Big Cheremshan Quarry

2024 Author: Harold Hamphrey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:06

There are many breathtakingly beautiful places in Russia that attract tourists. One of them is the Cheremshan quarry.

Discovery history

The Cheremshansky quarry is located in the Chelyabinsk region, to be more precise, in the city of Upper Ufaley. It attracts many visitors, many of them from the Urals. Before this quarry was opened, a nickel mine operated in Verkhny Ufaley. Metal reserves were discovered by chance in 1907 during an exploration operation to find and extract iron ore on Cheremshanskaya Gora.

Krotov discovered the mine, and, accordingly, it was named after him. In 1913, Shadlun opened the Novo-Cheremshansky quarry on the western side of the Cheremshanskaya mountain, which was located near Krotovsky. But large-scale work on the processing of nickel began only in 1930.

In 1933 a plant was built in Upper Ufaley. It is still functioning. The Cheremshansky mine contains not only nickel, but also natural stones, marble, quartz, talc, amphibole, pyroxene, garnet, magnetite, calcite, chromite, serpentine, and so on. This place is named after wild garlic, which grows on the mountain.

Novo-Cheremshansky mine

Now there is a slight confusion in the names of Novo-Cheremshansky and Staro-Cheremshansky mine. The first has the shape of the letter "H", while Staro-Cheremshansky has the shape of an oval. The length of the Novo-Cheremshansky mine is about 500 meters, the depth is 250 meters, the diameter of the funnel is about one and a half kilometers. Steps descend from the Cheremshansky quarry to it, each of which is about 10 meters high.

There are 22 such steps. Thanks to them, the quarry also has the name Cheremshansky amphitheater. Various trees grow on its slopes. Water still continues to flow into the quarry, and it is dark emerald in color. This shade was due to the metal s alts in the mine. During the existence of the mine, approximately 6 million tons of ore were mined.

In the summer season, the water temperature reaches +5 degrees. This place attracts divers, as the water is clear, at the bottom you can see many exciting objects, for example, tall spruces, which are called "Ural corals".

But it's better for non-professionals not to dive deep.

There is also a convenient road to the quarry. It should be noted that this place is a geological landmark of Russia, and its official name is the Nickel profile of the weathering crust in the Southern Urals.

Old Cheremshan Quarry

The size of the Staro-Cheremshansky quarry exceeds the size of the Novo-Cheremshansky. Its length is 900 meters, and the depth is two and a half hundred meters. It runs from southeast to northwest. This quarry was opened in 1912.

The slopes of the old quarry are strongerovergrown with trees than the new one. Also, the water in this mine has a lighter shade than the water of the Novo-Cheremshansky mine. This difference is due to the presence of a different composition of metal s alts that are present in these places. The water is as clean and clear as the other mine.

During its existence, approximately 7.5 million tons of ore were mined, of which 55 thousand tons of nickel were smelted. It is better to visit the quarry in the daytime, when the sun illuminates all the natural beauty of the environment. It will be better to see the differences in the colors of the water in the mines. The lake is surrounded by rocks. Therefore, rockfalls periodically occur.

From opposite banks there are two descents to the water. You can get to one of them by car without wasting your energy. But it’s better to walk, breathe fresh air and enjoy the opened views of nature and the lake. True, some tourists say that there is a small amount of garbage left by past visitors on the shore. Don't pollute nature!

Interesting facts

There are rumors that a motorcycle and a stolen car VAZ-21099 were drowned at the bottom of the Cheremshansky mine. The lake continues to fill up by about 0.5 meters per year.

If you plunge into the lake, you can only see all the underwater life up to thirty meters deep. The lake is inhabited by fish verkhovka. Not far from the quarry there is mining equipment that is still operating to this day, and be careful and vigilant. After all, the site for testing explosives is not so far away.

Can I swim in Cheremshanskycareer

Travelers, tourists, and even ordinary passers-by can safely and happily splash both in Novo-Cheremshansky and Staro-Cheremshansky lakes. Local residents also do not refuse such a pleasant pastime.

Water temperature is warm enough for swimming, but it doesn't get warm enough at the bottom, averaging 5 degrees. This can be explained by the fact that the lake is filled with underground wells. By the way, local residents take drinking water from them as a source of life-giving force. When you swim, be careful, as there are sharp stones in the water that have not had time to grind off. That is why it would be better to take some slippers. Rubber bands are ideal.

How to get to Cheremshan Quarry

The quarry, amazing in its beauty, is located ten kilometers northeast of the city of Upper Ufaley. The closest populated village is Cheremshanka.

If you are traveling from the city of Yekaterinburg, then you must get to the city of Polevskoy, from there to the village of Poldnevaya, and then through the city of Upper Ufaley itself. There is no need to get to the village of Cheremshanka, you need to turn right towards the quarry. The distance from Yekaterinburg to Cheremshansky is 116 km.

If you are leaving the city of Chelyabinsk, you should head towards the city of Kyshtym, followed by the city of Kasli and then the city of Verkhny Ufaley, and from there to the village of Cheremshanka, look for the right turn to the Cheremshansky quarry. The distance from Chelyabinsk to the place you need is longer than fromYekaterinburg. It is 160 km.

Career Pictures

In the photo, the Cheremshan quarry resembles an ancient amphitheater. It seems that it was here that large-scale, exciting, and sometimes cruel competitions took place, just like in Ancient Greece.