, name_etymology = , image = Matsesta river Sochi.JPG , image_size = 300 , image_caption = The Matsesta river in

Sochi Sochi ( rus, Со́чи, p=ˈsotɕɪ, a=Ru-Сочи.ogg) is the largest resort city in Russia. The city is situated on the Sochi River, along the Black Sea in Southern Russia, with a population of 466,078 residents, up to 600,000 residents in ...

, map = , map_size = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Russia Krasnodar Krai#Caucasus mountains#European Russia , pushpin_map_size = , pushpin_map_caption= , subdivision_type1 = Country , subdivision_name1 =

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

, subdivision_type2 = , subdivision_name2 = , subdivision_type3 = , subdivision_name3 = , subdivision_type4 = , subdivision_name4 = , subdivision_type5 = City , subdivision_name5 =

, length = , width_min = , width_avg = , width_max = , depth_min = , depth_avg = , depth_max = , discharge1_location= , discharge1_min = , discharge1_avg = , discharge1_max = , source1 = Alek Mountains , source1_location =

Krasnodar Krai Krasnodar Krai (russian: Краснода́рский край, r=Krasnodarsky kray, p=krəsnɐˈdarskʲɪj kraj) is a federal subject of Russia (a krai), located in the North Caucasus region in Southern Russia and administratively a part of t ...

, source1_coordinates= , source1_elevation = , mouth =

Black Sea The Black Sea is a marginal mediterranean sea of the Atlantic Ocean lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bounded by Bulgaria, Georgia, Roma ...

, mouth_location =

, mouth_coordinates = , mouth_elevation = , progression = , river_system = , basin_size = , tributaries_left = , tributaries_right = Tsanyk, Zmeyka , custom_label = , custom_data = , extra = The Matsesta (russian: Мацеста, ady, Мэсты Псы,МэшIост) is a river in

, that flows into the

. The river rises in the southern ranges of the Alek mountains at an elevation of above sea level and flows through the

Khostinsky City District Khostinsky City District (russian: Хостинский райо́н) is one of four city districts of the city of Sochi in Krasnodar Krai, Russia. The city district borders Maykopsky District of the Republic of Adygea in the northeast, Adlersky C ...

of the city of

and into the Black Sea. It is long, and has a drainage basin of . The highest point in the river's basin is above sea level. The river has numerous tributaries, the largest of which are the Tsanyk and Zmeyka. The Matsesta is most famous for its sources of

mineral water Mineral water is water from a mineral spring that contains various minerals, such as salts and sulfur compounds. Mineral water may usually be still or sparkling (carbonated/effervescent) according to the presence or absence of added gases. Tra ...

. The name of the river translates in the

Ubykh language Ubykh or Päkhy was a Northwest Caucasian language once spoken by the Ubykh tribe of Circassians who originally lived along the eastern coast of the Black Sea before being deported ''en masse'' to Turkey in the Circassian genocide. The Ubykh l ...

and the Circassian (Adyghe) language as "fiery water", from the words mašč'o (fire) and psy (water). This was because people that immersed themselves in the water of the Matsesta found that their skin became red. There also exists a legend about a girl named Matsesta who invaded an underground kingdom in order to find the spirit of the mineral resources. She killed the spirit at the price of her own life and then brought the healing sources of the river to its surface. The Matsesta was mentioned for the first time in history in 137 when the

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...

military commander and historian

Arrian Arrian of Nicomedia (; Greek: ''Arrianos''; la, Lucius Flavius Arrianus; ) was a Greek historian, public servant, military commander and philosopher of the Roman period. ''The Anabasis of Alexander'' by Arrian is considered the best ...

described the coast of the Black Sea and the river Matsesta in a letter to the emperor

Hadrian Hadrian (; la, Caesar Trâiānus Hadriānus ; 24 January 76 – 10 July 138) was Roman emperor from 117 to 138. He was born in Italica (close to modern Santiponce in Spain), a Roman ''municipium'' founded by Italic settlers in Hispania B ...

References

{{Reflist Rivers of Krasnodar Krai Tributaries of the Black Sea