Stone crosses of the Sukko Valley. The enchanting beauty of the picturesque Sukko Valley Tracts of the Sukko Valley map
The Western Caucasus Mountains gradually begin to gain height where the noisy Malaya Anapa already ends. The Sukko Valley is one of the landscapes on the border with the Novorossiysk coastal agglomeration. A wonderful holiday is available to you here, because in this recreation there is a quite fashionable hotel. This is also the starting point for horseback riding trips, which are so popular among Russian school-aged tourists.
Where is the Sukko Valley?
It is founded by the bed of the river of the same name, “born” in the depths of the Bolshoy Utrish nature reserve and flowing into the sea in the village of Sukko (this is south of Varvarovka).
On the map the Sukko Valley is located like this:
Open map
Historical facts and origin
Even in ancient times, this winding intermountain region was inhabited by four peoples - the ancestors of the Circassians, the Greeks, the Iranian-speaking Sindians and the multinational population of the Bosporus. In the Middle Ages, the territory became part of first the Byzantine and then various Turkic empires, the last of which was called Ottoman. At the same time, the Greeks and Adygs-Natukhais continued to live in the valley. For anti-Russian speeches during the Caucasian wars, abreks and their families were expelled from their lands in 1962.
The Natukhais called the reservoir and the crevice it created “Boar River,” apparently hinting at a large watering hole for wild boars. Over time, the toponym “Sukko” spread to the village, which is higher up at the river mouth, and later to the reservoir (lake) formed here. Even before the Great Patriotic War, the Sukko Valley received the status of a protected recreation. Nowadays it is part of the Bolshoy Utrish protected natural area, which also attracts tourists and travelers who come.
Excursions and visits
Supsekh and Varvarovka - this is where Anapa ends in the extreme south. The Sukko Valley extends even further south. Although this is part of the named urban district, it is no longer a resort suburb. Below it, Russians know a popular resort - a fragment, which is already the border with the urban district of Novorossiysk. There are three beams and 12 streams in total, each object is a separate attraction.
At the mouth of the Sukko River it is covered with small and in some places medium pebbles. The entry into the water here is deep, the water is clean. The swimming area is a bay surrounded (directly by the sea) by “bald” slopes (mountains Soldatskaya and Lysaya). On one of them, the name of the village is laid out in large light stones - this is the only thing that this locality has in common with Hollywood. In addition to private houses and several establishments in the hotel sector, buildings and branches of the Smena All-Russian Children's Center are scattered throughout. The so-called pioneer trails to the mountains start from the camp territory.
However, if we go even a hundred meters upstream, we will find that the river channel along the banks is becoming more and more green. Closer to the center of the Utrish Peninsula, the banks of the river are more densely covered with subtropical forest. In addition to coniferous representatives of the flora, pistachio, oak, beech, juniper and hornbeam (the main inhabitant of the Western Caucasus) are found in this thicket. All trails will ultimately lead to near the village of Maly Utrish. Although the river can be forded in some places, it is “living” - it does not dry out even in the heat. However, heat is not a frequent visitor here.
Walks and rest
An instructor equestrian route runs through the canyon, one of the sections of which touches the banks of the picturesque. Oddly enough, it is also called Sukko. Huge cypress trees “sink” in this reservoir, and a swamp is built on the shore. However, these objects, the cultural program of which is “tailored” mainly for adult tourists, are a topic for a separate discussion.
“Tent campers” can choose many places for their camping bivouacs - both in places closely squeezed by mountain formations and in the wide (seaside) part of the riverbed. However, those who are accustomed to comfort can enjoy the coziness, which was dubbed on a geographical basis - “Valley of Sukko”. Travelers are offered “Standards”, “Studios” and “Suites”. In the courtyard, which houses a summer cafe and a children's playground, there is also an outdoor swimming pool. The complex consists of three buildings. He is 7 years old.
If you decide to climb very deep into one of the gullies of the valley, then buy everything you need in Sukko or Supsekh (you can go to the territory of the natural attraction directly from this town).
How to get (get there) from Anapa?
The lowland formed by the bed of the Sukko River meets the vacationer immediately behind Lysaya Gora, if you move along the shore from the center of Malaya Anapa. It is more realistic to take a minibus to Sukko.
By car you can get to the Sukko Valley like this:
Open map
Note to tourists
- Address: Sukko village, Anapa, Krasnodar region, Russia.
- GPS coordinates: 44.799616, 37.396064.
The resorts of the Western Caucasus have many winding tracts overgrown with virgin relict forest. One of them is depicted in a thousand photos. The Sukko Valley and the lake located within it have earned glowing reviews on various tourism resources. Many of them are dedicated to the local tourism infrastructure, so you can also find out prices for accommodation in the hotel of the same name or restaurant menus. Better yet, just come here and see everything for yourself! In conclusion, we offer a short video about the natural monument, enjoy watching.
The resort town of Anapa is located in the foothills of the North Caucasus and is famous not only for its unique climate, but also for its picturesque places. A plain with vineyards approaches from the north, the sea from the west, and mountains from the east and south. The mountains are not high, 200 - 300 meters in height, but behind them there are higher ridges with valleys and streams. One of the largest valleys is called the Sukko Valley. The valley is so named after the Sukko River flowing through it. The river is not large, and in many places it can be forded, but it does not dry out even in the summer heat. The river is surrounded by centuries-old trees, often 3-4 girths: poplars, elms, willows, oaks. The river originates from the area where the famous Lake Abray-Durso is located. In the upper reaches of the river the valley is very mountainous, but the closer to the sea the mountains part, the valley has a plain stretching for tens of kilometers, surrounded by mountains. The Caucasus Mountains begin here; they are low, about 300-400 meters. The surrounding mountains are covered with deciduous forests, consisting mainly of oaks and beeches. In the Sukko Valley there are also groves of pine and relict juniper, which release aromatic resins on hot summer days. Thanks to them, the air in the valley acquires beneficial properties.
3d overview of the Sukko Valley
The climate in the valley is simply unique. The average annual temperature in Sukko is 11-12 degrees C. In winter, Sukko is 2 degrees warmer than in Anapa. The average annual precipitation is about 450 mm. Precipitation falls mainly in the form of rain. For comparison, in Anapa the average annual precipitation is 350 mm. The predominant wind direction on an annual basis is northeast. And again the advantage is that the wind here does not accelerate so much and is much lower than on the plain. Spring is relatively short. In March, negative temperatures are no longer observed. From mid-April, warm weather sets in in the Sukko Valley. But the temperature rises smoothly without sudden changes - the sea does not warm up until it warms up, and the sudden warming is held back. The summer period lasts about 200 days. The average daily temperature of the warmest month of August is 23 degrees C, the maximum reaches 40 degrees C. There are practically no hot summer nights in the valley thanks to the mountains. Precipitation has the character of short-term showers. The summer heat is somewhat moderated by sea breezes. Autumn is characterized by a gradual decrease in temperatures and an increase in cloudiness. At the beginning of autumn, warm, partly cloudy weather is observed. The first frosts appear only from mid-November. The swimming season in Sukko lasts from May to the end of October. The water temperature on the sea surface in June is 19*C, increases by August to 24*C and decreases in September to 20*C.
Thanks to this favorable combination of conditions, a resort began to develop in the Sukko Valley. On the coast there is a children's health and educational camp "Smena", closed between the Lysaya (west) and Soldatskaya (south) mountains. The creative team of the film magazine “Yeralash” traditionally comes to the camp every summer to film stories. In addition to OOL "Smena", there are several boarding houses on the coast: "Ivushka", "Aurora", "Zolotoy Bereg", Children's health camp "Energetik". To the south of the village there is the Bolshoy Utrish nature reserve. The village borders a nature reserve in the area between the Black Sea coast and the road leading to the village of Bolshoi Utrish.
The famous children's resort Anapa is 14 km away, but the conditions are somewhat different. The narrow beach in Sukko consists of magnificent small and medium pebbles. Literally after 5-10 m the depth begins, so the water is cleaner and clearer than in Anapa on the sandy beaches. The microclimate of Sukko is slightly different from Anapa. Precipitation is more frequent, the northeast wind is weaker, it is not so hot in summer, and somewhat warmer in winter. The climatic conditions of the resort are favorable for treatment and recreation throughout the year. The number of hours of sunshine per year is 2394. The number of days without sun is 48. Favorable climate in the warm season of the year, pebble beaches for air baths and sun treatment, sea bathing in crystal clear water, mineral water, walks in the mountains, medicinal varieties of table grapes, medicines from sea hydrobionts (mussels, rapana, oysters, algae) the uniqueness of the healing factors of Sukko. The history of the Sukko Valley has a long period. In ancient times, the Sukko Valley was inhabited by the Greeks, in the Middle Ages by the Zikhs, and later by the Natukhais, one of the Adyghe tribes. The Greeks founded the city of Gorgipia on the site of Anapa, thanks to which trade relations developed in the area. Later, the Sindhis owned territory on the coast. The museum of the health resort “Working Shift” contains the remains of antique ceramics found on the site of an ancient Greek settlement near the seashore, as well as household items of the Natukhais. In the middle of the 19th century, the village of Sukko consisted of 200 houses. Its inhabitants were engaged in agriculture and trade, and the Natukhais obtained the missing means of subsistence through predatory raids. The village was for many years the center of the mountaineers' resistance against Russia, and this struggle was supported by smuggled weapons from Turkey. However, in 1840, the Natukhaevites made reconciliation with the Russians. A few years later, the Natukhais, incited by Turkey, again opposed Russia, but were eventually defeated, and in 1862, not wanting to move from their native mountains to the plain, they were forced to leave for Turkey. 15,000 Natukhais left their homes. In 1869, the most fertile lands of Sukko (6000 acres) were received from the emperor by Count M.T. Loris-Melikov for his services in the war with Turkey and successful negotiations on the resettlement of the highlanders to it. Having become a large landowner, the count sent a manager to Sukko, instructing him to arrange the estate and plant vineyards. The deserted lands of the Natukhais were gradually settled by settlers from Russia and abroad. At the beginning of the 20th century, the Sukko Valley became inhabited by magnificent places with estates and dachas, peasant houses, gardens and vineyards. In 1910, one of the Kharkov magazines wrote that “it is planned to build a grandiose resort on the estate of Count Loris-Melikov “Sukko”. But these plans were interrupted by the First World War. Modern attractions of the Sukko Valley are not only picturesque mountains and a healing sea. In one of the gorges adjacent to the valley there is the picturesque Lake Sukko, in the middle of the lake, unique swamp cypresses grow right in the water, which are not found anywhere else in the Caucasus since their homeland is the American continent - Mexico, where they reach a height of 40 -50 meters. Their peculiarity is that they are completely impervious to rotting.
There is an equestrian base in the lake area, where special routes are organized for horseback riding to sights.
In addition to horseback riding routes, there are walking and jeep routes.
Fans of fishing can also be offered fishing with a fishing rod here.
In the XIX-XX centuries. Three stone crosses were discovered in the Sukko Valley. These finds are known from visual, literary and archival data.
The first of the crosses is known from one made in the 1830s. a sketch by a British intelligence officer in the Caucasus, J.S. Bell, and a color lithograph by G. Barnard, based on it, “Greek Cross over the Sukko Valley”:
The cross is twice the height of a standing highlander, which allows us to determine its height in the range of 3-3.5 m.
On the sides of the cross there is the formula NI KA with titles, traditional for many Christian inscriptions; above and below the image there are also short letter combinations with titles above them - IC and XC. Below is the text, written in Greek letters in six lines. The drawing is moderately clear, although some letters are difficult to distinguish. There is no doubt that this text requires further study. At the beginning of the first line, despite the author’s not entirely accurate rendering of the outline of the individual letters (the inscription looks like EKNMIBI), one can easily guess ΕΚΥΜΗΘΗ - “he rested, rested in peace” - the traditional beginning of Christian funeral epitaphs. The last line reads the word ΕΤΟС - “year”, followed by signs conveying its designation. Let us distinguish one of them, which is a monogram I, composed of the Greek letters A and T, having in combination the numerical value of 1300.
Thus, the epitaph on the cross and, presumably, the time of its installation can be dated back to the 14th century.
Drawing by V.I. Sizova |
Another stone cross of the Sukko Valley is reported in the book “Eastern Coast of the Black Sea. Archaeological excursions” by the famous Russian archaeologist V.I. Sizov. In 1886, the researcher visited the Sukko Valley in order to identify ancient monuments here.
IN AND. Sizov accompanied the description with a drawing representing the reconstruction of the monument in its original, established form. In a footnote, the researcher provided measurements of the monument: “the length of the cross is 5 quarters, the thickness is 1 quarter, and the width or length of the crosshair is 3 quarters.” In terms of the modern system of measures, this corresponds to approximately the following parameters: height of the cross - 90 cm, width - 54 cm, thickness - 18 cm.
Also in connection with Sukko, it is necessary to recall the famous lithograph of the early 19th century. "Circassians' veneration of the cross." It depicts a group of Circassians near a cross leaning against a tree. The height of the monument exceeds human height; it has the shape of a stele, the upper part of which is shaped like a cross with rounded ends. The action takes place near the seashore: on the right side of the lithograph you can see the surface of the sea and a sailing ship. The woman who approaches the cross intends to tie a scarf on it, the rest of the characters are men, and in the crowd of armed highlanders dressed in national clothes there are several people in European costumes, presumably, who came off the ship. Since there are no known references to monumental stone crosses located near the seashore in any other places on the Black Sea coast of the Western Caucasus, it would be very likely that the artist of the early 19th century. depicted one of the crosses of the Sukko Valley. This perception is strengthened by the similarity of the forested coastal hill depicted in the lithograph with Mount Soldatskaya, which closes the Sukko valley at the edge of the seashore from the south.
The Sukko Valley welcomes all lovers of parties and beautiful scenery in 2019. In the mountainous part of Anapa there is a place adjacent to the Black Sea on one side and Lake Sukko on the other. The fragrant air, permeated with the aromas of juniper forests, and stunning views of nature attract many vacationers here every year. Because of this, it is almost impossible to find a secluded corner in the Sukko Valley, but tourists here will be pleased with numerous restaurants with excellent cuisine, attractions and attractions. Also, everyone will be able to purchase an excursion to the Lion's Head castle, where knightly tournaments and shows in the spirit of the Middle Ages are held.The most necessary and detailed information about the Sukko Valley attraction: photo of the place, description, contacts - address, phone number, official website. At an attraction, you can look at user ratings, read reviews, tips and recommendations. In the catalog of interesting places you can see the location of the Sukko Valley attraction on the map, places nearby, where to eat nearby and what to see nearby. For some of the places you can find tours, news and special promotions, as well as a list of tickets.