Central District Resorts

CENTRAL DISTRICT RESORTS. The Central resort district, covering extensive territories of the European part of the USSR, is characterized in its greater part by uniformity of geological conditions, corresponding to the so-called Russian plain and including only one mountain system, the Urals. Geology. The Russian plain, in its geological structure, is characterized by calm bedding of sedimentary rocks without any significant dislocational disturbances. Here, powerful strata of Mesozoic or Paleozoic deposits, covered by equally powerful sediments of later, including glacial, origin, stretch north to the Arctic Ocean, in the south are hidden under later deposits in the Caspian steppes, in the west border with the Carboniferous deposits of Kirillov (Cherepovetsky District) and reach in the east to the rather gentle western slopes of the Urals. The Urals represent a complex fold of the earth's crust, formed at the end of the Paleozoic era. It stretches for 2,000 km almost strictly along the 60th meridian and with its eastern slopes steeply descends under the strata of the Tertiary period, merging with the West Siberian plain. In the main plain part of the central district, everywhere enormous masses of sandstones, marls, limestones, and others lie either strictly horizontally or with small primary slopes corresponding to the bottom of the basin where these rocks were deposited. In the Urals, which have preserved in its ridge only skeletal parts from the long process of weathering and erosion, the zonal structure is typically expressed: a) western zone, consisting of primary sedimentary rocks; b) axial zone of crystalline rocks (granites, diorites, diabases, porphyries, metamorphic rocks); c) eastern plain, consisting of young Tertiary deposits of the Trans-Ural narrow sea. Hydrogeology. In the area of calm structures of the central district, a significant number of mineral springs are known—salty, gypsum, and iron, predominantly vadose origin. Attention is drawn to the poverty of the gaseous component of mineral springs, either completely absent or represented by a small content of dissolved or free hydrogen sulfide. A very significant part of the mineral springs of the Russian plain belongs to the salty ones, most widespread in the east and northeast, i.e., in the area of wide development of Permian system deposits, which are also characterized by salty springs of industrial importance (former Vologda, Vyatka, Perm, Kostroma provinces, as well as Slavyanok) and rock salt stocks (Iletskaya Zashchita, Bakhmutsky basin). Both the aforementioned Permian system springs and the salty waters of the Devonian system in the west and northwest (Staraya Russa and others) often contain a certain amount of hydrogen sulfide, appearing as a result of oxidation of sulfur pyrite into sulfates and their subsequent reduction. In the area of development of Devonian deposits, gypsum mineral springs are often encountered (Khilovo). A group of mineral waters containing iron is widely distributed in the central district. The Urals, despite its extremely complex geological structure and variety of mineral and ore wealth, is still poor in mineral springs due to the absence of volcanic manifestations. Due to the strong relief lowering of the Urals, its mineral springs represent a complete opposite to the Caucasus, Transbaikalia, and Kamchatka (low temperature, relatively small mineralization and limited flow rates). However, in the Urals with its Paleozoic intrusions, there are apparently still mineral springs containing some components of juvenile origin, but their genesis is still poorly studied. The nature of the mineral springs of the Urals changes according to the three zones mentioned above. In the primary sedimentary rocks along the western foot of the Urals from Kolva to Iletsk, there are outcrops of salty springs, associated with salt deposits during the gradual drying up of the Permian sea. In the zone of gypsum distribution (Perm-Kungur-Belebey-Ufa-Sterlitamak), the most common are sulfur springs, of which the most powerful are near the city of Birsk, in the village of Klyuchi (Kungursky District) and the village of Samarka (Bogorodsky District). In the eastern zone, where the crystalline Urals are covered by young Tertiary deposits, in the areas of development of brown and Devonian ironstones in Carboniferous limestones, there are outcrops of iron-containing springs (Kurya), and at the edges of Tertiary deposits, in connection with clays rich in sulfur pyrite, numerous outcrops of sulfur and sulfur-iron waters (Yelovsky near Nadezhdinsk, Obukhovsky near Kashmlov and others). The mineral springs of the central district, in accordance with the above hydrogeological conditions of their emergence, represent three main groups in physico-chemical relation: waters containing iron, table salt, and sulfur. The largest number of mineral springs is located in the territory of the Ural region: among them 55 salty, 45 sulfur, 21 iron, and 4 earthy-limestone, totaling 125. The most famous among the table salt waters are the following: Seregovo (53.9 g NaCl per 1 liter), Totma (40.8 g); Ledengsk (38.0 g), Solvychegodsk (21.2 g), Pushkinskie (17.5 g), Slavyanok (16.7 g), Staraya Russa (13.0 g), Chapayevskie (11.5 g), Soligalich (10.2 g), Bolshesolsk (10.0 g). Among the mineral springs containing iron, the most famous at present are Lipetskie, Kashinsky, Kuryinsky (Urals), Berezovsky (Kharkov), Korniliyevsky (Vologda District). In the past, Andreapol and Polustrovo were famous; at present, Olonetskie martial waters, Kursky, Daryinsky and other springs are beginning to attract attention. Among the sulfur mineral springs at present are used Sergievskie mineral waters, in their chemical composition belonging to hydrogen sulfide-sulfate-earthy with a flow rate of 5,600,000 liters, Khilovo (solid residue 1.8 g per 1 liter, flow rate 500,000 liters), Klyuchi of Kungursky District (solid residue 3.0 g, flow rate 310,000 liters), Obukhovsky of Shadrinsky District (solid residue 1.78 g, flow rate 40,000 liters), Krainsky springs of Kaluga District, Nizhneserginsky of Sverdlovsky District sulfur-salt-alkaline mineral spring (solid residue 6.7 g), Varzi-Yatchinsky of Votsky Autonomous Region and others. To the group of lime waters belong Alapaevsky (Verkhotursky District), Morozovsky (near Sukhunsky plant). The Izhovsky source in the Tatar ASSR (salt-sulfate-lime-magnesium) is of significant importance for export. Mineral lakes. Among the lakes of the plain part of the central district, the most important at present for therapeutic purposes are Sol-Iletskoe (solid residue 115.6 g per 1 liter), Chapayevskie (solid residue 45.7 g per 1 liter), Elton (solid residue 322.5 g per 1 liter) and others. The Ural region is very rich in lakes, especially in the Chelyabinsky District area. Here, among a large group including up to 700 lakes, 153 mineral ones have been identified, of which 113 are bitter-salty, and lakes of special value (according to Cler) - 23. The best from a balneological point of view is Lake Gor'koye. In the Ishimsky District, many lakes are also scattered across the steppe, among which Medvezhye Lake is of great fame. For treatment, muds from Gor'koye, Medvezhye and other lakes are used (see Mud treatment districts). Climatic stations of the central district. In climatic terms, the central district on its vast plain spaces represents rather uniform conditions of a continental climate. The identified features of therapeutic significance are distinguished by the climate of the steppe spaces of the east and southeast of the European part of the Union of SSR and the fairly constant moderately humid climate of the coastal strip of the Gulf of Finland. The characteristic features of the steppe climate are distinguished by the kumis treatment districts (see Kumis, kumis treatment). The only place at present where the climatic conditions of the coastal strip of the Gulf of Finland are used for therapeutic purposes is the Sestroretsk resort. A good climatic station, not yet organized as a resort, is also the area of Oranienbaum. The most popular climatic-balneological resort of the Urals is Kurya, picturesquely located on the eastern slopes of the Ural ridge. History. All the described resorts, areas of therapeutic significance and areas with healing means of nature are united by the commonality of geological and hydrogeological conditions of the plain part of the central district and the mountain system of the Urals and Pre-Urals. Earlier than other mineral springs of the central district, the salty waters drew attention with their industrial significance, of which there are still chronicle records about their use for salt production. But the use of salty springs for therapeutic purposes belongs to a much later period. The Slavic lakes received medical recognition in 1832. The Starorussky mineral springs attracted the attention of Haas in 1815. There is also information that iron waters in Kashin were used for therapeutic purposes by the population as early as the 17th century. Peter I informed by decree "on the martial waters found in Olonets and Lipetsk" about the healing effect of mineral springs."

Industrial exploitation preceded therapeutic use also at the sulfur Sergiev mineral springs, while the beginning of the organization of the Sergievskie mineral waters resort, as well as a number of other important resorts, dates to the first half of the 19th century. In the prerevolutionary period, only a small group (Staraya Russa, Lipetsk and Sergievskie mineral waters) received attention from the state among the Central District resorts. The larger group of mineral springs was used under the most primitive conditions by the construction of bathhouses, bath facilities, and chapels over the springs for drinking. It should also be noted the mineral waters of the Central District that were and are being bottled at present; these include springs: Bol'shoboyarsky, whose water was sold in Irbit, Krasnoyarsky, whose water was daily transported to the Suksumsk resort, Polustrovsky, whose carbonated water was sold in then-Leningrad, and finally the Izhevsky spring, which has now received wide export distribution. In addition, the bottling of mineral waters of local importance has been established at the Krainsk resort.-The capacity of resorts of local importance in the Central District has reached significant figures at present, for example according to 1928 data, over 4,600 patients visited Sestroretsk, over 2,100 visited Lipetsk; by individual districts, attendance was expressed as: Ural resorts - about 5,000 patients, resorts of the Northern Territory - about 1,500. Among the Central District resorts at present, there are three state resort trusts: Staraya Russa, Sergievskie min. vody, and Orenburg-Shafranovo. Resorts of all-Union importance in the Central District (see also the map on pp. 155-158): 1) Sergievskie min. vody, 2) Starorusskie min. vody, 3) Shafranovo-Orenburg kumys (fermented mare's milk) therapeutic combined district.-Resorts of local importance in the Central District: 1) Solvychegodsk, 2) Tot'ma (Northern Territory), 3) Sestroretsk, 4) Sol'tsy, 5) Khilovo (Leningrad Oblast), 6) Kashin, 7) Krainskie min. vody (Moscow Oblast), 8) Bol'shie Soli (Ivanovo Oblast), 9) Lipetsk min. vody (Central Black Earth Oblast), 10) Varzi-Yatchi (Votsk Autonomous Oblast of Nizhny Novgorod Territory), 11) Izhevsky min. istochnik (Tatar ASSR), 12) Sol'-Iletsk (Middle Volga Oblast), 13) Stalingradskaya kumysotechebnitsa, 14) El'ton, 15) Tinaki (Lower Volga Territory), 16) Nizhne-Serginsky, 17) Kurya, 18) Lake Gor'koye, 19) Troitsky kumysotechebny district (Ural Oblast).-Localities of therapeutic importance. Northern Territory: 1) Seregovo, 2) Solonikha, 3) Ledengsk, 4) Kornilievskie, or Gryazovetskie min. vody, 5) Soligalich (Ivanovo Oblast), 6) Kursky min. istochnik (Central Black Earth Oblast), 7) Yelovsky, 8) Obukhovsky, 9) Klyuchi, 10) Lake Medvezhye, 11) Suksumsky (Ural Oblast), 12) Chapaevskie min. vody, 13) Pechanskaya kumysotechebnitsa (Lower Volga Territory).-Resorts of the Ukrainian SSR located in the Central District: 1) Slavyansk, 2) Berezovskie min. vody, 3) Mirgorod.