Kizlyar: Discover History and Culture

• The Kizlyar State Terek Ensemble of Kazakh Songs was founded in the 1990s and received state ensemble status in 2000.
• The P. I. Bagration Museum of History and Local Lore is the largest branch of the A. Takho-Godi National Museum of the Republic of Dagestan.
• St. Nicholas Church, now a convent dedicated to the Exaltation of the Cross, was founded in 1795.
• The Church of St. George the Victorious was rebuilt in 1997 on Sovetskaya Street.
• The city park was laid out after the fortress was abolished in 1857. The fortress wall is located in 50th Anniversary of October Square.

The museum’s name refers to Pyotr Ivanovich Bagration: he was born in Kizlyar, was a general, and is described as a hero of the Patriotic War of 1812. The museum is part of the National Museum of the Republic of Dagestan and is its largest branch. This places both Kizlyar’s local connection to a well-known historical figure and the city’s place within a larger museum network in focus.

The Kizlyar State Terek Ensemble of Kazakh Songs also has its own timeline. It was founded in the 1990s and received state ensemble status in 2000. These are two distinct milestones: its founding and the later granting of its status. Together with the dated churches, they provide an overview of different periods in local history, while making clear that the dates do not refer to the same type of event.

St. Nicholas Church was founded in 1795 and is now a convent dedicated to the Exaltation of the Cross. The Church of St. George the Victorious took its current, rebuilt form in 1997 on Sovetskaya Street. The dates therefore mark different building and institutional histories. The fortress wall is located in 50th Anniversary of October Square; no information is available about its current condition or visitor access.

Another historical layer links the city park to 1857: it was laid out after the fortress was abolished. The church, fortress wall and park represent different aspects of the city’s history. Visitors wishing to put Kizlyar into context can therefore consider these buildings and places separately, rather than treating them as a single historic complex.

In the Republic of Dagestan, Derbent’s fortifications and the medieval buildings of its old town, the Magalims, form a cultural landscape. The citadel contains archaeological remains of a bathhouse, several underground water cisterns, a 5th-century Christian church and an 8th-century mosque. The mountain wall runs 40 kilometers westward across the mountains and completely blocks the pass between the sea and the mountains. Nine of the original 14 gates remain. The citadel’s stone walls are 2.5 to 3.2 meters thick, more than 700 meters long and 10 to 15 meters high; steep slopes surround them on three sides.

Other places in the Republic of Dagestan showcase different scales and landscapes. In Gunib, a path leads from the Shamil Gates along a three-kilometer-long fortress wall to a tower; the lower gate is called the Baryatinsky Gate, and the upper one the Shamil Gate. The 107-meter-long Gunib Tunnel was carved through rock in the 1860s. On the Khunzakh plateau, the Tobot Waterfall lies at an elevation of 1,690 meters, at the beginning of the Tsolotl Canyon. It carries the most water from May to July and freezes over in winter. Its exact height is unknown; estimates range from 50 to 100 meters. These varied examples help distinguish cultural sites, historic routes and natural highlights within the Republic of Dagestan.

Specific conditions are important when visiting attractions, too: not all of the Sarykum Dune is open to visitors. Metal walkways lead onto the dune; the hiking trail is called the “Path of the Wise Turtle.” Check the current rules before visiting. In the Karadakh Gorge, visitors can walk through an unusual rock corridor. On an excursion to the Chirkey Hydroelectric Power Plant, they can stand at the foot of the dam.

Discover more destinations: Khasavyurt, Makhachkala, Kurla, Derbent, Sovetskoye, Shara, Bryansk, Izberbash

Who was P. I. Bagration?

Pyotr Ivanovich Bagration was born in Kizlyar. He was a general and is described as a hero of the Patriotic War of 1812. The city’s Museum of History and Local Lore is named after him.

What dates are recorded for Kizlyar’s churches and ensemble?

St. Nicholas Church was founded in 1795. The Kizlyar State Terek Ensemble of Kazakh Songs was founded in the 1990s and received state status in 2000. The Church of St. George the Victorious was rebuilt in 1997.

When does the Tobot Waterfall carry the most water?

In the broader destination of the Republic of Dagestan, the Tobot carries the most water from May to July. It freezes over in winter; its exact height is unknown, with estimates ranging from 50 to 100 meters.

Go to the overview of the wider destination: Republic of Dagestan.