Abaza can be understood through two distinct themes: the History and Regional Museum in a former merchant’s estate and the Abazinsky Bor on the outskirts of town. The museum connects the area with its urban and regional history and the development of mining; the Bor is a botanical natural monument and a cedar-pine forest area in the valley of the middle Abakan. These different features can provide a first point of reference when choosing accommodation in Abaza.

History and Regional Museum in the Merchant’s Estate

The Abaza History and Regional Museum is housed in the former estate of merchant A. Kipreev, built in 1895. The surviving parts of the original estate include a stone house with a cellar, barns and a stable. These buildings give the historic site a tangible form: the surviving ensemble includes both the stone house and the outbuildings.

The main part of the museum exhibition is devoted to the development of mining. Other exhibitions cover the history of Abaza and Khakassia from ancient times, including the period from the 4th–3rd centuries BC. This brings urban and regional history together with a clearly defined industrial-history perspective.

The collection includes hydraulic equipment, artistic castings, everyday objects and tools. There is also a mineral collection, as well as rooms devoted to ethnography and nature. Those interested in the history of technology, everyday life and natural history will find several thematic approaches within the same museum.

The “Muzei sibirskikh promyslov” is also part of the ecological and excursion complex in Abaza. It is designed as a hunter’s cabin, with a canopy and a raised storage shed. The cabin has a different architectural form from the surviving buildings of the merchant’s estate.

The Abazinsky Bor on the Outskirts of Town

The Abazinsky Bor lies on the outskirts of Abaza and is a botanical natural monument. The cedar-pine forest area is situated in the valley of the middle course of the Abakan River. This adds a distinct landscape theme to the area’s historical and museum attractions. Abaza can therefore be viewed both through the historic estate and its collections, and through a named forest area.

Route and Regional Perspective

On the “Po Bolshomu Abakanu” route, participants arrive in Abaza, board a bus and travel back to Abakan. Check whether the tour is currently offered before making plans.

The Republic of Khakassia: Another Natural Setting

The Ivanovskie Lakes are a regional natural attraction in the Republic of Khakassia, outside Abaza. The group consists of a cascade of four freshwater lakes fed by glacial meltwater and connected by small waterfalls. The lakes lie in the Kuznetsk Alatau at an altitude of 1,300 metres. In summer, they attract hikers; in winter, freeriders and snowmobilers. There is a specific restriction on access to the third and fourth lakes: they are accessible only to suitably prepared or experienced tourists. Conditions may vary by season.

Discover more destinations: Shira, Sayanogorsk, Zhemchuzhny, Abakan, Cheryomushki, Kharkov

Go to the main travel overview: Republic of Khakassia.