If for an ancient person caves were a home and a refuge from bad weather and wild animals, today people are attracted by mysterious beauty, possible hidden treasures or the presence of paranormal phenomena.
Staritsky caves possess everything at once in order to interest not only cavers, historians and tourists, but also representatives of various occult teachings.
City Staritsa
This small town was founded in 1297 on the river of the same name as a fortress on the orders of the Tver Prince Mikhail Yaroslavich. Until the 16th century, it was called Gorodesk, as evidenced by coins minted at that time.
Until 1425, it was the center of the Staritsky specific principality, but at the end of the 15th century it became part of the Moscow principality together with Tversky. Once Staritsa was very beloved by Ivan the Terrible, by whose order she was surrounded by a white stone wall. He regularly visited the city from 1579 to 1581.
Throughout the 18th century, the city repeatedly passed from one province to another. So, in 1708, it is part of Smolensk, and in 1719 - the Tver province. Since 1727, he was attributed to Novgorod, and in 1796 he was returned to Tverskaya, where he becomes a large marina on the way to St. Petersburg.
By 1897, Staritsa had become a fairly large county town, in which more than 5, 000 people lived, 21 production facilities and 124 trade establishments.
Today, 8, 000 people live in the city, and it has become an ordinary provincial town, although it has a rich history. Unfortunately, the short-sighted and limited Soviet leadership did not consider the unique opportunities for tourism development in this city. And for this, there is everything: ancient churches and monasteries, unique Staritsky caves, beautiful nature and the possibility of an amazing vacation on the banks of the Volga and Staritsa.
Quarry History
On the left bank of the Volga there are unique old quarries, which from the 13th century not only supplied cities, fortresses and monasteries with white stones, thanks to which Russia was called white stone, but also gave the city profit.
The masons' artels until 1928, for 7 centuries, mined white stone, creating man-made caves, amazing in their beauty, complexity and length, that stretch for a hundred kilometers between the cities of Rzhev and Tver.
Staritsky caves, the layout of which has not yet been completely drawn, since by the decree of Stalin all the entrances to them were blocked up so that no one could find the weapons depots hidden there during the Second World War, continue to be studied by cavers and other scientists.
Unfortunately, during collectivization, the masons were disbanded, and the city gradually turned from a large marina with developed industry into a small district center.
Finds of cavers
Really large scientific expeditions to Staritsky caves began in 1993. Cavers and scientists were interested not only in the intricate moves of the catacombs and their age, but also in the study of the influence of confined space on a person, on the sense of time in him, the biorhythms and microclimate that exist in them.
One of the goals of historians was to find an armory hidden here for partisans in 1941. Scientists managed to collect information not only in the local archive, but also in German. Judging by their data, the Germans who entered Staritsa destroyed the Red Army, who were trying to escape, and only 3 people guarding the warehouse in the catacombs survived.
Perhaps they would continue to carry out their service, awaiting the departure of the Germans, but someone from the local who accepted the power of the aggressors spoke about their existence. The signs of the stay of Soviet soldiers and their last battle with the Nazis were found by the expedition members.
Numerous shells and traces of the fire that the invaders set up to lure people from the cave told about the events of those days. Three soldiers were martyred, but were never told where the weapons depot was located. He was not found to this day.
The reason why this has not happened yet is that the paths previously filled up by order of Stalin are difficult not only to find, but also to clear. If blasting is carried out, the Staritsky caves may collapse, and then new corridors will have to be excavated.
The important thing is that interest in these catacombs has finally been shown in the scientific community, which means that they will be studied, cleared, and made available to people. Excursions from different cities come to Staritsky caves today, which positively affects the development of tourism in this area.
Cave excursions
Nowadays, several catacomb moves are open for inspection, in which all the passages and labyrinths are tied with a rope. Holding on to it, you can go deep enough inside and see the work of hundreds of masons working on these corridors for 7 centuries.
In addition to the majestic stone pillars supporting the vaults of the caves, here you can see the places where the miners slept, where there were tables equipped for them to eat.
Unfortunately, out of hundreds of kilometers of tunnels, only 30 km are still open for inspection, but the interest in them is already so great that many tour operators include them in their routes.
This became profitable after dozens of people visited the Staritsky Caves. The reviews and photos that they posted on the Internet made a proper impression. The place turned out to be really unusual, and people began to show interest in it.
Paranormal activity
Like many other mysterious places on the planet, these catacombs have properties that have no logical explanation. For example, one of the restorers, who worked in the Cherepkovskaya cave, accidentally discovered that fallen objects disappear somewhere.
The mitten and handle dropped by him disappeared without a trace, although no holes or cracks were found on the floor of the catacomb. No less strange were the sounds with which the cave is filled from time to time. For example, he heard a herd of horses running in one of the corridors, while he loudly clattered hooves on the stones. Over the centuries, a lot of evidence has gathered that people disappeared in these catacombs, and an incomprehensible glow was revealed, to which no explanation was found.
Specialists in paranormal phenomena have yet to figure out what secrets Staritsky caves keep. Driving directions to Tver and then to the village of Tolpino in the Staritsky district is simple, so not only scientists and tourists, but also adventure lovers and treasure hunters come to the catacombs.
Legends of the Staritsky Caves
The rumor that somewhere in the depths of these catacombs was hidden the treasury of Vladimir Staritsky, who decided to bury her before a trip to Moscow on the orders of Ivan the Terrible, does not give rest to lovers of treasure hunts. Knowing the king’s burrows, the prince foresaw that he might not return to his native land, and he was right. By order of Ivan the Terrible, not only Vladimir Staritsky, but his whole family was poisoned.
Another legend says that under the local monastery there are caves in which the relics of the monks are buried. Since no graves were found at the monastery, it was decided to work out this version, but the expedition searching for the burial found only the temple where the Satanists performed their rites.
The legend of a divine miracle
There is a belief that there is a healing key in the Staritskaya Cave, beating from the ceiling. The story is based on real facts. Everything happened during the invasion of the Tatar-Mongol, when one old woman managed to bury herself in a quarry. After spending a long time without water, she turned to God with a prayer for quenching her thirst. In response, the Creator created a spring pouring its waters from the ceiling of the cave.
According to legend, he appears only in difficult times for the people. As the old people say, the last time they heard about him was before the Germans arrived in Staritsa. Thanks to the miracle created, the old woman became famous in her time, and today her silhouette can be seen on the coat of arms of the city.
To plunge into these secrets, it is better to personally visit the Staritsky Caves. You can easily understand how to get there by car. The initial direction is Tver, 80 km from which there is Staritsa, and then a few kilometers to Tolpino.
