The Mountains of South Ossetia
The Transcaucasian Highway (Transkam), a road connecting Tskhinval to Vladikavkaz (and the rest of the world), runs north of Tskhinval. Completion of its construction in 1986 changed the whole course of history. Local residents were much more dependent on Tbilisi before this road to North Ossetia that is open all year round. They had to travel along the Georgian Military Road or through Abkhazia to get to Russia. Had it not been for the direct road to the north, it is unlikely that Ossetians would have been able to organize resistance in the early 1990s and defend their independence in 2008. Everyone who comes to South Ossetia today passes through this main road. And lateral gorges near the Transkam lead to high mountainous regions of the republic with protected nature, healing suars, and villages that come to life only in summer.
Along the Great Liakhva River
The Transkam runs along the Great Liakhva River for almost its entire length. The gorge begins at the Greater Caucasus Ridge and ends on the plain, at the entrance to Tskhinval. There aren't many places on the banks of the Great Liakhva River that we would like to tell you about in this guide, but you won't be able to avoid this gorge on your journey.
Gufta
Photo of Ada Bagian
The village at the confluence of the Patsa and Great Liakhva Rivers is notable for its beautiful bridge built by German experts in 1929. There, the road to Kudar is branched off the Transkam. The first in South Ossetia trout, salmon, and sturgeon farm is located in the upper part of Gufta (if you drive along the Patsa River). It was set up by local businessman Vitaly Pliev.
Dzau (Java)
Back in the 18th-19th centuries, it was the largest Ossetian village in the valley of the Great Liakhva River. The Ossetian Mountains started from there, Georgian feudal lords did not go there without an army. In Soviet times, there was a boarding house called Dzau in the village. It was built near the local suar (spring of carbonated mineral water); now it is, alas, abandoned. But, just like before, Dzau is the most important stop on the Transkam, the center of the district which includes the entire northern half of the republic. There is a hospital, several stores, a police and KGB department, and a school.
The letter of commendation is written in Georgian and confirms the fact of sale of the estate in Upper Dzau by a Georgian feudal lord to an Ossetian family. It dates back to the beginning of the 17th century and says, "Upper Dzau died out, and was impoverished by Ossetians. God is the witness that it was so bad that there are no traces of human activity left there. I sold you the Dziganidze's estate in Upper Dzau along with their burial vault, arable lands, meadows, and ponds with everything that is and isn't litigious. Dziganidze, the heir to the estate, went missing, and we got the money for it too. Now, we have sold you our hereditary estate, free from any claims of any landlords, there will be no claims for it from our landlord or from others <...> We sell the estate at a time when a mother had to resort to eating her own child and a husband had to sell his wife to survive here and there. It happened to us that out of ten members of our family only five survived.
The payment for the products of our estate that we sold came, and we survived. God bless you for buying our hereditary estate and saving us, otherwise we would have died of starvation. Now possess it for the happiness of God."
This text became the subject of a fierce dispute between Ossetian and Georgian historians. Georgians insist that this letter confirms the fact of Ossetian raids on Dzau as a result of which all Georgian families were driven out of there. Ossetian scientists interpret the phrase "was impoverished by Ossetians" in the same vein that there are no more Ossetian peasants left in Dzau because everyone died of starvation.
This text became the subject of a fierce dispute between Ossetian and Georgian historians. Georgians insist that this letter confirms the fact of Ossetian raids on Dzau as a result of which all Georgian families were driven out of there. Ossetian scientists interpret the phrase "was impoverished by Ossetians" in the same vein that there are no more Ossetian peasants left in Dzau because everyone died of starvation.
Bordzhnis
It is a beautiful village in which several activists are trying to restore folk traditions. Every October, a holiday with highlander games takes place there. Participants wear traditional Ossetian costumes. An important difference from most local festivals is that they do not drink anything stronger than Ossetian beer. The reconstruction of an old Ossetian house in the village is almost complete and the water mill is restored. There is a guesthouse. If you have any questions, please contact Yuri Beteyev (+7 929 808 00 11, https://www.facebook.com/osinform), a native of Bordzhnis.
Bagiata
The most popular suar of the republic is located in the vicinity of this village right by the Transcaucasian Highway. If you drive towards Tskhinval, you will see the spring on the left side of the road. Once you see an unfinished building made of grey stone, you know you are there.
The Gudis Valley
A quiet gorge that leads to Dzhery dzuar, one of the most popular holy sites in South Ossetia. There's a place to spend the night and there's plenty to do. It is also the starting point for hiking to the Keli Highland.
Kroz
The main reason why it is worth visiting this village or even staying there overnight is Alan Parastaev's guesthouse and horse farm (+7 929 807 70 74, WhatsApp; https://www.facebook.com/alllan.alllan). He is a 90s war veteran, blogger, and even speaks English, which is rare for South Ossetia. He is often helped by a composer's wife and his daughter, a beginner singer. Alan has six horses, you can ride four of them. The guesthouse has a shower and a toilet. What to do in Kroz, except riding horses? Hike up to the sanctuary and the ruins of the fortress. In winter - sledding down the hill, in summer - swimming in the mountain river. And you can always talk to the villagers.
Tsru
The village of several dozen houses is notable for the Church of St. George the Victorious with incredible acoustics. In fact, this church is new, it was built in 2006 on the site of an old temple destroyed by the 1991 earthquake.
Dzhery dzuar
One of the most visited holy places in South Ossetia in a stunningly beautiful place - on the ridge separating the Gudisdon Gorge and the basin of the Lesser Liakhva River (its height is about 1,850 meters (6,069 ft. above sea level)). This sanctuary is dedicated to Uastyrdzhi and is also home to the Temple of St. George. Previously, they used to come there with requests to heal the mentally ill, now - on any occasion and even for a family picnic.
Dzhery dzuar can be a great starting or ending point of a horseback riding trip in the mountains of South Ossetia. A dirt road goes quite far up the ridge up to Sidamontа dzuar
(Sanctuary of the Sidamonta Alan clan to which the Duchy of Ksani trace back their ancestry). Also, there is an excellent opportunity for a horseback riding trip along the alpine meadows to the Urstualgom Valley, the Gnukh Gorge, and the Keli Highland. There are two horse farms nearby (Alan Parastayev's farm in Kroz and Renat Kabulov's farm in Satskhenet).
Dzhery dzuar can be a great starting or ending point of a horseback riding trip in the mountains of South Ossetia. A dirt road goes quite far up the ridge up to Sidamontа dzuar
(Sanctuary of the Sidamonta Alan clan to which the Duchy of Ksani trace back their ancestry). Also, there is an excellent opportunity for a horseback riding trip along the alpine meadows to the Urstualgom Valley, the Gnukh Gorge, and the Keli Highland. There are two horse farms nearby (Alan Parastayev's farm in Kroz and Renat Kabulov's farm in Satskhenet).
The Kudar Valley (the Patsa River Valley)
Kudar is an area in the upper reaches of the Patsa, Jejora, and Qvirila Rivers. Geographically, it is the most central part of the South Caucasus: the Patsa River is part of the Kura River basin which flows into the Caspian Sea, while the Jejora and Qvirila Rivers are part of the Rioni River basin which flows into the Black Sea. The landscapes there differ from those you will see in other parts of the country. There are a lot of caves and rocks, picturesque lakes, and beech and hornbeam forests. There are also fields full of rhododendrons, which peak bloom time falls on the second half of June, on the alpine meadows. There are great chances to see wild animals - hares, foxes, and sometimes bears, there.
Each of the Ossetian subethnoses has a lot of jokes that have to do with the peculiarities of their character: the Digor, for example, are cunning people who always think about their own benefit, while the Kudars are
really brave simpletons with incredible physical strength. In North Ossetia, by the way, all Ossetians, who live to the south of the Greater Caucasus Range, are sometimes called the Kudars, which, of course, is fundamentally wrong.
Tson
There are only three farms left in this village. One of them belongs to a Tskhinval man. Everyone knows him by his nickname – Fascist. But despite his harsh appearance, he is a kind and very hospitable man. A few years ago, Fascist, who was born in Tson, decided to return to his native village and set up a trout farm where the fish would live in natural conditions, feeding on natural food. He rented land along the Qvirila River, where the village is located, and now makes sure that the area is ecologically clean. Both neighbors are farmers. The one whose house is closer - makes cheese which is recognized as one of the best in South Ossetia.
The republican government is going to turn Tson in a ski resort, trying to use the abundance of snow every winter. Moreover, snow sticks to the ground and won't melt until mid-April there. A snowcat has already been bought, now they plan to install a rope tow. There should also be snowmobiles to get to the slopes for cross-country skiing. Now, local tourists come to Tson to go sledding.
A good reason to take a walk is the Bup Cave in which Acheulean artifacts have been found during excavations. The cave has wide horizontal passages, so there is no need for special equipment for its research. However, you will have to break a sweat climbing a steep slope to get to the cave entrance.
There are Lesse mineral springs - five carbonated suars with different tastes, and there's even oil coming out near - below the village along the Qvirila Gorge. Locals can also tell you where you can take unusual hot baths. They fill a minecart with water from the spring, start a fire beneath it, and bathe in it.
The republican government is going to turn Tson in a ski resort, trying to use the abundance of snow every winter. Moreover, snow sticks to the ground and won't melt until mid-April there. A snowcat has already been bought, now they plan to install a rope tow. There should also be snowmobiles to get to the slopes for cross-country skiing. Now, local tourists come to Tson to go sledding.
A good reason to take a walk is the Bup Cave in which Acheulean artifacts have been found during excavations. The cave has wide horizontal passages, so there is no need for special equipment for its research. However, you will have to break a sweat climbing a steep slope to get to the cave entrance.
There are Lesse mineral springs - five carbonated suars with different tastes, and there's even oil coming out near - below the village along the Qvirila Gorge. Locals can also tell you where you can take unusual hot baths. They fill a minecart with water from the spring, start a fire beneath it, and bathe in it.
Keshelta
The tourist camp called Dzedo, which belongs to Bala Bestauty, a former commander of the mountain special forces, and now Head of the Natural Resources & Environmental Protection Advisory Committee is located there. The three modular train cars can accommodate up to 25 guests at a time. There is cell phone service and hot water. There are trails to the Let Waterfalls, stone crosses in Morekh, and the Chasaval Caves. Experienced climbers will help you organize climbing to the highest peak of South Ossetia (3,938 m (12,920 ft.) above sea level) on the Khalatsa Mountain.
Tedelet
A small village near the Ossetia – Georgia border is remarkable for the memorial erected in 2016 to commemorate the 18 shepherds. In the summer of 1942, another bad news from the front caught 18 local guys working in the hayfields. Not wanting to stay behind the front lines anymore, the young men hung their scythes on the nearest tree and went to the military recruiting office saying, "We'll finish our work when we'll get back." Their names are engraved on the memorial plaque, and the 18 scythes hang on the tree. Neither of them has returned to their native village.
The Urstualgom Valley
Historically, only the inhabitants of the villages above Edys were called the white Dvals, but today the entire Ermandon River Valley is marked as Urstualgom, the "White Dvals Gorge" on the map. There is the highest concentration of suars - carbonated mineral springs in South Ossetia. There are clan towers on the slopes, and the easiest way to get to the Keli Highland is from there.
Ossetians living in the highest mountain valleys - from the Zonkari Rreservoir in North Ossetia to the Tli Gorge in South Ossetia - are called Dvals. Back in the day, they inhabited the mountainous part of Racha and the Truso Gorge. Dvali traditions and folklore do not differ significantly from those of other Ossetians, so some ethnographers do not even distinguish the Dvals in a separate sub-ethnos, although they have a special, very poetic accent. There is a hypothesis that the Dvals are the heirs of Koban culture who were mixed first with the Scythians and then with Sarmatians-Alans, the ancestors of Ossetians. There is even preserved evidence about the Alans who came to the Urstualgom Valley long time ago, tried to seize power in the gorge, and were driven out eventually in Dvali folklore. The Chronicle of the Duchy of Ksani also tells the same story. However, the artifacts of Koban culture of later than the 3rd century BC
have not yet been discovered, and the first mention of the Dvals belongs to the Middle Ages. The Dvals and Osis (Ossetians) were still considered different peoples at that time, and they are always mentioned separately in Georgian chronicles. Nothing is known about their own Dvali language at all, because they, as well as the Kobanians, did not have a written language. Vakhushti Bagrationi wrote in the 18th century, "Their language [was] the Old Divalian. Now, they speak the Osi's language, because the language of the Circassians is different." We can only guess which language group the Old Divalian belonged to. Georgian scientists claim that it belonged to the Kartvelian languages, while Ossetian scientists insist that it was the Iranian languages, and Ingush scientists claim that it belonged to the Vainakhish languages. Everybody wants to be related to the Dvals, but neither side has enough information to build an undisputed argument.
Lower and Upper Roka
The name of these villages probably comes from the Ossetian word "rukhs" - light. As they are located near the Transkam right at the entrance to South Ossetia from Russia, no guest of the republic will be able to get past them. Pay attention to the large number of ruins of medieval towers on the way. We especially recommend that you hike up to one of the towers in the Lower Roka. Take the exit to the village, pass the bridge, and hike up right near the bridge. The view is stunning. The road in the village runs past Khista dzuar, (the Trizna Sanctuary) which is located in a small grove when you approach the bridge. A church was built there in the 19th century. A large bell is kept in it. The locals believe that it is a bad omen to cut trees (and even collect dry branches) in the grove - dzuar will surely punish the violators, their hands will grow numb.
The appearance of Khista dzuar is linked to the Amran Dzanagaty legend. In ancient times, Georgian princes once again attacked Ossetians - killed people and burned villages. Ossetian soldiers of the Aguzata clan wanted to avenge themselves. They addressed the entire Ossetia. Those who responded came to Roka from different regions - Alagirsky Gorge, Kurtatinsky Gorge, Dvaleti - and gathered near the village of Dzuarbon. They argued for a long time about who would be honored to lead the campaign. They agreed that Amran Dzanagaty from the village of Dzhimara (in the Tagaursky Gorge, now in North Ossetia) was a worthy warrior for this. They sent messengers to get him. Amran wasn't home when the messengers arrived in Dzhimara. He came home in the evening. His mother told him about the messengers and their message. Without getting off the horse, he took the provisions for the journey and went to catch up with the messengers. On the way, Amran met two beautiful girls with jugs and asked them for some water. He even decided that he would marry one of them after returning from the campaign. When leaving, Amran heard someone saying, "What a good and handsome guy, it's a pity that he is one-eyed." Amran was insulted by these words and decided not to come back from the campaign. Amran caught up with the messengers near the Kurtatinsky Pass and they went to Roka together.
They held Kuvd, performing all the necessary rituals, and a big bull was sacrificed. According to the ancient custom, Amran, standing on the bull's skin, asked the Almighty to accept his life as a sacrifice for the success of the campaign and the return of all his soldiers home alive. The campaign was successful. Ossetians captured rich prey, and no one was killed. Amran retreated to the rearguard block off the chasers, and was killed in the last clash. His body was brought to Roka where they held big Trizna (a funeral feast for distinguished members of society), commemorating the warrior.
Amran's sword, which was made of heavenly steel, was kept in a sanctuary near the village of Sba for a long time. It was taken out of the sheath once a year to pray, and in accordance with tradition, it wasn't put back into the sheath unless it was a sacrifice to God. However, nowadays the sword is considered lost.
One of the trophies in that campaign was the daughter of Prince Tsereteli. Legend has it, her name was the origin of the last name Kaloevs because she was called Kalo ("woman" in Georgian). The Khista dzuar Sanctuary was erected on the site of Trizna in honor of the Amran who was killed.
According to the ethnographer Konstantin Kochiev
Amran's sword, which was made of heavenly steel, was kept in a sanctuary near the village of Sba for a long time. It was taken out of the sheath once a year to pray, and in accordance with tradition, it wasn't put back into the sheath unless it was a sacrifice to God. However, nowadays the sword is considered lost.
One of the trophies in that campaign was the daughter of Prince Tsereteli. Legend has it, her name was the origin of the last name Kaloevs because she was called Kalo ("woman" in Georgian). The Khista dzuar Sanctuary was erected on the site of Trizna in honor of the Amran who was killed.
According to the ethnographer Konstantin Kochiev
Zgubir
Many people think the local suar has the most delicious water in the gorge. In fact, there are more than 20 different springs in the small meadow, each with its own taste and degree of gasification. A few years ago, they started bottling water from Zgubir under the Alandon brand. There is a church built in the middle of the 19th century by the Society for the Restoration of Orthodox Christianity in the Caucasus in the village. It stands on a picturesque pedestal over the Sba River which flows into the Ermandon River.
The Cheliat Valley
This lateral gorge has been uninhabited for many years, only in summer people come there. However, it is very beautiful there - a short narrow valley ends up in steep cliffs. Several villages with clan towers and one two-story crypt have survived in the gorge. These are more common in the Alagirsky and Kurtatinsky Gorges on the other side of the Caucasus. The Cheliat Valley has its own suar, a carbonated mineral spring, just like other villages of the Urstualgom Valley. Along the western slope, the trail leads to the spine of the ridge where Duarau dzuar is located. The door sanctuary is a stone structure with a bell. Dzuarbon here is celebrated on the same day as Atynag, the beginning of haymaking. It is dedicated to the patron of fertility who sends an abundance of grass.
The Brtat Gorge
This valley is a crossroads of trails that go in every direction. From there, you can start climbing the Mangovshak Mountain and then go to the Gudisdon and Tli Gorges. You can also hike up the Erman Mountain Range, reach the Gnukh Mountain, and then trek to the Keli Lake or descend to the upper reaches of the Lesser Liakhva River. The Brtat Village stays empty for most of the year, only in summer the Slanovs come there with their cattle. Their relatives come there on holidays. Above the gorge, there are ruins of several other settlements, abandoned temples, and towers. Stopping at any of the lakes formed by the local suars can be a great conclusion of a hike around the gorge. And after climbing the valley, the best place to set up a tent is at the top of the Brtat Ridge where it turns into the Erman Mountain Range. Just keep in mind that the trails leading up run along steep slopes and loose rocks.
Edys
Back in the day, Edys was the center of the Urstualgom Gorge. In the 14th century, there were about 80 houses, workshops, and it was a center of trade. Even in Soviet times, there was a large collective farm. Now, there are only three farms left, only old people live there. Edys comes alive in summer, children and grandchildren come visit their grandparents, and villagers who moved to the city visit their homes and vegetable gardens. Everybody is sure that potatoes and carrots will taste much better there than on the plain and try not to abandon the farms. If you're not afraid of austere conditions, you should stay overnight. Just 100 meters (328 ft.) from Edys to the northwest, on the right bank of the Kadlasandon River there is a suar. The locals say it has a pronounced sobering effect, "No matter how much wine you drink, a glass of this water will get you sober up in no time."
The ancient settlement was located to the west of the present-day village. There are no visible ruins preserved. The locals call this place Tsartsiaty Kalak, meaning "the Town of Tsartsiats." One of the Ossetian epics is dedicated to Tsartsiats - the nation of highland hero-warriors - lived a rich life on the southern slopes of the Caucasus until one day God punished them for their pride, making them all die out. In the 1980s, Ruslan Dzatiaty, an archaeologist from the neighboring village of Sba, conducted excavations in the settlement and discovered many artifacts from the 6th-14th centuries. He had a hypothesis that the name "Tsartsiat" comes from a consonant Persian "Charcha" ("merchant") and "ta" - the plural suffix in Ossetian.
The ancient settlement was located to the west of the present-day village. There are no visible ruins preserved. The locals call this place Tsartsiaty Kalak, meaning "the Town of Tsartsiats." One of the Ossetian epics is dedicated to Tsartsiats - the nation of highland hero-warriors - lived a rich life on the southern slopes of the Caucasus until one day God punished them for their pride, making them all die out. In the 1980s, Ruslan Dzatiaty, an archaeologist from the neighboring village of Sba, conducted excavations in the settlement and discovered many artifacts from the 6th-14th centuries. He had a hypothesis that the name "Tsartsiat" comes from a consonant Persian "Charcha" ("merchant") and "ta" - the plural suffix in Ossetian.
It turns out that the inhabitants of medieval Edys, which was unusually developed for the highlands settlement, could have indeed been the prototypes of the legendary Tsartsiats. Trade and crafts flourished there after the Persians conquered the South Caucasus and several outposts were set up under the key passes.
"They (the Persians) came to the Caucasians and built themselves a gate to Ossetia. One big gate in Ossetia, four gates in Dvaletia, and one in the Dzurzuketi's Parchuan. Those highlanders were used as "gomards," that is, guards."
The Conversion of Kartli. (Tenth-century chronicle)
The Conversion of Kartli. (Tenth-century chronicle)
However, everything changed at the end of the 13th - beginning of the 14th centuries. After several devastating expeditions by the Duchy of Ksani, the area fell into disrepair.
Edys is a perfect base for easy hiking. You can take a walk to the nearby Cheliat Valley where the ruins of ancient villages with defensive towers and crypts are preserved. There is one suar there as well. But we especially recommend the following circular route: from the abandoned village of Khodz, you can get there by car, through the Khuirta Plateau with basalt boulder placers to the Kadlasan Valley with a beautiful suar and many ordinary mineral springs, and then downstream Kadlasandon to the defensive towers of Kobuzt and the Zyldy Masyg fortress (i.e. "Round"). You can also go in reverse order from Edys. The direction of movement does not matter.
Edys is a perfect base for easy hiking. You can take a walk to the nearby Cheliat Valley where the ruins of ancient villages with defensive towers and crypts are preserved. There is one suar there as well. But we especially recommend the following circular route: from the abandoned village of Khodz, you can get there by car, through the Khuirta Plateau with basalt boulder placers to the Kadlasan Valley with a beautiful suar and many ordinary mineral springs, and then downstream Kadlasandon to the defensive towers of Kobuzt and the Zyldy Masyg fortress (i.e. "Round"). You can also go in reverse order from Edys. The direction of movement does not matter.
Shalva went to Dvaleti's khevi (homes) and devastated everything. And the Shav-dvals attacked [him] in the heart of the night. [However,] [they] were met by those waiting for them for Shalva found out that they were coming. Then, they were driven into the rocky moat, and none of them could leave. And they destroyed many of the Dvals. Then, they burned and devastated Dvaleti's khevi, and crushed and destroyed all the fortresses from Trusu to Achabeti.
The Chronicle of the Duchy of Ksani. (The Larghvis Monastery, late 15th century)
"In those [times], there was great turmoil in the Ossetia, and the blood of the Osis kings was shed abundantly. The sons of the elder brother were victorious and have transferred the children of the younger brother - Rostom, Bibil, and Tsitlosan and their sons with seventy slaves [through] the Zakhsk Mountain and brought them to the Dvals country. Then, all the Dvals gathered and said, "We do not want to have a king in our country for he will eat all of our food." They swore firmly and said, "Let us not be called kings, but by the [name] of the country which you will give us." Then, they gave them the Bobaletai country and called them the Bibilurs. And [Bibilurs] began to build fortresses and huge houses like no house in the Dvals country. Then, the Dvals have learnt [about it], gathered, and said, "We see for what purpose these Osis kings are building, and though (we) have named them Bibilurs this name will not hide their roots [and] origin; and in a short while they will possess all our country; and [we] before [they] get chicks that will fledge, will drive out a two-headed snake from our womb." We have put Rostom, all his brothers, and slaves in the Isroli Gorge in Nakapuani."
The Chronicle of the Duchy of Ksani. (The Larghvis Monastery, late 15th century)
The Chronicle of the Duchy of Ksani. (The Larghvis Monastery, late 15th century)
"In those [times], there was great turmoil in the Ossetia, and the blood of the Osis kings was shed abundantly. The sons of the elder brother were victorious and have transferred the children of the younger brother - Rostom, Bibil, and Tsitlosan and their sons with seventy slaves [through] the Zakhsk Mountain and brought them to the Dvals country. Then, all the Dvals gathered and said, "We do not want to have a king in our country for he will eat all of our food." They swore firmly and said, "Let us not be called kings, but by the [name] of the country which you will give us." Then, they gave them the Bobaletai country and called them the Bibilurs. And [Bibilurs] began to build fortresses and huge houses like no house in the Dvals country. Then, the Dvals have learnt [about it], gathered, and said, "We see for what purpose these Osis kings are building, and though (we) have named them Bibilurs this name will not hide their roots [and] origin; and in a short while they will possess all our country; and [we] before [they] get chicks that will fledge, will drive out a two-headed snake from our womb." We have put Rostom, all his brothers, and slaves in the Isroli Gorge in Nakapuani."
The Chronicle of the Duchy of Ksani. (The Larghvis Monastery, late 15th century)
Scientists believe that Zyldy Masyg was most likely one of those fortifications that Bibilurs did not finish, as they were driven out before the end of its construction. The fortress is unusually large for these places. It could hide up to a hundred soldiers, and it is located very strangely - there were no settlements or roads in the immediate vicinity that needed to be protected.
You can't get past Edys without a border zone pass. There is a checkpoint there, only citizens of South Ossetia can go further without the pass.
Erman
Once, there were three villages - Lower, Middle, and Upper Erman. Now, there are so few people left there that there is no point in separating these villages into three. There are only a couple of people there who stay to spend the winter. Several farmers go up to Erman with their cattle in summer to make cheese. The sights of Erman are the medieval towers, a suar, and the "Bush Family House," a former mountain-meadow research facility where the flora of the valley was studied and agricultural experiments were conducted.
"1936 can be considered the beginning of the activity of the Erman mountain-meadow research facility. That year, meteorological devices were installed, synoptic observations began, the boundaries of a land plot for scientific works were marked, the nursery was set up, and the construction of the research facility building began. <...> In winter, the Bushs would go to Leningrad (Saint Petersburg), but the activity of the research facility did not stop. A local resident Karim Tuayev conducted meteorological observations. The research facility's activities were expanding year by year.
<...> The beginning of the Great Patriotic War struck a blow to the Erman mountain-meadow research facility. During the evacuation from Leningrad Nikolai Adolfovich [Bush] died at age 72. He was buried in Belozersk, and an obelisk in his honor was installed in the research facility courtyard. N.A. Bush left a rich scientific heritage (150 scientific works, including textbooks and fundamental research). He has drawn up botanical maps of Ossetia. A plant species (Bushia) is named after him.
<...> The beginning of the Great Patriotic War struck a blow to the Erman mountain-meadow research facility. During the evacuation from Leningrad Nikolai Adolfovich [Bush] died at age 72. He was buried in Belozersk, and an obelisk in his honor was installed in the research facility courtyard. N.A. Bush left a rich scientific heritage (150 scientific works, including textbooks and fundamental research). He has drawn up botanical maps of Ossetia. A plant species (Bushia) is named after him.
However, even during the war, the research facility did not stop its activity despite the fact that only four people worked there. Elizaveta Aleksandrovna [Bush] took over the main part of the work. She decided to stay there for a year. If from 1939 to 1941 - 1559 species of plants were collected, only in 1942 the herbarium was replenished by 621 new plants. Their names were recorded not only in Latin and Russian, but also in Ossetian. The work on cultivation of potatoes and berry crops turned out to be successful.
After the war, the research facility became much more active. Every year, researchers, postgraduates, and students from Moscow, Leningrad, Gorky, Kirov, Kiev, Tbilisi, and other places came there. By the beginning of the 1950s, 13 varieties of potatoes had been bred here. Despite not very warm climate and short vegetation period, cabbage, rutabaga, radish, garden radish, beans, strawberries, beetroot, onions, coriander, and cress were successfully cultivated there.
Batradz Kharebov's Bush Street or We Don't Appreciate What we Have.
After the war, the research facility became much more active. Every year, researchers, postgraduates, and students from Moscow, Leningrad, Gorky, Kirov, Kiev, Tbilisi, and other places came there. By the beginning of the 1950s, 13 varieties of potatoes had been bred here. Despite not very warm climate and short vegetation period, cabbage, rutabaga, radish, garden radish, beans, strawberries, beetroot, onions, coriander, and cress were successfully cultivated there.
Batradz Kharebov's Bush Street or We Don't Appreciate What we Have.
The Keli Highland (volcanic field)
The Keli Highland is located at altitudes ranging from 2,600 to 3,300 meters (8,530 – 10,827 ft.). Snow melts there only by late June and it usually starts snowing there in early October.
However, even in the summer the temperatures can drop below zero, keep this in mind when choosing your gear. Note also that the eastern part of the plateau is in Georgia, while the western part is in South Ossetia. To get here, you'll have to get the border zone pass.
The rocky plateau fringed by ancient extinct volcanoes is a unique landscape for the Caucasus. Little lakes are scattered all over the plateau but the major landmark
is the 1.7 km (1 mile) long Keli Lake. These wild Alpine places are quite accessible for amateur hikers but may astound even seasoned tourists.
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CONTaCTS
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This travel guide was created by Caucasus Explorer. Our company conceived this project to respond to the hospitality of the highlanders and, at the same time, to support the urban development of Tskhinval and help preserve the traditional way of life in the villages.
