The Kashkulak cave or the Black Devil's cave in Khakassia is considered one of the most terrible places in Russia and is included in all the lists of anomalous places on the planet. The cave earned its gloomy fame back in the 60s of the last century, when practically every attempt to explore 3 tiers (with a total depth of 50 meters) ended in tragedy. Not because people crashed, going down into a vertical well, but because they literally went crazy with fear, finding themselves in the grottoes of the lower tier.
Entrance to the Kashkulak cave.
Black walls and ceiling covered with petrified soot, bones of animals and people trampled into a clay floor, rock paintings, an ancient fire pit and centuries-old dripstone formations of bizarre shape - for more than 2 thousand years, the Kashkulak cave served as a place of worship. Not far from the entrance, at the end of a long corridor, shamans burned ceremonial fires near a phallic stalagmite. It is difficult to say which rituals were performed, but the remains of women and children were found in the grotto with the name "Temple". Bodies were burned and buried here.
Temple grotto, Kashkulak cave.
A gloomy, oppressive atmosphere is felt from the "threshold": it seems that black walls absorb light, and something hostile lurks in the depths. Sensitive people say that being here for more than half an hour is detrimental to health - a headache begins, ringing in the ears appears. The first tier is accessible for visiting, excursion groups are often brought here, but ordinary tourists do not go down - the cave is categorical and dangerous.
In 1960, there was the most "high-profile" case when only two of 20 students returned. A group of cavers made a route to Kashkulak, exploring caves and corridors, drawing a map. A day later, the hunters met a very frightened girl not far from the entrance, she was not just shaking with fear, the girl was in a completely deranged state, threw herself at people, bit and bellowed. The second surviving student was taken to a mental hospital from the streets of a nearby village: she was almost completely gray-haired, exhausted, she wandered down the street at night, clutching a stone figure of a man in her hands. After a month in the clinic, the girl died. The cause of death has not been established: the student was physically healthy, but she could no longer speak and think coherently, and severe sleep disturbance was observed. The same statuette was found under the pillow. The group spent the night at a depth of 50 m.
Kashkulak cave, Khakassia.
Attacks of unexplained panic happen to anyone who dares to descend to the lower tier. A group of schoolchildren was "driven" from the cave by the spirit of the shaman. According to the stories, a massive insanity happened to the guys only on the 3rd day. The children set up a research camp in the vicinity of the mountain. The research ended as soon as the group members felt a powerful surge of panic, suddenly surging through everyone at the same time. The children said that they saw either a beast, or a man in animal skin and a hat with horns, who whispered to them to follow. One of the participants in the campaign later hanged himself, leaving a note, the final sentence of which was: "… die, but remember the stones."
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A similar image appeared to scientists, who in 1980 were literally numb with fear.
Scientists suggest that the feeling of indescribable horror in a person may arise from the vibrations of rocks at a special frequency, and hallucinations appear due to the chemical composition of the air in which harmful compounds can hover. So far, it is not clear exactly what makes the Kashkulak cave so terrible and destructive: a special microclimate or the curse of shamans. But, you can conduct your own research by buying an excursion in the village of Shira or the village. Pearl, or go research on your own.