The longest cave in the Caucasus mountains. Scientists have discovered an ancient underground plant in the Caucasus. What we have we don’t value

A structure comparable to famous pyramid Cheops.

Speleologist Artur Zhemukhov from Kabardino-Balkaria has an unusual hobby: he is looking for sacred places, scattered across mountains and gorges, using our own methodology, taking into account the location of stars in the constellations and containing mathematical calculations. This is how Arthur discovered a mysterious hole filled with stones in the Baksan Gorge. And below it is an amazing cave, which may be part of underground city. In September, an expedition from the public research association Kosmopoisk visited there for the third time.

"Flask" with "throat"

Without rock climbing skills it is almost impossible to enter the cave. First you need to squeeze into a hole measuring 40 by 120 cm, then climb down a narrow vertical shaft on a rope. It is formed by two parallel stone slabs. After 9 meters there is the first “knee”: the hole goes to the side and immediately breaks down again. Already here you will be covered in absolute silence - not a sound penetrates from outside. Another 23 meters deep - and a new “knee”. To reach the bottom of the cave, you need to overcome more than 80 meters, and it will take a whole hour. But, having passed the “bottleneck”, you will find yourself in a huge room, which the researchers called the “flask”.

“The first thing that catches your eye is that the walls in the mine are clearly of artificial origin,” says Vadim Chernobrov, coordinator of the Cosmopoisk association. - They are made of smooth stone blocks, carefully polished. IN Egyptian pyramids blocks are approximately the same size. It is easy to calculate that each “pebble” weighs about 200 tons. And how to move them in order to neatly fold such a structure is completely unclear. But I have little doubt that it is man-made.”

Is of the same opinion Viktor Kotlyarov, local historian and local historian: “When we showed photographs of this mine to geologists, including foreign ones, most of them were inclined to believe that it was of artificial origin. In any case, they were all unanimous in the fact that they had never seen anything like this anywhere before. There are no analogues in the world!”

In the dungeon, researchers discovered a “floating” column: the megalith is attached to the wall with only one edge, which is why it appears to be hanging in the air. Unfortunately, no traces of human presence or organic remains were found in the cave. However, this does not surprise Vadim Chernobrov. He is sure that this building was not intended as a dwelling. He had other tasks.

Dig out the resonator

From the moment the public learned about the mysterious mine in the Baksan Gorge, there was no shortage of versions about its purpose. It was assumed that this was a burial ground for dumping infected animals, a bunker for storing food, an Aryan dwelling, a fortification, a lair Bigfoot... Some of the researchers descending into the mine heard howls, rustling sounds and even whispers there, which, if desired, could be mistaken for the unknown ancient language. But, we repeat, no traces or remains were found. And this refutes all of the above hypotheses. But there is a draft in the dungeon and it is crammed with narrow passages that still have to be cleared of rubble. Local speleologists have already acquired electrical equipment to continue work next summer.

“The presence of humans or other living beings in this structure was not initially envisaged,” Chernobrov shares his guesses. - You can draw the following analogy: we did not penetrate into a home, but into some kind of factory.

Let's say we climbed into a factory chimney, then went down into the combustion chamber and now we are trying to understand: where were the people sitting here? And they weren’t sitting there at all! And they shouldn't have. According to our version, this cave is a technical structure. It served as a kind of resonator, a converter of waves and radiation of a nature unknown to us. Its age is about 5 thousand years. In terms of size and functionality, the cave of the Baksan Gorge is comparable to the Egyptian one Great Pyramid, which many scientists also consider a wave transmitter or energy converter.”

Most likely, the researchers believe, this object was not underground before. It was located on the surface, being attached to the hillside. This can explain why one of the walls of the “flask” chamber is uneven and lumpy (this is a fragment of natural rock), and the other is smooth and polished (it was erected by unknown builders). Over several millennia, the gigantic structure was covered with earth, sand and rock fragments, and trees grew on top. And the stone blocks that were once located outside the hill ended up inside it. By the way, let us remember the same pyramid of Cheops. She, along with the sphinx lying next to her, was covered with sand until archaeologists dug her up and gave the “wonder of the world” its now familiar appearance.

The Baksan mine-cave can also be excavated, although it is difficult to even imagine what kind of funds this will require. Researchers are inclined to believe that the structure of an unusual shape, preserved inside the rock, could be part of a more global structure - underground cave cities, legends about which in the North Caucasus are passed down from generation to generation. Near the hole leading to a depth of 80 meters, two more entrances to the dungeon were found. Calculations show that if they are continued, after dismantling the rubble, they will connect with each other and lead to the same mysterious cave, where you can hear a whisper similar to an unknown ancient language.

First of all, you need to pay attention to those caves that can be visited not independently or with some guide from among the local residents, but as part of organized excursions. There are quite a lot of such caves in the Caucasus, and one of them is the Azish Cave, which is located near the city of Maykop. It is located in a forested area and was opened in 1911, but was opened to the general public in 1987. The total length of the cave is 640 meters, but only 220 meters are equipped for excursions. This cave consists of multi-tiered voluminous galleries and incredibly beautiful halls. The entrance to the cave is a vertical well, which was formed as a result of a collapse. The depth of the cave goes up to 37 meters. The area provided for excursions is completely safe, comfortable and well lit. There are walking paths, fences, and stairs everywhere.

All halls impress with their pristine beauty, which was created exclusively by nature, without human intervention. Each room has its own name. The Bogatyrsky Hall got its name because it has a height equal to three human heights. The hall called the altar actually resembles an altar, which causes amazement among tourists. Stalactites and wall sagging formed bizarre shapes, thanks to which some of the halls received appropriate names: the “Buddha” Statue, “Apostles”, “Baba Yaga” hall.

The cave has a special microclimate, due to which the growth of various formations has not stopped for many centuries (scientists believe that this process has been going on for two million years). If you decide to visit this cave in the warm season, be sure to take warm clothes with you, since the year-round temperature inside the cave remains at 4-7 degrees. You can take warm clothes on site, but for an additional fee.

Some tourists get to this cave on their own, by car, and some simply buy an excursion from one of Maykop’s excursion agencies. If you go by car, then you need to follow through Khadzhokh, and near Dakhovskaya turn onto the Lago-Naki plateau and drive up the serpentine road. There are signs along the road so you don't get lost.

As I already said, you can only get into the cave with a guided tour; you must first buy a ticket. It is best to come on weekdays, as on holidays and weekends there are long queues in which you can spend several hours and all the pleasure from visiting the cave will be blurred. Tours run every 30 minutes. Touching stalactites and other formations is strictly prohibited. The average duration of the tour is 25 minutes, but it is possible to stay longer long time. Tours run from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The pricing policy is such that an adult entrance ticket costs 400 rubles, and for children from 7 to 14 years old it is half as much. Individual excursions They will cost a little more, but there is little point in buying them.

This area may interest you not only in the Azish cave, but also in the nearby rope park, cafe, and the opportunity to purchase various souvenirs. If you walk a little up the path, you can go to a gorgeous observation deck with incredible views of the surrounding mountains.

Posted Sat, 29/10/2016 - 10:10 by Cap

Within the speleological area Greater Caucasus Three provinces are distinguished: North Caucasus, East Caucasus and Mountain Colchis.
The North Caucasus speleological province is located on the northern slope of the Greater Caucasus between the upper reaches of the Pshekha River (the left tributary of the Belaya) and the middle reaches of the Ardon (the left tributary of the Terek). Karst caves associated with Jurassic gypsum and limestone are quite widespread. Currently, 142 caves have been described here, including 38 caves more than 100 m long. The largest include Butkova I (length 7000 m), Dezova (473 m), Bagovskaya VI (1900 m), Beslineevskaya I (1800 m), Ammonitnaya (1669 m), Azishskaya (1280 m) and Neizma (1235 m).

A special position is occupied by the Butkova I cave (total length about 7000 m), located 7 km southeast of Novosvobodnaya station. It was formed in Jurassic limestones. The cave is a complex labyrinth of narrow and low passages, turning in some places into small grottoes.

Among the caves of the Caucasus, the Azishskaya cave (total length 1280 m), located on the northwestern slope of the Azish-Tau ridge, 12 km from the village of Khamyshki, is interesting. It was formed in Upper Jurassic dolomitized limestones. The cave consists of several grottoes and passages connecting them. The largest grottoes reach 25 m in length and 25 m in height. A stream flows along the bottom of the main passage. Sinter formations are widely developed.

Air temperature 10-12°. The East Caucasus speleological province is located in the northeastern part of the Greater Caucasus east of the Ardon River. 35 caves have been explored here. The largest of them are Nyvzhin-leget (length 350 m), Chaldybalskaya (150 m), Kara-budakhkentskaya (135 m) and Usman-leget (100 m). The Nyvzhin-Leget cave is located on the interfluve of the Fiogdon and Gizeldon rivers, 3 km east of the village of Tagardon, on the northern slope of the Khosh-Khararog spur. The cave was formed in limestones. The entrance reaches 1.8 m in height and 10 m in length. The length of the cave is 350 m, the volume is 1500 m3.

ANCIENT CAVE

Found in Adygea near the St. Michael's Monastery ancient cave: it was discovered in early August by Russian activists Geographical Society(RGO), when they were laying out a new tourist route. The entrance opened during the development of a gypsum quarry. “The builders apparently used a ladle to remove the roof of the cave with stalactites,” says Igor Ogai, head of the Adyghe branch of the Russian Geographical Society. Already on August 30, specialists from Krasnodar carried out georadar measurements and came to the conclusion that there was not just one cave, but an entire karst massif.

Caucasus in last years becomes a center of attraction for those who like to travel through natural underground spaces, the so-called “caving tourists”. There are many caves concentrated here, the vast majority of them are of karst origin. This type of cave is the most common in nature.

The mechanism of their formation has long been known. Water flows wash out cavities in rocks (limestone, marble, gypsum), and underground spaces with numerous levels, halls, passages, lakes and waterfalls are formed. The increased content of carbon dioxide in water only accelerates this process. Exactly karst caves have the greatest length and depth, often stretching for tens of kilometers.

For speleologists, literally everything is of interest: the history of the formation of caves, their structure, the inner world. Often, water forms salt deposits inside caves, resulting in the formation of the famous stalactites and stalagmites that attract curious tourists. Some of the caves were used by ancient people as dwellings or served as a haven for wild animals. That’s why the remains of animals or people and their waste products (drawings, fire pits, steps) are often found there.

The North Caucasus (and especially Abkhazia) is in a special place among speleologists around the world. According to legend, the founder of speleology, Martel, having visited these places at the beginning of the 20th century, predicted that the deepest caves in the world would be found here.

The popularity of the Pyatigorsk Proval was increased by the novel “The Twelve Chairs” by Ilf and Petrov. It was here that Ostap Bender sold entrance tickets, and the proceeds allegedly went to strengthen the Proval - so that it would not fail too much.
The writers themselves spoke impartially about this lake, calling it a “puddle.” In fact, the lake got its unusual smell and turquoise color due to the sulfur contained in the water. It is located in underground cave and appeared due to the influence of mineral waters.

Cave Proval

Ancient dachas were built around Proval - they form small town. The houses appeared at the end of the 19th century and look very original. Among them there are unusual ones, similar to oriental palaces and medieval castles. Today, most of these houses have been converted into sanatoriums.
By the way, local residents thanked Ilf and Petrov for popularizing Proval and installed a statue of Bender at the entrance. True, in his hands the tickets are not 5 and 10 kopecks, as indicated in the book, but fifty.

Stavropol region.
Proval is a lake and natural cave on the southern slope of Mount Mashuk in Pyatigorsk. The cave is a cone-shaped funnel 41 m high, at the bottom of which there is a karst lake mineral water pure blue color.
The depth of the lake is 11 m, the diameter is 15 m. The water temperature is from 26° to 42 °C. The blue color of water is given by the hydrogen sulfide contained in it and special bacteria. Caves of the Caucasus

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SOURCE OF INFORMATION AND PHOTO:
Team Nomads
Anokhin G.I. "Lesser Caucasus". M., "Physical Education and Sports", 1981.
http://www.skitalets.ru/
Wikipedia website.

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: it was discovered by activists of the Russian Geographical Society (RGS) in early August when they were laying out a new tourist route. The entrance opened during the development of a gypsum quarry. “The builders apparently used a ladle to remove the roof of the cave with stalactites,” says Igor Ogai, head of the Adyghe branch of the Russian Geographical Society. Already on August 30, specialists from Krasnodar carried out georadar measurements and came to the conclusion that there was not just one cave, but an entire karst massif.

Literally everything is of interest

In recent years, the Caucasus has become a center of attraction for those who like to travel through natural underground spaces, the so-called “caving tourists.” There are many caves concentrated here, the vast majority of them are of karst origin. This type of cave is the most common in nature.

The mechanism of their formation has long been known. Water flows wash out cavities in rocks (limestone, marble, gypsum), and underground spaces with numerous levels, halls, passages, lakes and waterfalls are formed. The increased content of carbon dioxide in water only accelerates this process. It is karst caves that have the greatest length and depth, often stretching for tens of kilometers.

Stalactites and stalagmites. Photo: ourflo.ru

The North-Western Caucasus (and especially Abkhazia) is in a special place among speleologists around the world. According to legend, the founder of speleology, Martel, having visited these places at the beginning of the 20th century, predicted that the deepest caves in the world would be found here.

Whether this is true or not, today three of the deepest caves in the world have been discovered in Abkhazia, and the Gagra ridge is home to the most complex underground spaces on the planet. However, nature does not know administrative boundaries, so unique caves can also be found in the neighboring Krasnodar region, and in Karachay-Cherkessia, and in Adygea.

Krubera-Voronya

Today, the world record holder for depth (2199 m) is the Krubera-Voronya cave in Abkhazia. The entrance to it is located in the Arabica mountain range at an altitude of 2250 m above sea level. Discovered back in 1960 to a depth of 95 meters, the cave began to be actively explored only at the beginning of the 21st century.

This year, a connecting passage was found with the Arabik underground system, which includes the Kuibyshevskaya, Genrikhova Abyss and Children’s caves. The smallest river in the world, Reprua (18 m long), originates here and flows into the Black Sea.

Krubera-Voronya Cave

The Krubera-Voronya cave is a system of vertical wells connected to each other by passages and galleries, so there are no laid tourist routes. You can go down into it only in a group, with special equipment and climbing skills. Speleological expeditions that continue to explore the cave cavity are carried out several times a year. The cave is located 15 km northeast of the city of Gagra.

New Athos Cave

Unlike Krubera-Voronya, the New Athos cave has been open to tourists since 1975. It is also located in Abkhazia, under the slope of Mount Iverskaya, near the temple of Simon the Canaanite of the New Athos Monastery.

The cave is a huge karst cavity with a volume of 1 million cubic meters, consisting of 11 halls. The largest of them, the Speleologists' Hall, which includes the Vanishing Lake Hall, stretches 260 meters in length, up to 75 meters in width and up to 50 meters in height. A total of eight halls are open for inspection, and from time to time the Aphertsa Hall even hosts musical concerts of the Abkhaz State Choir.

The work turned the natural cavity into an interesting attraction for people who had never been underground before. A narrow-gauge railway transports tourists to the excursion route. Railway, similar to the city metro.
There are pedestrian bridges throughout the halls, illumination of lakes, stalactites, stone waterfalls and other bizarre sinter formations. From the speakers, the guide’s voice tells interesting details of the opening of the cave, observation platforms quiet music is playing.
Finding the cave is not difficult, just get to the city New Athos. However, it is not the only one in the Caucasus that is equipped for tourists.
Vorontsov caves
Another place of attraction for tourists is the Vorontsovskaya system of caves connected to each other, located on the mountain range of the same name in the Khostinsky district of Greater Sochi. The underground system has 14 entrances. Its total length exceeds 11 kilometers, which includes the caves Vorontsovskaya (4 km), Labyrinthovaya (3.8 km), Kabanya (2.3 km) and Dolgaya (1.5 km). Excursion route covers only 400 meters.
In the cave there are many grottoes, branches, passages, stretching into a chain of underground halls. The lowest of them gives rise to the Kudepsta River, which, in turn, forms a waterfall.
The cave is replete with archaeological finds from ancient eras. A site of ancient people, their bones, rookeries, and utility pits were discovered inside. The bones of a cave bear were also found here. The length of local stalactites and the variety of sinter formations are impressive. In the Labyrinth Cave there is a six-meter stalactite called the Rocket.
The Vorontsov Caves are located directly near Sochi, 20 km from the village of Khosta.
Azish cave system
Although the Big and Small Azish caves are located in the Absheron region Krasnodar region, they are close to the Maikop – Lago-Naki highway, near the administrative border of Adygea. That is why they are more popular among tourists coming to the republic.
The entrance to them is located in the south mountain range Azish-Tau. Probably these two caves were once one: there are only a few meters between them.
Bolshaya Azishskaya consists of voluminous galleries and halls, and is equipped for visiting by tourists. Malaya Azishskaya is very narrow and suitable for movement only in a lying position, but it has two small halls.
Both caves are multi-level. Bolshaya Azishskaya is notable for its hall with a corridor of parallel columns and stalactite chains. In addition to sinter formations, you can find here rare calcite slabs formed on the surface of an ancient underground reservoir.
Barlog's Throat
Few people know that the most deep cave Russia is located in the Urupsky region of Karachay-Cherkessia. Barloga's Throat got its name from the works of Tolkien. The entrance to the cave is located at an altitude of 2825 meters, in the upper reaches of the Atsgara River.
To date, the depth of the dungeon is recorded at 839 meters. Like Krubera-Voronya, the Barloga Throat is not suitable for excursions and amateur visits. The cave consists of slot-shaped shafts, wells and inclined galleries. Horizontal passages vary from impassable narrows to spacious halls.
Throat Barlog Cave. Photo: komanda-k.ru
Despite the growing interest in speleology in Russia, the cave has not yet been fully explored. The last expedition in August 2001 dug through a clay siphon and discovered a 430-meter-long gallery with many passages. Therefore, the deepest cave in Russia has every chance of becoming even deeper.
What we have we don’t value
Unfortunately, natural beauty those around us often go unnoticed. The Caucasus is rich unique caves, most of which are known only to a narrow circle of caving tourists. They often do the most interesting things there. archaeological finds, discover the remains of former civilizations and bones of long-extinct animals. Many caves are just at the beginning of their exploration, such as the Gudukala cave near the village of Bedyk in Kabardino-Balkaria, while others are just waiting for their discoverers.
Those wishing to try their hand at caving should take into account that in caves, as a rule, there is high humidity and a consistently low temperature. It is worth remembering that descending into bottomless voids alone and without special training can be life-threatening.
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