Zheleznovodsk’s resort park started with clearings in the forest. In 1810, physician Fyodor Gaaz and Kabardian prince Izmail-Bey Atazhukov found two mineral springs on Zheleznaya Mountain’s slopes. For years, visitors slept in wagons or makeshift shelters. Even in 1820, when Pushkin stayed here, the area was a cluster of huts and tents. Bathers soaked in pits lined with wicker. The paths between springs were cut through the woods—these became the park’s first alleys. Organized development began in 1825 under General Yermolov’s commission.
By 1828, a committee named the springs and the settlement Zheleznovodsk, meaning "Iron Waters." The park kept its wild, forested look. Trees were never cleared; the park grew around them. This mix of nature and design still defines it today.
The park’s therapeutic tradition centers on four drinking fountains: Lermontovsky, Slavyanovsky, Smirnovsky, and Zapadny. Each has its own history.
The Lermontovsky spring, the first Gaaz discovered, was enclosed in 1916 in a semi-rotunda designed by engineer Kuznetsov. It wasn’t named after the poet until 1964, when a plaque was added. The terrace around it was once Kontorskaya Square, where a wooden hotel stood until German forces burned it in 1943. Now, it’s a quiet garden.
The Smirnovsky spring was originally called "Gryaznushka," or "Little Dirty One." In 1866, Dr. Semyon Smirnov cleared the muddy pit and found over a dozen openings bubbling with warm, carbonated water. It was renamed in 1898 to honor his 60 years of medical work. In 1930, architect Pavel Yeskov designed a gallery to cover three Smirnovsky springs, but only one remains open today, with water at 38°C.
The Slavyanovsky spring is the park’s hottest at 55°C. Nikolai Slavyanov and his team drilled it by hand between 1912 and 1914. The park has over twenty mineral springs, each with distinct properties.
From the Smirnovsky fountain, a cascading staircase leads to a decorative lake, one of southern Russia’s longest. The upper section was built in 1936 from Nikolai Papkov’s design, though the original plan was never finished. Water once flowed down its steps—today, it’s the easiest way down from the fountain area.
The park’s landmarks tell its layered history. The Pushkin Gallery, made of iron and glass, nods to the resort’s literary past. Nearby, the Palace of the Emir of Bukhara, designed by Vladimir Semyonov, adds a touch of Central Asian style. In front of the Zapadny fountain, the Alley of Love has swing-benches, art installations, and a workout area.
You don’t need a plan here. The paths lead to fountains or to the *terrenkur*, a hiking trail up Zheleznaya Mountain. Fill your bottle with mineral water, but don’t self-prescribe—it’s highly mineralized and hot. A doctor should supervise any treatment.
The park’s quiet is broken only by rustling leaves and murmuring springs. It’s a place where nature and human care have coexisted for over two hundred years.
