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The sculpture of Matsesta has become a symbol of the world-famous Matsesta resort and one of the main and most recognizable symbolic images of Sochi.

Pseudo-Arrian in the V century AD mentions the fortress of Bagu (IV-V centuries AD), which can be cross-referenced with the fortification located to the South-East of Lazarevskoye, on the very shore of the sea.

Dolmens are the monuments of the middle bronze age, and they are the religious buildings that served as memorial tombs and the burial places. However, modern scientists see the dolmens not only as tombs, but also as observatories and temples. The word ‘dolmen’ translated from the Celtic language means ‘the stone table’. Those stone structures built of huge slabs or blocks cut out of sandstone, are, indeed, very similar to stone tables. One can enter the dolmen through a small opening, with a stone stopper which served for closing. The dolmens existing In the vicinity of Sochi are dated the Ist or IInd Millennium BC. According to the method of their construction the dolmens may belong to monolithic, composite, and tile-shaped type. Volkonsky dolmen is located in the gorge of the river Godric that in 200-300 meters off the Sochi-Novorossiysk motorway. Some scientists think that it is an ancient sanctuary used by our ancestors for meditation. Volkonsky dolmen belongs to the monolithic dolmens, i.e. stone tables, carved from a huge Sandstone boulder. The flat platform of this dolmen is carved at the height of four meters in a huge fragment of Sandstone rock. Above the platform there hangs a facade wall with a hole. That hole served for carving all the way through to the main chamber, which has the shape of a horseshoe and a spherical ceiling. The only convenient approach to the dolmen with steps is located at the end of the wall and leads from the platform available in front of the facade, to the depression the depth and diameter of which are approximately 60 cm, located on the roof of the dolmen. In course of its construction part of Volkonsky dolmen structure facade with the help of a saw cut in the monolith was turned to face the summer solstice. Dolmen got its name in honor of Princess Volkonskaya, who spent a lot of time near it. The structure was built about nine and a half thousand years ago. It turns out that even at that time people already had certain knowledge and techniques associated with cutting premises in hard rock. Some dolmens are located near water springs, and Volkonsky dolmen is near a mineral water source. There is a beautiful legend which is associated with the Volkonsky dolmen. One young man from a rich and noble family fell in love with a girl who was beautiful but poor and of humble origin. His brother forbade him to marry the girl, as such a marriage would have been a disgrace to the family. Hearing this, the unfortunate lover exclaimed that it was better to turn into a stone than to live without his sweetheart, and the heaven immediately fulfilled his request. The older brother, struck by what was had happened, repented and asked to share the fate of his brother. So there were two stone statues. The beautiful bride could not live without her love and turned into a small river with clean cool water. The locations details of the dolmen are Lazarevskoe forestry, quarter 87, Volkonka village, 1 km to the East of the mouth of the river Godlik, the right bank, 200 m away from the Novorossiysk-Sochi motorway.

Sea Port of Sochi The Sea Port of Sochi consists of a large sea terminal complex and two passenger berths with a total length of 330 meters. Currently, the seaport is able to accommodate vessels of up to 220 meters long. The territory of the port is beautifully designed. Not far from the waterfront, there is a round gazebo, from where you can watch the magnificent seascape. In the Central part of the station, there is a waiting lounge. Travelers get impressed with the beauty of the interior decoration of this room: the abundance of modeling, mirrors, comfortable furniture, sofas, chairs, tables. Interesting are the columns of the lobby, decorated with majolica tiles and floors inlaid with mosaic. The South and North sides of the sea station are decorated with two symmetrically arranged courtyards with a tall colonnade, richly decorated with sculptures. The part of the building located on the sea side is of great architectural interest. The building of the seaport is decorated with a tower with a spire, the height of which reaches 36 meters. The tower has three tiers of sculpture. The first sculptural ensemble is located at an altitude of 20 meters and consists of four five-meter allegorical figures. The theme of the composition is The Seasons. In it, winter, spring, autumn and summer are presented in the form of female figures. Sculptures of the second tier are located at an altitude of 26 meters; they depict the cardinal directions. The last tier of decorative sculptures in the form of twelve dolphins is set at an altitude of 35 meters. They surround the base of the spire like tongues of flame. The territory of the sea station is set forth with three fountains. The largest fountain is located in front of the main entrance to the station, and two small fountains - in the inner covered courtyards. The bowl of the large fountain is seven meters in diameter. In the center of the bowl there is an allegorical sculpture known as Navigation, in its hands it has a compass, a telescope and other symbolic objects. According to the Sochi residents, the building of the Sea Port is the hallmark of the city. They are proud of it and protect it as a historical monument.

Founded in 1899, the Pushkin Library is one of the oldest in Sochi. The collection was created at the initiative, and with the donations, of local citizens to mark the centenary of the birth of the great Russian poet Alexander Pushkin. 

This well-known natural wonder is the pride of Lazarevsky district of Sochi. Mamed’s Gorge is situated in the valley of the river Kuapse. The history of the gorge is associated with the legend of an old man named Mamed. According to the legend, many years ago there was an Adyghe village in that place. Once the men of the village went to visit a neighboring village, leaving the women and the old man whose name was Mamed at home. Just at this time, the Turkish army landed on the shore. Mamed ordered all women and children to hide fr om the enemy high in the mountains, and remained all by himself to wait for the invaders. No matter how they tortured the poor old man to find out where the whole village had gone, Mamed would not confess. Only after some time the wise man agreed to show the way, but only he led the enemies in the opposite direction, wh ere the narrow mountain trails passed along the edge of a cliff. Having caught the old man in a lie, the soldiers killed Mamed in the gorge, which now bears his name. There is another legend: many guides say that if you bathe in these waterfalls there, you can get what you really want. However, it should be noted that the water in the gorge is very cold, so it is not so easy to make a decision to try.

One of the most mysterious attractions of Sochi is located on the territory of the famous Krasnaya Polyana. Six stone structures can be seen in the valley of Besinci, on the slope of the Achishkho mountain. Two dolmens are stone slab structures, and the four other ones are shaped like wells and built of smaller stone blocks. Historians assume that, in Krasnaya Polyana area, under a layer of soil there may be a few other similar dolmens. Scientists say that those mysterious objects are not less than 4000 years old! No one can name the exact purpose of the huge multi-ton slab structures, but many researchers show the interest in them to this day. You can get to the Krasnopolyansk dolmens on your own: on foot or by off-roader. The one way walk to the dolmens takes about an hour. First, take a bus to Zapovednaya Street, and then walk from the bus stop to the end of Achishkhovskaya street. After that, take the country road upstream the Beshenka river. You can also visit this mysterious attraction with an organized tour. A visit to Krasnaya Polyana dolmens can be conveniently combined with a mountain hike.

Kapibge Dolmens are located on the territory of Lazarevskoye forestry constituting a part of Sochi National Park, and trace their history back to the Bronze Age. The mysterious dolmens are the megalithic tombs that keep the secrets of more than one century. The array includes three oldest dolmens: two of them were partially destroyed, and one has survived to the present day in fact in its original form. It is the very one which is commonly called the Wishmaster. This unusual place attracts not only historians and archaeologists, but also many fans of mysteries and mysticism, willing to unravel the secrets of the ancient dolmens. Kapibge Dolmens are located on the Ashe river, near the auls called Shafit and Khadzhiko. To get to the dolmen area, fr om Lazarevskoye take the shuttle bus, which stops at Khadzhiko. When in the aul, walk a couple of kilometers on foot to the shore of the river Ashe wh ere you will be able to see the dolmens. The route paths leading to the dolmen group are in summary of about 1.1 km long. The entrance to the territory of the Sochi National Park is charged.

If your trip includes a visit to the famous resorts of Krasnaya Polyana, do not forget to visit the ruins of the fortress Achipse. The mysterious fortress of Achipse is one of the most interesting and well-known Krasnaya Polyana sights. The cultural property sight takes its history from the early middle Ages (VII-X century) and is located on the crest of the mountains at the confluence of the rivers Achipse and Mzymta, to the north of the village called Esto-Sadok. Hundreds of years ago, the object was the principal bastion in the line of fortresses located along one of the roads of the Great Silk Route. Archaeologists note that during the excavations they found numerous fragments of ceramic and glassware, as well as individual metal objects. It is also known that the length of the strong fortress wall was almost 700 meters. Unfortunately, the ruins of the walls of the once largest settlement of the early medieval era have survived to this day. The height of the preserved walls in some places reaches 5 meters. Complexity level: easy. Route length: 10 km. Duration: 3 hours.

The most popular mountain destination among travelers to the Sochi region is Mount Akhun, which is located three kilometers from the Black Sea.