By Vestnik Kavkaza
Climber Yugeny Kozorezov told Vestnik Kavkaza about stages of development of alpinism in Dagestan. He said that speaking about sporting alpinism, it appeared in Dagestan in the late 1930s due to the Hadjiyev family from Megeb – the Sirajudin and Abakar brothers, who are brothers of the Soviet Union Hero, submariner Magomed Hadjiyev.
“Then, Dagestani mountain climbing became massive and involved a huge amount of people. It happened under the Soviet authorities. Hundreds of people climbed on mountains using easy routes. In the 1970-1980s alpinism in Dagestan turned into sporting climbing – athletes climbed on routes of medium and high category of difficulty.
Kurban Hadjiyev, master of sports, Magomed Hadjiyev’s brother, and Mikhail Timoshin are the most famous instructors who managed to attract young people and involved them in real sport. In that period a lot of massive changes took place in Dagestan. Climbers from all over the country visited it. The first ascents of the Dagestani mountains were made on easy and difficult routes. So, a group of young people who could stay in the top 10 of the Russian climbers in the 1990s when the big sport collapsed were raised. At some point six Dagestani climbers were in the top 10 Russian climbers. I should mention here Konstantin Dor, who unfortunately died in the mountains, Shanovaz Shanovazov, the brothers Segrey and Alexander Smotrov, Hadjimurad Magomedov, Kurban Kurbanov – they were very strong athletes, among the best in Russia, got into the EMERCOM team. Two of them – Kurban and the late Sergey Smotrov – were included in the EMERCOM team which climbed an eight-thousand-metre mountain in Himalaya,” climber Yeugeny Kozorezov stated.
Unfortunately, today the elite of this sport in Dagestan have died. “There are no young athletes who would continue the deeds of the Dagestani veterans. Dagestan still welcomes the Russia championships, the Cup of Russia, climbing festivals where people all over the country come. Unfortunately, Dagestanis haven’t won gold medals in recent times. Even though, the most difficult route, Yerydag, the sixth category of difficulty, was established by a Dagestani team headed by Voronin. The most difficult routes are named after their pioneers. Here is Sergey Voronin’s route, even though Dor’s route, Sergey Efimov’s route, “the golden route” of the USSR champions, are also very difficult routes,” the climber concluded.
