Natural wonders of Armenia. Snow tunnels and caves of Kamchatka I. Caves are a unique natural phenomenon

Armenia is very beautiful land With ancient history- This is the first country to adopt Christianity as a state religion. It is famous for its world-famous cognac, and its mineral springs no worse than similar ones in other parts of the world.

Armenian temples and churches excite, causing peace, turquoise lake Sevan, framed by mountains and clouds bathing in it, enchants and delights, and vineyards, trees and bushes ripen under the sun's rays against the backdrop of the royally magical Ararat.

Armenia tells about itself with the incomparable melody that the duduk “sings,” as if it has absorbed the whole soul and wisdom of the Armenian people.

We present to you some of the most mysterious and majestic places in Armenia, which amaze with their natural landscape, unique forms and are fraught with centuries-old mysteries that have yet to be solved...

Natural “umbrellas” in the Hunot gorge

One of the wonders of Armenia are the waterfalls in the Karkar River gorge. Near the city of Shushi, the river forms the deepest gorge in the country, 300-350 m deep.

At the bottom of the gorge, from the tributary of the river, a strong spring flows from the rock, which, descending from the stone walls of the cave, flows into the river, forming an incredible cascade of waterfalls.

Over the centuries, the water, with its gentle flow, feeds millions of algae that hang over the “arches” of the cave, forming a natural phenomenon, similar in appearance to umbrellas.

The waterfall is called Mamrot Kar, but local residents They nicknamed him Ovanots, which translated into Russian means umbrella.

Symphony of stones

Near the legendary Garni Temple, there is a canyon of the Azat River, it is an incredible natural monument.

Its walls, as if carved by a human hand, are formed from basalt hexagons, reminiscent of organ pipes in their appearance, for which they received the name - Symphony of Stones.

These rocks rise from below to the very top of the gorge. The natural composition is also called “Symphony of Rocks” or “Basalt Organ”.

"Symphony of Stones" is included in the list natural monuments and is protected by law.

Lake Sevan

The decoration of the country is the incredible Lake Sevan - the largest of the highlands, and the largest in Transcaucasia. It is located in the heart of the mountains at an altitude of about 2000 m above sea level.

The water in it is clear and clean. Ancient legends say that the gods and stars quenched their thirst from it. Located around the lake National Park Sevan.

There are many historical monuments, famous fortresses, old monastery complexes and Cyclopean buildings of the Urartian period in Sevan.

Particularly interesting is the monastery complex standing on the Sevan peninsula - dating back to 878.

Satan's Bridge

Armenia also has a unique natural monument - Satani Kamurj or Devil's Bridge. This natural miracle can be seen on the road leading from the village of Halidzor to the village of Tatev (the Goris-Tatev highway passes along it).

This is a naturally formed bridge located over the Vorotan River. At the base of the bridge, on the river bank, there are many the most beautiful waterfalls, going down from the cliffs.

Recesses, niches and even small caves formed there. There are stalactites and small natural pools with mineral water, the temperature of which is 25 °C.

The rocks themselves mainly consist of yellowish and pink travertine, as well as limestone, which is simply a mesmerizing picture of bright colors.

Akna lich

Lake Akna is of volcanic origin. It is located in the Geghama Mountains, at an altitude of 3300 m above sea level and with an area of 0.5 m2. The lake is filled with spring waters. It is surrounded by volcanic cones and alpine meadows.

The water in the lake is fresh and clean. The lake mirrors the sky and mountains. This lake is considered one of the most scenic spots Armenian nature.

Natural pyramids

The city of Goris is located in the wooded part of the Vararak River. The surrounding area of the city is full of unusual structures: towers, castles, pyramids and caves. Old Goris is entirely built of “karataker” (house in the rocks), very similar to the pyramids.

Each such “apartment” has a window, a door and a stove. Doors and windows are located at a height of 4–5 meters from the ground. People used wicker stairs to enter apartments. According to locals, there were 700–800 such apartments in the old city. This area will be protected, as well as its natural and historical value.

Lake Parz

Parz Lich (Armenian Parz - transparent, Lich - lake) is a small lake that is located high in the mountains of Armenia, near the city of Dilijan, on the forested slope of the Areguni mountain ranges.

The lake is closely surrounded by dense forests and is considered one of the most beautiful places in the country. Maximum depth The lake is only five meters, but the water in it is so clean that the lake was nicknamed Transparent or Clear.

Bear Cave

This cave is also one of the natural wonders of Armenia, it is located in Vayots Dzor, near the city of Yerevan, near the Noravank monastery complex.

The temperature inside the cave does not change all year round - +9 °C. Huge cave halls of karst origin, “lined” with all types of deposits (stalagmites, curtains, stalagnates, stalactites and corals) create a truly majestic picture.

The underground lake and cave river give the place a mysterious and fabulous look. And, of course, the underground siphon deserves special attention.

Kasakh waterfall

Kasakh waterfall is the highest in Armenia. Its height is 70 meters, and it is located on the Kasakh River in the Aragatsotn region.

Once upon a time, powerful lava flows covered many river channels, and although some rivers managed to maintain their flow under the earth's surface, most of them were unable to withstand the stone elements. Including an ancient watercourse, the bed of which is located in the thickness of volcanic rocks. It runs around the perimeter modern river Kasakh is called Paleokasakh.

The strong lava flows that buried it became waterproof, hence the new surface Kasakh. The revived river cut through a 90-kilometer canyon, and now this pristine beauty will take your breath away: you can see the bizarre terrain, grottoes and mountain caves.

The waters of Kasakh, breaking against the rapids, noisily fall into a deep gorge, thereby forming the Kasakh waterfall.

Lake Tsakhkunyats

Tsakhkunyats is Mountain Lake, located in the middle part of the Tsakhkunyats ridge, at an altitude of 2450 meters above sea level. It is fed only by rain, and in winter it is covered with ice.

The lake, although small, is very beautiful and fabulous, it is surrounded picturesque mountains and meadows.

Shakinskiy waterfall

The Shaki River is a small tributary of the stormy Vorotan, and its length is only 18 km, but despite this, it forms an amazingly beautiful waterfall, which is a natural landmark of Armenia.

The waterfall goes perfectly with the view of the Paleolithic caves located nearby. The territory of the Shakinsky waterfall is called an “archaeological storehouse”, since in this place there are several unique grottoes in which primitive people lived.

Araks River

Araks is the most large river in the Armenian Highlands (995 km long). The current of the Araks is very strong, especially during spring floods, when it overflows its banks, thereby washing away crops and destroying bridges. But it also saturates its banks with moisture, forming lush gardens on them.

The silty sediments that covered the river for many centuries are marked by great fertility. most Ararat plain.

Mount Ararat

And in conclusion, I would like to talk about the famous Ararat - the symbol of Armenia. Nature clearly did not skimp in creating this miracle, endowed with incredible strength and spirit.

Ararat (Masis in Armenian) is a volcanic massif that consists of two extinct volcanoes: Little Ararat and Greater Ararat. This natural splendor perfectly reflects the majesty and history of the country.

Ararat is covered eternal snows and its fantastic appearance is simply mesmerizing.
For Armenians, this mountain is considered sacred. According to Biblical sources, it was at its top that Noah’s Ark landed.

I. Caves are a unique natural phenomenon.

A person is always attracted to the unknown, the mysterious, hidden in darkness. Caves are probably the most striking example of a Mystery created by nature. When a person finds himself in the narrow or wide passages of “underground palaces”, he can be overcome either by anxiety and fear, or by indomitable curiosity - both attract and force him to return again and again to solving this riddle. Moreover, caves are a rather rare geological phenomenon. They allow a person to look deep into the Earth, find out the contents of its depths, and look at the grandiose, impressive work of water.

Yes, it is water that creates caves, or rather, underground water. They travel through the voids and cracks of the earth's crust and build their paths by penetrating rocks and dissolving them. Moreover, some rocks succumb to water quite quickly (carbonate, sulfate and chloride), while others remain unchanged. This is how thousands, millions of years pass - caves and multi-story labyrinths are formed, through which underground rivers often flow. This natural phenomenon is called karst.

The caves also attract people with their beauty. Drops of water, saturated with calcium bicarbonate, build bizarre sculptures: stalactites “grow” from the ceiling of the cave, and stalagmites on the floor; when they connect, columns are formed. The cave turns into underground city or garden.

All over the world, people's interest in caves has gone through several stages over time. For primitive people they were dwellings and temples. Since the Age of Enlightenment, caves began to attract the attention of scientists, whose interest was spurred by the finds of human and animal bones of the “antediluvian” period made in the caves. In the second half of the 19th century, geomorphology arose at the intersection of geology and geography, whose representatives paid considerable attention to caves. At the same time, the aesthetic, scientific and educational value of caves as unique natural, historical and cultural objects was realized - speleology was born.

The most popular among tourists are not the deepest (the Jean-Bernard well in the Savoy Alps - 1410 meters) and not the longest (Flint Mammoth Cave in the USA - 341.1 kilometers), but the most beautiful and accessible caves. The Kungur “ice” cave in the Urals stretches “only” 5.6 kilometers. The amazing colors and bizarre shapes of stalactites and stalagmites, the complex combination of limestone and ice growths make the cave look like a fairy-tale underground kingdom. The most famous cave in the Caucasus is the Anakopia (New Athos) cave. The natural entrance to it is located in a funnel in the forest on Mount Iverskaya. To enter the gigantic halls of the cave, you need to descend 139 meters vertically. The cave is equipped for tourists to explore: a tunnel for an electric train has been made in the “body” of the mountain. In the USA, at the foot of the Guadalupe Mountains, in the south of New Mexico, there is the famous Carslab Cave (length - 33 kilometers, depth - 313 meters), which has several floors. It is visited by numerous tourists, is electrified, equipped with elevators and snack bars.

II. Tavdinsky caves – favorite place tourists.

In the territory Altai Territory There are quite a few caves. The most famous of them: Geofizicheskaya, Altai, Tavdinsky - these are the favorite places of tourists traveling around the Altai Mountains.

The most accessible to visit are the Tavdinsky caves. Despite the fact that they are located in steep cliffs and on the steep slopes of the Tavdinskaya Mountain, visiting them is quite simple - an asphalt road leads to them and special steps have been made (Fig. 3 and 4), and there is even electricity installed in the Tavdinskaya-2 cave for convenience tourists. Since the caves are a well-known and popular place among tourists, almost every recreation center in the area provides information posters informing about the time, duration and cost of excursions to them. The entrance to the natural monument itself has long been turned into a place for a comfortable stay for guests with numerous cafes, kiosks with souvenirs and even holiday houses. It is also attractive that there are other attractions located not far from the Tavdinsky Caves Gorny Altai: Lake Aya, Lake Manzherok, Kamyshlinsky waterfall, Arzhan-Suu spring.

The Tavda Caves got their name from the name of the village of Tavda (the second name is Talda), which was previously located not far from these places. U local population There is a romantic legend about the origin and name of these caves:

“For a long time, no one remembers exactly when, Khansha Tavda lived in the mountains. She was known among people as such a miser, the likes of which the world had never seen. And, although she had a myriad of riches, she came up with new tricks just to rob people completely. But where she put the goods taken from people: cattle, harness, poultry, killed game - no one could understand. Everything that was brought to her yurt and piled up in whole heaps disappeared before our eyes, as if it had sunk into the ground. The hunters killed all the sables, goats, and deer in the entire area, and Tavda kept increasing the rent.

She threatened that if the tribute was not submitted on time, then she would take away their children from unwitting people. He will take his sons into his army, and his daughters into slavery - to weave carpets, milk goats and do all sorts of menial work. Hunters rushed around the deserted taiga day and night. Dejected, with empty nets, fishermen wandered into poor yurts; there had been no fish in the lakes and rivers for a long time. Everything disappeared into the insatiable, bottomless womb of the greedy Tavda.

No one knew how long this would last. Yes, strangers appeared in those places: husband and wife, young, handsome. Soon good fame spread throughout all the nearby camps about them. Manzherok, that was the man’s name, was strong and dexterous even in hunting or fishing. And he conquered everyone because he knew how to sculpt all kinds of dishes from clay. When he took his wonderful bowls out of the hot oven and gave them to the poor, there was no end to the joy. Katyng, that was the name of his slender, green-eyed wife, captivated everyone with her ability to embroider carpets with strange birds, animals and flowers, and weave fishing nets, which had never been seen in those places.

The fame of the craftsman's young family soon reached Tavda. Her hands even shook with anger when she saw their creations. Immediately she imposed such a large rent that even a dozen craftsmen would not have been able to bear. Imagine the surprise of the khan’s servants when, at the appointed time, the khanshas Manzherok and Katyng appeared at the yurt almost empty-handed. The master had only one jug in his hands, and the craftswoman had only one fishing net... “Listen to us, lady, our tribute to you is not simple,” Manzherok began. “Here is my jug, it has no bottom, into it you will pour as much kumiss as all your subjects will prepare.” “And here is my network,” Kating continued. “Your servants will use it to catch all the fish from the rivers and lakes of Altai.” And there were cells like this on the network big size, which was clear: no fish would be kept!

Tavda realized that the masters simply laughed at her greed. She hit Manzherok with an enchanted staff, he immediately turned around beautiful lake. When the staff touched the green-eyed Katyng's braids, she managed to run to the side, and in her rapid run splashed with the white-foamed beauty of the Katun River. And before her death she managed to shout to her beloved - “Farewell!” And she threw a handful of needles into the water, with which she embroidered her beautiful carpets. These needles scattered along the bottom of the lake and sprouted into a strange nut - chilim.

Tavda, finding herself on the left bank of the river, became furious because they dared to deceive her. And out of anger she stomped her foot so much that she, along with her goods, fell into the ground. And in the place where this happened, not far from one another, holes are visible. These are the entrances to the Tavdinsky caves. People took a lot of things out of them when they found them. There were fishing nets and pottery - a lot of good stuff! This is the wealth of Khansha Tavda. And the entrances to the Tavdinsky caves are guarded by the Moon Sable. It was carried on the shoulders of the greedy Khansha. He kept track of her wealth, and now he guards it in the Tavda caves.”

The Tavdinsky caves are located in the Altai region of the Altai Territory, but access to them is possible only from the Chuysky tract through the territory of the Altai Republic, with which the Altai Territory borders along the Katun River, it can be moved along a new iron bridge(toll) leading to tourist complex"Turquoise Katun". The caves are located on the left bank of the Katun River, 200 meters from it, 10-15 kilometers above the confluence of its left tributary, the Ustyuba River; 10-12 kilometers south of the village of Nizhnyaya Kayancha, almost opposite the village of Izvestkovy located on the Chuysky tract. Their geographical coordinates: 51 0 47' north latitude, 85 0 40' east longitude.

There is a whole complex of karst formations, which includes about 30 caves: Bolshaya Taldinskaya, Tavdinskaya-2, Bear's Hole, Teremok, Cellar, Through, Golubinaya, Sportivnaya, Bad Dreams, Pereklichka, Wide Gate, Picturesque, Leaders, Tiny, Snake, Throne, Cuttlefish, Glinyanaya, Big Gate, Ichthyander's Grotto, Krotovsky Grotto and others - they are all of varying sizes and degrees of development, and a beautiful karst arch. From the top of Tavdinskaya Mountain there is an unforgettable view of the Katun River and the Chuysky Tract. This view makes everyone stop and think and gives rise to philosophical reflections in people’s souls:

“Nature is a miracle. The real idea that it was Gorny appeared precisely when we reached the Katun. We walked along the left bank, where I would never have even thought of going! Great. Unusual. This is the real Gorny, and not the one that was brought up in me since childhood, the Gorny - Chuisky, which we drove through in an air-conditioned car at a speed of 100 km per hour. I could have covered the distance we covered in these ten days in 30 minutes by car. But only now did I recognize the real Gorny. Maybe this happened when we were climbing the pass, or when I sat on a rock today and looked at the Chuysky tract, which was a small strip on the other side of the river, small shiny cars were driving along it, so tiny! Or when I looked at a lake surrounded by mountains. In such moments you understand that this world was really created by God and all your deeds are so petty and insignificant... Or when I walked through this dark cave created by small drops of water. They are so mysterious and beautiful..."

III. History of the development and study of Tavdinsky caves.

Tavdinsky caves have been known for a long time. They apparently began to be visited by tourists and summer residents staying in Manzherok from the beginning of the 20th century. In any case, when the first mentions of caves appeared (the first list of natural monuments compiled by N.A. Khrebtov in 1919), they were already popular excursion objects. The cave has retained this popularity to this day.

In 1926, an article by geologist M.I. appeared. Krot-Donorsky about the Tavdinsky caves, which he explored in 1920, being the director of the Biysk Museum. This first, actually, speleological work in Altai was accompanied by the very first plans of caves, quite well executed. M.I. The Mole made archaeological finds in two caves, and in the other two he discovered earthen structures with masonry. In several caves he observed traces of recent human habitation. Or someone hid in the caves during civil war, or the hermit Old Believers were previously hiding there.

Subsequently, the caves and finds in them were mentioned in a number of articles and tourist guides. Since the 1960s, the Tavdinsky caves have attracted the attention of speleologists and karst experts from all over the country. In 1968, the caves were explored by a joint group of the Karst detachment of the Western State University under the leadership of G.P. Sharikhina and the third Altai expedition speleological section of TSU under the leadership of V. Chukov. But many caves on Tavdinskaya Mountain are still poorly studied.

Scientists have been looking for writings here for a long time. Information that in the Tavdinsky caves or on the rocks next to the caves there are rock paintings of an ancient person made with ocher, in different years received by archaeologists A.P. Okladnikov, V.D. Kubarev, museum workers B.Kh. Kadikov and S.S. Zyablitsky. In 1968, these drawings were unsuccessfully searched for by members of the TSU speleological expedition; in the 1970s, Academician A.P. Okladnikov; in 1981, V.K. Wistinghausen. But all searches in this direction were fruitless.

IV. Geology.

This area was first explored in 1930 by K.V. Radugin. He worked in the basins of the Maima, Kayas, and Saidys rivers - as a result, he noted the widespread occurrence of marbles and quartzites here. In the same year, Kraevskaya studied the basins of the Kamenka, Ustyuba and Sema rivers - she pointed out the significant distribution of limestones and marbles along the Ustyuba River. In 1933, geologist Nenakhov conducted research in the Chemal River basin; he noted that this area is composed of Proterozoic and Cambrian marbles and limestones, intruded by acidic intrusions. In 1942-1944 M.K. Vinkman and S.F. Dubinkin investigated the geological structure of the northern part of the Altai Mountains and identified the age units of the Borotal Formation and the Kayachin Formation. In 1948 and 1949, the first geological maps of the area were compiled.

In the 50s of the 20th century, in connection with the ongoing construction, it was required in the Altai Territory a large number of building materials. In particular, there was a need to prepare a raw material base for facing marbles. That is why in 1955, the Main Geology Department of the MPSM - USSR instructed the Sibgeolnerud trust to carry out prospecting work in the Maiminsky district, Gorno-Altai Autonomous Region and Altai region, Altai Territory - the so-called Katunsky marble deposit - in order to prepare marble reserves. To accomplish this task, the West Siberian expedition of the Sibgeolnerud trust organized the Maiminsk geological exploration party, which began field work in May 1955. In the same year, the party examined six sites, of which Izvestkovy 1 and Tavdinsky were chosen as the most promising due to a number of factors, and the limestones of the site were recommended as a raw material for air lime, and not as a facing stone.

Research has shown that the Tavdinsky site is composed of limestones of the Kayanchinsky formation. It is in this part of the Katun deposit that there is an areal distribution of limestones, which make up a number of hills in this area, including Tavdinskaya Mountain. Its maximum height is 882 meters above sea level, the level of the Katun River in this area is at around 320 meters. Consequently, the relative elevation is 400-500 meters. Marbles in the form of rock outcrops can be traced along the Katun River for 4 kilometers.

The marble here is gray, light gray with a bluish tint, dolomitized, massive or banded. The strike of the marble strata is submeridional, the dip is western at an angle of 40-65 0 . The age of the marbles is Lower Cambrian. The thickness of the sediments is small, does not exceed 1.5 meters, and they are represented by Quaternary yellow-brown clay with fragments of marble and other rocks.

In the modern climate, the formation of local relief forms is influenced by vigorous frost weathering and karst phenomena. Some areas of Altai with widespread limestones bear clear features of a karst landscape.

The Taldinsky karst massif consists of two limestone cliffs. The length of the cliffs with caves along the coast is about 5 kilometers. The southern cliff (Mount Mokhnatukha, 863.1 meters) is monolithic, while the northern one is divided into separate groups of rocks by ravines and canyons. The cliffs rise above the second (10-15 meters) terrace of the Katun River, overgrown pine forest with an admixture of birch. The caves of the massif are located at heights of 40-200 meters above the river. At the junction of the rocks with the second terrace there are several minor niches. The Ichthyander Grotto cave stands apart. Its entrance is located in the south-facing ledge of the Katun cliff at water level, and the other two are represented by funnels on the surface of the 2nd terrace, connected by wells to the lower part of the cave.

V. Natural monument.

As part of the specially protected natural areas of the Altai Territory, a category has been identified - a natural monument (law of the Altai Territory of December 26, 1996). The status of the monuments is secured by resolutions of the regional administration No. 234 of April 13, 1998 and No. 568 of July 21, 2000. Currently, on the territory of the Altai Territory, 143 natural monuments of regional and federal significance are legally registered. Among them there are separate groups: geological, hydrological, botanical. Some of the monuments are only conditionally assigned to one group or another, but in fact they are complex. group geological monuments nature consists of 63 objects. The vast majority of them are located in the south of the region - in the mountains and foothills of Altai.

The Tavdinsky caves are also a geological natural monument, which has been visited by more than one thousand tourists since its opening. The “guests” caused enormous damage to the caves: everyone wants to take a piece of this “beauty” with them or leave a memory of themselves here in the form of an inscription on the wall. Mining near limestone, scaring away and destroying bats and other inhabitants, unauthorized excavations, and destruction of stalactites and stalagmites also cause damage to caves.

The Taldinsky karst massif is a complex (landscape) reserve. Officially registered geological natural monuments are the Tavdinskaya-1 (Bolshaya Taldinskaya) cave and the Tavdinskaya-2 cave. Their profile is geomorphological. They are natural monuments of regional (territorial) significance. Their status was confirmed by Decree of the Administration of the Altai Territory dated April 13, 1998 No. 234 “On natural monuments of regional significance on the territory of the Altai Territory.” They were registered with the State Committee for Environmental Protection of the Altai Territory on April 24, 1998, and here monument passports were drawn up for them Nature on April 24, 1998, protection obligations were drawn up.

An acceptable type of use of this natural monument is tourism. On its territory and protected zone it is prohibited:

1. Damage to landforms;

2. Excavation of loose and rocky rocks;

3. Damage and destruction of soils;

4. Grazing;

5. Deforestation and bushes;

6. Waste disposal.

The most visited cave by tourists in the Tavdinsky massif is Bolshaya Taldinskaya, its other name is “Maiden Tears”. It is a system of two grottoes. The lower entrances to it are located 70-80 meters from the road. The main gallery is quite spacious and rises gradually. The difference from the lowest entrance to the highest is 23 meters. On the last forty-meter section, in front of the highest entrance, the gallery, rising, twists in a spiral, overlapping its lower part and forming a ledge. The area of natural monuments is 0.2 hectares.

Cave Tavdinskaya-2 is located at an altitude of 100 meters from the base of Tavdinskaya Mountain. Its length is 250 meters, volume is 1200 m 3. The cave is dry and through, has five entrances, is an arched grotto, and there are no sinter formations. The area of the natural monument is 9 hectares. Protected zone of geological natural monuments 75 hectares.

Unique and Tavdinskaya karst arch. It represents a rare form - the remnant of the arch of a karst tunnel or cave, which originally had the appearance of a wide span - a bridge, and later - an arch. The Tavdinskaya Arch is located at an altitude of about 80 meters above the water level of the Katun River. The width of the through hole of the arch ranges from 3 to 13 meters, the height - from 3 to 5 meters. The vault of the arch, 5 meters thick, is covered with sparse herbaceous vegetation and pine trees. Since 1996, it has the status of a natural monument.

Effective protection of caves requires regular inspection and regulation of economic, excursion and tourist activities in their vicinity.

Karl Walter Claus Carstens (German: Karl Walter Claus Carstens; December 14, 1914, Bremen, - May 30, 1992, Meckenheim, North Rhine-Westphalia) - German conservative politician and statesman, a prominent figure in the CDU.
Cave in the rock
This plateau is located worldwide famous cave Postojna Jama
Dissolution of sedimentary rocks (limestones, gypsum) by groundwater with the formation of caves, gullies, sinkholes, etc.
Cave as a natural phenomenon
Underground cave with river or lake
A plateau in Yugoslavia that gives its name to a geological phenomenon
Phenomena occurring in water-soluble sedimentary rocks (basins, sinkholes, caves)
The state of the earth's surface in areas whose soil is formed from sedimentary coarse-grained soils soluble in natural waters.

Rains are precipitation falling from clouds in the form of liquid droplets with an average diameter of 0.5 to 6-7 mm.
A phenomenon that has never been observed in the Chilean Atacama Desert
Moderately beneficial natural phenomenon
weather phenomenon

Frost is a type of precipitation that is crystalline or granular deposits of ice on thin and long objects (tree branches, wires) in wet frosty weather.
A natural phenomenon
A natural phenomenon similar to frost
weather phenomenon

Rainbow is an atmospheric, optical and meteorological phenomenon observed when illuminated by a bright light source (in nature, the Sun or the Moon - see below).
Natural optical phenomenon
Natural seven-color phenomenon
A natural phenomenon
Optical phenomenon
Optical phenomenon after rain
Atmospheric optical phenomenon
What natural phenomenon do the Israelis call “the bow of Jehovah God”?
Every hunter wants to know where the pheasant sits (a natural phenomenon)
Which optical phenomenon has all the colors?
Natural "arch" in the sky

A lot of snow falls in Kamchatka during the winter. And in some places it is catastrophically large, tens of meters deep. Even warm (thermally heated) streams are blocked by multi-meter deposits of snow. In addition, these layers of snow do not have time to melt during the Kamchatka spring and sometimes even summer. And since some streams are very warm, because... heated by underground volcanoes, they melt tunnels several meters high in snow drifts that are quite passable for humans. A person can easily walk through these tunnels.

But you need to be careful and attentive, when the ceiling of a cave or tunnel becomes light, this means that the thickness of the snow there is very small, and that today or tomorrow this ceiling will collapse to the ground.

Snow grottoes, caves and tunnels in Kamchatka are found in different places, but it is very difficult to find the correct, safe entrance (or exit) in them.

The thick ceiling of caves and tunnels is white; if it turns bluish, this means that the sun is breaking through the thin snow.

The snow in the tunnels turns very beautifully into different colors of the rainbow if you light fireworks to illuminate the path. Thanks to them, the tunnels become magically colorful.

The Curious World invites you to look at a colorful and fascinating selection of photographs of snow tunnels and caves in Kamchatka. We wish you pleasant emotions and impressions!

I. Caves are a unique natural phenomenon.

Man is always attracted to the unknown, the mysterious, hidden in darkness. Caves are probably the most striking example of a Mystery created by nature. When a person finds himself in the narrow or wide passages of “underground palaces”, he can be overcome either by anxiety and fear, or by indomitable curiosity - both attract and force him to return again and again to solving this riddle. Moreover, caves are a rather rare geological phenomenon. They allow a person to look deep into the Earth, find out the contents of its depths, and look at the grandiose, impressive work of water.

^ II. Tavdinsky caves are a favorite place for tourists.

There are quite a lot of caves on the territory of the Altai Territory. The most famous of them: Geofizicheskaya, Altai, Tavdinsky - these are the favorite places of tourists traveling around the Altai Mountains.

The most accessible to visit are the Tavdinsky caves. Despite the fact that they are located in steep cliffs and on the steep slopes of the Tavdinskaya Mountain, visiting them is quite simple - an asphalt road leads to them and special steps have been made (Fig. 3 and 4), and there is even electricity installed in the Tavdinskaya-2 cave for convenience tourists. Since the caves are a well-known and popular place among tourists, almost every recreation center in the area provides information posters informing about the time, duration and cost of excursions to them. The entrance to the natural monument itself has long been turned into a place for a comfortable stay for guests with numerous cafes, kiosks with souvenirs and even holiday houses. It is also attractive that not far from the Tavdinsky caves there are other attractions of the Altai Mountains: Lake Aya, Lake Manzherok, Kamyshlinsky waterfall, Arzhan-Suu spring.

The Tavda Caves got their name from the name of the village of Tavda (the second name is Talda), which was previously located not far from these places. The local population has a romantic legend about the origin and name of these caves:

The fame of the craftsman's young family soon reached Tavda. Her hands even shook with anger when she saw their creations. Immediately she imposed such a large rent that even a dozen craftsmen would not have been able to bear. Imagine the surprise of the khan’s servants when, at the appointed time, the khanshas Manzherok and Katyng appeared at the yurt almost empty-handed. The master had only one jug in his hands, and the craftswoman had only one fishing net... “Listen to us, lady, our tribute to you is not simple,” Manzherok began. “Here is my jug, it has no bottom, into it you will pour as much kumiss as all your subjects will prepare.” “And here is my network,” Kating continued. “Your servants will use it to catch all the fish from the rivers and lakes of Altai.” And the net had such large cells that it was clear: they couldn’t hold any fish!

Tavda realized that the masters simply laughed at her greed. She hit Manzherok with the enchanted staff, and he immediately turned into a beautiful lake. When the staff touched the green-eyed Katyng's braids, she managed to run to the side, and in her rapid run splashed with the white-foamed beauty of the Katun River. And before her death she managed to shout to her beloved - “Farewell!” And she threw a handful of needles into the water, with which she embroidered her beautiful carpets. These needles scattered along the bottom of the lake and sprouted into a strange nut - chilim.

The Tavdinsky caves are located in the Altai region of the Altai Territory, but access to them is possible only from the Chuysky tract through the territory of the Altai Republic, with which the Altai Territory borders along the Katun River, it can be crossed via a new iron bridge (toll) leading to the Turquoise tourist complex Katun." The caves are located on the left bank of the Katun River, 200 meters from it, 10-15 kilometers above the confluence of its left tributary, the Ustyuba River; 10-12 kilometers south of the village of Nizhnyaya Kayancha, almost opposite the village of Izvestkovy located on the Chuysky tract. Their geographical coordinates are: 51 0 47’ north latitude, 85 0 40’ east longitude.

^ III. History of the development and study of Tavdinsky caves.

Tavdinsky caves have been known for a long time. They apparently began to be visited by tourists and summer residents staying in Manzherok from the beginning of the 20th century. In any case, when the first mentions of caves appeared (the first list of natural monuments compiled by N.A. Khrebtov in 1919), they were already popular excursion sites. The cave has retained this popularity to this day.

In 1926, an article by geologist M.I. appeared. Krot-Donorsky about the Tavdinsky caves, which he explored in 1920, being the director of the Biysk Museum. This first, actually, speleological work in Altai was accompanied by the very first plans of caves, quite well executed. M.I. The mole made in two caves archaeological finds, and in the other two he found earthen structures with masonry. In several caves he observed traces of recent human habitation. Either someone took refuge in the caves during the civil war, or hermit Old Believers had previously hidden there.

Subsequently, the caves and finds in them were mentioned in a number of articles and tourist guides. Since the 1960s, the Tavdinsky caves have attracted the attention of speleologists and karst experts from all over the country. In 1968, the caves were explored by a joint group of the Karst detachment of the Western State University under the leadership of G.P. Sharikhina and the third Altai expedition of the speleological section of TSU under the leadership of V. Chukov. But many caves on Tavdinskaya Mountain are still poorly studied.

Scientists have been looking for writings here for a long time. Information that in the Tavdinsky caves or on the rocks next to the caves there are rock paintings of ancient people made with ocher was received in different years by archaeologists A.P. Okladnikov, V.D. Kubarev, museum workers B.Kh. Kadikov and S.S. Zyablitsky . In 1968, these drawings were unsuccessfully searched for by members of the TSU speleological expedition; in the 1970s, Academician A.P. Okladnikov; in 1981, V.K. Wistinghausen. But all searches in this direction were fruitless.

IV. Geology.

In the 50s of the 20th century, in connection with the ongoing construction, a large amount of building materials was required in the Altai Territory. In particular, there was a need to prepare a raw material base for facing marbles. That is why in 1955, the Main Geology Department of the MPSM - USSR instructed the Sibgeolnerud trust to carry out prospecting work in the Maiminsky district, Gorno-Altai Autonomous Region and Altai region, Altai Territory - the so-called Katunsky marble deposit - in order to prepare marble reserves. To accomplish this task, the West Siberian expedition of the Sibgeolnerud trust organized the Maiminsk geological exploration party, which began field work in May 1955. In the same year, the party examined six sites, of which Izvestkovy 1 and Tavdinsky were chosen as the most promising due to a number of factors, and the limestones of the site were recommended as a raw material for air lime, and not as a facing stone.

The Taldinsky karst massif consists of two limestone cliffs. The length of the cliffs with caves along the coast is about 5 kilometers. The southern cliff (Mount Mokhnatukha, 863.1 meters) is monolithic, while the northern one is divided by ravines and canyons into separate groups of rocks. The cliffs rise above the second (10-15 meters) terrace above the floodplain of the Katun River, overgrown with pine forest with an admixture of birch. The caves of the massif are located at heights of 40-200 meters above the river. At the junction of the rocks with the second terrace there are several minor niches. The Ichthyander Grotto cave stands apart. Its entrance is located in the south-facing ledge of the Katun cliff at water level, and the other two are represented by funnels on the surface of the 2nd terrace, connected by wells to the lower part of the cave.

V. Natural monument.

As part of the specially protected natural areas of the Altai Territory, a category has been identified - a natural monument (law of the Altai Territory of December 26, 1996). The status of the monuments is secured by resolutions of the regional administration No. 234 of April 13, 1998 and No. 568 of July 21, 2000. Currently, on the territory of the Altai Territory, 143 natural monuments of regional and federal significance are legally registered. Among them there are separate groups: geological, hydrological, botanical. Some of the monuments are only conditionally assigned to one group or another, but in fact they are complex. The group of geological natural monuments consists of 63 objects. The vast majority of them are located in the south of the region - in the mountains and foothills of Altai.

An acceptable type of use of this natural monument is tourism. On its territory and protected zone it is prohibited:

1. Damage to landforms;

2. Excavation of loose and rocky rocks;

3. Damage and destruction of soils;

4. Grazing;

5. Deforestation and bushes;

6. Waste disposal.

The most visited cave by tourists in the Tavdinsky massif is Bolshaya Taldinskaya, its other name is “Maiden Tears”. It is a system of two grottoes. The lower entrances to it are located 70-80 meters from the road. The main gallery is quite spacious and rises gradually. The difference from the lowest entrance to the highest is 23 meters. On the last forty-meter section, in front of the highest entrance, the gallery, rising, twists in a spiral, overlapping its lower part and forming a ledge. The area of natural monuments is 0.2 hectares.

^ Cave Tavdinskaya-2 is located at an altitude of 100 meters from the base of Tavdinskaya Mountain. Its length is 250 meters, volume is 1200 m 3. The cave is dry and through, has five entrances, is an arched grotto, and there are no sinter formations. The area of the natural monument is 9 hectares. Protected zone of geological natural monuments 75 hectares.

Unique and ^ Tavdinskaya karst arch . It represents a rare form - the remnant of the arch of a karst tunnel or cave, which originally had the appearance of a wide span - a bridge, and later - an arch. The Tavdinskaya Arch is located at an altitude of about 80 meters above the water level of the Katun River. The width of the through hole of the arch ranges from 3 to 13 meters, the height - from 3 to 5 meters. The vault of the arch, 5 meters thick, is covered with sparse herbaceous vegetation and pine trees. Since 1996, it has the status of a natural monument.

Effective protection of caves requires regular inspection and regulation of economic, excursion and tourist activities in their vicinity.