Karmadon Gorge & Bodrov Memorial
Кармадонское ущелье
A gorge where the 2002 collapse of the Kolka Glacier buried a film crew; the 'bottleneck' cliffs and the memorial are deeply moving.
Karmadon Gorge lies in the Genaldon Valley, about 35 km from Vladikavkaz. In September 2002 the Kolka Glacier suddenly collapsed, and an ice-and-mud flow swept through the gorge, killing more than a hundred people, including Russian actor and director Sergei Bodrov (star of Brother) and his film crew. Today a memorial stands in the gorge and has become a destination many Russian visitors make a point of visiting. At the 'bottleneck' section the cliffs rise steeply on both sides, and the post-disaster landscape can still be seen. The former Karmadon hot spring sanatorium is now in ruins. It can be visited en route to Dargavs; the mountain road is narrow, so drive with care.
Opening hours
All day
Nearby sights
- Dargavs City of the Dead
- Midagrabin Waterfalls (Zeygalan)
- Dzivgis Cave Fortress
- St. George Cathedral
- Kurtatin Gorge (Fiagdon Valley)
- Mukhtarov Mosque
- Armenian Church of St. Gregory the Illuminator
- Ossetian Church & Kosta Khetagurov's Grave