Elbrus is the highest peak in Russia and Europe, one of the most popular peaks among climbers around the world. During the Great Patriotic War, desperate battles were fought for Elbrus, and Hitler wanted to call the mountain by his own name.
Name
Not everyone calls Elbrus Elbrus. In the Karachai-Balkar language, it is called "Mingi-tau", which can be translated as "eternal mountain". The Kabardian name of the mountain is Oshkhamaho (the mountain of happiness), the Adyghe name is Kuskhyamakhu (the mountain that brings happiness). Elbrus has at least ten names. Its usual name for us came either from the Iranian Aitibares (high mountain), or from the Zend Elburs, which means “shiny, sparkling”, or from the Georgian word Yalbuz, which goes back to the Turkic “yal” - storm, “buz” - ice. The 17th century Ottoman traveler Evliya elebi mentioned the name Elbars in his notes, which translates as “mountain of the leopard people”.
Volcano
Elbrus is a stratovolcano. In the course of geological research, it was found that the last eruption of Elbrus was in the 50s of our era. On Elbrus, geologists also discovered ash from two eruptions that occurred 45 and 40 thousand years ago. The first is the eruption of Elbrus itself, the second is the eruption of Kazbek. It is believed that the second manifestation of volcanic activity was the reason for the exodus of the Neanderthals from the mountain caves.
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Glaciers
Elbrus is covered with 23 glaciers, the area of which is more than 130 square kilometers. Elbrus supplies water to almost the entire North Caucasus. Its glaciers give life to three large rivers - Kuban, Malka and Baksan.
Climbing
The height of Elbrus was first determined in 1813 by the Russian academician Vikentiy Vishnevsky. The first ascent to the eastern peak (5621 meters) of Elbrus took place in 1829. It was made by a group led by General Georgy Emmanuel, the first to climb the summit was the guide Kilar Khashirov. The higher western peak (5,642 meters) was conquered in 1874 by an English expedition led by Florence Grove. And again the first at the peak was the conductor - the Balkarian Akhii Sottayev.
Russian military topographer Andrei Vasilievich Pastukhov climbed the western peak in 1890, and six years later - the eastern one. Thus, he became the first person to conquer both peaks. In addition, he compiled detailed maps of both peaks.
Today Elbrus is one of the most popular peaks among climbers. According to the mountaineering classification, the mountain is assessed as 2A snow-ice, the passage of both peaks - 2B. There are other, more difficult routes, for example, Elbrus (Z) along the NW edge 3A.
Hitler's Peak
On August 21, 1942, a group of the best climbers of the 1st Mountain Rifle Division, led by Captain Heinz Groth, conquered both peaks of Elbrus. The purpose of the ascent was to plant the flags of the Third Reich. Goebbels' propaganda did not miss the opportunity and presented this event as an almost unconditional conquest of the Caucasus. The German press then wrote: "At the highest point of Europe, the top of Elbrus, the German flag flutters, and soon it will appear on Kazbek as well." As the fact that the Caucasus belonged to Germany, the western summit of Elbrus, the German authorities intended to name the name of the Fuhrer. All participants in the ascent were awarded with Iron Crosses, as well as special tokens with the image of the contours of Elbrus and the inscription "Hitler's Peak". But the joy of the ascents did not last long, already in the winter of 1942-1943, the Nazis were knocked out of the slopes of Elbrus,On February 13 and 17, 1943, Soviet flags were erected on both peaks.
Shelter of Eleven
In 1909, the chairman of the Caucasian Mountain Society Rudolf Leitzinger stopped with a group of ten schoolchildren at a halt at an altitude of 4130 meters. At this place in 1932 was built a hotel-transfer point for mountaineers, which became the highest hotel in Europe. In 1938, a new three-storey building was erected on the site of a wooden hotel, which stood for 60 years.
During World War II, on September 28, 1942, a battle took place at the Shelter of Eleven between the NKVD troops and the German mountain rifle unit. In memory of this, a museum was set up on the third floor of the hotel by enthusiasts.
On August 16, 1998, Shelter of Eleven burned down due to negligent handling of the fire. Today, a new hotel is being built on this site, albeit very slowly, and tourists can stay in a building built in 2001 on the site of a diesel station, as well as in the Liprus shelter, located at an altitude of 3912 meters, or in the acclimatization shelter. Barrels at an altitude of 3750 meters. A cable car leads to it.