As the German scientist Karl Ledebour noted in his notes about the trip to Altai in 1826, “The highestZmeinogorskmountains - Karaulnaya Sopka, rising 2006 feet above sea level and 805 feet above the level of Zmeinogorsk. " Over the past two centuries, it has retained its stately status. Nosnake mountain, which gave the name to the settlement of Altai miners - only a deep 60-meter pit in the center of the city remained from it (in Soviet times, ore was mined by blowing up the rock). And from the height of Karaulnaya Sopka, an amazing view of the surroundings still comes off.

Local residents know the beliefs of settlers that inside the Karaulnaya volcano is hollow, and in its depths an underground lake splashes, on which Yermak's plow floats, full to the brim with red gold.

Photo by A. Zyryanov, D. Melnikov and S. Pechenkin and from the archive of Altayturcenter.