Scientific expedition visited Bashkir "Shulgan-Tash" Reserve

The summer research season began in the Shulgan-Tash Reserve with a visit of guests from St. Petersburg and Ufa. A scientific expedition headed by Yuriy Lyakhnitsky, Candidate of Science in Geology, the leading researcher of A.P. Karpinsky Russian Geological Research Institute (St. Petersburg) has been working for almost two weeks in Kapova Cave, fixing drawings of the Cave and monitoring their condition.

Analysis of data collected by national experts in 1976, 1997, 2000-2003, showed that the condition of some unique images of Shulgan-Tash Cave (Kapova) rapidly deteriorated. It was decided to close access to the back of the cave for tourists and make exact copies of prehistoric art at the exit of the cave. There are total 200 images in the cave.

Specialists brought a lot of modern equipment, which can make some new analyzes of the situation. The results will help to identify practical ways to adjust unfavourable hydrological situation and rescue unique to Eastern Europe Palaeolithic paintings. It will be possible to define prospects of establishing contemporary historical and archaeological landscape speleological museum in the cave.

The cave attracts attention of dozens of researchers and tourists from different countries. The reserve is actively involved in this process. Different scientists actively work on the problem of preservation of the ancient art, but it is an integrated approach combining overall efforts, which will help to preserve the ancient cultural heritage of the republic and the entire planet, experts say.