Beloretsk against the backdrop of Raspberry Mountain
Sergey Sinenko
History of the city of Beloretsk (Bashkiria)
Beloretsky district is the largest in the republic. There is no end to it. Huge mountains, forests, stone pillars, mountain rivers, deposits of iron ore of rare purity and a small amount of impurities, deposits of gold, ocher, marl, shale, chromite... How to arrange all this? There is work here for two hundred, no, five hundred years! The entire history of Belorechye is determined by the nature of the vast space that people inherited.
Everything in Beloretsk suggests that it is a large metallurgical center. When entering from Ufa you see a giant elk on the right, on the left there is a monument to the metallurgist and a stele with the inscription “Beloretsk is a city of metallurgists. 1762". And in the city itself, reminders of this are found at every step.
But the city became different. He has changed. And the people became different. There are no more proud metallurgists. Because ore mining has stopped and steel smelting has almost stopped. Because the words and concepts that previously defined the life of the city have become anachronistic: “blast furnaces”, “open hearths”...
Now I have bought the plant. And a new word appeared in the speech of Beloretsk residents - “offshores”. It can be heard in the local administration, and in the newspaper “Beloretsky Rabochiy”, and from random passers-by on the street.
At first I was surprised how this could be, since the company’s products have defense or semi-defense significance. “Not anymore,” they reassured me. “The plant has not been working for the defense industry for a long time.”
Old water tower in Beloretsk outside and inside. Photo by Sergei Sinenko
Village named after Marshal Zhukov and the city of Kursk
The village named after Marshal Zhukov, built specifically for disbanded military units withdrawn from Germany in 1994, is located in the Kursk region, in the Black Earth Region. Turkish contractors built about a hundred houses on a vacant lot, after cutting down many trees, in six months. The decision to move from this place to the city of Beloretsk in the Republic of Bashkortostan was not made in one day.
Eight kilometers from Zhukov is the city of Kursk. This is the regional capital with very beautiful nightingale groves. There are many beautiful places worth seeing here. In the city center, opposite each other, stand the Maly Drama Theater and the Regional Library, where publications dating back to the eleventh century are stored.
The city of Kursk is divided into three districts: Central, Zheleznodorozhny and Seimsky. Three rivers flow nearby: the Seim and its tributary, as well as the Tuskar River. The Seim River flows near the village of Marshala Zhukov, and there are also coniferous and deciduous forests with birch groves. Previously, until 1994, trees grew on the site of the urban-type building, and there was a village nearby.
Panel houses stand like twins, painted in blue and red colors. The builders also made the apartment layouts identical. We had a three-room apartment, with a very convenient arrangement of rooms, bathrooms and a large kitchen (twelve square meters).
View of the village
Preparing for the move and completing the necessary documents
Having weighed all the pros and cons, we began to prepare for the move in the winter, and the move itself was planned for the summer of the same year. They began to resolve the issue of selling real estate. First, we placed advertisements in the newspaper and placed a notice about the sale on a local television channel. When this did not bring success, in the spring they were forced to turn to the services of real estate agencies. We visited, which was just starting its activities eight years ago. She was recommended to us by friends whom we trusted. The specialists asked for one percent for their work, but they provided insurance at their own expense and checked the purity of the transaction for free. And still the property was sold for a long time, about a year. As a result, the buyer was a woman who came to Kursk from the North for permanent residence.
The realtors themselves drew up the purchase and sale agreement, they drew up the papers, went to various authorities to make the necessary extracts and copies of documents. All we have to do is register all the documents at the registration chamber. We did it ourselves a week later, got it on time in advance, and when it arrived, we went in without any problems and signed the necessary documents. After the transaction was completed, settlements took place. It was convenient for us to arrange a bank transfer to the branch of the Savings Bank of the village of Inzer, to bearer. We went to a bank branch, made a savings book in five days, and deposited a certain amount of money from the sale of our home into a designated personal account.
When the registration was completed, we went to the Housing and Service Center to see the passport officer and signed all family members out of the household. By agreement with the buyer, we did not do this earlier; in addition, the registration chamber explained that if the owner is evicted and formalizes the sale, other family members can be temporarily included until the will of the new owner is expressed. And then we began to collect things and prepare them for transportation to the Republic of Bashkortostan.
Beloretsk Museum of History and Local Lore
He began his activities about sixty years ago. The museum's collection exceeds 13 thousand exhibits. By visiting it, you can see the entire history of this city since ancient times. Here you can see interesting exhibitions, visit two exhibition halls, and purchase brochures and booklets that briefly provide basic information about the city. Museum workers conducting excursions will tell you about this. There are four main topics covered here:
- Natural, archaeological and ethnographic history of Beloretsk.
- Factory stories. You can learn about the work of serfs and see samples of manufactured products.
- History of the 20th century. The pre-war, war and post-war periods are covered here.
- Minerals. Here is a collection of ores, natural resources, and stones.
A visit to this Beloretsk attraction (photo above) will be very interesting not only for local residents, but also for tourists.
Transfer to the city of Beloretsk. Fees
You can take away personal belongings yourself, having previously packed them in large boxes, bags, sealed with tape or tied with a wide ribbon. Some things are easy to carry as hand luggage. You just need to take into account the maximum weight of transportation in air or railway companies. It was decided to send large items: furniture, equipment, equipment, warm jackets, fur coats, hats, shoes and much more in a five-ton container, since long-distance postal delivery was impossible.
The most difficult thing, as it turned out, was the need to sign the boxes with the contents. It was necessary to attach a list with every little thing included, so that later you wouldn’t have to spend hours looking for what you needed, making a mess along the way. It is very convenient to write on top of the container, especially when there are a lot of things, and also if some of them are fragile, because when they are placed they will be placed on top. Or so as to create the most secure transportation conditions.
We did not pay any duty for transporting things, nor did we pay any additional fees. We ordered two containers of three and five tons each; they contained a large furniture set, plumbing fixtures, kitchen utensils, garden tools and much more. The final price for transportation and rental of transport was ten thousand rubles.
We packed the cargo ourselves, then transported the things to the station, located at the address: Kursk, Privokzalnaya Street, building one, in a rented gazelle, and also with the help of a familiar driver in a Kamaz car. At the loading and unloading station, a special contract for the provision of transport and forwarding services was drawn up and the attached application form was filled out. After the calculations were carried out on the spot, we were immediately given a payment receipt, with which we met all the things at the station of the city of Beloretsk, arriving in the Republic of Bashkortostan. In our presence, the container was sealed, the seal was affixed and the seal was removed. The whole process took no more than two hours. The contractors inspected the cargo, carefully checked whether everything was packed properly, whether there were any open boxes, etc. Such control is necessary to avoid damage or loss of things along the way. But you still can’t do without risks, so a separate clause in the contract for the provision of services stipulated that the cost of transportation services is reduced in proportion to what was lost. They themselves decided to go by car. We thought through the route, studied where we could travel faster, made a vacation plan, and pre-booked places in passing hotels. It was difficult online, so we used the phone and filled out an application. All we had to do was pay for everything on the spot, and dinner was included in the ticket price. We stopped twice, and the entire journey took two days with overnight stays.
Arrival in the city of Beloretsk and search for accommodation
Having safely passed two thousand one hundred kilometers, we arrived in the village of Inzer in the Republic of Bashkortostan and stayed with relatives. Here we called the local branch of the Savings Bank, ordered a certain amount of money, and asked us to wait two days. When we came for the money, presented our passport at the cashier’s request and signed the documents, we were given a receipt, according to which we had to get what we needed in a special window. After counting the bills, we went home.
A week later, the whole family left for Beloretsk to start looking for real estate. At first we only considered apartments; we needed an option not on the first and last floors, not in a panel house and preferably without a gas water heater, but with a central water supply. There are few of these in the city of Beloretsk, mostly brick houses built in the 1970s and 80s. The cost of two- and three-room apartments varies from 1,750,000 to 3,500,000 rubles. After a week or two, I began to come across good offers from realtors for the sale of houses and cottages. The prices here are no less, but for the same money you can buy a much larger area, which is what won us over in the end.
The choice fell on a small unfinished building located in the private sector of the city. Nearby there was a small forest, a river, a school, a kindergarten, shops and a bus stop; thirty meters from our future home there was a local dispensary building. The household consisted of two floors, the first was combined with a garage, which was later rebuilt into a dining room. The building was accompanied by a plot measuring fourteen acres, as well as a bathhouse. In general, at the family council it was decided to buy this cottage and make efforts to complete it independently.
The deal was completed in a short time, again with the participation of realtors, but local ones, from the “Vybor” agency on Krupskaya Street. We had to move only six months later, due to protracted repair work. This is due to weather conditions; Beloretsk has a very short construction season, only three months a year. But now this house has a living space of two hundred square meters, two floors, and an attic. We are planning to insulate the first brick floor and make a terrace.
Overview of Beloretsk
The balcony located on the second floor offers a wonderful view of the city. Beloretsk turned two hundred and fifty years old in 2012. For this event, massive landscaping events were held in the city. We installed a new fountain in the Central Square and tidied up the landscaping fencing. Lights in the parks were repaired, and fresh asphalt was laid on some streets.
But most of all, Beloretsk residents were pleased with the new, renovated cinema “Metallurg”, which stood for many years just like that. Now there are two cinema halls, a large hall for concerts, as well as a restaurant, which is located on the ground floor. A chef from the capital of Bashkortostan, who specializes in preparing Russian, Bashkir and French cuisine, was invited here.
Beloretsk. Cinema "Metallurg"
The fountain stands at the entrance to the cinema; in the evenings the streams of water are painted in different colors, and during the day they simply fountain in a random order. The Dolphin sports complex has also opened, although it takes a long time to get there because it is located on the outskirts of the city. But here there is the largest local swimming pool, and events are also held to prepare athletes for participation in competitions, including the Olympic Games.
There are two ski resorts in Beloretsk: Mratkino and Abzakovo. People come here from all over Russia. The President of Russia, V.V. Putin, especially loves to relax. The places are actually very beautiful. Arsky Stone attracts tourists in the summer; there is a lot of entertainment here, such as fishing, horseback riding, and rock climbing.
In summer, tourists raft on the Belaya River. Quite a strong current carries boats far from the shores. People sometimes stop for rest, then continue on their way again. This is a very extreme hobby and dangerous, and also requires lengthy preparatory measures. For example, buy the necessary equipment, hand luggage and provisions. By the way, in these places you can fish and catch such types of fish as trout and carp.
Belaya River
Simultaneously with the purchase of the house, we purchased a dacha with an area of 50 sq.m., although one hundred kilometers from the city, but in a very beautiful place. The wooden household came with a large plot of land, which we have so far seeded with lawn grass. They built a bathhouse and provided water. Houses in this place are expensive, the initial cost of a nine-square log house starts from one and a half million rubles. If you count the costs of construction, land, arrangement, communications, you get a large amount.
There are many people who want to live there, we were able to buy this house because the owner had to leave urgently, and he significantly reduced the price. First, we drew up a purchase and sale agreement and gave a deposit to the seller, then we visited a notary, certified the documents, sent them to the registration chamber for registration and received a certificate of ownership in hand in due time.
Actually, the architectural appearance of the city can be described as a “ working settlement ” from Gorky’s novel “Mother”. Those who have not read, and I believe 99% of them, then I will say more simply, the architectural appearance of the city is one large residential area, intended exclusively for the maintenance plant maintenance personnel. If it were not for the rivers, forests and mountains surrounding it, the view would be completely depressing. But Mother Nature decorates the creations of human hands as best she can, and she does it well.
As in the city of Sibay in Beloretsk the Holy Trinity Church , they also have a chapel and are building a very impressive St. Nicholas Church , and the Orthodox are still making do with very little a simple and inconspicuous mosque.
Sights of Beloretsk
Water tower . It is a historical and architectural monument. Built in 1916, its height is 18 meters. It is crowned by a belvedere, a superstructure in which you can sit behind thick walls and watch the surroundings while drinking tea and bagels.
Museum of Local Lore . Its most valuable exhibitions are considered to be the collection of Kasli and Beloretsk artistic castings and the collection of samovars made by Tula masters. In addition, local talents are exhibited here and a collection of sports trophies of Belorechensk residents is collected.
The most interesting sights, in my opinion, await us outside the city.
Ski resort Abzakovo . Recognized as the best resort in 2011 for families and children. Just like that, and not some Dombai and Krasnye Polyany. In addition to ski slopes, the territory has:
-aquapark
-zoo
— Night club, entertainment complex
— Medical and health department for those who have abused the nightclub and entertainment complex
— Hotels, motels, shops, restaurants
In the summer, when skiing is not available, the Abzakovo organizes tourist trips to visit bears and rafting along the mountain rivers Inzer , Belaya , and Zilim . It's never boring here.
This miracle is located 35 kilometers from Beloretsk
Inzer Tooths . This is the local name for the nearby ridge. The landmark for those wishing to get there is the village of Tirlyansky , 25 km from Beloretsk . Continue to the west, another 17 km and you are at your goal. The main attraction is the Teeth, or scientifically speaking, rocky outcrops . The best time to visit is July - early October. Those who love frost and sun can get here on skis, no problem, but I prefer moderate extreme sports, so that it seems like I can overcome myself, get to the mountains, but better without getting out of the car :).
This place is famous not only for its rocky outcrops; according to one legend, it was from here that the Magi to meet the born Jesus . The version is based on the fact that until the mid-30s of the last century, in these rocks there were cells of hermits who went here in order to learn the laws of good and evil.
When heading to the mountains, do not forget to take a pickaxe with you, among other equipment, jasper like near the Gadelsha waterfall, but you can try to get rock crystal
Kapova Cave (Shulgan-Tash) . Not far from Beloretsk there is the most popular and famous cave in Bashkiria . The cave begins to amaze already at the entrance to it. The entrance to the cave looks like a huge arch 20 meters high and 40 meters wide, as they say, you are welcome, dear guests, come in! To the left of the entrance is a unique lake; outwardly it may not attract attention, with a diameter of only 3 meters, but its depth is more than 80 meters! You should not drink water with too many mineral impurities.
The length of the cave is about three kilometers, its corridors are located in three tiers. There are huge halls, stalagmites and underground lakes. The downside of walking in poor lighting. It’s no secret that with the right light, caves begin to come to life and look completely different, but everything has its time, maybe they’ll do it here someday.
One of the features of the cave is the rock paintings of ancient people , whose age was determined to be 14-15 thousand years. The drawings are made mostly in red ocher, but there are also some made in charcoal. Ancient Dali , Picasso and Rembrandt depicted horses, mammoths and other animals on cave walls. In addition, on the walls there are drawings depicted in a manner unknown to modern artists, what kind of direction they cannot yet understand, but it is not cubism or surrealism, that’s for sure. In general, scientists have something to puzzle over. It’s much easier for us, ordinary tourists, to see the drawings, gasp, admire and move on, without bothering ourselves with all sorts of wisdom.
As one of the greats said, “ In this life, everything is like in a bathhouse, whether you want to steam or not .”
In addition to drawings, skulls . Scientists have determined that these are definitely not the skulls of tourists , but they could not give a more accurate answer as to whose skulls these were. The version that these are the skulls of leaders respected by the tribe of people personally seems stupid and absurd to me. It is a sin to consider your ancestors dumber than monkeys; even monkeys do not tear off the heads of their leaders and then admire them.
In general, since this place is already very popular, there are quite a lot of tourists there, take a tour, listen to what the guide will tell you, laugh and draw your own conclusion. The best time to visit the cave is in summer and autumn. In the spring it’s flooded, and in the winter it’s somehow cold...
I only managed to talk about five percent of the attractions located near Beloretsk . In the comments, you can add attractions that you know, or simply post on the site your essay about those attractions that you personally like.
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Rest in Beloretsk
Then the question arose about where to relax in Beloretsk. There are few restaurants and cafes in the city, but among them you can highlight those that are famous for their good cuisine and friendly staff. Playgrounds have been built for children in almost every yard. And the owners and tenants of shops on the central streets installed landscaped flower beds and landscaped areas in front of the entrance.
Residents hold quarterly cleanup days. The local administration regularly holds competitions, as a result of which beautifully decorated entrances, houses and streets receive prizes, and house elders receive certificates and letters of gratitude.
The leadership of the city mayor's office also allocates funds for the reconstruction of outdated buildings. For example, in 2011, according to the plan, the theater was reorganized, as a result of which the theater-studio “Deficiency” was recognized as an independent unit. Now the room where the troupe was located and performances were held has been renovated and delights residents with new productions.
The House of Culture also remains a platform for mass performances. Artists from all over the country come here, and when events of a city scale are planned, for example, City Day, etc., the stage is taken out onto the street and installed right in front of the entrance.
Beloretsk is a very beautiful city, surrounded by mountains. It’s a pleasure to relax here, just look at the Arsky Stone. The complex was built in 2007 and coincided with one of the city holidays. There are restaurants, a hotel, an entertainment center, and a street cafe here. Young people rightfully consider this the best vacation spot in the city.
Those who don’t like active recreation can be advised to go to Rodnik, which is just outside the city. We come here often. Cozy open gazebos are conducive to intimate communication; the owners offer barbecues if you want to cook something yourself. The cuisine here is predominantly Russian and Caucasian. They serve shish kebab, sauces for it, wine, chakhokhbili, chanakhi, dolma and much more. And on the local pond there are real swans and ducks that you can feed with bread. By the way, this is a favorite place for newlyweds; motorcades with newlyweds come here every weekend to take memorable photos.
Beloretskaya narrow gauge railway
I'm walking along Zheleznodorozhnaya Street. The name has already become history. Here, on the territory of the plant, began the main transport artery of Belorechye - a narrow-gauge railway, which was recently dismantled.
“The railway was unique, without it the region was orphaned,” says Elena Bezrukova, chairman of the street committee of the Zarechny district.
People in the city talk about this with great pain. It's clear. What has united the inhabitants of Belorechye for the last hundred years? What determined their connection with the outside world? Narrow gauge railway! It was she who was the core that created the community of Beloretsk residents with the residents of Tirlyan, Tukan, Inzer, Ishli, Arshinsk, Dvoinisha and other numerous railway stations and nearby villages. Connecting Beloretsk with the Zaprudovka station near Katav-Ivanovsk, it gave the mining world of the Southern Urals access to the industrial centers of the Middle Urals, Western Siberia and the Volga region.
This road was an organic part of the mountain landscape, and without it Belorechye would largely lose its individuality and authenticity. The story of its destruction is also amazing in its own way. A huge number of the population used it, but everyone considered that their business was small. Nobody came to the defense. In general, “the people are silent.”
Beloretsk. Monument to I.B. Tverdyshev. Photo by Sergei Sinenko
Ahead is an old “German” blast furnace, but I turn to the same historical factory headquarters on Blucher Street - it used to be the true heart of the city. Adjacent to it is a new office building with the inscription "Mechel". In front of them is a platform with a fountain. Nearby is a monument to Ivan Tverdyshev. Well, it’s an excellent monument, it’s just a pity that the fountain is located so close to the freight road. I look at the pedestal from all sides and see a sign: “The monument was erected with funds.
A young man in a cap is walking nearby. There is a bottle of water in one hand and an apple in the other. Cleans on the go. I washed it and took a bite. The conversation began after a small argument.
— Are you interested in sights?
- Yes, local history. Not only historical, but also modern. Especially after Mechel became the de facto owner of Beloretsk. Can you say that?
“I wouldn’t say that,” the man frowned. “I think the city was already independent then.” Life in the city has, of course, changed. Which way?
Here's a case in point. Last year we celebrated the anniversary - 250 years of the city and the plant. The Republic gave a billion rubles for the development of Beloretsk! We turned to Mechel: “You should also invest, it’s your company’s anniversary.” They say: “We’ll pave the site, erect a monument and publish a book on history.”
Mechel is a company with a very precisely built vertical management system. It is led by clear and tough people. There is production, there is a plan. That's all!
There was an ORS - a labor supply department, some other social departments, greenhouses, and a motor transport enterprise. Now all this has been withdrawn from the plant’s funds. A lot of people were left without work. In better times, more than 20 thousand people worked at the plant, now - more than 6 thousand...
Since 2002, the city began, in fact, a new calendar. First, the then leadership of Bashkortostan transferred the state stake in the plant to Mechel for trust management, and then sold it. Further events lined up in a truly dramatic chain. The year 2002 turned out to be especially rich in them: on April 25, the last production of cast iron took place in the blast furnace shop of the BMK, on April 29 was the last day of work of the open-hearth shop, on April 30, the last ingots were rolled at the 800 mill.
Right behind the monument to Tverdyshev is an ancient cast-iron bridge. The river is all filled with sandbanks and whirlpools; you can’t recognize it as the White River, but that’s it. The river, which has become shallow below the dam, flows in a fast and stormy stream, blinding with the light of water and sun. Let's stop in the middle of the bridge and think.
The city is also a kind of stream, it is a river that cannot be entered twice. Just as fish do not feel the flow of water, city residents do not always feel the force of the stream, but only sway their fins in their pools... Beloretsk used to seem like one thing to me, but now it is a completely different city. I definitely haven’t been to Beloretsk like this. It was as if he had lost his essence, the one that had developed over centuries.
Not brought to their knees by the Soviet regime, the working people showed themselves submissive to capitalism. They quickly tore out, twisted and burned out the soul and working character. Maybe it didn’t exist at all? Maybe I invented it for myself?!
Medical and educational institutions in Beloretsk
In addition to secondary education, in Beloretsk you can get both higher and specialized secondary education. There are branches of republican institutes and universities where you can submit documents on a general basis. And schools train specialists in various specialties. There is a pedagogical, medical, culinary school, all of them are located on the central streets of the city, which is convenient for all students. Transport in Beloretsk always travels through the central streets.
The Hospital Town, where the city’s medical institutions are concentrated, stands separately. The local maternity hospital was built about three years ago; before that it was in a different location, in a residential building, which was later converted into a non-residential building. The building consists of four floors.
To sum up the above, I can say with confidence that the move met all expectations. The city of Beloretsk is a city of metallurgists, it is very beautiful, original and with a rich history.
Water tower
An amazing memorial site of this city is the water tower, built more than a hundred years ago. For a very long time it was the tallest building in Beloretsk; from it you could even see the outskirts of the city and the villages surrounding it. True, a modern person will not be impressed by the height of this tower - it barely reaches twenty meters. But a hundred years ago this was a significant figure. In the 1950s, the tower ceased operation. The last time water was supplied from this water tower was in 1956, and now it is only a landmark of Beloretsk, a memorable place for the residents of this city.
