Odessa catacombs – phenomenon fanned by a variety of mysteries and legends. It tunnels of different origin and destination. Most of the Odessa catacombs constitute ancient quarry-mine (~ 95%) of which are quarried stone for the construction of the city. Odessa catacombs also include drainage tunnels, “Mines” – the old cellars for various purposes, military bunkers, all sorts of mysterious underground tunnels and real natural caves. To understand the intertwining of subterranean cavities of various origins, it is difficult at times even to the inhabitants of Odessa. Dungeons stored in itself interesting traces of bygone eras of the city. The very presence in the catacombs shall not forgotten impressions.
When they began to build Odessa, more than 200 years ago, but then began to grow and quarries maze. This stone – Pontian limestone-shell rock was the only and the best building material for our city, in the old days. Yes, and it remains so today. Stone extraction was conducted almost uncontrolled, leading to huge confusion of underground passages. So lost in the Odessa catacombs is really easy and simple.
The total length of Odessa catacombs is estimated underground specialist geologist Konstantin Pronin is 2500 kilometers. The length of this close to the real, but not confirmed by the cartographic material. Research on Mapping Odessa catacombs are maintained to the present day.
On the walls of the caves are quite common drawings and inscriptions left by former residents of Odessa. Ships, locomotives, airships, the temples, the people who lived previously, household figures, all preserved in the most diverse areas of the catacombs and to this day. Generates a specificity of drawings left in the period of the Second World War.
Caves – a unique formation of primordial nature. Odessa caves – the most ancient cave city. Their age – about 4 million years. This karst caves, they were formed by the dissolution of limestone by groundwater along the Pontian existed even earlier cracks. In Odessa, it counted about 70 natural caves with a total length of 9 km. Dimensions Odessa small caves for a comfortable stay of the person: the width of 0,5-2,5 m and a height of 0.5-3.5 m can see the cave of the quarry, which sometimes cut through the (opened), these natural formations.. Some of the caves of Odessa, such as Cave Sanctuary, unique in the world.
Once in the underground labyrinth, a person plunges into the unusual natural conditions, a different world, where there is complete darkness and silence pitch. In conjunction with the opening unexplored and by contact with the traces of the past, a person receives unforgettable impressions.
BTW: In the catacombs reigns all year round constant temperature of 12 + 14˚S, therefore, to visit caves in the summer need comfortable (indoor) shoes and warm outerwear.