Kochubeyevsky District: Strizhament and its Nature

On the northern slope of Mount Strizhament, within the Strizhament protected area, lies the Kamenny Chaos natural monument, a strip strewn with large stones. The natural monument is of regional significance; it is up to 200 metres wide and about one kilometre long. Mount Strizhament reaches 831 metres above sea level. Its hillside setting, rocky landscape and elevation give Kochubeyevsky District a clear connection to nature.

Meadow steppe, plants and beech forest

A meadow steppe lies on the summit. A description from 2016 lists more than 200 plant species there, including rare species listed in the Red Book. The plants named include Gesner’s tulip, the net-leaved gladiolus, the narrow-leaved peony, spring pheasant’s eye, the peach-leaved bellflower, the beautiful crocus and the beautiful telekia. For nature enthusiasts, these specific names bring the variety of plants to life: the summit is not just an elevation, but also a botanical attraction.

Beech forests grow in the upper part of the Temnaya Balka ravine and are considered Russia’s easternmost beech forest massif. The summit steppe and the ravine’s beech forest offer two distinct landscape views of Strizhament. The Strizhament regional nature reserve extends into the Starodvortsovsky selsoviet in Kochubeyevsky District and the Temnolessky selsoviet in Shpakovsky District. This means that named areas in both districts form part of the protected area.

The Strizhament ecological hiking trail

The ecological trail on Mount Strizhament has a well-maintained path and information boards in Stavropol Krai. In July 2026, members of the Pervotsvet young naturalists’ club from Kochubeyevsky District hiked this trail. Check local trail conditions before visiting.

More natural and cultural sites in Stavropol Krai

Kislovodsk also has its own natural and cultural attractions. On the southern outskirts of the city, in the Olkhovka Gorge near the settlement of Narzanny, lies Lermontov Rock. Since 1961, it has been a natural monument of regional significance and one of the sites belonging to the Mikhail Lermontov State Museum-Reserve. The rock thus connects a specific landscape setting with the region’s cultural heritage.

In central Kislovodsk, the Narzan Gallery stands at the entrance to the spa park. It is a 19th-century architectural monument and a cultural heritage site of federal significance. Visitors can sample three varieties of Narzan there: general, dolomite and sulphate Narzan. As the details of the offering may change, check before your visit whether tastings are available at that time.

A different geological formation is the Koltso Rock, on a spur of the Borgustan Range in Kislovodsk. Weathering and erosion created a through-opening in it measuring eight by ten metres. In Pyatigorsk, by contrast, the story of Mikhail Lermontov takes centre stage: Mount Mashuk lies almost in the city centre; the duel between Lermontov and Nikolai Martynov took place at its western foot in 1841. Russia’s first monument to Lermontov was unveiled in Pyatigorsk in 1889.

The layout of Kislovodsk National Park is also clearly divided: it comprises the Lower, Middle and Upper Parks, with the Lower Park beginning in the city centre. This makes the region’s themes easy to distinguish: here, Strizhament is associated with summit steppe, plant life and beech forest, while the examples from Kislovodsk and Pyatigorsk add geology, parkland and Lermontov’s history.

Discover more destinations: Novoalexandrovsky District, Yessentuki, Pyatigorsk, Predgornyy rayon, Predgorny District, gorod Pyatigorsk, Neftekumsky District, Kislovodsk.

For the broader travel overview: Stavropol Krai.