Republic of Adygeya
Adygeya is a republic located in southwestern Russia, stretching from the Kuban steppes to the Main Range of the Greater Caucasus. It is spread on the left bank of the Kuban River, having no access to the sea, but the lack of beach resorts in Adygeya is more than compensated by the natural riches that amaze even the most sophisticated travelers. Canyons and caves, alpine meadows and dense forests, waterfalls and rushing mountain rivers have many times become a place for landscape shooting, attracted many famous photographers, directors of popular movies and TV series. The small territory of the republic is home to a magnificent five natural monuments, included in the UNESCO World Heritage lists.
Video: Adygeya
Contents- Highlights
- History of Adygea
- Geography
- Climate
- Historical monuments and museums of Adygea
Natural attractions - Active recreation in Adygea
- Shopping
Adygean cuisine - Where to stay
- Transportation
- How to get there
Highlights
The Republic of Adygea boasts a rich landscape diversity. The northern districts occupy a flat territory, while the southern districts extend on the slopes of the Greater Caucasus. On the mountain ranges of the republic there is a large part of the Caucasus Nature Reserve. Picturesque plateaus, snow-capped mountain peaks of Adygea attract tourists at any time of the year. Travelers go hiking, horseback riding tours, rafting, canyoning, mountaineering. In winter, skiing and tobogganing are popular here.
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There are only two cities in Adygea – the capital Maykop and Adygeysk. But there are colorful villages, auls, where Adygs still live, preserving the traditions of their everyday life and practicing ancient crafts. Famous gunsmiths still work in Adygeya. Their products – sabers decorated with precious stones and gold, traditional Caucasian knives – are in great demand among oil magnates of the Middle East. Tourists can buy in local art salons elegant jewelry in the national style, ethnic ceramics, metal utensils with exquisite chasing.
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In Maikop and resort villages created a decent infrastructure of hospitality. Tourists are welcomed by hotels, cozy guest houses, chalets, sheltering in the most picturesque corners. It is also possible to stay at campgrounds, in campsites or rent a room from locals for a symbolic fee.
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History of Adygeya
Adygeya is the historical homeland of the Adygs, whose self-name sounds like “Adyge”. Today, this people also live compactly in the territories of Kabardino-Balkaria, Karachay-Cherkessia, in a number of districts of the Krasnodar and Stavropol Territory, and Ossetia. They are united by one language group – Abkhaz-Adygian, although each Adygian sub-ethnos is characterized by its own dialect. Neighboring peoples of Adygs called them Circassians, later this tradition spread throughout the world. For historians, the names “Adygs” and “Circassians” are equivalent.
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Before the formation of the USSR Adygs did not have their own territorial formations, although they lived in a common area. But even the Soviet authorities did not risk to create for them a single autonomy, which could easily compare in territory, political weight with Georgia, Armenia or Azerbaijan.
On the lands of modern Adygea people have lived since the Paleolithic period. The Maikop archaeological culture of the Early Bronze Age is world famous. The beginning of its research was laid by excavations of the Maikop barrow, located on the eastern outskirts of the capital of Adygea. The main burial found here dates back to the IV millennium BC. Invaluable artifacts discovered during archaeological research are kept in the Hermitage. No less famous are Adyghe dolmens, which date back to the IV-II centuries B.C. On the territory of the republic they are found in whole groups.
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In the V-VI centuries BC in the works of ancient Greek authors mentioned the tribes of the Meotians, who lived in the territory of the North-West Caucasus. The Meotians are considered remote ancestors of the Adygs. Their heritage on the territory of Adygea is represented by rich burial mounds. In the III century BC the Sarmatians appeared here, and at the turn of the millennium their influence increased. Traces of the Meotian-Sarmatian period are recorded in the archaeological monuments of Adygea – the remains of settlements with citadels, burial grounds of the I-V centuries.
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In the X century on the territory of the modern republic from the Eastern Black Sea coast the tribes of the Zikhs, who inhabited the coastal highlands of the Eastern Black Sea coast – the so-called Zikhia – began to advance. This historical area is considered to be one of the most ancient regions of the spread of Christianity in Russia. The new religion began to establish itself among the Adygs not only due to their assimilation with the Zikhs, but also because of the growing trade relations with the Slavic lands.
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At the beginning of the XIII century the Mongol-Tatars invaded the Circassian lands, but the invaders failed to completely subdue the local population. In the XVI-XVIII centuries Adygs had to wage a grueling struggle with the Crimean Khanate and the Ottoman Empire, which forced them to seek patronage in the Russian state. During the Russian-Turkish wars of the XVIII century Adygs periodically swore allegiance to one side or the other, and St. Petersburg was very critical of their loyalty. To the same time belongs the most active spread of Islam among Adygs. A significant part of them was forced to move to the Ottoman Empire as a result of the Caucasian War of 1817-1864.
.https://trevaladvisor.com/” alt=””/>‘ Russia, located within another administrative subject: on all sides the republic is surrounded by the lands of Krasnodar Krai. In the south Adygea neighbors with the districts of Big Sochi, in the north – with the urban agglomeration of Krasnodar. The western border is connected with the oldest balneological resort in the Caucasus – Goryachiy Klyuch, and the eastern border is connected with Labinsky, Kurganinsky, Mostovsky districts..Within Adygea, whose area covers 7790 km², there are two cities – the capital Maykop and regional Adygeysk, 7 districts and 48 rural settlements. The main territory of the republic stretches in the basin of two main tributaries of the Kuban River – the Belaya and Laba rivers, which is the natural border between Adygea and Krasnodar Krai. The town of Adygeysk is located on the coast of the Krasnodar Reservoir in the floodplain of the Kuban River.
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In the north of the republic stretches the fertile Prikubanskaya (Zakubanskaya) plain. This terraced picturesque area is dissected by river valleys formed by tributaries of the Kuban River. To the south stretch the mountain massifs of the Greater Caucasus. At an altitude of 600 to 2800 meters there is a large part of the Caucasus Biosphere Reserve, which is one of the main natural values of Adygea. On the watershed of the Malaya Laba and Belaya there is the Bolshoi Tkhach mountain massif, which is part of the eponymous natural park, which is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
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Along the southern border with Krasnodar Krai rise the highest mountains of the republic – Chugush (3238 m), Dzhemaruk (3099 m), Tybga (3065 m). To the west of them stretches Fisht-Oshtenovsky massif, whose maximum height reaches 2867 meters. The stadium built in Sochi in 2013, on the eve of the XXII Winter Olympic Games, was named in honor of Mount Fisht.
.The territory of Adygea is cut through by about 1000 water arteries: rivers, streams, which mainly originate in the mountains of the Greater Caucasus and form waterfalls, gorges, canyons. To regulate water flows, 5 reservoirs and 294 ponds have been created in the republic. Besides artificial reservoirs, there are picturesque lakes, many of them are located in the mountains and are difficult to access. The largest lake is Huko, whose area reaches 0.027 km². It is of karst-tectonic origin and lies at an altitude of 1,744 m.
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Almost 40% of the territory of Adygea, mainly in the southern areas, is occupied by forests. Here the foothills of the Caucasus are covered with eastern pines, spruces, Caucasian firs. Oak, dogwood, beech, hornbeam, ash and hornbeam also grow. Herds of cows and herds of horses graze on alpine meadows. In the steppe there are raccoon dogs, muskrats, and in forest areas there are bears, deer, forest cats, badgers, otters. The highlands are the habitat of Kuban aurochs, Caucasian chamois, and lynxes.
.Climate
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In the plains spring arrives as early as early March. In the mountains it begins at the end of the same month or in early April. It gets warmer in Adygea quite quickly, and in the middle of May the daily temperature on the plains reaches 20-degree mark. In summer it is hot (+25…+30 °С) and mostly dry, short-term precipitation usually falls in the form of showers. Closer to the mountainous south, summer temperature indices decrease: at the height of up to 500 m they average +21 °С, and at the mark of 2000 m – already +18 °С.
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Summer does not leave the plain until the end of September, and in the foothills autumn starts a couple of weeks earlier. In the area of Maikop even in October the daytime air temperature is +16…+18 °С. In the foothills by the end of this month thermometer columns fall below +10 °С.
.Historical monuments and museums of Adygea
The most ancient preserved monuments on the territory of Adygea are dolmens, without visiting which no travel in the republic can do without. Such unique structures made of stone blocks, found on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus, in Europe, Korea, India, North Africa, are the forgotten wonders of the world and the most mysterious monuments of archeologists. Megalithic structures were erected in different eras by different peoples and presumably served as ritual tombs.
On the territory of the Republic half-destroyed dolmens are mostly found in groups from 10-12 buildings to more than 200. Among the largest complexes of megalithic monuments in the Caucasus belongs to the Bogatyrskaya Polyana tract, located in the Maikop district. Not so long ago there were about 400 dolmens scattered on the tops of mountain slopes, at watersheds and on the plain. In the east of the tract, twin structures made of light sandstone form a peculiar alley, which is compared to the alley of sphinxes in Luxor, Egypt. The locals called this place Bogatyr’s Road.
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About 10 km from here, on the bank of the Belaya River, is the village of Dakhovskaya, in the vicinity of which you can also see dolmens. This area is famous for other archaeological monuments. The oldest in Zakuban region Paleolithic cave site was discovered here. Literally in the very center of the village, founded in 1862 on the site of an ancient village, archaeologists found burials with valuable artifacts, gold objects from the times of the establishment of the first ties between Circassians and Russians.
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In a single architectural complex with the mosque is a memorial “Memory and Unity”, built in 2013. Its dominant feature is a snow-white 20-meter monument that repeats the outlines of a traditional clay-brick Circassian hearth. The surface of the monument is decorated with images of heroes of the Adyghe epic, scenes of significant moments of national history. Relief scenes of rituals, ornaments and ancient symbols are also depicted. Every year on May 21, the Day of Remembrance and Mourning, the memorial serves as a venue for events dedicated to the victims of the Caucasian War of 1817-1864.
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The former House of the Armenian Merchant Assembly, built in Art Nouveau style, houses the North Caucasus branch of the State Museum of Oriental Art. This is the only museum in the country where the monuments of fine arts and culture of the peoples living in the entire territory of the North Caucasus are collected. Its expositions cover the period of history from ancient times to the present day. The collections preserve archeological artifacts, ethnographic collections, products of ancient craftsmen and modern designers. The art gallery displays over 1500 works by painters, graphic artists.
.Natural attractions
The rocks of the gorge, cut by the rushing Belaya River, rise 30-60 meters. The length of the canyon does not exceed half a kilometer, width – from 7 to 20 meters, but in some places the stone walls of the gorge converge to two meters. The gorge can be admired by walking along the upper “tier”, but there is an opportunity to wander in the lower part, which at first glance seems inaccessible.
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The scenic area is divided into a paid and free location. The first is turned into a park, for admission to it you have to pay 500 rubles. The territory is equipped with ladders, on which you can go down to the turbulent water. In the park there are souvenir stores, shashlykas, a cozy cafe with Caucasian cuisine, a children’s playground and a mini-zoo garden. In the evening you can sit on the benches and admire the gorge in the rays of artificial light.
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Those who want to explore the canyon for free will have to go down extreme trails and dilapidated stairs. Free of charge you can also relax on the picturesque wild beach “Laguna”, which is located near the entrance to the park. However, most of the day the miniature sandy area is hidden from the sun by high rocks, and not everyone will dare to swim in the icy water of the mountain river.
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From the beach you can climb a metal staircase to the trail going towards the mountain stream Bolshoy Rufabgo. Falling into the Belaya River, it forms a cascade of 16 waterfalls and many rapids. The highest waterfall is called “Grandiose”, the stream falls down from a height of 20 meters. The approach to the 4 lower waterfalls is equipped and easily accessible, further exploration of this wilderness will require equipment, dexterity and at least minimal mountaineering skills.
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The main local attraction is the Devil’s Finger Rock, which rises on the top of the ridge and resembles the outline of either a giant frozen in stone, raising his hand to the heavens, or a pair of human fingers. From this point one can enjoy stunning views of the green valleys of Adygea and the Caucasus Mountains. There are other panoramic locations on Una-Koz, caves with stalactite-decorated halls are also of interest to tourists.
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Climbing on foot to the upper points of the ridge takes 2-3 hours, but since 2014 travelers have had the opportunity to use the cable car. The lower station is located near the resort village of Dakhovskaya. The cable car is known as Savranskaya: it was built by the founder of the hotel complex “Grafskaya Polyana” Vasily Savransky. This popular recreation area is located between Dakhovskaya and Kamennomostsky village.
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On the opposite bank of the Belaya River, the Granite Gorge, stretching for 4 km, beckons with its mystery. It is bounded by rocks, which at sunset acquire a rich dark red color, effectively contrasting with the turquoise water of the rushing mountain river. On its right bank there is a spring Golden, where gold was once mined, in the south there are 3 peaks of Trident Mountain.
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To the east of the Granite Gorge, in the vicinity of the village of Ust-Sukhrai, there are low but extremely picturesque Sakhrai waterfalls. To the south of them stretches the Bolshoi Tkhach mountain range, which has the status of a protected natural park. The dominant ridge – the mountain of the same name, rising to 2368 meters and similar in its outline to a medieval castle or rock formations of distant Arizona.
.Through the Granite Gorge runs the road to the village of Guzeripl, which is located on the border of populated areas of Adygea and the Caucasus Reserve. Picturesque village, located on the banks of the Belaya River – the most popular place of rest. It is from here that tourists most often go hiking in the reserve.
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Active recreation in Adygea
The first hiking routes in Adygea were organized back in the late XIX century. In the 1930s the All-Union route No. 30 was developed, which became famous throughout the country. Travelers set off from the foothills of Adygea in the direction of the Black Sea, passing alpine meadows, mountain passes, admiring the beauty of wild nature along the way. This route is still popular today. Travel agencies offer different variants of traveling, overnight stays. As a rule, the starting point of the tour is the village of Kamennomostsky, and a significant part of the way passes through the Caucasus reserve. The trek usually lasts 6-7 days.
.One of the most beautiful places in the reserve is the Lago-Naki plateau, located at an altitude of 2000 meters and famous for its alpine meadows. There are ecological hiking trails here, horseback riding is popular. On the mountain slopes are arranged skiing, toboggan runs, the guests are welcomed by tourist centers.
The plateau is adjoined by the Fisht-Oshtensky mountain massif. Fans of climbing expect mountains Oshten, Chugusht, Fisht, attracting not only by their beauty, but also by their accessibility. You do not have to be a rock climber to climb their peaks. There are several routes of different levels of difficulty for climbing. The saddle of Fisht and Pshekha-Su mountain is notable for the Pshekha waterfall, the highest in Adygea (according to different data – from 165 to 200 meters).
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At the summits of Fisht and Oshten the Belaya River starts, which is well known to lovers of canyoning and rafting. The most popular canyoning routes pass through steep slopes in the area of Sakhrai waterfalls, Rufabgo, Meshoko gorge. Rafting is available along the entire length of the Belaya River, the river sections are divided into 6 levels of difficulty. The most difficult of them, with numerous rapids, whirlpools, turbulent current, can be overcome only by professional athletes. Every year in spring rafting masters come to Guzeripl to take part in the international competition “Interrally-Belaya”. It is held on the section of the river from Guzeripl to the village of Khamyshki.
.In the vicinity of Guzeripl, near Molchepa, a tributary of the Belaya River, there is a wonderful rope park. The total length of the routes laid here – 1 km. They are designed for both extreme athletes and children. A popular extreme park is located in the upper part of the Meshoko Gorge. Here you can go rope-jumping, canyoning, rock climbing, paintball. Horseback riding and ATV rides are offered. Those who wish to fly over the abyss, ride on high swings, explore the lower reaches of the mountain river can go to the rope adventure park “Tethys”, located at the top of the Una-Koz ridge, not far from Devil’s Finger.
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Shopping
Adygea is famous for centuries-old traditions of making cold weapons, jewelry, and gold sewing. Such items are sold in art salons, and they are expensive. For example, the author’s gallery of the famous artist Asya Eutykh offers magnificent accessories – metal belts, tiaras, pendants and much more. The gallery is open in Maikop, on Pionerskaya Street, 274.
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For the first course we recommend to order lilaps – thick spicy soup from beef brisket with onions and garlic, or jenships – light bean soup. If ashryk is on the menu, favor it. It is a festive soup made of dried meat and several types of cereals. For the second course, try lishapapap, a juicy lamb kebab with roasted vegetables. A worthy rival to kebabs is tsagash, charcoal-grilled lamb ribs. Each restaurant prepares its own version of faceklibzhe – meat stewed in pots with thick sauce. Lunch is often washed down with a fermented milk drink called shkhyu, a local version of ayran.
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For dessert in Adygeya they serve halva, sweet donuts lakum, sandy cookies kurambiy, crispy pipes pelkau. Low-alcohol drink bekhsyme harmonizes with sweets. Dried apples are used to make Circassian fermented compote mupsy, remotely reminiscent of kvass.
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In the village of Dakhovskaya guests are welcomed at the atmospheric restaurant “Dakhovskaya Sloboda”. The menu begins with a list of national dishes, cook here and European recipes. The check for lunch will amount not less than 2000 rubles per person. In the same village you can look into the restaurant “White River”. Here you can have a hearty lunch, as well as order takeout for a picnic in the picturesque surroundings. At 2 km from the village, right by the tourist path, there is a mountain cafe “Daur”. Prices here are reasonable, from the open veranda you can enjoy panoramas of the valley of the Belaya River.
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A mansion surrounded by a garden is occupied by the restaurant “Belovodie”. The institution is considered the best in the resort village of Kamennomostsky. The cost of a full dinner for two will be about 3000 rubles. Cheaper you can eat in the neighboring cafe “Charodeika”, located near the railway station. For appetizers and soups you will have to pay from 95 rubles, prices for hot dishes – 80-190 rubles.
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Vorobyovy Gory
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