KAPOVA CAVE
KAPOVA CAVE, Shulgan‑Tash, in the territory of Shulgan-Tash Reserve, the largest in the South Urals, on the right slope of the Belaya River valley. It has a 3‑tier system of inclined and horizontal galleries, corridors. Length 2,885 m, aver. width 7 m, aver. height — 7.6 m, depth — 82 m, area — 21,929 m2, volume — 155,696 m3. The Main Gallery runs from the entrance of the Portal to the middle tier, there is Pigeon Grotto in the west. wall, in the east part there is Krugloye Lake, in the west part there is Goluboye Lake. The gallery connects the Stalagmite Hall, the Dome Hall, the Hall of Signs, the Hall of Chaos. The floor is clay. The opening in the west wall of the Stalagmite Hall leads to the top tier. At the end of the Gallery there is the Vestibule Hall, from which rises a corridor, ending with a wall. In the wall of the Vestibule Hall there is a passage, leading to the Hall of Drawings. The 3rd tier begins with the opening in the wall of the Hall of Drawings. The Gallery passes into the Acoustic, Oval, Temple, and Upper halls. The latter runs to the Diamond Hall, the manways which lead to the Lake passageway and to the halls of the New Division (Rainbow, Hermit, Stalactite and Crystal). The Shulgan River flows on the lower tier. The temperature in the cave is 6—7°C. In the Stone Age the K.C. was used as a natural shelter and sanctuary, rock images were found in the halls of Drawings and Signs. K.C. is a tourist site.
