Argun Gorge, one of the largest canyons in the Caucasus in terms of length, is a striking natural and historical attraction of Chechnya. Situated in the ancient land of the Nakh, this strategic artery linking Eastern Europe with the Transcaucasus has for centuries been renowned for its impregnability and delighted travelers with its wild beauty. Here, in the land of sheer cliffs, bottomless chasms, waterfalls, sacred springs, unique architectural monuments of the early and late Middle Ages, gloomy crypts, sanctuaries and famous watchtowers that controlled the mountain road have been preserved.

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Highlights

The wild landscapes of the Argun Gorge are beautiful at any time of the year. Thanks to the high-altitude climate, the palette of colors does not dim here from early spring to late fall. In mid-summer the valleys in the mountains turn into a luxurious variegated carpet, and in winter the canyon seems to fall asleep in tranquility, waterfalls almost frozen, bounded by crystal ice, which looks incredibly spectacular and surreal.

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As a rule, tourists travel through the mountain gorge by car. But not all sights can be reached on wheels. To many towers, waterfalls, ancient crypts will have to climb or descend on mountain paths, wade on narrow rickety bridges or slip on the rocks, crossing cold mountain rivers wading.

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It is better to go to the Argun Gorge accompanied by a local guide. With him you will be able to explore the most interesting corners of the harsh gorge, hear a lot of curious legends, get acquainted with the traditions of the mountaineers and, of course, get a recommendation, in which of the restaurants or picnic houses you can taste the most delicious shashlik in the area.

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Geography and Nature

The almost 120-kilometer Argun Gorge cuts through the central part of mountainous Chechnya. It stretches from Khevsuretia, a historical region in northeastern Georgia, to the Black Mountains, the frontal mountain ranges of the North Caucasus. The canyon was formed in time immemorial when the turbulent Argun River, originating from glaciers on the slopes of the Greater Caucasus Range, broke through the mountain ledges, rushing into the vast plain that is today called the Chechen plain.

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On both sides of the Argun, side gorges run up and down the river, and small rivers flow along the rocky rapids, merging into the main stream. A century ago, many villages were located in these gorges. Today the complexes of historical monuments and unique natural attractions of the canyon are united in the Argun State Museum-Reserve.

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In the upper reaches of the river, the Argun Gorge is almost treeless, but below, almost the entire narrow floodplain is covered with forests, in some areas the crowns of century-old trees close over the gorge, obscuring the sky with foliage. On the territory of the reserve grow mainly hornbeam-beech and birch forests. Mountains deeply cut through river valleys, dividing them into separate massifs up to 1200 meters high. Here everywhere there are mineral springs with healing water of different temperature and composition of mineral substances.

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The high-mountainous areas of the Argun reserve are inhabited by Caucasian turs. These cautious animals are rarely seen up close. They graze on mountain meadows at night, and during the day they hide in shelters behind impregnable rocks. On mountainous areas with sparse forests one can meet graceful chamois. Beautiful roe deer can be spotted at the edges of forests and forest glades, while remote gullies are the habitat of wild forest cats. The reserve is also inhabited by the wild boars, wolves, foxes, hares, martens, badgers and weasels. Sometimes, and lynx flashes.

History

Since the 12th century, the Argun Gorge has been one of the most important cultural centers of the Nakh ethnic groups – the ancestors of modern Chechens, who still call themselves “Nakhchy”. But as early as the 10th century, there were few Nakh settlements in the narrow canyon, fortified with dwelling and combat towers. Researchers have found that these structures were built using worked stones that served as the basis for even more ancient buildings.

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During the invasion of the Caucasus by the Mongol-Tatar horde and then Tamerlane’s troops, there were two mass migrations of the Nakh who dwelt in the expanses of the Chechen plain, where it was difficult to resist the enemy. The warriors created an effective system of defence in the narrow narrows, with small but reliable fortresses and guards on watch ridges who, in case of enemy approach, immediately alerted the people to danger by lighting logs on the signal towers.

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For centuries, the relatively small but incredibly brave mountaineers managed to resist the hordes of foreigners trying to break through the Argun Gorge into Transcaucasia. The narrow passage became a trap for Tamerlane’s mighty army, which managed to enter the canyon. Chechen archers from the loopholes of defense towers literally mowed down the enemy ranks, and the invincible Timur was forced to send a sign of reconciliation to the Nakh warlord. Prince Nikolai Volkonsky, a participant of the Caucasian War and a military historian, compared the impregnable Argun Gorge to the legendary Thermopylae. In his essay “The Year of 1858 in Chechnya” he wrote that now he was not surprised either by King Leonidas or his 300 Spartans, who gave battle to a Persian army of many thousands in the narrow Thermopylae Gorge.

In 1858, the troops of the Russian Empire, for the first time in 72 years of Caucasian battles, broke through a “black gaping hole, like the mouth of a crocodile”. This is how Volkonsky characterized the Argun Gorge. It took the 45,000-strong Russian army under the command of General Nikolai Yevdokimov about a year to seize the strategically important canyon under constant aiming fire from the invisible masters of the mountains.

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During the Caucasus War hundreds of ancient towers were destroyed in the Argun Gorge. The two recent Chechen wars did not spare the unique monuments either. Today, many of the structures have been restored and, together with their dilapidated but incredibly picturesque neighbors, seem to rest in the bosom of pristine nature, recalling the times when they served as guardians of this delightful corner of the Caucasus.

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Sights of the Argun Gorge

The road in the Argun Gorge winds along the snaky curves of the river, making bizarre and dizzying turns. Every turn opens up new stunning panoramas of cliffs and steep precipitous chasms. There are towers everywhere, but some of them can be extremely difficult to reach.

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The calling card and symbol of the Argun Gorge are the Ushkaloi combat towers overhanging right above the river bank in the narrowest part of the gorge. Historians suppose that they are at least 900 years old. These structures seem to be built into the rock, which serves as an indestructible rear wall. The entrance to the towers is located at a height of 2.5 meters, above that you can see narrow loopholes in the walls. Legend has it that the towers served not only military purposes – the council of wise men met here to settle disputes between the mountaineers.

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A striking example of medieval defensive structures of the highlanders is the 21-meter Shatoi tower, topped with a stepped pyramidal roof. It can be seen near the original village of Shatoi. The famous Nikhaloevskiye waterfalls are also located near the village. Before reaching them, you will have to leave your car at the parking lot and then follow the trail. You will have to pay 100 rubles to pass along the trail. To get to the main 33-meter waterfall, you will have to cross the mountain river on the bridge and then climb up the wide steps of iron ladders. Along the riverbed, overhanging the formidable walls of the gorge, steel-reinforced paths are laid, along which tourists pass to other waterfalls.

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Higher up in the mountains, on both banks of the Argun, is the village of Itum-Kali. On its outskirts is located the castle complex Pkhakoch, which includes buildings of XI-XV centuries. One of the restored towers now houses the Hussein Isayev Museum of Local Lore. The first museum hall houses a small but capacious exposition showing both gloomy ancient stone tombstones and bright women’s jewelry, national clothing, magnificent samples of weapons, elegant jugs, musical instruments. Another room recreates typical interiors of highlanders’ dwellings. To enter the museum with a short excursion and selfies in national dress you will have to pay 50 rubles. The museum is open from 09:00 to 18:00.

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On the territory of the castle complex will be curious to see also half-destroyed residential and combat towers, a cemetery with pre-Islamic pagan burials. From an elevated position you can admire the snow-covered mountains and steep slopes of the Daneduk Range, patiently waiting for the invasion of skiers from the promising off-season resort “Veduchi”, which was inaugurated back in 2018, but has not yet fully operational.

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Near the village of Itum-Kali, the border zone with Georgia begins. 10 kilometers from the cordon, at the intersection of the Argun and Malkhista gorges, is the main ancient attraction of Chechnya – the Tsoi-Pede. This place, also known as the “City of the Dead” and “Settlement of the Deity”, is one of the largest medieval necropolises in the Caucasus.

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Historians, archaeologists, culturologists, and mystics are eager to visit Tsoi-Pede. Faint-hearted people in the creepy necropolis, where in open crypts lie mountains of bones of dead people, it is better not to look. However, the depressing sight can shock any visitor, especially after the guide’s story about how the mountaineers, who had a premonition of the end, came here to die. They allegedly climbed through a special window and laid down on free stone benches, where they rested waiting for death. If there was no free space, the potential dead would shamelessly dump the remains of their dead predecessors into the abyss.

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To get to Tsoi-Pede is not so easy – you need to overcome a steep climb of 200 meters. But the effort will not be in vain, as the views of the Caucasus Range and valley from here are simply superb!

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Practical information

Tourists traveling through the Argun Gorge sometimes have the impression that there is no one here but them. However, this is deceptive: every section of the strategic road is controlled by Russian military, monitoring the situation from hidden sites in the mountains. To drive through the canyon from end to end, you have to pass through 3 checkpoints. At the first checkpoint, the Chechens are careless, and they may not check the passport against the identity of the traveler who provided it. At the second and third checkpoints, before Itum-Kali and Tsoi-Pede, the control is strict, with car inspection. Further from the second checkpoint without prior agreement with the FSB the way is open only for Russian citizens.

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In many places along the Argun Gorge there are camping sites where you can stay overnight. More recently, tourists have started to receive a recreation center, located right near the Nikhaloevskiye waterfalls. Here guests are waiting for 8 log cabins, designed for 3 guests. The cost of a daily stay starts from 5000 rubles. There is a restaurant on the territory, and right by the mountain river are gazebos, where it will be nice to taste a real Caucasian kebab.

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The locals are reverent about preserving the pristine nature of this corner of Chechnya. At the most popular tourist locations, road signs here are affixed with the call – “For Allah’s sake, don’t throw garbage!!!”

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How to get there

The distance from Grozny to the Wolf Gate, a kind of entrance to the Argun Gorge, is about 40 kilometers. From the city center, one should take Kadyrov Avenue, which joins the P305 highway, and follow the signs. It’s 55 km to the village of Shatoi from the Chechen capital, 58 km to Nikhaloye, where there’s a turnoff to the waterfalls, and 76 km to Itum-Kali.

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If you intend to get to the Argun Gorge by public transportation, go to Grozny’s Minutka bus station. It is located near the square with the same name. Buses and minibuses depart from there to Shatoi. Every day around noon, the only shuttle bus also leaves from the bus station, which can take you to Itum-Kali.

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