Askynskaya Ice Cave will be adapted for people with disabilities with Rostourism grant

In Bashkiria, the Askynskaya Ice Cave (Arkhangelsky District) will be adapted for people with disabilities. The implementation of the socially-oriented project became possible due to its victory in the Rostourism competition for grant support to develop domestic and inbound tourism.

According to the Bashkortostan branch of the Russian Geographical Society, more than 2 million rubles will be allocated for the creation of an accessible environment for people with disabilities in the territory of the Askynskaya Ice Cave tourist complex.

As part of the improvement concept, it is planned to install aluminum rails and ramps for wheelchairs and purchase a multi-seater snowmobile so that it is possible to bring tourists on tour at different times of the year. Inside the ice cave, stairs will also be adapted for comfortable ascent and descent of people with limited mobility; next to the cave, a yurt will be installed for tourists to rest. It is also planned to use the grant to make a documentary about a unique natural site - the Askynskaya Ice Cave.

The idea to open the ice cave for people who, due to their health needs, cannot access its natural beauty, was voiced by the founder of the Vera hospice charity fund, member of the Central Headquarters of the All-Russian Popular Front Nyuta Federmesser in August this year during a working trip to Ufa. In September, with the wards of the Oktyabrsky Home for the Elderly and Disabled, she, as well as the Minister of Family, Labor and Social Protection RB Lenara Ivanova and the project manager of the All-Russian Popular Front "Region of Care" Boris Khesin visited the Askynskaya Cave, discussed the possibility of its adaptation for the disabled.

Now, thanks to the grant, such excursions will be available for the elderly and people with limited mobility, disabled people, wards of neuropsychiatric boarding schools. This will be the first socially adapted natural site in the republic.

Recall that the day before the results of the competition of the Federal Agency for Tourism (Rostourism) for the provision of subsidies from the federal budget to develop domestic and inbound tourism became known. 11 projects of Bashkortostan received federal subsidies for more than 27 million rubles.