountain Geophysical Institute is now actively working.
Elbrus is the main natural monument in the park. Its western peak has a height of 5644 m, the eastern one - 5721 m. Both peaks are independent volcanic cones, and the base of the mountain has a diameter of about three kilometers. Elbrus, a classic volcanic mountain, emerged about 10 million years ago. The glacier area is 130 square kilometers.
On the territory of the Elbrus National Park there are two rivers - Baksan and Malka, and there are more than 20 tributaries. There are five lakes: Syltran-Kol, Adyl-Suu, Donguz-Orun-Kol, Turye and Bashkara, but they are almost unexplored.
The mountainous climate of the National Park, beautiful landscapes are successfully combined with an abundance of narzan springs, of which there are more than 100 with a total flow rate of 50 million liters per day. These are carbonic waters such as "Narzan", "Borjomi", "Essentuki". And at the foot of Elbrus warm springs of Dzhyly-Suu, which have long been very popular among the local population, make their way to the surface. Carbonic springs of the Elbrus region contain a large amount of iron and silica, which increases their healing value.
The fauna of the park is diverse. Its territory is inhabited by 63 species of mammals, 111 species of birds, 11 species of reptiles, 8 species of amphibians, 6 species of fish and numerous species of insects. The fauna as a whole is predominantly Asian in character. To this day, there is a migration of animals from other faunal areas. Mountain goat or tour, in Balkar, zhugutur is considered endemic to the Caucasus, it inhabits only the upper belts of the mountains. Chamois are much less common, there are about 300 heads.
Among the predators - wolf, lynx, fox, brown bear. The most numerous animal after the tours is the wild boar, there are over 1400 individuals. Weasel and ermine are common among small animals. 40 out of 111 bird species are wintering. Caucasian grouse, balaban, golden eagle, burial ground, Caucasian peregrine falcon, bearded vulture are listed in the Red Book.
And 6 species - vulture, white-tailed eagle, European tyvik, griffon vulture, red-headed kinglet - are included in the list of the most protected rare birds. Ulars or mountain turkeys live near the eternal snows. There is a dipper, a pine-tree crossbill, a black vulture. In autumn or early spring, herons, bittern, mute swan, gray goose, gray duck, gray crane fly here.
Of the reptiles, the Caucasian viper and the Asian newt are listed in the Red Book. In mountain reservoirs, trout is found - a red-salmon fish, the life expectancy of which is very significant - up to 50 years.
A characteristic feature of mountainous regions is vertical landscape zoning, which is mainly due to the climate at different altitudes above sea level. Of the 6 high-altitude zones, the main ones are alpine and subalpine. In the subalpine there are 21 species, in the alpine there are 7 endemic plant species.
The Caucasian rhododendron is called the alpine rose, in the KBR there are two types. And pine, birch, spruce, barberry, sea buckthorn can be found on all tourist routes.
The gorges Adyr-Suu, Adyl-Suu, Azau, Yuzengi, Shkhelda, Irik, Terskol are beautiful and unique in their own way. The Cheget ski slopes are attractive. The architecture of tourist hotels and tourist centers in the Elbrus region is peculiar, which today offer services at the European level.
This year the Elbrus National Park celebrated its 20th anniversary. On this occasion, representatives of related reserves, parks, reserves of the Southern Federal District, guests from Moscow came here, a big celebration took place. "Khosh keligiz", "Welcome" - the locals cordially say to all true lovers of nature who come to the Elbrus region.