Vorontsovka Caves
The Vorontsovskaya Cave System (Воронцовская система пещер) is a long chain of caves in the Khosta and Adler districts of Sochi, Russia. It is part of a range of Mesozoic limestones that runs parallel to the Black Sea coast for 400 km. and contains the Voronya Cave, the world's deepest cave.
Vorontsovskaya Cave System | |
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Воронцовская система пещер | |
Vorontsov_Caves | |
Location | Khosta and Adler, Sochi, Russia |
Coordinates | 43.5197°N 39.977397°E |
Length | 120 m |
Geology | Mesozoic limestone, corrosion-erosion |
The Vorontsovskaya Cave (Воронцовская пещера) was the first cave to be surveyed. It may be accessed through a dozen entrances dotting the slopes of the Kudepsta River valley, at heights ranging from 419 to 720 meters above sea level. The Prometheus Grotto, with a length of over 120 meters, is developed as a tourist destination. The cave takes its name from the nearest settlement, Vorontsovka. It is known to contain bones of cave bears and early humans.[1]
In the late 20th century, it was discovered that the Vorontsovskaya Cave is connected to the Labyrinth Cave, the Kabany Proval, and the Dolgaya Cave by a network of sumps, or siphons. Some cave chambers lie 240 meters higher than the others. This cave system has been mapped to about 12 kilometers.[2] It is ranked as the longest in Krasnodar Krai and the 6th longest in the Russian Federation.[3]
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References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Vorontsovskaya Cave. |
- П. И. Борисковский. Палеолит СССР. Наука, 1984. Стр. 66.
- Энциклопедия туриста (под ред. Е. И. Тамма). Большая Российская энциклопедия, 1993. Стр. 213.
- Литвинская С. А., Лозовой С. П. Памятники природы Краснодарского края. Краснодар: Периодика Кубани, 2005.