The Vorontsovskaya Cave System (Воронцовская система пещер) is a long chain of caves in the Khosta and Adler districts of Sochi, Russia. It is part of a range of Mesozoic limestones that runs parallel to the Black Sea coast for 400 km.
| Vorontsovskaya Cave System | |
|---|---|
| Воронцовская система пещер | |
 One of the entrances to the Vorontsovskaya cave | |
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| Location | Khosta and Adler, Sochi, Russia |
| Coordinates | 43°31′11″N 39°58′39″E / 43.5197°N 39.977397°E |
| Length | 120 m |
| Geology | Mesozoic limestone, corrosion-erosion |
The Vorontsovskaya Cave (Воронцовская пещера) was the first cave to be surveyed. It may be accessed through a dozen entrances dotting the slopes of the Kudepsta River valley, at heights ranging from 419 to 720 meters above sea level. The Prometheus Grotto, with a length of over 120 meters, is developed as a tourist destination. The cave takes its name from the nearest settlement, Vorontsovka. It is known to contain bones of cave bears and early humans.[1]
In the late 20th century, it was discovered that the Vorontsovskaya Cave is connected to the Labyrinth Cave, the Kabany Proval, and the Dolgaya Cave by a network of sumps, or siphons. Some cave chambers lie 240 meters higher than the others. This cave system has been mapped to about 12 kilometers.[2] It is ranked as the longest in Krasnodar Krai and the 6th longest in the Russian Federation.[3]
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