Orda Cave – Perm region, Russia. Orda Cave - a portal to the abyss

Orda Cave (Perm region, Russia) - detailed description, location, reviews, photos and videos.

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Ordinskaya cave near the village. Orda in the Perm region is known as a unique natural formation, because it is the longest complex of underwater galleries in Russia (4400 m) and the second longest on the Eurasian continent. Also here are the largest siphon in the country, many crystals, stalagmites, stalactites and deep lakes.

ABOUT ancient cave The local population has known under Kazakovskaya Mountain for a long time, but they began to study it only in the 1990s. Even today it has not been fully explored; new passages are constantly being found. Most of The routes pass through the main galleries - the Moscow, Sverdlovsk, Chelyabinsk and Krasnoyarsk passages, and the Ice Palace with Lake Teply and Crystal are recognized as the most beautiful grottoes.

Since the 2000s V underground resources Divers began to gather not only from Perm, but also from all over the country. Later, the first dive site in Russia was opened here and a center for training cave divers was created. Nowadays the cave has become the most popular place for diving, but only experienced athletes can perform them.

Practical information

To get to the cave, you first need to get to Kungur from Perm by train (departs from the Perm-2 railway station). Then sit on minibus to s. Horde, and then just ask any local where to find a diving base.

The distance from Perm to Orda is about 115 km, so you can quickly get there by car. GPS coordinates: 57°10′55″; 56°53′17″.

The Orda Cave is located in the depths of Kazakovskaya Mountain. If you happen to visit the Perm region, then the Orda Cave can become ideal place For extreme recreation. Today we’ll talk about it in more detail, because it really deserves attention. Orda Cave – unique natural object. This is the longest underwater gypsum cave in Russia, and in the whole world, in the cave there is the largest siphon in Russia, several deep lakes, ice stalactites, stalagmites and crystals appearing in grottoes in winter time.

The Orda cave is located near the southwestern outskirts of the village of Orda, Perm region, on the eastern edge of the Russian plain. The cave is located in the depths of Kazakovskaya Mountain, which is a plateau-like hill surrounded on three sides by the valley of the Kungur River. The entrance to the cave is on the southern steep slope of the river valley. This is one of the grottoes located in the chain Ural mountains. Perm region is the most South part Ural. It is a favorite place for speleologists from all over the world, because it has about 700 caves of varying lengths. However, none of them can eclipse this wonder of the world. Local residents knew about the existence of the Orda Cave for a long time, but in 1992 its research began: the first expedition explored more than a kilometer of underwater passages and one long flooded tunnel. It was from the end of the twentieth century that the Orda Cave began to interest scientists and travelers, and its map began to grow rapidly and was replenished with new parts. As a result of lengthy research, the length of the Orda Cave is currently 4,400 meters, of which 4,000 meters are in the underwater part. The cave has not been fully explored, new passages may be discovered.

Cave divers from all over Russia and foreign countries flock to the Perm region to understand the secrets of the longest flooded gypsum cave - Ordinskaya.

With the beginning of the 21st century, a full-scale study of this huge system of intricate tunnels flooded with water began. Of course, they were studied by specialists, but soon it attracted the attention of amateurs, brave people and experts in extreme diving. And gradually the Orda Cave turned into one of the most interesting objects for tourists. At the beginning of the 19th century, deposits of gypsum were found here. It was first mined for construction purposes, then for artistic processing. It was thanks to this industrial activity that the Orda Cave was discovered. On its surface there are large karst sinkholes, one of which is the entrance to the cave. The cave amazes not only with its size, but also with its beauty. Deep and clean lakes, high plaster vaults, snow and ice decoration of silent halls - all this looks absolutely fantastic. The second All-Russian expedition was carried out a year later, this time 1980 meters of underground flooded passages were covered. In 2001, the Orda Cave was turned into a diving base. Cave divers are trained here, underwater research and video filming are carried out. And to date, about 4000 meters of underground passages have already been studied.

The entrance to the cave, five meters wide and two meters high, is located on the southern steep slope of Kazakovskaya Mountain in a karst sinkhole fifteen meters in diameter. The first grotto is Crystal, in the northwestern corner of the grotto there is Lake Iced. The main passage of the cave stretches to the left of the Crystal Grotto and leads to the Ice Palace Grotto. Here is Lake Main and further, through the passage, Lake Teploe. These lakes are the entrances to a large underwater system of passages and grottoes. The main galleries of the cave are the Chelyabinsk, Krasnoyarsk, Moscow and Sverdlovsk passages, named by the discoverers in honor of their cities.

The dive in the Ordinskaya Cave begins in Lake Main, located in the Ice Palace grotto.

Almost all divers are attracted to the Orda Cave. Photos of its snow-white arches can make you forget about everything in the world, although they do not replace the immersion itself. There is a world of its own here, it’s as if a person finds himself in space, cold, unknown and so attractive. Not everyone will find the Orda Cave gentle and welcoming. Knowledge of the underwater world should truly captivate you so that it becomes possible to overcome yourself and descend into its labyrinths. The water temperature here is no higher than +6 degrees, and can reach +4. Visibility at best is 100 meters. It is equipped here convenient descent to the water with metal stairs and railings. This will help you get down and up in your dive suit. A wide area with special benches, as well as good lighting, make preparing for the dive comfortable and enjoyable. It should be noted that only separate galleries are intended for tourists, where the running ends are laid, that is, you will move in one direction along the stretched rope. This is not a walk for amateurs, but a very responsible event that must be approached with the utmost seriousness.

Can any tourist visit the underground tunnels of this cave and soak up its unimaginable romance? No, this is impossible without preparation. Just like a recreational skydive cannot be done without training, as it could cost you your life. The Orda underwater cave will not forgive mistakes. A diver in such difficult conditions faces complete darkness, the danger of cloudy water, and the collapse of plaster walls. Only a person who has been trained in a special technique and has impeccable knowledge of the equipment can dive into this complex cave. It is mandatory to dive in pairs, and the entire life support system is duplicated. There are two cylinders and two regulators behind the back. Since 2002, the cave has been developed by the Perm dive center “Nautilus”, as a result the first diving base in Russia has been built. A center for training cave divers has been created. Diving in the Orda Cave requires serious preparation, but those who have visited it underwater world the most vivid impressions remain.

To dive into the cave, divers are required to be certified as an Advanced Open Water Diver. More detailed information information about the cave can be found on the official website http://ordacave.com/, where you can also sign up for courses on cave diving, take part in expeditions to study the depths of the cave.

The cheapest tickets from Moscow to Perm and back

This is an elite sport for the elite, because in local conditions there is great difficulty in diving. Of course, there is equipment rental, but before you get it, you need to go through training and get a certificate. Tourists who have already been here say that there are more than enough opportunities for panic. If you tried to surface before the allotted place, you hit your head on a rock, instantly lose your orientation in space, and begin to breathe more often. As a result, air is consumed very quickly. And if the flashlight suddenly malfunctions, then in the ensuing darkness you immediately lose your understanding of where is up and where is down. That is, the diver must be prepared for any situation. However, until now, all divers descending under the arches of this cave have returned back.

How to get to the Orda Cave

The nearest settlements are the city of Perm and the city. Kungur. The village of Orda is located in close proximity to the cave. From this settlement Perm can be reached by any convenient transport. And from the city to the village you can take a minibus, which are available in large numbers here.

In fact, the choice is quite large. Very often tourists consider different options. In the city of Kungur, there are many hotels with very affordable prices. The comfortable hotel “Stalagmite” is very popular among city guests; there are also a number of other suitable complexes. You can choose private mini-hotels or simply rent an apartment. There are a lot of them offered in the village of Orda. By the way, it’s much closer to the cave from here. And if you do not intend to spend a lot of time at the diving base, then it will be most convenient to choose accommodation in cottage village, which is located in close proximity to the cave.

Read about tourism in the Urals https://my-ural.com/

Ordinskaya- a cave on the southwestern outskirts of the village of Orda, Perm Territory, on the left bank of the Kungur River. Found in gypsum and anhydrite of Permian age. Consists of a “dry” and underwater part. The length of the dry part is 300 meters, the underwater part is 4600 meters. Today, Orda Cave is the longest flooded cave in Russia. In addition, part of the cave is the longest siphon in the CIS - 935 meters.

Geological structure

The Orda Cave is located in the depths of 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. On its surface there are large karst sinkholes, one of which, located on the southern steep slope, contains the entrance to the cave.

IN geological structure Kazakovskaya Mountain involves two different strata: cover, consisting of karst-landslide deposits, and bedrock belonging to the Kungurian stage of the Lower Permian. Karst-landslide deposits consist of clays, loams, crushed stone 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 bedrock is represented by deposits of the Irensky and Filippovsky horizons of the Kungurian stage. Under the Olkhovskaya breccia lie gypsum and anhydrites of the Shalashninskaya member destroyed from the surface (thickness up to 15 m), which are replaced down the section by carbonate rocks of the Nevolinskaya member (thickness 8-12 m), and then gypsum and anhydrites of the Ice Caves member (thickness 15-20 m). The Ice Cave Member rests on dolomites and limestones of the Filippovsky horizon.

Not only did the sail not appear over the deserted surface of the ancient Permian Sea, but even birds did not fly over it; they simply were not yet on Earth. However, even then in the water and on seabed There were countless different creatures. When they died, they left behind shells and skeletons, which, when mixed with bottom silt, formed layers of limestone and dolomite. Due to the rise Ural ridge By the end of the Permian period, the sea became shallow, forming large bays. The climate here in the Urals was then warm, and the water in the bays evaporated. As the brines thickened during the evaporation of water, a sediment fell to the bottom - calcium sulfate, from which solid rocks were subsequently formed - gypsum (aqueous calcium sulfate) and anhydrite (anhydrous calcium sulfate).

The uplift of the Cis-Ural region, which lasted millions of years, was repeatedly interrupted and replaced by a reverse movement. Then the sea came. A deep-sea regime was established with less saline water, in which marine organisms could again live. Layers of limestone and dolomite lay on top of the gypsum. This is how the interlayering of gypsum with limestone-dolomite rocks arose, which is observed in the walls and vaults of the Orda Cave.

In the second half of the Permian period, the sea finally left the boundaries of the current Perm region, leaving extensive lakes. Grew up here rainforests, in which giant lizards lived. Over time, the climate became cooler and drier. The forests have given way steppe expanses where herds of wild animals roamed.

In the last, Quaternary, period, lasting a million years, when man had already appeared on Earth, a sharp cooling occurred. At that time, the territory of what is now the Perm region covered the cold tundra, where huge mammoths roamed. Their heavy tusks were repeatedly found in Orda and neighboring areas.

As a result of new uplifts, the rivers deepened their valleys and crashed into the thickness of petrified marine sediments. White gypsum and limestone rocks jutted out along the steep banks. The latter are not monolithic: as a result of mountain-building processes, deep cracks appeared in them, going deep into the rocks for tens and hundreds of meters. These cracks, called tectonic by geologists, can be traced on the earth's surface along elongated relief elements: river and stream valleys, ravines, chains sinkholes. Along them stretch galleries of underground karst voids - caves. The predominant directions of cracks in the rocks of the Cis-Urals are northwestern and northeastern, which is in good agreement with the plan of the Orda Cave.

Hydrogeology and karst

River valley Kungur was formed on the western border of the Ufa Plateau, at the site where the carbonate rocks of the Artinskian and Kungurian stages subsided under the gypsum and anhydrites of the Irenian horizon. Here, fissure-karst waters of the Filippovsko-Artinsky aquifer, moving from east to west along the bedding of rocks, come to the surface and flow into the gypsum-anhydrite layer. 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 is 700 m east of the cave entrance. About intensive karst processes along this border there are also chains of large karst sinkholes elongated in the meridional direction on the slopes of Kazakovskaya Mountain. Near this border is the Kungur Ice Cave, the largest gypsum cave in the Urals.

The expansion of cracks in the galleries and grottoes of caves occurs under the influence of water moving underground, dissolving gypsum and anhydrite. Its source in the depths of the Kazakovskaya Mountain is the layers of limestone and dolomite broken by a network of cracks, lying below the layers of gypsum and anhydrite and directly in contact with them. Through these cracks, water enters the cave from the east, from the side of the Ufa Plateau, in the limestone depths of which large reserves have formed, constantly replenished by rains and floods. The movement of groundwater to the cave is largely facilitated by the elevated position of the Ufa Plateau and the tilt of the aquifers to the west. Most of the water does not reach the cave, coming to the surface in the form of springs in the Kungur valley. The largest of them - Arsenovsky - is located on the right bank of the river, at the point where it turns north. From deep depressions At the bottom of the spring, forming a vast reservoir, seething cold streams rise. This water flows into Kungur in a fast flow (flow rate - 300-400 l/s), lowering the summer time the temperature in Orda Pond by 3 degrees. Groundwater outlets can also be found at the bottom of the Kungur River itself along rising ice streams.

The same updrafts there is also in the cave, in the recesses of the floor of the galleries of its eastern part. These jets are especially strong during spring snowmelt, when the influx into the cave is maximum. This water is rich in lime, since its source is limestone layers, but is not saturated with gypsum, so it dissolves the walls of underwater grottoes and galleries well, increasing the volume of the cave. The galleries and grottoes of the famous Kungurskaya grew in approximately the same way. Ice cave, which many millennia ago was also underwater. Due to the constant supply underground water in Orda its level there is several tens of centimeters higher than in Kungur. Water from the cave seeps to the river through layers of rocks, forming numerous springs on the left bank. Comparing the sizes of the Ordinskaya and Kungur caves, we will see that the cross-sections of the cavities of the Ordinskaya often exceed the same indicators in the Kungurskaya. This anomaly can be explained by several reasons: the lower specific gravity of the rock in the water, the absence of sharp temperature fluctuations under water, as well as the armoring (preventing the collapse of vaults) properties of a multi-meter layer of limestone and dolomite overlying a 20-meter thickness of gypsum and anhydrite, in which both once the underwater galleries of the Horde were formed.

When these galleries reach very large transverse dimensions, collapse of rock blocks from the ceiling can occur in them (especially in the presence of large cracks in the vaults). Over time, in such places, halls are formed that are filled not with water, but with air. The floors of such halls are thick screes of rock fragments; cave voids seem to “float up”. The collapse process can also affect the layers above, in which case failures form on the surface above the cave. Last time such a failure (with a diameter of more than 30 m and a depth of about 20 m) formed in May 2008 over the distant, unexplored part of the Krasnoyarsk passage. The entrance to Ordinskaya itself has a failed origin. Over time, the walls of the holes float, the depth decreases, and they take on the appearance of karst funnels, common in the above-cave landscape.

Ordinskaya is notable not only for the volume of underwater galleries and grottoes; the mineral formations are also very interesting. In the dry part of the cave, on the surface of dolomite rocks exposed in the walls and vaults not high above the lakes, you can see brushes of transparent crystals of gypsum and calcite, and in the rocks themselves - layers of fibrous gypsum (selenite) up to 5 cm thick. In winter, in the Crystal halls closest to the entrance and the Ice Palace, ice formations grow: stalagmites, stalactites, crystals, not inferior in beauty to those for which the Kungur Ice Palace is famous.

But the best minerals can be found underwater. Having dissolved the gypsum, the water “prepared” large crystals of tabular gypsum - “marina glass”, intergrowths of fibrous gypsum needles and other minerals in the vaults of underwater galleries and halls. Not long ago, the mineral howlite, rare in the Urals, was discovered here - a monoclinic natural calcium borosilicate, first described in Canada in 1868.

I. A. Lavrov, “Orda Cave. Cognition"

Life in a cave

The caves - the kingdom 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 Crangonyx Chlebnikovi Borutzky, small amphipods of a milky or off-white color, sometimes with a yellowish tint.

Mature individuals reach 20-25 mm, weight ranges from 25 to 90 mg. Life in underground darkness led them to complete loss of vision. Even the eyes themselves disappeared, and in their place only bright yellow spots remained. Another feature of crangonyxes - white or slightly yellowish color - is associated with the loss of the pigment that gives other amphipods this or that color. In fact, the integument of these crustaceans is transparent, like glass, and the translucent muscle tissue is white.

Judging by the entry in the cord book of the Zoological Museum of Moscow State University, these crustaceans were first discovered by Moscow zoologist E.V. Borutsky on July 26, 1926 in the lakes of an ice cave in the valley of the Mechki River near the village of Urma (Kungursky district of the Perm Territory). He also described them as a new species for science. And the crustaceans received their name in honor of the first guide and keeper of the Kungur Ice Cave, A. T. Khlebnikov.

Khlebnikov's crangonics are very rare. Until now, they were found only in the Orda, Kungur and Suksunsky regions of the Perm Territory. Most likely, they are nowhere else in the whole wide world. That is why Khlebnikov’s Crangonyx is the only invertebrate species listed in the Red Book of the Perm Territory with the status of the first category of rarity.

Where did these crustaceans come from? How did they get into the bowels of the earth? What do they eat there, isolated from green plants by many meters of rock? Science has not yet given exact answers to these questions. Scientists were able to find out that Khlebnikov’s Crangonyx belongs to a very ancient group of crustaceans that lived in surface reservoirs of the Northern Hemisphere back in the days when the entire territory of the Perm Territory was covered with tropical forest.

And then it started getting colder. The lush tropical flora has left the territory of the Perm Territory, and dense deciduous forests have rustled in its place. Millions of years have passed. The ground was getting colder and colder. All northern part The Perm region was covered by a huge glacier. Thousands of years have passed since the glaciers left the territory of the Perm region. For thousands of years, springs and springs have not frozen in winter. But for some reason crangonyxes do not return to the daytime surface, where it is warm and there is so much delicious food.

They have changed too much during the time they spent underground. Too noticeable in their white outfit against the dark background of the bottom. Blind and defenseless, they become easy prey for birds, fish and predatory invertebrates. The caves are now their only defense.

But this defense is also becoming weaker. Khlebnikov's crangonyx is 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 they might seem. Underground reservoirs, including cave lakes, are just as susceptible to pollution as surface ones, and are just as sensitive to events occurring in their catchment area.

But the most dangerous thing for crangonics is tourism. People leave behind materials that are not suitable for caves (or in excessive quantities), which can lead to pollution.

For example, among tourists visiting Kungurskaya Ledyanaya, the tradition of throwing coins into the lake of the Khlebnikov Grotto has long been cultivated. It is here that an increased concentration of heavy metal ions is observed, it is in this place that the minimum number of crangonyxes is recorded, and only here are crustaceans with necrotic spots on the gill leaves found.

History of the study

Caving divers descend into the Main Lake - the main entrance to the underwater part of the Orda Cave.

Active research on Ordinskaya began in the early 1990s. In January 1993, Perm speleologist Andrei Samvolnikov 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 station 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 a school tourist club from Odintsovo, near Moscow, who came to Kungur on vacation, to participate in it. The volumes of the cavities amazed the researchers - the dimensions of the grottoes were comparable to the size large halls Kungur Ice. Deep clear 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 to Perm region(now the Perm Territory), an experienced speleologist-scuba diver from Ryazan, Viktor Komarov, arrived 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 remained in the cylinders, 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 turned out to be frozen for the researchers. The ice was about half a meter thick, and it took a long time to make the lane.

Viktor Komarov recalls:

“The size of the mine allowed us to go through with only one 7-liter cylinder on our side - this is quite enough for an exploratory dive. The surface dive was provided by Igor Lavrov. He issued a wire from the coil (running end). Several stones and boulders were jammed in the underwater passage rushing down. They did not hold on firmly, and they managed to be thrown off. After clearing the passage, I walked out under the ceiling of a wide gallery that led to the right and left. First I decided to scout out the right continuation. After walking along it for about 30 m, I realized that a single-cylinder apparatus was clearly not enough here. A powerful halogen flashlight made it possible to clearly assess the situation. Coming out of the siphon, I decided to dive again and examine the left continuation, but with a two-cylinder apparatus.”

However, in the left gallery, the running end jammed in a crack, and the submariner had to quickly return. 70 m were covered in this direction, and a total of 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 Orda among speleologists and tourists from Kungur and Perm, Andrei Samvolnikov discovered a passage to the farthest grottoes of the dry part of the cave. The first of them was later named in honor of 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 MIPT speleological club "Barrier", led by Pavel Luzan).

In July 1996, a speleo-diver from Krasnoyarsk Pyotr Minenkov, with the support of Ekaterinburg speleologists Andrei Karpov and Sergei Kravtsov, explored the next 250 m of underwater passages. Behind the first siphon, 75 m long, he discovered a large dry grotto with a diameter of 50 and a height of up to 10 m, which was later called the Dry Hall. From that time on, news of an unusually large underwater cave in the Urals began to spread quickly...

In December 1997, the first All-Russian caving expedition started. Teams from Chelyabinsk, Krasnoyarsk and Moscow arrived in Orda. The coordinator and initiator of the expedition was Yuri Bazilevsky (Chelyabinsk), the scientific leader was Igor Lavrov (Kungur).

In December 2012, a diver from Izhevsk, Vladimir Fedorov, set an extreme record in the Ordinskaya cave, swimming through the underwater gallery with one breath hold for 100 meters.

Orda Cave is located on the southwestern outskirts of the village of Orda, Perm Territory, on the left bank of the Kungur River. Consists of a “dry” and underwater part. The length of the dry part is 300 meters, the underwater part is 4600 meters.

Today, the Orda Cave is the longest known flooded gypsum cave in Russia. In addition, part of the cave is the longest “siphon” in the CIS - 935 meters.

Orda Cave has long been known to the local population, is located on the southern slope in the depths of Kazakovskaya Mountain - a hill picturesquely rising above the river with a plateau-like flat top, skirted by the Kungur River. The height of the hill does not exceed 50 m. On its surface there are large karst sinkholes, one of which, located on the southern steep slope, contains the entrance to the cave.

The cave amazes with its beauty: snow-white plaster walls, spacious tunnels, narrow passages and huge halls, tricky labyrinths and absolutely clear water. In winter, the cave is decorated with ice stalactites, stalagmites and crystals that appear in the grottoes.

The beauty of the cave attracts not only Russian divers, but also celebrities from the world of cave divers.

On this moment The cave has not been fully explored: 4.6 km of cave passages have been explored. The Nautilus diving center organizes dives into the Orda Cave even for beginners, providing everything necessary for cave diving.
But only experienced cave divers can appreciate the beauty of the cave. The first grotto of the cave is Crystal. In its northwestern part the waters of Lake Ledyanoe splash.

On the left is the entrance to the other largest grotto - the Ice Palace. Its length is 50 meters with a 15-meter width and 7-meter height. Here is Lake Main and a reservoir called Teploe, the temperature of which never rises above +4 degrees.

The longest underwater gypsum cave in Russia, a real Mecca for speleo diving enthusiasts. 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 (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 Orda.

History of the study

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

The first underwater research was 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 for passage, and there was still air in the cylinders. So we decided to stop by the Orda Cave. There were some surprises. The lake suddenly turned out to be frozen. Making a diving hole in a half-meter layer of ice turned out to be difficult. During the first dive, the first 100 meters of mysterious underwater passages were explored. It became clear that the cave had a long underwater part.

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

The fame of the unusual underwater cave began to spread. Divers flocked here. In December 1997, the first All-Russian caving expedition was organized. As a result, the surveyed length of the cave reached 1250 meters. Subsequently, this figure grew steadily.

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

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

Features of the Orda Cave

The entrance to the cave is located in a karst sinkhole on the steep slope of Kazakovskaya Mountain, from the side of the Kungur River. The descent is equipped with stairs, and lighting is turned on when cave divers are inside. The width of the cave entrance reaches 5 meters, and the height is 2 meters.

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 Ordinskaya cave is in fourth place in the Perm region after Divya (10.1 km), Kizelovskaya (7.6 km) and Kungurskaya Ice Cave (5.7 km). Among the underwater caves in gypsum, it has no equal in Russia.

The dry part of the cave consists of the Crystal, Ice Palace and G.A. grottoes. Maksimovich. Most big grotto– Ice palace, the length of which is 50 meters, width up to 15 meters, height up to 7 meters. In winter, beautiful ice formations appear here. The floor of the cave is covered with boulders that have fallen from the ceiling. Gypsum caves are characterized by a high risk of collapse. You need to be careful. It is especially dangerous in spring.

The cave has several lakes 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 and benches. The water temperature in the cave is always low (+4+5ºС).

Behind the underwater part there is a grotto called the Dry Hall, about 7 meters high. There is an opportunity to go ashore here. From here you can get to the main underwater galleries of the Orda Cave, named after the cities of the explorers. These are the Chelyabinsk, Krasnoyarsk, Moscow, Sverdlovsk passages galleries.

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, there are 17 known caves 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. The Ordinskaya Cave is far from them, but it is unique in its own way.

Visiting the picturesque underwater part of the cave is only possible for experienced divers.

Unfortunately, tragedies also happened here. 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 region.

There are many karst 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 relict island Kungur forest-steppe. 133 species of higher plants have been identified here. Plants included 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 discovered 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 region), founded in 1601.

By car you need to drive along the Ekaterinburg - Perm highway, in the area of ​​​​the village of Goldyrevsky, turn towards Orda. Having reached Horda, you pass through the village and move towards the divers’ base. Leave your car in front of the barrier and walk through the base or around it. They do not charge money for visiting the cave. The map below will help you navigate. The distance from Perm is 115 kilometers, from Yekaterinburg – 270 kilometers.

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

You can also get to Orda 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

Information from the book N.G. Maksimovich, E.G. Maksimovich, I.A. Lavrov was partially used. Orda Cave (Perm, 2006)