Karelia, Marble Canyon. Active rest in Karelia. Karelia, Ruskeala. Marble quarry and waterfalls

Mid-18th century. The newly proclaimed capital of the Russian state is developing rapidly. They build palaces, pave squares, lay out parks. St. Petersburg needs marble. Urgent and a lot. Preferably domestic, so that it is inexpensive and close.

Catherine II orders to carry out "geographical research throughout Russia." Soon, rich deposits of white-smoky, like St. Petersburg summer nights, marble were found.

Ruskeala (from the Karelian reskea - "brown, brown") is a small village in the Northern Ladoga area. It would easily get lost on the map if it were not for unique nature and a glorious history.

For centuries, these lands were the subject of military disputes between the three states and passed to the Swedes, then to the Finns, then to the Russians. Therefore, the first developers of Ruskeala marble quarries were the Swedes. They built the first quarries there at the end of the 17th century.

After the end of the Northern War, the Ladoga area remained with Russia, and the Ruskeala canyons came under the jurisdiction of Field Marshal Buturlin. The quarrying of marble was temporarily abandoned.

But in 1768, at the suggestion of the local pastor Samuil Alopeus, work began again in Ruskeala. Stone craftsmen, architects and mining engineers gathered from all sides. The inconspicuous border village has become an industrial center in just a few years. Over the next 50 years, more than 200 thousand tons of marble were mined. The boulders were loaded onto a sleigh pulled by 80 horses and transported to the pier. There they were transferred to small sailing ships and floated on Lake Ladoga to St. Petersburg.

The second half of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century can be called without exaggeration the era of Ruskeala marble. This noble ash stone has adorned the interiors of many capital objects:

• Oryol Gate (Tsarskoe Selo);
• Roman fountains (Peterhof);
• columns of the Gatchina palace;
• Chesme obelisk (Gatchina);
• facade of the Mikhailovsky Castle and others.

But the most famous building, in the decoration of which Ruskeala marble was used, is St. Isaac's Cathedral. Architect Auguste Montferrand personally came to Ruskeala to supervise the breaking of the stone. As a result, the walls of St. Isaac's Cathedral are faced with beautiful white-gray marble about 50 centimeters thick.

In the second half of the 19th century, marble began to go out of fashion (metropolitan architects switched to granite). The active quarrying of marble in Ruskeala has ceased. In 1896, the deposit was rented by the Finns: they built a marble and lime plant and produced marble chips, and they, in turn, plastered the walls and poured the floors.

The production was closed with the beginning of the Soviet-Finnish war of 1939-1940. The marble quarries were flooded. According to one version - by the Finns, according to the other - by the Soviet aviation.

After the Great Patriotic War Ruskeala plant resumed work. Its products (lime, crumb, crushed stone) were supplied to 10 republics and 17 regions of the Soviet Union. Solid marble was practically not mined. The last to be faced with them were the "Ladozhskaya" and "Primorskaya" stations of the St. Petersburg metro.

In 1998 Ruskeala marble quarry was included in the list of cultural and historical heritage of Russia as a monument of mining of the 18th – 20th centuries. The flooded quarries became beautiful emerald lakes. In 2005, a tourist park was opened there.

What to see in Ruskeale?

4 kilometers from the village of Ruskeala, there is a place that is impossible to pass by when going to the marble quarry. This is the Ruskeala cascade - a chain of four small but picturesque waterfalls.

The Tohmajoki River ("the mad river") flows into Lake Ladoga and has many rapids and rifts, the largest of which form waterfalls. The largest is called Ahvenkoski, which in Finnish means “perch rapids”. To say that the place is beautiful is to say nothing. That there is only the fact that one of the scenes of the film "The Dawns Here Are Quiet" was filmed there.

This waterfall is clearly visible from the highway leading to Ruskealu. Next to it there is a parking lot, a gazebo and a souvenir shop. Ruskeala waterfalls - perfect place to relax on the way to the Ruskeala mountain park and take some photos.

But the pearl of Ruskeala is, of course, the Marble Canyon. It is part of the Ruskeala Mountain Park (more on it later) and is a huge stone bowl filled with bluish-emerald water.

The length of the Marble Canyon is 460 meters, the width is up to 100 meters, the depth in some places reaches 50 meters. This is the very place from where marble was taken for St. Isaac's Cathedral and other St. Petersburg architectural monuments.

The canyon makes a tremendous impression! Sheer silvery marble rocks extending deep into the clear waters, grottoes and adits - all this creates the feeling that you are in a fabulous country, and a gnome with a pickaxe is about to look out of the mine.

Water is especially striking. The quarry feeds on clean groundwater, there are no algae at the bottom. Therefore, its transparency reaches 15-18 meters, in some places you can even see equipment left at the bottom of the quarry.

The marble canyon is flooded to the upper underground horizon (there were seven in total: three underground and four aboveground).

A horizon is a layer within a rock.

Most of the adits are underwater. Only one of them, in the northwestern part of the mountain park, remained above the water level and is open to the public. It is believed that it was pierced by the Finns in the 1930s to transport trolleys with marble from mine No. 2. The mine itself is flooded by about a third, ice can be seen at its bottom, which does not melt even in summer.

An adit is a horizontal or inclined mine working that has an exit to the earth's surface.

Another attraction of the Ruskeala Mountain Park is the Ruskeala Gap. This is the collapsed vault of an underground mine. According to the memories local residents, it was formed in the 1960s after a huge career explosion. As a result, a huge pit about 30 meters wide was formed on the surface of the earth.

The peculiarity of the failure is its microclimate. In the distant parts of the mine, the ice never melts; there weird icicles hang from the walls. But directly in the place of the sinkhole in the warm season, a small lake is formed. Therefore, in order to get into the depths of the mine, you first need to go down onto the boat on a rope, and then use it to get to the ice "floor". In winter, everything is easier: you immediately descend onto the hard ice.

On this interesting places in the mountain park "Ruskeala" do not end there. There is also a so-called Italian quarry on its territory. Until the 1970s, block marble was mined there using Italian technology (hence the name) using foreign machines. The color and texture of marble is clearly visible here, and the way of its extraction can be traced. It was sliced ​​like bread into large slices with wire saws, layer by layer.

Ruskeala sights are a rare symbiosis natural object and an industrial museum under open air... Looking at all these beauties, one involuntarily thinks: "How rich our planet is, how much it can give us."

What to do in Ruskeale?

As already mentioned, in 2005 the Marble Canyon, as well as the Ruskeala Gap and the Italian quarry became part of the Ruskeala Mountain Park.

The park was created by the efforts of private companies, which united, allocated money and put these objects in order. They took out trash and scrap metal, laid comfortable paths, and built observation platforms. We carried out lighting along the perimeter of the canyon - now at night the marble rocks shine with multi-colored tints. It's a pity that artistic lighting works only in winter (from November to March) and only on Fridays and Saturdays.

We also created the infrastructure. We have built a parking lot, cafes, toilets, souvenir shops and a pier where you can rent a boat. A boat trip along the Marble Canyon is considered the most exciting: you can swim into the grottoes, swim up to the adits and feed the ducks.

But the park offers its visitors a lot of entertainment. Those who love to tickle their nerves will appreciate them:

1. Jump from the 24-meter cliff of the Marble Canyon. Of course, with insurance. The free fall height is 8 meters.
2. Passage on a rope bridge: three ropes are stretched across the canyon at a height of 24 meters - you walk one by one, hold on to two.
3. Zipline is a downhill roller coaster down an inclined rope straight to the surface of the Marble Lake.

Another popular way to spend time in the park is diving. As you remember, Ruskealsky marble canyon has three underwater horizons. Flooded mines, connected by adits, like a mysterious labyrinth. Diving enthusiasts can feel like real explorers and see what is hidden in the ancient quarries.

But perhaps the most exciting adventure in the mountain park is the descent into the sinkhole. To do this, you need to have special equipment and permission from the administration of the institution. In addition, descending on a rope to a depth of 16 meters is a very risky activity, so it must be done in the presence of professionals. There are guys who organize the descent to the Ruskeala Gap. Even if you're not into the extreme, the views inside the hole are worth overcoming your fears. In winter it is like the residence of the Snow Queen! Take a look at this virtual tour and you will understand everything yourself.

Of the calmer winter fun- riding huskies (those fluffy cuties) and taking pictures with them. Also, on the territory of the park and in its vicinity, various entertainment events are held from time to time: concerts, folklore festivals, historical installations, competitions, etc.

But at the tourist centers you will find not only comfortable beds, barbecues and equipped baths, but also additional entertainment. So, you can rent an ATV and ride around the area, you can buy a jeep excursion or go rafting.

Rafting is a sports rafting on a mountain river on six-, four- or two-seater inflatable boats.

Rafting is carried out along the Tohmajoki River - you can not only see Ruskeala waterfalls, but also feel their power.

In a word, you will not be bored in Ruskeale. From this place you will take many picturesque photographs and no less vivid impressions.

How to get to Ruskeala?

The Ruskeala settlement is located in the Sortavala region of the Republic of Karelia, 37 kilometers from the regional center and 20 kilometers from the Russian-Finnish border. There are three ways to get to the Marble Canyon and other attractions.

By personal car

From St. Petersburg, the route runs along the A129 highway, through the cities of Priozersk and Sortavala. Having reached the last one, you need to turn onto the A130 motorway. The distance from St. Petersburg to Ruskeala is about 300 kilometers.

From Petrozavodsk to Ruskeale, first the M18 highway (another name - P-21) leads, from which, in the area of ​​the city of Pryazha, you need to turn to the villages of Lyaskelia and Khelyulya (road M130).

By bus

Every day from Petrozavodsk to Sortavala intercity buses... The schedule is available. In turn, from Sortavala to Ruskeala can be reached by commuter bus... You can also get from Sortavala to the Marble Canyon by taxi for several hundred rubles. You can agree with the taxi driver about the day and time when he will return for you.

By train

From St. Petersburg to the city of Sortavala there is a train 350A "St. Petersburg - Kostomuksha". 23 hours - and you are there. It is a pity that the train does not run every day. Study the schedule. How to get from Sortavala to Ruskeala - see above.

It is also possible to take the train, but you have to make several changes.

The railway route is considered the most inconvenient and time consuming.

Why is it worth seeing Ruskeala?

Because Ruskeala is the most beautiful mountain park with a system underground caves, Marble Canyon, waterfalls and recreation centers. This is a tourist complex where you can spend an active weekend with the whole family at any time.

The marble canyon is so beautiful that even the Norwegian fjords fade away. Sheer silvery walls embrace a transparent emerald lake, you can see the caves of the adits. It seems as if he was in a fairy tale and everything around has special magical properties.

But most importantly, Ruskeala is an industrial monument, which can be used to trace the history of mining from the 18th to the 20th century. For centuries, workers have worked hard to extract marble, which adorned luxurious palaces Petersburg.

In 1765, marble deposits were discovered in the Ruskeala region. This white-gray stone with shades from light gray to greenish was found in a hill overgrown with coniferous forest not far from the picturesque Ruskeala waterfalls. The industrial production of marble soon begins. Ruskeala gray marble was widely used in the construction of St. Isaac and Kazan cathedrals, Marble, Tauride and Winter palaces St. Petersburg.

Marble quarry operated until 1939, was flooded by the Finns, but now it is a deep marble canyon of old marble quarries, which has acquired new life: The Marmara Lake attracts a huge number of tourists with the beauty of the steep marble shores that go into the emerald transparent water, the opportunity to sail on a boat through the marble grottoes, admiring the amazing variety of shades of marble, or go down into the mine and walk the way that marble was once taken out for the construction of temples and palaces.

Now the excursion path is made for tourists around the Marble Canyon, allowing you to admire a unique spectacle from viewing platforms... A sophisticated illumination system under water, on the surface and along the walls of the canyon (operates during dark nights) provides a round-the-clock view of the unique cultural monument. In winter, Ruskeala Mountain Park also opens its doors to all lovers of winter landscapes, and artistic lighting creates a fairy tale around. Night tours of this wonderful place are mesmerizing, leaving pleasant memories for a lifetime (on request).

Excursion to the marble canyon "Ruskeala"

Prices of a marble canyon (Ruskeala Mountain Park)

How to get to Ruskealka marble canyon:

You can see the beauty of the marble canyon in spring by rafting down the river

Ruskeala is a village located 20 kilometers from the Finnish border and located in the Sortavala region, near the town of Sortavala. The history of the village has been known since the beginning of the 16th century. In those distant times, the Swedes mined marble there, and after the end of the Northern War, when the lands were annexed to the Russian Empire, the workings were abandoned. But not for long: marble was needed to decorate St. Petersburg palaces and, thanks to rich deposits and proximity to St. Petersburg, industrial production of marble began in 1768. Ruskeala marble was used to decorate St. Isaac's Cathedral, Mikhailovsky Castle, and in the 20th century - and for facing the St. Petersburg metro stations "Ladozhskaya" and "Primorskaya".

In the 20th century, the territory either belonged to Finland or the USSR, and when the Finns left during the Soviet-Finnish war, they flooded the marble quarries, connecting them with the river flowing nearby. Since then, these places have not been used for a long time either for industrial or tourist purposes, unlike, for example, from which Alexander II visited.

Creation of a mountain park

In the 90s Ruskeala is experiencing a rebirth: a private company is engaged in equipping flooded quarries as a tourist complex: routes are laid, leisure activities are organized, excursion programs, parking, hotels. And since then this place has become one of the most favorite places for tourists not only from Karelia, Finland, St. Petersburg and Leningrad region but also more separate regions.

Ruskeala marble canyon

The main attraction of the park, which is visible even before entering the park itself, is the marble canyon. It is amazing a nice place: sheer marble cliffs along the banks and crystal pure water greenish blue. The color of the water is mesmerizing: from a distance it looks like the Northern Lights, it seems so unusual.

This flooded marble canyon used to be used for marble mining, but now all mines except one are flooded. Workers and marble were delivered along them, the depth inside the rock was 200 meters. The remaining mine can be seen by sailing past by boat or from above ( hiking trail runs around the canyon from above).

The park is open to visitors both in winter and summer.

Photo

Characteristics of the canyon

Length - 450 meters, width - from 60 to 100 meters, depth reaches 50 meters.

Boat rental

The canyon can be viewed from above, walking around it (and every visitor to the park will make this path, because there is a trail), but you can get real drive by taking a boat ride on the lake. The boat can go anywhere in the lake, incl. swim inside, under the rocks.

Renting a boat in 2014 cost 400 rubles for an unlimited time (about an hour - this is how much it takes to sail back and forth and admire the views), tickets are bought at the ticket office, but you have to wait for your turn. The queue and boarding of the boats begins before the entrance to the mountain park itself. Boat rental is open until 20-00.

Mountain park

The mountain park itself, in addition to the marble canyon, is an area along which paths leading to other attractions are laid. Entrance costs 150 rubles for adults, children under 7 years old and separate categories citizens - free of charge. Opening hours - until 21-00.

Firstly, entering the mountain park, you can walk around the entire marble canyon, admiring the green expanse of the water and boating. But then there is a no less interesting underground lake - a dip.

Ruskeala failure

It is said that the sinkhole was formed when an industrial explosion was made not far from it, in another quarry, and the earth fell down. A large hole with an area of ​​about 500 square meters was formed, flooded with water. The most distant edges of the sinkhole are covered with ice even in summer.

Underground adit

Between the canyon and the gap there is a hole in the ground - an old adit, if you go around it from the side, you can go through it and go outside.

Marble exposition: an Italian quarry

What else is there in the park?

Leisure in the mountain park is well organized: you can not only rent a boat, but also jump on a cable "into the water" (not reaching the water), slide down like a bungee from one side of the lake to the other, ride a dog sled. This place is also interesting for divers who cross flooded lakes and adits from one place to another. There is a small zoo nearby.

How not to get lost?

There are also two lakes in Ruskeala Park. When buying a ticket at the box office, you can take a map of the mountain park and go straight on it. You can order excursion service.

Where to stay?

You can stay in Sortavala or numerous nearby on the coast Lake Ladoga, for example, on the b / o of the same name "Ruskeala", "Black stones", "Yanisyarvi", "Piipun piha" and others.

How to get to Ruskeala Mountain Park?

There are no special difficulties on the road: either by car from St. Petersburg, from Karelia and Murmansk, you need to go towards the city of Sortavala: the distance from Sortvala to the park is 37 km. Before reaching the canyon, on the right you will see picturesque ones with a recreation area. We recommend stopping there on the way back or forth, this is one of the famous tourist places Karelia.

• By car from St. Petersburg

From St. Petersburg to Ruskeala 290 km, you need to go through Priozersk, Sortavala and then on the A-129 highway turn to the village of Vyartsilya along the A-130 highway.

• By car from Petrozavodsk

By car from Petrozavodsk you need to go through the towns of Pryazha, Kolatselga, Lyaskel and turn to the village of Vyartsilya. The distance is about 250 km.

• By public transport

By train and commuter train you need to go to Sortavala. You can also get to Sortavala by bus. There is a regular bus from Sortavala to Ruskeala (it goes to Vyartsilya and stops in Ruskeala), but you can also take a taxi.

Mountain park Ruskeala is one of the main attractions of Karelia. He is in 36 km from the city of Sortavala, in the vicinity of the village of Ruskeala. The river Tohmajoki flows nearby, which means "mad" in Finnish. Most likely, she received such a name for her restive nature. It was caused by numerous thresholds. Locals also call it Ruskolka from the Karelian word "ruskea" - "redhead". This is the color of the water in the river.

The Ruskeale marble deposit is considered the largest in the Ladoga area. Valuable rock lies at a depth of half a kilometer. The deposit area exceeds several tens of square kilometers. The color of the marble is varied. It can be gray, bluish, black, and even completely white. Frequent stripes give a special flavor.

From quarry to park

Marble in this area began to be mined in the middle of the 17th century. More than three hundred years ago, the Swedes ruled this territory. They did not appreciate the natural beauty of the stone and made lime out of it. She is in a large number required for the construction of residential buildings and fortifications. The deposit received a new purpose only after the change of owners and the accession of Catherine II. During this period, palaces were actively erected in St. Petersburg and the suburbs, which required a huge amount of marble.

Photo: The local marble has a beautiful pattern

In the summer of 1765, mining masters came to Ruskealu to assess the quality of the stone. Marble was found to be suitable. The Empress issued a corresponding decree, and a year later they began the industrial development of the deposit. Since there was a shortage of specialists in the capital, masons were brought with their families from the Urals. This is how the village with the romantic name Ruskeala appeared.

It was not easy to transport the mined rock to the capital. At first, stone blocks were delivered by sleighs or carts to the village of Khelyulya near Serdobol (now Sortavala). There they were loaded onto small ships and transported along Ladoga to St. Petersburg. Isaac and Kazan Cathedrals were erected from Ruskeala marble, Marble palace and the Mikhailovsky Castle. The development of the field ended only at the end of the 80s of the last century.

In 2005, on the site of a mining and industrial enterprise appeared nature Park... Its concept was developed by the Karelian ethnographer Andrei Gribushin. An illuminated walking trail was built around the former quarry. Observation platforms were set up in the most spectacular places. We have developed excursion programs. The new tourist attraction quickly gained popularity. Now during the year about 300 thousand tourists visit it! Ruskeala Mountain Park is unique as it is the only such object in Russia.

Ruskeala hits

The dominant feature of the mountain park is undoubtedly the quarry itself. He was romantically nicknamed "The Marble Canyon". And he deserves this name. A giant niche is filled with water. In fact, this is a man-made lake. The water in it has a rich emerald hue. The depth sometimes reaches 30 m! The canyon stretches from north to south for 456 m. The width is 109 m. The height of the steep sides reaches 25 m above the water level. It is hard to believe that such beauty was created by man.

The entire space in the vicinity of the quarry is permeated with mine workings. Some of them come to the surface, others are hidden under water. The length of the dungeons available for visiting is hundreds of meters. The spacious rooms are especially impressive. They are decorated with marble columns that rise from the bottom of an underground lake. It is possible to get into them only with scuba diving. Man-made caves look especially impressive in winter. When the water freezes, ice stalagmites and stalactites. They often resemble fairy-tale figures of animals and people.

In the northern part of the park there is an adit entrance. A hundred years ago, it was pierced in the upper underground horizon. From a special bridge you can see the shaft of an old vertical shaft. Scenic spots include the cliffs of Catherine II and Ivan da Marya. Even more impressive is the "Underground Lake" sinkhole, along which you can take a walk on the pontoons. And the Italian Quarry is absolutely mesmerizing! It traditionally serves as a place for mass photo sessions.

Mountain park - not only industrial facility but also a natural open-air museum. Many plants grow on its territory, which are listed in the "Red Book". It is home to rare species of reptiles, amphibians and bats. To prevent visitors from spontaneous "mining" of marble, a small mine was organized for them, where everyone can take as many samples as they like. In the stone-cutting workshop there is an opportunity to make a souvenir from stone with your own hands.

On the way to the quarry, you cannot avoid a picturesque place with seething waterfalls formed by the Tohmajoki River. Before the war they were called "Ahinkoski". Translated from the Finnish language, this means "Waterfalls of the Water". Then they began to be called Ruskeala. The famous film "The Dawns Here Are Quiet" was filmed in these places. After the release of the picture, the newlyweds came here to swear allegiance to each other. Nowadays there are cafes, souvenir shops, pedal boats near the waterfalls, hiking trails... There is a large car park.

Things to do in Ruskeale

In addition to hiking trails, guests of the park are offered boat trips on the lake. Since the number of boats is limited, you may have to queue up. But the view from the water is fantastic! Only by boat is it possible to visit some of the caves, since the entrance to them is only from the water. If you are too lazy to work with oars, you can take a ride on a small boat with a motor. It accommodates over ten people. These walks are available from May 20 to September 30.

Photo: Boat trip on Lake Marmara

Fans of extreme sports are recommended to "zipline" - flying over an abyss along cable car... The "bungee" is in effect. Dog sledding trips are popular in winter. Huskies are the driving force. The amazing transparency of the water in the lake attracts divers here. They make scuba diving trips through the labyrinths of flooded quarries. Old equipment remained at the bottom of the quarry - a crane and dump trucks. Underwater visibility reaches 14-17 m. Such entertainment is offered not to ordinary visitors, but to experienced divers.

In summer, the park hosts an international outdoor festival "Ruskeala Symphony". The excellent acoustics of the canyon makes this show especially spectacular. For children, games are organized with the participation of gnomes and other fairy-tale characters. Fire and laser shows are held, as well as annual new year holidays... The marble canyon was "lit up" in the films "Shaman", "The Dark World", "The Golden Trap".

Tours and opening hours

You will have to pay to visit the Mountain Park. You can walk around the territory on your own. Tours are offered for an additional fee. There are two routes: the short one ("Marble Canyon") goes around the quarry; the long one ("Dear Mining Masters") also includes the failure and the Italian quarry.

The excursion "Underground Ruskeala" is more exotic. The length of the route is 850 m. The duration is about one hour. It is held for groups of 4 to 20 people. It should be borne in mind that even in summer you will need warm clothes, since the temperature in the mines does not exceed +80.

Opening hours of the Mountain Park: from November 1 to February 28 from 10 to 19 (Fri-Sat from 10 to 22); from March 1 to April 30 from 10 to 21; from May 1 to August 31 from 9 to 22; from September 1 to October 31 from 10 to 21.

Photo: Tour guide in national Karelian clothes

Our tour club offers two programs for visiting the Mountain Park: one of them is held in the warm season with accommodation in tents, and the other in the cold season with hotel accommodation.

Roof over your head

There is a recreation center in the village of Ruskeala. It works all year round. Rooms are designed for 2-8 people. The total capacity is about 90 people. There is a Russian bath, sports equipment and tourist equipment rental. You can also stay overnight in hotels and apartments in the city of Sortavala.

In the Sortavala region there are cottages and guest houses, whose guests are offered organized trips to the Mountain Park. There is a camping near Ruskeala waterfalls. There are many scenic spots where individual tourists stay in tents. There are cafes and eateries in the park and near the waterfalls. There are restaurants in Sortavala.

How to get there

Coordinates of the Mountain Park: 61.9475, 30.5865

St. Petersburg and Ruskealu are connected by the A129 highway, which passes through the cities of Priozersk and Sortavala. Distance - 309 km. approximate time on the way - about 5 hours. From the Ladozhsky railway station, a train runs to Kostomuksha, which makes a stop in Sortavala. Then you will have to take a taxi or a regular bus. Several times a day he goes to Vyartsilya through Ruskeala.

Photo: The most convenient way to get to the Marble Canyon is by car

From Petrozavodsk by car, take the P21 highway through Kolatselga. Distance - 287 km. Travel time is 4-5 hours. Train # 680-Ch runs to Sortavala. Then they get to Ruskeala by taxi or bus. Taxi drivers are waiting for tourists on railway station... For a group, you can take a minibus.

Marble Canyon - a place of mesmerizing beauty... Not far from the village of Ruskeala, located about twenty-five kilometers north of the city of Sortavala, Republic of Karelia, there are picturesque marble quarries that have long served as a place for the extraction of marble. Back in the distant 17th century, the Swedes began mining here for marble, Then marble was used for very mundane purposes - building foundations in the surrounding settlements and for the production of building lime. Practical Swedes did not need pompous material for decorating buildings; they have always loved brevity and practicality, so the hand did not flinch to translate goodness. However, almost a century later, our country began mining marble for its intended purpose.

Isaac's Cathedral, Marble Palace, Kazan Cathedral and Mikhailovsky Castle are decorated with Ruskeala marble

The marble from Ruskeala quarries was highly appreciated by such prominent architects of the time as Rinaldi and Montferrand. They began to use marble slabs to decorate the buildings they erected. Many famous buildings of St. Petersburg. faced with marble from Ruskeala quarries, the main of which are Green and White, named after the color of the marble that is mined from them. For example, white marble from Karelia were used in the construction of St. Isaac's Cathedral, one of the facades of the Mikhailovsky Palace, the pedestal of the monument to Peter I, they were used to decorate the windows Winter Palace... The marble of the Green Mountain was useful in the construction of the Kazan Cathedral and other objects in St. Petersburg, Gatchina and Tsarskoye Selo. Today Ruskeala marble has been used for facing the underground halls of the St. Petersburg metro stations. Marble was mined at different levels, called horizons, which are located even underground. The original horizons have not reached our time, they were replaced by later ones. I will not write about how the marble was mined, because it will be much more interesting for you to hear this story from a qualified guide in the park who will tell you everything in detail. Currently, some of the quarries are abandoned and flooded, and some continue to be used for industrial stone mining. The combination of the nature of Karelia and human activities has given these quarries an amazingly picturesque look, which attracts travel lovers not only from Karelia, but also from St. Petersburg, Moscow and other places. One of the quarries, now called “Ruskeala Mountain Park”, is equipped for tourists - walking paths are cleared and fenced around, there is a parking lot right in the quarry, you can rent a boat and enjoy the view from the water on the marble walls, which are more than twenty meters high. ... It was developed since 1765, today its length from north to south is four hundred and sixty meters, width - up to one hundred meters. The distance from the highest point of the canyon side to its bottom is over fifty meters. The transparency of the water reaches up to eighteen meters.

In addition to the marble canyon, the mountain park includes many other interesting objects.

In front of the park entrance there is a square with a long row of souvenir stalls and an administration building where tickets are sold. There is also an observation deck on the largest quarry of Ruskeala. The mountain park occupies a small area and it does not take much time to explore it. If you rent a boat, then from the water you can swim into the marble grotto and admire the bizarre play of light reflected from the water on the slightly transparent marble vaults. The sheer cliffs also leave a lasting impression.

In the evenings in the quarry, they turn on colored lights. There are several more quarries around the park. Interesting fact- the quarries differ from each other in the color of the water. In the main quarry, the water has an emerald green tint, in the neighboring ones it is blue and gray with a blue tint. And this is no coincidence: the shade of the water is directly related to the color of the marble mined here. In addition to flooded adits, there are also non-flooded ones. But getting into them on your own without an escort is impossible.

The quarry is filled with crystal clear water with an emerald hue and is framed by patterned banks - sheer cliffs. In places, marble glows through the water. From the observation platforms located along the perimeter of the quarry, very picturesque views open up. The banks of the quarry are steep, sheer cliffs. Climbing on them is prohibited, as indicated by the appropriate signs. When issuing boats, they are warned not to swim up to a rock fenced in by buoys on the water, since stones sometimes fall off from above.

There is also something to see outside the park.

Close to it are the so-called "Italian quarries", where layers of evenly cut marble are clearly visible, both directly in the mountain and in the form of rejected and abandoned huge stone blocks. Italian - because the first developments here were carried out with the involvement of Italian specialists and technologies. There is also a marble pool cut into the "floor" and filled with water.

One of the attractions of this place are brick kilns of the 19th century, for firing marble chips (XIX century), furnace pipes somewhat similar to towers or minarets. You can come close to them, and even look inside. You can see the old administrative building made entirely of Ruskeala marble.

Diving is a separate topic. The flooded quarries of Ruskeala, interconnected by adits, are real paradise for divers. Labyrinths of tunnels, no less than three underground horizons of marble mining and remote unexplored underwater caves attract diving enthusiasts here in large numbers. At the bottom of the main canyon, the technique used at one time for the extraction of marble remains forever. Combined with amazing clear water, these techno artifacts only increase the attractiveness of the place. By the way, the transparency of the water is due to its low temperature: the water in the quarry is key and is constantly being renewed.

If you are traveling by car, on the way to the marble quarries, you should definitely stop on the banks of the Tohmajoki River, at the Ahvenkoski waterfall. Here benches and houses are specially made so that you can stop and relax. Gaining strength, you can go to the destroyed Finnish power plant, located on the same river Tohmajoki, just downstream. To do this, you need to go back a little along the highway - less than a kilometer and turn right, having passed about five hundred meters along a forest road. The waterfall is artificial, but beautiful.

A small amount of money is charged for a walk in the park. Boat rental, of course, is also paid. However, the price for people who spent on the road from St. Petersburg or another big city will not seem high. A pier for diving is provided especially for divers. In winter, an ice rink is organized here and skates can be rented.

How to get to Ruskeala marble canyon

It is difficult to get to the Ruskeala village by public transport, although it is possible. First you need to get to the city of Sortavala. From St. Petersburg you can get there by train or by regular bus. From Sortavala to Ruskeal village, or you can get by bus (runs 2 times a day to Vyartsilya through Ruskeala) or by taxi. Alternatively, you can get to the Matkaselka station by the St. Petersburg - Kostomuksha train, and walk about eight kilometers to the park along the road. The train arrival time is very inconvenient 1:00 and 4:00, although, on the other hand, you will be the first visitors. Getting there by car is much easier. From St. Petersburg you need to get to the city of Sortavala along the highway A-129 St. Petersburg - Sortavala. Then drive north along the A-130 highway to Vyartsilya to Ruskeala village. It will contain a pointer to the Mountain Park. You can park your car in the parking lot of the complex (parking is free) or on the side of nearby roads. The path is not short. From St. Petersburg to the Gorny Park about three hundred and thirty kilometers.