Shemakha cave

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The largest cave in the Middle Urals, Shemakha Cave, is located on the right bank of the Shemakha River (a tributary of the Ufa River), near the village of Skaz.

It was formed on the slope of the Bardymsky Ridge in massive reef limestones of Devonian age. The entrance to the Shemakha cave is located at a height of 3 m above the water's edge and is a vertical crack up to 1.5 m wide. The cave is characterized by a complex structure. Its total length is 1660 m.

In spring the cave is filled with water, and from the end of April to mid-June a rapid stream bursts out of it, the flow rate of which reaches 4000 l/sec. In the second half of summer and winter, the cave contains water only in small streams and lakes up to 5-6 m deep.

The air temperature in the middle and far parts of the cave is about 4.5°. In winter, various ice formations are formed in the near part of the Shemakha cave.

Cylindrical stalagmites, elongated stalactites and thin transparent curtains are very beautiful.