Arzhan is a healing spring. 478 km of the Chuisky tract. Arzhan-Suu (Southern Alt. - “holy water”) - a spring, a natural monument. It is located on the right bank of the Katun, near the village of Manzherok. Republic of Altai. The water comes out of the bedrock slope of the river valley. Katun at an altitude of 340 m. The source is located in the extreme western spur of the Iolgo ridge, in the area of a deep fault and emerges from rock cracks in several places and after a couple of tens of meters forms a single stream. It has several names: “Arzhap-Suu”, “Shoferskoy”, “Golden Key”. This is one of the most popular sources of the Altai Mountains. The water of the source is hydrocarbonate-calcium-magnesium containing silver (the so-called “living water”) and 4 ml/l of divalent iron (“dead water”), the content of which is higher than in the sources of Essentuki and Borjomi. Water also contains copper and manganese, is stored for a long time and, most importantly, has a beneficial effect on improving metabolic processes in the body. Water temperature - 7-8°C. Local residents consider the spring holy. Arzhan-suu is a popular place. Next to it there are cafes and souvenir shops. There are shaman trees all around, decorated with white ribbons. This is an ancient custom of the Altai people in honor of the local gods. Almost all holy places in Altai look this way (springs, passes). You can only tie a clean fabric 20cm long and 5cm wide; the fabric must be in light colors only: white, yellow, blue or pink. Near the Arzhan-Suu spring there is a road bridge to the left bank of the Katun, leading to the Turquoise Katun tourist complex.
The source is located 8 km from the village. Manzherok, Maiminsky district along the Chuisky tract. It emerges from the bedrock slope of the river valley. Katun at an altitude of 340 m. It has several names: “Arzhap-Suu”, “Shoferskoy”, “Golden Key”. "Arzhan-Suu" literally means "mineral water" (Alt. suu - water).
Since 1961, it was considered the only silver-containing source near the Chuisky tract, which served as the basis for approving it in 1978 as a natural monument of the Gorno-Altai Autonomous Region. The status of a natural monument was confirmed by the Decree of the Government of the Altai Republic dated February 16, 1996.
The unique picturesque landscape determines the recreational value of the object; the source is a monitoring point for studying the dynamics.
The source is located at the bottom of the steep side of the river valley. Katun in the extreme western spur of the Iolgo ridge. Here the spur approaches the river bed almost closely. Collected in a metal pipe, the source crosses the Chuisky tract and is the right tributary of the river. Katun. The area where the source emerges belongs to the area of a deep fault that cuts the Vendcambrian base of the northern wing of the Katun anticlinorium. Along the Katun River there are strips of alluvium that make up the floodplain and above-floodplain terraces. The water-bearing rocks are limestones and metamorphic basalts, sometimes overlain by sandy loams and loams.
In the area of the source, the climate is quite mild. The average temperature in January is -13 degrees C, in July - 18 degrees C. Hair dryers often blow. The average wind speed in the winter months is 4-5 m/sec. In summer - 1-2 m/sec. The annual precipitation is about 500 mm.
The source is descending, diffuse type. Water flows out of bedrock cracks in several places and after 20-30 m forms a single stream with a flow rate of 6-10 cubic dm/sec. The fluctuation in flow rate between the main seasons of the year is 1-2 cubic dm/sec.
The study of the source began in 1961 by E.V. Chechegoeva. Later, in 1982, according to the Hydrogeological Administration "Geominvod" and the Moscow Research Institute of Balneology and Physiotherapy (MNIIKiF), the source water was assigned to the hydro-carbonate class of the calcium-magnesium group:
In addition, the following were found in the source water: silicic acid (12.2 mg/dm3), strontium (0.34 mg/dm3), zinc (0.12 mg/dm3).
In the 90s, the Tomsk Research Institute of Culture and Physics made an attempt to classify the source waters based on the content of organic matter (Corg. 4.1 - 14.4 mg/dm3) to the VIII group of mineral waters, low-mineralized with a high content of organic substances. Representatives of this group are waters of the Naftusya type (Truskavets). Based on this, it was concluded that it is necessary to fully identify the source water and conduct in-depth studies of the functional composition of organic substances in water with the identification of their genetic nature. The following were identified in the source water: antimony, copper, lead, zinc, bismuth, and silver.
Since 1992, the hydrochemical regime and chemical composition of the source water have been systematically studied by the research chemical-ecological laboratory of the State University of State University.
Hydrocarbonate-calcium-magnesium water.
According to 1998 data, the source water contains: NH4 (1.2 mg/dm3), NO3 (5.6 mg/dm3), N02 (0.04 mg/dm3), phenols and other substances of anthropogenic origin, which indicates about the deterioration of its environmental condition.
According to N.B. Ermakov, in the vicinity of the spring there are pine tall grass-grass-bracken forests. Tree stand with an admixture of birch; the undergrowth consists of solitary bird cherry, Siberian mountain ash, common viburnum, and meadowsweet. In the herbaceous layer the most abundant are:
common bracken, female kochedednik, northern aconite, as well as cereals - reed grass:
reedy, blunted, spreading pine; sedges: Arnelle, big-tailed, common sedge, Krylov's bedstraw, hairy sedge. Here you can also find nemoral species that have a relict habitat in Altai: far eastern fescue, giant fescue; bipetalum parisis.
Along the banks of the spring, in the forest area, the white hare is common among large mammals. Among the insectivores there are: common and common shrews, several species of bats, mainly bats; three species of forest voles, voles, chipmunks and wood mice. The common reptiles are the sand lizard and the common viper. Birds are represented mainly by passerines. Among the various insects, diurnal butterflies attract attention. Swallowtails are quite common, nymphalids and whitefishes are varied. Hawthorn is abundant in open areas and along roads in early summer. Here you can also find the flower eye and the roadside edge-eye.There is a legend according to which one hunter mortally wounded a deer in the mountains.
But the beast did not fall, but quickly galloped away, as if life had no intention of leaving it. The hunter noticed horns with precious stones on the head of the wounded deer and rushed after him, not wanting to miss such treasures.
Bleeding, the wounded deer ran to the Arzhan-Suu spring and ran into the water. While the hunter was descending from the mountain, the animal’s wound healed. The deer jumped out of the water and rushed away faster than the wind. The hunter was very surprised by this and threw dried grayling into the water. The fish came to life and swam, moving its fins. The hunter threw an otter skin into the water. The otter emerged and swam just like the grayling.
Then the hunter realized that the source of Arzhan-Suu gives strength and life to everyone.
Visiting hours:
Reserve and recreational
Organization responsible for security.
The village of Maima (with the accent on the last syllable, by the way) is the largest village in the Altai Mountains, stretching along the Chuysky tract and the Katun River for several kilometers. The village was founded in 1810; currently more than 15 thousand residents live here.
Getting to it is very easy: moving along the Chuysky tract, you simply cannot pass by =) The distance from Biysk is about 90 kilometers. Just 6-7 kilometers away from the Chuysky tract is Gorno-Altaisk, which essentially makes Maima its suburb.
In Mayma there are several shops, gas stations, a branch of Sberbank, a cinema, a geological museum, and the Temple of the Descent of the Holy Spirit (the first stone structure in the Altai Mountains). Unlike most local villages, in Mayma you can often find high-rise buildings.
If you haven’t refueled, for example, in Biysk, then here is a good place to fill the gas tank of your car. In Mayma there is the only gas station in the Altai Mountains, so beloved by our driver, Gazpromneft. You can also buy groceries here for the trip if for some reason you haven’t done so before.
Between the villages of Rybalka and Souzga, on the right side of the road you can see the old one, which is no longer in operation.
Cheremshansky waterfall
About 4 kilometers after the village of Souzga along the Chuysky tract there is the village of Cheremshanka (114 km from Biysk). Not far from it on the river of the same name there is a small waterfall.
The waterfall is not very popular among tourists because it is small (the height of the water fall is only 5 meters), there is not even a sign on the road, we had to drive back and forth a couple of times and finally ask the locals for directions. There is so little information about the waterfall that the story about the road to it will take us much more space than about the waterfall itself =)
If you are coming from the north, then before the bridge over the river you need to turn left and drive along the dirt road to the beginning of the forest. You will have to leave your car at the fork and walk the rest of the way (400-500 meters).
You walk along the path along the stream, admiring the surrounding landscapes, cross a small bridge, you see a spring and next to it a cross, on which there is an inscription that the spring is consecrated, and whoever litters will be overtaken by various sorrows =)
Walk a little further and the Cheremshansky waterfall will appear in front of you. Since this will be the first waterfall on your way, it is worth a visit, especially if you have children with you. As a first impression of the waterfalls of the Altai Mountains, Cheremshansky is quite suitable.
A little more along the Chuysky tract and you find yourself in the famous village
Source Arzhan-Suu
Leaving Manzherok and passing the bridge near the Biryuzovaya Katun, at the 478th kilometer of the road you will first see a small market, and at the end of it - the holy spring Arzhan-Suu. You can also get here from the Aisky tract via the already mentioned bridge.
The market sells traditional Altai souvenirs, honey, etc.
Market near Arzhan-Suu
Arzhan-Suu is perhaps the most popular spring in the Altai Mountains. Here, almost all travelers collect water for their journey; at the height of the season, the number of visitors to the source per day reaches a thousand people.
The water is indeed tasty, can be stored for a long time, and besides, it is also healthy, classified as hydrocarbonate-calcium-magnesium with a high content of silver, as well as copper and manganese, which in total has a beneficial effect on metabolism. It is no coincidence that one of the names of Arzhan-Suu is “Silver Spring”.
Arzhan-Suu is not just a popular source of water, it is a natural monument. And among the indigenous local residents, the spring is also considered sacred, as evidenced by numerous traditional ribbons.
Sacred spring Arzhan-Suu
Naturally, like most sacred places, Arzhan-Suu has its own legend. She talks about a hunter who chased a wounded deer for a long time, and then saw him plunge into the waters of a spring and rush off into the distance, as if nothing had happened. Surprised by this fact, the hunter threw dried grayling into the source and was surprised again, because the fish came to life and swam away. The same thing happened with the otter skin. So people realized that the source gives life to everything and began to consider it sacred.
In this mountain are the Tavdinsky caves
Kamlak
The small (population of about 550 people) village of Kamlak is located approximately 160 km from Biysk and 70 km from Gorno-Altaisk at the confluence of the Kamlak River with Sema.
This is the first village in Gorny Altai after the Chuysky tract crossed to the left bank of the Katun along a new bridge in the Ust-Sema region. The village begins at the 504th km of the highway and stretches along it for about 3 kilometers.
The village has several camp sites, a small store, and even a stadium. There are many apiaries in the vicinity of the village, so you can buy good honey here.
Most often, Kamlak is used as a transit point for further movement along the Chuysky tract, but if you stay here longer, the convenient location will allow you to visit several attractions nearby, in particular, the Botanical Garden and the Bison Nursery.
Gorno-Altai Botanical Garden
The botanical garden is located near the Chuysky tract near the village of Kamlak. To get there you need to turn left at the entrance to the village at the corresponding sign.
The territory where the botanical garden is located (the "Chisty Meadow" tract) is a natural monument with all the ensuing consequences for visitors. They say that in the summer they even force or ask you to take off your shoes and walk barefoot on the grass =)
The garden was founded in 1994, today it has more than one and a half thousand species and forms of the most diverse, including rare, flora.
Plants are divided into groups according to the regions in which they grow (Altai Mountains, Siberia, North America, Far East).
There are also thematic exhibitions: rock garden, medicinal plants, etc.
In addition to plants, you can also see and do a lot of other things in the botanical garden: visit the observation deck located above the Katunya, walk along the eco-trail, look into the village, which can rightfully be considered a mini-museum.
The garden will be interesting not only for adults, but also for children, especially near such interesting places and exhibits =)
In addition to viewing the exhibition in the Botanical Garden, you can visit the herbal bar and buy seeds, herbal preparations, teas, and honey.
In 2003, a small recreation center "Katail" was opened on the territory of the botanical garden, offering accommodation in summer houses, meals, and excursions.
The cost of a ticket in 20016 for an adult is 200 rubles, for a child - 100 rubles. A walk without a guide costs 50 rubles, although the price list nearby also lists the price as 150 rubles. We were allowed in for 50, for whom the walk costs 150 remains unknown. The price list also states the option for 150 rubles. put up a tent per day.
Bison nursery
The bison nursery is located outside the village of Kamlak, 4 kilometers from it near the village of Cherga.
To get there, you need to turn right at the signpost at the 510th kilometer of the Chuysky tract and drive another two kilometers along the dirt road. First there will be a farm, followed by a nursery.
You will have to leave the car in front of the stream and climb a little more to the place where there is a house of the bison staff, who will give you a tour.
If you are lucky and the bison are nearby, you will walk a little before you see them. If you are unlucky, then tourists are taken to the bison by car, which takes a little longer.
Cost of the excursion in 2016 - 150 rub.
Important: Remember that if you rely on luck and arrive without an agreement, you may not find the nursery staff on site and the excursion will not work (you don’t know how long to wait for them). We came twice like this, once empty-handed, the second time we got it. So it’s better to call and agree in advance.
The bison nursery in Gorny Altai was organized in 1982, when 3 males and 8 females were brought here. This is one of three bison breeding grounds existing in Russia, and beyond the Urals it is the only nursery with purebred bison. Bison have taken root well in Altai; the current bison are already in their third generation, and the population size is 48 animals.
In summer, bison feed on their own in their natural environment (the territory of the nursery is 470 hectares); in winter, they go down to the fence every day, where they are fed with hay. Visitors are generally treated calmly as long as they are kept at a distance, although in winter you can even hand-feed bison through the netting.
Advice: When going on an excursion, take a camera with a good zoom or telephoto lens, as they won’t let you get too close to the bison.
Interesting information:
- There is a “matriarchy” in the bison herd; the most “authoritative” female is in charge of all affairs.
- The bison calves once every two years, and feeds the baby with milk for more than one and a half years.
- The bison becomes an adult at 4.5 years.
- Bison live 15-20 years
- At a local nursery, the female's record is 5 calves in her lifetime.
- The female weighs 700-900 kg, the weight of the male can reach 1500 kg.
- The body length of the bison reaches 3.5 meters, height - up to 2 meters.
- Despite such dimensions and heavy weight, bison are capable of picking up speed up to 40-45 km/h, and it is better not to stand in their way at this moment =)
Arzhan (disambiguation)- Arzhan: Arzhan is the earliest burial mound known to archaeologists from the Early Scythian period. Arzhan river in Altai. Arzhan, Jean Baptiste (1704 1771) French writer, novelist and philosopher, figure of the Enlightenment. See also Arzhanov Arzhans Arzhan Suu... ... Wikipedia
Altai (>)- Altai (republic) The Altai Republic is a republic within the Russian Federation (see Russia), located in the south of Western Siberia. The area of the republic is 92.6 thousand square meters. km, population 205.6 thousand people, 26% of the population lives in cities (2001). IN … Geographical encyclopedia
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The natural monument of the Altai Republic - the Arzhan-Suu spring is located near the Chuysky tract, 8 kilometers from the village of Manzherok. The source is located to the left of the tract. Next to it, along the road, there are a large number of trays with Altai souvenirs, where you can buy products made of ceramics, wood, birch bark and stone, national clothes and musical instruments, maps, postcards, videotapes and CDs about Altai. The Arzhan-Suu cafe, known from Vasily Shukshin’s film “There Lives Such a Guy,” also operates here.
The Arzhan-Suu spring is also called “Silver Spring”, “Holy Spring”, “Driver’s Key”. It emerges from rock cracks in several places and after a couple of tens of meters forms a single stream. In addition to the high content of silver, the spring water is saturated with copper and other mineral impurities; it is stored for a long time and has a beneficial effect on the metabolism in the body. And the content of ferrous iron in the water of Arzhan-Suu is noticeably higher than in the well-known sources of Essentuki and Borjomi. Unfortunately, according to research, recently the content of substances of anthropogenic origin in the mineral water of the source has been increasing, which indicates a deterioration in its ecological condition. Vehicles constantly stop near the source, contributing to environmental pollution with lead and petroleum products. During the peak summer tourist season, the number of visitors to the source sometimes reaches 1000 people per day.
Near the Arzhan-Suu spring there is a new road bridge to the left bank of the Katun, leading to the Turquoise Katun tourist complex. Further along the road is the Globus Plus tourist center.
What is so amazing and mystical about this spring? If you translate Arzhan Suu from Altai, you get “silver water”. You can learn about the healing properties of water from the legend.
Legend tells of a time when there were many deer (mountain deer) in these places. One day, one of the hunters, seeing a deer with horns of extraordinary beauty, began to chase. During the chase, he wounded a deer. But then something amazing happened! With the last of his strength, the deer reached the source and threw himself into it. Having reached the spring, the hunter saw that the wounds on the deer’s body had healed, and in a few jumps he disappeared into the thickets. The hunter's surprise knew no bounds. Going down to the source, he dipped dried grayling into the water. A moment later the fish swam away. Throwing the tanned otter skin into the water, the hunter saw that it came to life and swam away...
There is another legend about the miraculous properties of the spring
One girl, having lost her beloved, wandered the earth for a long time, trying to find him. Over many years of searching, she repeatedly washed herself in a mountain spring. And when she found her sweetheart, he did not recognize his beloved. It turns out that with every wash, the girl became younger. And by the time they met, he had aged, and she looked like just a child...
And it’s true that the Arzhan Suu spring got its name for a reason. This is a mineral spring with a high content of silver ions, copper and other mineral impurities. As a result, it is stored for a long time without losing its qualities. And in terms of iron content, the water from the source surpasses the famous Borjomi and Essentuki.
For Altai people, the Arzhan Suu spring is a holy place!
Shaman trees with multi-colored ribbons grow near the source. The width of the ribbons is 5 cm, and the length is 20 cm. Thus, the Altai people honor the gods. At the same time, the color of the ribbons is only light: white and yellow, blue and green.
The miraculous source gives strength and health to people, animals and birds. And if you make a good, bright wish near a spring, it will definitely come true.
