Secrets of the Cinderella Cave (Ukraine)

Cinderella cave is a gypsum cave in the Chernivtsi region of Ukraine. Its length is about 90 km and consists of several levels (not entirely surveyed).

Cinderella cave is ranked third among the gypsum caves and eighth among the largest caves in the world.

Entrance to the cave is located on the territory of Moldova, while the bulk of it is located in Ukraine. The cave was discovered in 1959 after an explosion in the gypsum quarry near the village of Kriva.

Currently existing entrance to the cave is located on the southwestern outskirts of the village Podvirnoe Novoselytsia area on the Ukrainian side.

Name of the cave is due to the fact that in 1977, when the Chernivtsi miners in one of the quarries of Bukovina found a small cave - the cave entrance was dirty and unattractive, at first stroke it did not cause any enthusiasm among researchers, and thus the cave was named "Cinderella."

The cave has flooded areas (mainly northern and eastern parts of the cave). Until the mid-twentieth century it was filled with water. When the career development of deposits of gypsum continued water was pumped out.

Once the underground cavities were freed from the water, then came miners to investigate.

They found these huge rooms, "Hall of Cinderella," "Hall of columns", "Dacia Hall", "Hundred-meter Hall," and numerous art galleries that make up these underground labyrinths, which are very easy to get lost in and very difficult to find the only way out.

"Cinderella Cave" have given the geologists a puzzle. Here were discovered mineral deposits of bornesit. So far it is only at the bottom of the ocean basins many kilometers deep down.

In the cave there are two well depth galleries of 15-20 m, as some galleries are constantly flooded with abundant groundwater, they join together on the different levels.

Here were found some 20 underground lakes, "Blue Lake", "Dinosaur Lake", "Nautilus Lake" and others, whose waters, according to hydrochemical analysis, are rich in minerals, and therefore may have a salutary effect on the human body.

Space cave is large corridors and halls with the width of 3-5 m and height 6.2 meters. Here you can find few particularly large halls, for example, the size of the Ancient Hall is 100 m in length and with the width of 20 m, and the hall of the Chernivtsi miners with the length of 170 m, and an average width of 30 m (maximum 65 m). Height of Dinosaurs hall is 12-15 m.

The air in the cave of "Cinderella cave" is low on O2 and high CO2. In nature, this air is extremely rare. Where did it come from to the "Cinderella Hall" - so far nobody can explain.

Another unexplained feature is that all the underground halls and galleries are abundantly covered with soft clay of different colors: green, blue, red, black, white, etc. On some tracks from the underground, amateur cavers produced extraordinary clay figures, which serve as pointers and unique ways the most interesting to visit the halls and galleries.

The cave has rich interior, which has no analogues in Europe. It attracts tourists from all over the world. Visiting the cave is possible only in small groups with an experienced guide-caver. Each marcher must be provided with speleological equipment. Underground tracks are not certified yet.

translated from: 100travels.com.ua