Nikolskaya Cave

Nikolskaya Cave lies in Chelyabinsk Oblast, in the Ashinsky municipal district, six kilometers from the town of Minyar, on the slope of the Zolotov Dol ravine near the Sim River. It is a two-level karst cavity of the linked-chamber type, formed on the site of a former karst spring in Devonian limestone. The entrance sits at the foot of a rock outcrop about 80 meters above the water level of the river, 300 meters from the Asha–Sim highway.

What to See

The cave's total passage length is 185 meters, with a depth of 25 meters. Inside are eight oval chambers connected by vertical steps and shafts: there are seven such steps, ranging from 1.2 to 3 meters high, and two shafts 2 and 3 meters deep. At the center of the fourth chamber is a karst funnel about 2 meters in diameter and depth, while the seventh chamber is considered the largest hall in the cave.

The cave preserves a variety of mineral formations: stalactites, stalagmites, stalagnate columns, coralloids, ridges, curtains, and draperies. Parts of the walls and ceiling are covered with moonmilk, a soft white calcite deposit. In summer the air temperature inside never rises above +7 °C. Bone remains of a brown bear have been found here at various times.

Legends

A legend is tied to the cave and the nearby Nikolsky spring: according to tradition, a silver cross lies under the hill where the spring originates. Old-timers say a chapel once stood by the spring, drawing many people on major religious holidays.

Getting There

Minyar can be reached by car along the Chelyabinsk–Ufa highway, or by commuter train from Ufa. The cave is six kilometers from the town, approached from the direction of the Sim River; garden plots along the road near the foot of the rock outcrop serve as a landmark for the entrance. The nearest railway stop is the 1753 km platform, 800 meters from the cave.