Railway along the Black Sea. Tours to the Black Sea by train. Gulrypsh - a holiday destination for celebrities

Leusyan O.A

In 1864, the Caucasian War ended. Russia has finally consolidated its strategic position in the Caucasus. Now the government was faced with new tasks: colonization and economic development of a vast region. This fully applied to the Black Sea coast of the North Caucasus, especially since the mass resettlement of the autochthonous Adyghe population to Turkey depopulated this region. The possibility of developing the region was largely determined by the degree of development of communication routes. Therefore, already in the second half of the 1860s. At the government level, discussions begin on the construction of ports on the northeastern shore of the Black Sea and the construction of railway lines to them. At the same time, the task is set of connecting the Russian railway network with the Caucasus and Transcaucasia. As a result, a decision was made on the construction of the Rostov-Vladikavkaz railway. On July 2, 1875, it began to operate. The Russian Railways played a crucial role in the development of the North Caucasus, but from the first days of its work it became clear that the construction of new lines was necessary, among which was the Black Sea (Coast) Road, which was proposed to be built along the sea coast.

The fate of the Black Sea Railway is full of drama. Three quarters of a century passed from the time the idea of ​​its construction arose until the completion of construction; After another half a century, traffic along the road, built in difficult conditions and of critical economic and strategic importance, virtually ceased due to the Abkhaz events of the 1980s and early 1980s. 1990s.

The history of the Coastal (Black Sea) Road has been relatively little studied, although in the pre-revolutionary period this topic was widely discussed. Researchers of the history of railway construction of the Soviet and modern periods often only mention the beginning of its construction. We know of only one special study devoted to the history of the Black Sea Road. Unfortunately, due to its small volume, the author (in the 1920s himself a participant in the construction of the road) was forced to cover its initial stages very laconically. In our work we will try to cover this topic in more detail.

As already mentioned, the idea of ​​running a railway along the Black Sea coast arose back in the 1870s. A comprehensive discussion of the project itself begins in the second half of the 1890s. By this time, the Novorossiysk port and the Novorossiysk branch of the Vladikavkaz railway were already actively functioning; at the same time, their capacities were no longer able to cope with the growing flow of cargo (primarily grain). The need to connect the Caucasian railway network with another point on the Black Sea coast (mainly Tuapse was considered as such), and then with Transcaucasia, became obvious.

In 1897-1898 on behalf of the Ministry of Finance, engineer R.K. von Hartmann conducted a study of the coast of the Black Sea province and the Sukhumi district “in order to determine the feasibility of building a railway between Novorossiysk and Sukhumi.” In his report, he spoke in favor of the Ekaterinodar-Tuapse direction, noting the difficulties of construction on the Novorossiysk-Tuapse section - mountainous and sparsely populated areas, difficulties with labor. Construction, in his opinion, was possible only if the entire Afipskaya (Ekaterinodar)-Tuapse-Sukhum-Novosenaki line was connected into one common enterprise with the issuance of government subsidies for a period of 15 years. Soon, von Hartmann and the actual state councilor Kartavtsov filed a petition for permission to conduct research on a narrow-gauge railway along the Black Sea coast. On March 19, 1899, they were allowed to conduct research from one of the stations of the Vladikavkaz Railway to Sukhum, with a branch to Maykop, and not only for the narrow gauge railway, but also for the broad gauge. After the completion of the research, the issue was considered by the Commission on New Railways, which gave the road transit significance. The commission's resolution determined that the road should be broad-gauge and it would need to be continued to one of the stations of the Transcaucasian Railways. Under these conditions, Hartmann and Co. refused to continue the case.

Let us mention another road construction project proposed by private individuals in 1901 - from Art. Dinskaya to Novosenaki (516 versts) with a branch to Maykop. The cost of the construction was supposedly almost 46 million rubles. .

Based on the report of the Minister of Agriculture and State Property on the need for a road for the development of the Black Sea coast, Emperor Nicholas II on November 5, 1900 proposed to discuss the issue at a special meeting. The benefits of constructing a new road were obvious: it made it possible to reduce the transit route from the center to Transcaucasia by almost half, and made it possible to build another large port on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus and develop a significant resort area. With its construction, the grain of Kuban and Stavropol received a new direction; The export of Transcaucasian agricultural products, timber, and minerals increased. But due to the complexity of the project and the enormous costs required for its implementation, the government itself could not undertake the construction of the road. The solution was seen in the transfer of the structure to the Vladikavkaz Railway Society. This decision was made by a Special Meeting on February 21, 1901. It instructed a commission of representatives of the Ministries of Finance, Railways and State Control to develop, in agreement with the VlkZhD, detailed conditions for the implementation of the road and the general direction. The road was supposed to cover at least part of the grain regions of the Kuban region, have a connection with Maykop and serve the most important parts of the Black Sea coast. At the same time, a condition was put forward - to begin construction from Ekaterinodar or from a point more eastern through grain-growing areas to the sea coast through Tuapse, Sochi, Sukhum, Ochemchiri to a connection with the Transcaucasian railways. The length of the road was planned to be 550 versts, the construction cost was about 55 million rubles. It was assumed that at first the losses would reach 3.5 million rubles; net profit was expected to be received by the end of the eighth year of operation. The right to buy out the Vladikavkaz Railway was delayed until 1910 (instead of 1905). In fact, it was supposed to become the government's counterparty in the construction of a new road, which could become “a new great factor in strength and significance that would awaken dormant forces in the country, attract capital to local natural resources, breathe life into dead and sleeping nature, populate uninhabited areas and will create special and enormous values ​​for the benefit of the entire country." On March 1, 1902, the emperor approved the proposal of the Ministers of Transport and Finance. Soon, the fourth addition to the Charter of the Vladikavkaz Railway Society was published, in which it pledged to build the Black Sea line from Ekaterinodar or one of the stations of the Novorossiysk branch lying southeast of it to the seashore and further through Tuapse, Sochi, Sukhum and Ochemchiry to one from the stations of the Transcaucasian Railway.

One of the most difficult problems remained the choice of the direction of the new Vlkzhd line. Since it was believed that the line would start from one of its stations, the choice was between Kavkazskaya, Armavir, Ekaterinodar, Vasyurinskaya or Dinskaya. The question of choosing the final (or rather, intermediate) point on the Black Sea coast also caused controversy. In particular, the famous Kuban economist F.A. Shcherbina opposed the direction of the line to Tuapse, believing that in the interests of the population of the north-eastern regions of the Kuban region, the road should also pass along the northern part of the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus.

In 1902, the Vladikavkaz Road created a directorate for the construction of the Black Sea Road in Yekaterinodar, which was engaged in research for a new line. In 1903 they were completed and their results were presented to the Ministry of Railways.

The issue of constructing a new road directly affected the interests of Yekaterinodar. Therefore, already in 1900, the Ekaterinodar City Duma actively participated in the discussion of the issue. On the initiative of V.V. Skidan at its meeting on May 13, 1900 discussed the need to take urgent measures to make a decision on the construction of the Black Sea Railway through Yekaterinodar. It was decided to initiate a corresponding petition, which was done by the mayor. The petition moved very slowly and had no results for a long time (which gave V.V. Skidan grounds to blame the government for inaction).

The city authorities again intensified their activities after the start of surveys for the construction of the road. City mayor G.S. Chistyakov, vowels K.T. Zhivilo, V.M. Sysoev, V.M. Kundukhov, L.Ya. Apostolov, A.N. Dyachkov-Tarasov compiled a memorandum, which was printed and sent to the ministers of finance, agriculture, etc. In October 1902 G.S. Chistyakov also submitted it to the Minister of Railways Khilkov when he arrived in Yekaterinodar. After reading the note, the minister promised to take into account the interests of the city.

The arguments of the Ekaterinodar Duma members should be given. They emphasized that “... the projected Black Sea road will first of all have not local significance, but national significance, ... because it should have in the foreground the importance of a transit route from Russia to Transcaucasia and Persia...” The Ekaterinodar-Lysogorsky Pass-Tuapse line makes it possible to make it shorter, which will significantly reduce the total length of the highway that will connect Tuapse with the center of Russia. It was also proposed to build an access road Saratovskaya-Maikop-Armavir (Nevinnomyssk). In total, these lines would make it possible to connect Ekaterinodar with rich natural resources, forests, bread and oilseeds in the villages of Labinskaya, Rodnikovskaya, Chamlykskaya and Voznesenskaya. In turn, Ekaterinodar received the opportunity to export its products to almost all departments of the Kuban region and beyond. The importance of the road for the development of the Tuapse port was also noted.

In January 1903, the Duma received a message from the Minister of War that “... it has now been decided to start the Black Sea line from Art. Enem and lead it to Tuapse, according to which Ekaterinodar is no longer in danger of staying away from the Black Sea line.”

On March 5, 1903, the Commission on New Railways discussed the issue of the final choice of the direction of the Black Sea line. At the meeting, the interests of Ekaterinodar, on the one hand, and Maykop and Tuapse, on the other, collided. Maykop mayor Ivanov and Tuapse mayor Krivenko, who were present at the meeting, supported the Tuapse-Goytkhsky pass-Maikop-Caucasian project. The opinions of the commission members were divided. The representative of the Commander-in-Chief in the Caucasus, Prince Golitsyn, General Belyavsky, the Black Sea Governor Volkov, representatives of the Ministries of Communications and Finance spoke in favor of supporting Ekaterinodar. Representatives of the ministries of agriculture, state property and a number of others are against it. Colonel Agapov, a representative of the Main Directorate of Cossack Troops, also spoke out for the Kavkazskaya-Tuapse line. At Chistyakov’s request, the head of the Kuban region, Ya.D., sent a telegram in support of Ekaterinodar. Malama. It said: “With this direction, the road will capture the rich region over a long distance, will give an outlet to its works to the sea and Central Russia, will speed up and facilitate the mobilization of troops and the communication of Ekaterinodar with the outskirts of the region.” Prince Golitsyn also supported Malama’s opinion. However, at the decisive meeting of the Commission, the direction from Armavir was chosen by a majority vote.

July 28, 1903 A special meeting of representatives of the ministries of finance, communications, agriculture and state property, State Control under the leadership of the chairman of the Department of State Economy, the State Council Solsky concluded that the construction of the Black Sea road was preferable to the construction of Perevalnaya (through the central region of the Caucasus ridge), since traffic will be busier first, which will ensure its rapid construction. This conclusion was discussed at another meeting, which was chaired by Nicholas II himself. It was decided to begin construction of only the end sections of the Black Sea Road - from Armavir to Tuapse and from Sukhum to Novosenaki. Thus, at that time the Black Sea Railway was planned as the Armavir-Tuapse-Sukhum-Novosenaki line.

The events of the Russo-Japanese War and the First Russian Revolution, which soon shook Russia, delayed the implementation of the new road project. They returned to him again in 1907. Engineer N.N. took the initiative into his own hands. Pertsov, who, with the active support of local leaders, began organizing the Society for the Construction of the Armavir-Tuapse Railway. Then he ceded his rights to his brother, P.N. Pertsov. In 1908, the Charter of the Armavir-Tuapse Railway was approved. Thus, the project for constructing the Armavir-Novosenaki road was divided into two parts. The Vladikavkaz Railway Society was unable or unwilling to defend its interests (remember that the implementation of the project presented significant difficulties and required enormous costs).

In 1910, engineers G.V. Andrianov and I.A. Malishevsky proposed another project - to continue the planned Black Sea-Kuban railway from Ekaterinodar to Novosenaki, running it along the Black Sea coast. A year later, a note from A.N. appeared. Pushechnikov (who carried out road surveys in 1902) about building a railway from Tuapse to the Transcaucasian Railways. The total length of this line was supposed to be 323 miles. The cost of construction was estimated at more than 80 million rubles.

At the beginning of 1912, a Note from the deputation from the Black Sea coast was submitted with a request for the construction of a line, which proved the urgent need of the region for a railway: “... this region in the Russian State is completely special and exceptional, and even not only in Russia, but also in all over Europe. The wealth of nature - forests, mineral resources and waters - is so versatile and abundant that it is hardly possible to find another place that, providing both sea and mountain, wonderful views, would contribute to the creation of a number of resorts and would provide favorable conditions for the most diverse cultures." The organization of the case was taken over by the already mentioned N.N. Pertsov. On August 12, 1912, the Charter of the Black Sea Railway Society was approved. Its founders were N.N. Pertsov, A.I. Putilov (a representative of a family well-known in the Russian business world) and S.S. Khrulev. The goal of the Society was the construction and operation of a normal gauge railway line from the station. Tuapse Armavir-Tuapse Railway for a connection with the Transcaucasian Railways at the Kvaloni junction (later the charter was changed and the connection was established at Novosenaki) with the construction of elevators, warehouses, piers, etc. Extension - 322 centuries. (357 km). The cost of work is 70 million rubles. . The high construction cost of the road was explained by the difficulties of its construction - the area was replete with steep mountain slopes, gorges, intersected by numerous mountain rivers, rocky soil in many places threatened landslides, and it was necessary to drain the soil over a considerable distance. In the Sochi section alone, 11 bridges were to be built. It was necessary to build 18 tunnels along the road (already during the work, as a result of additional research, their number decreased to 15).

The construction of a new road was extremely important not only for the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus, but also for all of Russia. Its construction reduced the transit route to Transcaucasia by almost half, provided additional opportunities for the development of the Tuapse port, ensured the prosperity of the Black Sea resorts adjacent to the road and increased trade turnover in the region.

The Society began work on the construction of a new line on June 15, 1914, after approval of all the necessary documentation. Construction proceeded from both ends - from Tuapse and Novosenaki. According to the Charter, the opening of railway traffic was supposed to begin at the end of 1917. But the First World War, which began soon, overturned all calculations.

Wartime circumstances began to affect the progress of construction almost immediately, primarily a significant loss of labor. Turkey's entry into the war and the creation of the Caucasian Front further complicated the situation. Many workers, and the most qualified ones, were mobilized. Turkish workers and Greek Turkish subjects returned to Turkey, “carrying out important rock and tunnel work.” By March 1915, the loss of workers was 67%. Work has slowed down by 75%. .

From the very first days of the war, interruptions began in the delivery of necessary equipment, vehicles, and explosive materials. Already at the end of the summer of 1914, it became clear that adjustments would have to be made to the work plan.

Nevertheless, even in such difficult conditions, the construction of the road continued. Mostly (63%) it was carried out using economic methods. Many technical innovations were used during construction: reinforced concrete beam bridges and arched overpasses, concrete and stone walls protecting the railway track from the surf of the sea waves; for the first time in Russia, 110-ton excavators, purchased in America from the Bucyrus plant, were used to develop rocky soils, etc. d. .

The adverse factors of wartime affected each day more and more acutely. Serious difficulties arose with the delivery of food for workers and necessary materials for construction. It was mainly carried out by sea, for which the Company had its own and leased vessels. But due to the active actions of enemy ships in the Black Sea, maritime transport became increasingly dangerous. In the first six months of 1916 alone, the Black Sea road lost two ships - the schooner Antonina, which washed ashore while escaping an enemy submarine, and the steamer Marionetta, destroyed by the German cruiser Breslau in June 1916. During shelling by Turkish and German ships of the Tuapse port burned the warehouses of the road, where part of the equipment for its fleet was stored.

Military requisitions did not bypass the road either. In 1915-early 1916. Some of the ships and cars that belonged to her were requisitioned, as well as some of the dynamite intended for explosive work. Instead of Novorossiysk cement, we had to use Tuapse cement, which is of poorer quality. Deliveries of metal products were constantly delayed. Problems arose with the production of steel trusses at the Yuzovsky plant. Prices for all supplies increased sharply, which led to an even greater increase in the cost of work.

In addition, the weather was not at all conducive to quickly carrying out work, especially in the winter months. Constant rains and storms often negated the results of long and hard work - bridge supports were washed away and even washed away, and the road surface was destroyed. Winter 1916-1917 ships repeatedly had to dump cargo into the sea in order to quickly shelter from bad weather in ports.

It should be noted that not all contractors worked quite successfully. The inspector for the construction of the Cambiaggio road received particular criticism from the French company Allard, Dolphus and Virio.

If, according to the pre-war work plan, 76% of earthworks should have been completed by the beginning of 1916, then in fact 10% of them were completed. The situation was not much better with other types of work. Therefore, at the end of 1915, the Board of the Railway decided to appeal to the government with a request to extend the benefits granted to some railways to the Black Sea Railway, in particular, exemption from the mobilization of workers, requisition of transportation vehicles, and permission for factories to carry out the Company’s orders.

In the summer of 1916, the road was recognized as strategically necessary, and a deadline was set for the completion of accelerated construction - April 1917. Weekly reports on the status of work were to be delivered to Tiflis.

To provide construction with labor, it was decided to involve prisoners of war (they began to work only at the end of November 1916), railway battalions and even Chinese hired in Harbin. Prisoners of war from the construction of the Murmansk, Moscow-Kazan and Armavir-Tuapse railways were transferred to the construction of the road. True, the supply of labor was very slow. Their number never reached the required 30 thousand workers. The largest number of workers worked in the spring - early summer of 1917 (in June 1917 - 19.5 thousand people, of which 1,793 were Chinese, 10,600 prisoners of war, 7,000 civilians, 107 Sarts).

It should be noted that even with such a difficult state of affairs with construction, the road board was able to fulfill the requirement required by the Charter to conduct surveys of the railway line north of Tuapse. The surveys were carried out in the directions Tuapse-Novorossiysk-Anapa-Kerch, Tuapse-Abinskaya (Crimean), Tuapse-Ekaterinodar and Tuapse-Enem. In addition, the Black Sea Railway received the right to operate the Matsestinsky resort. Thus, the road turned into a large diversified commercial enterprise.

The revolutionary events of 1917 could not but affect the construction, although the Provisional Government made certain attempts to ensure the successful progress of the work. In the spring of 1917, a special meeting chaired by the Comrade Minister of Railways decided to dismantle the rails on some lines of other railways (Ryazan-Ural, Vladikavkaz, Moscow-Vinda, Armavir-Tuapse) in order to transfer them to the Black Sea road. In addition, it was decided to stop the construction of the Batum-Trebizond railway, and transfer its funds to the Black Sea road.

The growing nationwide economic crisis led to the fact that already in the early summer of 1917, funds for construction dried up. Strikes began. Workers gradually left the construction site. The deadline for putting the road into operation was constantly being pushed back. In August 1917, Inspector Cambiaggio reported: “... judging by the currently observed success of the work, there is very little likelihood that through traffic along the line can be opened on February 1 next year” and added that if the work of the Pitsunda coastal section is not completed before November When the period of sea storms begins, the opening of traffic should not be expected before June-July 1918. By the end of 1917, work was almost completely curtailed due to lack of funds. Only the most necessary work continued.

The events of the October Revolution and the civil war that broke out soon also could not but affect the progress of work. In April 1918, the People's Commissariat of Railways of the RSFSR turned to the Road Construction Department with a request to provide a work plan for 1918, and it was recommended to take into account “the completely changed political and economic conditions of the buildings.” There was simply no time to take them into account - armed confrontation was already flaring up directly on the territory of the Black Sea region, and besides, the occupation of Sochi and Tuapse by the troops of Menshevik Georgia had begun. Work on the road resumed again after the occupation of the Black Sea province by units of the Volunteer Army. On October 14, 1919, temporary traffic was opened on the Loo-Dagomys-Sochi section, i.e. the possibility of through traffic Tuapse-Sochi appeared.

After the establishment of Soviet power in the Black Sea region (spring 1920), the construction of the road was suspended for several years. It was resumed in 1923, and in 1927 traffic began on the Tuapse-Adler section. The road, that is, along the entire length from Tuapse to Novosenaki (Mikha Tskhakaya), was completed only during the Great Patriotic War - in 1943-1944. Thus, the practical implementation of one of the most complex railway projects in the Caucasus due to historical circumstances (primarily the influence of global events - the First World War and the Civil War) dragged on for twenty years.

Notes

1. See: Report by R.K. von Hartmann to the Minister of Finance on the matter of constructing a railway along the eastern shore of the Black Sea. St. Petersburg, 1898; Project for organizing the enterprise of the Black Sea coastal railway Dinskaya-Tuapse-Sukhum-Novo-Senaki. St. Petersburg, 1901; Explanatory note to the Black Sea Railway project. St. Petersburg, 1901; Kislinsky N.A. and others. Our railway policy according to documents from the archives of the Committee of Ministers. T. 4. St. Petersburg, 1902; Adrianov G.V., Malishevsky I.A. The Black Sea-Kuban Railway replaced Perevalnaya through the Caucasus Range. St. Petersburg, 1910; Pushechnikov A.N. A note on the surveys of the Black Sea Railway, permitted by the State Duma, on the surveys of the same road, necessary but not yet permitted, as well as on the expected construction cost of this road for each of these two surveys. St. Petersburg, 1910; Note from the deputation from the Black Sea coast on the implementation of the Black Sea Railway. St. Petersburg, 1912; Shcherbina F.A. Black Sea coastal road. St. Petersburg, 1913, etc.

2. Afanasyev M.A. On the construction of the Armavir-Tuapse and Black Sea railways // Reports of the Sochi Department of the Geographical Society of the USSR, issue 1. L., 1968.

3. Report by R.K. von Hartmann to the Minister of Finance...

4. Kislinsky N.A. and others. Decree. op. pp. 138-139.

5. Project for organizing the enterprise of the Black Sea coastal railway Dinskaya-Tuapse-Sukhum-Novo-Senaki...

6. Kislinsky N.A. and others. Decree. op. pp. 140-142.

7. Explanatory note for the Black Sea Railway project. St. Petersburg, 1901.

12. GAKK (State Archives of the Krasnodar Territory). F. R-1547. Op.1. D. 32. L.l. 16-17 rev.

13. ZHEGD. No. 2. 01/22/1903

15. RGIA (Russian State Historical Archive). F. 271. Op. 1. D. 3 (1910). L. 68 rev.

16. Adrianov G.V., Malishevsky I.A. Decree. op.

17. Pushechnikov A.N. Decree. op.

18. Note from the deputation from the Black Sea coast...

19. Charter of the Black Sea Railway Society. St. Petersburg, 1912; Charter of the Black Sea Railway Society with an addition to it. Petrograd, 1915.

20. GACC. F. 642. Op. 1. D. 10. L. 1.

21. GACC. F. 639. Op. 1. D. 32. L. 102 vol.

22. GACC. F. 642. Op. 1. D. 10. L. 30.

23. GACC. F. 639. Op. 1. D. 32. L. 103.

24. GACC. F. 642. Op. 1. D. 23. L. 81ob.-82.

25. GACC. F. 642. Op. 1. D. 10. L. 153.

26. GACC. F. 639. Op. 1. D. 4. L. 77-77ob..

27. GACC. F. 642. Op. 1. D. 10. L. 222, 227.

28. GACC. F. 642. Op. 1. D. 22. L. 424 ob., 426 ob.-427.

29. Black Sea Railway Society. Economic survey of railway lines being designed north of the station. Tuapse Black Sea Railway. A note on the economic importance and freight turnover of the railway lines: Tuapse-Novorossiysk-Anapa-Kerch, Tuapse-Abinskaya (Crimean), Tuapse-Ekaterinodar and Tuapse-Enem. Parts 1-IV. Petrograd, 1915-1916; GACK. F. 452. Op. 1. D. 2; F. 468. Op. 1. D. 521. L. 6v.

30. GACC. F. 642. Op. 1. D. 13. L. 96-08.

31. GACC. F. 642. Op. 1. D. 24.

32. GACC. F. 642. Op. 1. D. 23. L. 288.

33. Ibid. L. 593.

34. Ibid. L. 603.

35. Onoprienko A.M., Pyatigorsky E.I., Salov G.N., Snytkin M.M., Yakovlev S.Yu. Born by the Russian Navy. Tuapse, 1996. P. 290.

36. Afanasyev M.A. Decree. Op. P. 240.

Krasnodar region is located in the southwest of the North Caucasus. A map of the Krasnodar Territory clearly shows that the region borders by sea with Crimea, and by land with the Stavropol Territory, Rostov Region, the Republic of Abkhazia, Adygea and Karachay-Cherkessia. The region is washed by two seas: the Black and Azov. The area of ​​the region is 75,485 square meters. km.

The Krasnodar region is divided into 38 municipal districts, 26 cities, 411 villages and 12 urban-type settlements. The largest cities in the region are Krasnodar (administrative center), Sochi, Novorossiysk, Armavir and Yeysk.

The economy of the Krasnodar region is based on agriculture and processing industries. Interestingly, the region is the oldest oil-producing region in Russia. In addition, the Krasnodar region is the main supplier of valuable tree species. The region's economy has improved significantly due to investments associated with the 2014 Olympics in Sochi.

Historical reference

In 1860, the Black Sea Cossack Army was located on the territory of the modern Krasnodar Territory. In 1917, the Kuban region was formed, which in 1937 was turned into the Krasnodar region.

Must Visit

On a detailed satellite map of the Krasnodar Territory you can see the main resort cities: Sochi, Anapa, Tuapse, Gelendzhik, Adler, Yeisk and others. It is recommended to visit the waterfalls of the Krasnodar Territory - Bolshoi Adegoysky Waterfall, Grafsky Ruins, Agursky Waterfalls, Gebeussky Waterfalls and the Gorge of 40 Waterfalls. Among the natural attractions, the following also stand out: Mount Svintsovaya in Abinsk, the Abadzekh Gorge near Apsheronsk, the mud volcano Akhtanizovskaya Sopka, Cape Chugovpas and the Dagomys troughs.

It is worth visiting the Champagne Museum in Abrau-Durso, the Gorgippia archaeological reserve in Anapa, the water parks of Gelendzhik, the beaches of Dzhemete, the Old Park in Kabardinka, Mount Shakhan in Krinitsa, Witch Lake in the Mostovsky district, and the Riviera park in Sochi and the Lermontov Museum in Taman.

Note to tourists

Gulrypsh - a holiday destination for celebrities

In 1912, a joint-stock company was created in the south of Russia to build the Black Sea Railway from Tuapse to Novo-Senaki station (Georgia). From the same year, work began on the construction of railway tracks, bridges across rivers and tunnels. The preliminary cost of the project was estimated at 70 million rubles.

First of all, the road to Sochi was built. The construction at this site was led by the talented engineer V.K. . Due to the wide variety of tunneling, bank protection and other complex work, Belgian and French specialists were invited. For construction work, two powerful steam excavators of the Bucyrus brand were purchased, which were delivered by sea from the USA in 1914. The laying of tracks in rocky soil and the construction of tunnels were often carried out using powerful explosions. Thousands of workers, mainly from Russian agricultural provinces where there was unemployment, took part in the construction of the road surface, bridges and tunnels. All roadside lands that were privately owned were purchased by the state from the owners. The road management was located in Sochi.

While studying the materials of the Sochi archive, in one of the archival files for the twenties, I accidentally came across a document dating back to 1915, which provides some information about the construction of the road. Unfortunately, in our archive there are practically no documents telling about the construction of the railway line from Tuapse to Sochi, so this document has, one might say, great historical value. Let's present it in full.

“Society of the Black Sea Railway.
Directorate for the construction of the Tuapse railway line -
Novo-Senaki. Accounting department.

July 6, 1915 No. 4366.
Sochi, Black Sea province.
In control of the construction of the railway.
The Construction Department has the honor to forward copies of the journals of the meeting of the Board of the Black Sea Railway Society.
1. From May 4 this year. for No. 491, regarding the signing of an agreement with the Poluyaroslavl Exchange Artel in Petrograd, on the release of artel workers to execute money orders for the construction of the line.
2. From May 4 this year. for No. 494 on the issue of payment to the society of Nikolaev factories and shipyards 64,024 rubles. 58 kopecks for the delivered platforms on account of the contract of October 16, 1914.
3. From May 13 this year. for No. 501, on the terms of the transaction for the alienation of a suburban estate plot near Sochi with the owner K.P. Krasnikov.
4. dated May 13 this year. for No. 502, on the dismissal from service of the Head of the distance engineer K.K. Goraysky.
Chief Engineer
Chief Accountant".
The letterhead reads: “Printing house L.V. Korenevich, Sochi.

Thus, from the document we learn that platforms for the road were manufactured at Nikolaev factories, and cash payments were calculated and carried out by Petrograd stock exchange workers.

This road, according to a temporary scheme, was built quite quickly - by the beginning of 1917, and even the first trains passed along it. But due to the fact that the road was built according to a temporary scheme and the fact that during the Civil War it fell into disrepair and part of its property was looted, after the establishment of Soviet power in Sochi in the early twenties, it was built again and the destroyed ones were restored paths and structures.

In 1922, two trains passed along it every day. In 1925, construction of railway lines to Matsesta and Adler was carried out. They went into operation in 1926 and 1927. By the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, the railway was continued to Gagra, and during the war the line was connected to the Transcaucasian Railway.

One of the rare maps of the coast from the station. Tuapse to st. Ermolovsk at the beginning of the 20th century, on which the Black Sea Railway was routed.

Towards Sochi. If you are a big fan of looking out of the train window, then it is better to take a seat on the right side as the train moves. The fact is that the railway from Tuapse to Adler (and, moreover, to Batumi itself) almost always runs along the seashore, sometimes almost right next to the water. And on the other side of the road there is either a steep slope or a concrete barrier - protection from rockfalls and landslides. Only sometimes, when the train crosses the mouth of a large river, some distant peak is visible for a few seconds.

Tuapse district

Railway near Tuapse station. Around the corner the sea is about to appear

So, not even a minute had passed before the train, having passed through the Tuapse River, approached close to the sea. Until recently, near the platform Gisel-Dere(this is the second stop) an old dilapidated tanker stood near the shore - all that remained of the French tanker Roussillon, washed ashore by a storm in 1967 (according to other sources in 1969). It was very interesting, having climbed onto it along an earthen embankment, to visit its half-corroded “side” - through the huge holes in the hull the decks and compartments of the ship were visible. I was especially impressed by visiting the engine compartment, or rather what was left of it (from the memories of 1995). The next time I had a chance to visit the tanker was again in March 1999. I no longer dared to climb onto the “deck” - there was a hole in the hole. And with every blow of the wave he trembled all over, as if he were feverish. Just look it's about to fall apart...

According to the latest information, in 2005 the tanker was cut into scrap metal and only the underwater part and the engine sticking out of the water remained.

The remains of the French tanker "Roussillon", washed ashore by a storm near the Gisel-Déré platform

On board a dilapidated tanker near the Gisel Dere platform (photo taken in 1995)

In the depths of a dilapidated tanker. The bottom is rusty and sea water splashes below

After 10 minutes the train stops on the platform Dederkoy. The amazing Dederkoy River flows here, collecting many waterfalls, narrow stone gorges, rubble and landslides along its seven-kilometer length. In the middle reaches of the river there is also a monkey nursery, where monkeys live on semi-free grazing and, according to local residents, sometimes raid vegetable gardens.

Sochi district

Shepsi District

Now we are entering the Sochi region, which stretches along the sea coast for more than 100 kilometers to the very border with Abkhazia, and the first stop here is a fairly large village Shepsi. The river of the same name originates from the slopes of the Peus ridge, a piece of which is visible for a second when the train crosses the river on the bridge. The highest point of this ridge is Mount Bolshoye Pseushkho (1100 m) - one of the best panoramic points in the Tuapse region.

After the next stop - platforms Magri— we pass through the first tunnel between Tuapse and Adler, 220 meters long. Next, before the second, very short and visible through tunnel, the train stops on the platform Satellite and from here you can take a walk along forest roads to the upper reaches of the Shuyuk rivers.

The next stop after Sputnik is the platform Makopse, although the river with that name is located one and a half kilometers further - at the platform Friendship. Eight kilometers from the shore in the upper reaches of this river is the village of Nadzhigo, and it is from here that it is easiest to climb Mount Bolshoye Pseushkho.

Lazarevsky district

Passing the platform Change, the train immediately rounds a small cape and now a wide flat place appears in the distance - Lazarevskoye. But it’s still half an hour away, and before that the train passes Vodopadny crossing- perhaps the most deserted station on the Black Sea coast, then crosses the Ashe River along a long metal bridge. This is the first big river after Tuapse - it originates on the slopes of the Main Caucasus Range in the area of ​​Mount Semiglava.

Waiting for the train at the Razezd Vodopadny station. Not a soul on the platforms...

Railway bridge over the Ashe River

Just a short distance from Lazarevskaya, the train passes a closed station Mamedova Gap(at least in the spring of 2010 the train did not stop here), next to which the Kuapse River flows. Along this river you can take a fascinating excursion to the Mamedovo Gorge, which is so narrow in places that the rocks close overhead, forming a tunnel. There are also several beautiful waterfalls there.

Lazarevskoe- the center of the largest district of the city of Sochi - is located at the mouth of the Psezuapse River, the sources of which are located right on Mount Outl. Along this river there is a route through the Grachevsky Pass past the Grachev Venets mountain on the Main Caucasus Range. Driving across the bridge over Psezuapse, you can see these peaks in the distance if you are lucky with the weather.

One stop later there is a platform Thessaloniki. From here you can travel up the Tsushvadzh River to the Solonitsky ridge and Mount Zhemsi, and visit completely wild and remote corners of the Black Sea mountain region in one day.

One of the highest bridges in Russia spans the Zubova Shchel gorge (not far from the Chemitokvadzhe platform)

A dizzying view down from the viaduct to the railway tracks and the bridge over the Chimit River

Black Sea coast of the Caucasus in evening colors (view from the Zubova Shchel viaduct)

Having passed the platform Chemitokwaje, a minute later the train crosses the small stream Chimit (Zubova Shchel). If you look out the window towards the mountain side, you will immediately be attracted by the tall concrete columns stretching into the sky. These are the supports of a high road bridge - one of the highest in Russia. The height of the bridge reaches 80 meters, and the view from there of the coast and the valley is simply magnificent. However, there appears to be no easy way up. We, I remember, had to go deep into the valley for almost a kilometer, where we came to the old bypass route, along which we were able to climb to the bridge.

Central Sochi

After 10 minutes, along a long bridge we cross the Shakhe River valley, which is the second largest (after Mzymta) on the Black Sea coast of the Krasnodar Territory. It is along this river that several of the most popular tourist routes pass, since this path is the shortest to the Lagonaki Highlands - one of the most amazing and picturesque mountainous regions of the Kuban.

IN Sochi we arrive 2.5-3 hours after leaving Tuapse. The train travels much of its journey through the city underground through three long tunnels. A little before reaching the station, the train crosses the Sochi River. More than 10 km from here, upstream of the river, on one of its tributaries there is a high waterfall - Orekhovsky. Its height is more than 30 meters and it is distinguished by its high water content. Getting there is very simple: we take a bus to Plastunka, and then walk for an hour.

Khosta and Adler

Between Sochi and Khosta there is a picturesque gorge, at the bottom of which flows the Agura River, known for its numerous waterfalls. Since the train does not stop here, it is better to get there by bus from Sochi or Khosta (Sputnik stop). There is an equipped trail along the river (entrance fee), along which you can also walk to Old Matsesta and even climb to the observation peak Akhun.

Cape Vidny became visible ahead (there was a pun) with the tall modern building of the Elektronika boarding house and with the black eye sockets of the tunnels to the right of it: two nearby - automobile ones and one near the sea - a railway tunnel (in 2010 a second railway tunnel was built). In total, from Tuapse to Adler we travel by train through 8 tunnels. We reach the light on the other side of the cape and find ourselves in a valley pressed towards the sea by the slopes of the spurs of Mount Akhun. The surrounding slopes are built up with residential buildings and sanatoriums, but despite this they seem densely overgrown with tropical vegetation - cypresses, plane trees, palm trees... This Khosta- one of the most pleasant, in my opinion, places on the Black Sea coast. Two ridges on both sides of the town create a special mild climate, thanks to which some prehistoric plant species managed to survive the Ice Age here. These are, for example, yew and boxwood, growing here in the yew-boxwood grove.

In winter, the Black Sea is deserted, but not at all cold (Khosta, beach near Cape Vidny)

At Khosta station on a cloudy day

Before Adler- the final stop of all trains traveling in this direction - we get there in 15-20 minutes. The city of Adler (again, this is not a completely independent city, but one of the districts of Sochi) is located in a very wide and completely flat valley at the mouth of the large Mzymta River, and this entire valley is densely built up with residential buildings.

And although a high-speed highway with wide straight tunnels has now been built along the Mzymta, there used to be (and still is) an amazing picturesque road, comparable in engineering complexity to the Georgian Military Road. It leads through gorges along rocky cornices and tunnels to the mountain village of Krasnaya Polyana. This village is perhaps the most “mountainous” of all in the Krasnodar region. The height of the surrounding peaks is close to 2500 meters, and their relative elevation above the valley bottom is about 2000 m. There are many hiking trails and difficult routes around: to the Khmelevsky lakes, to Mount Achishkho and, of course, up the Mzymta River to where the wild reigns the nature of the Caucasus Nature Reserve, where the crystal clear water of mountain lakes reflects the dark turquoise sky, and three-thousand-meter peaks rest their snow-white tops on the clouds...