- Adlersky City District
Adlersky City District ( _ru. А́длерский райо́н) is the southernmost of four city districts of the city of
Sochi ,Krasnodar Krai ,Russia , lying along theBlack Sea coast near the southern Russian border withAbkhazia , Georgia. The population of the district as recorded in the Russian Census of 2002 was 69,120. In 1989, according to the final Soviet Census, it had been 68,827.The historical centre of the district is the resort of Adler ( _ru. А́длер) – formerly classified as a town, but today a
microdistrict of Adlersky City District – located at the mouth of theMzymta River . Home toAdler-Sochi International Airport , Adler is also the effective southern terminus of the Russian section of theNorth Caucasian Railway , which has ceased to carry international traffic to Georgia since hostilities between Russia and Georgia closed the cross-border line in 1992. The summer months see direct train services bringing visitors to Adler from as far away asBerlin in the west (a journey of 3,714 km),Vorkuta in the north (4,286 km away, beyond theArctic Circle ), andKhabarovsk in theRussian Far East , with the 9,816 km of the latter journey taking eight days to complete.History
The settlement was founded by Russians on
18 June 1837 as the fort of Svyatoy Dukh ("Holy Spirit"). However, this area had been inhabited long before the Russian arrival. During theMiddle Ages , it was the site of Liesh, aSadz Abkhazian village. In the 13th century, theGenoese merchants arrived to establish a factory which became known as Layso. At that time the upland area was controlled by the Sadz princes ofAredba , one of whose principle estates was located within the modern district boundaries. The current name was given to the area by the Ottoman Turks, who called it either "Artlar" or "Artı".Landmarks
The district covers an area of km2 to mi2|1352|spell=Commonwealth and has under its jurisdiction a network of mountain
aul s, theEstonia n colony atEstosadok , and the ski resort ofKrasnaya Polyana which will host the snow events (alpine and Nordic) of the2014 Winter Olympics . TheSochi Olympic Stadium and associated facilities will be located closer to the shore.The landmarks of the former town of Adler include two
Russian Orthodox churches, dedicated to theHoly Trinity and theHoly Ghost , as well as the ArmenianSaint Sarkis Cathedral.Apart from a pebbly and narrow beach backed by the railway line, the district also has a municipal historical museum and a delphinarium, which makes it popular among tourists. It is also possible to visit the largest
trout farm in Russia (founded in 1964) and a breeding nursery forgreat ape s.Among the natural wonders of the district is the
Akhshtyr Gorge with a 160-metre-long cave which contains traces of human habitation about 30,000 years ago.External links
* [http://www.adleradm.ru/ Adlersky City District administration official site]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.