City of Abakan: sights, history and interesting facts

The city of Abakan is the capital of the Republic of Khakassia. The city is located in the eastern part of Siberia, closer to the south. Only in 400 km from Abakan is Krasnoyarsk. The location of the city is unique. It is here that the two rivers merge - the same river Abakan and the Yenisei.

As for the capital city, there are not so many people living here - only 168 thousand, 12% of which is the indigenous population of Khakass.

The city itself is not so rich in historical places, sights, but still there is something to see.

Description

Abakan roughly occupies the same parallel as Minsk, Magnitogorsk and Hamburg. The Minusinsk hollow became the foundation of the city. The basin itself was formed between the mountains of the Kuznetsk Alatau in the west, the cliffs of the Western Sayan in the east and the south and the ridges of the Eastern Sayan in the north. Through the entire excavation from the north to the south flows the mighty Yenisei River. In the center of the basin the Yenisei joins the Abakan River. In this place of the confluence of two rivers, the beautiful city of Abakan is located. On its northern outskirts are industrial zones, as well as state-owned enterprises "Airport" and Abakan aviation enterprise. In the east, the city adjoins the Minusinsk district. The southern city line borders on the lands of JSC "Altai" and JSC "Alkom".

Surroundings of Abakan

The city of Abakan is conditionally divided into two parts - right-bank and left-bank. On the right bank the city borders on a small village of Verkhnaya Sughra and a river cargo port located on the banks of the Yenisei. Just beyond the river is the left bank of the city, which starts from the embankment of the dam. The dam, in turn, serves as a kind of protection against the stormy flood of the river, and also acts as a freeway.

What to see in Abakan? Sights here are very diverse. For example, you can go to the observation deck - the bridge, and from there you can see the whole panorama of the city. Abakan can be called a green island. There are a lot of parks and green spaces here.

Legends of Abakan

The name of Abakan is due to the river of the same name, which is named after real legends. One of them says that the river Abakan was called the hero Ochen Pig. Before that, it was called Ala-Ort. When the hero jumped over the river, he gave her a new name - Abakan. There is another legend. It says that Abakan was formerly called Alairt. On the bank of the river, then lived a powerful hero, Aba-Kann, which means "bear blood." On his horse he could jump over the river, and yet the horse's hooves did not even touch the water. But one day, when the river spread widely, the horse could not jump it and with its hind legs plunged into the water and dropped the hero. After that the river began to bear the name of Abakan.

The following legend tells that in ancient times along the banks of this river there were many bears. Hence the name of Abakan. So, in translation from the Khakass language, "aba" is a bear, and "kan" is a blood.

There is another legend about the giant bear. He lived near a village and constantly repaired riots. He attacked cattle and people. Everyone was very afraid of him. But in the village grew a hero, and he decided to join the fight with the bear. They competed for a long time, but the bear gave up and fled. Bogatyr decided to continue hunting for the beast and followed in his footsteps. He walked for a long time until he heard a wounded beast screaming loudly, foreseeing its near end. He ruined everything in his path. Tear out the trees with the roots, break the mountains. The whole earth shook with this horror. At dawn the hero saw the dead body of the beast, which turned into a large rock. Streams streamed from the mountain, forming a powerful stream. Below, it became a river, which the locals began to call Abakan ("bear blood").

Such amazing legends are famous for the city of Abakan. The history of the sight of Abakan - rocks that resemble a huge bear, is exactly that. Of these rocks, the streams actually flow out, which form the Abakan River.

Abakan. sights

It can not be said that there are many historical monuments in Abakan. But if you go from Krasnoyarsk, you can see all the most picturesque places in Khakassia. The very location of the city inside a huge hollow - and is the most important attraction. The city itself is breathing positive. Here you can just relax and feel life. Clean well-groomed streets, green parks and squares, neat small buildings - all this can not but fill with positive emotions.

The city center impresses with its provincial simplicity. One gets the impression that all the passion has left the city, and only peaceful, measured people remained in it. Abakan does not look like a city in Siberia. Rather, we can say that it is part of the Krasnodar or Stavropol Territory.

The main attractions of Abakan are represented by temples, the Museum of local lore, the Preobrazhensky park complex.

National Museum of Local Lore

Historical and cultural sights of Abakan are museums. The main exposition of the museum of local lore is the hall of ancient art. Here you can find the unique stele of the Khakass steppes. Impressions from visiting the hall will remain in your memory for a long time. Regularly the museum holds various exhibitions. Some of the exposures that are not currently used are stored in funds. The first floor of the museum is occupied by a hall of monuments of steppe Khakassia, and on the second there is a gallery of the local artist.

The museum exposition consists of stone slabs decorated with petroglyphs, copies of rock carvings, ancient monumental stone sculptures, artistic stone products, as well as excavations of bone and bronze found among ancient burial mounds of Khakassia.

There are ethnographic collections in the museum, consisting of objects of everyday life and clothing of the local indigenous population, attributes of shamanism, clothing and household items of ancient Rus.

There are other interesting places with which Abakan is famous. Sights of the city are majestic temple buildings.

Transfiguration Cathedral

This temple is quite young. Its construction began in 1994. The temple was built according to the project of Alexander Derigin, an architect from Barnaul. Due to lack of sufficient funding, the construction of the temple was suspended. In 1999, the construction was resumed, and in May the first stone of the cathedral was laid and consecrated by Bishop Vikenty.

On the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord in August 2001, the lower church was consecrated. In December of the same year - the upper church. Already in August 2006, the full consecration of the cathedral took place.

Outside it is a seven-domed building. The upper church consists of two chapels and a traditional five-tiered iconostasis. In the lower church, the sacrament of baptism is performed.

Shrines

In the cathedral are located valuable relics, such as icons with images of holy Siberia and particles of their relics. Here is a stone from the place of the Transfiguration of Christ - Mount Tabor.

In the cathedral are two powerful icons of the Mother of God, which were consecrated on the prototype in Greece on Mount Athos.

Temple of Equal-to-the-Apostles Constantine and Helena

Until quite recently the place where the temple now rises was completely inconspicuous. Today it is one of the most beautiful places in Khakassia. The city of Abakan, its attractions cause admiration among tourists. Therefore, once you visit this cozy town.

The Transfiguration Cathedral and the Grado-Abakan temple are sacred places of interest of Abakan. The description of these places can not fully convey all the beauty and energy emanating from them.

During the erection of the Temple of Equal-to-the-Apostles Constantine and Helena, the traditions of Old Russian architecture were taken as a basis. This is a magnificent structure, carrying the greatest sacred meaning.

Outside, the temple is decorated with a relief acrylic painting. This method allows us to emphasize even the most insignificant details. Particular property of the architecture of the temple are mosaic icons. Outside there are also 8 amazing icons.

Inside the temple there is a real masterpiece of art - a five-tiered altar framed in gold leaf.

Despite what many consider Abakan, its sights are insignificant, uninteresting, it can still amaze not only with its hospitality, but also with amazing places.