Mirror pond and Glass jet in Kislovodsk

What to Expect and Is It Worth Visiting

Mirror pond and Glass jet is a unique natural and man–made attraction, and one of the most popular and famous tourist destinations in Kislovodsk. This is a small artificial pond, which is filled with cool water at any time of the year from a natural spring of Seven degrees, and then this water flows out of the pond through a small artificial waterfall called "Glass Jet". In calm weather, the water surface of the pond is so smooth that you can see the reflection in it as in a mirror, which the guests of the resort like to use, arranging photo shoots with their reflection. And there is also a sign associated with the pond, or rather two: if you throw a coin into the pond, you can make a wish and it will certainly come true, or you will definitely return to this place in the future.

An artificial waterfall is also beautiful, which really resembles a water jet almost one meter wide frozen in glass, which looks especially cool when photographing with a long exposure.

Next to the pond and the stream there are a couple more notable tourist places: the bridge of the Ladies' Caprice and the stone beach on the Olkhovka River. And in general, this part of the Kislovodsk National Park, although it is located very close to the tourist center, just a five-minute walk from the Colonnade, is much quieter and quieter. There are places to relax in the shade, the river murmurs quietly and quietly nearby and birds sing, and nearby there is a cozy cafe "Glass Stream" with peacocks.

A little history of this place

The mirror pond is filled from a natural spring, in which a temperature of 7°C was maintained at any time of the year, for which it received the name "Seven-degree spring". The locals took water from here and used it in cooking. In 1840, after proving the healing properties of the water in the "Semigradusny", a wooden bathhouse was built here and a bathing bath was installed. In the late 1860s, the bathhouse was expanded and rebuilt.

Since the running water of Olkhovka was much warmer than the one that filled the baths of the Seven-degree spring, in 1880 a new bathhouse was opened, filled with water from Olkhovka. The whole audience was now resting in the new pool, and the Seven-degree bathhouse was soon abolished.

By the start of the 1896 season, a brick shelter in the form of an original gazebo in the neo-Gothic style was built near the pond above the waterfall. With the help of four pointed arches, a dome with ribs was formed. Powerful brick pillars serve as a support for the vault. The brickwork had a light shade with small dark areas, this coloring was characteristic of the Moorish style. Multicolored stained glass windows and openwork arches were used as a decoration of the gazebo. The roof was made of iron, and the floor was tiled with mosaic tiles. Gothic harpies were mounted on pillars, and in rainy weather water poured from their mouths.

The years of the Civil War had a negative impact on the appearance. The stained glass windows were lost without a trace, and the gazebo itself fell into complete disrepair. In the early 50s of the last century, a new gazebo was erected near the Mirror Pond, with beautiful Greek-style statues and floral arrangements.

According to the project of architect I. Kazanskaya, the gazebo was completely restored in 1991. The floor was also made of tiles, colored stained glass windows were returned, monolithic reinforced concrete was chosen as the main material and covered with dolomite blocks. In addition, the grilles and flowerpots were updated.

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