Beshtau Mountain

Mount Beshtau is a laccolith, or a "failed volcano," with a height of 1401 meters, which is the highest peak of Pyatigorye. In the mid-20th century, uranium ore was mined in its depths, leaving behind a network of dangerous adits, and the ore was processed at a plant in the area of the city of Lermontov. On the southwestern slope of the mountain, the Uspensky Vtora-Athos Monastery, founded by monks from Athos, has been revived since 1904. The massif consists of five main peaks, thanks to which the mountain has a characteristic five-headed silhouette and is included in the panoramas opening from neighboring heights.