Astrakhan region: attractions, interesting places

The subject of the Russian Federation, located in the south-eastern part of the Russian Plain, is the Astrakhan Region. Attractions of this region are quite diverse. Tourists will be able to see natural, historical, architectural monuments. Numerous museums will tell about the way of life of the Russian people. It's amazing that you can get acquainted with traditional life by visiting the villages. As for nature, this is a separate topic. On the territory of the region there are sanctuaries, national parks and a nature reserve. There are many monasteries, cathedrals, churches. They are visited annually by a large number of pilgrims.

So, let's go on a tour of the most popular sights of the Astrakhan region.

Lake Baskunchak

Baskunchak is a lake with salt water. It is below sea level by almost 20 meters. It is administratively related to the Akhtuba district. On the map it can be found at the following coordinates: 48 ° 10 'N and 46 ° 53' E. It is separated from the Caspian by 270 kilometers. The lake is located north of the sea. Mother Volga River flows only 53 km from Baskunchak. It is part of the Bogdino-Baskunchak Reserve. In length it stretched for 18 km. Its width is on average 13 km. Lake Baskunchak is shallow. The biggest indicator is a mark of 3 m. The salinity of water is 300 g / l.

Baskunchak is a lake with healing properties. The largest influx of tourists is in July-August. They take mud baths, which include healing clay. Its deposits are located throughout the entire coastline. Water (brine) also has medicinal properties. The air in this region is unique. It is filled with bromine and phytoncids.

Bogdino-Baskunchak nature reserve

The state natural reserve "Bogdinsko-Baskunchakskiy" covers an area of almost 19 hectares. It is located near the border between Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation. Administratively refers to the Akhtuba district of the Arkhangelsk region. The reserve includes two clusters - "Green Garden" and "Bogdo Mountain and the surroundings of Lake Baskunchak." The date of its creation is 11/18/1997. The goal of education is to protect semi-desert communities, a dead lake, the highest mountain of the Caspian lowland, forest vegetation, and representatives of flora and fauna.

Now it lives here:

• Nearly 50 species of mammals;
• More than one thousand insects;
• A little more than 200 birds, of which 30 are listed in the Red Book of the region;
• 12 species of reptiles;
• Only 2 species of amphibians;
• About 30 spiders.

Great Bogdo

The highest point of the Caspian lowland is B. Bogdo Mountain. Its peak is almost 150 meters above sea level. The relief is represented by underground and terrestrial karst forms. Here there are grottos, funnels, beams, caves. Only the last about 30. The largest is a cave length of 1.5 km. Thanks to an expedition organized in 1854, deposits of sulfur, gypsum, limestone and various clays were found.

Big Bogdo is a mountain Buddhists worship. Every year pilgrims come here. It is also the only one in Europe, where the remains of skeletons and sedimentary rocks that belong to the first geological period of the Mesozoic era lie directly on the surface. Given that on the southwestern slope there are numerous niches, depressions, cornices, caves, during the winds a characteristic sound is formed. It is because of it that the locals nicknamed the mountain - "Singing Rocks".

"Lady with a dog"

The sculpture "Lady with a Dog" was installed in 2012 on the city embankment of Astrakhan. It is made of bronze. It is a woman in a dress, the style of which corresponds to the fashion of the XIX century. Next to it stands a small dog, looking somewhere into the distance. On the left hand of the woman hangs an umbrella. In it, she holds a small bouquet of flowers. Immediately to understand that she is a character of Chekhov's work is difficult. After all, almost all women at that time were dressed like this. Their entertainment was walking along the waterfront. However, a sad expression, a pose, a pensive and waiting look corresponds to the image of the heroine of the work.

Together with the pedestal, the sculpture weighs 650 kg. Opposite it is a hotel bearing the same name.

"We won!"

"We won!" - a monument that was erected in honor of soldiers who liberated their native land from the German invaders. They were fighters of the 902nd Infantry Regiment. It was installed in the city of Akhtubinsk on Lenin Square. Its grand opening took place in 2010. Why are the camels immortalized in the monument? This question is often asked by tourists. In the second year of the Second World War, the fascists began to approach the Volga. There was a great shortage of equipment for transporting the wounded, ammunition, food. That is why it was decided to use camels for these purposes. In Astrakhan at that time the 902nd regiment was formed. According to some reports, about 20 camels were on its balance sheet. However, scientists were able to trace the history of only one team. Their names were Mishka and Mashka. The animals passed with Sergeant G. Nesterov to Berlin. After the war, camels were identified in the Moscow zoo.

St. Vladimir's Cathedral

The Astrakhan region (there are religious sights here too) is a subject where there are two main religions. Many temples, churches and mosques have been erected on this territory. But the most important among them is the Vladimir Cathedral. Its construction began in 1895. The City Duma became the initiator. However, due to financial disruptions, the construction work was completed only in 1902. It is located in the central part of Astrakhan.

The project was developed by a large group of professional masters. The building of the cathedral was built in Byzantine style. Both inside and outside the decoration is very rich and amazingly beautiful. The height of the cathedral is 50 meters. At present, he is given the status of a monument of federal significance.

The Ilmenno-Bugrovoy Reserve

Natural monuments are rich in the Astrakhan region. The sights that mother nature itself has created are unique in its kind. The Ilmenno-Bugrovoi reserve is a must-see during the excursion. It was created in order to preserve the landscape as much as possible. The relief in the territory of the reserve is hilly. This is precisely what makes it unique. Sandy and clay hills are located both transversally and rectilinearly. Here there are small formations, the length of which is about 10 meters. But there are also those whose length reaches 20 km. Approximately 20% of the total area of the reserve is occupied by water bodies. They are formations with fresh and salt water. Most of them are covered with reed vegetation. In some places its height reaches 3 meters.

There are about 300 kinds of medicinal, decorative, food plants growing here. Some of them are at the stage of extinction. Fauna is not rich. The territory of the reserve is inhabited mainly by mammals, amphibians and reptiles.

Summarize

Astrakhan region, whose attractions will interest any traveler, will please with variety. In addition to reserves and monuments, there is much more interesting. For example, a field of cacti, a lotus lake, majestic mosques, interesting museums. Come, you will not regret!