Without a doubt, the mainlandmark Kamchatka Peninsula - Klyuchevskaya Sopka, which is a large active volcano cone-shaped regular shape. If we talk about the origin of the name, the term "hill" in the locals is interpreted as a hill or hill. The name of the mountain is associated with the nearby Klyuchka River and the Klyuchi settlement. Presumably, the choice of the name of the volcano was also influenced by the presence of a large number of keys that are hot. Klyuchevskaya Sopka is covered with a glacial cap. Some of her tongues sink almost to the foot of the mountain.
For the first time the eruption of this volcano is documentedIt was recorded in 1697, and the first detailed description dates back to 1737. Then Stepan Krashennikov, a member of the second Kamchatka expedition led by Bering, noted that the fierce, terrible fire lasted about a week. Because of him, the whole mountain turned into a hot stone, and the flame with a strong noise rushed down in the form of a hot river. Klyuchevskaya Sopka significantly increased its activity in the summer of 1966. Then, in the course of a series of eruptions, lava descended into the valley of the Kirgurich River, along which the river flowed for a long time in the direction of the Klyuchi settlement. For two months, the lava flow covered a distance of ten kilometers, which greatly frightened the locals.
Over the past more than two hundred years of observationsKlyuchevskaya Sopka eruptions occurred about fifty times. In the twentieth century, the volcano was most active in January 1980. On the mountainside then a crack about a kilometer in length appeared, from which an enormous amount of ash and lava was ejected.
Regarding the height of the volcano specific responsenot yet. According to most atlases, this parameter is 4,688 m. However, in many books and encyclopedic reference books the figure is 4,750 m. Based on data from a popular Internet source Wikipedia, Kluchevskaya has a height of 4,649 m. The explanation for all this is quite simple. The fact is that the volcano is now active. Like any other living thing, it tends to constantly change its size. If we examine the historical statistical information, we can see that as of 1978, the height of the mountain was 4,750 m. After another twenty years, the Klyuchevskaya hill increased in height by one hundred meters. As a result of the eruption, which occurred in 1994, due to the growth of slag cones, the mountain grew to 4,822 m. Despite this, the active activity of the volcano led to the gradual destruction of the cones and a reduction in height to the level of 4,750 m. Today in the crater of the volcano again there is an accumulation of material, which leads to its growth. In connection with this, the height of the mountain is now approximately 4800 m.
The first officially recorded climbto the Klyuchevskaya volcano dates back to 1788. This happened from 4 to 8 August. Then the Russian expedition, led by Billings, approached the base of the mountain, and curiosity-driven mountain conductor Daniel Gaus, along with several of his companions, went to the top of the volcano.
