On the territory of the Leningrad region is locatedan amazing monument of nature - Sablinsky caves. The village of Sablino (now Ulyanovka) is located in Tosnensky district, forty kilometers from St. Petersburg. Here on an area of two hundred and twenty hectares there are ancient canyons of the Tosna and Sablinka rivers, rocks of Ordovician and Cambrian rocks, two waterfalls, and ancient burial mounds.
In the past, Sablin caves were mines.In the nineteenth century, quartz sand was mined here. It was used in cooking the imperial crystal. Over the years, a huge amount of rocks has gotten out of the ground, and thanks to this a complex underground labyrinth has appeared. Then the nature continued to finish the cave - there were lakes and rivers, stalactites appeared on the ceilings. In 1976, this territory was recognized as a natural monument.
Sablinsky caves: how to get there
If you want to see this unique place, thenYou can come here by car. You leave on Moskovskoe highway and drive along it to the sign "Ulyanovka", then follow the signs "Sablinsky natural monument".
There is another way to visit Sablinskiecaves. How to get to them by train? At the Moscow railway station, take the train to Sablino station. From here go the minibus and buses to Sablinsky caves.
Features and uniqueness
Прежде всего необходимо сказать о необычном relief of this locality. Here, on a flat terrain, along with two waterfalls and caves, two canyons of the Sablinka and Tosna rivers were formed. As a rule, this occurs only in mountainous areas.
Scientists and researchers have registered here.fourteen caves - eleven in the canyon of Tosna and three in the valley of Sablinka. In the latter case, there are underground tunnels ranging in length from ten to fifteen meters. They are very narrow and partially collapsed. They are called fox holes.
On the banks of the river Tosna, in the area of the Grafsky bridge,there are two caves. Left Bank has a maze length of more than five and a half kilometers, and Pearl - more than three and a half kilometers. In the caves there are three underground lakes with a depth of three meters. The walls of the caves are covered with red sandstone, and the arches are covered with glauconite limestone.
Cave Left Bank
The most interesting not only for tourists, but also forscientists and researchers is a cave, which until recently had a very unattractive name - Garbage. So it was called because of the banal landfill, built above it and along it. Time passed, all the garbage was removed, the vaults of the cave were strengthened - and the former mine, and now the cave, was called Left Bank.
Its length is more than 300 meters.Today, accompanied by an experienced guide, we conduct an excursion to the Sablinsky caves, and in particular to the Left Bank. Here you will see large and beautiful halls with original names: Dome or Star, Little Red Riding Hood, Hall of the Underground King, Big Cosmic, Column and Jubilee.
You can see deposits of the Ordovician and Cambrian seas. You must demonstrate Cat Laz. Climbing through it can only be lying, with the hands must be kept along the body.
The air temperature in the cave all year round.is plus eight degrees. In it live bat flocks. If you visit the cave in winter, you will see them sleeping. Butterflies sleep on white stones in the winter.
Excursion to the Sablinsky caves passes bymultiple routes. The most popular of them is the bus ride to the two waterfalls, the canyon of the river Tosna and a visit to the Left Bank cave. The route takes two and a half hours, of which forty-five minutes tourists spend in a cave. Excursion programs have different themes and are created not only for adult visitors, but also for schoolchildren. They will be useful in the study of natural history and geography.
Thousands of tourists who visited Sablinsky caves, reviews leave enthusiastic. Tours are informative, let you feel like a real caver.
Legends and Myths
For years, the inhabitants of Sablino tellthe legend of the White Speleologist. As they say, once a cave explorer died here, and his spirit settled in this place to forever protect the beauty of the underworld. According to the legend, he is very kind to disciplined cave visitors, and if they break stalactites, throw garbage, wake up bats, etc., he can severely punish violators - cause a landslide, lead into a closed maze.
Sablinsky caves keep another secret.There is a legend that at the very beginning of the twentieth century V. Lenin was hiding from the police in these caves. He was accompanied by a man who knew the secret passages, and he helped Vladimir Ilyich to get out through the far exit. This course tried to find many cavers, but to no avail.
Dissidents underground
С 1982 по 1984 год Саблинские пещеры «приютили» в their labyrinths about three hundred people, united in groups and teams. Some of them obeyed strict military discipline, others walked on their own, not adjoining any groups. They thought it was the abode of freedom. Having played enough, the participants of this strange action scattered into their homes.
Interest of scientists
В ближайшее время Саблинские пещеры станут a place where a unique scientific experiment will be conducted. One of the underground galleries will be completely isolated from the outside world. Scientists want to observe the natural course of natural processes that take place underground. Many will ask: "Why will the experiment be conducted exactly in the Sablinsk caves?"
It's all about the special microclimate.As you already know, the temperature here is stable throughout the year - eight degrees Celsius. In the caves such an atmospheric regime that the tree, set here by the past New Year, remained intact for almost twelve months.
Waterfalls
Sablinsky caves, waterfalls attract to the villagea large number of tourists. And this is not only our compatriots, but also foreign guests. The waterfalls formed on the flat terrain are an amazing joke of nature. True, their height is not great, but it is not so important.
The Tosna River is older than the Neva.It appeared seven or eight thousand years ago. Its ancient course can be traced under the waters of the Gulf of Finland. In 1884, the construction of a thirty-kilometer canal began (it was completed in nineteen ninth year). It ran from Kronstadt to the mouth of the Neva. The channel is designed for the passage of deep-seated sea ships. It exists and is successfully operated today.
Tosno Falls is the widest inEurope. Its width reaches thirty meters, and its height varies in different years from two to three and a half meters. In the canyon of Tosna, between the terraces located at different levels, flows a lot of small streams flowing down on limestone slabs.
Sablinsky waterfall is slightly lower.Its height does not exceed two and a half meters. From the canyon in front of you a stunning view of the rushing water streams opens. As a rule, visiting this place ends all excursions.
Sablinsky caves and waterfalls - this is a unique natural complex, which must be seen by everyone who comes to St. Petersburg.
Tips for tourists
Excursion to Sablinsky caves suggestsavailability of special equipment (helmets, lights, etc.). They are given by the instructor, and the tourists themselves should take care of closed and waterproof shoes with a stable sole, which would not slip over the stones. Clothing should be light but warm.
Listen carefully before the excursion of the instructor and carefully follow the safety instructions that he voices to you.
A lot of bats live in the caves. These are protected animals. If you get on a tour in the winter, then remember that they can not be blinded with the light of a flashlight, touch them, wake them up.
It is not worth the risk and fall under the ground to children under five years old, the elderly, as well as all those who suffer from hypertension, claustrophobia, heart disease and blood vessels.
Remember that mobile caves are completelymissing. Therefore, keep up with your group - in the caves it is easy enough to get lost. There are cases when people wandered through the mazes for several days, until they were found by rescuers.
Conclusion
Today you know what it is - Sablinskiecaves. How to get to them, we told, so do not waste time, come to see this unique natural monument. The trip will not disappoint you, and you will be satisfied with the opportunity to admire the beauty of the underworld. Sablinsky caves and waterfalls will not leave anyone indifferent.
