The Krasnaya Cave (literally translates as the Red Cave) was declared a geological natural monument of national importance by the decision of the Council of Ministers of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialistic Republic No. 1180-р dated August 7, 1963 in order to preserve the precious karstic speleological complex in its intact natural condition.
The Krasnaya Cave forms a part of the natural reserves of Ukraine, which is protected as a national patrimony and is a part of the worldwide system of specially protected natural territories and objects.
The formation history of the Krasnaya Cave is typical of the development of karst processes in the mountain ranges of the Crimea. This history involves dissolution and washout of limestone done by the underground waters through the paths that were shaped by a variety of geological factors, such as composition of the range, characteristics of the rock components, cleavage that created the favourable conditions for the flow of water in certain direction, terrain, and roughness of the surface of the mountain range. These factors and an entire range of others, secondary, but nevertheless important, determine the manner of drainage and the amount of precipitation. Rain and thaw water contains carbon dioxide. At first it acts like a weak acid, which "corrodes" the limestone, widens and deepens the cracks. Water drops gradually form little flows, and the flows turn into streams. Mechanical destruction adds up to the dissolution. Now nothing can resist the invisible power of water. It deepens the cracks, leaches the limestone and creates majestic halls and vertical mines, underground paths and galleries in the depths of the mountain range.
The Krasnaya Cave (the Kizil-Koba) is the biggest cave of the Crimea and one of the largest karst caverns in the Eastern Europe that occurs on the limestone. It is 21,150 metres (69,390 feet) long, has an area of 64,000 sq. metres (688,900 sq, feet), the volume of 270,000 cubic metres (353,100 cubic yards), and the level difference of 275 metres (902 feet).
The Krasnaya Cave also comprises the Golubinaya Cave (translates as the Dove Cave) and the Gryphon Cave and Source. It is a branched and multileveled system that consists of the lengthy galleries, vertical wells and flooded areas. Some fragments contain areas of up to 6 floors. The length of some halls is 70 to 80 metres (230 to 262.5 feet), the height reaches up to 145 metres (475.7 feet) (the Hall of Blue Drops).
The Cave consists of the main flooded gallery that receives a number of side creeks. The underground river forms lakes that are up to 4 metres (13.12 feet) deep and a number of channels, of which there are six main ones.
The temperature of water is 9.3C to 10.4C (48.7F to 50.7F). The average air temperature of the lower levels is 8.1C to 9.6C (46.6F to 49.3F), and it is 10.9C to 11.8C (51.5F to 53.5F) at the higher levels.
Fluctuations of the air pressure as well as the differences of the air temperature between the surface and the inside of the Cave create an intensive exchange of air (in the closer part of up to 30 times per day) with the maximum speed of the air flow of up to 8.0 metres (26.2 feet) per second (the Shamansky Gorge).
The underground river Su-Uchkhan flows at the bottom of the Cave and is divided by six karst channels. The Cave is adorned with stalactites, stalagmites, fringes, drapery, and corallites. Cave pearls are sometimes seen in the puddles with the crystal clear water.
A sanctuary of the agricultural cult was discovered in the nearest part of the Cave. It is dated from the 7th to 6th century B.C. (the Kizil-Koba culture).
Six species of bats live in the Krasnaya Cave, as well as cave varieties of freshwater shrimps, bugs, spiders and centipedes. Some of the species are endemic.
Aleksandr Griboedov, a famous Russian playwright, visited the Krasnaya Cave in 1824.
The first scientific discoveries of the Krasnaya Cave were made in 1914 by S. I. Zabnin, a local historian from Simferopol and an expert of Crimea antiquities. He performed excavations on a small area in front of the entrance to the Lower Cave. In the upper layer of the ground he found the remaining from fireplaces and various items of the 3rd to 5th centuries, such as ceramic spindles, and pieces of clay pottery. A well-polished hammer made of diorite with a round hole for the handle was also found there.
In 1921, archaeologists N. L. Ernst and G. A. Bonch-Osmolovsky had again researched the Cave and the natural boundaries. They found a large number of ceramic materials dated from the 7th to 6th centuries B.C., bronze arrow heads, rings, bracelets, and necklaces. One of the found vessels had a rich ornament with solar disk and spreading rays, zigzag lines (thunder) and points (raindrops).
At that time a human dwelling was excavated at the tuffaceous meadow. People inhabited the ravine about 2,500 years ago. This was a small mud hut, half hidden in the ground, with the low sleeping ledge and side niches. Later the archaeologists found traces of two more huts. As the result of the excavation it was concluded that on the meadow there was small settlement of unknown culture, the Kizil-Koba culture named after the Cave and the ravine. The Cave served as a patrimony sanctuary, used for the sacrifices of domestic and wide animals. The bones of the sacrificed animals, ceramics and flint weapons were found not only in the first hall of the Vave, but on the third, fourth and fifth floors as well. During the 3rd to 4th centuries people kept wine in the Cave, and there was a Scythian manor on the meadow.
In 1958, there was a karst expedition that went beyond the first channel of the Cave, discovered by Mikhail Efimov, and created the topographical map of the Cave. Victor Nikolaevich Dublyansky contributed greatly to the discovery of the Cave.
Since 1989, the Cave has had a tourist path that is 500 metres (1,640.4 feet) long.
Serebryanye Strui Waterfall (literally translates as Silver Strings Waterfall) is situated on the Sary-Uzen River (translates as the Yellow River from the Turkic language), about 3 km (1.86 miles) away from the Grand Canyon of the Crimea, in the age-old beech forest. The Waterfall is known for its low-key beauty.
Thin water streamlets fall down ...
An underground river flows from the Krasnaya Cave (literally translates as the Red Cave) and falls down from the cliff of the tuff platform as Su-Uchkhan Waterfall.
The river itself has created this grand cliff. For long time it has brought out of the depths of the Dolgorukovsky massif diluted lime and deposited it in the form of calcareous sint...
The town of Novyi Svet is situated in an old surviving grove on the shore of Green Bay which is one of the three "coloured" bays of Novyi Svet: Dark Blue Bay and Blue Bay are to be found further west.
The town is surrounded by picturesque mountaintops that also protect it from cold winds on three sides.
From the west, Mount Koba-Kaya encloses...
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