The Stavropol Territory is part of the North Caucasus Federal District, which occupies a significant territory of our country. The center of the region is Stavropol. The fortress mountain here is a symbol of the birth of the city.
Description of the area
The historic center of the city is the Fortress Mountain. It is here that you can meet an unusual combination of red Soviet stars and elements of Cossack culture, the neighborhood of a pagan mausoleum and an Orthodox church. Local residents do not forget the exploits of their ancestors: the memorial "Eternal Glory", monuments to outstanding personalities are erected here.
Each tourist’s route includes Fortress Mountain; Stavropol begins to be inspected from this place. Climbing up here is not difficult: in fact, this is not a mountain, but small differences in elevation, which are quite easy to overcome. Landscaped area attracts with cleanliness and well-groomed. The stairs are tiled, paths are paved, urns are everywhere, lights turn on in the evening. The greened slopes create an atmosphere of peace and quiet. Not only tourists, but also locals love to spend time here. This place is also called Baryatinsky park.
If the tourist route means Fortress Mountain (Stavropol), the address of this point is very simple to find. The central entrance to the hill is located on Karl Marx Avenue. Beautiful steps lead to the Pushkin monument, from where you can start exploring the entire territory of the Fortress Mountain.
Cross on Fortress Hill. Stavropol
The main symbol of the city is on Fortress Hill - this is a cross. Why exactly the cross? If you believe one of the versions of the origin of the name of the city, then "Stavropol" includes two roots: stavr (in translation - the cross) and pol (that is, the city). The fortress originally built here had a rectangular shape, the base was two axes, at the intersection they resembled a cross. Hence the name - Stavropol.
The second version tells that at the time of laying the foundation at the site of the construction of the fortress a cross was found in the ground, the origin of which no one could explain.
Well, supporters of the third hypothesis argue that historical facts indicate that the fortress under construction was not marked on the map with a dot, as was customary in cartography, but with a large cross.
History of the city
How long has Stavropol been born? Castle Hill is the original center of the city. In 1777, hopper Cossacks and soldiers of the Dragoon Vladimir regiment began to build a fortress here. Construction lasted three years. This unique military facility had a peculiar foundation, it was fixed at the bottom of the ancient Sarmatian Sea, a section of the preserved wall is a witness to this.
For a long time there is no moat and earthen rampart, but the Stavropol people still see a symbol of the birth of the city in a small section of the fortification. Part of the old fortress stretches along Suvorov Street and has a length of 34 meters. The loopholes in the wall have survived to this day. Each height is 80 cm, width is 15 cm, the distance between them is 75 cm. Everyone who looks into this hole or takes a picture of the city through a loophole imagines that he is in the past and sees Stavropol in the future. Not far from the wall is a reinforced concrete “Khopersky Tent”, inside of which symbolic keys to the city are stored. A memorial plaque is fixed at the end of the wall, the inscription on which tells about the date of the creation of the Stavropol Fortress, its historical purpose and that this monument is protected by the state.
In 1779, the Russian commander, the famous generalissimo, and in those days, Lieutenant General Alexander Vasilievich Suvorov visited Stavropol. Fortress Mountain and Stavropol Fortress were listed in its route. Now a bust of the famous commander, the author of which is the sculptor Verkhovsky, has been erected at this place.
Kazan Cathedral
In the North Caucasus, Kazan Cathedral is one of the most important Christian churches. For everyone who came to Stavropol, Fortress Hill is a place where you can visit the most beautiful cathedral, whose history is amazing.
The temple was built in 1847, it was consecrated in the name of the Kazan Mother of God. She is considered the patroness of all warriors and the city of Stavropol as a whole. The architect of this grandiose project was the famous K.A. Ton. After 20 years, according to the plan of Voskresensky in 1867, a bell tower was erected near the cathedral. Its height was about 90 meters. For that time it was the rarest construction height. She could be seen from anywhere in the city. It looked especially majestic at the entrance from the eastern part to the Tiflis Gate.
Sad fate
For many years, local residents worshiped the Mother of God of Kazan, lathering this place. More than once, Virgin Mary saved the city from an evil enemy. But in the days of the Communists, her sad fate also touched. Like hundreds of other churches throughout Russia, the cathedral was barbarously destroyed. The most amazing fact is that with the onslaught of the Nazis, the high bell tower did not suffer. After the city was liberated from invaders, the Communists themselves blew it up.
In our time, when Christianity began to revive again, the cathedral was again erected. The most beautiful building looks majestic on Fortress Hill. The height of the new bell tower will be 60 meters.
Soviet characters
An interesting fact: next to the temple is the burial place of the national hero Apanasenko. Especially for this, a mausoleum monument was erected. Joseph Rodionovich was born in the Stavropol region in a poor family. Throughout his conscious life he fought for the ideas of Soviet power. During the Great Patriotic War, he already served the motherland with the rank of general. He fought both on the Kursk Bulge and near Belgorod, where he died in August 1943. Apanasenko understood that he could lay his head at any time, so he earnestly asked to be buried in the Stavropol Territory. His will was fulfilled. Until now, locals are proud of their illustrious fellow countryman.
Memory of heroes
Perhaps every tourist in the album has a picture that could be signed as follows: "Castle Hill, Stavropol." Photos taken as a keepsake will tell a lot. In Soviet times, grandiose structures were erected on the Castle Hill, reminiscent of the feat of the soldiers of the Red Army. In 1976, standing with his back to a cliff, the 7-meter-high Budenovets monument rose above the city. The people dubbed him Alyosha. He is a symbol of the Russian soldier. At the foot of it are always fresh flowers.
Local residents remember the feat of their countrymen during the Great Patriotic War. The Eternal Glory memorial created here collects hundreds of grateful descendants on Victory Day. In the Soviet years, the young generation was accepted into pioneers, and now the newlyweds lay flowers at the Eternal Flame. It has become a local tradition.
Modern territory updates
Where is the Fortress Mountain in Stavropol, how to get there, every citizen will tell. After all, it is here that people like to relax, spend free time, meet on holidays.
At the initiative of one of the patrons of the city, a modern fountain was erected on Castle Hill. It was he who gave the local park a finished cozy look. A chic musical fountain was created according to a project developed in Europe, equipment was also purchased there. Not far from the fountain, a part of the fortress wall was erected from a shell rock and a cannon was created, creating an atmosphere of antiquity.
How not to fall in love with this place where you can relax, admire the fountain, listen to music and mentally plunge into history?