The height of the Sayan Mountains. The highest point of the Sayan Mountains

Probably, many modern travelers at least once in their lives thought about what the height of the Sayan Mountains is. Why might this interest you? As a rule, there are several explanations at once, the most important of which can be considered ordinary curiosity and an uncontrollable desire to visit all possible high points, if not the planet as a whole, then our country at least.

This article is aimed at telling about such an amazing geographical object of our country as the Sayan Mountains. The reader will learn a lot of useful information about this corner of our, by the way, immense homeland.

general information

The Sayan Mountains, photos of which can be found in virtually any guide to the regions of the Russian Federation, consist of two interlocking mountain systems located in the south of Siberia within the Irkutsk Region, the Krasnoyarsk Territory, the Republics of Tyva, Khakassia and Buryatia, as well as the northern regions of Mongolia bordering on Republics of Tuva and Buryatia.

The mountains are divided geographically into the Western and Eastern Sayans, each of which has a number of its own distinctive features.

For example, the western part has aligned and pointed ridges without glaciation, between which are located intermontane depressions. For the eastern part, middle mountain peaks with glaciers are typical.

The Sayan mountains have many rivers belonging to the Yenisei basin.

The slopes are covered with mountain taiga, passing into the high mountain tundra. Between the mountain systems there are many basins of various shapes and depths. One of the most famous - the Minusinsk hollow, which has a large number of archaeological sites. In general, it can be noted that the average amplitude of the heights of the Eastern Sayan significantly differs from the identical indicator of the western ranges.

Where did the name come from

Scientists claim that these places were named after the Turkic-speaking tribe of the same name, who lived in Siberia, in the upper reaches of the Yenisei and the Oka.

Later, the Sayans united with other mountain tribes and became part of the peoples of the Republic of Tuva. The very same ethnos belonged to the Samoyedic tribes, and its representatives called the mountains "Kohmen", while the Buryats gave them a name more difficult for the ear of the modern man - "Sardyk".

About this tribe in their chronicles told Russian Cossacks Tyumenets and Petrov, who visited in 1615 in the patrimony of Altyn Khan. Later on, in the records of Russian travelers, the mountains already appeared under the name Sayans, the highest point of which, as it was established later, is 3491 m.

Features of education

It should be noted that, from the geological point of view, these are relatively young mountains, which, according to scientists, appeared about 400 million years ago.

They are formed from ancient rocks, including volcanic origin. Before the formation of the mountain system there was an ocean, as evidenced by the remains of the found petrified algae.

The formation of the mountain relief took place under the influence of climate. In the period of the ancient glaciation the mountains were covered with glaciers, which, shifting, changed the earth's surface, forming pointed peaks and gorges with steep slopes. After warming, the glaciers melted, filling numerous hollows and relief depressions - lakes of glacial origin appeared.

Geographical position

Many believe that the height of the Sayan Mountains is not so significant, and therefore does not deserve special attention. Let's check whether this is really so, having become better acquainted with their geographical features.

In general, this elevation is a continuation of the Altai mountain system, serving as the border between China and Russia.

The mountains consist of parallel mountain chains connected by nodes. With the Altai mountain system the Sayans are connected by the Shabin-Davan ridge. To the north and north-west from it extends the Kaltanovsky ridge, which rests on the Itemsky ridge stretching from the east to the southwest from the tributary of the Yenisei. In the south, the Kaltanovsky Range connects with the foothills of Omaytura. In the east direction from the Shabin-Dawan ridge the Sayans are divided into two chains. Northern Sayans are known as Kur-Taiga, and southern - Tuna-Taiga.

From the northern Sayans in the upper reaches of the rivers Sosnovki and Kyzyn-su the mountain spur separates the rivers Kantegir and Yenisei. Further through the Yenisei the Sayan mountains leave several chains to the north-east.

The majestic river of Siberia Yenisei passes through the mountain ranges of the massif called the Western Sayan, forming a number of rapids.

On the right bank of the Yenisei mountains smoothly pass into the steppes of the Minusinsk district. The parallel chains Sayan bear different names. To the Yenisey closely adjoins Kyzirsuk ridge, creating a narrow passage with a powerful waterfall called the Great Threshold. Further it passes between the rivers Kyzyr-Suka and Bolshoi Oi to the banks of the Yenisei, where the Biryusinskaya chain goes down to a height of 1600 feet.

In addition to the two branches, the Sayans have a mountain ridge separating the rivers of Kazira and Kizira. Further Agulsky spur leaves to the north and northwest and divides the rivers Tagul and Agul.

How the highest mountain Sayan was formed: myths and legends of the Sayan Mountains

The power of stone blocks, resting almost in the sky itself, has always become an object for inspiration and some respect from the peoples inhabiting these regions. That is why in the folklore of local residents you can meet such a huge number of tales dedicated to this topic. Let's get acquainted with some of them.

In ancient times, the heavenly deity sent his son Geser to the ground to fight evil. In those days, all the gods and heroes lived in the mountains, and the throne of Geser was on the highest mountain. Heavenly hero cleaned the world of injustice and monsters, accomplished many feats. His warriors petrified, turning into mountains. Now they are called Sayans, and the tallest of them, where his throne was, is Munch-Sardyk. The tops of the Sayan Mountains have ancient names and are enveloped in myths. Many of them are built of stones and logs so-called "about", or places of worship and sacrifice to the gods.

In general, Geser is a mythological hero, who is worshiped by almost all the peoples of Central Asia. The legend about this deity contains numerous plot cycles and has about 22,000 lines. The study of the epic continues for a hundred years, but there is still no real data. Some believe that Geser is a fictional hero, while others hold the view that the epic is dedicated to Genghis Khan. It is also possible that Geser means the Roman translation of the title "Caesar" (Caesar). Buryat Geseriada considers the version that the epic appeared before his birth. But most tend to the fact that the legends of Geser tell of the life of a military leader who lived in the XI-XII centuries.

The mystery and mystery of the name

The ancestors of modern Tuvinians are the Turkic-speaking tribe of Soyots, who lived in the past in the mountains in the upper reaches of the Yenisei and Oka rivers. According to ethnographers, "soyot" refers to the plural of the word "soyon," and so this tribe was also called soyons. Later the word mutated into Sayans. The tribe called the mountains "Kogmen", which meant "heavenly obstacles". Buryats called these mountains "Sardyk", which means "char."

For the first time the Sayan mountains were reported by the Russian Cossacks Petrov and Tyumenets, who visited Altyn Khan in 1615. The first conqueror of the Sayan was Commissioner Pesterov, checking the border lines in the mountains and responsible for border posts and signs in 1778-1780. Studies Sayans began in the XIX century.

Geological features

The Western Sayan has a folded structure and is a part of the Caledonian belt of the Paleozoic Altai-Sayan region. It stretched from the southwest to the northeast in the shape of an ellipse, which on all sides is bounded by faults. The internal structure is due to the complex cover-and-shary type of the structure.

If we disclose such a complex and multifaceted question as the Sayan height, we can not fail to mention that the mountain system of the western part is divided into several tectonic zones (the North Sayansk, the Central Sayans, the Borussk and the Kurtushubinskaya). The North Sayan belt includes volcanic-sedimentary deposits of Vendian-Cambrian with a mix of ophiolite rocks in the melange zones.

Typical for the Kurtushibinsky and Borusky belts are Lower Paleozoic quartzites and diabases, as well as clayey-siliceous schists and hyperbasites. Such rocks are related to complex tectonic-sedimentary mixtures. The Central Sava belt consists of a complex of volcanogenic-flyschoid formations of the Early Paleozoic with numerous granite layers. This belt is characterized by tectonic clusters and uneven changes in sedimentary rocks. Also sometimes isolated separately Jebashsky zone, which has a more ancient (Riphean) origin, located along the northern part of the Western Sayan. Here the modified volcanogenic-flyschoid sediments predominate.

The Eastern Sayan is divided according to its age. The northeastern part, adjoining the Siberian platform in the southwest, belongs to the oldest (Precambrian) type, and the south-western part to the younger (Caledonian) type. The first consists of altered Precambrian rocks, including ancient gneisses and amphibolites. Central Derbinsky anticlinorium has a structure of younger rocks - shale, marble and amphibolites. The south-western part of Sayan is composed of volcanic-sedimentary rocks. In the north and west of the Eastern Sayan, orogenic depressions are formed, consisting of volcanogenic terrigenous rocks.

Minerals of the mountains

Considering in more detail such a notion as altitude, Sayans can not be represented as an integral geological object. Why? The thing is that their eastern part is longer and higher than the west. For example, the peak of the first part rises above sea level at 3491 m (the highest point of the Sayan Mountains is Munku-Sardyk), while the second peak is only 3121 m. Yes, and the length of the eastern part is almost 400 km more than the western one.

However, despite these differences, the value and importance of this array for the economy of our country is difficult to overestimate. The fact is that the number of useful rocks that lie in their strata is truly impressive.

In Western Sayan there are deposits of iron, copper, gold, chrysotile-asbestos, molybdenum and tungsten ores. The main wealth of the subsoil is iron and chrysotile-asbestos. Iron ore refers to the hydrothermal-metasomatic type associated with gabbroids and granitoids of increased basicity. Chrysotile-asbestos is associated with the Lower Cambrian hyperbasites.

The Eastern Sayan, whose height is much higher, is known for deposits of gold, iron, aluminum, titanium ores and other rare metals, graphite, mica and magnesites. The deposits of iron are represented by ferruginous quartzites, volcanogenic-sedimentary hematite-magnetite and magnetite ores. Aluminum ores are represented by bauxites, urtites and sillimanite-bearing Proterozoic shales. Secondary phosphorites belong to agro-woods. Also there are small deposits of contact-metasomatic phlogopite and pegmatite muscovite. The region has found reserves of quartz, graphite, jade, chrysotile-asbestos, limestone and building materials.

Western Sayan Mountains

This territory stretches to the north-east to East Sayan, from the sources of the Maly Abakan River to the upper reaches of the Kazyr and Uda rivers. The highest point is the Kyzyl-Taiga ridge (3120 m), which is part of the Watershed Sayan Range.

For the mountain landscape is characterized by an alpine relief with steep slopes and extensive stone placers. Mountain peaks in the west reach heights of up to 3000 m, to the east they are reduced to 2000 m. The foots of the slopes are covered with pine-deciduous forests, which are higher in the dark coniferous taiga.

The upper tiers at an altitude of 2000 m represent the mountain taiga with glacial lakes, karas and moraines. On the territory of the Western Sayan is the Sayano-Shushensky Reserve.

Eastern Sayan Mountains

The tops of this territory are covered with non-snowing snows. The highest point of the Eastern Sayans and the Sayan Mountains themselves, as already mentioned above, is Mount Munku-Sardyk (3490 m), to which adjoins the Okinsk plateau. The plain is covered with alpine meadows, deciduous forests and mountain tundra, and desert rocky areas are also found. In the central part a knot of several ridges is formed, its highest peak (peak Grandiose) has a height of 2,980 m.

Peak Topograph (3044 m) refers to the second largest peak. The main glaciers are located in the area of the main peaks. In addition, in the Eastern Sayans there is a "valley of volcanoes" with traces of volcanic activity, which is a volcanic plateau. The last lava emissions were about 8,000 years ago. In the Eastern Sayan Mountains is located the world famous nature reserve "Stolby".

What to see in Sayany

Taking into account all the above facts, it is not surprising that the height of the Sayan Mountains annually attracts so many travelers from different parts of the globe. Everyone wants to feel like a piece of something huge and immense.

However, not only attracts here the height, the Sayans have a unique taiga landscape with glacial lakes, waterfalls and rivers creating unique landscapes.

The most remote and uninhabited region of the mountains are the Central Sayans (Tofalaria). In the taiga of the Western Sayans, the natural "Stone City" hid, where the rocks resemble remnants of ancient castles and fortresses. The eastern Sayans are famous for the Shumak mineral springs and the "valley of volcanoes".

Particularly beautiful is the Munku-Sardyk area with the Okinskiy Plateau in July, when the mountains are covered with a colored carpet of poppies, rhododendrons, edelweiss, golden root and other plants. Here there are a lot of gorges, rivers, lakes and streams, there are deer and musk deer. The nature of Munch-Sardyk is almost untouched by man. The ridge itself is located on the border between Russia and Mongolia, and visiting this area is possible only with permission from the border guard service, otherwise the height of the Sayan Mountains can be fascinating only from the outside.