The settlement was founded by Russians on 18 June 1837 as the fort of Svyatoy Dukh. However, this area had been inhabited long before the Russian arrival. During the Middle Ages, it was the site of Liesh, a SadzAbkhazian village. In the 13th century, the Genoese merchants arrived to establish a factory which became known as Layso. At that time the upland area was controlled by the Sadz princes of Aredba, one of whose principal estates was located within the modern district boundaries. The current name was given to the area by the Ottoman Turks, who called it either Artlar or Artı.
Transportation
Adler is home to the Sochi International Airport, which serves the whole Greater Sochi area. Adler railway station is also the effective southern terminus of the Russian section of the North Caucasus Railway, which has ceased to carry international traffic to Georgia since hostilities between Russia and Georgia closed the cross-border line in 1992. The summer months see direct train services bringing visitors to Adler from as far away as Berlin in the west, Vorkuta in the north, and Khabarovsk in the Russian Far East, with the 9,816 km of the latter journey taking eight days to complete. Passenger service to Sukhumi starts and stops from time to time. For the 2014 Winter Olympics, new suburban network was put in operation. There is currently infrequent suburban service to Sochi, with most of the trains stopping also in Khosta and Matsesta, both in Khostinsky City District. The service continues in the direction of Abkhazian border, where trains stop at Olympiyskaya Derevnya railway platform. The service terminates at Olympiysky Park train station. Both the station and the platform were constructed for the Olympics. Furthermore, a connection to the airport is open, with regular service to Sochi through Adler railway station. Finally, a new line was constructed between Adler and Krasnaya Polyana, where some of the Olympic competitions were held, with two railway stations, Esto-Sadok and Roza Khutor. Kudepsta railway platform has been disused. Vesyoloye railway station is only in operation when there is passenger traffic to Abkhazia; at this station, customs and border controls take place. Buses connect Adler with other localities of the city of Sochi.
Landmarks
The district covers an area of and has under its jurisdiction a network of mountain auls, the Estonian colony at Estosadok, and the ski resort of Krasnaya Polyana which hosted the snow events of the 2014 Winter Olympics and 2014 Winter Paralympics. The Fisht Olympic Stadium and associated facilities are located closer to the shore. The landmarks of the former town of Adler include two Russian Orthodox churches, dedicated to the Holy Trinity and the Holy Ghost, as well as the ArmenianSaint Sarkis Cathedral. Apart from a pebbly and narrow beach backed by the railway line, the district also has a municipal historical museum and a dolphinarium, which makes it popular among tourists. It is also possible to visit the largest trout farm in Russia and a breeding nursery for great apes. Among the natural wonders of the district are the 70-metre-high Polikarya waterfall and the Akhshtyr Gorge with a 160-meter-long cave which contains traces of human habitation about 30,000 years ago.
