a river in Stavropol’ Krai, RSFSR, a right tributary of the Kuma. It is 160 km long and drains an area of 2,220 sq km. Originating on the north slopes of the Greater Caucasus, it cuts a narrow gorge through the Skalistyi and Pastbishchnyi ranges. The Podkumok is fed primarily by snow. The mean flow rate is approximately 8 eu m per sec. The river is used extensively for irrigation. The cities of Kislovodsk, Essentuki, Piatigorsk, and Georgievsk are on the Podkumok, and there is a hydroelectric power plant on the river near Essentuki.