Смородинська печера, Archaeological cave in Podil district, Kyiv, Ukraine
Smorodynska Cave features artificial tunnel systems near the Kyrylivska Church with multiple underground chambers and passages carved into the hillside. The complex extends through the ravine with interconnected structures of varying sizes.
The cave dates to the Neolithic period between 4000 and 3000 BCE and later served as shelter for resistance fighters during German occupation from 1941 to 1943.
The cave connects to local folklore about the hero Dobrynia fighting the dragon Zmey Gorynych, which gave it the alternative name Zmieva Cave. This legendary association remains part of how residents and visitors understand the site today.
Visit through guided tours managed by the Kyiv History Museum, which requires booking in advance. The museum handles access to ensure proper preservation of the site.
Researchers found more than 20 separate cave structures within the Smorodynsky ravine complex containing artifacts from the Trypillian civilization. This cluster makes the site an important window into the region's earliest settlement history.
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