Among the pioneers of the Caucasus, military topographer Andrei Vasilyevich Pastukhov holds a special place, also regarded as the first Russian mountaineer. Pastukhov was born on August 18, 1858, in the village of Novo-Derkul in the Kharkov province. His father worked as a groom at a horse breeding farm, where Andrei served as a clerk. From childhood, he showed curiosity, and the stories of the old sergeant Ivan Bolotin, a participant in the Caucasian wars, made a strong impression on him.

One day, a topographer visited Novo-Derkul and advised Pastukhov to go to St. Petersburg to enroll in a military gymnasium. Andrei was admitted there and then sent to the training team of the topographic corps. In the spring of 1879, he became a non-commissioned officer, after which he was sent to the Courland province. In 1882, the General Staff assigned him to the topographic department of the Caucasian military district.

Pastukhov found himself in the same carriage as the famous traveler and geographer P. P. Semenov-Tyan-Shansky, who advised him to spend a few days in Pyatigorsk. The city immediately captured his heart, and Pastukhov often returned there between ascents. In Pyatigorsk, he met photographer G. Raev, who showed him the picturesque surroundings and shared secrets of photography.

Then Pastukhov went to Tiflis, where he worked in Dagestan for five years. He was drawn to the summit of Kazbek, which even the locals considered inaccessible. Andrei Vasilyevich meticulously prepared for the ascent, making crampons and stocking up on warm clothing. In July 1889, he reached an altitude of 5033 meters and planted the Russian tricolor. His guide, Tepsarko Tsarakhov, also entered history as the brave companion of the explorer. Pastukhov sketched the summit and craters.

In 1890, he, along with Cossacks, conquered Ushba, and then Elbrus, where he left a flag and a note found 50 years later by Soviet climbers. In 1893, he studied Ararat and reached its summit, and in 1896, he again conquered Elbrus, becoming the first climber to ascend the western peak.

Andrei Vasilyevich actively published his works in "Niva" and "Notes of the Caucasian Division of the Russian Geographical Society," illustrating them with photographs and maps created during expeditions. While working in the high mountains, he climbed to the highest points for observations and photography. Pastukhov became the first to ascend Kazbek from the north, the first Russian mountaineer to conquer both peaks of Elbrus, and the first in the world to ascend Ararat three times. His achievements brought him popularity among Russian mountaineering enthusiasts.

In June 1899, Pastukhov fell ill, and even his "iron body" could not withstand the trials. The best doctors in Pyatigorsk tried to save him, but on September 23, his heart stopped. Friends erected a monument at his grave, but they made a mistake with the birth date, indicating 1860 instead of 1858. Pastukhov's name is immortalized on the map of the Caucasus, with Mount Pastukhova in the Zelenchuk Gorge of Karachay-Cherkessia, where he studied avalanches in Arkhyz.

Almost his entire life, Pastukhov traveled, not tying himself to one place. Pyatigorsk left a significant mark on his life, providing him with rest and meetings with friends. Here he spent the last months of his life, admiring the snowy peaks.

Relatives and friends decided to erect a monument at his grave. In the spring of 1903, an obelisk with a bas-relief was made in Tiflis. On the southern side of Mount Mashuk stands a modest monument at Pastukhov's grave, from where there is a magnificent view of the Caucasus mountains described by Lermontov. This place became his "final resting place," where he found eternal peace among the mountains he loved so much.