It is customary to call the Urals a region of the Russian Federation, which conventionally divides the entire country into two parts: European and Asian.

Regions of the Urals

Geographically, this area is a region of the Urals and foothills (Valikovskaya mountain system). The length of the ridge is almost 2 thousand km, the length is meridian. On the territory of the entire ridge, the relief of the mountains is very different, therefore, there are 5 separate regions of the Urals. These are regions such as:

  1. Circumpolar.
  2. Polar.
  3. Northern.
  4. Average.
  5. Southern Urals.

Polar Ural

The northernmost part of the mountain system is the Polar Urals. It has a length of 400 km. The borders run from the northern point of the Konstantinov stone to the southern Khulga. This is a fairly high part of the mountain system, the middle peaks have a height of 850 to 1,200 m. The highest is considered to be Mount Payer with a height of more than 1,500 m. In some areas, there are small deposits of permafrost.

Almost all regions of the Urals have a bad climate. It is rather harsh, sharply continental. Winters are snowy, frosty, the air temperature can drop to -55 ° С.

In the region, the amount of precipitation is unevenly distributed. The western slopes receive more precipitation than the eastern ones. Due to the constant rainfall and snowfall, the region is teeming with lakes. They are mainly of karst origin and shallow depth.

The flora and fauna of the region are scarce. The vegetation is represented by taiga forests, but only in the southern region. And the only representative of the fauna that is often found in this area is the reindeer.

There is no permanent population in the region. The nearest town is Vorkuta.

Subpolar Urals

The Circumpolar Region is the next region to be seen going down to the south. Its borders run from the Khulga River in the north to the southern border of the Nest of Winds. This area is known as the representative of the highest peaks of the mountain system. The highest point - Narodnaya - is located right here. Its height is 1,895 m. In total there are 6 peaks with a height of over 1,600 m.

This area, like other regions of the Urals, is very popular among climbers. Hundreds of travelers climb the peaks annually.

Northern Ural

The Northern Urals are the most difficult to pass. The southern borders of the region run along the foot of two mountains: Kosvinsky and the northern ones up to the Shchuger River. The width in this region is 60 km, and the ridges run in several ridges parallel to each other. There are no settlements and people in the Northern region. At the foot of the mountains from the east and west, there are also swamps. The highest point in the region is Telposiz (over 1,600 m.)

There are more than 200 lakes in the Northern Urals. However, almost all of them are small in size and there is no vegetation around. Sometimes they are covered with kurums (placers of stones). Telpos, the largest and deepest lake in the Northern Urals, is located at an altitude of over 1,000 m. Its depth is 50 m, the water is very clean. There are no representatives of aquatic animals, in particular fish, here.

In this area, brown coal, bauxite, manganese, as well as ores: iron ore and other types are mined.

Middle, or Central Ural

The Middle Ural (also called Central) is the lowest part of the mountain system. Average heights are 550-800 m. The borders of the region run in the north from the town of Konzhakovsky Kamen to the northern borders of the Yurma and Oslyanka mountains. The peaks of the region are softly delineated; rocky mountains are not found here. The highest point of the Middle Urals - Sredny Baseg (almost 1,000 m) - is the only peak of this height in this area.

The climate in the Middle Urals is formed by the winds that come here from the Atlantic Ocean. For this reason, the weather is changeable here, sharp fluctuations in temperature can occur even during the day. Average temperatures in January are -18-20 ° С, in July + 18-19 ° С. Frosts can reach -50 ° C. Winter lasts for 5 months and is characterized by stable snow cover from November to April.

Some regions of the Urals (including the North) are represented by taiga; closer to the south, you can increasingly find steppe terrain. The fauna is scarce. Climate features, hunting and poaching played an important role in this. For the latter reason, you will no longer find bustards and saigas here.

Southern region

The southernmost region of the mountains is the South Ural. It runs along the borders of the river of the same name and the Ufa reservoir. Length - 550 km. The relief here is represented by complex shapes. The climate is continental with hot summers and cold winters. The snow cover is stable in winter, its height is 50-60 cm. There are many rivers in the region, they have access to the basin of the Caspian Sea. The largest rivers are Inzer and Ufa.

This geographical region has a very diverse vegetation, and it is completely different on the eastern and western slopes. The fauna is also represented by a large number of animals. It should be noted that the southern region is the richest of all of the above.

(the extended Priuralsky district belongs to the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug). In the Urals, as well as in the Urals and Trans-Urals, there are the Republic of Bashkortostan, Sverdlovsk, Chelyabinsk, Kurgan, Orenburg regions, Udmurtia and Perm Krai, which make up the Ural Economic Region, the eastern parts of the Komi Republic and the Arkhangelsk Region (Nenets Autonomous Okrug), which are part of the Northern Economic Region , and the western part of the Tyumen region, which is part of the West Siberian economic region. In Kazakhstan, geographically, the Aktobe and Kostanay regions can be attributed to the Urals. Sometimes to designate the administrative-territorial units of the Russian Federation, one way or another related to the Urals, the concept is also used Big Ural... The administrative Ural Federal District of the Russian Federation (Ural Federal District) includes Kurgan, Sverdlovsk, Tyumen and Chelyabinsk regions, Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug and Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug. The administrative center of the Ural Federal District and the Sverdlovsk Region, the city of Yekaterinburg is usually called the “capital of the Urals” and “the capital of the Middle Urals”.

Origin of the toponym

There are many versions of the origin of the toponym "Ural". An analysis of the linguistic contacts of the first Russian settlers in the region indicates that the toponym, in all likelihood, was adopted from the Bashkir language. Indeed, of all the autochthonous peoples of the Urals, this name has existed since ancient times only among the Bashkirs, and it is supported at the level of the language, legends and traditions of this people (the epic "Ural-Batyr"). Other indigenous peoples of the Urals (Khanty, Mansi, Udmurts, Komi) have different traditional names for the Ural Mountains, adopting the name "Ural" only in the 19th-20th centuries from the Russian language. E. M. Murzaev reports that the Russians learned this name as Uraltau from the Bashkirs in the middle of the 16th century, passing it on as Araltova or Oraltova gora. Therefore, it is generally accepted that the name of the mountain is associated with the Turkic "aral" (island) or with "uralmak" (encircle, enclose). He also reports that the Bashkirs called the Ural only the watershed ridge, even when it belonged to low mountains.

Legends

"Ural" in Bashkir means a belt. There is a Bashkir tale about a giant who wore a belt with deep pockets. He hid all his wealth in them. The belt was huge. Once a giant stretched it, and the belt lay across the entire earth, from the cold Kara Sea in the north to the sandy shores of the southern Caspian Sea. This is how the Ural ridge was formed.

In Greek books written two thousand years ago, one can read about the distant "Riphean Mountains", where gloomy vultures guard untold golden treasures.

Climate

The climate of the Urals is typical mountainous; precipitation is distributed unevenly not only across regions, but also within each region. West Siberian Plain - a territory with a harsh continental climate; in the meridional direction, its continentality increases much less sharply than on the Russian Plain. The climate of the mountainous regions of Western Siberia is less continental than the climate of the West Siberian Plain.

Within the same zone on the plains of the Cis-Urals and Trans-Urals, natural conditions differ markedly. This is explained by the fact that the Ural Mountains serve as a kind of climatic barrier. To the west of them more precipitation falls, the climate is more humid and mild; to the east, that is, beyond the Urals, there is less precipitation, the climate is drier, with pronounced continental features.

Fauna

Several centuries ago, the animal world was richer than it is now. Plowing, hunting, deforestation drove out and destroyed the habitats of many animals. Wild horses, saigas, bustards, little bustards have disappeared. Herds of deer migrated deep into the tundra. But on the plowed lands rodents (hamsters, field mice) have spread. In the north, you can meet the inhabitants of the tundra - reindeer, and in the south - typical inhabitants of the steppes - bobak marmots, shrews, snakes and lizards. The forests are inhabited by predators: brown bears, wolves, wolverines, foxes, sables, ermines, and lynxes. Ungulates (moose, deer, roe deer, etc.) and birds of various species, for example, such as eagles or bullfinches (in winter), are found in them. Otter and beaver are found in river valleys. In the Ilmensky Reserve, the acclimatization of sika deer was successfully carried out; muskrat, beaver, red deer, desman, raccoon dog, American mink, Barguzin sable were also settled.

Flora

Differences in landscapes are noticeable when climbing. In the Southern Urals, for example, the path to the peaks of the largest Zigalga ridge begins with the intersection of a strip of hills and ravines at the foot, which is densely overgrown with bushes and grasses. Then the road goes through pine, birch and aspen forests, among which grassy glades flicker. Above, spruces and firs rise like a palisade. Dead wood is almost invisible - it burns out during frequent forest fires. Swamps can be found in gentle places. The peaks are covered with stone deposits, moss and grass. Rare and stunted spruces, crooked birches that come across here do not in any way resemble the landscape at the foot, with multi-colored carpets of herbs and shrubs. Fires at high altitudes are already powerless, so the path is now and then blocked by rubble of fallen trees. The top of Mount Yamantau (1640 m.) Is a relatively flat area, but it is almost inaccessible due to the pile-up of old tree trunks.

Natural resources

Of the natural resources of the Urals, the most important are its mineral resources. Back in the 16th century, deposits of rock salt and sandstone containing copper were known on the western outskirts of the Urals. In the 17th century, quite numerous iron deposits became known and iron works appeared, with the construction of one of which the history of the "capital of the Urals", the city of Yekaterinburg, began.

Placers of gold and platinum deposits were found in the mountains, and precious stones on the eastern slope. From generation to generation, the skill of searching for ore, smelting metal, making weapons and art products from it, and processing gems was passed on. In the Urals, there are numerous deposits of high-quality iron ores (Magnitnaya, High, Blagodat, Kachkanar mountains), copper ores (Mednogorsk, Karabash, Sibay, Gai), rare non-ferrous metals, gold, silver, platinum, the best bauxite in the country, stone and potassium salts (Solikamsk, Berezniki, Berezovskoe, Vazhenskoe, Iletskoe). There is oil in the Urals (Ishimbay), natural gas (Orenburg), coal, asbestos, precious and semi-precious stones.

Forest resources also belong to the riches of the Ural nature. The South and Middle Urals provide an opportunity for agriculture.

Rivers and lakes

The value of the region

The Urals have long been the largest mining and metallurgical base of the Russian state. The active industrial development of the Urals began under Peter I, who was in Yekaterinburg in 1886-1917. there was a monument as "the founder of the mining business in the Urals." The Ural "mining business" gave rise to a special socio-cultural community, which the famous writer-Ural scholar Alexei Ivanov called "mining civilization." "Gornozavodskaya Ural" is the modern name of the association of museums and cultural objects of Nizhny Tagil. The Urals, as a resource base, played a key role during the Second World War - this, in particular, reflects the modern official motto of the Sverdlovsk region - "The stronghold of the state" (a line from Tvardovsky's poem).

The hydropower potential of the Ural rivers is significant and not fully exploited (Pavlovskaya, Yumaguzinskaya, Shirokovskaya, Iriklinskaya and several small hydroelectric power plants operate).

Largest cities

The largest cities in the Urals (with a population of over 250,000):

Ural in the art and culture of Russia

The contribution of the Urals to the art and culture of Russia is peculiar.

The foundation on which the arts and crafts of the Urals have grown is industry. The Ural stone-cutting art is a unique variety of Russian decorative and applied art. The Ural is the center of the domestic industrial marble processing. The Urals are also known for the industrial production of various cast-iron household items, as well as for its artistic casting (Kaslinskoe casting). At the beginning of the 18th century, at a plant in Yekaterinburg, cast iron pots, boilers and cast iron dampers were cast for stoves. Later, iron casting began to be used more widely, including in architecture and industry. The production of damask steel was revived, metallurgy of alloy steels was born.

The most famous Uralic writers are Sergey Aksakov, Dmitry Mamin-Sibiryak and Pavel Bazhov (for the first time he performed literary processing of the Ural tales: "Malachite Box", "Stone Flower", "Silver Hoof", "Mistress of the Copper Mountain" and many others).

Ural artists such as Alexey Denisov-Uralsky, Vitaly Volovich, Alexey Kazantsev, Misha Brusilovsky, Yuri Filonenko, Valerian Bakharev, Gennady Mosin and many others also contributed to the art and culture of Russia.

At the beginning of the 21st century, the documentary writer Alexei Ivanov, who studied at the Ural State University, created a series of works devoted to the history and culture of the Urals. The main cycle of texts is called "The Ridge of Russia" (a metaphorical image of the Ural Mountains), on its basis, together with the famous journalist Leonid Parfyonov, a series of documentary films of the same name was created.

Ural in politics

The center of the Ural autonomism is the Sverdlovsk region. Since 1993, regional political movements have been constantly created here: the Transformation of the Urals, "MAY", and since 2011, the Bazhov Society.

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Notes (edit)

Literature

  • Arkhipova N.P., Yastrebov E.V.... - Chelyabinsk: South Ural Book Publishing House, 1982.
  • Rychkov A.V.... - Dir: Kid and Carlson, 2008 .-- 50 p. - 5000 copies. - ISBN 978-5-9900756-1-0.
  • Murzaev E. M. Dictionary of folk geographic terms. 1st ed. - M., Thought, 1984.
  • Murzaev E. M. Turkic place names. - M., Vost. lit., 1996.
  • Aleshin B.M., Ivanov Yu.K., Kovalchuk A.I., Koroteev V.A., Prokin V.A.... - Yekaterinburg: UB RAS, 1999 .-- 184 p.
  • Ural // Great Soviet Encyclopedia: [in 30 volumes] / Ch. ed. A.M. Prokhorov... - 3rd ed. - M. : Soviet Encyclopedia, 1969-1978.

An excerpt characterizing the Urals

“I told you,” Natasha answered, “that I have no will, how you don’t understand this: I love him!
- So I will not allow it to happen, I will tell you, - Sonya cried out with tears bursting out.
“What are you, for God's sake ... If you tell me, you are my enemy,” Natasha spoke up. - You want my misfortune, you want us to be torn apart ...
Seeing this fear of Natasha, Sonya cried tears of shame and pity for her friend.
- But what happened between you? She asked. - What did he tell you? Why doesn't he go to the house?
Natasha did not answer her question.
“For God's sake, Sonya, don’t tell anyone, don’t torture me,” Natasha begged. - You remember that you cannot interfere in such matters. I opened it for you ...
- But why these secrets! Why doesn't he go to the house? - asked Sonya. - Why isn't he looking for your hand directly? After all, Prince Andrew gave you complete freedom, if so; but I don't believe it. Natasha, did you think what secret reasons could be?
Natasha looked at Sonya with surprised eyes. Apparently, this was the first time she had presented herself with this question and she did not know how to answer it.
- What are the reasons, I do not know. But there are reasons!
Sonya sighed and shook her head in disbelief.
“If there were reasons…” she began. But Natasha, guessing her doubt, interrupted her in fright.
- Sonya, you can't doubt him, you can't, you can't, do you understand? She shouted.
- Does he love you?
- Does she love? Natasha repeated with a smile of regret about her friend's incomprehensibility. - You read the letter, did you see it?
- But if he is an ignoble person?
"He! ... an ignoble man?" If you only knew! - Natasha said.
- If he is a noble person, then he must either declare his intention, or stop seeing you; and if you don’t want to do this, then I will do it, I will write to him, I will tell dad, ”Sonya said resolutely.
- Yes, I can not live without him! Cried Natasha.
- Natasha, I don't understand you. And what are you saying! Remember your father, about Nicolas.
- I do not need anyone, I do not love anyone but him. How dare you say that he is ignoble? Don't you know that I love him? - Natasha shouted. “Sonya, go away, I don’t want to quarrel with you, go away, for God's sake, go away: you see how I suffer,” Natasha shouted angrily in a restrained irritated and desperate voice. Sonya burst into tears and ran out of the room.
Natasha went to the table and, without thinking for a minute, wrote the answer to Princess Marya, which she could not write the whole morning. In this letter, she briefly wrote to Princess Marya that all their misunderstandings were over, that, taking advantage of the generosity of Prince Andrei, who gave her freedom when leaving, she asks her to forget everything and forgive her if she is to blame for her, but that she cannot be his wife ... All this seemed to her so easy, simple and clear at that moment.

On Friday, the Rostovs were supposed to go to the village, and on Wednesday the count went with the buyer to his Moscow region.
On the day the count left, Sonya and Natasha were invited to a big dinner at the Karagin's, and Marya Dmitrievna took them. At this dinner Natasha again met with Anatole, and Sonya noticed that Natasha was saying something to him, wishing not to be heard, and during the dinner she was even more agitated than before. When they returned home, Natasha, first with Sonya, began the explanation that her friend had been waiting for.
- Here you, Sonya, said various nonsense about him, - Natasha began in a meek voice, the voice that children speak when they want to be praised. - We have explained to him today.
- Well, what, what? Well, what did he say? Natasha, how glad I am that you are not angry with me. Tell me everything, the whole truth. What did he say?
Natasha pondered.
- Oh Sonya, if you knew him as I do! He said ... He asked me how I had promised Bolkonsky. He was glad that it was up to me to refuse him.
Sonya sighed sadly.
“But you didn’t refuse Bolkonsky,” she said.
- Or maybe I refused! Maybe it's all over with Bolkonsky. Why do you think so badly of me?
- I don't think anything, I just don't understand it ...
- Wait, Sonya, you will understand everything. You will see what kind of person he is. Do not think badly about me or about him.
- I do not think bad about anyone: I love everyone and I regret everyone. But what should I do?
Sonya did not give up on the gentle tone with which Natasha addressed her. The softer and more searching was the expression on Natasha's face, the more serious and stern Sonya's face was.
“Natasha,” she said, “you asked me not to speak to you, I didn’t speak, now you yourself started. Natasha, I don't believe him. Why is this secret?
- Again, again! Natasha interrupted.
- Natasha, I'm afraid for you.
- Why be afraid?
“I’m afraid that you will ruin yourself,” Sonya said resolutely, herself frightened by what she said.
Natasha's face again expressed anger.
- And I will ruin, I will ruin, I will ruin myself as soon as possible. None of your business. Not you, but I will feel bad. Leave, leave me. I hate you.
- Natasha! - Sonya cried out in fright.
- I hate, I hate! And you are my enemy forever!
Natasha ran out of the room.
Natasha did not speak to Sonya anymore and avoided her. With the same expression of agitated surprise and criminality, she walked about the rooms, taking now and then for another occupation and immediately abandoning them.
No matter how hard it was for Sonya, she, without taking her eyes off, watched her friend.
On the eve of the day on which the count was supposed to return, Sonya noticed that Natasha had been sitting all morning at the living room window, as if expecting something, and that she had made some sign to the passing soldier whom Sonya took for Anatole.
Sonya began to observe her friend even more attentively and noticed that Natasha was in a strange and unnatural state all the time of dinner and in the evening (she answered inappropriately to questions made to her, began and did not finish phrases, laughed at everything).
After tea Sonya saw a timid maid girl who was waiting for her at Natasha's door. She let her in and, overhearing at the door, learned that a letter had again been handed over. And suddenly it became clear to Sonya that Natasha had some terrible plan for this evening. Sonya knocked on her door. Natasha did not let her in.
“She will run away with him! thought Sonya. She is capable of anything. Today there was something especially pitiful and resolute in her face. She burst into tears, saying goodbye to her uncle, Sonya recalled. Yes it is true, she is running with him - but what should I do? " thought Sonya, recalling now those signs which clearly proved why Natasha had some terrible intention. “There is no graph. What should I do, write to Kuragin, demanding an explanation from him? But who tells him to answer? Write to Pierre, as Prince Andrew asked in case of misfortune? ... But maybe, in fact, she already refused Bolkonsky (she sent a letter to Princess Marya yesterday). There is no uncle! " To tell Marya Dmitrievna, who believed in Natasha so much, seemed awful to Sonya. “But one way or another, Sonia thought, standing in the dark corridor: now or never is the time to prove that I remember the good deeds of their family and love Nicolas. No, I won’t sleep for at least three nights, but I won’t leave this corridor and I won’t let her in by force, and I won’t let the shame fall on their family, ”she thought.

Anatol recently moved to Dolokhov. The plan to kidnap Rostova had already been thought out and prepared by Dolokhov for several days, and on the day when Sonya, having overheard Natasha at the door, decided to protect her, this plan had to be carried out. Natasha at ten o'clock in the evening promised to go out to Kuragin's back porch. Kuragin was supposed to put her in a prepared troika and take her 60 versts from Moscow to the village of Kamenka, where a cropped priest was prepared, who was supposed to marry them. In Kamenka, a set-up was ready, which was supposed to take them to the Warsaw road and there they had to gallop abroad on the post office.
Anatol had a passport, and a travel document, and ten thousand money, taken from his sister, and ten thousand, borrowed through Dolokhov.
Two witnesses - Khvostikov, a former clerk whom Dolokhov and Makarin used to play, a retired hussar, a good-natured and weak person who had an infinite love for Kuragin - were sitting in the first room at tea.
In Dolokhov's large office, tucked from walls to ceiling with Persian carpets, bearskins and weapons, Dolokhov sat in a traveling beshmet and boots in front of an open bureau, on which lay bills and wads of money. Anatole, in his unbuttoned uniform, walked from the room where the witnesses were sitting, through the study to the back room, where his French footman with others was packing the last things. Dolokhov counted the money and wrote it down.
“Well,” he said, “Khvostikov should be given two thousand.
- Well, give it, - said Anatole.
- Makarka (they called that Makarina), this selflessly for you into the fire and into the water. Well, that’s over, ”said Dolokhov, showing him the note. - So?
- Yes, of course, so, - said Anatole, apparently not listening to Dolokhov and with a smile that did not leave his face, looking ahead of himself.
Dolokhov slammed the bureau and turned to Anatol with a mocking smile.
- And you know what - throw it all: there is still time! - he said.
- Fool! - said Anatole. - Stop talking nonsense. If you only knew ... The devil knows what it is!
“Give it up,” said Dolokhov. - I'm talking to you. Is this a joke that you are up to?
- Well, again, teasing again? Go to hell! Huh? ... - Anatole said with a grimace. - The right is not up to your stupid jokes. - And he left the room.
Dolokhov smiled contemptuously and condescendingly when Anatol left.
- You wait, - he said after Anatol, - I'm not joking, I'm talking business, go, come here.
Anatole again entered the room and, trying to focus his attention, looked at Dolokhov, obviously involuntarily submitting to him.
- You listen to me, I tell you for the last time. What am I kidding with you? Did I contradict you? Who arranged everything for you, who found the priest, who took the passport, who got the money? All I.
- Well, thank you. Do you think I'm not grateful to you? - Anatol sighed and hugged Dolokhov.
- I helped you, but still I have to tell you the truth: the matter is dangerous and, if you look at it, stupid. Well, you take her away, okay. Will it be left like that? It turns out that you are married. After all, they will bring you under a criminal court ...
- Ah! nonsense, nonsense! - Anatole spoke again with a frown. “I’ve explained it to you.” A? - And Anatole, with that special predilection (which happens to stupid people) to the conclusion that they reach with their minds, repeated the reasoning that he repeated to Dolokhov a hundred times. - After all, I interpreted to you, I decided: if this marriage is invalid, - he said, bending his finger, - then I do not answer; Well, if it is valid, it doesn't matter: no one abroad will know this, well, right? And don't talk, don't talk, don't talk!
- Really, come on! You will only bind yourself ...
- Get off to the devil, - said Anatole and, holding his hair, went into another room and immediately returned and sat down with his feet on a chair close to Dolokhov. - The devil knows what it is! A? Look how it beats! - He took Dolokhov's hand and put it to his heart. - Ah! quel pied, mon cher, quel regard! Une deesse !! [O! What a leg, my friend, what a look! Goddess !!] A?
Dolokhov, smiling coldly and shining with his beautiful, impudent eyes, looked at him, apparently wanting to have some more fun over him.
- Well, the money will come out, then what?
- What then? A? - Anatole repeated with sincere bewilderment before thinking about the future. - What then? There I do not know what ... Well, what nonsense to say! He looked at his watch. - It's time!
Anatole went to the back room.
- Well, are you soon? Dig in here! He shouted at the servants.
Dolokhov put away the money and shouted at the man to order food and drink on the way, entered the room where Khvostikov and Makarin were sitting.
Anatole in the study was lying with his elbows on his arm on the sofa, smiling thoughtfully and whispering something gently to himself with his beautiful mouth.
- Go eat something. Well, have a drink! - Dolokhov shouted to him from another room.
- I do not want! - Anatole answered, still smiling.
- Go, Balaga has arrived.
Anatole got up and entered the dining room. Balaga was a well-known troika driver, who had known Dolokhov and Anatol for six years, and served them with his troikas. More than once, when Anatol's regiment was in Tver, in the evening he took him away from Tver, brought him to Moscow by dawn and took him away the next day at night. More than once he took Dolokhov away from the chase, more than once he rolled them around the city with gypsies and ladies, as Balaga called. More than once, with their work, he pressed the people and cabs around Moscow, and his gentlemen, as he called them, always rescued him. He drove more than one horse under them. More than once he was beaten by them, more than once they got him drunk with champagne and Madeira, which he loved, and he knew more than one thing behind each of them that an ordinary person would long ago deserve Siberia. In their carousing, they often invited Balaga, forced him to drink and dance with the gypsies, and not one thousand of their money passed through his hands. Serving them, he risked both his life and his skin twenty times a year, and at their work he killed more horses than they overpaid him. But he loved them, loved this crazy ride, eighteen miles an hour, loved to roll over a cab and crush a pedestrian in Moscow, and fly at full speed through Moscow streets. He loved to hear this wild cry of drunken voices behind him: “Go! go! " while it was already impossible to go faster anyway; he loved to stretch the painful neck of a peasant, who was neither alive nor dead, kept away from him. "Real gentlemen!" he thought.
Anatol and Dolokhov also loved Balaga for his driving skills and for the fact that he loved what they did. Balaga dressed up with others, took twenty-five rubles for a two-hour ride, and only occasionally went with others, and sent more of his fellows. But with his masters, as he called them, he always rode himself and never demanded anything for his work. Only when he found out through the valets the time when there was money, he came every few months in the morning, sober and, bowing low, asked to help him out. Gentlemen always put him in prison.
“You’re going to challenge me, Father Fyodor Ivanovich or your Excellency,” he said. “I’ve been disheartened at all, so you can lend what you can to go to the market.
Both Anatol and Dolokhov, when they were in the money, gave him a thousand and two rubles each.
Balaga was fair-haired, with a red face and, in particular, a red, thick neck, a stocky, snub-nosed man, twenty-seven years old, with shiny small eyes and a small beard. He was dressed in a thin blue caftan with a silk lining, wearing a sheepskin coat.
He crossed himself at the front corner and went up to Dolokhov, holding out a small black hand.
- Fyodor Ivanovich! He said, bowing.
- Great, brother. - Well, here he is.
“Hello, your Excellency,” he said to Anatol who was entering, and he also held out his hand.
- I tell you, Balaga, - Anatole said, putting his hands on his shoulders, - do you love me or not? A? Now do the service ... Which one did you come to? A?
“As the ambassador ordered, on your animals,” said Balaga.
- Well, do you hear, Balaga! Cut all three, and to arrive at three o'clock. A?
- How will you cut it, on what will we go? - said Balaga, winking.
- Well, I'll break your face, don't joke! - suddenly, rolling his eyes, shouted Anatole.
- Why joke, - the coachman said with a laugh. - Will I regret it for my masters? That urine will gallop horses, then we will go.
- A! - said Anatole. - Well, sit down.
- Well, sit down! - said Dolokhov.
- Wait, Fyodor Ivanovich.
- Sit down, you're lying, drink, - said Anatole and poured him a large glass of Madeira. The driver's eyes shone on the wine. Refusing for decency, he drank and wiped himself off with a red silk handkerchief in his hat.
- Well, when to go then, Your Excellency?
- Why… (Anatole looked at his watch) now and go. Look, Balaga. A? Are you in time?
- But how is the departure - will he be happy, otherwise why not keep up? - said Balaga. - Delivered to Tver, at seven o'clock kept up. I suppose you remember, Your Excellency.
“You know, I went to Christmas from Tver once,” Anatole said with a smile of remembrance, addressing Makarin, who looked with all eyes at Kuragin with affection. - Do you believe, Makarka, that it was breathtaking as we flew. We drove into the wagon train, jumped over two carts. A?

Basic moments

This mountain system itself, not only separating the two continents, but also being an officially delineated cordon between them, belongs to Europe: the border is usually drawn along the eastern foot of the mountains. Formed as a result of the collision of the Eurasian and African lithospheric plates, the Ural Mountains cover a vast territory. It includes the vastness of the Sverdlovsk, Orenburg and Tyumen regions, the Perm Territory, Bashkortostan and the Komi Republic, as well as the Aktobe and Kostanay regions of Kazakhstan.

In its height, not exceeding 1895 meters, the mountain system is significantly inferior to such giants as the Himalayas and the Pamirs. For example, the peaks of the polar Urals are average in level - 600-800 meters, not to mention the fact that they are also the narrowest in the width of the ridge. However, there is an undoubted plus in such geological characteristics: they remain accessible to humans. And the point here is not so much about scientific research, but about the tourist attractiveness of the places along which they run. The landscape of the Ural Mountains is truly unique. Here crystal clear mountain streams and rivers begin their run, growing into larger bodies of water. Such large rivers as the Ural, Kama, Pechora, Chusovaya and Belaya also flow here.

For tourists, there are a wide variety of opportunities for recreation: both for real extreme lovers and for beginners. And the Ural Mountains are also a true treasury of minerals. In addition to deposits of coal, natural gas and oil, mines are being developed here, where copper, nickel, chromium, titanium, gold, silver, and platinum are mined. If we recall the tales of Pavel Bazhov, the Urals area is also rich in malachite. And also - emerald, diamond, crystal, amethyst, jasper and other precious stones.

The atmosphere of the Ural Mountains, regardless of whether you visit the North or South Urals, Subpolar or Middle, is indescribable. And their greatness, beauty, harmony and clean air charge with energy and positive, inspire and, of course, leave vivid impressions for the rest of your life.

History of the Ural Mountains

The Ural Mountains have been known since ancient times. In sources that have survived to this day, they are associated with the Hyperborean and Riphean mountains. So, Ptolemy pointed out that this mountain system consists of the Rimnus mountains (this is the present Middle Urals), Noros (South Urals) and the northern part - the Hyperborean mountains proper. In the first written sources of the XI century AD, due to its great length, it was called nothing but the "Earth belt".

In the first Russian chronicle "The Tale of Bygone Years", which refers to the same XI century, the mountains of the Urals were called by our compatriots Siberian, Belt or Big Stone. Under the name "Bolshoy Kamen", they were also put on the first map of the Russian state, also known as the "Bolshoi Drawing", published in the second half of the 16th century. Cartographers of those years depicted the Urals in the form of a mountain belt, from where many rivers originate.

There are many versions of the origin of the name of this mountain system. EK Hoffman, who developed the so-called Mansi version of this toponym, compares the name “Ural” with the Mansi word “ur”, which is translated as “mountain”. The second point of view, which is also very common, is the borrowing of the name from the Bashkir language. She, in the opinion of many scientists, seems to be the most convincing. After all, if you take the language, legends and traditions of this people - for example, the famous epic "Ural-Batyr" - it is easy to make sure that in them this toponym not only exists since ancient times, but is also supported from generation to generation.

Nature and climate

The natural landscape of the Ural Mountains is incredibly beautiful and multifaceted. Here you can not only look at the mountains themselves, but also go down into numerous caves, swim in the waters of local lakes, get a portion of thrills while rafting on rough rivers. Moreover, how exactly to travel, each tourist chooses for himself. Some people like independent hikes with a backpack on their shoulders, others prefer the more comfortable conditions of a sightseeing bus or the cabin of a personal car.

The fauna of the "Earth belt" is not less diverse. The predominant position in the local fauna is occupied by forest animals, whose habitat is coniferous, deciduous or mixed forests. So, in coniferous forests squirrels live, the basis of the diet of which are spruce seeds, and in winter these cute animals with a fluffy tail feed on previously stored pine nuts and dried mushrooms. The marten is widespread in local forests, the existence of which is difficult to imagine without the already mentioned squirrel, for which this predator hunts.

But the real wealth of these places is a fur game, the fame of which extends far beyond the region, for example, the sable that lives in the forests of the Northern Urals. True, it differs from the dark Siberian sable in its less beautiful reddish skin. Uncontrolled hunting for a valuable fluffy animal is prohibited at the legislative level. Without this prohibition, it would probably have already been completely destroyed.

The taiga forests of the Ural Mountains are also home to wolf, bear and elk traditional for Russia. Roe deer are found in mixed forests. On the plains adjacent to the mountain ranges, the hare and the fox feel at ease. We did not make a reservation: they live precisely on flat terrain, and the forest for them is just a shelter. And, of course, the crowns of trees are well inhabited by many species of birds.

As for the climate of the Ural Mountains, the geographical position plays an important role in this regard. In the north, this mountain system extends beyond the Arctic Circle, but most of the mountains are located in the temperate climatic zone. If you move from north to south along the perimeter of the mountain system, you can see how the temperature indicators gradually increase, which is especially noticeable in the summer. If in the north, during the warm season, the thermometer shows from +10 to +12 degrees, then in the south - from 20 to 22 degrees above zero. However, in winter, the temperature difference between north and south is not so dramatic. The average monthly temperature in January in the north is 20 degrees with a minus sign, in the south it is 16-18 degrees below zero.

Air masses moving from the Atlantic Ocean also have a noticeable effect on the climate of the Urals. And although the air becomes less humid as atmospheric currents move from the west towards the Urals, it cannot be called 100% dry either. As a result, more precipitation - 600-800 millimeters per year - falls on the western slope, while on the eastern this figure varies within 400-500 mm. But the eastern slopes of the Ural Mountains in winter fall under the power of a powerful Siberian anticyclone, while in the south, in the cold season, cloudy and cold weather sets in.

Such a factor as the relief of the mountain system also has a tangible effect on the fluctuations of the local climate. As you climb the mountain, you will feel the weather getting harsher. Different temperatures are felt even on different slopes, including those located in the neighborhood. Different areas of the Ural Mountains are characterized by an unequal amount of precipitation.

Sights of the Ural Mountains

One of the most famous protected areas of the Ural Mountains is the Olenyi Ruchyi park, located in the Sverdlovsk region. Curious tourists, especially those interested in ancient history, make a "pilgrimage" to the Pisanitsa rock located here, on the surface of which drawings made by ancient artists are applied. Caves and the Great Gap are of great interest. Olenyi Ruchyi has a fairly well-developed tourist infrastructure: there are special trails in the park, observation platforms, not to mention places for recreation. There are also cable cars.

If you are familiar with the work of the writer Pavel Bazhov, his famous "Malachite Box", then you will certainly be interested in visiting the natural park "Bazhovsky Places". The possibilities for good rest and relaxation are simply magnificent here. You can go for walks, as well as cycling and horseback riding. Passing along specially designed and thoughtful routes, you will take in the picturesque landscapes, you will be able to climb the Markov Kamen mountain and visit the Talkov Kamen lake. Extremists usually flock here in the summer to go kayaking and kayaking down mountain rivers. Travelers come here in winter as well, enjoying snowmobiling.

If you appreciate the natural beauty of semi-precious stones - just natural, not subject to processing - be sure to visit the Rezhevskaya reserve, which unites deposits of not only precious, but also semi-precious and ornamental stones. It is forbidden to travel to the places of extraction on your own - you must be accompanied by an employee of the reserve, but this in no way affects the impressions of what you see. The Rezhevsky river runs through the territory of Rezhevsky, it was formed as a result of the confluence of Bolshoy Sapa and Ayati - rivers originating in the Ural mountains. The Shaitan-stone, popular among travelers, is located on the right bank of the Rezhi. The Urals consider this stone to be the focus of mystical natural forces that help in various life situations. One may or may not believe in it, but the flow of tourists who come to the stone with various requests to the higher powers does not dry up.

Of course, the Ural attracts with a magnet lovers of extreme tourism, who gladly visit its caves, of which there are a huge number. The most famous are Shulgan-Tash, or Kapova, and the Kungur Ice Cave. The length of the latter is almost 6 km, of which only one and a half kilometers are accessible to tourists. On the territory of the Kungura ice cave there are 50 grottoes, over 60 lakes and countless stalactites and stalagmites. The temperature is always below freezing in the cave, so dress like a winter walk to visit the cave. The visual effect of the splendor of its interior decoration is enhanced by special lighting. But in the Kapova cave, researchers discovered rock paintings, the age of which is estimated at 14 thousand years or more. About 200 works of ancient masters of the brush have become the property of our time, although there were probably more of them. Travelers can also admire the underground lakes and visit the grottoes, galleries and numerous halls spread over three levels.

If the caves of the Ural Mountains create a winter atmosphere at any time of the year, then some sights are best visited in winter. One of them is the ice fountain, which is located in the Zyuratkul National Park and arose thanks to the efforts of geologists who drilled a well in this place. Moreover, this is not just a fountain in our usual "urban" sense, but a fountain of underground waters. With the onset of winter, it freezes and turns into a voluminous icicle of a bizarre shape, impressive also with its 14-meter height.

Many Russians, in order to improve their health, go to foreign thermal springs, for example, to the Czech Karlovy Vary or the Gellert Baths in Budapest. But why rush across the cordon, if our native Ural is also rich in thermal springs? To undergo a full course of healing procedures, it is enough to come to Tyumen. The hot springs here are rich in trace elements useful for human health, and the water temperature in them ranges from +36 to +45 degrees Celsius, depending on the season. We add that modern recreation centers have been built on these springs. Mineral waters are also treated in the health-improving complex "Ust-Kachka", which is located not far from Perm and is unique in terms of the chemical composition of its waters. Summer recovery here can be combined with boating and catamarans, in winter there are ice slides, skating rinks and full-fledged ski slopes.

Despite the fact that waterfalls are not so typical for the Ural Mountains, they are there and attract the attention of tourists. Among them is the Plakun waterfall, located on the right bank of the Sylva River. It throws down fresh water from a height exceeding 7 m. Its other name is Ilyinsky, it was given by local residents and visitors who consider this source to be holy. There is also a waterfall near Yekaterinburg, named for its roaring "temper" Roar. Its peculiarity is that it is handmade. He throws his waters down from a height of more than 5 meters. When the summer heat sets in, visitors are happy to step under its jets, cooling down and getting hydromassage, and completely free of charge.

Video: South Ural

Major cities of the Urals

The millionth Yekaterinburg, the administrative center of the Sverdlovsk region, is called the capital of the Urals. It is, unofficially, the third capital of Russia after Moscow and St. Petersburg and the third capital of Russian rock. It is a large industrial metropolis, which is especially charming in winter. He generously falls asleep with snow, under the cover of which he resembles a giant who fell asleep in a deep sleep, and you never know exactly when he will wake up. But when you get enough sleep, do not hesitate, it will definitely unfold to its fullest potential.

Yekaterinburg usually makes a strong impression on its guests - first of all, with many architectural sights. Among them are the famous Church on the Blood, erected on the site of the execution of the last Russian emperor and his family, the Sverdlovsk rock club, the building of the former District Court, museums of various subjects and even an unusual monument ... an ordinary computer keyboard. The capital of the Urals is also famous for its shortest metro in the world, entered in the Guinness Book of Records: there are only 9 km of 7 stations.

Chelyabinsk and Nizhny Tagil also gained wide popularity in Russia, and above all thanks to the popular comedy show "Our Russia". The characters of the show, beloved by the audience, of course, are fictional, but tourists are still interested in where to find Ivan Dulin, the world's first milling machine of non-traditional sexual orientation, and Vovan and Gena, unlucky and drinking-loving Russian tourists who constantly find themselves in frankly tragicomic situations. One of the business cards of Chelyabinsk are two monuments: Love, made in the form of an iron tree, and Lefty with a shod flea. The panorama of the local factories located above the Miass River is also impressive in the city. But in the Nizhny Tagil Museum of Fine Arts, you can see a painting by Raphael - the only one in our country that can be found outside the Hermitage.

Another Ural city that has gained fame thanks to television is Perm. It is here that "real boys" live, who have become heroes of the series of the same name. Perm claims to be the next cultural capital of Russia, and this idea is actively lobbied by designer Artemy Lebedev, who is working on the external appearance of the city, and gallery owner Marat Gelman, who specializes in contemporary art.

Orenburg, which is called the land of endless steppes, is also a real historical treasure of the Urals and all of Russia. At one time, he survived the siege of the troops of Emelyan Pugachev, its streets and walls remember the visits of Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin, Taras Grigorievich Shevchenko and the wedding of the first cosmonaut of the Earth, Yuri Alekseevich Gagarin.

In Ufa, another Ural city, there is a symbolic sign "Zero kilometer". The local post office is the very point from which the distance to other points on our planet is measured. Another famous landmark of the capital of Bashkortostan is the Ufa bronze sign, which is a disc with a one and a half meter diameter and weighing a whole ton. And in this city - at least that's what the locals assure - there is the tallest equestrian statue on the European continent. This is a monument to Salavat Yulaev, who is also called the Bashkir Bronze Horseman. The horse on which this associate of Emelyan Pugachev sits rises above the Belaya River.

Ski resorts of the Urals

The most important ski resorts in the Urals are concentrated in three regions of our country: the Sverdlovsk and Chelyabinsk regions, as well as in Bashkortostan. Zavyalikha, Bannoe and Abzakovo are the most famous of them. The first is located near the town of Trekhgorny, the last two - near Magnitogorsk. According to the results of the competition, which is held within the framework of the International Congress of the Alpine Ski Industry, Abzakovo was recognized as the best ski resort in the Russian Federation in the 2005-2006 season.

A whole scattering of ski resorts is concentrated in the regions of the Middle and South Urals. Thrill-seekers and just curious tourists who want to try themselves in such an "adrenaline" sport as alpine skiing come here almost all year round. Travelers will find good trails for skiing, tobogganing and snowboarding.

In addition to skiing, downhill skiing is very popular among travelers. Fans of such alloys, which also increase the level of adrenaline, go for thrills in Miass, Magnitogorsk, Asha or Kropchayevo. True, you won't be able to get to your destination quickly, since you will have to travel by train or by car.

The holiday season in the Urals lasts on average from October-November to April. During this period, another popular pastime was snowmobiling and quad biking. In Zavyalikh, which has become one of the most popular tourist spots, a special trampoline was even installed. Experienced athletes practice complex elements and tricks on it.

How to get there

Getting to all the major Ural cities will not be difficult, so the region of this majestic mountain system is one of the most convenient for domestic tourists. The flight from Moscow will take only three hours, and if you prefer to travel by train, the journey by rail will take a little more than a day.

The main Ural city, as we have already said, is Yekaterinburg, located in the Middle Urals. Due to the fact that the Ural Mountains themselves are not high, it was possible to lay several transport routes leading to Siberia from Central Russia. In particular, on the territory of this region you can travel along the famous railway artery - the Transsib.

Often people are captivated by some words that are often used in communication and books (encyclopedias, student and school textbooks), not really thinking about their meaning.

For example, it would seem, the word "Ural" ... It is so familiar and everyone seems clear and understandable. But his meaning is most likely ambiguous. What is the Ural? Let's try to figure it out in this article.

Ural as a mountainous country

Few know what the Ural is. This mountain range is over 2000 meters long. What is its geographic location? It stretches from north to south, dividing Europe and Asia and the two largest plains - the West Siberian and Russian steppe lowlands.

Description of mountains

The Ural Mountains are the oldest rocks, badly destroyed by time. The stone belt of these mountains, together with the adjacent plains of the Urals, stretches from the north (from the shores of the Arctic Ocean) to the south to the semi-desert territories of Kazakhstan. So what is Ural? What does this word mean if translated from the Turkic language? It means "belt" (in more detail about the meaning of the word below). Amazing nature, mesmerizing with its inaccessible harsh beauty - all this is the Urals. Where else can you see such splendor?

Many territories of the Urals are nature reserves, among which the most famous are the following: Zyuratkul, Taganay, Arkaim, Arakul, Denezhkin stone, Kungurskaya cave, Kvarkush, Olenyi streams. What other meaning is hidden in the word "Ural"? What is it in reality and what appears to all of us when we encounter this term?

Ural as a region

Officially, the Ural is a geographic region. The main part of this Russian region is represented by the Ural mountain system. Its southern zone includes a part of the Ural River basin, which flows into the Caspian Sea. The region is located, as noted above, at the junction of Asia and Europe. It starts from the shores of the Kara Sea and ends at Mugodzhar (the southern spur of the Ural Mountains in Kazakhstan).

The Urals are economically and historically closely related to the Trans-Urals and the Cis-Urals. These are territories adjacent to it from the east and west. In all these areas, the following republics, regions and territories of Russia are located in aggregate: Bashkortostan, Kurgan, Chelyabinsk, Sverdlovsk and Orenburg regions and Udmurtia, eastern parts of the Arkhangelsk region and the Komi Republic, the western part of the Tyumen region. In Kazakhstan, two regions belong to the Urals: Kustanai and Aktobe.

The value of the region

Ural - what is it? What does it represent for Russia in economic terms? Since the earliest times, the Ural has amazed many researchers with an abundance of a wide variety of minerals, which is the main treasure of these regions.

A huge variety of minerals are stored in the depths of the Ural Mountains. They contain copper and iron ores, nickel and chromium, zinc and cobalt, oil and coal, gold and other precious stones. These places have long been the largest mining and metallurgical base in Russia. In addition to all, the vast forest resources can be attributed to the riches of these places. The Middle and South Urals have vast opportunities for the development of agriculture. This natural region is the most important for the whole of Russia and its citizens.

A little about the toponym

There are many versions of the origin of the toponym (the proper name of the geographical object) "Ural". According to the results of studies of the languages ​​of the peoples living in the region, there is a basic version about the origin of the name of the area - this name is formed from the Bashkir language. And in fact, of all the peoples living in these places, this name has long existed only among the Bashkirs and is supported by the legends and traditions of this people (for example, the epic "Ural-Batyr").

The Ural is multinational. What does it mean for other nations? In addition to the Bashkirs, the rest of the indigenous peoples of these mountainous places (Komi, Khanty, Udmurts, Mansi) have other names for the Ural Mountains. It is also known that the Russians learned about such a name as Uraltau from the Bashkirs in the middle of the 16th century, translating it as Araltova Gora. In this regard, it is generally accepted that the name of the mountains is associated with the Turkic word "aral" (translated as "island") or with "uralmak" (translated as "encircle" or "enclose").

One can talk about this amazing "country" called the Urals for an infinitely long time. The works of great writers and poets are dedicated to her, wonderful paintings have been painted by famous artists. a huge number of nature lovers, and its peaks are conquered by courageous and courageous climbers. All peoples living in this region have their own unique history and culture, which deserves attention and respect.

The Ural is a mountainous region rich in natural resources. Mineral resources such as coal, oil, nickel, gold, platinum, iron and copper ores, precious stones, etc. are widespread here. In addition, the Ural boasts its forest and water resources and beautiful landscapes that attract travelers here. Let's take a closer look at where the Urals are located.

Geographical position of the Urals

The geographic region of the Urals is located on the Eurasia mainland and is located between the East European and West Siberian plains. It is along the eastern foot of the Urals that the border between two parts of the world passes: Europe and Asia.

The Ural stretches from the Arctic Ocean to the Caspian lowland for 2.5 thousand km. The main part of the region is the Ural mountain system, which is 2 thousand km. It is customary to divide the Urals (from north to south) into the following parts:

  • Pai-Hoi;
  • Polar Urals;
  • Subpolar Urals;
  • Northern Urals;
  • Middle Urals;
  • Southern Urals;
  • Mugodzhary.

The highest point of the Urals is in the Subpolar Urals - Mount Narodnaya, 1895 m above sea level. Other highest points of the Urals include the mountains: Payer (1499 m), Manaraga (1662 m), Telposiz (1617 m), Oslyanka (1119 m), Yamantau (1640 m).

Ural on the world map

In order to easily find the Urals on the map, you first need to find the South Island of the Novaya Zemlya archipelago. To the south of it is the Yugorsk peninsula - it is here that the northernmost region of the Urals - the Pai-Khoi ridge is located, further along the Ural ridge it stretches to the territory of Kazakhstan and ends in the Mugodzhary mountains near the shores of the Aral Sea.