Jan. 24, 2013

Free diver Natalia Avseenko, dressed as the Lady of Orda, cave swims into the depths of the chilly cave. With her ghostly form illuminating the icy water, this spiritlike woman could be King Arthur’s Lady of the Lake. Yet these captivating images belong to another legend—from the freezing wastelands of Russia’s Ural Mountains, where temperatures reach minus 40 degrees Celsius. This is a re-creation of the Lady of Orda Cave, a beautiful spirit said to dwell in the world’s longest underwater “crystal” cave. Avseenko, a former champion free diver, spent two days in the bone-chilling water re-creating the story. She held her breath for up to three minutes at a time and dived to depths of 17 meters, posing for the eerie shots.

Week in Photos: Jan. 26, 2013

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Melbourne, Australia