Pyatigorsk

Pyatigorsk is a city in Stavropol Krai, Russia, located on the Podkumok River, about 20 kilometers from the town of Mineralnye Vody, which has an international airport, and about 45 kilometers from Kislovodsk. Since January 19, 2010, it has been the administrative center of the North Caucasian Federal District of Russia.

The name is derived from the fused Russian words "пять гор" (five mountains) and the city is so called because of the five peaks of the Beshtau (which also means five mountains in Turkic) of the Caucasus Mountains overlooking the city. Founded in 1780, it has been a health spa with mineral springs since 1803, as part of the Caucasian Mineral Waters.

Russian poet Mikhail Lermontov was shot dead by Nikolai Martynov in a duel at Pyatigorsk on July 27, 1841. There is a museum in the city devoted to his memory.

The industry of Pyatigorsk is primarily oriented towards service of the health resort. There is also food industry (a meat-processing plant, a winery, a dairy, a brewery, a confectionery), textiles (clothing, shoe plant, carpet factories), machine industry and metal working (PО Pyatigorskselmash specializes in machines and equipment for aviculture; a special automobile equipment works, an electromechanical plant, etc.); mining, a chemical factory and a ceramics factory who specialize in porcelain and ceramic gifts such as samovars, figurines, vases, and decorative ceramic wall hanging panels.

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