Mlynki Cave

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Mlynki Caveis located near the village of Mlynki (8 km south-southeast of the town of Chortkov - Ternopil region, Ukraine). It was formed in Neogene gypsums, which are overlain by chemogenic limestones of the same age. The length of Mlynki Cave is 14,120 m. Two side-by-side entrances to the cave open among the limestone outcrops crowning the hilltop and lead to the large Vestibule Grotto.

From here, a system of narrow passages leads to the eastern part of the cave, characterized by large grottoes and wide galleries, as well as to the western part, the narrow passages of which are richly decorated with fanciful stone flowers and multicolored deposits of secondary gypsum.

The largest grotto, the Big Grotto, which is 130 meters long and 7-8 meters high, is located in the eastern part of the cave. It is covered with fantastically piled blocks of gypsum. The Silver Ringing Grotto is interesting, its ceiling is composed of carbonate rocks.

The cave passages are partially filled with loess-like loam with small fragments of secondary gypsum and pieces of limestone. The cave is dry. The humidity is 88-100% and the temperature is 9-10°. Recently in the North Crimean speleological province, on the southern coast of the Tarkhankutsk peninsula, near the Otlesh Bay, 12 karst caves up to 100 m long have been investigated.

They were formed in Sarmatian limestones at approximately sea level (between 2 and 10 m). Water-mechanical and water-chemogenic formations were found in the caves. Some caves are completely or partially flooded by sea water.