Pyatigorsk

Pyatigorsk, city, Stavropol kray (territory), southwestern Russia. It lies along the Podkumok River in the northern foothills of the Caucasus Mountains. It has long been a spa famous for its gentle climate and mineral springs. In 2010 it was named the capital of the newly created North Caucasus federal district.

The city was built around the springs near the fortress of Konstantinogorskaya (1780) and was named Pyatigorsk (“Five Mountains”) for the surrounding hills. In the 19th century it became a fashionable resort among the nobility and attracted many artists, including the poet Mikhail Lermontov, who was killed in a duel near there in 1841. Some of the original hotels and bathhouses are still in use. The city also has a number of therapeutic baths and health establishments. Other attractions in Pyatigorsk include Lermontov House, where the poet spent his last days, as well as natural underground grottoes and a walking trail up neighbouring Mount Mashuk. Pop. (2006 est.) 139,538.