The Abkhaz State University, the G.Sh. Smyr New Athos Cave, and the Institute of Ecology of the Academy of Sciences of Abkhazia invite you to participate in the International Scientific and Practical Conference "The New Athos Cave and the Challenges of Karst Study in Abkhazia." The conference, dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the tourism activities of the G.Sh. Smyr New Athos Cave and the 80th anniversary of the birth of Givi Shalvovich Smyr, will take place on December 8-9, 2025, in Sukhum, Republic of Abkhazia.
The conference will discuss a wide range of issues related to karst research in Abkhazia, as well as the geology, hydrogeology, climatology, and biology of the New Athos Cave and other caves in the Caucasus region, the study of cave excursion facilities, the study of the cave's unique fauna, and other current issues in regional karstology.
The aim of the conference is to engage young researchers in a discussion of current theoretical and applied issues in the study of karst caves in Abkhazia.
Specialists engaged in research in the fields of geology, karstology, speleology, biospeleology, climatology, meteorology, ecology, and environmental protection, as well as representatives of various Russian scientific communities, educational and research institutes and centers, specially protected natural areas, and other interested parties are invited to participate in the conference.
The following important issues are planned for discussion at the Conference:
1. The history of the discovery, exploration, and development of excursions in the New Athos Cave.
2. Problems of excursion and tourism activities in the New Athos Cave and other caves of the Caucasus region: organization of excursion routes, problems of preserving the natural parameters of the internal environment and biodiversity, legislative, legal, and organizational aspects.
3. Biological diversity and ecological features of the New Athos Cave and other caves in the region.
4. Geological, hydrogeological, hydrochemical, and climatological features of the New Athos Cave and other caves in the region.
5. Inventory, typology, and features of various caves in Abkhazia and adjacent territories.
6. Potential of the New Athos Cave speleothems as paleoclimatological archives.
7. The legacy of Givi Smyr
The conference will be held in a hybrid format (primarily remote).
Participation options include:
▪ Oral presentation (in person);
▪ Oral presentation (remotely via videoconference/recorded presentation);
▪ Publication in the conference proceedings (without a paper).
The conference language is Russian.
Applications for participation in the conference must be completed by November 30, 2025. Following the conference, a collection of materials is planned to be prepared and published, which will be indexed in the Russian Science Citation Index (RSCI) bibliographic database. To publish materials in the conference proceedings, please submit your electronic article to the organizing committee by January 15, 2025, via email to: ie-ana@mail.ru
Details are available in the Information Letter.