Kapova Cave in the Shulgan-Tash reserve

Kapova Cave in the Shulgan-Tash Nature Reserve is a unique monument of the Upper Paleolithic era. Kapova Cave is often called by the name of the reserve: "Shulgan-Tash Cave". It is a karst cave in Sarykuskan Mountain on the banks of the Belaya River. 

The Bashkir word Shulgan-Tash means "Lost under a stone". We are talking about the Shulgan River, which flows through the territory of the reserve, but 2.5 kilometers from the Kapova Cave it disappears under a stone, and then flows into karst cavities. Near the entrance to the Kapova Cave, it appears again from under the ground and then flows into the Belaya River. 

Most of the karst caves are located below ground level. In the cavities of these caves, you need to go down stairs. A special microclimate is formed there, stalactites and stalagmites appear. There is no such microclimate in the Kapova Cave, since it is located above ground level. The entrance to Kapova Cave in the Shulgan-Tash Nature Reserve is a giant arch 20 meters high and 40 meters wide. 

Blue lake at Kapova Cave 

To the left of the Cave entrance, under the arch of a stone arch, there is a Blue Lake. This is the Shulgan River, which comes to the surface from karst cavities. The Blue Lake is small in size, but its depth exceeds 80 meters. Speleologists were able to dive 80 meters, but the real depth is unknown. The water of the Blue Lake looks transparent, but due to the large amount of mineral impurities, it cannot be drunk. Locals call the water of the Blue Lake "alive water". 

To the right of the entrance is another small pond where there is no running water. Its dimensions do not exceed 3x3 meters. However, despite its small size, the depth of this reservoir exceeds 40 meters. This is also a karst cavity filled with water. This water is called "dead water".  

Rock paintings in the Kapova cave 

The length of the Kapova Cave reaches 3 kilometers. Its halls and grottoes are located on three floors. The first studies of the cave were made by geographer Pyotr Rychkov in 1760. He described Kapova Cave in sufficient detail in his essays. However, the real sensation in archaeology was the discovery that zoologist Alexander Ryumin made in 1959. In one of the halls of the cave, he found drawings of mammoths and other prehistoric animals that were painted on the walls of the cave with red ochre. In total, 195 drawings made by ancient people were found in the Kapova Cave. 

Radiocarbon analysis has shown that the rock carvings made by ancient people belong to the Upper Paleolithic era. This period began 40 thousand years ago, and ended 10 thousand years ago At that time there was the last Ice Age (25-17 thousand years ago). The oldest drawings in the Kapova Cave were made about 18 thousand years ago. The last drawings were made about 14 thousand years ago. 

The most famous caves with rock paintings in red ochre are Altamira Caves (Spain) and Lascaux Cave (France).  Previously, scientists believed that ochre drawings dating back to the Paleolithic era are only in Western Europe. The discovery in 1959 of similar drawings in the center of Eurasia proves the spread of a developed culture of the Paleolithic era throughout the continent. 
Kapova cave in Bashkiria has received the same fame in scientific circles, although its popularity among tourists is much lower. Kapova Cave is located in a remote location, and the tourist infrastructure is just beginning to be created here. There are guest houses at the entrance to the Shulgan-Tash Nature Reserve, but there are not many of them.  

The Hall of Drawings, on the walls of where is a rock painting of the Paleolithic era, is closed to the public in 2018. Tourist visits changed the microclimate of the cave and the colors began to fade. Scientists decided to hermetically close the hall with the original rock paintings, and to recreate their exact copies for tourists in the lower Hall of the Stalactites. Only a small part of the Kapova Cave is open to the public, but even it is of great interest.  

Halls of the Kapova Cave Cave 

The halls of the Kapova Cave (Shulgan-Tash) are located on three floors, and all of them are above ground level. Entering the cave through a giant entrance Portal (height 20 m, width 40 m), visitors see the Hall of Stalagmites. Once there were large stalagmites, but, unfortunately, due to uncontrolled visits to the Kapova Cave in the past, they were destroyed by vandals.  

In the Stalagmite Hall, you can see several copies of rock paintings from the Hall of Drawings, which is closed to the public. From the Stalagmite Hall, a staircase ascends to the Domed Hall. Then you can go from it to the Hall of Signs. The farthest on the lower level is the Hall of Chaos. There is huge stone rubble. Most of the copies of the rocks drawings visitors can see near the exit of the Kapova cave. 

These three halls make up the first floor of the Kapova Cave. Traces of coal were found in it, which indicates that this floor was residential. It was inhabited by ancient people of the Paleolithic era (40-10 thousand years ago). In one of these halls, the first researcher of the cave, Pyotr Rychkov, found the skull of a woman. Later, her appearance was restored and now the bust of this woman can be seen in the Kapova Cave Museum. In addition to the skull, numerous remnants of ancient people`s vital activity were also found on the first floor of the Kapova Cave. Many stone tools, tools made of animal bones have been found here. 

Near the Stalagmite Hall there is a passage to the second floor of the Kapova Cave. There is a very dry microclimate. Ancient people did not live at this level, as no traces of their vital activity have been found here. Scientists suggest that people came here to perform rituals. On the walls of this level there are drawings in red ochre made about 18-14 thousand years ago. Scientists called this hall of the Kapova Cave the Hall of Drawings. From the Hall of Drawings, you can go to the Upper Hall, and then to the Rainbow Hall.  

From the Rainbow Hall there are passages to other levels of the cave. In particular, the Abyss Hall is located here. It is a huge karst cavity that descends several hundred meters to the underground bed of the Shulgan River. Only cavers can enter these halls.