Tourist Routes of Knyazhpogost area

Kyltovo Krestovozdvizhensky Convent

The main sacred object of the Kyltovo Krestovozdvizhensky Convent was a cross carved in 1826 by V. Nesterov, a hermit and old monk. The Convent had an icon workshop, the only one in the Komi Region. In 1918, the Convent was closed, and the Куltovo Labor Agricultural Community was opened there, employing the former nuns. Fiveyears later, the community was liquidated, and the Convent's buildings were transferred to the children's colony, which obtained the status of a children's home in 1924.

Kyltovo was known as the Kyltovo children's town after that time. In 1930, thechildren's town was liquidated. Its industrial base was transferred to the department of work camps. The Soviet farm of the Ukhta-Pechora Camp was set up there a year later. The 1960 list of settlements includes the following communities: Kyitovo-1 (a timber community) and Kyltovo-2 (a community of the Kyltovo Soviet farm, located 2 km from Kyltovo-1).

Seregovo Health Resort

Seregovo is a village in the Knyazhpogost Area. It is located 38 km from the center of the area ( Emva) on the right bank of the VymRiver. The modern name of the village probably a derivative of the Komi name Sereg Yb - "salt mountain; a mountain with mineral springs". The interpretation associating the name with the surname of the owners of the local land - the Seregov peasants - is wrong. It is more likely the reverse - that the peasants were named after the village.

The archaeologists of the KomiRepublic discovered a settlement dating back to the cupper and bronze age (the first half of the 2nd millennium BC) In the area of today's Seregovo. The first news about the Seregovo salt field dates back to the late 16fh century. In 1583-1584, local peasants, Vasily and Dementy Seregov, sold their land to the manufacturer A.v. Stroganov who planned to organize salt production Ifiére. However the rich Oparin family peasants, who owned 6 out of 15 households in the community, stood in Stroganov's way. The Oparins' salt evaporator was located near the settlement. In 1628-1629, the site with two salt tubes and the Oparin evaporator facilities were bought by Daniil Pankratyev, a major tradesman from Salich, who later organized a salt plant there.

The business expanded greatly during the next 50 years. Seregovo salt was sold ¡n Vologda, Moscow, Arkhangelsk, Ustyg, Vyatka and the local markets of the Komi Region. The state monopoly for salt production established In the mid-18th century did not make a great impact on the development of the salt plant. Seregovo remained the "salt capital of the Komi Region". Nowadays, the Seregovo Salt Plant is one of the enterprises in the Komi food industry, and its output it 5-6 thousand tons per year. The salt can be found at a depth from 229 m (in the center of the dome) to 570 m (on its edges). The estimated reserves of the Seregovo salt field are sufficient for sail production for a very long time.

In 1929, the Seregovo balneal resort was opened in the village. The resort has mineral resources unique in concentration. The main therapeutic agent of Seregovo resort is highly-mineralized bromine-chloride-sodium brine. The resort specializes in the treatment of the musculo-skeletal system. Visitors stay in two-story wooden houses. Anew sanatorium building for 750 people is being built on the left bank of the Vym.

Vorykva - the Diving River

In Komi the Vorykva means "diving river". This name can be easily explained by those who have been to its upper reaches. The Vorykva, a right tributary of the Vym, begins ¡n the swamps on the Karst rocks of the Timan Ridge. There, the water has created an underground riverbed and disappears underground for 1.5-2 km and then again emerges to the surface. The Vorykva is 170 km long. This is a fast-flowing mountain river with many rifts, river lakes and huge deep whirlpools. The Vorykva has amazingly clear transparent water (before its confluence with the Koln, a tributary). It is easy to see 5-7 m deep to the pebbles on the bottom. From on board the boat, it is easy to see a salmon or grayling suspended in the water, as if floating in the air. The Vorykva is a protected river, where fishing is prohibited. This is a spawning area for Vym salmon, whitefish, white salmon and grayling, which has retained its original form. The confluence of the Vym and the Koin, whose watershed is located in a peat bog on the slopes of the Timan Ridge, is also interesting for travelers. One can float on the river for several kilometers with yellow-brown water on the right and completely transparent water with a blue tint on the left.

Moose and deer come to the Vorykva for watering. In late summer, you can see bears hunting for fish. There are flocks of black grouse and wood grouse on the pebbles, especially in autumn, and there are also many different kinds of ducks in the river, with Mergansers being the most common. Rafting on the Vorykva is one of the most interesting ecological trips in Timan. It takes two weeks. It is most suitable for kayakers, but is fine for rubber boats and catamarans as well. Trips can be organized by the Knyazhich Tourist Club. This school tourist club can provide all the required information on the route. Unique milk-colored Timan agates with not very dark veins are often found in the upper reaches of the Vorykva.

The valley of the Vorykva river has more than 170 lakes. One group is called the "GoldenLakes". In the middle reaches of the Vorykva, there is a convenient approach and a path for radial way to get to these lakes. The GoldenLakes are a series of deep karst lakes which have not yet been properly studied by Komi hydrologists and ichthyologists. Nevertheless, judging by archaeological monuments, they were used in the route from the Vym to the Pechora as an intermediate "feeding base". These lakes are rich in fish, and fishing is not prohibited. Some people assume that the lakes are called "golden", since Pam (an ancient pagan priest of the Komi) sank Zarni-An (sculpture of the supreme god made of gold, the original mother of all people °n the earth) in one of the lakes. But that is merely an assumption, and it has not been confirmed by folklore or written sources.

One can also visit the Vorykva sailing from the mouth on motorboats (5-8 days). This trip can be organized by the Nature Protection Department of the Knyazhpogost Area. They also organize trips on LakeSindor.

The VymRiver

Location: 40 km. from the village of Meshura.

The Vym is the main river in the area. It flows into the Vychegda from the right bank 288 km from its mouth. The Vym is 499 km long. It begins in the Middle Timan near the Poyuiz Ridge, and flows from north to south. It is very curvy in the upper reaches-The Vym's ice breaks up and starts to drift in late April - early May. The upper reaches of the Vym were not very accessible before the construction of the road to the mine. Nowadays, a sport group can be transported by hired vehicles fromSyktyvkar, Emva and Mikun. A trip to the upper reaches takes 6-10 hours.

The riveris interesting both from ecological/educational and sport standpoints. The sportcategory is 2-3, depending on boats. Beginners preferring rubber boats such a "Tourist" or catamarans, as well as advanced rafters, can find three interesting rapids.

The most difficult is located in the middle reaches of the Vym and is called Roch Porog (Russian Rapids). A rafting trip takes 15-18 days, and ends in the village of Koni.

The most convenient time for a trip is late July to early August, i.e. a period when "the gnats have broken their wings". Besides, this is a period of stable and sunny weather. There are no settlements along the rafting route on the Vym, but tthere are several fishermen's and hunters' winter cabins with different types of bathhouses which can provide a place to stay for a day or so, or to wait out bad weather.

In the upper reaches before the confluence with the Vorykva, the landscapes are interesting due to their taiga slopes covered with a lot of larches. Then the river plateaus, widens, bul does not lose its northern beauty. It is interesting to collect fossilized flora and fauna in the lower reaches.

LakeSindor

LakeSindor is located in the VymRiver Basin, 13 km to the southeast of the Sindor station. This is the second largest natural reservoir in the KomiRepublic. It is remains of a large ancient reservoir which existed at the divide of the Vishera and Vym rivers. It is a now a dying lake. It is about 12 km long, and 2-4 km wide. Itsarea is 28.5 sq.km, and its average depth is 1.5 m. One interesting thing about the lake is the labyrinths between its islands. Some of the islands are solid land, wh¡|₆ others are "floating" islands. These are fairly large peat and plant floating object which can sometimes bear human weight. Five tributaries which start at the swampy divide flow into the lake. The largest of them is the Ugyum river.

LakeSindor is inhabited by bass, roaches, ruffs, pikes, ides, crucians and burbots. The lake is located on the territory of the Sindorsky Reserve, a considerable part of which is covered by pine and birch under woods. In the woods surrounding the lake there are Siberian pines, which are protected by the state in the KomiRepublic.

This reserve was founded in 1975 to preserve favorable conditions for the reproduction of the wild animals: beavers, muskrats, mink and otters.

Where to apply:

Trips to Kyltovo

Tel/fax 8 8212 31 28 37, e-mail:

“Vertas” Agency

Tel.: (8212) 280-444

Website: vertastour.ru

«Tureb» Camp

Tel. 89129619356, 89091273296.

(8212) 270-087, 270-711.

website: tureb.ru

«Kedva» Hunting Base

Tel.: (82139) 51-53-62

«WhiteLake» Resting House

Tel.: (82147) 5-07-29; 3-00-58