* We invite you to visit the Cossack cultural and historical center of Mineralnye Vody. This educational trip will be interesting to anyone who is interested in the history of the Cossacks, wants to get to know their culture, lifestyle, folklore, and try traditional Cossack treats. It is impossible to imagine any period in the history of Russia without the Cossacks. The Cossacks participated in the creation of the country, guarded the Russian state, and were defenders of its interests. The relationship between Cossacks and mountaineers is an example of friendship between peoples, borrowing the best features of the culture of other peoples. The descendants of the Grebensky, Tersk, Khopersk, Don, and Kuban Cossacks living in the North Caucasus are reviving the traditions of their glorious ancestors, who unfairly fell into oblivion for 70 years. Here you will learn about the origin and formation of Cossack communities, the role of the Cossacks in the conquest of Siberia by Ermak, the Cossacks in the events of the Time of Troubles and other historical events in Russia. As if turning over the pages of a Chronicle, you will walk through the halls of the Museum, which contain both ancient artifacts of the ancestors of the Cossacks and objects of modern history. Gun lovers will see a large selection of firearms and bladed weapons of the XVII-XIX centuries. On the territory adjacent to the museum, there is a monument to modern Cossacks who died while performing combat missions, as well as the Church of the Holy Royal Passion-Bearers, completely covered inside with amazing paintings. There is also a shrine in this church – an icon of St. Ilya of Murom with a fragment of his relics. And next to the church, the Cossack kuren will open the door to the guests – a traditional Cossack dwelling, where, next to the Russian stove, the owners of the kuren will show a piece of Cossack life in which there are tears, lively folk humor, and Cossack songs. Here you will also find a generous treat from the hospitable housewives of the kuren: dishes of traditional Cossack cuisine, which everyone can try with a glass of good moonshine or homemade wine.