The Kraka Ridge is a sharp mountain range in the southeast of Bashkiria. In structure, it resembles a fish skeleton, the uniqueness of which is given by the strongly dissected relief.
The name goes back to the Bashkir word “kyraka” - “ridge”. There is also a version of its origin from the phrase “kyrk ark”, which in translation sounds like “forty (many) ridges.” It reflects the main difference between the ridge and most other spurs of the Southern Urals: rugged terrain with steep slopes and deep gorges, which makes the surrounding landscape more picturesque and beautiful. Each of the assumptions corresponds to reality in its own way.
The attraction is of great geological interest and is considered a tectonic natural monument. The views stretching far, far to the horizon are mesmerizing, and the clean air is intoxicating with its freshness. From the top of the mountain range there is a magnificent panorama of the Uraltau, Bolshoy Shatak, Mayardak, Malinovaya, Kirel and Arvyakryaz mountains.
However, not only ordinary tourists and landscape photographers come here; every year for lovers of Nordic walking, the Kraka race mountain half-marathon is held on the slopes of the Kraka ridge.
© Nail K.
What to see for a tourist in Beloretsk in 1 day
The settlement, whose history goes back more than two and a half centuries, received city status only in 1923. It is separated from the capital of the region, Ufa, by 245 km. The city is the administrative center of the Beloretsky district of the Republic of Bashkortostan. About 65 thousand people live here. First, we will talk about its most significant tourist spots.
Belaya River, or Agidel
- Coordinates on the map: 53.960458, 58.394815.
Beloretsk received its name in honor of the water artery. It is about her that the legendary rock musician Yuri Shevchuk sings in one of his songs, “White River, Drops of the Past.” In Bashkir the reservoir is called Agidel.
Beloretsk is located near the source of the river, which originates at the famous Mount Iremel. The reservoir inspired many cultural figures; its picturesque shores attracted artists. The river is depicted on the canvases of A. Tyulkin and B. Domashnikov.
The city of the same name and its surroundings are a great place to walk along the river banks and enjoy the beauty and natural monuments. A popular entertainment for tourists is rafting, during which it is convenient to explore coastal attractions: rocks, grottos, caves.
Beloretsk Metallurgical Plant
- Address: st. V. Bluchera, 1.
Beloretsk traces its history back to 1762, when a metallurgical plant was founded here. It was founded by merchants and industrialists, two Ivans - Tverdyshev and Myasnikov. In the 1780s, the plant passed to Myasnikov’s daughter and went to her husband, A.I., as a dowry. Pashkov.
At the beginning of the 19th century, the iron smelted in Beloretsk, which gained popularity due to its malleability, was called “Pashkovsky” in the area after the owner’s name. The history and everyday life of Beloretsk are inextricably linked with the city-forming enterprise, which operates to this day as Beloretsk Metallurgical Plant OJSC.
A complex of historical buildings from the 18th-19th centuries has been preserved to this day. They are recognized as an object of historical and cultural heritage of Federal significance and can be considered the main architectural, industrial and historical landmark of Beloretsk.
Monument to Ivan Tverdyshev
- Address: V. Blucher street.
Simbirsk entrepreneur Ivan Borisovich Tverdyshev is revered in Beloretsk as the founder of the city. In 2012, on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of the settlement, the ranks of numerous city monuments were replenished with a statue of a merchant and industrialist leaning on a cane, two and a half meters high.
This monument was created by sculptor Natalya Kulikova and employee of the Beloretsk plant Alexander Kuldyaykin. The figure was made at the famous Kasli art casting plant.
Museum of History and Local Lore
- Address: st. V. Lenina, 30A.
The development of Beloretsk and other cities in the region, significant historical and cultural events and, of course, the amazing nature of the region became the main themes of the exhibition of the Beloretsk Museum of History and Local Lore, which opened back in 1969.
During its history, it has managed to be both a public museum and a branch of the Ufa National Museum of the Republic of Bashkortostan, and since 2006 it has been municipal.
The museum will tell you about the origins of the Bashkir people, introduce you to the inhabitants of the local fauna, and tell you about the metallurgical plants of the region. There is a hall of military and labor glory and an exhibition dedicated to the Great Patriotic War.
South Ural State Nature Reserve
- GPS coordinates: 54.346667, 57.885833.
Many people go to the Urals to get to know the famous mountain range. Beloretsk is one of those cities where a lot of interesting things are located not only within the boundaries of the settlement itself, but also in the Beloretsk district. Here are located 90% of the lands of the largest nature reserve in the Ural region, the South Ural Nature Reserve, with a total area of more than 250 hectares.
The reserve was formed back in 1978. Several rivers flow through the reserve, including the Maly and Bolshoy Inzer. The latter defines one of its natural boundaries. In the Bashkir part of the reserve there is the highest point of the Southern Urals, rising 1640 m above sea level. This mountain is called Yamantau.
Notes
- from the point of view of the administrative-territorial structure
- from the point of view of the municipal structure
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21
Republic of Bashkortostan.
Total land area of the municipality (Russian). www.gks.ru.
_ Access date: April 17, 2021. - ↑ 12345678910111213141516171819202122232425
Population of the Russian Federation by municipalities as of January 1, 2021 (Russian) (July 31, 2017). Retrieved July 31, 2021. Archived July 31, 2021. - Red Book of the Bashkir Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. Rare plants and animals. - Ufa: Bashkir book. ed., 1987.
- A new natural park Iremel (Russian) has appeared in Bashkiria. ufa.kp.ru.
_ Access date: April 17, 2021. - Avalyak (Russian). www.igras.ru
. Access date: April 17, 2021. - Zilmerdak in the short encyclopedia of Bashkortostan (Russian) (inaccessible link - history
).
encycl.bash-portal.ru
. - E. A. Fedorov, trilogy “Stone Belt” Book two - “Heirs” Part IV. Chapter 2. (undefined)
(inaccessible link -
history
).
demidov.grandfamil.net
. - All-Russian population census 2002. Volume. 1, table 4. Population of Russia, federal districts, constituent entities of the Russian Federation, districts, urban settlements, rural settlements - regional centers and rural settlements with a population of 3 thousand or more (unspecified)
. Archived from the original on February 3, 2012. - 1.5. Population of the Republic of Bashkortostan by municipalities as of January 1, 2009
- Estimation of the permanent population of the Republic of Bashkortostan as of January 1, 2009-2016
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76
77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 All - population census 2010.
Population by settlements of the Republic of Bashkortostan (unspecified)
. Retrieved August 20, 2014. Archived August 20, 2014. - Population of the Russian Federation by municipalities. Table 35. Estimated resident population as of January 1, 2012 (unspecified)
. Retrieved May 31, 2014. Archived May 31, 2014. - Population of the Russian Federation by municipalities as of January 1, 2013. - M.: Federal State Statistics Service Rosstat, 2013. - 528 p. (Table 33. Population of urban districts, municipal districts, urban and rural settlements, urban settlements, rural settlements) (undefined)
. Retrieved November 16, 2013. Archived November 16, 2013. - Table 33. Population of the Russian Federation by municipalities as of January 1, 2014 (unspecified)
. Access date: August 2, 2014. Archived August 2, 2014. - Population of the Russian Federation by municipalities as of January 1, 2015 (unspecified)
. Access date: August 6, 2015. Archived August 6, 2015. - Population of the Russian Federation by municipalities as of January 1, 2021 (Russian) (October 5, 2018). Date accessed: May 15, 2021. Archived May 8, 2021.
- Spatial development strategy of the Russian Federation for the period until 2025 (draft) (Russian). www.spsss.ru
. Access date: April 17, 2021. - Results of the All-Russian Population Census for the Republic of Bashkortostan (unspecified)
(pdf). Territorial body of the Federal State Statistics Service for the Republic of Bashkortostan. Retrieved March 5, 2013. Archived March 9, 2013. - Law of the Republic of Bashkortostan dated April 20, 2005 No. 178-z (as amended on June 1, 2015) “On the administrative-territorial structure of the Republic of Bashkortostan” (Russian). docs.cntd.ru.
_ Access date: April 17, 2021. - Decree of the Government of the Republic of Bashkortostan dated December 29, 2006 No. 391 (as amended on February 9, 2015) “On approval of the register of administrative-territorial units and settlements of the Republic of Bashkortostan” (Russian). docs.cntd.ru.
_ Access date: April 17, 2021. - Administrative-territorial structure of the Republic of Bashkortostan as of January 1, 2021: Directory / Government of the Republic of Bashkortostan. - Ufa: State Unitary Enterprise RB BI "Kitap" named after. Zainab Biisheva, 2021. - 472 p. — ISBN 978-5-295-06668-9.
- Law of the Republic of Bashkortostan dated December 17, 2004 N 126-z “On the borders, status and administrative centers of municipalities in the Republic of Bashkortostan” (Russian). docs.cntd.ru.
_ Access date: April 17, 2021. - Population of the Russian Federation by municipalities as of January 1, 2021 (Russian). Date accessed: October 17, 2021. Archived October 17, 2021.
Architectural and historical sights
Tourists and local residents describe the architectural appearance of the city as not particularly remarkable, but there are still several interesting objects here.
Water tower
- Address: st. P. Tochissky, 9A.
An infrastructure facility with more than a century of history has become one of the most noticeable architectural landmarks. The tower was erected in 1916 with funds allocated by the plant; the eighteen-meter structure became the tallest in the city at that time. It was used for its intended purpose until the 1950s. The tower, which has the status of a monument, was restored in 2012.
Pedestrian wooden bridge
- Address: Beloretsk Reservoir.
For a city on a river, a bridge is a vital element of infrastructure. The material culture of Beloretsk has preserved the object, which has become a unique historical monument. The longest pedestrian bridge in Russia was built here.
It is thrown across the Beloretsk pond, or the Beloretsk reservoir - an artificially created river flood. Its length is 500 meters. The building was erected in the 1930s. In 1941, Beloresk residents going to the fronts of the Great Patriotic War walked along this bridge to the railway station.
The 1973 feature film “Eternal Call” was filmed in Beloretsk, and the recognizable city crossing appeared in the frame. Nowadays the bridge is in a dilapidated state, there are disputes over its fate, and it has been decided to preserve the surviving structures.
Kuznetsov's House
- Address: per. Pukhovsky, 9.
The historic L-shaped building has two floors, built from different materials - the first from stone, the second from wood. The architectural monument on Pukhov Street was erected in the 19th century as a residential building for the city merchant Kuznetsov.
After the revolution, the building saw the Bolsheviks within its walls; in 1918, their headquarters were based here, and later the building became a city club, which bore the name of Yakov Sverdlov.
Nature of Beloretsk and its surroundings
Tourists in Beloretsk will be able to discover a lot of interesting natural attractions.
Mount Raspberry
- Coordinates: 54.021265, 58.291553.
You can get acquainted with the Ural Mountains in the immediate vicinity of Beloretsk by going to the mountain range called Raspberry Mountain or “Malinovka”. It is only 6 kilometers away from the city.
The mountain has three peaks: 70 meters, about 1000 and 1150 meters above sea level. It attracts with stunning views, from here you can see the “pearls” of the Southern Urals - the mountains Iremel, Yamantau and Bolshoi Shelom, and a panorama of Beloretsk opens before the viewer’s gaze.
Mount Kirel
- Coordinates: 54.028407, 58.230280.
A little higher than Raspberry Mountain is its neighbor, Kirel. Its maximum point is 1 km 162 m above sea level. The mountain greets guests of Beloretsk with its majestic appearance, revealing itself to the gaze of all those passing on the road to Magnitogorsk.
For a close encounter with the mountain, which attracts many climbers, you need to come to the village of Kuzgun-Akhmerovo, Beloretsk district.
Arsky Stone tract
- Coordinates: 53.870833, 58.256111.
The limestone rock, dating back to the Devonian geological period, is located on the right bank of the Belaya River, 10 km from Beloretsk. The tract with a total area of 0.8 hectares is called Arsky Stone and is registered as a natural monument. The rock reaches 30 m in height.
Nearby is the village of the same name, founded in 1767. There are many legends associated with the natural site dating back to the period of the Peasant War of Emelyan Pugachev. They say that a factory manager who refused to give weapons to the rebels was killed here.
Inzer teeth
- Coordinates: 54.271179, 58.375090.
Thanks to the unusual shape of the rocky outcroppings, the Inzerskie Cogs became one of the most recognizable mountain ranges in the Beloretsk region. The object received its name from the Inzer River. Remarkable battlements, sometimes referred to as the "rock cirque", are located in the northern part. The massif is covered with sparse forests typical of mountain tundra.
Lessons Rock and Observation Deck
- Coordinates: 53.970952, 58.400639.
Right within the city limits of Beloretsk there is a rock massif, which is considered a wonderful place for adventure and adrenaline lovers. Hiking enthusiasts gather here. There is an observation deck on the Lessons rock, which offers excellent views of the city and the Belaya River.
Planting Siberian cedar
- Address: pos. Ukshuk, Beloretsky district.
A unique natural attraction in the surrounding area is the planting of a fauna that is not typical for this natural area - cedar. The visitor from neighboring Siberia was planted in 1906 and has taken root surprisingly well.
The centuries-old cedar forest now occupies 2 hectares of area near the village of Ukshuk, 6 km from Beloretsk. Since 1965, it has been recognized as a natural monument, considered a nature reserve and is under protection.
Population
| Population | ||||||||
| 1979 | 1989 | 2002[10] | 2008[11] | 2009[12] | 2010[13] | 2011 | 2012[14] | 2013[15] |
| 124 798 | ↘121 338 | ↘114 334 | ↘110 874 | ↘110 080 | ↘107 248 | ↘107 110 | ↘106 408 | ↘105 524 |
| 2014[16] | 2015[17] | 2016[18] | 2017[4] | |||||
| ↘104 401 | ↘103 708 | ↘103 022 | ↘102 143 | |||||
According to the forecast of the Russian Ministry of Economic Development, the population will be[19]:
2024—100.69 thousand people.
Urbanization
63.56% of the district's population live in urban areas (the city of Beloretsk).
The average rural population density is 2 people per km², which is the lowest figure in the republic.
National composition
According to the All-Russian Population Census of 2010: Russians - 59.8%, Bashkirs - 30.8%, Tatars - 6.8%, people of other nationalities - 2.6%[20].
Monuments of Beloretsk and sculptural compositions
On the streets of Beloretsk you can find a wide variety of monuments, both traditional and not so traditional.
Monument to the Metallurgist, or Steelmaker
- Address: V. Blucher street.
At the entrance to Beloretsk along the highway leading from Ufa, there is a monument reflecting the specifics of the city. It is called the “Monument to the Metallurgist” or “Steelworker”. The male figure on the pedestal is complemented by a Red Star with the inscription “Beloretsk is the city of metallurgists.”
This object was installed in 1975. The materials of the local history museum attribute the creation of the monument to sculptor N.K. Tiunova, in some sources the name of the master V. Osipov appears.
But the name of the person whose image formed the basis of the monument is known for certain. The prototype was Beloretsk resident Anatoly Mashevsky, who served as a steelmaker at BMK and was awarded the title of Honored Metallurgist of the USSR.
Memorial to Beloretsk Metallurgists
- Address: Tochissky street.
The military memorial, dedicated to the memory of the Great Patriotic War, is officially called “To the Beloretsk metallurgists who died in battles for the Motherland.” Against the background of a marble wall, where the names of 800 plant employees who did not return from the war are immortalized, stands a metal stele crowned with the image of the Order of the Great Patriotic War. The memorial complex was created in May 1975.
Monument to Pavel Tochissky
- Address: P. Tochissky street.
Revolutionary Pavel Tochissky was active in Beloretsk to establish Soviet power, and was killed in 1918. Since Soviet times, the memory of this man has been immortalized in the appearance of the city; one of the streets and the city square in the central part are named after him. A bust of the politician has been in the park since 1959.
Memorial to those killed in the civil war and monument to V.K. Blucher
- Address: P. Tochissky street.
In the Zamatinsky district of the city, a majestic figure of a figure of a civil war era figure, division commander Vasily Blucher, rises to full height. This sculpture is the main element of a large-scale memorial complex dedicated to those killed in the Civil War.
Behind the military leader are bas-relief images with episodes of the legendary raid carried out in 1918 by a detachment under his command. The authorship of the grandiose monument, erected in 1981, belongs to V.I. Osipov.
Monument to Arkady Gaidar
- Address: st. 50 years of October, 62.
The creation of V. I. Osipov is a sculpture of the famous children's writer Arkady Petrovich Gaidar. The initiative to install the monument was taken by the director of the Arzamas Museum, making a corresponding proposal from the pages of the newspaper “Soviet Bashkiria”.
This was in 1979. The monument was cast in Khimki near Moscow. It is known that Gaidar visited Beloretsk in 1921 as the commander of a detachment to combat banditry.
Avenue of Heroes
- Address: Lenin street.
On Victory Day in 1985, a memorial alley with 13 bronze busts of Beloretsk residents who fought on the fronts of the Great Patriotic War and were awarded the title of Heroes of the Soviet Union was opened near Lenin Street.
An obelisk was installed here and the Eternal Flame was lit. The Alley of Heroes has become one of the most popular places in the city, a kind of open-air museum. In 2005, it was restored and 3 new busts were added.
Monument to M.I. Kalinin
- Address: st. Tochissky.
Soviet politician Mikhail Ivanovich Kalinin visited the Beloretsk plant in 1923. In memory of the visit, his image was immortalized on the dam of the Beloretsk Metallurgical Plant with a bust by V. Morunov.
The Beloretsk sculptor is known for his collaboration with Vuchetich; he was among the masters who worked under his leadership to create the legendary Volgograd “Motherland”. The material for the monument to Kalinin in Beloretsk was hollow metal. Installed in November 1972. The pedestal is faced with local limestone.
Monument to Beloresk railway workers
- Address: Plotinnaya street.
The locomotive turned into one of the Beloretsk monuments in 1982. Its installation was timed to coincide with the 70th anniversary of the creation of the railway workshop at the local plant. In 2002, the monument was expanded and now consists of two objects. A diesel locomotive was placed next to the steam locomotive.
Monument to A.G. Serebryannikov
- Address: Karl Marx street.
A native of the Beloretsky district, Alexander Grigorievich Serebryannikov died in July 1943 in the Battle of the Kursk Bulge and was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. A bust of a fellow countryman by V. A. Kolchin was installed in Beloretsk in 1965 near school No. 17.
Monument to Beloretsk pilots who fell during the Second World War
- Address: st. 50 years of October.
In honor of the pilots who died during the Great Patriotic War, a Czechoslovak-made aircraft was placed on a pedestal near one of the Beloretsk schools. The monument was the L-29 aircraft, also known as the Dolphin. Such aircraft did not take part in the war; they were developed in the 50s. The aircraft was installed orientated in 1978.
Monument to Elk
- Address: Blucher street.
Among the unusual monuments of Beloretsk is a huge figure of a forest dweller - an elk, located in one of the city squares. It became the central object of a recreation area for citizens organized around it.
Vegetation of the Kraka mountain range
The mountain range up to a height of 600 m is covered with pine forest. As the height increases, birch is added to the pine trees, and even higher the pine is replaced by larch. The middle - axial ridges are plateau-like, more humid, the trees on them are relatively short, and the grass is thicker and higher than on the slopes of the ridge.
At the tops of mountain spurs, especially South Krak, there are unique mountain steppes. Their flora is represented by steppe and alpine plant species: relicts left over from the pre-glacial era, as well as endemics. Birch and pine trees grow along the slopes almost in a checkerboard pattern.
© Dmitry Halfin
In the central part of the bunch of ridges, the relief expands, and vast areas begin to grow overgrown with grass, in which fallen trees are hidden. Many of them have a similar fate - their trunks have marks from lightning strikes. The trees dry out and the wind can only wait until the once mighty plant can be felled.
Northern Kraka is overgrown with pure forest up to the ridge. This part of the mountain range has many pines, larches and wonderful meadows.
Several dozen deposits of chromite ores have been discovered on the territory, but they are not being explored due to the small volume of the ore mass.
© Damir Miftakhov
Active recreation and Beloretsk entertainment
The geographic location of Beloretsk and the natural features of the area determined its tourism potential as a popular place for active recreation.
Ski center Mratkino
- Address: st. V. Lenina, 130.
The Southern Urals and Beloretsky region attract ski lovers. You can ski on modern slopes right within the city of Beloretsk, in a ski center with good infrastructure.
It is called “Mratkino” and consists of the Big and Small complex. There are a total of 8 tracks on two slopes, among which there are both those intended for professional athletes and those accessible to everyone, including beginners.
The complex provides the opportunity to accommodate tourists in comfortable rooms; there are several food outlets, including the Yurta cafe. Excursions and hikes are organized at the complex.
Recreation center "Arsky Stone"
- Address: Central street, 1, Arsky Kamen village.
Around the natural monument and historical village of the same name, back in the 70s of the 20th century, a tourist base arose, which became known as the first organizer of horseback riding trips in the region. Today it is a modern complex with a wide range of entertainment services.
In addition to equestrian sports, tourists will be offered river rafting, hiking and various excursions. In the winter season, a ski resort and skating rink operate at the camp site. Every year the tourist complex becomes the venue for an art song festival.
Abzakovo Holiday House
- Address: Kizilskaya st., 36, Novoabzakovo village.
Those wishing to actively relax and improve their health will be warmly welcomed in the vicinity of Beloretsk, in the village of Novoabzakovo. There is a resort here that operates both as a holiday home and as a sports and fitness complex.
On an area of 90 hectares in a forested park area there are 15 kilometers of ski slopes, 8 residential buildings, an entertainment center and much more. Sports athletes and biathlon and alpine skiing teams train in Abzakovo.
In addition to sports facilities, vacationers can enjoy a variety of entertainment - bowling, billiards, food outlets, and a dance floor.
For those who want to receive treatment within the framework of the “Territory of Health” program, they are offered to undergo a set of procedures, both of a general health nature and aimed at the prevention of specific diseases.
Cultural life of the city of Beloretsk
When townspeople and travelers come to Beloretsk, they often visit the Art Gallery and the local Palace of Culture.
Art Gallery
- Address: st. V. Lenina, 67.
The Art Gallery opened its doors in September 1980, becoming the first such institution in Bashkiria. Its status changed several times, in the 1990s it became a branch of the Bashkir Art Museum, and since 2006 it has been a municipal institution.
The Art Gallery is not only an exhibition space, but also a venue for cultural events, creative meetings with local and “all-Russian” celebrities, and musical evenings.
Palace of Culture
- Address: st. V. Lenina, 18.
Beloretsky Palace of Culture is not only a center of creativity and a concert venue, but also a historical and architectural landmark. A noticeable building, standing out for its striking appearance, was built from 1929 to 1931.
During the war years, it hosted a plant evacuated from Klin within its walls; the rest of the time it was used for its intended purpose. Today, more than 50 creative groups of various profiles operate on its basis.
