Karst caves are natural mines, cavities, and wells that occur in partially soluble rocks. They have clear boundaries, and thanks to chalk and limestone strong arches are formed. In regions where winters are cold,
frosty air enters the caves and stagnates there, so the air temperature there is close to zero even in summer. And on the walls and ceiling, ice crusts,
stalactites and stalagmites form
. The Kungur Ice Cave, located in the Perm Region, is one of the most famous and largest caves in Russia, its lengths are almost six km. It is located inside the icy mountain, on the right bank of the Sylva River.
Where karst caves are formed, rocks such as limestone and gypsum, chalk, dolomite, marble and salt occur. There is sufficient rainwater and elevation. Karst caves consist of vertical dips, wells, shafts, inclined walkways, crevices, halls and labyrinths. On the walls and ceilings there are stalagnates, stalagmites,
stalactites formed by the drip route, and capillary-film helictites, crystallites and corallites. In the depths of the caves
underground rivers, waterfalls flow, lakes with picturesque “barriers” form. Caves are characterized by a special microclimate. The so-called speleofauna is due to the lack of sunlight and an increased concentration of carbon dioxide. The air temperature inside is constant and equal to the average annual temperature of the area to which they are adjacent.
In the southern part of the Ural Mountains, on the territory of Bashkortostan, is the Shulgan-Tash cave. In 1950, the Soviet archaeologist A.V. Ryumin studied this cave. He discovered cave paintings over a length of about one and a half kilometers. Images of rhinos, mammoths, horses and bison were made by ocher. The remains of people found during excavations, animal bones, charcoal prove that people lived there more than fourteen and a half thousand years ago. Now a museum has been created inside the cave.
Karst caves of Russia are numerous. They can be found in the Eastern Sayan Mountains and in the suburbs. All caves near Moscow are of artificial origin. In the mid-eighteenth century, stone was taken in these places for the construction of Moscow. Over time, some passages collapsed, others formed from faults and cracks. Currently, the Moscow region karst caves significantly exceed the length of the Caucasus. They attract scientists and tourists. People trying to brighten up gray everyday life, celebrate birthdays, weddings and other holidays there. Improper behavior in the dungeon sometimes leads to disastrous consequences. Because of this, the entrances to the quarry fall asleep by order of the authorities.
Recently, karst caves began to be used for medicinal purposes. Their microclimate has healing properties for patients with bronchial asthma. The high degree of radioactivity and air ionization in the caves have a beneficial effect on the nervous and cardiovascular systems. The first speleoclimatic chambers were equipped in the sanatoriums "Prikamye" and "Malachite" in the resort of Ust-Kachka.