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56-451: Mardakan is known as summer city across the peninsula as many locals tend to visit the settlement during the summertime. It's also popular for its beaches, chill climate and recreational establishments. The name of Mardakan is translated as "place of the Mards", which indicates that the settlement was established by the ancient Mard tribes . First ever records of the name “Mards” is found among

112-415: A mansard roof , which was considered by authorities as just a large garret or attic, not a second story. Often ill-equipped and without indoor plumbing, dachas were nevertheless a solution for millions of working-class families, to have their own form of summer retreat. Having a piece of land also offered an opportunity for city dwellers to indulge themselves in growing their own fruits and vegetables. In

168-556: A novelette entitled Dachniki (1885), about newlywed city-dwellers living a 'simple' summer life of walks in the countryside. Following the Russian Revolution , most dachas were nationalised . Some were converted into vacation homes for factory workers, while others, usually of better quality, were distributed among the prominent functionaries of the Communist Party and the newly emerged cultural and scientific elite. All but

224-478: A round tower , the other with a quadrangular tower . These towers are parts of the general chain of towers and other fortresses over the Absheron peninsula . When enemies attacked, the tops of these towers were lit up with oil to warn the population of the approaching danger. The round tower was built in the 13th century and is 15.5 meters in diameter with three stories. The quadrangular tower dates from 14th century and

280-437: A beach football stadium, and the future Football Academy. The arena, with a seating capacity of 6,500, was one of the venues for the 2012 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup and has since become a key facility for both local and international sporting events. The pitch is certified with FIFA quality standards, underscoring its readiness for high-level competitions. During the opening ceremony, FIFA, UEFA, and AFFA representatives toured

336-486: A big problem for the Moscow region and that they come from several different nearby regions. Because of drug abuse becoming more prevalent, poppies are now being stolen from dachas more often. That is why growing more than two poppy plants is now considered a crime. In 2008, unknown men robbed 10 dachas, including the famous "Zelyonaya budka" ( Russian : Зелёная Будка , lit.   'Green Booth') that belonged to

392-562: A broader initiative to elevate the area's role in Azerbaijani sports , creating more opportunities for both professional athletes and the community to engage in sporting activities. Mərdəkan is twinned with Amardi The Amardians , widely referred to as the Amardi (and sometimes Mardi ), were an ancient Iranian tribe living along the mountainous region bordering the Caspian Sea to

448-466: A dacha in a village usually are lower costs, greater land area, and larger distances between houses. The disadvantages may include lower-quality utilities, less security, and typically a farther distance to travel. The means of transportation for people to get to their dachas, besides cars, are " water trams ", buses, and electric trains (colloquially called " elektrichka "). Due to the large number of people traveling to dachas at weekends (especially during

504-566: A dacha in the Karelian Isthmus , as part of a cooperative society called Ozero , and one in Sochi . In modern times, the rise of a new class in the Russian society (the ' new Russians ') has added a new dimension to the concept of dacha. (Some wealthy Russians prefer the term 'cottage' for their country homes.) With construction costs often reaching into the millions of U.S. dollars, the dachas of

560-491: A family's main or only home, or an outbuilding, is not considered a dacha, although some dachas recently have been converted to year-round residences and vice versa. The noun "dacha", coming from verb "davat" ( to give ), originally referred to land allotted by the tsar to his nobles; and indeed the dacha in Soviet times is similar to the allotment in some Western countries – a piece of land allotted, normally free, to citizens by

616-454: A few dachas remained the property of the state and the right to use them was usually revoked when a dacha occupant was dismissed or fell out of favour with the rulers of the state. Building new dachas required permission from senior officials and was rarely granted during the early years of the Soviet Union. The seniormost Soviet leaders all had their own dachas, and Joseph Stalin 's favourite

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672-620: A height of 22 meters, the Mardakan Fortress is a significant example of the defensive architecture of the period. It served not only as a fortification but also as a strategic lookout for the surrounding area. The fortress is part of the broader network of defensive structures built along the Absheron Peninsula during the era. In addition to these fortifications, several other historical structures remain, including mosques , bathhouses , and residential buildings, which offer insights into

728-478: A key value of dachnik culture. Keeping historical food shortages in mind, they take great pride in growing their own food rather than buying it at a store. The period after World War II saw moderate growth in dacha development. Since there was no actual law banning the construction of dachas, people began occupying unused plots of land near cities and towns, growing gardens and building sheds, huts, and more prominent dwellings that served as dachas. As time passed,

784-509: A more tranquil atmosphere, making Mardakan a popular destination for both recreational and leisurely activities by the sea. Mardakan has a favourable microclimate for growing fruits and vegetables. This has attracted several plantations , one of them being the Mardakan Arboretum . Other key attractions include: Mardakan is connected to Baku and surrounding areas through an established transportation network. Public bus services are

840-421: A spade or a spading fork. In autumn the grown potatoes and other crops are gathered and transported to the city where they are stored in cellars, dugouts (usually located on unused plots of ground), or in personal automobile garages. Many Russians prefer to grow vegetables themselves because of the widespread belief in the excessive use of agrochemicals in the vegetables from supermarkets and grocery stores, and

896-461: Is about 25 meters tall with five stories. Mardakan is a place to build dacha summer cottages for Baku residents. The tradition to build cottages in Mardakan dates back to the 19th century when business magnates from the emerging oil industry began to build extravagant summer houses. Nowadays, the construction boom in Mardakan continues with a wave of newly made generation of businessmen, who keep

952-476: Is known for its extensive beaches along the Caspian Sea, offering sandy shorelines and clear waters that are suitable for sunbathing , swimming, and walking. One of the main attractions is Dalga Beach , an aquapark that features water slides, pools, and various aquatic activities, along with cafes, restaurants, and sun loungers . In addition to Dalga Beach, the region is home to several other beaches that provide

1008-508: Is often said to have no exact counterpart in English. Dachas are common in Russia, and are also widespread in most parts of the former Soviet Union and in some countries of the former Eastern Bloc . Surveys in 1993–1994 suggest about 25% of Russian families living in large cities had dachas. Most dachas are in colonies of dachas and garden plots near large cities. These clusters have existed since

1064-709: Is rooted in the word Amard , which occurs as Amui in Middle Persian . According to historical literature, Amol was the capital of Tapuria (modern-day Mazanderan ), at least in the period starting from the Sasanian Empire to the Ilkhanate of the Mongol Empire . Strabo mentions the name Mardi several times. He places their location to the south of the Caspian Sea in what is now Gilan and Mazanderan , in northern Iran . On his map, he mentions Amardos (and

1120-558: The Amardos river), the name attributed to the region of Sefidrud at the time. Herodotus mentions a tribe with a similar name as one of the ten to fifteen Persian tribes in Persis . They lived in the valleys in between the Susis and Persis, in what in now southwestern Iran. The southern Mardi are described by Nearchus as one of the four predatory mountain peoples of the southwest, along with

1176-686: The Federal Property Agency of Russia continues to own numerous estates throughout the country that are leased, often on non-market terms, to government officials. The President of Russia has official dacha residences in Novo-Ogaryovo and Zavidovo . Gosdachas in Komarovo and Peredelkino , Zhukovka , Barvikha , and Usovo and Rublyovka in Moscow are populated by many Soviet -era intellectuals and artists. Russian President Vladimir Putin has

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1232-518: The Industrial Revolution to Russia brought about a rapid growth in the urban population, and wealthy urban residents increasingly desired to escape the heavily polluted cities, at least temporarily. By the end of the 19th century, the dacha became a favorite summer retreat for the upper and middle classes of Russian society. In the tsarist era, dachas tended to have pleasure gardens, but were not used much for growing food. Maxim Gorky wrote

1288-750: The Special School of the State Border Service , established to support the development of Azerbaijan's border security forces, operating under the jurisdiction of the State Border Service of Azerbaijan . Additionally, Mardakan benefits from its proximity to Baku, providing residents with access to a broader range of educational opportunities, including specialized schools, universities, and vocational training centers. The main points of interest of Mardakan are its castles with watchtowers , technically being keeps . There are two keeps - one being with

1344-400: The nouveau-riche tastes of their owners—and feature ostentatious items such as marble statues, fountains and exotic plants. Some have state-of-the-art sporting facilities such as an indoor swimming pool, multiple tennis courts and stables for race horses. A few privately owned estates even have small forests and lakes. Wealthy Russians have also bought up many of the tsarist-era dachas of

1400-447: The 1960s to 1985, legal limitations were especially strict: only single-story summer houses without permanent heating and with living areas less than 25 m (269 sq ft) were allowed as second housing (though older dachas that did not meet these requirements continued to exist). In the 1980s, planners loosened the rules, and since 1990 all such limitations have been eliminated. As of 2019, about 62% of Russians visit dachas in

1456-691: The 1990s, there was great unemployment in Russia and other post-Soviet states, and salaries in factories and research institutes that still functioned were sometimes not paid for many months. In these hard times potatoes grown in garden plots saved many people from hunger, and fruit and berries helped prevent vitamin deficiency . Due to the rapid increase in urbanization in Russia, many village houses are currently being sold for use as dachas. Many Russian villages now have dachniki as temporary residents. Some villages have been fully transformed into dacha settlements, while some older dacha settlements often look like more permanent lodgings. The advantages of purchasing

1512-463: The 1st century AD. Several traces of ancient settlements have been discovered close to the village. Some rocks in the area have paintings typical to the Bronze Age . The Mardakan Fortress was built in the mid-14th century by the order of Shirvanshah Akhsitan , in commemoration of a victory over a defeated enemy. The fortress was primarily used as a military post and an observation point . Standing at

1568-472: The Russian Federation continues to own State dachas ( gosdacha ) used by the president and other officials. They were extremely popular in the Soviet Union. As regulations severely restricted the size and type of dacha buildings for ordinary people during the Soviet period, permitted features such as large attics or glazed verandas became extremely widespread and often oversized. In the period from

1624-425: The Soviet era, and consist of numerous small land plots. They were initially intended only as recreation getaways of city dwellers and for growing small gardens for food. Dachas originated as small country estates given as a gift by the tsar, and have been popular among the Russian upper- and middle-classes ever since. During the Soviet era, many dachas were state-owned, and were given to the people. The government of

1680-478: The Susians, Uxii , and Elymaeans . Of these four nomadic groups, they were the only tribe linguistically Iranian . Dacha A dacha ( Belarusian , Ukrainian and Russian: дача , IPA: [ˈdatɕə] ) is a seasonal or year-round second home, often located in the exurbs of post-Soviet countries, including Russia . A cottage ( коттедж , kottedzh ) or shack serving as

1736-695: The area combines its historical landmarks with contemporary development. Ongoing efforts to preserve its cultural and architectural heritage ensure that it remains an important location for both residents and visitors. The area continues to serve as a place that blends its past with modern amenities, reflecting its historical significance and its role in current-day life. Mardakan is home to several educational institutions, including two secondary schools that offer general education in subjects such as mathematics, sciences, literature, and foreign languages, including English and Russian. The town also has multiple kindergartens that focus on early childhood education as well as

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1792-447: The aristocracy, and Soviet-era dachas of artists and intellectuals. Theft is not unusual for dachas. Usually, the dachas are either without surveillance or only one single guard taking care of the entire property. In an attempt to prevent these thefts, dacha owners often take everything valuable back to their apartments in the city at the end of summer. Typically dishes, tools and clothes are stolen. Homeless people and criminals often use

1848-500: The country's elite bear no resemblance to the small dachas of the Soviet era. Comparable in size and décor to mansions and palaces , they become an elaborate display of social status, wealth and power. Most dachas of the elite are constructed with brick and concrete, unlike the middle-class dachas that are mostly constructed with wood. These new symbols of prosperity are designed by professional architects, usually in eclectic style —that older dachniks look down upon as reflecting

1904-516: The dacha experiences they had during the Soviet era. Dacha plots are usually not more than 600 m (6,500 sq ft) in area; in some cases over 1,200 or 1,500 m (13,000 or 16,000 sq ft), but nearly never exceeding 0.96 ha (2.4 acres). They therefore are too small to grow any large amount of fruits and vegetables, thus sometimes they are also grown on separate dedicated plots of ground nearby. In Soviet times and sometimes now, such dedicated plots of ground were often made of

1960-554: The dachas in autumn and winter when the owners are absent. Occasionally minors light unsupervised dachas on fire as entertainment. Thieves also break into dachas with the intention of stealing non-ferrous metal , like gold, copper and silver. This happened to the leader of LDPR , Igor Lebedev , in 2000. Two men broke into his dacha in Odintsovo District after which they were stopped by police officers. The Moscow City Police press claims that collectors of non-ferrous metal are

2016-507: The doctor of historical sciences, prominent Baku historian Sara Khanum Ashurbeyli, the toponym "Mardakan" is related to the name of the "Mard" tribe, who once lived here.” Therefore, Mardakan means the place where the Mard tribe lives, the homeland of the Mard tribe. Mardakan is one of the oldest villages of the Absheron peninsula . It is named after a tribe called the Mards who lived in the area during

2072-582: The famous Russian poet Anna Akhmatova in the settlement Litfonda in Komarovo . In 2002, the United States citizen Yakov Tilipman, who was representing the interests of the "Kremlyovskaya group", was shot in the protected gardening association "Yagodka" ( Russian : Ягодка , lit.   'Berry') in Opalikha in the Krasnogorsk region of Moscow. In 2008, robbers in camouflage uniforms climbed over

2128-465: The four predatory mountain peoples of the southwest, along with the Susians, Uxii , and Elymaeans . Of these four nomadic groups, they were the only tribe linguistically Iranian . The term Mardi comes from the Old Iranian word for "man" ( Old Persian : 𐎶𐎼𐎫𐎡𐎹 martiya ; from Proto-Indo-European *mr̥tós , "mortal"). Richard N. Frye believe that the name of the city of Amol

2184-913: The government. The 1980s saw the peak of the dacha boom, with nearly all affluent families—over a third of families in urban areas—having a dacha of their own. Dacha houses built since the late 1980s are significantly larger than older ones because legal size restrictions were liberalized, and new dacha areas became fields of relatively big houses on tiny land plots. Tracts between lines of dacha land plots are usually unimproved or improved with crushed stone, and narrow (often about 6 m (20 ft) between fences) enough that two cars can hardly pass each other by. Dachas also started to be found in other Eastern Bloc countries, especially in East Germany (where it remains quite current even after German reunification ), and in Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia . In

2240-450: The higher costs of the vegetables in stores and bazaars , especially among the older part of the population. Also, growing one's own food supplies is a long-lived Russian tradition practised even by many affluent Russians. It is seen as a way to have a connection to the land, to be self-sufficient, and for many, to find some escape from a capitalist economy. While a large portion of urban Russians grow some vegetables in their dacha gardens,

2296-440: The local government for gardening or growing vegetables for personal consumption. With time the name for the land was applied to the building on it. In some cases, owners occupy their dachas for part of the year and rent them to urban residents as summer retreats. People living in dachas are colloquially called dachniki ( дачники ); the term usually refers not only to dacha dwellers but to a distinctive lifestyle. The Russian term

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2352-551: The north, to whom the Iron Age culture at Marlik is attributed. They are said to be related to, or the same tribe as, the Dahae and Sacae . That is to say, they were Scythian . Herodotus mentions a tribe with a similar name as one of the ten to fifteen Persian tribes in Persis . They lived in the valleys in between the Susis and Persis, in what is now southwestern Iran. The southern Mardi are described by Nearchus as one of

2408-449: The number of squatters grew and the government had no choice but to officially recognise their right to amateur farming. The 1955 legislation introduced a new type of legal person into the Soviet juridical system , a gardeners' partnership ( садоводческое товарищество , sadovodcheskoye tovarishchestvo ), similar to community gardens in other countries. The gardeners' partnership received

2464-1202: The perception in some parts of society that urban Russians are becoming increasingly self-sufficient is a myth, and only some 15 percent of vegetables are grown by urban dwellers. The most common dacha fruits in cool temperate regions of Russia are apple , blackcurrant , redcurrant , gooseberry , raspberry and strawberry (sometimes also sour cherry , downy cherry , rose hips , plum , bird cherry , pear , sea-buckthorn , Actinidia kolomikta , black chokeberry , serviceberry , barberry , sweetberry honeysuckle , blackberry and grape , but many of them are either rare or not hardy enough and require winter protection). Popular vegetables and herbs are potato , cucumber , zucchini , pumpkin , tomato , carrot , red bell peppers (capsicum) , beetroot , cabbage , cauliflower , radish , turnip , onion , garlic , dill , parsley , rhubarb , sorrel , papaver , earth apple , horseradish and others. The state-owned vacation houses allotted for government officials, academicians, military personnel, and other VIPs are called " gosdachas " ( госдача , short for государственная дача gosudarstvennaya dacha — "state dacha"). In modern Russia,

2520-655: The primary mode of transit, including the 140E BakuBus route, which links Mardakan to central Baku. The route starts at Koroglu Metro Station . Alongside Mardakan, it also passes through Zabrat and Shuvalan . Several other bus routes connect Mardakan to nearby settlements on the Absheron Peninsula, such as Gala, Bilgah, and Pirshagi . Private minibuses ( marshrutkas ) operate alongside public buses, providing additional connections to less accessible areas. Taxis and ride-hailing services are also available, offering alternative transportation options. The Liv Bona Dea Arena ,

2576-404: The right to permanent use of land exclusively for agricultural purposes and permission to connect to public electrical and water supply networks. In 1958, yet another form of organisation was introduced, a cooperative for dacha construction ( дачно-строительный кооператив , dachno-stroytelniy kooperativ ), which recognised the right of an individual to build a small house on the land leased from

2632-445: The social, religious, and architectural practices of the time. These structures reflect the area's cultural heritage during the medieval period . During the Soviet era , the area underwent further development, becoming a popular destination for sanatoriums and summer residences. This period contributed to the area's growing role as a retreat location, introducing modern infrastructure while maintaining its historical character. Today,

2688-417: The stadium and watched a training session involving youth national teams. Beyond the arena, the region supports various sports and activities, with facilities designed to foster local talent and host national and international events. The development of sports infrastructure continues to grow, with improvements in venues and training centers contributing to the region's sports culture. These efforts are part of

2744-421: The summer), traffic typically builds up around large cities, and elektrichka and buses are filled to capacity. Dachas have started appearing in regions of North America that have high concentrations of immigrants from Russia and Ukraine. Russians and Ukrainians from New York, Long Island, and New Jersey have been retreating to their Russian-style dacha homes in the forests of Upstate New York in order to recreate

2800-533: The summer. The first dachas in Russia began to appear during the 17th century, initially referring to small estates in the country that were given to loyal vassals by the tsar . In archaic Russian, the word dacha means something given , from the verb "дать" [dat'] – "to give". During the Age of Enlightenment , Russian aristocracy used their dachas for social and cultural gatherings, which were usually accompanied by masquerade balls and firework displays. The coming of

2856-418: The tradition of transforming old Absheron style architecture dachas with architecture from Europe, such as French and Mediterranean house building manner. As in old days, French architecture stands out among all other architecture styles followed in the construction of summer cottages, with a whole new White City project in down town of the capital of Azerbaijan, which is purely French architecture. The town

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2912-472: The tribes living in Caucasian Albania . Bows, and various other belongings to the Bronze Age (3rd-2nd millennia BC) were found on the rocks near Mardakan, as well as ancient settlements. Some of the research ethnographers connect the word "Mardakan" with the name of the "Mardlar" tribe that settled here, and some with the word "Mardi place" according to the etymology of the local population. According to

2968-434: The unused sections of agricultural fields owned by collective farms . Many small dacha plots, especially those that were recently purchased, are not used for large-scale fruit and vegetable farming. Instead, they are frequently used for gardening and planting exotic plants. Due to custom and the perceived high costs of good equipment, even relatively large plots of land are often cultivated manually using equipment such as

3024-402: The years before and after World War II , cultivation of garden crops on dacha plots was substantial, because of the failure of the centrally planned Soviet agricultural programme to supply enough fresh produce. Many dacha owners grew crops for market. Since then, growing garden crops has been of lesser importance, but continues to be widespread. Many Russian dacha owners still see gardening as

3080-463: Was in Gagra , Abkhazia . New dachas started to be built in larger numbers during the 1930s, and dacha colonies for artists, or soldiers, or various classes of party functionaries, started to form. There were legal size restrictions for dacha houses in the Soviet era. They had to have not more than 25 m (269 sq ft) of living area and be only one story tall. For that reason, they usually had

3136-546: Was officially opened on June 6, 2011, with a ceremony attended by notable figures, including FIFA President Sepp Blatter , UEFA President Michel Platini , and AFFA President Rovnag Abdullayev . The event marked the inauguration of a major football venue in Azerbaijan, situated near the Caspian Sea. The stadium is part of the AFFA Football Center , which also includes two full-sized artificial turf training pitches,

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