Taganay National Park (Two-Headed Hill). Taganay National Park The southernmost peak of the Bolshaya Taganay ridge

Taganay is a mountain range located in the west Chelyabinsk region. It takes up part national park"Taganay". This is a magnificent creation of nature, beauty embodied in stone.

History of the name

Translated from Bashkir, Taganay means “Moon Stand”. And this is very similar to the truth - on a clear night you can observe how the Moon seems to “sit” on one of the peaks. Locals know a lot beautiful legends about your land. They are happy to tell them to tourists.

For example, about the battle between the brothers Svarog and Div, after which the “diva people” were hidden under the Ural Mountains. The kingdom of Diva sank underground and is still in captivity to this day. Almost all the legends of the local population are based on the fact that in the depths of the mountain there live a people who have been hiding from people for thousands of years.

Mount Taganay - characteristics

Taganay is a mountain that miraculously combines alpine outcrops on the peaks with granite rocks located in the middle of a centuries-old forest, and picturesque river channels. Mount Taganay is the common name for three ridges. Their total length is more than 20 kilometers. Local residents call them Small, Middle and Big Taganay.

Big Taganay consists of several peaks. These are Responsive Comb, Double Headed Sopka, Kruglitsa and Dalniy. The highest of them is Mount Kruglitsa (Taganay). She rose 1178 m above sea level. Kruglitsa has a round shape, which is probably where the name came from. The indigenous people call it the “Bashkir hat”. It really resembles a cone-shaped Turkic headdress in outline. Based on the height of Kruglitsa, it is generally accepted that the height of Mount Taganay is 1178 meters.

The upper sections of Taganay are formed by quartzites. The peculiarity of these places is considered to be unique mica interspersed with sparkles that sparkle in the sun. This is taganaite, better known as aventurine. It looks great in souvenirs and decorations.

Almost all Taganay ridges are distinguished by slope steepness of 10-15° at the base, 15-25° in the middle and 25-35° at the top. As a rule, the peaks are inaccessible. They impress everyone who comes to see Taganay. The mountains amaze with their grandeur and beauty. Of particular note is the luxurious Response Comb.

Rivers

In this mountain range, rivers originate, which then feed the great Caspian Sea. First of all, this is the Kusa River with its tributaries Shumga, Bolshaya and Malaya Tesma.

Natural features

There are two climatic zones on this land: one of them is located on the peaks. It consists of subalpine forests and meadows, and the second - in the valleys and on the lower slopes of the mountains.

Various natural zones that connect on Taganay give this region a special originality. The northern part of the ridges is covered with spruce-fir forests of the middle taiga. On the eastern slopes there are taiga forests in which larches, birches, and larches grow. In addition, there are areas covered with beautiful

Mount Taganay (Zlatoust) in the highlands is covered with mountain tundra and subalpine meadows. These places are unique in that plants of Central European, Western, Eastern species, and Central Siberian flora coexist here. Arctic plants descend along the highlands far to the south, and steppe vegetation rushes along the foothills of the east to the north.

Mount Taganay is an old Ural massif. Manifestations of seismic activity have been recorded here. The last earthquake with a magnitude of 3.5 was recorded in 2002.

Riddles of Taganay

On sunny and hot days, many tourists, as well as local residents, observe an interesting effect - Mount Taganay seems to sway. Experts explain this phenomenon by the proximity of groundwater. Under the influence of sunlight, moisture begins to actively evaporate, and the effect of mobility is created in the ascending air currents mountain range.

Mount Taganay is part of the Ural zone, which is considered anomalous. Here you can often meet expeditions of ufologists; local residents manage to see traces of “ Bigfoot", tourists talk about encounters with ghosts.

The weather conditions in Taganay are amazing. In a matter of minutes they can change dramatically. During the day the temperature often fluctuates within ten degrees. Local residents will not be surprised by the snow that fell in June. Tourists can experience all seasons of the year in one day - from hot summer to harsh and windy winter. Another feature is strong winds, their speed sometimes reaches 50 m per second.

An amazing view opens from the Taganay Mountains Southern Urals. The beauty and features of the natural complex fascinate and surprise. Even in bad weather, the peaks of Taganay, shrouded in a shroud of fog, amaze with their grandeur. Tourists from different regions of the country flock to these places. Traditional routes for tourists pass here.

National Park

This unique park was created in March 1991. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that in a relatively small area a variety of animals live and plants grow from different geographical zones.

National Park Taganay is full of secrets and mysteries. The mountain range is surrounded by dense forest - the best place for the habitat of various evil spirits. Local residents say that the caves of the ridge are inhabited by amazing creatures, and Mount Kruglitsa is a point of contact with extraterrestrial intelligence - Roerich himself wrote about this.

Nature generously endowed Taganay Park with its amazing creations. In a relict forest, stone rivers flow among unusual ones, petrified people live, and the water from the springs is considered alive. All this splendor fascinates even an experienced traveler.

Even an unprepared tourist can conquer the Taganay Mountains. When going on a hike, wear comfortable shoes and don't forget tick and mosquito repellent. During the rainy season, travelers are unlikely to be able to do without rubber boots.

Stone River

In this massif you can see unique sights. Taganay has become famous throughout the world for its amazing natural formation, which is a uniform accumulation of huge rocky debris. The length of the stone Taganay River exceeds six kilometers, and its width reaches 200 meters.

The Stone River “flows” between the Dvuhglavaya Sopka mountain and the Middle Taganay ridge. Its origin is currently unknown. There is a version that the stone river was formed by a glacier that came down from the Taganay mountains.

Anomalous zone

In the Taganay forestry, which was built at the foot of the mountain, V.N. Efimova, an employee of the environmental department, confirmed rumors about the anomaly of these places.

As it turned out, in the mountains - on the Urenga ridge - ball lightning appears quite often, more often than other places. They are also common in the village of Veselovka. These objects behave rather strangely - they hit the same places, as if they consciously meander while moving. According to experts, there are “lightning nests” in the classic form, with reduced soil resistance. This speaks either of large deposits metal, or about water sources located underground.

Mysterious swamp

The anomalous Taganay is presented even more mysterious place- Large It is located between the tip of Maly Taganay in the north and the southern foothills of Itsil. The swamp occupies an area of ​​36 square meters. kilometers and is located in a giant depression tectonic origin. It resembles an oval bowl with a long axis.

In this territory, the human psyche changes - orientation is disrupted, because of this, even experienced foresters can get lost here. Travelers here see all sorts of amazing things that seem so real that they are taken at face value.

Most likely, this is due to a mixture of underground gases, which contains carbon dioxide and methane. They emerge from a large deep fault and have a toxicomatic and psychotropic effect on humans.

Those who wish to wander through the swamps expose themselves to stupefaction and sometimes serious poisoning. This state facilitates encounters with “flying saucers,” humanoids, translucent substances, and kikimoras.

Sound mirages also occur here. Various forest noises can be heard - the rustling of leaves, as if approaching, close steps. In fact, there won't be anyone nearby.

Tourists often stop at the Otklikny ridge. It received this name for its comb-like outline and loud, multiplying echo, which arises due to the reflection of sound from each vertical rock. If you look at the crest from afar, it resembles both a stegosaur lizard and sea ​​wave, and an elongated comb.

There is a tectonic fault in the northeast of the ridge. In 2002, tourists noted several air turbulences in the form of dark pillars over Taganay. Later, meteorological services confirmed this information. The tornado appeared when a cold front passed through Taganay. It consisted of three independent vortexes that merged together.

Sand slides

If you follow the path leading to Kruglitsa, you can get to the “Valley of Fairy Tales” - Sand Hills. This is an area of ​​extraordinary beauty - the saddle of a low-growing forest. Here you can see clearings with numerous original remains.

The valley is located in a zone of intense tectonic movements of the past. “Walking” fog often appears between the rocks. Moreover, it also “sings” when it gets into stone cracks and rubs against grains of different strengths. There are a lot of spruce trees here without tops - they suffered from autumn and winter windfalls.

In the clearing, the batteries run out very quickly, and as a result, all electronic devices (video cameras, watches, cameras) refuse to work. Photographs, as a rule, are overexposed, and people see, for example, flying luminous balls.

The northern part of Kruglitsa is very attractive for ufologists. This is a perfectly flat area measuring 0.2 x 0.4 kilometers. Particularly fanatical ufologists are sure that this is the place where energy exchange with the Cosmos takes place. There are some symbolic letters and signs laid out from stones. Esotericists, occultists, and psychics are drawn here like a magnet. Judging by the ribbons hung in this place, which symbolize wishes made, and the sacred signs inscribed on the stones, Roerichites regularly visit here. Pilgrims are sure that the peak is given such attention because of the presence of special positive energy.

Weather station

The Taganay Mountain weather station is located on the top of Dalniy Taganay. The weather site is located at an altitude of 1108 meters.

The station was opened in August 1932. Here observations were made of wind speed, air temperature and atmospheric pressure, cloudiness, and precipitation. All information was transmitted by radio to the Office of the Ural Hydrometeorological Service (Sverdlovsk).

During its operation, the station was rebuilt twice (in 1965 and 1982). It was closed in May 1992, and the premises were later transferred to the ownership of the city. Today, the weather station of the Taganay park and the rescue service team are based there.

Taganay is a national park in the Taganay range group in the Southern Urals. Located in the western part of the Chelyabinsk region, near the northeastern outskirts of the city. It is a favorite vacation spot for residents of Zlatoust and tourists in the Chelyabinsk region.

Name

Taganay is translated from the Bashkir language as “moon stand” (tagan - “stand, tripod” and ai - “moon”). Toponymist G. E. Kornilov believes that the word “Taganay” goes back to the Bashkir tyugan ai tau - “mountain of the rising moon,” “mountain of the new month.”

Description

Created by Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the RSFSR No. 130 of 03/05/1991 “On the creation of Taganay National Park”.

The territory of the Taganay National Park covers the northern part of the mid-altitude mountain ranges of the Southern Urals, which is a separate mountain unit, on three sides turning into plateaus and then into flat forest-steppe. The national park is located in the western part of the Chelyabinsk region, 130 km from the regional center and adjacent to the border between Europe and Asia. Administratively, the park territory is located within two municipalities: Zlatoust urban district and Kusinsky district. The territorial center of the park is the city of Zlatoust, through which the automobile and railway direction Chelyabinsk - Ufa - Moscow.

Park dimensions

Taganay National Park stretches from south to north for 52 km, and from west to east for an average of 10-15 km. total area The park area is 568 km² (56.8 thousand hectares).

The park is surrounded by four municipalities, administrative centers which are the cities of Zlatoust in the southwest, Kusa - in the west, Miass - in the southeast and Karabash - in the northwest.

Two roads pass through the territory: one from the south, with the Zlatoust - Miass connection, the second - from the southwest, with the Zlatoust - Magnitka - Aleksandrovka connection. The density of the road and path network in the park is not high. Mostly, these are traditional tourist trails, laid in the mountains and intermountain valleys by many generations of travelers. The most popular of them runs along the eastern slope of the Bolshoy Taganay ridge. A network of forestry roads inherited from loggers, in most cases only accessible during the dry season and winter.

Particularly valuable natural objects

The following are located on the territory of the national park: natural monuments:

• Relict spruce forest on;
• - a group of stone rocks;
• - outlier rocks at the top;
• - the “Three Sisters” hill, Mica Hill and a number of nameless remains near the Two-Headed Hill;
• Nikolae-Maximilianovskaya mine;
• Bolshaya Tesma River

Statistical data

• The total area is 568 km².
• The length from south to north is 15 km.
• The protected area is about 21%, recreational - 59%.

Climate

• The duration of the frost-free period is from 70 to 105 days.
• Maximum temperatures are up to +38 °C, minimum temperatures are up to −50 °C.
• The average annual precipitation is 500-1000 mm.
• The duration of the period with stable snow cover is 160-190 days.
• The average date of snow cover appearance is November 9, and melting date is April 8.
• Air humidity - from 64 to 84%.
• The average soil freezing depth is 66 cm (from 38 to 125 cm).
• The average date of freezing of rivers is November 6, the opening date is April 11.

Vegetable world

The flora of Taganay is a kind of multi-colored knot that combines several natural areas. From the north, along the ridges, a zone of mountain spruce-fir forests of the middle taiga enters here, from the east - southern taiga forests with an admixture of larch and birch, birch-pine forests. And here you can see mountain steppes, and the highlands are occupied by subalpine meadows and mountain tundras. Here, in a small area, you can see a unique juxtaposition of Eastern and Central European plant species with Western and Central Siberian species.

The Taganay ranges are a kind of meridional corridor for the distribution of flora. Thus, the habitats of many species of the Arctic Ural flora extend through the highlands far to the south, and on the other hand, along the eastern foothills of the Southern Urals, the steppe flora of the south penetrates to the north. In short, on the territory of the park two floristic languages ​​merge into a single whole - one from the north, passing along the axial part of the ridge, the other from the south - along the eastern foothills.

Taganay translated from the Bashkir language means “moon stand”. At night, the moon seems to stand on a support, which is Mount Taganay. Its length is more than 20 km and it consists of large, medium and small ridges.

History of the creation of Taganay Park

The natural national park is located near the city of Zlatoust, which is located in the Chelyabinsk region. Intensified deforestation in the Urals has been carried out since the late sixties of the last century. A barbaric felling technique was used, when loggers using powerful equipment completely felled the entire forest over a large area. After such work, only thistles grew in this area for more than 10 years. The country needed building material and few people thought about the consequences that could arise after the destruction of the forest. It was only in 1985 that articles on environmental topics began to appear in the press, raising the issue of thoughtless deforestation.

In 1988, the Chelyabinsk Industrial Forestry Association planned to allocate 20 thousand cubic meters of Taganay forest land for felling. At this time (January 1988), representatives of the local community wrote an open letter to the Zlatoust newspaper about the barbaric destruction of forests, containing about 30 signatures of workers from various enterprises in the city. January is considered the month of creating a public forest protection committee. Under pressure from the public, the city leadership decides to create a national park on the territory of the Zlatoust timber processing plant. And at the beginning of March 1991, the Taganay State Natural National Park was formed.

general information

Taganay is a huge stone chain more than 20 kilometers long and consisting of ridges called Big, Small and Middle Taganay Mountains.

The height of one of the ridges is represented by: Responsive Ridge, Dvuglavaya Sopka, Dalniy Taganay and Kruglitsa. The other is Sabbat and Mont Blanc. The middle ridge is only 960 meters high. The closest to the city of Zlatoust is the Small Ridge, about 8 kilometers long.

The park contains many delightful places that attract visitors from different parts of the country. Here there are unusual stone sculptures, large mountain ranges, stone rivers, ancient mines, mountain tundra, kurumniks, relict forests, many mountain rivers, huge mountain ranges. At the entrance to the park there is a view of the peaks of Baranyi Loby and Perya Double-Headed Hill, which are more than a kilometer high.

At the base of the hill there is a spring called the White Key. Surprisingly clear and soft-tasting water remains cool even on the hottest day. Its temperature does not exceed 4 degrees. White quartzite covers the bottom of the spring and emits a pleasant light, which is why this place is considered holy.

The next attraction of the park is a peak called Otkliknaya Ridge, whose height is more than 1000 meters. When loud sounds occur, a multi-voice, deafening echo is heard near him. If you look at it from a certain angle, it looks like an ancient foot-and-mouth disease, an elongated crest or a rising sea wave.

Several stone cliffs, about 40 meters high, located at a short distance from each other, are called Three Brothers. This stone sculpture is located between Kruglitsa and Dalniy Taganay. If you look at them from a distance, you get the feeling that these mighty brothers are descending from the top together.

Along the path covered with quartz sand, from the Otklikny ridge through the Valley of Fairy Tales you can get to Mount Kruglitsa. The Valley of Fairy Tales is a small area where a low-growing sub-alpine forest grows, surrounded by intricate quartzite sculptures. Each stone looks like marvelous animals or characters from fairy tales.

Dalny Taganay

This mountain is the most severe. The winds constantly blow here, there is nowhere to hide from the scorching rays of the scorching sun, but nevertheless the area looks quite hospitable. In the early morning, when thick fog descends into the valleys, it is sunny on this hill, golden rays brown the already bright lingonberries and golden the tops of the rocky mountains. Thirty-degree heat at the foot of Mount Taganay can suddenly change into freezing cold when climbing up. Strong wind gusts sometimes exceed 40 meters per second.

When going up and down the mountain in June or August, you can see four seasons at once within an hour. The nature on Taganay is very beautiful during the August winter. Trees, grass and rocks are decorated with lace made of snow frost. Thick wires are covered with a crust of ice and sag, almost touching the ground. A strong wind tears pieces of ice from them and scatters them across the snow-white tundra. Going half a kilometer down, you can see the beautiful colors of autumn. The leaves of the trees are yellowish-green, and the bright clusters of rowan are covered with small whitish lumps of snow. A little lower, in the valley, the rays of the hot summer sun sparkle.

A weather station was opened in Dalniy Taganay in 1932, which existed until the beginning of 2005. Meteorologists not only predicted the weather, but also always provided assistance to tourists in trouble.

Big Taganay

Mount Taganay is located eight kilometers from Zlatoust. Here is located Bolshoy Taganay, consisting of three peaks: Two-Glava Sopka, Otkliknyy Ridge and Kruglitsa.

Middle Taganay

Eight kilometers from the border of Taganay Park between Small and Large is located Middle Taganay. It is approximately two and a half kilometers long, has three faint hills and is composed of quartzite minerals. At the peaks there are remnants of different shapes. The slopes of the heights of Mount Taganay are covered with scatterings of kurumnik, juniper, larches, low spruce, birch, and fir trees.

Maly Taganay

The Taganay mountain range on the eastern side is called Maly Taganay. It is located just three kilometers from the Taganay Park cordon and stretches for as much as eleven kilometers from southwest to northeast. Rocky ridges are located on the northern and southern parts of the ridge, the western slopes are covered with kurumniks. In the central part there is a high mountain plateau on which spruce and birch trees grow. The upper third of the ridge is occupied by mountain meadows covered with dense vegetation. The entire Taganay mountain range is visible from the peaks of Maly Taganay.

Mount Kruglitsa

This is the highest point of Taganay, which rises at a level of 1 km 178 m. The name of the mountain is associated with its inherent rounded shape, although part of the peak on the northern side has an impeccable flat surface. On a cloudless day, when the sun is shining brightly, watching Kruglitsa, you can see how it sways - it seems that the mountain is ready to tear itself away from the foot. This effect is explained by the rounded shape of the stones, as well as nearby groundwater (the foot of the mountain is located in a swamp). Stones heated by the sun's rays lose moisture, which is stored in the crevices, the air becomes mobile and the illusion described above is created. Mount Kruglitsa in Taganay, like a huge powerful magnet, attracts people who are interested in mysterious and paranormal phenomena. There is also a belief that all wishes made on the hill will definitely come true.

Unusual rivers of Taganay

Stone rivers are an amazing natural formation, which is a pile of elongated rocky debris of enormous size, stretching for hundreds of kilometers. The inhabitants of those places call them placers.

One of the legends of the formation of these rivers says that the cause was a glacier that came down from the Taganay Mountains and contributed to the destruction of rocks. Large blocks, under the influence of gravity due to the collapse of the mountain top, gradually shifted along the slopes of the ridges, forming rivers of stone. The largest of them is located between the Sredny and Bolshoi Taganay ridges. The Bolshaya Kamennaya River has a span of about six kilometers, and its width in some places ranges from 20 to 700 m. Round-shaped blocks of stone weighing about 10 tons are located along its entire length. These blocks lie approximately five meters deep, and there are about 300 pieces per 100 square meters. Vegetation in this place includes lichen and rare spruce trees, which are several hundred years old. The blocks contain aventurine, one of the varieties of quartzite.

Placers of stone blocks made of colored aventurine, which are located near Itsil and Dalniy Taganay, are called the Kurumnaya River. Bizarrely shaped pines growing near the placers beautifully frame multi-colored stones.

Mountain Pencil

In the Southern Urals of the Kusinsky district of the Chelyabinsk region, on the territory of the Arshinsky reserve, is located one of the oldest mountains on our planet called Karandash, which means “black stone”. Its age is estimated at 4.2 billion years. Over time, under the influence of wind, air and water, the height of the mountain decreased to 600 meters.

The type of black stone from which the Pencil is made is called izrandite. This is one of the rarest and very ancient stones of our planet. Its composition is similar to the composition of the earth's mantle and does not contain organic matter. Many residents of the Urals do not even suspect that they live next to an amazing natural monument, although data about it was published by scientists in the press for quite a long time.

Mont Blanc

Average and Malaya Gora Taganay in the Urals is connected by a watershed isthmus on which the Mont Blanc peak is located. It is fifteen kilometers from the city of Zlatoust. The height of the mountain is 1025 meters. It got its name in honor of the highest mountain clusters Western Europe located in the Western Alps. A wonderful view of the Taganay Mountains opens from the top of Mont Blanc; it is from here that the main peaks of Taganay are accessible to view.

Deep into history

This area has ancient history and many interesting facts. For example,

1. Information about the oldest ranges in the world varies, but many official sources confirm that these are the Ural Mountains.
2. Since the 11th century, the Ural Mountains in Rus' have been called the Earth Belt or the Big Stone. In the Middle Ages, they began to be called the Urals on maps.
3. The modern lands of the Southern Urals were initially called, in a word, the Urals.
4. Among the Old Believers, the Taganay forests were very popular in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Elder Zosimus, who was known as a saint, also lived there. Popular rumor says that a prayer read at his grave, located on Taganay, works unprecedented miracles and heals from ailments.
5. The schismatics conducted their secret rites in the area of ​​stone outcrops called the Three Brothers. This was one of the favorite places of the Old Believers.
6. The Urals began to “sink” about five hundred million years ago. As a result, there was a decrease in the level of elevations.
7. Mount Taganay was finally formed twenty-five million years ago.

• It turns out that in Canada there are mountain peaks that are approximately the same age as Mount Pencil.
• The water at the top of Mount Kruglitsa boils at a temperature of 96 degrees, since the atmospheric pressure there is 100 mm lower than above sea level.
• The softness of the water from the White Key is higher than that of melted snow.
• Some local residents and numerous tourists who visited Taganay saw a UFO landing and found traces of Bigfoot. And others even came into contact with them and found themselves in a different time. Whether it is true or fiction, everyone decides for themselves. But, undoubtedly, Taganay is shrouded in mysticism.

Tourist routes

The Ural Mountains Taganay attracts huge number tourists and enter the anomalous Ural zone. There are several roads within the national park:

• from the southwestern side: Zlatoust - Magnitka - Aleksandrovka;
• from the south - Zlatoust - Miass.

Hiking trails are laid in intermountain valleys and mountains by travelers themselves. One of the most famous goes along the eastern slope of Bolshoi Taganay. It is in these places that valuable natural complexes have been preserved, not yet touched by man:

• Three stone cliffs called Three Brothers.
• Nikolae-Maximilianovskaya mine.
• Responsive comb.
• Remains of the Devil's Gate on the top of Mount Jurma.
• the Bolshaya Tesma and Bolshaya Kialim rivers.
• Akhmatovsky mine.
• The Three Sisters Hill, the Mica Hill and several unnamed outcrops located near the Two-Headed Hill, together forming the so-called Mitkiny rocks.

Snow cover in the Southern Urals lasts from 160 to 190 days. The maximum air temperature is +38 degrees, and the minimum is -50.

Taganay mountain range is one of unique corners nature, located in the Southern Urals.

National natural Park Taganay is located near the city of Zlatoust (Chelyabinsk region).

There are several walking routes, marked with marks on trees - three stripes: white-blue-white. At the forks there are information signs indicating the direction to natural sites.

Translated from Bashkir, Taganay means “Moon Stand”, because at night you can see that the moon seems to be standing on a stand...

Taganay consists of three ridges. Their total length exceeds 20 kilometers. The western ridge is called Big Taganay,

average - Middle Taganay,

eastern, closest to the city, is Maly Taganay.

The distance from Zlatoust to Maly Taganay is 5-8 kilometers, to Middle Taganay - 8-12, to the beginning of Big Taganay - 8 kilometers.

In turn, the Bolshoi Taganay ridge consists of individual peaks. The closest of them to Zlatoust - Two-Headed Sopka, or Near Taganay - is located 8 - 10 kilometers from the city.

and then Kruglitsa (17 - 19 kilometers)

and Dalniy Taganay (25-30 kilometers away). The highest point of Taganay is the top of Mount Kruglitsa - 1178 meters above sea level. We climbed the nearest peak - the Two-Headed Sopka (the height of the southern peak is 1034 m).

It is located next to the shelter " White key" The White Key is the most famous high-mountain spring of the Taganay mountain cluster. Located at an altitude of 690 m on the southeastern slope of the Dvuglavaya Sopka. Its water is very clear and tasty. In the middle of summer, the water temperature is 3-4 degrees, the softness of which is higher than that of melted snow. It got its name because of the white quartzite blocks with which nature formed the Taganay peaks. The bottom of the spring is covered with fragments of quartzite. One of the previously used names of the White Key is the Holy Key. In the last century there was even a cross with a canopy here.

From the shelter there is a metal staircase (100 meters, 201 steps), then a steep climb along the markers and a well-trodden path for about 40 minutes. While we were climbing, we were already looking at the beauty of all the distances, which were visible better and better. One of the heads of the Two-Headed Sopka mountain is called “Feathers” because it looks like the wing of a flying bird,

and the other - "Ram's Foreheads".

From the top of the Double Head Hill you can clearly see the city of Zlatoust.

From the Two-Headed Hill you can see the Bolshaya Kamennaya River, which stretches for about 6 km and reaches an average width of 100-200 m.

It consists of stone blocks with a volume of 0.2 to 30 cubic meters and weighing 9-10 tons. Per 100 sq. meters there are up to 300 blocks, they lie no less than 4-6 m deep, i.e. in 3-4 layers. The “lower” path from Zlatoust leads to the Kamennaya River itself - the one that crosses the Bolshaya Tesma along the lower bridge,

and then goes to the White Key. Another one, the Kurumnaya River, begins from near Dalny Taganay and “flows” along the Big Kialim. It consists mainly of aventurine, a type of quartzite. Blocks of aventurine of various colors with lichen patterns on them. The river is currently practically motionless, because... The slope here does not exceed 2.5 degrees. This unique deposit is a national treasure, especially since stones similar in size and beauty are known only in India and nowhere else on the globe.

For their beauty, these places were often compared with the famous alpine landscapes, calling them “Russian Switzerland” and “Ural Tyrol”.

Maly Taganay (1033 m) is the eastern ridge of the mountain range. The total length is about 11 km. On the western slopes there are kurumniks. The central part is a high mountain plateau covered with spruce and birch forest. In the upper third of the ridge there are alpine meadows and thickets of alpine knotweed. From the peaks of Maly Taganay a wide panorama of the Taganay mountain range opens. The Maly Taganay ridge is located parallel to the Big Taganay, somewhat to the east of it, but is much shorter and ends approximately opposite the Two-Headed Mountain. The southern peak is Mount Shabash (859), rocky outcrops among crooked forests and individual areas of meadows. The northern peak is Mont Blanc (1034), rocks of unusual shape. Mont Blanc offers a wonderful panorama of all the main peaks of Big Taganay.

The hydrographic feature of the Taganay Park is that the watershed border between the two largest river basins in Russia - the Volga-Kama and Ob-Irtysh - runs through its territory. The river network of the national park feeds the Caspian Sea in the south and the Arctic Ocean in the north with its waters. At the same time, only one mountain water stream - the Great Kialim - carries its waters into the Arctic Kara Sea. But the Caspian collects a whole fan of water from Taganay.

How to get there by car?

Chelyabinsk region, Zlatoust, village. Pushkinsky. From Yekaterinburg along the Chelyabinsk Highway following the signs for Highway M5, or through Tubuk, Kyshtym, Kasli, Karabash, Miass, Zlatoust. When entering the city of Miass, go straight along the main road. At one of the intersections, one road goes to the left, the other to the right. We drive to the right, and after 100 meters there will be a direct exit from this part of the city, you can see the forest. There is a traffic light in front of the forest. Drive through the forest and then in the city, always choose the main road, the total travel time through the city will be about 25 minutes. Leave the city following the Zlatoust sign to the right onto the M5 highway.

If at the traffic light in front of the forest when leaving Miass, turn right at the intersection, then at the next intersection follow the Zlatoust sign to the left, then you can also drive to Zlatoust following the signs. We drive into Zlatoust and drive along the main road to an intersection (uphill), at which the main road will go to the left, and to the right there is a sign “Magnitka”. You need to go right to Magnitka. Continue following the same sign Train Station, the road will turn left uphill to the final stop minibus taxis and buses. There will be a White Key store on the left. This area is called the village. Pushkinsky. You need to turn right past the garages, then onto the highway leading to the village of Magnitka. After 300 m there will be a worship cross on the left,

The most popular place among tourists in the Southern Urals is deservedly the Taganay National Park. Thanks to his picturesque view it attracts a huge number of visitors every year. Here you can admire huge mountain ranges and a river made of stone, as well as mountain tundra and ancient mineral springs.

Features of Taganay National Park

The park is located 130 kilometers from the regional center of the Chelyabinsk region and on one side it touches the border of Europe and Asia. The territory covers the northern part of the mountain range, and the city of Zlatoust is considered its center.

The area of ​​the park is as much as 568 square meters. km. Therefore, it is not surprising that vegetable world It's very diverse here. You can find both spruce taiga forests and southern taiga forests interspersed with birch and pine trees. A certain part is occupied by steppes, as well as meadows and mountain tundra. In addition to flora, such colorful diversity extends to fauna.

To explore all the sights, you don’t need any equipment or other equipment, just bring anti-tick spray and rubber boots during the rainy season.

Where did the name come from

As you might guess, the park owes its name to Mount Taganay. She, in turn, received this nickname because of her considerable height. The translation from Bashkir sounds like “Moon Stand”. And indeed, on bright nights you can observe a picture when the night luminary seems to be sitting on one of the tops.

There are many legends and beliefs among the residents of this beautiful area, which they happily share with visitors. For example, the story of the battle between the brothers Svarog and Div, as a result of which the Div people were locked in Ural mountains. Almost all local legends are tied to one storyline, implying the residence of a certain people in the depths of the mountains.

There are really a lot of interesting places in the park; in general, they can be divided into 6 main types:

1. Mountain ranges. There are 9 of them in total, the most popular are Itsyl, Yurma, Sredny, Maly and Bolshoy Taganay. They are located in different places and therefore differ in vegetation and climatic conditions. With most it opens very beautiful view, from Middle Taganay, for example, you can see the entire country in all four horizons.
2. Mountain peaks The highest point is considered to be a mountain called “Kruglitsa”, its height is 1178 meters. And Sorocha Mountain is recognized as the lowest (649 m).
3. Saddles. In geology, this concept means the lowest point between two mountain peaks. There are several such places in the park. The first is located between Kruglitsa and Dalniy Taganay and is called “Big Log”. Also, most may have heard about the “Valley of Fairy Tales”; it is located between Otklikny Greben and Kruglitsa. The third point is Glass. It is a section of the watershed and has another name – “Mirror”.
4. Remains. This term refers to the remains of parts of rock that, for some reason, remain after the destruction of a less stable mass. There are 5 such attractions in the park: Climbing Wall, Three Brothers, Kialim Rocks, Devil's Gate and Mitkin Rocks.
5. Stone rivers. Or in other words, “kurums” are a local accumulation of stones that look like a flowing river. There are two such points in Taganay, the Big Stone River and the Kurumnaya River. The first consists mainly of aventurine - stones with beautiful shiny inclusions of green and other colors.
6. Watercourses. The border between two river basins runs here, so there are plenty of attractions of this type here. The Big Kialim flows here, as well as many small rivers. There are also streams, springs and the Great Moss Swamp.

Secrets of Taganay

This national park was founded back in 1991, so there are different legends and interesting riddles a lot has accumulated here. For example, many tourists noticed that on hot days the mountain seemed to sway. Scientists have already found an explanation for this phenomenon. This visual effect occurs due to the proximity of groundwater during the period of moisture evaporation.

There are also paranormal stories here. UFOlogists often come here in search of the treasured Bigfoot, and among local residents and tourists there are rumors of encounters with ghosts.

The weather here can also surprise. During the day, temperatures can jump within 10 degrees several times. Local residents are already accustomed to this and will not be surprised by the June snowfall. But for tourists, experiencing all the seasons in one day will be clearly interesting. Also, strong gusts of wind are often recorded here, sometimes reaching 50 m/sec.

Well, the atmosphere of mystery is reinforced by the view itself, which opens from the points along which guides usually lay out the route. The foggy veil coupled with the grandeur of the ancient mountains simply amazes the imagination.

Routes

The entire territory of the park has long been lined along and across the routes of guides and travel companies. The following tours are offered on the official website of Taganay:

• “To the center of the pomegranate crown” - it lasts 4-5 hours and during this time 32 kilometers are covered, 2 of which are on foot. It starts from the Central Estate and ends there. Along the way, the sights of Black Rock and Akhmatovskaya Mine will be shown.
• “To the Top of the World” is carried out entirely on foot and lasts 6-8 hours, during which 15 kilometers are covered. The final goal is to climb the Two-Headed Taganay Hill with highest point travel 1034 meters.
• “To the Foot of Ripheus” is a multi-day excursion with a long distance of 55 km. Designed for 2 (in some cases 3) days. The goal is to climb Kruglitsa (the most high mountain parka). Despite the range, no special equipment is required here. There are also no age restrictions, but physical fitness must be at the level.
• “To the Big Stone River” - the goal of the hike is clear from the name. It lasts no more than 5 hours, often even less. The total distance is 10 kilometers.
• “Taganay in 600 steps” - despite the considerable length of 19 kilometers, this excursion takes only 2 hours, as it is by car. With its help you can see the Black Rock, as well as the views from it.
• “At the Edge of the Forest” is a special theatrical walk for children. Its total length is only 800 meters and duration is 1 hour.
• “To the Eternal Wind” is the longest and longest route of Taganay currently available. It is completely on foot and you need to walk about 65 kilometers, usually this happens in 3 days. The destination is Dalny Taganay and Itsyl, as well as the former meteorological station “Taganay Gora”.

Rules for visiting the park

You can get here only by obtaining special permission. This is done directly in the administrative department of the park, the office located in Zlatoust, or on the official website of Taganay.

A separate item is the rules of movement and accommodation, this list includes the following points:

1. Traffic on public roads is not restricted in any way.
2. You can only walk along designated paths.
3. IN protected area No entry allowed.
4. You can stop for a long time and make a fire only in places designated for this purpose.

The list of prohibitions as a whole is very extensive and consists of the following items:

• cutting down and damaging trees and rocks;
• damage to soil, work of water sources;
• contamination of the territory;
• fishing and all types of hunting;
• collecting minerals and other stones;
• take your dog with you.

Let's sum it up

It’s not for nothing that Taganay National Park is so popular among tourists and not only from Russia. There are a lot of attractions here and comfortable conditions have been prepared for exploring them. There are several interesting tours and excursions to choose from, where with the help of guides you can not only admire the beauty of nature, but also learn the history of the Ural Mountains.

In order to have time to see, if not everything, then as much as possible, it is advisable to go here for 4-5 days. Because some tours themselves last several days. The visit is available all year round, however, if you go during the rainy season, be sure to take rubber boots with you. Well, of course, don’t forget to take a camera - photos taken in Taganay always look impressive.

It’s also worth booking places in advance, if you plan to stay in a house rather than a tent. Accommodation prices, as well as the current entrance fee, can be viewed on the official website of Taganay.