Mecca of cave diving: Ordinskaya cave

November 6th, 2013

Orda cave is the longest underwater cave in Russia, the second longest in Eurasia, and the largest gypsum cave in the world. The Orda cave is located 100 km southeast of the city of Perm, near the southwestern outskirts of the village of Orda, on the Kungur River. Famous underwater photographer and journalist Viktor Lyagushkin, as well as diving instructor Bogdana Vashchenko recently dived into this beautiful and inconspicuous area. wildlife. In this issue you will see photos taken during their expedition.

Ordinskaya cave, long known local population located near the southwestern edge With. Horde Perm region ( maps.google.com). In the list of caves of the Perm region, it is mentioned under the name Kazakovskaya and has a length of 10 m. This value was usually assigned to unexplored caves, information about which specialists received from local residents and from other sources.

In 1992, the Perm speleologist A. M. Samovolnikov, who initiated a detailed study of the cave, found out about the existence of the cave. In 1993-94 he and I. A. Lavrov carried out several research trips to the cave with the participation of Perm, Kungur and Moscow speleologists, during which about 300 m of passages and grottoes were explored. An experienced speleologist from Ryazan V. Komarov took part in one of the trips, who, diving into underground lake, discovered voluminous underwater galleries. As a result of subsequent expeditions with the participation of many famous speleologists from Russia and neighboring countries, the length of the underwater passages of the cave reached 3.2 km.

Currently, the Orda Cave is the longest underwater cave in Russia and the CIS and is very famous. The cave is a unique natural object. It is expedient to organize a specially protected natural area on its basis.

Cave Ordinskaya - located on the eastern outskirts of the village of Orda, Perm Territory, on the left bank of the river. Kungur.

Ordinskaya cave is located near the southwestern outskirts of the village. Horde of the Perm region, on the eastern outskirts of the Russian Plain. The massif of Kazakovskaya Gora, in the depths of which the cave is located, is a plateau-like hill, from the south, east and north, encircled by the valley of the river. Kungur. The height of the massif above the river edge within the development of the cave does not exceed 50 m. There are large karst funnels on the surface of the mountain, one of which, located on the southern steep slope of the massif, contains the entrance to the cave.

In structural and tectonic terms, the site is confined to the eastern margin of the East European Platform, to the western flank of the Ufimskaya swell-like structure. In its arched part, the Artinsk limestones and the Filippovsky horizon of the Kungur protrude to the surface, and on the wings - the Irensky gypsum-bearing horizon. The structure has an asymmetric structure: its eastern flank is steep and narrow, while its western flank is flat and wide. The angles of incidence on the western flank range from 10′ to 1°.

It is embedded in gypsum and anhydrite of Permian age.

Two different strata take part in the geological structure of Kazakovskaya Gora: the cover, consisting of karst-landslide deposits, and bedrocks belonging to the Kungurian stage of the Lower Permian. Karst-landslide deposits consist of clays, loams, rubble and fragments of destroyed carbonate, less often sulfate rocks. Down the section, they pass into the Olkhovskaya breccia, represented by cemented fragments of limestone and dolomite.

The bedrocks are represented by deposits of the Irensky and Filippovsky horizons of the Kungurian stage. Gypsum and anhydrite of the Shalashna member (up to 15 m thick) decomposed from the surface are underlain by the Olkhov breccia, which are replaced down the section by carbonate rocks of the Nevolinsk member (8–12 m thick), and then by gypsum and anhydrite of the Ice Cave member (15–20 m thick). The Ice Cave Member rests on dolomites and limestones of the Filippovsky horizon.

River valley Kungur was formed on the western border of the Ufimsky plateau, in the zone of subsidence of carbonate rocks of the Artinsk and Kungurian stages under gypsum and anhydrite of the Irenian horizon. Here, fissure-karst waters of the Filippovsko-Artinsk aquifer, moving from east to west along the bedding of rocks, unload and flow into the gypsum-anhydrite stratum.

Evidence of this are large karst springs along the border of the Ufimsky plateau, one of which (Arsenovsky, with an average annual water flow of about 300 l / s) is located on the right bank of the river. Kungur, 700 m east of the cave entrance. Linear unloading area groundwater, elongated from the entrance to the cave in the direction of the Arsenovsky source, was also found in the riverbed. Kungur. About intensive karst processes along the border of carbonate and sulfate rocks, chains of large sinkholes on the surface of Kazakovskaya Gora. Kungurskaya is also located near this border. ice cave- the largest gypsum cave in the Urals.

The entrance to the cave is located on the steep southern slope of the mountain, in a karst funnel 15 m in diameter and 10 m deep, at the base of a gypsum outcrop. From the entrance to the depths of the cave stretches a scree of blocky-landslide and clayey deposits, leading to the Crystal grotto 30 m long, 15 m wide and up to 8 m high. Gypsum and anhydrite of the Shalashna group are exposed in the vault of the grotto, and below - limestone and dolomite of the Nevolinsky unit. At a depth of 21 m from the entrance, in the northwestern corner of the grotto, there is a lake (lake No. 1, Ledyanoe), the level of which is close to the water level in the river. Kungur.

The main passage of the cave stretches to the left of the entrance grotto and leads to the Ice Palace grotto, elongated in a southwestern direction, 50 m long, up to 15 m wide and up to 7 m high. In the right wall of the grotto, formed along the discharge crack, limestone and dolomite are exposed, in the ceiling laid along the bedding cracks - gypsum. The floor of the grotto is littered with debris that has fallen from the ceiling. With the distance from the entrance, their number increases, the floor rises and at the end of the grotto it almost merges with the ceiling. In the northeastern part of the grotto there is a lake with an area of ​​about 20 m 2 . At the end of the grotto there are two passages in a blocky heap leading to a distant lake (Lake No. 3, Teploe) with an area of ​​25 m 2 and to the final hall of the dry part of the cave - the Novy grotto.

The length of the dry part is 300 meters, underwater - 4600 meters.

Cave lakes are the entrances to a large underwater system of passages and grottoes, which was formed in the ice cave member of gypsum and anhydrite of the Irenian horizon of the Kungurian stage of the Lower Permian, located below the groundwater level. Submarine passages were formed in the zone of siphon circulation due to the entry into the gypsum massif of groundwater aggressive towards gypsum from fractured limestones and dolomites of the Filippovsky horizon of the Kungurian stage, underlying the gypsum-anhydrite sequence. The weakly karst Nevolinsky limestone-dolomite unit, which overlaps the Ice Cave, the lower layers of which are also below the groundwater level, prevents the collapse of the arches of underwater galleries, due to which the latter reach significant transverse dimensions. Under similar conditions, the main galleries of the Kungur Ice Cave were probably formed, drained with a decrease in the local erosion base.

The length of the Ordinskaya cave is currently 3600 m, of which 3200 m is underwater. Its depth is 41 m (21 m to the level of the lakes and 20 m below it), amplitude - 43 m, area - 34 thousand m 2. Among the passed siphons, the longest siphon in Russia and the CIS countries stands out (an underground passage completely flooded with water) with a length of 935 m.

To date, the Ordinskaya cave is the longest flooded cave in Russia. In addition, part of the cave is the longest siphon in the CIS - 935 meters.

The peculiarity of the vegetation cover of the territory is due to its location in the center of the relic island Kungur forest-steppe, the lithological structure of which determined the diversity of edaphic conditions and, as a result, a high level of plant species diversity.

According to the results of a survey carried out in the early summer (beginning of June) and summer (late July) periods of 2004, 133 species of higher plants were recorded within the boundaries of the area under consideration.

The Orda Cave is located in the bowels of the Kazakovskaya Mountain - a hill with a plateau-like flat top, skirted by the Kungur River. The height of the hill does not exceed 50 m. There are large karst funnels on its surface, one of which, located on the southern steep slope, contains the entrance to the cave.

Herbaceous species form the basis of the vegetation cover. Representatives of tree flora are not numerous: four species of trees: drooping birch (Betula pendula Roth.), aspen (Populus tremula L.), Scotch pine (Pinus sylvestris L.), goat willow (Salix caprea L.) and four species of shrubs: Russian broom (Chamaecytisus ruthenicus (Fisch.ex Woloszcz.) Klaskova), chokeberry (Cotoneaster melanocarpus Fisch. ex Blytt.), black currant (Ribes nigrum L.), brittle buckthorn (Frangula alnus Mill.). The composition of herbaceous vegetation is dominated by species trivial for the conditions under consideration.

River valley Kungur was formed on the western border of the Ufimsky plateau, at the place where carbonate rocks of the Artinsk and Kungurian stages submerged under gypsum and anhydrite of the Iren horizon. Here, fissure-karst waters of the Filippov-Artinsky aquifer come to the surface and flow into the gypsum-anhydrite stratum, moving from east to west along the bedding of rocks

Among the Red Book species, two species of plants were noted: feather grass (Stipa pennata L.) - listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation and the Urals as a vulnerable species of category II, a relic of the Pleistocene flora and Siberian knapweed (Centaurea sibirica L.) - listed in the Red Book of the Perm Region, rare species III category.

Feather grass is common for the vegetation cover of the area under consideration; it forms closed associations within the boundaries of the area under consideration, without a clear orographic confinement. Maximum amount plants were found on the southern steep slope of the Kazakovskaya Gora massif.

Siberian cornflower was found on the southwestern outskirts of the planned protected area, on the steep southern slope of the massif, in the form of a parcel with an area of ​​5 m 2 . The number of plants in the association is 15-20 individuals.

Evidence of this are large karst springs along the border of the plateau, one of which (Arsenovsky, with an average annual water flow of about 300 l / s) is located on the right bank of the river. Kungur, 700 m east of the cave entrance.

Ordinskaya Cave is a unique natural object that has no analogues not only in the Perm region, but also on the scale of Russia and the CIS. At present, the longest system of underwater galleries in the CIS has been explored in the cave, the length of which, according to data as of December 1, 2004, is 3300 m. It also contains the largest siphon in the CIS (an underground passage completely flooded with water) 935 m long.

The cave is one of the most famous objects of underwater speleological research in Russia, several publications in the central illustrated magazines devoted to extreme species are devoted to it. active rest. Several films were shot about the cave, one of which at the First Moscow International Underwater Film Festival "Black Pearl" (2003) received a special prize in the nomination "The most romantic underwater film".

The chains of large karst funnels extended in the meridional direction on the slopes of Kazakovskaya Gora also speak of intense karst processes along this border.

The cave has a large scientific significance as a karst cavity of the siphon circulation zone actively developing in the sulfate massif, which has no analogues in the Ural region, despite the presence here a large number caves (more than 2000). The study of the cave from the point of view of karst and hydrogeology made it possible to shed light on the process of formation of cavities in sulfate massifs at the contact of sulfate and carbonate rocks. Among such caves, once flooded with water, is the famous Kungur Ice Cave.

The associations of feather grass, a relic of the Pleistocene fauna, one of the main specially protected plant species of the relict insular Kungur forest-steppe, are also of interest.

Thus, the Orda cave, together with the territory above the cave, form a unique natural complex which needs special protection. It is expedient to create a complex geological and botanical natural monument of regional significance on the basis of the cave.

The Kungur Ice Cave, the largest gypsum cave in the Urals, is also located near this border.

Caves - the realm of eternal cold and darkness - seem to us completely lifeless. But even here, in the bowels of the earth, you can meet amazing and mysterious creatures. We are talking about the famous Khlebnikov crangonyx (Crangonyx Chlebnikovi Borutzky), small amphipods of milky or off-white color, sometimes with a yellowish tint.

Khlebnikov's crangoniks are characterized by a very high sensitivity to changes in living conditions. Caves in their natural state are characterized by the stability of the main components of their regime. However, they are not at all as isolated from the outside world as it might seem.

Underground bodies of water, including cave lakes, are just as susceptible to pollution as surface ones, and just as sensitive to events occurring in their catchment area. But tourism is the most dangerous thing for Crangonixes. People leave behind materials that are not typical for caves (or in excessive quantities for them), which can lead to pollution.

Active exploration of the Orda Cave began in the early 1990s.

In January 1993, the Perm speleologist Andrey Samovolnikov visited the cave, having learned about it from his friends - local residents. He told about the cave to Igor Lavrov, a researcher at the Kungur hospital of the Academy of Sciences, who collected information about all the caves in the region. In November of the same year, Lavrov organized a small expedition, inviting members of the school tourist circle from Odintsovo near Moscow, who had come to Kungur for the holidays, to participate in it.

The volumes of the cavities amazed the researchers - the sizes of the grottoes were comparable to the size large halls Kungur Ice. deep clear lakes, high plaster vaults, bizarre snow and ice decoration of the halls in winter - all this only emphasized the similarity of the two caves.

In March 1994, at the invitation of Igor to Perm region(now - the Perm Territory), an experienced speleologist-scuba diver from Ryazan, Viktor Komarov, came to dive into the final siphon of the Parallelnaya cave in the vicinity of the city of Gubakha. The underwater passage turned out to be too narrow, the discovery did not take place, and since the air in the cylinders remained, it was decided to check the lakes in the Orda cave. No one has ever dived there before...

The lake in the Ice Palace grotto, unexpectedly for the researchers, turned out to be frozen. The ice was about half a meter thick, and the lane was made for a long time. However, in the left gallery, the running end got stuck in the slot, and the submariner had to quickly return. In this direction, 70 m were covered, and in total 100 m were explored. The first step in the study of the Ordinskaya siphons was taken. At the same time, a plan was drawn up for the dry part of the cave known at that time.

In January 1995, during a joint trip to the Horde by speleologists and tourists from Kungur and Perm, Andrey Samovolnikov discovered a passage to the farthest grottoes of the dry part of the cave. The first of them was later named after the professor of Perm State University G.A. Maksimovich, and the second, with big lake, - in honor of the famous Russian cave diver Vladimir Kiselev, who tragically died in one of the underwater caves Arkhangelsk region in March of the same 1995. In February 1996 new part The cave was mapped by Igor Lavrov and speleologists from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (Caving Club Barrier, leader Pavel Luzan).

In December 1997, the first All-Russian speleological expedition started. Teams from Chelyabinsk, Krasnoyarsk and Moscow came to the Horde. Yuri Bazilevsky (Chelyabinsk) was the coordinator and initiator of the expedition, Igor Lavrov (Kungur) was the supervisor.

Another unique masterpiece of nature in the Perm region is the underwater gypsum cave Ordinskaya. Experts say that this is one of the longest flooded caves in the world - the explored space is more than four kilometers.

The entrance to the cave is located in one of the karst funnels of the Kazakovskaya Mountain, which is skirted by the Kungur River near the regional center of Orda. Old-timers have known about underwater halls for a long time, but speleologists began to actively study the cave only in the 90s. And today there is a tourist base on the mountain with houses for living, a sauna, a compressor station.

In the ordinskaya cave

Weightlessness in a cave

The enfilade of corridors, halls and galleries is filled with the purest turquoise water, the temperature of which is around +5 degrees Celsius all year round. The underwater kingdom was formed from rainwater filtered by soil and gypsum layers. Visibility there reaches 50 m, but if you make an awkward movement in a narrow opening and touch the walls while swimming, you will not see your own hand. The dust of sulfate rocks turns the transparent crystal of water into "milk". There is no current in the cave, and in its stagnant water, as in airless space, you can slowly swim, marveling at the opening pictures.

Ordinskaya cave for those who are ready to dive

The spaces of the underwater halls of the cave reach 50 meters in width and 15 in height, the depth of the cellars is up to 22 m.

The underwater odyssey begins from the Crystal Grotto, in which the Ice Lake rests. The descent to it is equipped with a ladder and electric lighting. Then the entrance to the Ice Palace grotto and two more reservoirs, after which scuba divers enter the system underwater tunnels and catacombs. A tight vertical well leads there, there is another, horizontal passage nearby, but it ends in a dead end, from which one cannot get out alone. In general, only professionals are allowed to dive - those who have a cave diver's certificate.

According to legend, the Mistress of the Ordinskaya Cave lives in the gallery of the Maysky Way, where a woman's silhouette is clearly visible on the wall. It is believed that she usually welcomes cave divers, but she can suddenly get angry and ruin the equipment.

Incredible journeys underground can only be made by movie characters and ... cave divers who make the most daring fantasies come true - in underwater caves. Curiosity and fear. It is these feelings that cover a child (and sometimes an adult) who accidentally finds himself in an abandoned ancient castle. Cold darkness and spacious halls where Mystery lives. Frantic heartbeat. You ignore common sense and follow the corridors, shuddering at every rustle. You are bursting with desire to get acquainted with the Secret personally, to accomplish a feat. I have been an adult for a long time, but I still have a passion for exploits, like a nine-year-old boy. The only difference is that now the ancient haunted castles do not appeal to me. Another thing - underwater caves ...

Speleologists believe that the caves are alive: they can let you in or not let them in, spoil the equipment, and prevent you from diving. According to legend, the Mistress of the Orda Cave lives in the hall of the May Way: she is usually kind, but sometimes she is in no hurry to let strangers in.

We are welcomed by the longest underwater cave in Russia - Ordinskaya. Under water, there is a sign warning that the passage is open only to certified cave divers. There are three of us: Dima has been mapping the cave for six years now, because Andrei has been looking for and finding new passages for about the same time, and I photograph these passages. We transfer these materials to Perm University, where they make an interactive map from the images. Today, 4750 meters of underwater labyrinths have already been mapped. And this is not the limit: since the opening of the cave in the early 1990s, the flow of divers who want to admire its beauties has been growing exponentially every year. Ordinskaya was even dubbed "the new Mecca of cave diving." The "new Mecca" differs from other underwater caves in its very clear water (the temperature of which does not rise above seven degrees), large spacious halls and, most importantly, alluring exotic beauty. True, the opportunity to feel like a discoverer of another galaxy is worth a lot of effort.

Behind my back I have twins of two twenty-liter air cylinders, spare cylinders are attached to the left side. All equipment is duplicated: two independent breathing regulators, at least three flashlights, a spare mask and small coils with ropes needed to exit the cave in case of loss of visibility or to search for a lost partner. The total weight of the equipment exceeds 80 kilograms. Our path lies in the Chelyabinsk passage, located at the end of the cave.

We plunge into the muddy and cramped labyrinth of the Cellar, and soon the Great Hall opens up to us. Gypsum slabs, which would be quite suitable for the foundation of a residential high-rise building, are randomly scattered at the bottom. Above them rises a 10-meter pointed rock - the Tooth of the Dragon Voydakov.

The cave is an unreal, other world. This is Space, unearthly landscapes. You can't see the water, and you're flying in weightlessness. This is probably how the first man on the Moon felt, this is how the first expedition to Mars will feel. There is no more fear - only delight and awe. Imagine a hall the size of a football stadium and imagine that you are flying in this huge grotto - I only have such sensations in a dream and in the Ordinskaya cave.

The water that fills the cave comes from pressure pulsating sources, that is, the filling does not occur from top to bottom (for example, due to river water or precipitation), but from bottom to top. Apparently, the springs originate in the limestone layers of the Ufimsky plateau, underlying the gypsum rocks of the cave. Limestones - carbonates - saturated water with soda (sodium bicarbonate), which behaves aggressively with sulfates (including gypsum). Therefore, water gradually corrodes cave cracks, turning them into huge tunnels.

Speleologists believe that the caves are alive: they can let you in or not let them in, spoil the equipment, and prevent you from diving. According to legend, the Mistress of the Ordinskaya Cave lives in the hall of the May Way - a clear silhouette of a woman on the wall. Usually she is kind, but sometimes she is in no hurry to let strangers in.

I myself was only once ready to believe in this legend: during one of the dives, a series of small problems began to develop into large ones. They say that if the cave does not want to let you in, then it is better to refuse to dive so as not to stay there forever ...

Andrey had serious problems: the main lamp went out, the regulator froze, the lead coil spun, the suit got blown up. We were very scared: any little thing can cost a life, especially with a limited supply of air and the impossibility of surfacing.

Much depends on the partner (diving alone is generally extremely risky). One day in Florida, a not very experienced cave diver decided to do a solo dive. All the lights went out. In complete darkness, the diver went to the exit, holding on to the lead. At some point, the hodovik slipped out of his hands. There was still 40 minutes of air left in the balloon. The poor man sat down on the bottom, took an underwater notebook and began to write a farewell letter to his mother by touch ... When they found him, he was a few meters from the exit.

In muddy water, you feel like a mosquito that accidentally flew into a milkshake.

As soon as Andrei turned to the exit, the problems were resolved: the regulator thawed, the coil was twisted. Dima worked regularly: he just swam and measured endless moves with a tape measure. And my cave went. It happens that way too. I was swimming along the right wall, removing gypsum crystals, when I suddenly noticed a rather large crack, the passageway had not been laid there. Is it a new move? The excitement took my breath away, a wave of excitement and delight ran through my body. I fastened the camera to a stationary walker, tied the safety coil and climbed into an unknown passage.

Explosion! Delight! I dance underwater, not paying attention to percalation - shedding of gypsum dust. This process, by the way, can be dangerous. The transparency of the water in the cave is deceptive and short-lived: one sharp wave of flippers - and further progress will be in zero visibility.

In muddy water, you feel like a mosquito that accidentally flew into a milkshake.

In front of me is a large hall, a scree on my right hand, and a long corridor. This passage is not on the map. The move looks like a fresh fault, a crack in Kazakovskaya Gora. Unfortunately, the safety reel is small - only 25 meters long, I turn around, starting to wind the reel by feel. This lifeline will lead me to the exit. In the meantime, there is time to think about the name.

Here, under water, for some reason it seems to me that a huge ancient fish is about to swim out from behind a turn, or a fanged reptile will appear - a hungry dinosaur of the Permian period. Of course, I understand that this cannot be, but in a fairy-tale world, imagination takes you millions of years back.

In the Permian period, on the territory of the modern valley of the Kungur River, there was a sea, the expanses of which were cut by both 20-meter pangolins and microscopic crustaceans. Shells of marine crustaceans formed limestone layers. Due to the rise of the Ural Range, the sea became shallow, leaving many large bays. The hot climate contributed to the intensive evaporation of water, and sulfates fell to the bottom. The sea advanced and retreated many more times, the limestones were covered with sulfates and vice versa. Therefore, the walls of the Orda cave are layered, only there is no life in these walls - except for bats near the entrance lake.

We met in the Dry Room. The air cavity, formed as a result of the collapse of the dome plates, is connected to the atmosphere through microcracks, and the air in it is suitable for breathing. The usual "OK?" “Ok!” and we swam to the exit.

82 meters of the main tunnel, more like a subway, seemed to me a kilometer swim - I was eager to talk about a new passage. Perhaps it will be possible to go through it to the still unexplored parts of the cave. If this happens, Ordinskaya will become the largest underwater cave in Eurasia: 600 meters of underwater passages now separate it from the French Du de Coli.

Apparently, it won't be long before the victory. In recent years, foreign divers, including world famous ones, have frequented the cave. In 2006, British speleologist, photographer and writer Martin Farr visited Ordinskaya. Martin was amazed by the gigantic volumes of the galleries. "They rival the incredible tunnels of Australia in terms of transparency," Martin wrote in Diver magazine. Jill Haynet, one of the most experienced and respected cave divers in the world, film producer, writer and photographer, also visited the Horde. The owner of the current world record for the deepest dive (330 meters) Pascal Barnabe became a regular guest of the Perm Territory.

It's no surprise that the Horde has become so popular. By the 21st century, humanity has explored the planet Earth far and wide, leaving descendants with a very limited number of ways to feel like a hero, to discover a “new world”. For cave divers, the Ordinskaya Cave is one such opportunity. I suggest you think about other ways at your leisure - if you know something more impressive, you are the happiest person in the world.

Ordinskaya is a cave on the southwestern outskirts of the village of Orda in the Perm Territory, on the left bank of the Kungur River. It is embedded in gypsum and anhydrite of Permian age. Consists of "dry" and underwater parts. The length of the dry part is 300 meters, underwater - 4600 meters. To date, the Ordinskaya cave is the longest flooded cave in Russia. In addition, part of the cave is the longest siphon in the CIS - 935 meters.

The cave is ranked 21st among the longest gypsum caves in the world

Local residents have known about the existence of a cave on Kazakovskaya Gora for a long time. The first mention of it in the literature appeared in 1969. In the popular Soviet periodical scientific collection "Caves" (No. 7/8), a well-known scientist professor of Perm state university G. A. Maksimovich published the article “Caves of gypsum karst”, where among the gypsum caves of the Perm Territory Kazakovskaya cave is also listed. G. A. Maksimovich learned about the cave, most likely, from local residents, it was not studied by specialists. This cave is located on the same slope as Ordinskaya, but 300 meters upstream of the Kungur River.

This cave is sometimes called Malaya Ordinskaya. Here is what Pavel Anatolyevich Ermakov, a resident of the village of Orda, says - “It happened in one of winter days 1972, when I was skiing from Kazakovskaya Gora. Unexpectedly for all of us, a noise was heard, and we felt the shaking of the earth. After that, a large column of steam rose. We decided to approach, but due to poor visibility we could not approach this place. And we came up and went down later, only in the summer. Three grottoes passed with torches and lanterns. There was very low temperature. We spoke in whispers so that the boulders would not fall on us, would not block our way back. We saw two lakes in which there was a very clean, transparent cold water. We didn't go down after that." Exploration of the cave began in the early 1990s. In 1992, Andrey Samovolnikov, a Permian speleologist, learned about the existence of the cave and became the initiator of its detailed study. In 1993-1994, the first 300 m of passages and grottoes of the dry part of the cave were mapped. The research was carried out under the guidance of Andrey Samovolnikov and Igor Lavrov, Perm speleologists, with the participation of their Perm, Kungur and Moscow colleagues. The volumes of the cave cavities amazed the researchers: the size of the grottoes was comparable to the size of the large halls of the Kungur Ice Cave.

Deep clean lakes, high gypsum vaults, bizarre snow and ice decoration of the halls in winter - all this only emphasized the similarity of the two caves. In March 1994, at the invitation of Igor Lavrov, a speleologist-scuba diver from Ryazan, Viktor Komarov, came to Perm to dive into the final siphon of the Parallelnaya cave (near the town of Gubakha). The underwater passage turned out to be too narrow, the discovery did not take place, and it was decided, since the air in the cylinders remained, to check the lakes in the Orda cave. The lake in the Ice Palace grotto, unexpectedly for the researchers, turned out to be frozen. Three young speleologists, who had come with Komarov, went to look for an ice drill. Near the cave, on the pond, the fishermen were engaged in ice fishing. Seeing that the guys came out of the cave, and having learned that they were going to “fish in the cave”, the fishermen became very interested and even offered several ice screws to choose from. The ice in the lake was about half a meter thick, and the lane was made for a long time. Viktor Komarov recalls: “The size of the lane allowed us to pass with only one 7-liter cylinder on its side. For an exploration dive, this was quite enough. Diving from the surface was provided by Igor Lavrov. He gave out a steel wire (running end) from the coil. Several stones and boulders were wedged in the underwater passage going down. They did not hold firm, and they managed to be thrown down. After clearing the passage, I went under the ceiling of a wide gallery. It continued to the right and left of me. First I decided to scout the right continuation. After walking about 30 meters along it, I realized that one balloon apparatus is clearly not enough here.

A powerful halogen flashlight made it possible to assess the situation well. Coming out of the siphon, I decided to make another dive into the left extension, but with two balloon apparatus. The lane was widened, and Komarov made another dive into the left gallery. However, the running end got stuck in the crack and the submariner had to quickly return. In this direction, 70 m were covered. A total of 100 m was explored. The first step in the study of the siphons of the Ordinskaya cave was made in July 1996, a cave diver from Krasnoyarsk Petr Minenkov explored the next 250 m of underwater passages. Behind the first siphon, 75 m long, he discovered a large dry grotto, which later became known as the Dry Hall, 50 m in diameter and up to 10 m high. Since that time, the news of an unusually large underwater cave in the Urals began to spread rapidly. In December 1997, the first All-Russian speleological expedition started. Its participants came to the Horde - teams from Chelyabinsk, Krasnoyarsk and Moscow. Among the 15 divers, the most experienced were Petr Minenkov and Konstantin Kozhemyakin from Krasnoyarsk and Igor Galayda and Roman Prokhorov from Moscow. Yuri Bazilevsky (Chelyabinsk) was the coordinator and initiator of the expedition, and Igor Lavrov (Kungur) was the supervisor. In 1998, Andrey Shumeiko wrote about this expedition: “How diverse the equipment was - from everything American to the Soviet-Krasnoyarsk - the composition of the expedition was just as colorful. Among the 15 working divers, 6 dived in the caves for the first time, the difference in experience fluctuated very much - from "nowhere cooler" to "almost none". Yes, and among themselves all were little known, maybe with rare exceptions. All the difficulties, both technical and psychological (by the way, there was a psychologist in the Moscow team, but he was more nervous than reassuring), passed us on Ordinskaya. Everything was very coordinated, calm, friendly, everyone got to know each other and, probably, “strengthened the ties between the speleologists of Russia”. During the expedition, the length of the underwater part of the cave increased by 950 m and amounted to 1250 m.

It was a record for Russia and the CIS! Another record was set - the longest siphon in Russia, 500 m long, was passed. In July 1998, the second All-Russian cave diving expedition took place. And the Russian record was set again! Evgeny Voydakov climbed 970 m along one of the passages. The previous achievement was increased by 330 m. As a result of the expedition, 1980 m of underwater passages were covered. This is how Evgeny Voydakov, the author of the record, described his dive in the Octopus magazine (1999): “I transfer the cylinders to the cave to the lake and collect equipment there. The total weight with which I go under water exceeds one hundred kilograms. This is the "base" weight. It includes two single-cylinder scuba tanks of 15 liters each, a buoyancy compensator, a wetsuit, a weight belt, fins, flashlights and a bunch of small things. Further, more cylinders, reels with a running gear and towing vehicles are added. The figure of 300-400 kilograms for a save diver is not the limit. The usual check on land, in water, under water - and we are left alone with the cave. Each speleologist establishes his own relationship with the underground element, very personal, intimate ... Only two hours under water, and how the perception of the world changes! Feelings are aggravated, love for everything overwhelms the soul, I want to sing and fly. And the fact that a new Russian record has been made lies a little aside, until it is perceived. However, on July 2, 1998, the record was set. Passed under water along one of the passages in the Ordinskaya cave 970 meters. In September 1998, Muscovites Roman Prokhorov and Igor Galayda walked all the main underwater galleries of the cave to the blocky blockages, increasing its length by another 500 m. The underwater labyrinth of the cave was extended to 2480 m. parts of the cave. The next expeditions to the cave took place in May 2000, July 2001 and July 2003. According to the pioneers (Yu. Bazilevsky, E. Voydakov, I. Galayda, R. Prokhorov, A. Shumeiko), a scheme of the cave was drawn up.


In 2002, the systematic development of the cave by the Perm dive center Nautilus began, both in terms of diving safety and protecting the unique natural object. The cave area is constantly being improved. The first diving base in Russia was built. With the advent of "service" near the cave, the number of visits to the underwater part increased. Teams of cave divers from Perm, Yekaterinburg, Chelyabinsk, Moscow and Orenburg continued to explore the cave. In August 2006, cave divers from Yekaterinburg explored about 800 m of new underwater galleries. New passages appeared on the map of the cave - Sverdlovsky, Maisky, the "Basement" labyrinth. There is a constant reshooting and specification of the configuration of moves. In connection with new discoveries, the length of the cave has increased to 4800m, 4500m of which is the underwater part. In May 2007 Dmitry Osipov (Yekaterinburg) presented new plan Orda cave. In addition to the contours of the underwater passages, it shows the running ends laid in the cave, the depths of the bottom and ceilings relative to the water level in the inlet lake. To date, this is the most accurate and detailed plan, which will help make diving in the Orda cave more interesting and safe. Among the caves of the Perm Territory, the Ordinskaya cave occupies the 4th place in terms of the length of the passages. However, despite this, it is the longest underwater cave in Russia. Exploration of the cave is not over, and hundreds of meters of underwater galleries are waiting for their discoverers.
That's all, thanks for your attention.

The longest underwater gypsum cave in Russia, a real Mecca for caving lovers. People come here from all over Russia, and sometimes from abroad. Orda Cave is widely known for its underwater beauty.

The cave is located on the left bank of the Kungur River (here there is a small pond on it), in the depths of the low plateau-like Kazakovskaya Mountain. Formed in gypsum and anhydrite of the Permian period. It got its name from the nearby village of Horde.

History of study

The cave has been known to the locals for a long time. First mentioned in the literature under the name Kazakovskaya in 1969 by G.A. Maksimovich. However, the first serious studies of the cave date back to the early 1990s, when the dry part of the cave was studied and mapped under the guidance of Andrey Samovolnikov and Igor Lavrov.

The first underwater surveys were carried out in March 1994. The first dive was made by speleologist-scuba diver Viktor Komarov from Ryazan, invited here by Igor Lavrov. But then the main goal was the siphon in the Parallelnaya cave near Gubakha. The passage there turned out to be too narrow to pass, and there was still air in the cylinders. So we decided to visit the Orda cave. There were no surprises. The lake was suddenly frozen over. It was not easy to make a lane for diving in a half-meter layer of ice. During the first dive, the first 100 meters of mysterious underwater passages were explored. It became clear that there was an extended underwater part in the cave.

In June 1996, a large dry grotto was discovered behind the siphon by submariner Pyotr Minenkov from Krasnoyarsk.

The fame of an unusual underwater cave began to spread. Divers have come here. In December 1997, the first All-Russian speleological expedition was organized. As a result, the surveyed length of the cave reached 1250 meters. Since then, this number has steadily increased.

The cave impressed researchers with its huge volumes (in some halls, powerful lanterns did not reach the walls) and clear water.

In the 2000s, the Orda cave was chosen by the Perm dive center Nautilus. Under the leadership of the submariner Andrei Gorbunov, a diving base (the first in Russia) appeared near the cave, lighting was laid.

Features of the Orda cave

The entrance to the cave is located in a karst funnel on the steep slope of Kazakovskaya Mountain, from the side of the Kungur River. The descent is equipped with stairs; when inside the cave divers, the lighting turns on. The entrance to the cave is 5 meters wide and 2 meters high.

The length of the Orda cave is 4600 meters, while the length of the dry part is only 300 meters. Amplitude - 45 meters, area - more than 50 thousand m2. In terms of length, the Orda cave is in fourth place in Perm region after Divya (10.1 km), Kizelovskaya (7.6 km) and Kungurskaya ice (5.7 km). Of the underwater caves in gypsum, she has no equal in Russia.

The dry part of the cave consists of the Crystal, Ice Palace and G.A. Maksimovich. Most big grotto– The Ice Palace, which is 50 meters long, up to 15 meters wide, up to 7 meters high. In winter, beautiful ice formations appear here. The floor of the cave is covered with blocks that have fallen from the ceiling. Gypsum caves are characterized by high landslide hazard. You have to be careful. Especially dangerous in the spring.

There are several lakes in the cave that connect to the underwater part of the cave. A staircase leads to the Main Lake in the Ice Palace grotto, there is a platform for divers, benches. The water temperature in the cave is always low (+4+5ºС).

Behind the underwater part there is a grotto Dry Hall with a height of about 7 meters. Here there is an opportunity to go on land. From here you can get to the main underwater galleries of the Orda cave, named after the cities of explorers. These are the galleries Chelyabinsk, Krasnoyarsk, Moscow, Sverdlovsk passages.

The longest move is Moscow. Its length is 935 meters. This is the longest siphon in Russia and the CIS.

The longest underwater caves in the world are located in Mexico and the USA. In Mexico, on the Yucatan Peninsula, 17 caves are known with a length of more than 5 km, of which six caves are more than 10 km long, and two are more than 100 km long. Ordinskaya cave is far from them, but it is unique in its own way.

A visit to the picturesque underwater part of the cave is only possible for experienced divers.

Unfortunately, there have been tragedies as well. On November 14, 2013, a diver from Izhevsk drowned while diving in the Orda cave.

Ordinskaya Cave is a geological natural monument of the Perm Territory.

There are many sinkholes and sinkholes in the field near the cave. Some of them are visible even from the road.

The vegetation in the vicinity of the cave is also unique. This is due to its location in the center of the relic island Kungur forest-steppe. 133 species of higher plants have been identified here. Plants listed in the Red Book also grow: feather grass (Red Book of the Russian Federation) and Siberian cornflower (Red Book of the Perm Territory).

In the vicinity of Kungur there is another cave with an extended underwater part - Babinogorskaya. Its underwater part was opened in 2006.

Spherical panorama of the Orda cave

How to get to the Orda cave

The cave is located southwest of the ancient village of Orda (Perm Territory), founded in 1601.

By car, you need to go along the Yekaterinburg-Perm highway, in the area of ​​​​the village of Goldyrevsky, turn towards Orda. Having reached Orda, you pass through the village and move towards the base of divers. Leave the car in front of the barrier and walk through the base or bypass. There is no charge for visiting the cave. The map below will help you navigate. Distance from Perm - 115 kilometers, from Yekaterinburg - 270 kilometers.

GPS coordinates of the Orda Cave: N 57º 10.926´; E 56º 53.194´.

Orda can also be reached by regular bus from Perm and walk to the cave.

A visit to the Orda cave can be combined with a trip to Kungur and its environs.

Pavel Raspopov

Partially used information from the book Maksimovich N.G., Maksimovich E.G., Lavrov I.A. Orda Cave (Perm, 2006)