Arakaevo Caves

The Arakaevo Caves are karst cavities on the left bank of the Serga River in the Nizhneserginsky District of Sverdlovsk Oblast, within the Olenyi Ruchyi (Deer Streams) nature park. The Great Arakaevo Cave lies about 2.5-5 km northeast of Arakaevo railway station, while the Small Arakaevo Cave is a bit further downstream along the Serga, just before the mouth of the Belyak River.

What to see

The entrance to the Great Arakaevo Cave sits on the northern slope of the riverbank, about 20-25 meters above the water level. The opening is rectangular, roughly 12 by 6 meters. Inside, the cave consists of three chambers, one of which holds a small underground lake that freezes over in winter. The passages stretch from 345 to 750 meters depending on the survey, with a depth of about 21 meters and a vertical range of 28 meters. The temperature inside stays close to zero degrees Celsius, so ice and snow crystals can be found in the chambers even in summer. The cave serves as a wintering site for the largest known bat colony in the Middle Urals.

The Small Arakaevo Cave is simpler: a triangular entrance about 4 by 5 meters leads into a corridor roughly 55 meters long. Devonian-period fossils embedded in the limestone can be seen inside.

History

The Arakaevo Cave was discovered and surveyed by Sverdlovsk speleologists in November 1961, with a detailed speleological survey carried out in 1965.

Legends

According to local residents, blasting at a nearby limestone quarry may affect the condition of the cave.

Getting there

The caves lie about 140-145 km from Yekaterinburg. The route runs along the Perm (Moscow) highway, then turns toward Nizhniye Sergi, passes through Mikhailovsk and reaches the village of Arakaevo. Cars are left at the edge of the village, and the rest of the way is on foot along a dirt road running between the river and the railway line, fording the river. The caves can also be reached during a rafting trip down the Serga, or on foot across the river ice in winter.