Lake Ritsa

Ritsa is a mountain lake of glacio-tectonic origin in the Western Caucasus, in the Gudauta District of Abkhazia. Lake Ritsa is the most popular vacation spot among tourists, one of the natural wonders of Abkhazia. It is located at an altitude of about 950 meters above sea level and is surrounded on all sides by mountains covered with dense forests.

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Video: Lake Ritsa

Contents

Discovering the lake

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The legend of the beautiful Ritsa and her three brothers Pshegihisha, Hagepsta and Atsetuka

Once upon a time there was a valley on this place and a river flowed through it. A beautiful girl named Ritsa, the only sister of the three brothers – Agepsta, Atsetuk and Pshegishkha – grazed her flock in the fairy-tale pastures along the banks. During the day the brothers hunted, in the evenings they gathered around the hearth. Ritsa cooked dinner, the brothers sang while admiring her. One day the brothers went hunting in the distant mountains. A day passed, another day, they did not return. Ritsa, missing them, kept looking at the road and singing with her enchanting voice. Two forest robbers Gega and Yupshara heard her voice. Seeing the beauty, they decided to kidnap her. Yupshara grabbed her and rode his horse down the valley. The cries for help were heard by the brothers. They rushed after her. Pshegishkha threw his sword at the bandits, but missed. The sword fell and blocked the river. Water rapidly began to flood the valley and in a moment turned it into a lake. When help arrived, Ritza was inspired, and with her last strength she escaped from the brigands’ clutches, but she fell into the raging lake. No matter how hard the brothers tried, they could not save their sister. Ritsa remained under water. Then Pshegishkha grabbed Yupshara and threw him into the lake. But the waters of Ritsa did not accept the villain, the turbulent stream carried him into the sea. Gegha ran after him, but could not save his friend. Then he joined him. And the brothers were petrified of terrible grief and turned into high mountains. They are still standing over the lake, guarding the peace of Ritsa.

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Legend of the hospitable old woman

Long ago in the valley of the Lashipse River lived one Abkhazian tribe. People of this tribe lived a simple life, engaged in agriculture, went hunting and raised cattle. But most of all they were famous throughout Abkhazia for their unprecedented hospitality. The devil found out about this and decided to settle in this small mountain village to sow enmity and create disorder in the hearts of mountaineers. Then a prophet descended from heaven in the guise of an ordinary traveler. He went through the whole village, but nobody called him to his house. Only one poor old woman welcomed him. But the old woman had nothing to offer the traveler – only stones were in the house. She cooked these stones to comfort her hungry grandchildren. Seeing this, the prophet asked to take the stones out of the cauldron and turned them into halushki.

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‘ class=”fancybox” >Lake Ritsa

Leaving the hospitable house, the prophet ordered the old woman: “Do not go to sleep tonight. As soon as you hear the noise of the river at night, the sound of thunder and a terrifying rumble, take the children to that narrow lighted path. Follow it and don’t turn around. Then the path will lead you to a place where you can be saved and settled.” The old woman did as the prophet said. In the morning she went to see what had become of her village. The old woman came to the river gorge and saw that the village was gone. And in its place there is now a beautiful blue lake. The old woman cried out in horror “Ritskha!” – which in Abkhazian means “pathetic, unfortunate.”

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The old woman took her grandchildren and went down with them to the seashore, where they settled. And in memory of the unfortunate people of the drowned village, she taught her grandchildren hospitality and hospitality, mutual respect and diligence.

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As you know, everything beautiful always strikes a mass of legends and mysteries. Ritsa with its indescribable landscapes was no exception. The first to see and describe this high-altitude wonder was the famous Russian botanist Nikolai Albov. He climbed to the top of Mount Atsetuk, from where an extraordinary view of the entire lake and the surrounding area opens up. The picture described by Albov interested scientists and geographers so much that it was decided to organize an expedition to study the lake and the surrounding mountains. In 1929-1930 one after another expedition of “Crimean-Caucasian Mountain Club” under the leadership of a famous traveler and scientist Evgenia Morozova-Popova, and then the expedition of the People’s Commissariat of Health of Abkhazia climbed to the lake. According to the results of these studies, the lake was included in the guidebook of S. Anisimov under the title “Abkhazian Alps”. Since then Ritsa has become one of the most frequently visited natural objects in Abkhazia.

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Under the impression of the seen splendor of the lake itself and the surrounding mountains, rivers and waterfalls, hundreds of songs and poems were created, dozens of paintings were written. One of the most striking examples of recognizing the beauty and uniqueness of Ritsa is the fact that, having at his disposal thousands of places in different parts of the USSR, Stalin chose Ritsa as the place to build his dacha.

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And to this day stands on the shores of the lake is a modest, cozy dacha … Everything here has remained unchanged, as if the Soviet leaders only briefly left these places.

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Traveling to Lake Ritsa will be an unforgettable adventure. Here you can not only enjoy picturesque landscapes and the moist coolness of mountain rivers and the lake itself, but also ride on a catamaran or have a snack in a patsha with a beautiful view of the water and mountains. History lovers will find a lot of interesting things to do when visiting the dacha of the “Leader of All Peoples.”

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How to get there

It is most convenient to get to Lake Ritsa from New Athos. Public transportation does not go here. From the city to the sightseeing travelers are brought by tourist buses. The excursion will cost about 1000 rubles per person and will include an environmental fee (350 p.), a visit to the Gega Waterfall, Blue Lake, as well as wine and honey tastings. If you do not want to waste time and follow the program, you can take a cab to Lake Ritsa or drive yourself. You should follow the highway E60, turning left at the village Blaburkhva, before reaching the bridge over the river Bzyb. Then the road will pass through the gorges, winding serpentine. On the same highway you need to go from Sukhum and Gagra.

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From Adler and Sochi to Lake Ritsa will have to go with transfers, there are no direct buses. First you need to get to the border with Abkhazia by bus, minibus, train or cab, then go to Gagra, Novy Afon or Pitsunda and from there – to Lake Ritsa.

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Locals and guest house owners often offer their own transportation services.

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