The Caucasian Mineral Waters is a group of

spa A spa is a location where mineral-rich spring water (sometimes seawater) is used to give medicinal baths. Spa health treatments are known as balneotherapy. The belief in the curative powers of mineral waters and hot springs goes back to pre ...

resorts, located in the

Northern Caucasus The North Caucasus, or Ciscaucasia, is a subregion in Eastern Europe governed by Russia. It constitutes the northern part of the wider Caucasus region, which separates Europe and Asia. The North Caucasus is bordered by the Sea of Azov and the B ...

region of Russia. It includes the towns of

Pyatigorsk Pyatigorsk (; Circassian languages, Circassian: Псыхуабэ, ''Psıxwabæ'') is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city in Stavropol Krai, Russia, located on the Podkumok River, about from the town of Mineralnye Vody, which has an i ...

Zheleznovodsk Zheleznovodsk () is a town in Stavropol Krai, Russia. Population: Etymology The name of the town literally means ''iron-water-place'', as the mineral waters springing from the earth in Zheleznovodsk were believed to have high content of iron. ...

Yessentuki Yessentuki ( rus, Ессентуки́, p=jɪsɪntʊˈkʲiˑ) is a city in Stavropol Krai, Russia, located in the shadow of Mount Elbrus at the base of the Caucasus Mountains. The city serves as a railway station in the Mineralnye Vody— Kisl ...

, and

Kislovodsk Kislovodsk (; ; ) is a spa city in Stavropol Krai, in the North Caucasus region of Russia which is located between the Black and Caspian Seas. It is part of the Caucasian Mineral Waters region. Demographics Population: Etymology The Rus ...

. The region features over 130

sanatorium A sanatorium (from Latin '' sānāre'' 'to heal'), also sanitarium or sanitorium, is a historic name for a specialised hospital for the treatment of specific diseases, related ailments, and convalescence. Sanatoriums are often in a health ...

s and hotels, many equipped with the latest medical equipment, which can accommodate up to 30,000 people simultaneously. As of 2022, the spas receive over 730,000 visitors annually. In addition to approximately 300 mineral springs with diverse properties, the region is famous for its landscape, mild climate, and the medicinal mud of Lake Tambukan.

History

The Pyatigorsk springs were first described in the 14th century, by the Arab traveler

Ibn Battuta Ibn Battuta (; 24 February 13041368/1369), was a Maghrebi traveller, explorer and scholar. Over a period of 30 years from 1325 to 1354, he visited much of Africa, the Middle East, Asia and the Iberian Peninsula. Near the end of his life, Ibn ...

. Since at least the 17th century, Northern Caucasian folklore has attributed healing properties to the local water. One legend tells of a hunter who, in pursuit of a wolf, fell into a spring and was miraculously cured of

rheumatism Rheumatism or rheumatic disorders are conditions causing chronic, often intermittent pain affecting the joints or connective tissue. Rheumatism does not designate any specific disorder, but covers at least 200 different conditions, including a ...

. In the early 18th century,

Peter the Great Peter I (, ; – ), better known as Peter the Great, was the Sovereign, Tsar and Grand Prince of all Russia, Tsar of all Russia from 1682 and the first Emperor of Russia, Emperor of all Russia from 1721 until his death in 1725. He reigned j ...

, having enjoyed spa resorts in

Spa A spa is a location where mineral-rich spring water (sometimes seawater) is used to give medicinal baths. Spa health treatments are known as balneotherapy. The belief in the curative powers of mineral waters and hot springs goes back to pre ...

and Karlsbad, was determined to develop local analogues. In 1717, he published the decree ''"On the Search for Mineral Waters in Russia,"'' launching the search for medicinal mineral springs within the country. The resulting expedition identified several sources of "sour water" in modern-day

Chechnya Chechnya, officially the Chechen Republic, is a Republics of Russia, republic of Russia. It is situated in the North Caucasus of Eastern Europe, between the Caspian Sea and Black Sea. The republic forms a part of the North Caucasian Federa ...

. On April 24, 1803,

Alexander I Alexander I may refer to: * Alexander I of Macedon, king of Macedon from 495 to 454 BC * Alexander I of Epirus (370–331 BC), king of Epirus * Alexander I Theopator Euergetes, surnamed Balas, ruler of the Seleucid Empire 150-145 BC * Pope Alex ...

signed a

rescript A rescript is a public government document. More formally, it is a document issued not on the initiative of the author, but in response to a question (usually legal) posed to the author. The word originates from replies issued by Roman emperors t ...

''"On the Recognition of the National Significance of the Caucasian Mineral Waters and the Necessity of Their Development."'' This date marks the beginning of the region as a recognized Russian resort. Following this, the resort was visited by famous Russian writers, artists and statesmen, including

Mikhail Lermontov Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov ( , ; rus, Михаи́л Ю́рьевич Ле́рмонтов, , mʲɪxɐˈil ˈjʉrʲjɪvʲɪtɕ ˈlʲerməntəf, links=yes; – ) was a Russian Romanticism, Romantic writer, poet and painter, sometimes called ...

Alexander Pushkin Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin () was a Russian poet, playwright, and novelist of the Romantic era.Basker, Michael. Pushkin and Romanticism. In Ferber, Michael, ed., ''A Companion to European Romanticism''. Oxford: Blackwell, 2005. He is consid ...

, and

Nikolay Raevsky Nikolay Nikolayevich Raevsky or Rayevsky (; — ) was a Russian general and statesman who achieved fame for his feats of arms during the Napoleonic Wars. His family left a lasting legacy in Russian society and culture. Early life Nikolay Rae ...

. The region’s resort potential began to be properly developed in 1863 with the establishment of the Russian Balneological Society in Pyatigorsk. That same year, the society set up a chemical laboratory to analyze the mineral waters. Over the course of the century, doctors and researchers progressively identified medicinal properties of the waters and established treatment protocols. A new era for the resorts began with the issuance of

Lenin Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov ( 187021 January 1924), better known as Vladimir Lenin, was a Russian revolutionary, politician and political theorist. He was the first head of government of Soviet Russia from 1917 until Death and state funeral of ...

’s Decree No.231, ''“On Health Resorts of National Significance,”'' in 1919. Despite the chaos of the

Russian Civil War The Russian Civil War () was a multi-party civil war in the former Russian Empire sparked by the 1917 overthrowing of the Russian Provisional Government in the October Revolution, as many factions vied to determine Russia's political future. I ...

, the resort quickly recovered and welcomed up to 50,000 visitors in 1928. Except for a brief period of occupation during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the Caucasian Mineral Waters served as the largest hospital hub for recovering veterans both during and after the war. Following the Second World War, the resort quickly expanded, and many new sanatoriums were built.

References

{{coord missing, Russia Spa towns in Russia Tourist attractions in the Soviet Union Springs of Russia Hot springs of Russia Resorts in Russia