Temnikovskaya Cave, Natural cave in Selenginsky District, Russia

Temnikovskaya Cave is a weathering-formed cave in the Atsula tract of Buryatia's Selenginsky District, with an entrance 9 m wide, a length of 12 m and a maximum width of 20 m. Inside are five niches, the largest 5.4 m long, 3.5 m wide and up to 2 m high. Flat shale surfaces on its walls and rear bear red-ochre petroglyphs.

The naturalist G. F. Miller, leader of the First Great Academic Expedition, first mentioned the cave in 1735, citing rock art along the Temnik River. On 27 April 1888, V. V. Ptitsyn measured and described the cave without excavating. In 1977, A. V. Tivanenko's expedition found petroglyphs, a rotted book, a pre-Soviet copper coin and fragments of Buddhist canonical texts.

Local Buryat Buddhists have long venerated the cave and its surroundings; V. V. Pttsyn in 1888 noted khata scarves on the walls, clay stupas on the floor and a canvas of Shakyamuni Buddha hanging inside. In 1977 A. V. Tivanenko's expedition found fragments of wooden Buddhist canon books, a pre-Soviet copper coin and the formula "Om mani padme hum!" near the foot. The cave is called Nükhete Khaigasan, "holey stone", in Buryat.

The cave lies in the Atsula tract on the left bank of the Tsagan-Gol, 6 km northwest of Temnik and 14 km southwest of the Gusinoye Ozero station; the entrance faces the river. The site is a regional nature monument inside the Atsulsky zakaznik, and the ochre petroglyphs are a federal archaeological monument, so touching or outlining the walls is not allowed. The floor holds loose debris and ceramic fragments.

In 1977 an expedition led by local historian A. V. Tivanenko found a half-rotted book in a deep crevice of the cliff, a pre-Soviet copper coin in a corner, fragments of wooden books of the Buddhist canon in a rockfall and an oval board with initials and the date 1941. Buddhist inscriptions were recorded in the crevices, and near the foot a rain-washed formula "Om mani padme hum!".