There are many stories and legends about this cave, the occurrence of which is natural, but at the same time not without the help of human hands. The stories about mysterious and mysterious cases occurring in it have a different degree of reliability.
We are talking about Devyatovskie (Silicate) caves located in the suburbs on the Desna coast. The article provides information about this unusual place, loved by many enthusiasts - lovers of visits to such underground worlds.
About limestone mining
In Russia, the construction of white stone - limestone - was begun as early as the XII century. Famous buildings built from it have survived to this day. For example, the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, ancient chambers and churches, as well as the surviving remains of the Kitaygorodskaya wall (an underground passage near Varvarka) - all this was built from limestone mined in a quarry in a quarry. In the Moscow region there are still abandoned systems, the most popular and extensive of which are Devyatovskie and Syanovskie (south of the capital) near Podolsk.
Today, most of the previous entrances to the system of openings are closed, and access is available only through manholes.
Location
As already mentioned, the Silicates or the Devyatovskaya quarry are located on the banks of the Desna River, flowing in the suburbs. The famous landmark is located in a westerly direction. The benchmark in this is a platform with the same name. The address of Silikaty Cave is as follows: Moscow Region, pos. Ninth. From it to the city of Podolsk is just one stop in the Kursk direction.
The cave got its name for its location at Silikatnaya station, and the second name (Devyatovsky quarries) came from the name of the village of Devyatsky, in which they are located.
Quarries near Moscow
Devyatovskiye Silikaty are underground cavities where in ancient times (from the 14th to the 19th centuries) limestone was mined for use in the construction of Moscow buildings. The main foci of obtaining material are quarries along the banks of the river. Pakhra and its several tributaries, Rozhayka, Desna, Mocha, Lubyanka, Zhdanka (today belong to the Podolsky and Domodedovo districts), as well as quarries of the northern bank of the Moscow River (near the village of Grigorovo, Ruzsky district (Vasilievsky, Tuchkovsky and Polushkinsky).
Several centuries totals the age of these systems. Developments were most actively conducted in the second half of the 19th century.
The environment around the caves
Devyatovskie caves do not represent any scientific interest and practically do not attract any attention of state organizations, but they are popular among enthusiasts. For them, visiting caves is entertainment, a hobby, and even a lifestyle. It is safe to say that a kind of subculture has formed around these quarries.
Earlier, the authorities repeatedly accepted attempts to close some of the cave systems, but they were again opened by enthusiasts. Since the time of the Soviets, governments have not made a single attempt to completely close the entrances, although discussions are still ongoing about this.
History
The most famous cave is Silicates. According to the testimony of numerous eyewitnesses, it was with her that the development of the quarries of the Moscow region by speleologists began in the 60s of the XX century. As a result, it turned out that the Silicates were not of particular interest, and they became just a place of relaxation for those who prefer to spend their free time not in the city bustle or at home, but underground under the grottoes and manholes.
Due to the aggressive mood of the local punks towards foreign cavers, a rather protracted underground war began to take place in the Silikates. Moreover, the main weapon was a smoke screen (drag) created by hooligans. Chad itself is a terrible disaster in a confined space, especially without ventilation. In addition, some dies included terrible chemical compounds. Thanks to such actions, those people who seriously wanted to know the world of this mysterious dungeon were turned away from these quarries. All this contributed to a more active search, discovery and development of quarries in other parts of the Moscow region.
In any case, the Silikaty cave in the Moscow region, often called the Devyatov quarries, has become very popular among lovers of mysticism and stalkers. Underground tunnels during the war period served as a bomb shelter, and then were closed for decades.
The story of a soldier
This story is the most reliable and refers to the beginning of the period of the Great Patriotic War. At that time, as noted above, there was an equipped bomb shelter.
Once, a soldier came from the front to a nearby village at the very beginning of the war. At that time, another bombing took place, and many fellow villagers ended up in a bomb shelter. He went there to look for his relatives of soldiers. Children and old women crawled out of the entrance of the dilapidated cave, and his wife appeared there. At that moment, a huge stone slab began to sink. Seeing this, the brave man threw himself under her and delayed the fall of the block only for a moment. But even this allowed the remaining villagers to leave the cave. Right in front of people, the soldier was crushed by this terrible stone. When the entrance was broken by joint efforts and the stove was raised, there was no one under it. For a long time, relatives tried to find a living soldier inside the dungeon, and during one of the searches, the soldier’s heartbroken mother disappeared underground.
Legend
There is also a legend about Silikaty Cave, telling that the ghosts of that soldier and mother can still be found in the distant hidden corners of the cave (dozens of cases of similar stories are known).
For those who are not afraid of bats and darkness, who love traveling to uncharted and unusual places and who want to find out if ghosts actually exist, a walk through the caves of the dungeon will be an interesting pastime.
Description of the cave, attractions
Instead of the entrance, a rather narrow hole leading to the ground leads to the Silikaty Cave. The inside is cold, dark and humid, as well as very poor ventilation and many bats. Being in the system, it is undesirable to smoke. Until now, there are quite wide grottoes in it, with preserved rail tracks for wagons. Basically, they are narrow and very blurry, because the caves have a lot of water.
The total length of the quarries is about 12 kilometers. You can see peculiar sights in them: “Red Hall”, “Tomb”, “Hercules Pillars” and even a small museum of finds. Bats inhabit the cave, flying through tunnels and gathering in large numbers in grottoes, from where they can suddenly fly right into the face.
Every year the number of travelers in the cave becomes more and more, especially on weekends.
History of the development of the cave
The development of the entire cave system began in the 60s of the XX century, and in 1993 builders fell asleep in connection with the construction of a holiday village on this site. The cave was scheduled to open in 1996-1997, but this still has not happened. In 1999, the quarry was opened by enthusiasts.
Unofficially, the cave was opened in the 2000s, and since then many have been trying to get sharp and unforgettable sensations in it. According to numerous rumors, the tunnels hide many secrets and military artifacts, which are difficult to reach. The cave is famous for its narrow passages and grottoes, bringing to the hysterical state not only claustrophobes, but also the most daring adventurers.
The future of caves
Most likely, the Silikaty cave did not last long. Today it is impossible to even walk from a birch grove along the edge of the quarry to the entrance to it, since the fence is made of concrete from the village of summer residents.
In addition, the construction of a residential area is planned at the quarry site. Cottages, multi-tier parking lots, a school and other buildings will be built here. Already, construction work is underway at this place. All this has already affected the state of the caves. It became dangerous to descend into them, at least into some of the grottoes (for example, to Vysoky).
Travel Tips
How to get there Silikaty Cave can be visited by train to Silikatnaya station from the Kursk station in Moscow. This place is located near Podolsk. From the railway station itself you need to walk about three kilometers on foot. It is advisable to go camping only with an experienced guide who knows the whole system. In fact, this is quite dangerous, since without the experience of navigating underground grottoes, you can wander there for a very long time. The speed of movement is too slow (ceilings are low), and, despite the apparent simplicity of the drifts, it is easy to get lost here.
You should not go there and suffering from claustrophobia, as in the caves there are a lot of narrow and closed grottoes.