Tashtagolsky District: Cave, Rapids and Shor Culture

Tashtagolsky District offers a wide variety of travel experiences: the extensive protected area of Shorsky National Park, the district’s highest point, a cave with a kilometres-long underground hydro system, and Shor cultural sites. If you are looking for a holiday rental, you can plan your trip around the themes that interest you most: mountain and river landscapes, Asas Cave, or Shor architectural history.

Vast landscapes and Asas Cave

The protected area of Shorsky National Park covers more than 400,000 hectares—about one-third of Tashtagol District. Mustag is 1,570 metres above sea level and is the district’s highest point. Together, these facts illustrate two different scales: an extensive protected landscape and a specific named high point.

Asas Cave is an attraction in the national park and is considered one of the Seven Wonders of Kuzbass. It leads into an underground hydro system several kilometres long. According to the information available, no researcher has yet traversed the entire system. Its geological appeal therefore lies not only in the cave itself, but also in its extensive underground continuation.

In summer, Asas Cave can be reached from the “Karchit” ranger station of Shorsky National Park by following a trail on foot or by quad bike. A permit must be obtained in advance to visit. Check the park’s current access and permit requirements beforehand.

Rapids and river experiences

In its lower reaches, the Shorsky Ridge forms the five-kilometre cascade of the Khomutovsky Rapids. They are rated as Grade III and are among the most dangerous rapids in Kuzbass. This grading and danger rating are important distinctions to bear in mind when planning river activities for your trip.

Rafting on the Mrassu is one way to experience the protected nature and mountain region of Shoria. There are numerous rest stops along the banks, and sights in the park, such as Saga Waterfall, Copper Rock and Grandiose Cave, can be seen along the way. Thus, the tour includes not only the river journey but also rest stops and national park attractions.

Shor architectural and cultural history

The open-air museum “Tazgol” reconstructs typical buildings from a Shor settlement. These include the Odag frame dwelling, made from split logs; the Senek log-built yurt; and a storehouse standing on tall stilts. The different structures bring the settlement to life through its dwelling, yurt and storehouse.

The building complex of the Mras Missionary District of the Altai Ecclesiastical Orthodox Mission includes original houses belonging to the missionary and the psalmist, a parish school and a storehouse. Thus, alongside residential and storage buildings, the complex includes a mission station and a school—a different perspective on Shor history from the reconstructed settlement buildings at the open-air museum.

The “Trekhrechye” museum-reserve is located in the old Shor village of Ust-Kabyrsa in the mountain region of Shoria, at the confluence of the Kabyrza, Mrassu and Pyzas rivers. A guided tour of the “Torgovo-khozyaystvenny ambar” exhibition is available from 1 May to 15 October. Before travelling, check whether this seasonal offering is currently available. For cultural planning, this presents a specific contrast: reconstructed buildings at “Tazgol” versus a guided tour of the exhibition at the museum-reserve.

Explore more destinations

Explore more destinations: Yayskiy rayon, Novokuznetsk, Promyshlennovskiy rayon, gorod Anzhero-Sudzhensk, Prigorodnyy, Belovskiy rayon, Promyshlennovsky District, Novokuznetskiy rayon.

Back to the regional travel overview: Kemerovo Oblast.