Marble quarries of the world… Probably, many of us have heard this term, and even more so for those who are interested in the nature of their native land.
There is some mystery and even mystery in this phrase. At first glance, it starts to seem that this place can not be disliked, because, apparently, there is a rock that is usually used in the construction of stately buildings, such as castles or palaces.
This article will tell you about the most famous marble quarries in our country. In addition, readers will learn about the characteristic features of these places, about the history of their appearance and about future prospects. It is possible that the information provided will help someone decide on a destination for their next vacation.
Section 1. What are the marble quarries of the world? We define the concept
Before moving on to the main topic of the article, I would like to make some clarity and tell you what is hidden behind such a fairly common term as "quarry".
So, with cleanscientific point of view, a quarry should be understood as a certain set of all mine workings in which mining is carried out in an open way.
It turns out that the marble quarries of the world are just those places on the planet where the above-mentioned material is mined.
However, in nature, such areas are often formed in a natural way, that is, they are weathered by the wind or washed out by water over time. Such geological objects of the planet are most often called canyons.
Section 2. The Ruskeala mountain park is one of the most picturesque places in Russia
Marble quarry… How to get to this object, probably everyone who lives nearby can tell. And this, perhaps, is not surprising, because the locals are extremely proud of having their own, rather unique attraction.
From Petrozavodsk by bus you can get to the mountain park "Ruskeala" in 5 hours. The extraction of marble in these places continued until 1939, and then the quarry was flooded. Today, in its place is a beautiful lake. Many tourists seek to spend time on its shores.
Marble Quarry (Karelia) is really an amazing place! The nature here is extraordinarily beautiful: clear emerald water, marble steep banks and mysterious grottoes, natural stone painted in various shades and a riot of greenery…
Section 3. Ruskeala - the history of occurrence
Sometimes it seems that some marble quarries arose quite by accident or appeared on the surface of the Earth under some very mysterious circumstances. Why? The thing is, these places are very beautiful. Many claim that they feel an unearthly power and incredible energy inside them.
Karelia considers its marble quarry to be almost the most stunning corner of nature, and even a schoolboy can probably tell its story.
In 1765, a deposit of amazingly beautiful rock - marble - was discovered in Ruskeala. Then began its industrial development. The quarry is located near picturesque waterfalls. The marble in this deposit has a very beautiful white-gray color with shades.
The mountain park in Ruskeala, where you can get acquainted with the development of industrial culture of the 17th - early 20th centuries, opened for tourists in 2005. Today it is visited by many travelers. Thanks to private investment in this facility, it was possible to create an amazingly beautiful natural ensemble and an open-air mining museum.
The oldest of all objects developed in Ruskeala is the Marble Quarry (Karelia). It stretches for 450 meters in length, and its width in different sections is from 60 to 100 meters. Most of the adits are under water today. Above the water level, there is only one, along which workers were delivered and marble was taken out.
Section 4. What to do in Ruskeala
Here you can explore the old mines, in which at 18-19For centuries, marble has been mined for the palaces of St. Petersburg. And how romantic it is to sail along the lake surface!
There is a hiking trail along the Marble Canyon. The lake is equipped with artificial lighting - a bewitching sight opens up from the observation deck.
When it snows, tourists seem to plunge into a fairy tale - wonderful winter landscapes, decorated with artistic lighting, are so beautiful. We can say with confidence that the mountain park "Ruskeala" is a truly unique monument of nature and culture.
Section 5. Diving in the mountain park
This is perhaps one of the places that in the modern world is more and more interested in and inspires active lifestyle lovers to bold and desperate deeds.
Park "Ruskeala" is a place that is of great interest to divers. Underwater travel, the opportunity to explore the remote corners of flooded adits, labyrinths in 3 levels that were developed during the industrial extraction of marble, and ancient equipment used at that time and subsequently flooded - this canyon really deserves attention.
Section 6. Iskitim marble quarry
Another marble quarry, Iskitimsky, is located in the Novosibirsk region.
Nature in these places is also very beautiful. The quarry appears to modern travelers as an amphitheater, the steps of which are about 1 meter high.
Experienced tourists recommend using bicycles to get to the marble quarry"Iskitim". The river Berd flows next to it. You can go to the holy water spring, which is located nearby.
Nature gradually "erases" the traces of human activity - birch trees grow at the bottom of the quarry and its steps today. There are some cute lizards here. You can hold them in the palm of your hand and admire their amazing colors.
There is a cache from geocaching in the area of the Iskitimsky quarry. Fans of this fun have a natural interest in these places. The atmosphere of mystery when searching for a treasure - what else do adventure lovers need?!
Section 7. Harsh Mining
In 1924, in the Chelyabinsk region, in Koelga, white marble was found. Today, the pit where this beautiful natural stone is mined is simply huge: its depth is 55 meters, and its dimensions in plan are 500x500 meters.
Currently, this quarry is the largest in Europe. The marble that is mined here is used in construction and finishing works in many countries of the world, including Israel, the USA, Japan, Germany, Finland and others.
There is practically no quartz and impurities in it, so the stone meets the standards for the level of radiation of building materials. Due to the fact that the mentioned rock is relatively transparent, a subtle play of shadow and light can be observed on the surface of the pieces.
Koelgi white marble is characterized by a very high degree of stability. It has been used in the construction of many famous buildings, monuments and finishing works.
So, it was this stone that was used as a building material for the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, the memorial complex on Poklonnaya Hill, for finishing metro stations in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg and other cities.
The natural stone deposits are amazing, which means that both the Ruskeala marble quarry and Iskitim will attract curious travelers for many years to come.
Now it is difficult to say with certainty, but perhaps some more time will pass, and strings of ubiquitous tourists will also be drawn to the Chelyabinsk region to look at another miracle of the world.
