Salt mine in the Urals: the most amazing dungeon in Russia, and possibly the world

Photos of this incredible mine can not be found in tourist booklets or in descriptions of popular routes in the Ural region. This fantastic place is closed for visitors to its beauty, and only a select few manage to get there. Today we will try to correct this injustice and show you one of the most impressive dungeons not only in Russia, but also in the world.

This salt cave is located on the territory of the Solikamsk basin and is confined to the region of the Verkhnekamsk deposit of potassium and magnesium salts in the territory of the Perm Territory. The field itself has been developed since the 30s of the last century, so the length of the mines and mountain voids here is quite impressive.

At the moment, this salt mine is not in operation. Its walls are formed by bizarre layers of the carnallite mineral, which contains potassium chloride and magnesium chloride. Depending on the presence of extraneous trace elements, carnallite can have various shades, from light yellow to blue or saturated red.

This mine, as well as the entire Solikamsk basin, owes its origin to the ancient sea that existed here during the Permian period. Salt deposits of various compositions and colors have been layered on each other for millennia, forming bizarre patterns on the walls of this fantastic dungeon.

On the walls of the mine are visible traces of drilling that remained after the extraction of the carnallite mineral. This is a valuable raw material that is used in the production of fertilizers for agriculture.

Today the mine is closed, and getting inside this magical world of minerals is very difficult. Due to the regular rockfall in this region, as well as the possible accumulation of methane and other toxic gases, visiting the mine is life threatening.

Perhaps in the future, when this part of the deposit is completely exhausted, this stunning imagination of the salt mine will be able to be converted and made accessible to tourists. Such a place, without any doubt, will be very popular among travelers.