Балаган "Баня" (домик в урочище р.Цахвоа)
The place
Балаган "Баня" (домик в урочище р.Цахвоа) ("Balagan 'Banya' (cabin, Tsakhvoa river valley)") in Krasnodar Krai, Maykop/Sochi area (Caucasus State Nature Biosphere Reserve, Karachay-Cherkessia, near the Abkhazia border, Russia), at 1286 m elevation, Tsakhvoa river valley + western Caucasus. Continuous Russian Caucasus cluster (batches 250-382). Traditional shepherd's mountain-pasture balagan with a banya (the iconic Russian sauna sweat-bathing tradition + the Tsakhvoa, a 55 km tributary of the Malaya Laba + the Kavkazsky Zapovednik, Russia's oldest reserve, established 1924, UNESCO Western Caucasus site since 1999, 3,000 km², home to the last wild population of European bison Bison bison bonasus, reintroduced in the Caucasus between 1946-1990, 100 individuals + Krasnaya Polyana, Sochi, host of the 2014 Winter Olympics, 22nd edition, Aibga/Rosa Khutor + Bolshoi Fisht, 2,867 m, an iconic summit + Circassian/Adyghe heritage (northwestern Caucasian people, 700,000, Adyghe, Kabardian, Cherkess, Circassian language + the Muhajir genocide of 1864 under the Russian Empire, 90% of the population exiled to the Ottomans, 1.5 million victims, today 3 million diaspora, largely in Turkey).
The setting
Krasnodar Maykop/Sochi Caucasus State Nature Reserve Karachay-Cherkessia near Abkhazia border Russia 1286 m Tsakhvoa valley western Caucasus, continuous cluster batches 250-382, balagan banya Russian sauna sweat-bathing tradition + Tsakhvoa 55 km tributary of the Malaya Laba + Kavkazsky Zapovednik 1924 UNESCO 1999 Western Caucasus 3,000 km² bison reintroduced 1946-1990 100 individuals + Krasnaya Polyana Sochi 2014 + Bolshoi Fisht 2,867 m, Circassian/Adyghe NW Caucasus 700,000 Circassian language + Muhajir genocide 1864 Russian Empire 90% exiled to Ottomans 1.5 million today 3 million diaspora mainly Turkey.
