Orda Cave

Orda Cave (Ординская, Ordinskaya) is a gypsum crystal cave found underneath the western Ural Mountains. The mouth is near the shore of the Kungur River just outside Orda, Perm Krai in Russia. The cave system stretches over 5.1 kilometres (3.2 mi) with around 4.8 kilometres (3.0 mi) over the overall length being under water.[1] This makes it one of the longest underwater caves and the largest underwater gypsum cave in the world.[2][3] It contains the longest siphon in the former Soviet Union (935 meters).[4]

Orda Cave

Ординская
The entrance to the Orda cave
Shown within Perm Krai Show map of Perm Krai Orda Cave (Russia) Show map of Russia
Alternative name	Ordinskaya
Location	Perm Krai, Russia
Region	Orda, Perm Krai
Coordinates	57°10′55.2″N 56°53′17″E
Type	gypsum crystal cave
Length	4,600 m (15,092 ft)
Site notes
Excavation dates	1969
Website	ordacave.com

Cave diving

The mineral-rich area surrounding the cave filters the water and makes it very clear. Divers have a visibility of over 50 yards (46 m) making it an ideal location for photographic expeditions.[3] Victor Lyagushkin, a journalist and underwater photographer, led around 150 expeditions into the caves over a six-month period in 2011.[5] The photographs taken by his team were published in the Orda Cave Awareness Project alongside stories from other divers who had visited the cave system.[2][6] The diving team were also the first people to produce a spherical panorama of an underwater cave.[1]

A local myth tells of the "Lady of the Orda Cave" who is said to live in the caves.

The cave has also been visited during dives by Martyn Farr, Lamar Hires, Pascal Bernabé, and Reggie Ross.[6]