Atlantida (
Ukrainian: Атланти́да) is a
karst cave in
Ukraine, most famous for its unusual geology, rare formations, and pristine condition. It is located at the bank of the river
Zbruch in
Kamianets-Podilskyi Raion of
Khmelnytskyi Oblast
Khmelnytskyi Oblast ( uk, Хмельни́цька о́бласть, translit=Khmelnytska oblast; also referred to as Khmelnychchyna — uk, Хмельни́ччина) is an oblast (province) of western Ukraine covering portions of the histo ...
, close to
Zavallya village. The cave is 2525 m long and 18 m deep, with 4440 m² area. Subordinated to the Tourism and Excursions Council of Khmelnytskyi Oblast, the cave is a part of the
Podilski Tovtry National Nature Park
Podilski Tovtry National Nature Park ( uk, Націона́льний приро́дний парк «Поді́льські То́втри») is a national park, located in Khmelnytskyi and Kamianets-Podilskyi Raions (districts) of Khmelnytskyi O ...
.
Atlantida is the only cave with horizontal three-level structure within Ukraine. This structure bases on a system of wide and high galleries of the lower level, formed by powerful localized underground flows. On the same level in the
gypsum stratum
In geology and related fields, a stratum ( : strata) is a layer of rock or sediment characterized by certain lithologic properties or attributes that distinguish it from adjacent layers from which it is separated by visible surfaces known as ei ...
lies a labyrinth of downgoing passages called "cellars" (as many of them are deadlock). The second level extends about 9 m above and consists of narrowed to 1-1.5 m cavities. The upper level, which contains two 5 m high passages, is located just at the top of gypsum
bed. There are also a number of halls up to 12 m high at the crossings of galleries. The largest are Dynamo, the Hall of the Conquerors of the caves, the Hall of Kyiv speleologists.
The morphology of galleries and halls of Atlantida is not much affected by process of destruction. The gypsum
speleothems like
stalactites
A stalactite (, ; from the Greek 'stalaktos' ('dripping') via
''stalassein'' ('to drip') is a mineral formation that hangs from the ceiling of caves, hot springs, or man-made structures such as bridges and mines. Any material that is soluble an ...
,
stalagmites and
straws of different colorations create a spectacular sculptural shape of the cave's ceiling and walls. The great variety of crystals from miniature
needles to 1.5 m long units makes the cave a unique mineralogical museum. The cave is inhabited by rare species of bats.
History
In 1950s, in Zavallya was set a quarry for gypsum mining. However, it did not work for long because of numerous holes in rock, which made the business unprofitable. The holes attracted young speleologists from Kyiv under the guidance of Valery Rogozhnikov who discovered Atlantida cave in 1969. One of the largest halls in cave is devoted to them – "The Hall of Kyiv speleologists". The cave has become a natural geological monument of national importance since 1975.
Visiting
Now there are provided
caving tours to Atlantida under control of the Khmelnytskyi Speleo Club "Atlantida" based in Zavallya.
References
{{Authority control
Karst caves
Geography of Khmelnytskyi Oblast
Gypsum caves
Caves of Ukraine