Cable cars on Elbrus have resumed operation.
The cable cars at the ski resort in Kabardino-Balkaria resumed operation today after being shut down for two days for unscheduled maintenance.
As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," on May 11, the Elbrus administration announced that the cable cars at the resort would be closed on May 12 for maintenance.
The official opening of the ski season at Elbrus took place on December 6, 2025. To mark the opening, the resort launched a new ski area with two cable cars, and 5.2 kilometers of new trails were developed in the eastern sector.
Today, after a technical break, all five cable cars resumed operation: Azau - Krugozor (2350m - 3000m), Krugozor - Mir (3000m - 3500m), Mir - Garabashi (3500m - 3847m), Mir-2 - Bashtala (3500m - 3560m), and Bashtala - Chiran (3560m - 3300m), the Elbrus administration reported on its Telegram channel.
Following scheduled maintenance on May 12, the resort resumed receiving tourists. "Yesterday, Elbrus went on a short maintenance visit: everything was checked, adjusted, and returned to its original position. Now we're waiting for you on the slopes again. The next break is June 8th," reads a post from May 13th.
However, on May 14th, the resort administration announced a change in the Azau-Krugozor cable car's operations. The cable car was stopped "for technical reasons," and then Elbrus administration announced that the Azau-Krugozor cable car "is only operating for descent (ascent is not possible)."
The following day, May 15th, the cable cars were closed for maintenance. The resort administration assured that the interruption would be one day, but the cable car service did not resume on May 16th. "Today, May 16th, Saturday, the cable cars are closed due to maintenance," the administration announced, explaining that "the temporary inconvenience is necessary for the ongoing safety" of tourists.
As of 10:50 Moscow time, there are no comments under the posts on the administration's Telegram channel, and the ability to leave comments is disabled.
As a reminder, in September 2025, three people died and several others were injured as a result of a cable car cable break on Mount Elbrus. The director and chief engineer of the company servicing the cable car were detained and arrested in connection with the deaths. In January, the case was referred to court.
The prosecutor's office also filed lawsuits on behalf of the sons of two of the deceased men. One of the victims demanded 10 million rubles in compensation for the death of his father, the other - 15 million rubles.
After many countries closed their borders due to the coronavirus pandemic, Russian tourists turned more attention to resorts within the country, particularly in the North Caucasus. In 2025, according to authorities, two million tourists visited the resorts of Kabardino-Balkaria, tourist flow increased by 13.7%.
Prielbrusye is a winter resort in Kabardino-Balkaria, popular among fans of alpine skiing, freeriding, snowboarding, and other extreme sports.