The dazzling white chalk mountains simply cannot fail to attract the attention of tourists. As a rule, the places of exits of these snow-white rocks all over the world are declared reserves or natural monuments. Where can I see the chalk mountains in Russia? How are they interesting?
Cretaceous mountains: photo and description of a natural miracle
Chalk is a sedimentary rock, soft, white and crumbly. It does not dissolve in water, has an organic origin. In fact, this is a product formed from the smallest animals - the inhabitants of the deep sea. Each of us is well acquainted with chalk from the school bench.
The process of active accumulation of this substance in the earth's crust began about 145-150 million years ago. And it lasted almost 90 million years. In geochronology, this time period is usually called the Cretaceous period.
The Cretaceous Mountains are unique geological formations found in different parts of Europe. They formed in those places where Tethys splashed millions of years ago - a warm and shallow ocean. Cretaceous outcrops often contain impurities of quartzites, which is why they shine beautifully in the sun. Due to its loose structure, rocks and cliffs from chalk often attracted the attention of monks and all kinds of hermits. Here they built their cloisters and entire monastery complexes.
Cretaceous mountains: examples in Europe and Russia
Millions of years ago, the vast expanses of Europe were under water. During this time, fragments of turtles, fragments of plants and fish skeletons accumulated at the bottom. All this was gradually compressed and turned into a new breed - chalk. In some places, the thickness of such deposits reaches 50 meters.
Over time, the ocean began to recede, and the seabed turned into land, exposing massive chalk deposits. So chalk mountains were formed in some places - dumb witnesses of the geological history of the Earth. They are scattered in different parts of Europe: in England, France, Denmark, Russia and Ukraine.
One of the most striking examples of the Cretaceous mountains in Europe is the so-called White Cliffs of Dover. This is a grand 100-meter cliff located on the British coast (Kent). Sea waves gradually undermine it, forming massive scree at the foot of the cliff. The Needles Islands in the English Channel are another example of Cretaceous formations. These are two picturesque cliffs located off the coast of the Isle of Wight.
Unique snow-white chalk formations are also found in Russia (in the Voronezh, Rostov, Belgorod, Orenburg regions). So, the largest belt of Cretaceous mountains runs along the Don River and its tributary - the Seversky Donets. It originates within the Volgograd region of Russia and ends on the territory of the Ukrainian Donbass.
Divnogorye - marvelous mountains on the banks of the Don
Where the small rivulet Tikhaya Sosna flows into the Don, there is the Divnogorye Museum-Reserve. Here, over an area of 10 square kilometers, cliffs and pillars of chalk are scattered. This is one of the most popular natural attractions of the Voronezh region, which is visited annually by at least 50 thousand tourists.
The chalk mountains in the Voronezh region were called by the locals “divas.” Hence the name of the reserve. The flora of this area is extremely interesting. Botanists counted here about 250 species of plants, almost half of which are calcephites (in simple words - "lovers").
At the end of the 15th century, Greek monks founded a monastery here. In Cretaceous rocks, they built for themselves caves-cells. In 1862, a church was carved in one of the local rocks. Today this unusual temple is included in many pilgrimage routes.
Mountains of chalk on the river Ilovle
Volgograd region also boasts its chalk mountains. They are located on the right bank of the Ilovli River, between the villages of Kamenny Brod and Kondrashi. This unique natural formation in places resembles a wild and snow-white desert. The slopes of the chalk mountains on the banks of Ilovli are quite steep. But in some places you can still go upstairs even by car.
Within these mountains is the Kamenno-Brodsky Holy Trinity Orthodox Monastery, which was founded during the Tatar-Mongol invasion. The monks dug caves in the chalky rocks, connecting them with passages. On the territory of the monastery there are springs with healing water, as well as several giant oaks up to 400 years old.
Bizarre cliffs of Lysogorka
Another Cretaceous miracle of nature is located in the Rostov region, near the village of Lysogorka. True, this area received the status of a natural monument only recently, only in 2006.
Cretaceous mountains of the Rostov region excite the imagination of tourists with their appearance. Among the snow-white cliffs of Lysogorka, one can see the silhouettes of gloomy warriors, and the outlines of animals, and human faces ... Chalk cliffs are located on the banks of a rather large lake. It is especially good here in the summer: the air is filled with aromas of thyme, and you can perfectly fish near the water.
Cretaceous adits of Belgorod
Traces of the Cretaceous period can be observed in the Belgorod region. In particular, Belgorod has long been famous for the extraction of high-quality white chalk. On the outskirts of the city is an old abandoned adit, the tunnels of which stretch for many kilometers inland. Today it has become a popular destination among diggers and ordinary tourists.
In the corridors of the Belgorod adit, you can find many different artifacts. For example, the remains of an old narrow gauge railway, along which chalk was once taken to the surface. On the walls you can see mysterious drawings and patterns - traces of the operation of drilling rigs. And in one of the corridors there is a real VAZ-2101 car. How he got here is unknown. Next to the pride of the domestic auto industry lies a large piece of rusty metal. It is completely covered with inscriptions left by visitors to the adit.