Kungur Ice Cave is a karst

KARST

Kilometer-square Area Radio Synthesis Telescope is a Chinese telescope project to which FAST is a forerunner. KARST is a set of large spherical reflectors on karst landforms, which are bowlshaped limestone sinkholes named after the Kras region in Slovenia and Northern Italy. It will consist of...

 cave

Cave

A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness. The word cave also includes smaller spaces like rock shelters, sea caves, and grottos.Speleology is the science of exploration and study...

 located in the Urals, near the town Kungur

Kungur

Kungur is a town in the southeast of Perm Krai, Russia, located in the Ural Mountains at the inflowing of the Iren and Shakhva Rivers into the Sylva River . Kungur was founded in 1663 and granted town status in 1781. It serves as the administrative center of Kungursky District, although it is not...

 in Perm Krai

Perm Krai

Perm Krai is a federal subject of Russia that came into existence on December 1, 2005 as a result of the 2004 referendum on the merger of Perm Oblast and Komi-Permyak Autonomous Okrug. The city of Perm became the administrative center of the new federal subject...

, Russia

Russia

Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

, on the right bank of the Sylva River

Sylva River

Sylva River is a river in Sverdlovsk Oblast and Perm Krai in Russia. It is in length. The area of the basin is . The Sylva River flows into the Chusovoy Cove of the Kama Reservoir. It freezes up in November and stays under the ice until April. Principal tributaries: Iren, Barda, Shakva...

. The cave is famous for its ice formations and is a popular tourist landmark.

History & Archaeology

Kungur Ice Cave is known since 1703 when Peter the Great issued the decree sending a well-known geographer S.U. Remezov from Tobolsk

Tobolsk

Tobolsk is a town in Tyumen Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Tobol and Irtysh Rivers. It is a historic capital of Siberia. Population: -History:...

 in Kungur. He worked out the Uyezd plan and the first sketch of the Cave.

The Cave as an excursion site is used since 1914 and equipped with 3 tour routes with different length:

1. The examination of a large excursion ring (classic route) continues 1h. 20 min. During this time 1. First tour is 1.5 km and around 1 hour and 20 min
2. Second is 1.8 km and 1 hour 40 min
3. Third one is the biggest, 2 km and around 1.5 hour. On this one there is a laser show and the route is “more difficult”.

Some hundred thousand people come to have a look at this unique creation of nature every year. The total number of tourists has already exceeded 5 million.

In the eastern part of “IceThe Mountain“ there are two sites of ancient settlement of VII-IX centuries, relating to Lomovatov culture. Yermakov’s site of ancient settlement known since the XIX century

Myth and stories

Inside the cave there is narrow path which is called “the women road” because long time ago a foreign princes was falling down on this road and after she got back she get married, and now they say if a lady will falls down on this road she will get married soon.

External links

• Official site of Kungur ice cave
• Kungur Perm Ice Cave Russia Road maps,routes,useful info's, pictures gallery