Vladikavkaz. The capital of North Ossetia // SAYA.UZ

Published: 2025-09-03 13:41:14 +07:00

Took place on: 2024-09-16; 2024-09-17

Oh how tidy the city is!

The September on Caucasus is characterized by the gloomy sky with fogs all around mountains. It's still relatively warm during daytime, around +20°C (+68°F), but it's getting cooler each morning, while the daytime gets shorter.

I arrived in Vladikavkaz on September 15th, right when dusk started. If I remember correctly, I just settled in my rented apartments and took a nap.

But, contrary to what I told, it was sunny the next day! I woke up early in the morning and started my short stride around the city.

The major part of a historical town consists of these 1 or 2 floor brick houses

A lot of street cafes are accommodated in such old Volkswagen or Mitsubishi vans

The Terek promenade!

The city's administration and foggy peaks

On the background is sunni mosque's minaret.

Vladikavkaz was founded at the end of XVIII century as a fortress. By the end of Caucasian wars it got granted a city title. The city had grown rapidly, and by the 1897 it had the population of 44,000. One might not call it spectacular, but in 1870 the city only gained its 10,000th citizen. It was a Russian majority settlement, but included a large mix of various nations. In 1908, by the combined efforts of Russian Tatars and an Azerbaijani millionaire Mukhtarov, the city gained the Sunni Mosque of Mukhtarov.

This is an example of Egyptian style

This mosque, of course, was a target for demolition during Soviet times, but the compromise was found -- it became an "anti-religious museum"...

...but, together with that, it gained a status of an architectural monument, and during "warm" 1960s it became government protected

1996 saw a return of the mosque to the Muslim Religious Board of North Ossetia

The view from (pedestrial!) bridge across Terek

Eurasian Collared Dove!

In Russian it's called gorlitsa. I found it cute, that in many South Slavic languages its name is gugutka!

Tomorrow I crossed the river and walked in a small group with a guide. That's the bank where the core of the city is.

The majority of buildings outside of the main Peace Prospect is built of red bricks without any paint

Some of these houses were built... on the old fortress wall!

Yep, on her, not with it. Pass them, and you'll see whole solid fortress walls.

This pattern of wall's structure, comprised of two layers of large rocks placed diagonally, is quite typical for Caucasus

You can see a tower of the Church of the Nativity

Going up the stairs...

Here is temple itself!

The Church of the Nativity in its current form was built in 1861

But it was founded as early as 1814

In 1931 the church was closed, but in 1990 it saw a return to Orthodox church

The quarter we're in is called Ossetinka (the quarter of Ossetians)

One should give a respect to any exemplar of vintage door!

I think the image of Vladikavkaz is clear by now, a bit unexpected for one who knows stereotypes about Caucasians

It may be a poor city, any building overhaul is rare here, but it's obvious the territory its citizens care about is beyond their flats

I give an honor to such people

This is the Church of Saint Gregory the Illuminator, founded in 1868 and belongs to the Armenian Apostolic Church

Compared to other churches, it remained open during Soviet era

So all the Christian confessions prayed here together

The prominent cultural point of interest of the city is the House of Vakhtangov, a popular theatrical director of 1910s and 1920s, who was born and raised here. In Russia, his most famous play was The Princess Turandot.

His home was remade into his museum and art-cafe.