Mountain Chechnya. Itum-Kalinsky district (47 photos). Chechen mountains. The highest mountains of Chechnya
Photo sketches from a trip to the mountains of the Itum-Kalinsky region of Chechnya, the southernmost in the republic and rich in historical and natural monuments. In an ordinary car, a Priora with an Ingush flag) with license plates near Moscow, we visited the construction site of the Veduchi ski resort; we drove almost to the border with Georgia, to one of the largest necropolises in the North Caucasus, Tsoi-Pede, and spent the night several times in a tent under the Milky Way; and also examined some battle towers, which are available to any tourist who decides to independently get acquainted with the nature of the Chechen Republic. Now there are no difficulties or dangers with this, which is proven by our bersaev experience:)
Before starting the photo story, there is a map of the area to better understand the scale of the trips. By car you can drive from Shatoy to Itum-Kale, then either turn towards Sharoy, passing Tazbichi, or go towards Veduchi, or, having passed the border post, go towards Tsoi-Pede.
1. The first place where tourists coming to the Itum-Kalinsky district stop is the Ushkaloy Towers. One tower was destroyed to its foundation in 1944, the second was damaged in 2001, both were restored in 2011.
2. Once we drove by in the evening and photographed the towers, illuminated by car headlights, against the backdrop of the Milky Way.
3. In Itum-Kale, the administrative center of the district, there is a local history museum named after Khusein Isaev, located in the Pakochsky castle. I had already been there in 2012, so on this trip I only took a photo from the road.
4. Village Veduchi. In a couple of years, it is planned to build a large modern ski resort here. Currently, transport infrastructure is being connected to it, and we can enjoy the still untouched nature:
5. The restored tower in Veduchi, in the background is an ordinary rural mosque. We spent the night in it on the first day of the trip (when we reached the village at nightfall and could not find a place for a tent). Mosques in Chechnya do not close at night; any traveler can stay in them.
6. View from the village to the neighboring slope, ski slopes are planned here.
7. I think there are a lot of people here who want to build a dacha with a view of the mountains)
10. One of the gorges in the Veduchi area. We went down to this river.
11. You can wade across the river by car, or walk across the bridge (I love those))
12. We spent the rest of the day in the area of this mountain river.
13. Another day we drove towards Georgia, to the Tsoi-Pede necropolis. View from the village of Tazbichi on the road that leads there.
14. Route along the Argun River (Chanty-Argun).
15. In the depths of the hill you can see the ruins of the Kirda tower; it was damaged during the last military campaign.
16. A few kilometers from the border with Georgia, at the confluence of the Meshekhi River (on the left) into the Argun (on the right), there is a rocky ridge with the Tsoi-Pede necropolis, on the southern outskirts of which stands a battle tower.
17. Like Vovnushki in Ingushetia, the tower stands on the very edge of the cliff, and amazes with the complexity of its construction. In the lower part it is fastened with metal brackets, which prevent its destruction - the tower needs repairs.
18. The weather began to deteriorate, we did not go up to the Tsoi-Pede necropolis, but decided to climb higher, to the abandoned villages above it. This is the view from Kamalha.
19. In mountainous Chechnya, I was struck by the abundance of agricultural terraces - it was a lot of work to create them at such a height.
20. Road to Georgia, to Shatili. Below there is a border post, which is not allowed to be photographed.
21-22. Tsoi-Pede necropolis, view from above. There are over 40 tombs - solar burial grounds, some more than 10 centuries old.
23. We went up to the village of Korotakh.
24. A few years ago there was a battle tower here, but now it has collapsed.
25-26. Solar burial grounds.
26. 12 km from here is mountainous Ingushetia. I hope that someday I will be able to walk from here to the Ingush village of Gul, the first one on the side of the border.
It started to rain and we returned back.
27. The third, last part of our hike took place in the Tazbichi area, where there are several battle towers. We spent the night under a tree, sheltered from the rain.
28. In the morning they began to remove the Etkala battle tower.
29. It was restored in 2012.
30. Dyor battle towers.
31. You can climb into the lower one.
32. It’s more difficult to get to the top one.
33. This is how it looks from above, on the slope of the Khacharoy-duk ridge.
34. Let me remind you that on the other side of the ridge is Veduchi.
35. Khaskala battle tower, the oldest in these places, built in the 10th-12th centuries.
36. The near corner collapsed and was quickly but roughly restored.
37. Views of the surrounding area around the tower. If it were up to me, I would move to live in such places!)
41. From the village of Tazbichi there is a direct road to Sharoy, which we drove by car.
42. Sunset over Itum-Kali is filmed by a wonderful guy Abdullah Bersaev bersaev , which I talked about earlier.
44. Khaskala battle tower at sunset.
45. Somewhere there, in the depths of the mountains - Ingushetia :)
47. Here, at an altitude of 1500 meters, we spent the night. The Internet works in these places, I posted this photo on Instagram right from our tent, it collected a record number of likes))
In the morning we moved to Sharoy, but I will write about this some other time. And from the Itum-Kalinsky district, I showed only a fifth of the photos taken, sometimes not the most beautiful, but characteristic, so that you can form an opinion about these wonderful places. In 2015, I hope I will return here for a longer period so that I have the opportunity to see all the sights of the area in detail and make photo reports on them. Thank you for your attention:)
My previous photo reports from the Chechen Republic:
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Although the mountains occupy only 1/3 of the territory of the republic, all the most beautiful things are located there and, accordingly, the concentration of natural beauties is the greatest there. Among nature there are also man-made beauties and miracles. If you came to Chechnya and did not go to the mountains, consider that you never came! :)
We spent almost the entire day out of 3 in the mountains, of course I would have spent all 3 there, but the plan was only one. They promised to take us there to the famous Argun Gorge. What it’s famous for, I didn’t really know, before it was only heard from the news and other things. The news was not always pleasant, but what happened, I hope it passed. Now this gorge is simply a natural monument, and the towers along its banks and mountains, in my opinion, are some of the most interesting architectural structures, in my opinion, even Grozny City is inferior to them, they look so organic here and it’s not even clear what it would be like without them . :)
Believe me, I selected the photos quite carefully and specially selected almost all without people, mountains without people always felt good, and in the mountains without people it was safe!
In the morning, we boarded 2 Shnivas and one Ford with the most important representatives of the Beeline company in Grozny and moved south.
2.
Despite the fact that the roads in the republic are in decent condition, we managed to find something very suitable for the Niva, but not very pleasant for the Ford Focus. :)
3.
The mountains here are not only for beauty, but also for work. Here on the mountain is a cement plant quarry, they are crushing it and pouring it through a pipe, creating dust.
4.
The further we go, the higher the mountains, but the highest ones are not yet visible, although there are peaks here over 4000 m high, but we most likely will not reach them, they promised to take us to the village of Veduchi, in any case, I sincerely believed in this and how I really wanted to see where a super-duper ski resort would be built there.
5.
The end of the “Zone” zone, but not the end of the coverage area of the Beeline mobile network. Surprisingly, in many places Beeline worked better than Megafon guarding this area, probably all because they are now very actively increasing their presence here, installing BS-ki and promoting 4G Internet.
6.
Who can be surprised by a spring along the road? But its design is quite possible for those who understand.
7.
We are driving into Shatoi, here we will need to do a little shopping at the market. Shatoy is also a well-known name; it is a regional center in a valley between two gorges through which the river flows. Argun.
8.
After Shatoy, the gorge narrows and the asphalt disappears, not forever of course, but it’s better to close the windows and turn on the air conditioning. Despite the fact that we are already warm here in the mountains, spring is smoothly turning into summer :)
9.
I apologize for any artifacts in the photo, I took it through glass, but in my opinion the photo fully reflects the places where we were traveling.
10.
We couldn’t resist - we stopped. :)
11.
The gorge is quite narrow, the river is somewhere down there!
12.
Proper transport does not drive, but flies.
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Very nice mountains. It’s good that we got there before everything turned green, so the relief can be seen much better.
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It’s getting quite narrow, which means something interesting is close :)
15.
Yeah, here are the famous Ushkaloy towers - twins.
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These two battle towers reliably blocked the passage here before they cut a wide road. It was impossible to enter or leave without permission :)
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Now it’s as easy as pie to get to the towers over the bridge.
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And hide between them in their shadow.
19.
Suddenly the roar of engines, a column of dust. Equipment is coming: armored personnel carriers and fuel tankers. They most likely go to the outpost, which is located upstream. The Argun Gorge leads directly to the border with Georgia, and we have it locked!
20.
The warriors distracted us from the towers, but not for long. Want to see what's inside?
21.
I climbed into the “window” and became convinced that nothing was wrong, these were practically replicas of the chimney towers, no one had spared them before, and when they were captured they were most likely destroyed so that the mountaineers could not use them again.
22.
View from the lower window of the tower. Mountains with snow are already visible. :)
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Fortunately, you won’t get bored here, there is something to see, they built a whole museum!
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There is also a tower, but it looks new, although it is on an old foundation. In 50 years it will be like the old one :)
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In addition to combat towers, there are also residential ones, they are not so tall, but more substantial with rooms.
28.
You can immediately see where is new and where is the original.
29.
The rotunda overlooking the village is clearly not in Vainakh traditions, but it has excellent Beeline reception! Its special design is designed to capture and amplify the signal. Unfortunately for VimpelCom representatives, it also enhanced Megafon, but its speed was still not up to par. :)
30.
All the buildings of the architectural monument look very harmonious surrounded by mountains.
31.
32.
Inside the towers there is a small exhibition of traditional local jewelry, weapons, clothing and utensils.
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There are also rooms that are still empty; with poor lighting, it’s easy to get lost in them :)
38.
Before leaving for Tazbichi, we found out where all Chechen roads begin :)
39.
It’s a 10-minute drive up to Tazbichi and from the towers from Itum-Kale, and there’s also a tower there and you can climb inside it. Just what we all needed!
Eskigora - Eskievs' tower.
40.
Another tower is clearly visible from it - Bassara bIav - the slope tower - the ancestral tower of the Suleymanovs and Magomadovs.
41.
From the loopholes of the tower, as you ascend, views open into the distance.
42.
Tower veil :)
43.
The tower's ceiling is completely made of stone - enemies can't set it on fire!
44.
Time spares nothing; it has to be strengthened and preserved.
45.
Loopholes with visibility and a downward firing sector.
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There is a cemetery next to the tower, you can’t climb over the fence, but you can take it off from afar. It doesn't look like ours at all.
48.
And it's not just about crescents and Arabic script.
49.
But also in tombstones in general!
50.
No matter how nice it is in the mountains, it’s time to start heading back.
51.
It would seem that everything was already photographed in the morning, but in the evening the light becomes a little different and it would seem that the same places look different.
52.
Powerful diagonal layers cut by the river converge closer and closer.
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The road above the cliff is practically unfenced, so you should be careful.
54.
There is somewhere to fly away, below the Argun stream is as powerful as in the morning, the water is dirty in color. It’s warm, the snow in the upper reaches is melting rapidly, the river carries a lot of suspended matter.
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56.
Forward, bulls! :)
57.
And while the bulls are moving forward, we are driving towards Grozny, the mountains are ending for today, and there are no excursions yet. :)
To be continued.
Thanks to everyone who read to the end, sorry for the many photos, but I already chose, chose, chose and only showed a little.
The north of Chechnya is steppes (Tersko-Kumskaya lowland) and forest-steppes. The foothills are covered with broad-leaved and coniferous forests, interspersed with basins with subalpine meadows. The northern slopes of the Caucasus Range, on which the southern, mountainous part of Chechnya is located with peaks over 4000 m, is a wing of the so-called Caucasian fold, consisting of several almost parallel high ridges. The mountains and foothills are penetrated by a network of rivers and streams with numerous waterfalls. There are also many lakes here. There are no rivers on the Tersko-Sunzhenskaya Upland and in areas north of the Terek. The bulk of the population lives in the valleys of the Terek and Sunzha rivers.
Nokhchalla for the Vainakhs, which include Chechens and Ingush, is a Code of Honor. And “Chechens”, in the language of this people, are “Nokhchiy”.
The early history of the Chechens is still a field for discussion among scientists. According to one theory, they represent the autochthonous population of the Caucasus, according to another, they are the descendants of the Hurrian tribes of Western Asia of Scythian-Sarmatian origin, who appeared in Mesopotamia in the second half of the 3rd millennium BC. e., and then migrated to modern Georgia and the North Caucasus. This theory is confirmed by the similarity of the Chechen and Hurrian languages, the same pagan gods. However, none of the scientists takes it upon themselves to formulate the reasons for such relocation, even as a hypothesis. Archaeological data is more specific. Fortifications, burial grounds, burial mounds, including large settlements of the 3rd-1st millennium BC. e. and 1st millennium AD e. (Alkhan-Kalinskoye, Khankalskoye, Samashkinskoye, Khakon-Yurtovskoye, Ermolovskoye, Naurskoye, Ilyinskoye, Sernovodskoye), burial grounds and mounds of the Early Iron Age and Bronze Age were found on the slopes of Mount Syurin-Kort (Khankala), in the valleys of the Terek, Sunzha, Aksai rivers , Hulhulau, lakes Kezenoy-Am. Traces of settlements of the V-XII centuries. discovered near the village of Kharachoy. Ancient historians first mentioned the peoples of the North Caucasus at the end of the 1st century. BC e., at the beginning of the 1st century. In the “Armenian Geography” of the 7th century. the Nakhchamatyans are mentioned, which coincides with the ancient self-name of the Chechens - Nokhchiy (singular - Nocho). Arab geographer of the 10th century. Al-Masudi mentions Kharachoy. Then here, through the passes, the path passed from the kingdom of Serir to the Alanian kingdom (the plains of Ciscaucasia). The Nokhchi lived in both of these kingdoms. Regarding the Russian name of this people - Chechens (hence Chechnya), there are also two versions. According to one of them, it came from the village of Chechen-Aul, where the Russians first met this Vainakh people (Chechens and Ingush) in the 17th century, according to another - the cause and effect are reversed: the aul was called that because the Nokhchi called themselves and Chechen, and long before the 17th century.
Suppressed in the 13th century. Mongol-Tatars to the mountains, the Nokhchi lived there until the 16th century, successfully repelling the attacks of enemies. The national Chechen character was formed in the mountains: independent and warlike. When the Chechens returned to the plains, Russian-speaking Terek Cossacks already lived there. Relations between them were friendly at first. The military-political alliance of Russians and Chechens was objectively necessary for both, and in 1588 a Chechen embassy headed by Batai-Murza Okotsky was sent to Moscow. An agreement was concluded with the regent of Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich Boris Godunov (the actual ruler) on the subordination of the Chechens to the Russian sovereign. Some of the Terek Cossacks began to serve under the command of the “Okotsk Murzas” in the 16th-18th centuries. Chechens and Ingush veins in the lands between the peaks of the Side Range in the south and the Terek in the north, the Aktash River in the east and the upper reaches of the Terek in the west. The Chechens concentrated mainly in the area between the rivers Aktash in the east and Assa in the west. Most oaths to the Russian state from Chechen teips occurred in 1781. However, at the same time, especially at the turn of the 18th-19th centuries. Russia was already actively pursuing a policy of expansion in the Caucasus: the lands on which fortresses and Cossack villages were being built were being seized, and relations between Russians and mountaineers began to heat up, which led to the Caucasian War of 1817-1864, the commander-in-chief of which in 1817-1828. was a hero of the Patriotic War of 1812 A.P. Ermolov. During the war, the North Caucasus Imamate, a state that existed on the territory of Dagestan and Chechnya in 1829-1859, was destroyed. most powerful under Imam Shamil in 1834-1859. In 1860, by decree of Alexander II, the Terek region was formed, which included the Chechen Ichkerian, Ingush and Nagorny districts. But even after the end of the war, conflicts occurred. To avoid a new war, the Russian authorities tried to use weapons only in extreme cases. Subsequently, Chechens willingly went to serve in the Russian army. The Chechen regiment of the Caucasian Cavalry Wild Division covered itself with glory during the First World War.
Almost the entire 20th century. Russian-Chechen relations were marred by tragedies. And only at the end of the first decade of the 21st century. this trajectory of events has changed direction. 
In March 1918, the Terek region was transformed into the Terek Soviet Republic within the RSFSR. In February 1919, it was occupied by the troops of A.I. Denikin. From September 1919 to March 1920 (when Soviet power was established), the North Caucasus Emirate, controlled by the Ottoman Empire, existed on the territory of Chechnya and Dagestan. In 1920, the Terek region was disbanded, the united Chechen and Ichkerian districts became a kind of model for the Mountain Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic created on January 20, 1921, which included Chechnya, and. On November 30, 1922, the Chechen Autonomous Region was separated from the Mountain Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. In 1934, the Chechen-Ingush Autonomous Region was created, transformed in 1936 into the Chechen-Ingush Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (CHIASSR). It existed until 1944, when the Chechens and Ingush were accused of collaborating with the Nazis. The population of the Chechen Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was deported to Kazakhstan and Central Asia. The liberated territory was divided between North Ossetia, Dagestan, Georgia and the Stavropol Territory; the Grozny region was created in the rest of the former Chechen Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. Radical-minded Chechen historians call this period an occupation, but the facts are as follows: in the 1950s-1960s. Industry was created in the city, and the cultural environment was saturated. In 1957, the Chechen Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was restored, the Chechens, Ingush, as well as Kalmyks, Karachais, and Balkars were rehabilitated. The very concept of the guilt of the people, of course, is legal nonsense, an absurdity. But much more important for the peoples who survived the catastrophe of exile at that historical moment was the very possibility of return. Part of the territory of Chechnya and Ingushetia went to North Ossetia. The Naursky and Shelkovsky districts, previously part of the Stavropol Territory, were included in the Chechen Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. These were all time bombs. Both the first (1994-1996) and the second (1999-2009) Chechen wars, to some extent, coupled, of course, with other reasons, are also a consequence of such a policy, leading to a dead end. On November 25, 1990, the National Congress of the Chechen People adopted a declaration on the state sovereignty of the Chechen Republic. In 1991, former Soviet Army General D. Dudayev and his supporters decided that Chechnya would
presented at the signing ceremony of the Union Treaty on August 20, but will not sign the document until the lands transferred to North Ossetia are returned. The putsch of the State Emergency Committee on August 19-21, 1991 in Moscow further aggravated the situation. On September 6, Dudayev’s “national guards” stormed the meeting hall of the Supreme Council of the Republic. This was followed by a series of tragic events, tragic for both Chechens and Russians. Their protagonists in the political sphere were President B.N. Yeltsin, General A.I. Lebed, A. Maskhadov, A. Kadyrov and other government officials and high-ranking military personnel. Among the soldiers and officers who went into battle according to their will, both sides, by and large, were neither right nor wrong; they had their heroes, but also cruel anti-heroes. Both Chechen wars were partisan in nature, and therefore civilian Chechens often became hostages, and captured Russian soldiers were kept in inhumane conditions. The vocabulary reflecting the realities of those wars is gradually disappearing from the speeches of politicians, but the pain and bitterness experienced by its participants are not forgotten both in Russia and Chechnya, the wounds in the souls of people have not yet healed.
In 2007, the restoration of Chechnya began, and now its capital, the city, is unrecognizable. The republic has big plans, the goal of which is to put the economy on an independent track.
general information
Chechen Republic(Chechnya; Chech. Nokhchiin Republic, Nokhchiycho) within the Russian Federation. Included in the North Caucasus Federal District and the North Caucasus Economic Region.Date of formation according to the Constitution of the Russian Federation: December 10, 1992
Administrative division: 2 urban districts (Grozny, Argun) and 15 municipal districts.
Capital: Grozny city (Sunzha-Gala) - 250,803 people. (2010).
Languages: Chechen, Russian.
Ethnic composition: Chechens - 95.3%, Russians - 1.9%, Kumyks - 1%, as well as Chamalals, Nogais, Tabasarans, Tatars, Turks, Avars, Ingush, Lezgins, representatives of other nationalities - 1.8%.
Religions: Islam (Sunni) - 97.1%, Orthodoxy - 1.9%.
Largest cities: Grozny, Ust-Mortan, Shali, Gudermes, Argun.
Largest rivers: Terek, Sunzha, Argun, Sharoargun, Gekhi, Hulkhulau, Aksai, Martan.
Largest lakes: Kezenoy-Am (the largest and deepest mountain lake in the North Caucasus), Galayn-Am, Gekhi-Am, Chenti-Am.
Most important airport: Grozny international airport.
Numbers
Area: 15,647 km 2 (the figure is not entirely accurate, since the border with Ingushetia is not marked).Population: 1,324,959 people (2013).
Population density: 84.7 people/km 2 .
Highest point: Mount Tebulosmta (Tuloi-Lam) - 4492 m.
Climate and weather
Moderately continental.Average January temperature: from -3°C in the Terek-Kuma lowland to -12°C in the mountains.
Average temperature in July: from +25°С in the Terek-Kuma lowland to +21°С in the mountains.
Average annual precipitation: from 300 mm in the Terek-Kuma lowland to 1000 mm in the southern regions.
Economy
Minerals: oil and natural gas, cement marls, limestones, dolomites, gypsum.
GRP: 69.7 billion rubles. (2010).
GRP per capita: 53.6 thousand rubles. (2010).
Budget revenues: total - 56.9 billion rubles. (2010), of which subsidies from the federal budget - 52.0 billion rubles. (2010).
Industry: oil and natural gas production, oil refining, metalworking, woodworking, food industry. The republic has adopted a program for the construction of enterprises using the latest technologies.
Agriculture: growing grains, potatoes, grapes, vegetables, melons; livestock farming - poultry and sheep farming, cattle breeding.
Service sector: trade.
Tourism is not widespread.
Attractions
■ Tower complexes XI-XV centuries Khoy, Aldam-Geli, Makanjoy, Phakoch and others.■ Single sentries, residential and utility stone towers of the XIV-XVIII centuries.
■ City Grozniy: sights that appeared in the 21st century. Reception House (the project is based on a sketch of 1817 by architect A. Vitberg): reception hall, theater and exhibition halls, children's art school), the "Heart of Chechnya" mosque named after. A. Kadyrov, Grozny City complex (high-rise residential buildings, office building and hotel), Alley and Memorial of Glory - in memory of those killed in the Great Patriotic War, Monument to Friendship of Peoples, monument to firefighters who fought fires in the oil fields during the Great Patriotic War , National Museum of the Chechen Republic and Republican Museum of Fine Arts, Dendrological Garden.
■ In total there are about 50 natural monuments in Chechnya- these are nature reserves, hunting reserves, individual natural objects, including rocks and springs.
■ Argun State Historical, Architectural and Natural Museum-Reserve- about 600 historical and cultural monuments of the X-XV centuries: more than 150 tower settlements, about 20 religious buildings, more than 150 semi-underground and above-ground crypts, a collection of protected species of trees and herbs.
■ Lake Kezenoy-Am(at an altitude of 1869 m).
Curious facts
■ Traditional Chechen fortune-telling on New Year's Eve was performed using a lamb shoulder. They looked at it in the light and, by the way the seals were located on it, they predicted what the harvest, the weather would be like in the coming year, and even - within a certain family - which of its members would marry, who would have children, and who would end their earthly journey. Many peoples of Eurasia have similar fortune-telling, differing only in details: it is practiced by other Caucasian peoples, as well as the Chinese, Iranians, Mongols, Kalmyks, Buryats, and Kazakhs. The shoulder of lamb has a triangular shape, this contains the sacred meaning of the connection between the underground, earthly and heavenly worlds. In addition, the spatula protects against the evil eye - as a symbol of protection from the rear, from the back.■ Industrial oil production in Chechnya began in 1893.
■ In Chechen culture, the numbers 7 and 8 have magical meaning. Chechens consider the number seven to be a symbol of a man, and the number of eight to be a symbol of a woman. Since one is the basis of any account and, in this sense, of the world order, a man’s seven consists of seven units, personifying his virtues - honor, loyalty to his word, courage, strength, etc. The eight, consisting of four pairs of twos, is a symbol of motherhood, balance, harmony and infinity of life. A Chechen proverb says: “If a man goes bad, the family goes bad, if a woman goes bad, the whole nation goes bad.” The first man and woman on Earth went their separate ways to find a mate. The woman walked 8 ridges until she found her man. An infant should not be shown a mirror until he reaches eight months of age. A Chechen woman is obliged to know 8 generations of her ancestors on the maternal and paternal lines. A man is allowed to know 7 generations.
■ Since April 1, 2010, as an experiment, lessons in the curriculum “Fundamentals of Religious Cultures and Secular Ethics” have been conducted in schools in Chechnya. This course includes the history and culture of Islam, Orthodoxy, Buddhism, Judaism and other common world religions.
If Grozny could be completely explored independently, which is what I did, then for a trip to Lake Kezenoy-Am I turned to those who know this route well. Tourism in Chechnya is now practically non-existent; accordingly, until recently there were no travel companies working for reception. Now the situation has begun to change little by little, and the Chechnya Travel company has appeared, which can organize trips around the republic for those who wish. These people work largely on enthusiasm.
I contacted the company representative, Elina Bataeva, and we agreed on a day trip to Lake Kezenoy-Am. On January 2, the three of us set off from Grozny on the Kalina: Grozny taxi driver Aslan was driving, accompanied by Magomed and me.
Kezenoy-Am is a mountain lake in the south of Chechnya, almost on the border with Dagestan. From Grozny it is only one hundred and ten kilometers or a little more, but in winter they can sometimes be covered in a few hours, and after snowfalls the lake may even become inaccessible. The reason for this is the mountainous part of the route, which we will get to know a little later.
The road from Grozny passes through places associated with the second Chechen war, which began in 1999. By this time, Chechnya was a criminalized territory with an unclear status. With the change of the head of the Russian government in August 1999, the Russian authorities began to correct the situation into which the republic had been brought almost ten previous years (including by them). Russian troops began fighting against militants on the territory of the republic.
The second war was tough and uncompromising. Unfortunately, this often led to the death of civilians already exhausted by wars and anarchy, who suffered from the actions of both sides. One such incident occurred in the city of Shali, where we made a short stop along the way.
In January 2000, a targeted missile strike from the Tochka-M complex was carried out on the city's market square. The reports spoke of the high accuracy of the hit, as a result of which a concentration of militants was destroyed. It is not mentioned that in addition to the militants, more than a hundred civilians of Shali, mostly women and children, were killed. Eyewitnesses said that the picture after the missile strike was so terrible that even seasoned people could not stand the nerves.
During the second Chechen war, few of the population supported the militants. People just wanted it to finally end...
We pass through the village of Tsa-Vedeno with a large mosque near the highway.
The village of Vedeno, where we stopped to buy some food, is probably known to many from troubled reports in the news. Indeed, this ancient village was at the center of all Chechen wars, including the Caucasian War of the 19th century, when the residence of the leader of the highlanders Shamil was located in Vedeno. And not far from here, in the village of Dyshne-Vedeno, modern terrorist Shamil Basayev was born and lived.
A fortress built in the 19th century by the tsarist authorities has been preserved in Vedeno. Although not all of it has been preserved. For example, in 1999, for security reasons, the Russian military blew up a unique underground tunnel from an engineering point of view, which led from the fortress to the river.
The next stop is the village of Kharachoy.
The village of Kharachoy is the birthplace of Zelimkhan Gushmakhukaev, better known as Zelimkhan Karachoevsky or abrek Zelimkhan. This personality is legendary in Chechnya. Zelimkhan, or, as he is also called, “Chechen Robin Hood,” waged war against the authorities, killing officials who oppressed the local population, and robbing banks and trains. He was not without certain principles. For example, he always warned about an impending attack (and sometimes about the amount he was going to take during the robbery - no more, no less). After such warnings, the most serious security measures were usually taken, seemingly excluding Zelimkhan’s chances of success in the operation. But every time he carried out his plans exactly, sometimes showing not only masterful use of weapons, but also using various witty solutions.
Fyodor Chaliapin, who was touring the Caucasus, was also held hostage by him, although not for long. According to legend, the singer sang a song to Zelimkhan, after which the touched abrek released him.
Zelimkhan was killed in 1913 near the village of Shali. In the abrek’s homeland there is a monument to him, or rather, a small memorial.
Chechens respect Zelimkhan not only for his successful operations, but also for the fact that he strictly followed certain principles, for example, he did not act on the sly. Chechens respect good warriors: I had to hear respectful words from them about, for example, the Russian marines who fought fiercely in Grozny. They also respect human principles in the conduct of war, noting the courage of Russian officers, some of whom, during the battles in Grozny, in order not to expose unexamined conscripts, themselves took their places in combat vehicles. At the same time, I also heard how Chechens speak disapprovingly of those Chechen field commanders who did not take into account any principles in their actions. And there were many examples of both behavior in that war on both sides.
In general, I got the impression, both from live communication with Chechens and from reading discussions on Chechen forums, that in many issues these are people of principle, but these principles are not quite as straightforward as is commonly believed. And here are two, in my opinion, typical examples, one on the topic of nationality, the other on the topic of Islam.
The question is being discussed: a Chechen’s friend is Russian, and he has a conflict with other Chechens. What to do - he wants to stay on his friend’s side, but wouldn’t this be a betrayal of his own? The discussion was filled with surprise at how you managed to make friends with a Russian. But everyone was unanimous: if this is your friend, stand by him to the end, and nationality is no longer important here.
The second example is this: a Chechen girl wants to marry a Russian and writes that he is not only a good man, but he is also ready to change his religion and convert to Islam. Here the reaction was very negative. How can you renounce your faith, Orthodoxy, what kind of person is this if he can do this, the Chechens ask.
From the village of Kharachoy the road passes through a checkpoint and goes into the mountains, turning into a narrow mountain serpentine.
One more look, this time from above, at Kharachoy, and we move on. Aslan and Magomed are excellent travel companions, interesting and sympathetic people. But Aslan also pleased me with his cool driving on the snow-covered serpentine road. He drove the car without losing speed or confidence, but also without recklessness. I once took a driving course on ice, where, in addition to various “police turns,” I learned how to get a car out of skids and prevent them, and I could appreciate how beautifully Aslan does it.
Aslan lives in Grozny, works as a taxi driver. He has seven children, including an adopted Russian boy (now an adult). During both wars he was in Chechnya, working as a KAMAZ driver.
Lake Kezenoy-Am appeared at an altitude of almost two kilometers...
And now we have already gotten out of the car and are looking at this beauty.
The lake is quite long, and we made several stops to admire it.
The depth of the lake officially reaches 74 meters, but unofficially they say that there are unexplored deeper places in it. But even if we talk about the official depth, Kezenoy-Am is the deepest lake in the North Caucasus.
Despite all the beauty of the lake, there are few people here, and this is understandable: tourists are not yet in a hurry to go to Chechnya. But for Chechens these places are one of the most beloved in the republic. True, it is customary to go to Kezenoy-Am in the summer. In the summer you can swim in the lake, you can also go fishing (there are huge trout in the lake), although Chechens are generally not keen on fishing.
There is a summer cafe on the lake, which is not open in winter, and even two catamarans for rent. I wanted to encourage my fellow travelers to take one of these catamarans and ride around the lake, but I didn’t see any enthusiasm in their eyes and didn’t insist. I think, however, that this would indeed be a somewhat extreme walk, with all my love for water.
During Soviet times, the lake served as a training base for rowing teams. A large hotel was built for them, but destroyed during the second Chechen war. Now a small recreation center is being built on the lake. The outside of the house already looks finished, but in fact it is not finished yet.
The surrounding area is good for walking. In summer, the mountain slopes are covered with colorful vegetation. They say it is fantastically beautiful. It’s sad: in the nineties, the republic could not have fought, but developed tourism...
We get into the car and try to drive further, but after a hundred meters it becomes clear that we cannot overcome the snow-covered pass. What to do. We leave Aslan in the car, and then we go with Magomed on foot along a narrow mountain serpentine. Okay, beautiful, air! And it’s useful: if I had this kind of exercise every day, my physical shape would become ideal!
A kilometer and a half later we came to the small village of Khoy, consisting of several newly built houses and a mosque.
Once upon a time in these places there was a large high-mountain village of Khoy. In 1944, when the Chechens and Ingush were evicted from the republic, it became empty and abandoned.
Last time, talking about Grozny and the war in Grozny, I recommended reading Kanta Ibragimov’s novel “Children’s World.” And now, having mentioned the eviction of the Chechens, I would like to recommend reading Anatoly Pristavkin’s book “The Golden Cloud Spent the Night.” The book is not just tough in places, but cruel, but at the same time kind. It gives a good sense of what happened in these parts immediately after the eviction.
So, when in the 1950s Chechens began to return to their native places, they were forbidden to settle in the mountains, officially citing the inexpediency of the existence of high-mountain villages. Therefore, no one returned to the village of Khoy. But its well-preserved ruins can still be seen today. They are located a little further than the new houses mentioned. By the way, these new houses are part of a program to return those who wish to the mountainous regions of Chechnya.
And here is the old village, or rather, what is left of it.
The walls of some houses are well preserved. The masonry was done without the use of mortar; The stones fit well one to another.
Is this the remains of a watchtower? The tower existed until recently. But since militants sometimes hid in the ruins of the village, and in the tower too, during the second Chechen war, the Russian military sinfully decided to blow it up. And they blew it up.
Magomed visited these places many times, but most often in the summer.
The basements of houses with stone vaults are well preserved.
And here you can see that the houses above the cliff were built on stone slabs.
On the stone slabs of the houses there are signs similar to petroglyphs. One of the signs is a hand turned down. This means that the owner of the house has committed blood feud.
The custom of blood feud in Chechnya existed even in Soviet times, replacing the work of law enforcement agencies. The essence of blood feud is that if a person commits a murder, then the relatives of the murdered person must kill the murderer or his relative. A denouement such as murder is not necessary, since reconciliation is also possible. But the possibility of reconciliation depends on many circumstances, including the circumstances of the murder. Murder for the purpose of robbery is unlikely to end in reconciliation, but the death of a person in an accident due to the negligence of another person can.
Respected people - imams, village elders, most often do everything possible to ensure that reconciliation takes place. But the final decision is made by the relatives of the murdered person. By the way, if reconciliation has occurred, then the forgiven bloodline is still obliged to take care of the family of his victim for the rest of his life.
Despite the apparent cruelty and archaic nature of the custom, for centuries it effectively protected Chechen society from serious crimes within it. Blood feud still exists in Chechnya, although not to the same extent as before. The republic pursues a policy of reconciliation between warring families, and most often it is possible to do this.
Yes, there is a lot in my story today that may not be very pleasant for my compatriots. About the war, about the cruel custom... But in fact, the emotional background of this day was very good. Both from beautiful nature and from communicating with people. And if we talk about customs, then the best Chechen custom is hospitality. Being a guest of a Chechen is very cool. Open and friendly people, Chechens know how to take care of their guests in a way that few others can, and the nationality of the guest does not matter.
The road back along the mountain serpentine, and then the village of Kharachoy appeared again. The road to Grozny passed already at dusk.
In the evening, walking along the streets of Grozny, I was upset that I had to fly away tomorrow. I wanted to wander around the city for at least another day. I even do not know why. Somehow I felt comfortable there. It’s hard to imagine this feeling without visiting Grozny. So I’m thinking of returning there in a few years. I hope that big plans for the development and construction of Grozny will be realized by this time, and there will be something to be surprised by. And, besides, there is something to see in Chechnya outside of Grozny.
And the next day, before departure, I photographed the beautiful mosque at Grozny airport in daylight (it was already dark on the day of arrival).
And - goodbye, Chechnya.
Many thanks to everyone with whom I communicated in Chechnya - there were not many of these people, but every communication brought great joy. Well, thanks to everyone who read my story to the end. :))
Chechnya is the North Caucasus. This means that Chechnya is mountains. The territory of the republic is divided into flat areas, foothills, mountains and highlands. Mountain ranges and intermountain valleys occupy more than a third of Chechnya's area. It is in the mountains that the oldest villages are located: most of the architectural pearls of the republic can be found here, on inaccessible slopes and in lost gorges. The main pages of Chechen history, its loudest military victories and defeats, are associated with the mountains. And, of course, the mountains of the Chechen Republic keep many secrets of this ancient people.
The largest concentration of mountain peaks is in the south of the republic; the main glaciers are located here and the harshest mountain climate is here. These mountains are inaccessible most of the year and covered with snow, but they are the most picturesque peaks of the republic. Both professional photographers and ordinary tourists come to Chechnya to admire them.
Different mountains of one republic
The main role in shaping the relief of Chechnya belongs to rivers. At first, the rivers formed so-called breakthrough valleys, and then in these valleys, in places where the rock was easily destroyed, tributary valleys appeared. It was they who turned the northern slope of the Main Caucasus Range into several ridges, which are now located almost parallel. This division of the main ridge gave Chechnya the mountain systems: Black Mountains, Pastbishchny, Skalisty and Bokovoy ridges.
The lowest of these is the Black Mountains range. Its peaks reach a maximum of 1200 m above sea level. Black mountains are mountains made of easily eroded rocks, covered with a thick layer of black soil (hence their name - “black”). Forests grow on fertile soil and livestock graze on pastures. Local forests consist of oak, beech, plane tree, hornbeam, linden, ash, hazel, and alpine maple. Wild fruit trees grow here: apple trees, pears, plums, dogwoods. In addition, a huge variety of herbs is found here.
The mountainous part of Chechnya, located to the south, is expressed by several higher ridges. According to the relief features, the mountainous part of the territory of the republic is divided into a zone of limestone ridges (Pasture and Skalisty ridges) and a shale-sandstone zone (Side Range with spurs).
The central part of Chechnya is crossed by the Pastbishchny Range: this is one chain of the Peshkhoi Mountains. In the east it passes into the Andean ridge and its spurs. The Pastbishchny Range includes peaks with a height of more than 2000 m. This is, for example, Peak Argun. To the south of the Pastbishchny ridge on the territory of Chechnya there is one of the highest limestone ridges - Skalisty. Its highest point in Chechnya is Mount Skalistaya (3036 m).
Along the southern border of the republic stretches the Side Range, which is a cluster of the highest and inaccessible peaks. In its Chechen part, the Side Range is almost a thousand meters higher than the Main Caucasus Range. This is the most picturesque part of the republic, especially loved by climbers.
The highest mountains of Chechnya
Tebulsomta is the highest mountain not only in Chechnya, but also in the entire Eastern Caucasus. Its height is 4492 m, which is 41 meters higher than Mount Shoan, the highest mountain in Ingushetia. Tebulsomta is located in the south of the republic, on the very border with the Republic of Ingushetia. The top of the mountain is always snow-covered. Until 1905, rock crystal was mined at Tebulsomt.
On the border of Chechnya and Georgia, but in different administrative regions of the republic, there are two mountains approximately equal in height - Shaikhkort and Narkhiya. Shaikhkort is located in the Sharoi district of Chechnya, the height of the mountain is 3942 m. The height of Mount Narkhiyah is 3777 m, it is located on the territory of the Itum-Kalinsky district of the republic.
Another peak of the Sharoi region is the beautiful mountain Komito (4261 m), towering above its peers. Climbers are very fond of this peak, located on the border of the Chechen Republic and Georgia; climbing routes have been developed here, despite the fact that there are very steep cliffs and deep gorges on the mountain. Comito is covered with snow all year round; there are several glaciers on its slopes.
Boloilam is a mountain in the Achkhoy-Martan region of Chechnya. Its height is almost 2030 meters. A legend is connected with this peak, according to which it was on this mountain that the most militant Chechen ethnic society “Baloi” was born; several Chechen teips (Yalhoroi, Akkhi, Orstokhoy), who currently live both in Russia and in Turkey and Iraq, became descendants , Syria, Jordan. Mount Khakmadoy is the birthplace of another Chechen type “Khakmadoy”, which in turn is divided into nine clans. There are many architectural monuments – ancient religious buildings. The peak of Khakmadoy is located on the banks of the Argun River.
Many mountains of the republic, being relatively low and populated peaks, gained sad fame during the Chechen military campaigns. Fierce fighting with significant losses took place in the area of Bald Mountain. Yastrebina Gora, not far from Grozny, also often appeared in news reports.
But all this is in the past. Today, the mountains of Chechnya are safe; hikers and connoisseurs of alpine landscapes can easily come here. Destroyed villages and ancient monuments are gradually being restored, new roads are being built, and skiing is developing.