Ozerna

The object is a geological natural landmark of national significance in Ukraine. It is embedded in a layer of sedimentary rocks dating back to the Neogene period. The thickness of gypsum "slabs" reaches 25 meters, which are overlapped by limestone rocks. The upper and middle parts of the cave consist of anhydrites and gypsum, painted in brown, white, gray and beige shades. The place amazes not only with the length of underground passages, their size, but also with the wonderful beauty of galleries with underground lakes.

Description of the Cave "Ozerna"

The dungeon was first discovered in 1940. It got its name from the huge number of underground lakes inside the cave. There are more than 20 small reservoirs in total. That is why the second name of the location is Blue Lakes. It must be said that the distance to the entrance of the neighboring cave is only a few kilometers. Some speleologists suggest that in fact this is the only creation, but no facts have yet been found to confirm the version.

Video from Cave «Ozerna» (Blue Lakes)

History of discovery

For the first time the cave was discovered by local residents, and it happened in the last century. According to one version, it was noticed in 1942 by a peasant named Petro Dychka from a neighboring settlement. The entrance to the dungeon was located at the very bottom of a funnel-shaped recess, which was located on the territory belonging to a local clergyman. Apparently, this is why the area is called the "Popova Yama". At that time, no one attached significant importance to this small discovery.

It has been established that since the spring of 1943, Jews who were hiding from Nazi oppression lived in the dungeon. The Cave "Ozerna" was used as a shelter for a year. Since the end of 1946, it has been occupied by Ukrainian nationalists (Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists-Ukrainian Insurgent Army), who conducted their underground activities in favor of their country. Research work began only in 1963. A huge contribution to the study of the cave was made by representatives of the Ternopil speleoclub called "Podillia".

Morphometric indicators

The total length of the studied underground passages is more than 130 kilometers. The entrance to the dungeon is located at a distance of 1000 meters from the south-western part of the Strilkivtsi village. Actually, the cave is located at the bottom of a huge funnel-shaped karst formation, the depth of which reaches 18 meters. It is interesting that at a depth of 30 meters, a very tight passage with a silt underside begins. The path to the nearest labyrinths leads to a tunnel with low arches, which can be overcome by crawling.

The first Entrance hall along the route impresses with a 100-meter gallery, the width of which reaches 15 meters, the height is 4 meters. Traveling through the dungeon, one can find several lakes of amazing beauty. In addition, there are many landslide areas in the cave.

Often, it is easy to detect an accumulation of secondary gypsum on the walls of tunnels, which begins to shine with amazing colors in the light of flashlight beams.

Cave Gallery

Conventionally, the dungeon consists of several areas. The nearby passage is specially equipped for excursions and movement of tourist groups. The remote area is usually visited by experienced speleologists, considering the complexity of its passage and the danger of rock slides. The «Zhovtneva» location is in a certain sense intermediate and the most popular, because in it you can find a lot of amazing beauty of secondary gypsum formations or crystals.

Each hall has a characteristic name, which appeared as a result of the imagination of its visitors. This is a Mansard, and an Alligator, and a Winter fairy tale, and a Minotaur, and the Sun and a number of others. Among the most interesting galleries are Rubicon, Neptune, Velet and the Milky Way. It is definitely worth visiting the cave in the area of silver needles and the Lost World. Among the most interesting lakes we note Captain Nemo and Unexpected (nezhdane). Please note that galleries and passages are periodically flooded and it is possible to travel by them in special clothes or on inflatable boats.

Interesting facts

Ukrainian speleologists found a large number of bones of ancient animals in the cave. According to the found remains of the cave bear, it was established that they lived in this area about 25 - 100 thousand years ago. The discovered artifacts are regularly transferred for examination to specialized centers, including abroad. The version also exists that representatives of the Tripoli culture lived here before. It is important to say that given the complexity and duration of the moves in the cave, it is very easy to get lost, so it is recommended to visit it with an experienced guide.

Visit conditions

It is possible to visit the excursion in the Cave «Ozerna» only as part of a speleological group. The entrance to the dungeon is locked for casual visitors, for safety reasons. It is better to take warm clothes, comfortable waterproof shoes and a headlamp with you on a hike. Regarding the time of the visit, it is necessary to agree in advance with the head of the excursion or speleological group.

Location

The Cave «Ozerna» is located near the settlement of Strilkivtsi, which is located in the Borshchivskyi district of the Ternopil region. You can drive up to the cave by public transport, for which you should first choose a route to Ternopil, and then take a suburban bus to the village.