The tovtry

In the south-eastern part of the Podolsk Upland is located low rounded hills with picturesque limestone peaks. It is the tovtry - the remains of a barrier reef and coral islands of warm tropical sea formed in Paratethys ancient basin in Sarmatian time along the coast of the Sarmatian Sea, whose waves lapped 15-25 million years ago on the territory of Ukraine. In the initial formation of the barrier reef participated clusters with calcareous skeleton organisms - mollusks, corals, etc. In fact, looking more closely, you can see that tovtry consists of fossilized coral, in which are entangled algae and seashells.

The tovtry is the remains of a barrier reef and coral islands of warm tropical sea formed in Paratethys ancient basin in Sarmatian time

The tovtry are mountainous arched limestone ridge, which extends in the central and south-eastern part of the Podolsk (Volyn-Podolsk) hill from Verhnebuzhsko-Styrskoy plains in the south-east across the Zbarazh - Skalat - Kamenetz-Podolsk to Stara Ushytsia on the Dniester and Stefantseva over the Prut northern Moldova. At the height of the ridge of 350-400 meters, its length is of the order of 170-200 km and the width - from 2-3 to 15-25 km. Tovtry occupy the area - 261,316 ha (12,5% of the territory of Khmelnitsky region). But the tovtry are the only mountain range in the world, does not appear as a result of tectonic processes, as a result of vital activity of living organisms. The tovtry consist of a base (about 5 km wide) ridge, the lateral ridges and isolated humps. In 1996 tovtry became part of the National natural park Podil's'ki Tovtry.

In the 10-13 centuries tovtry is a major center of Slavic paganism. Here located Zbruch cult center. In 1848, north of the goose (near to Lychkovtsy), in a dried river bed of the river was dug Zbruch stone statue, dubbed Zbruch idol (idol Zbruchanskaya) – 2,5 m high, with anthropomorphic images on the four faces.

Tovtry have beautiful views, often sharp rocks, dips, and calcareous rocks in the region contribute to the development of karst phenomena. Tovtry famous for its healing mineral springs, most of which are built spa facilities.

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