Pinega Also fascinating are the so-called logs (broad gullies), which are in fact so deep that they look more like canyons. In an otherwise plain landscape it is Nature Reserve amazing to see the kind of relief that can normally be seen only in the mountains. The local water flows are also unpredictable; springing up suddenly from The history of the exploration of the northern regions of European Russia underground here, or disappearing again there, governed by unseen subterranean is an eventful one. The names of many of the pioneers appear frequently on maps formations. of this region. The abundance of wildlife lured Russia's enterprising free-spirits, to Of course, the most beautiful things are underground. There are about 75 say nothing about the rich supplies of fish enticing them to find seas in the North. caves within the territory of the nature reserve and surrounding area, 37 of them However material gain is not and perhaps never was the only motive. Strange being 100 m or more long, and 10 of them are over a kilometre in length. The though it may seem, the severe beauty of the northern lands is a powerful largest caves are Konstitutsionnaya (6.7 km) and Kumichovskaya (4.5 km). attraction, especially for those who love travelling. However, they are closed to tourists for the time being. But as the peculiarities of European Russia's northern regions, unlike those in Siberia, have been the place are becoming more and more popular with those interested in relatively well studied and have become civilized, to an extent. The existence of a underground sights, they have opened caves for tourists in some areas adjoining railway network is an indication of this fact. But as soon as you leave the local the reserve. Many groups are brought to see the best-known of these caves, main lines, you very soon find yourself in typical rural Russia, with very bad Golubinsky Gap (800 m). Some might argue that it is time to fit the caves with roads, half-abandoned villages, impassable swamps and forests. The traveller then lights and other facilities to make them more attractive for tourists. However the has a chance to find out about old Russian ways of life, plunge into the world of peculiar nature of the area causes difficulties; you would have to redo the job every primordial forests or even make their own discoveries. year. The spring floods are very strong in the area and they often completely fill Our story is about the Pinega Nature Reserve, situated in Arkhangelsk the caves, washing away everything in their way. Those working at the reserve say Region, on the right bank of the Pinega River, a tributary of the Northern Dvina that sometimes it is impossible to even get close to them. So the spring is a closed River, in whose estuary lies the city of Arkhangelsk. season for tourists. Early summer is also not very good time, as anything of Tens of thousands years ago, not all that long ago geologically speaking, interest will have been washed away and there is often a lot of dirty clay around, there were a number of small shifts in the Earth's crust which changed the local which will later dry out. This also explains why there are virtually no stalactites or layout. As a result, a small upland appeared in the landscape, which is nowadays stalagmites in the caves. However, compensation for this deficit comes in the early known as the White Sea-Kuloy Plateau. The nature reserve was created due to the autumn when, in the place of rock sculptures, appear ice ones. Sparkling in the unusual geographical landscape of the plateau, though of course the taiga's rich torchlight with all the colours of the spectrum, they create an unforgettable flora and fauna, with their lists of ancient plant life as well as endangered species, impression. By March there will be whole curtains of ice stalactites and were also an important consideration. stalagmites, covering the walls and roof of the caves. The best time to feast your Established in 1974 with an area of over 500 square kilometres, the eyes on these natural masterpieces is in the winter and early spring. reserve is surrounded by a protected area to safeguard it as much as possible The Pinega caves have not yet been studied in sufficient detail. In the past against any human intrusion. No one lives permanently in the reserve, but there is speleological research (the scientific study of caves) was supported by state funds. the settlement of Pinega nearby. Incidentally, the settlement itself is a place of Nowadays there is no such support. Nevertheless, devotees keep on working and interest for historians. Its inhabitants are proud of the fact that it was first researching, reporting their discoveries of new caves every year. mentioned in the chronicles 10 years earlier than Moscow. However, some pages in the history of research are tragic ones. So, what is so unusual about the plateau within the reserve? it is built on a Occasionally the caves make people pay dearly. It was during an expedition to foundation of limestone and gypsum, both easily dissolved in water. As a result, Pinega Reserve that Vladimir Kiselyov, one of the most renowned and experienced the landscape of the plateau constantly changes. Rain and flood waters have and champions of speleological research in Russia and indeed the world, once failed to continue to create and recreate a large number of under- and over-ground karst resurface from a flooded cave into which he had plunged with an aqualung. While phenomena, such as gullies and caves. The frequency at which they appear and the accident may have made his colleagues think more carefully about safety change is unprecedented. Nothing of its kind can be found even in warmer measures, but has not stopped the bold-spirited from continuing their search for latitudes, to say nothing about the permafrost latitudes with their short summer. It new discoveries. can be explained by the specific physical and chemical features of the local kinds of limestone and gypsum. In some places the surface is so covered with dense By Srgey Karpukhin networks of sinks, and also thick taiga forest, that it is hardly passable on foot. It is (“Moscow today & tomorrow”. November / 2002) easy to lose one's way in all that mess.