The educational work is an integral part of the educational process at the Nature and Geography Department. In order to form a friendly student team and to learn the picturesque places of Ukraine a tourist trip to the cave Optimistic in Ternopil was organized in early November. Millions of years it has been keeping its secret in the depths of the Prydnistrovsky Podillya. It was opened by the Lviv cavers in 1966.

Optimistic cave is the longest gypsum cave in the world with huge caverns. 238 kilometers of labyrinthine system houses the facilities, galleries and quaint meanders.

Photo: Before descending into the cave

Photo: The road illuminated by lanterns on helmets

Students under the guidance of Iryna Kravtsova, the Candidate of Geographical Sciences, Associate Professor of geography and methods of teaching geography made an 8 km long trip. Even the wildest imagination could not picture the secrets and miracles hidden in the depths of the cave! Mysterious darkness, underground museum, interesting, bizarre maze of passages, the effects of karst processes - all that impressed the geography students. It's much better than just reading about the cave in a textbook.

Photo: Studying the karst processes

Photo: At a depth of 100 m

During the 7 hour long trip the group went down to the depth of about 100 meters! So when they got back everyone was tired but very happy. The students will always remember this route.