Пещера Озёрная

Ozernaya Cave - Priest's Grotto

Useful Information

Location:	Strilkivtsi, Ternopil, Ukraine 48734. (48.769974, 25.989261)
Open:	closed. [2023]
Fee:	closed. [2023]
Classification:	Gypsum Cave Living Isolated Underground
Light:	bring torch
Dimension:	L=140,490 m, VR=35 m.
Guided tours:	n/a
Photography:
Accessibility:
Bibliography:	Christos Nicola, Peter Lane Taylor (2007): The secret of Priest's Grotto: a Holocaust survival story, Minneapolis: Kar-Ben, ISBN 978-1-58013-260-2.
Address:	Ozernaya Cave, Strilkivtsi, Ternopil, Ukraine 48734.
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1940	cave discovered.
1942–1944	several Jewish families live in this cave hiding from the Nazis.
APR-1944	area liberated by the Red Army.
1993	Christos Nicola, an American caver, discovered the remnants of their refuge 2003.

Description

Пещера Озёрная (Ozernaya Pestera, Lake Cave, Blue Lakes) is a huge gypsum cave, currently 16th longest cave of the world and the second longest of Ukraine [2023]. The 140 kms of passages are accessible only to cavers.

The touristic importance is actually a historic importance, as this cave was publicised widely as Priest's Grotto. In 1942–1944, during the Nazi occupation, this cave was the hideout of several Jewish families. Some people stayed in the cave for 344 days, which is said to be "the longest recorded instance of uninterrupted cave habitation known." Some of them were caught and murdered by the Nazis, but 38 of them managed to survive. Their story was unknown until the American caver Christos Nicola explored caves in this region in 1993. Local cavers had discovered several old shoes, stonewalls, and a hand made millstone. He was not able to get much information from the locals, even the Ukrainian cavers were not aware of this event. But most of the survivors from Priest's Grotto emigrated to North America. After returning to Queens, New York, he researched and finally found a survivor who lived just a few miles from him in Queens.

The story was featured in the June/July 2004 issue of the National Geographic Adventure Magazine. Numerous other journals followed. Finally, he published an award-winning book for children in 2007. The co-author was Peter Lane Taylor, National Geographic staff writer and photographer. He founded a production company for the creation of a documentary, exhibit, and feature film about Nicola and the Priest's Grotto Jews. The documentary is named No Place on Earth.

The name Priest's Grotto is the name of the hideout, not an actual cave name. And actually it is the name for two caves, which were used as hideouts, this cave and nearby Verteba, which was developed as a show cave. It was a cooperation between The Priest Grotto Heritage Project, the Borchev Museum, and the cavers of Ukrainian American Youth Caver Exchange Foundation. So this cave is actually not open to the public, because the underground museum is located in Verteba. In other words, this page is intended to redirect you to Showcave Verteba Pestera.