Vulkan Girvas opening hours. Girvas Volcano - an amazing mystery of Karelian nature

The first in our travels to the sights of Karelia was trip to Girvas volcano . About what is in Karelia dormant volcano, I was surprised to find out when I booked a ticket to. And after such an intriguing discovery for us, we go on an excursion to the volcano in anticipation of a meeting with something unusual.

On the way, looking from the windows of the sightseeing bus, we admire the landscapes of Lake Munozero. Already the names themselves here in Karelia are unusual for us: Munozero, Konchezero, Ushkozero, Girvas, Kivach, Suna, etc., and the stress is placed on the first syllable.

We make the first stop before reaching the village of Girvas near the bridge, which turned out to be a dam on the Suna River. The views of the river before and after the dam are very different.

In principle, it should be so, but the view of the river behind the dam is amazing. This is a narrow canyon with steep stone banks, the bottom of which is sometimes covered with a small amount of water.

On the pine we see a sign.

We go down from the road and pass along the right bank for some distance, admiring amazing scenery canyon.

The Suna River behind the dam.

And further short video, the daughter filmed at the dam.

Look at the opposite bank. It is clearly seen that this is a frozen lava flow.

This old channel of the once stormy and abounding river Suna. Before the construction of the Girvas dam and the bypass channel to the Palozersk hydroelectric power station, there were several waterfalls on the Suna River, including the Girvas waterfall, which was a cascade of rapids in a narrow canyon. And downstream after 3 km there was another Poor threshold waterfall. Now he remained on the Sun only. With sadness and regret, the guide told us about the loss by Karelia of such beautiful and once powerful lowland waterfalls.

In addition to the canyon itself, my attention was drawn to the method of installing electric poles on the rocky shore. I have never seen such a thing. (Photos can be enlarged).

But these locals have already attracted the attention of my children. Apparently, the frogs have settled in the old pits. It was once here that geological samples of rock were taken.

In places there are such piles in crevices. They were hammered into crevices and chipped off stone blocks. To be honest, I listened to half of the story about these piles. So, when and for what these blocks were used, I will not say.

After admiring the Girvas section of the Suna river canyon, we went to the Girvas volcano itself. It's already behind the village. Here, too, there is a sign in the form of some gates.

We walk along the path, at the bottom right there is a small reservoir, obviously, this is a spare spillway from the dam, during the flood there is an idle spillway and then instead of an extinct volcano you can see a real waterfall.

We pass a small bridge.

And now, already, between the trees we notice, as if sintered rocks, and a small waterfall.

A little more and we're out open space. Wow! Here he is, how extinct Girvas volcano .

Girvas volcano

View of Girvas volcano and Pioneer Canal.

Of course, the volcano is not in the usual sense, it is not something high, glaciers and time have done their job, hewing and smoothing the ancient giant, whose age is more than two billion years. But still, it's impressive. Some kind of puppy delight from all this beauty covers me. I want to climb everywhere, see everything, touch everything and take pictures.

There I am - in the crater of an extinct volcano.

The place where we are is the crater of an ancient volcano. Here is what you can read about the Girvas volcano on the website of the information and analytical system “Specially Protected natural areas Russia":

At the crater of the Girvas volcano.

Tourists on the ancient giant. The buildings of the Palozersk HPP are visible behind the trees.

Now a small stream flows from the spillway through the volcano.

Here it is, frozen volcanic lava. Such a beauty.

From the volcano open beautiful views on sand dunes Pioneer channel.

I so wanted to sit down on that ridge next to a group of tourists and admire these landscapes. But our tourist group already returning back, had to catch up.

However, we did not go right away, but crossed the road. There is a small parking lot for sightseeing buses, several pavilions like summer cafes, souvenir shop and public place MF. We were given 15 minutes of free time. Having bought ice cream, we continued to enjoy the local landscapes.

The parking lot is stylized as a village. True, the fence with rugs against the background of electric poles looks ridiculous.

On the shore there are lovely meadow flowers.

Landscape Pioneer Canal in front of the dam.

There is also a trout farm here.

The map shows the Girvas volcano and the Girvas section of the Suna river canyon.

The excursion to the Girvas volcano ended, but on the way back the guide showed us something else interesting on Munozero. She called it "our Gulliver". And it really looks like a giant lying person. This landscape is visible when we pass through the village of Spasskaya Guba from Girvas towards Marcial Waters.

Here we have such a wonderful trip to Girvas volcano which exceeded all expectations.

Liked the article? Tell your friends about it!!!

Reprinting of site materials, including photographs, without the permission of the site author and without reference to articles is prohibited.

What do we imagine when we hear the word "volcano"? Here my imagination instantly draws huge mountain with a snowy peak and maybe even a light, barely noticeable haze. And if you think a little more, it will already be a crater, looking into which, we see a lot of red, seething and, of course, very hot.

You will not see any of the above when you come to Girvas. Even close there are no such landscapes. Not now. And many, many years ago they were. It is for these "past merits" that this place is called - a volcano. My advice to you: in order to fully experience the difference between "then" and "now", you need to pack up and go see everything with your own eyes.

A bit of history

It is alleged that about 3 billion years ago everything was in the best volcanic traditions at this place: liquid flame, heat, tall mountains. They say that last eruption the now subdued volcano occurred about 2 billion years ago. But what it was! According to some estimates, lava flows flowing from the vent of the volcano reached the place where Petrozavodsk is now located. And this, for a second, is a distance of 70 kilometers! So this "old man" was not a tiny volcano. The volcano was named after the village of the same name, located nearby. In Karelian hirvas means "moose". Apparently, they are found there (or were found) in abundance.

Previously, there was also a waterfall at this place, in comparison with which the Kivach waterfall is just a small threshold.

How to get to Girvas volcano

As I said, the volcano is located about 70 kilometers from Petrozavodsk. The most convenient means of transportation in this case is a car. Of course, I messed up quite a bit. local forests until I found the right turn, but now I can tell you exactly how to get there:

• By car. Everything is simple here. You need to go to the Kola highway and follow it towards Murmansk. A little more than an hour later you will see a sign with the inscription "Girvas". Turn left along it (this is if you are coming from Petrozavodsk or Kondopoga). Then another 10-15 minutes of the road, after which you find yourself in the village of Girvas. In it you reach an intersection where shops are located on all sides (this is an easily recognizable place), and at this intersection turn left. Again you drive for 10-15 minutes, leave the village and almost immediately after the exit you see a bridge and hydroelectric facilities. That way. Cross the bridge to the other side, to the left of it there will be a parking lot, and to the right is just the object of our interest: a volcano - a waterfall. The cost of visiting (it is also the cost of parking) is 100 rubles per person. In the second picture, the scheme of movement by car through the village

• On public transport. direct bus"Petrozavodsk - Girvas" no. You can get on those passing by, but there are two points: you will walk from the bus stop to the volcano (and this is very far away), and the buses do not run every day (that is, the option “we arrived there, but there is nothing to leave from there” quite likely). But if you decide - the ticket will cost within 200 rubles per person.
• You can take a taxi. The cost for one way will be up to 1000 rubles.
• Or buy a tour. Most likely, this will be an excursion not only to the volcano: also capture the Kivach nature reserve, Martial waters and a couple of other objects. Such a tour will cost about 1700 rubles. per person, and this already includes transport and all entrance fees. You can, of course, search and find a tour that shows only the Girvas volcano. Then with transport and entrance tickets it will cost up to 1100 rubles. per person. But it seems to me that if you got out on an excursion, it is better to visit to the maximum.

Opening hours and cost of visiting Girvas volcano

We can say that it is always open. Because even just having reached there by car and standing on the bridge, you already see it. And no one will forbid you to enter the territory either. But if you are for a more orderly approach, then parking for cars (and on its territory there is also a souvenir shop-cafe and a toilet) is open from 10 to 18 every day. The cost of parking one car will be 100 rubles. per passenger (if you are 4 people in the car, then you will pay 400 rubles).

No further additional contributions will be required from you. After paying for parking / visiting, you can immediately go to the volcano - waterfall. There is no specially equipped entrance to it, you just go down the path and it is in front of you.

We go - we look

I would suggest you visit this place Wear comfortable walking shoes and loose-fitting sportswear. And this is not because you cannot walk there in ordinary shoes (you can even walk in heels if you really want to), but because when you arrive there and see these open spaces in front of you, you cannot contemplate them from the side. You are drawn to go down to the very lava flows, jump from one to another, sit on the top of the third, jump over a mini-lake and finish your detour by climbing a hill along a narrow path. And in order to fully experience this place, it is better to come already prepared.

Volcano - waterfall

By the way, did I say that this volcano is also a waterfall? I wrote "was a waterfall". Now, this is not entirely accurate. In our time, he also periodically recalls the past when the floodgates of a nearby hydroelectric power station are opened to drain excess water. And then quiet and quiet place turns into a "volcano of passions."

Local residents (more precisely, one resident, he is also a caretaker) said that a couple of days ago there was one of those transformations of the volcano into a waterfall, when the hydroelectric power station once again opened the dam to dump excess water. It only remained to hope that the workers of the hydroelectric power station somehow notify the caretaker of their intentions, so that the walk along the volcano would not end for tourists with sudden rafting with overcoming the rapids. But so far there have been no such cases.

You need to understand that the way it looks now is not at all like a volcano. No mountains or eruptions. Rather, it is lava that once flowed out of the vent and, having hardened, remained there forever. It looks simply fascinating due to the fact that each layer has its own shade of color from black to green.

As I said, getting there, you cannot look at it from the side and immediately go to the lava field. And roam, roam. You jump from one place to another, look at the shades, watch the reflection of the trees in the water, sit down on one of the hillocks and listen to the forest.

After exploring the lava field, you climb a steep path into the forest. Having reached the top, once again, now from a height, you look around at what is left of once active volcano and you understand that even in this form it looks very impressive.

In the forest incredible amount mushrooms. You don't have to put in any effort to notice them. They are here, right next to each other, to the left and to the right of the path. For local residents very lucky with such a mushroom variety. So, if you accidentally happen to have a bucket with you (well, or something remotely resembling it), then the trip can also be combined with a trip for mushrooms. And if it’s already completely full program”, then with eating barbecue. There are excellent clearings in the forest for this, one of them even with a real wooden table.

In general, there is plenty of room for imagination. The main thing is to come, and there already on the spot it will be clear what the soul lies more for.

Girvas airfield

This is, so to speak, as a bonus. Abandoned military airfield. A former military facility is located here, so it is not marked on the maps. It is located in the nearby village of the same name. Finding the airfield is a bit difficult (that's right, the military hid it on purpose). The landmark is this: if you drive from the Kola highway, then after 5 km towards the village you need to look at the turn to the left (there will be several of them). In principle, you can turn into any, it will still lead to the airfield.

On the map, up from the red "pin" the runway is very clearly visible. No need to wait for an asphalt or gravel direct road to the airfield. These are, rather, forest paths, trodden under the car. You can drive a Jeep in any weather. It’s better not to take risks on a passenger car and travel when it’s dry.

The airfield was built in 1940, and in 1941 runway reconstructed. It was active during the Great Patriotic War. Since 1960, the airfield has been used as a reserve for strategic aviation based in Besovets. And since 1992, it has become abandoned and unguarded.

Generally perfect place. The runway is in good condition. Its length is 2800 meters. Guess who's using it now? Of course, those who like to drive a car and feel like a Formula 1 pilot are all there. Well, for learning to drive a car is also a good platform.

I could not deny myself the pleasure of rushing forward / backward along the strip with the breeze. I must say that the speed is 130 km / h on the highway and the same speed, but on runway feel quite differently. On the track, you don’t seem to feel it, but on the strip there is a real feeling that you are going to take off.

Where to eat near Girvas volcano

Unfortunately, there is no food in the usual tourist form (such as a cafe or restaurant) near these tourist sites. But there are shops, and if the weather allows and there is a desire to have a snack in nature, this can be realized. Shops, I mean those that are located in the village itself. The prices there are very reasonable, but the range - you know, people in the village to all sorts culinary delights not accustomed - as simple as possible. True, sometimes freshly smoked trout is brought to stores, which is bred right there in the trout farm. So, if you have any special requests for products, grab a meal to go.

If you are interested in souvenirs, then in the parking lot you can find their minimum set. Basically, these are fridge magnets made of wood (in the form of an elk, a bear, or some other inhabitants of the fauna), as well as clay plates with views of Karelia. Magnets from 120 rubles, plates from 350 rubles.

Conclusion

If you ask my opinion: is it worth devoting one of the days of your trip to a trip to Girvas? I will say unequivocally - yes. Another day to breathe fresh air, wander through the forest, listen to the silence and just change the familiar cityscape for something else.

Karelia is a region popular with active tourists. In addition to fast rafting mountain rivers, fishing and skiing, this region offers many hidden natural attractions. These are ancient petroglyphs, and seasonal waterfalls and ancient volcano Girvas. Karelia welcomes guests all year round. In this article, we will talk about only one attraction of the region - the Girvas volcano. It may seem strange, but it was discovered only in the sixties of the last century. How is this possible? Was it really impossible to “notice” the volcano earlier? We will also tell about the history of this discovery in the article. Read below about how to get there, where to stay and when it is better to go to the land of rivers and lakes.

strange volcano

Girvas (Karelia) was active three billion years ago. Then, after nine hundred million years, he woke up again, after which he finally went out. natural factors- winds, rains, glaciation - almost completely destroyed the vent and the crater. In the renewed relief, rivers flowed along the top of the once powerful fire-breathing mountain. And in the sixties of the twentieth century, people decided to build a hydroelectric power station on one of the streams. Suna went down from that. So the ancient volcano was exposed. He was named Girvas after the village of the same name, which is located nearby, on the other side of the river. And the village takes its name from the Karelian word hirvas - elk.

How to get to Girvas (Karelia)

Closest to the volcano and the village railroad station- Kondopoga - located fifty kilometers away. Therefore, it is more convenient to get to this natural attraction of Karelia by car. You should start your journey from the capital of the region, the city of Petrozavodsk. You need to move along the P21 autobahn, which is popularly called the Kola highway, towards Murmansk. Seeing a pointer to locality Girvas, you should turn off the road. The most difficult thing is to orient yourself in the village itself. So, we drive into the village of Girvas (Karelia), get to its not very busy center (there are shops there) and turn left. When the houses of the village are behind, the bridge over the Suna river and the notorious Paleozero hydroelectric power station, thanks to which the volcano was discovered, will appear. We move to the other side. Parking on the left and on the right is our attraction.

What Girvas (Karelia) looks like

The photo presents us with a picture that is fundamentally different from the one that the imagination paints with the word "volcano". There is no mountain, no crater, much less smoke from the vent. But scientists have determined that Girvas belongs to the Icelandic type of volcanic activity. For my long history(more than three billion years), the mountain repeatedly spewed flames, threw out "bombs" and flooded the surrounding area with lava flows. Nature has done a good job of erasing any reminder of a volcano from the face of the earth. But, thanks to the shallower channel of the Suna, a one and a half meter magmatic “tongue” is still visible. And the lava field, according to research, extends over a thousand square kilometers. The Suna coast is a series of terraces created by solidified magma. In the depths lurk "unexploded bombs" - ejections of the volcano at the time of its activity. These stone balls hollow.

Other attractions

Not far from the village of Girvas (Karelia) is the Poor rapids. It is also an object of tourism. In the village itself, you can see the recently opened Orthodox church martyr Panteleimon. The forests near Girvas are unusually rich in mushrooms. All reviews say that best time go sightseeing - Golden autumn. Firstly, on the rivers of Karelia at this time, low water is the lowest seasonal water level. And secondly, you can see how the dam is opened to release the reservoir in the upper Suna. The resulting waterfall, although it has a man-made origin, is very beautiful.

Girvas through the eyes of a specialist

Numerous excursions are sent to the volcano and the artificial flow to the hydroelectric power station. And while ordinary tourists admiring the pine forest and jumping on the exposed lava terraces, a specialist can discover a lot of interesting things. After all, Girvas (Karelia) is the oldest paleovolcano found on earth. Its area is truly huge (about a thousand square kilometers). It stretches from the village of Girvas to Svatnavolok. Volcanic rocks of various eruptions moved with sedimentary layers. Near the Paleozerskaya hydroelectric power station, you can see the vent and the explosion tube of one of the side cones. Lava flows reach a thickness of several hundred meters. You can often find in their texture. Their shell consists of solidified lava, and there is gas inside. Scientists know that the crater, measuring twenty by fifty meters, is extended to the northeast. The oldest paleovolcano found (its visible part) is located in a very beautiful area, where among pine forests the picturesque river Suna flows.

Even if you are indifferent to volcanology, you should still visit Girvas (Karelia). At the same time, it must be borne in mind that people from the village of the same name are trying to cash in on a natural attraction. They may claim that parking is paid or (if you left the car far away and came on foot) that crossing the bridge costs money. You don't have to believe it. Tourists urge to stop attempts to cash in on the gullibility of people. After all, the nature of Russia is the property of its people.

Anyone who has been to Karelia knows that in this area, literally at every step, there are amazing natural attractions. If you want to see something really unforgettable and unusual, then your path should run through the small village of Girvas. It was he who gave the name to the amazing attraction, which happy accident opened only in the 60s of the last century. You may have heard of her too. Although it is unlikely, because this place is still a scientific find, little studied by experts. So, get acquainted - Girvas volcano in Karelia.

Girvas - a volcano or not?

Having visited the area of ​​​​Karelia where the Girvas volcano is located, you cannot immediately understand that under your feet there is a crater that once erupted tons of molten magma and threw dangerous ash boulders for several kilometers. Today there is nothing left of this elemental power. Except perhaps a layer of a lava field, barely visible from above, which stretches for several kilometers and goes into the hills, which in some places received the Suna flows and became part of its shores.

The Girvas volcano in Karelia is one of the oldest on the planet. It was active more than three billion years ago, after which it selflessly went out. Nature through rains, strong wind gusts, change temperature conditions decided to wipe it off the face of the earth by destroying all actual reminders of the volcano. That is how, over time, the crater and the mouth of this mighty giant disappeared.

A group of researchers managed to detect its presence, who began to study the Karelian landscapes before the construction of the hydroelectric power station. As a result of the blocking of the channel, the water level in the Suna decreased, which led to the exposure of part of its banks. That is how the researchers stumbled upon an extinct volcano. Later, it was given the name Girvas, as well as the village located nearby.

Scientists equipped expeditions several times to study the Girvas volcano in Karelia in more detail. They managed to find out that he belongs to the category of so-called " Icelandic volcanoes". Once upon a time, Girvas was a real natural disaster, as it regularly erupted hundreds of thousands of tons of volcanic magma, destroying all life within a radius of several tens of kilometers. Despite the fact that its crater and vent have been destroyed, the lava field remains. The researchers claim that it covers an area of ​​tens of square kilometers and had a powerful influence on the formation of the local flora and fauna.

The depth of lava fields in some places reaches hundreds of meters. Moreover, the researchers say that they are heterogeneous in structure. In certain areas, so-called "volcanic bombs" were found. They are an accumulation of gas, placed in a shell of solidified lava mass.

Girvas Volcano: how to get there safely and quickly?

Every year, the number of tourists who want to see such an unusual natural attraction with their own eyes is increasing. Therefore, the question becomes natural, how to get to the Girvas volcano, what transport is suitable for this?

There are several options:

1. The longest and most unpopular one is to get to the Kondopoga railway station, from where it is another 50 km to get by car or public transport to the village of Girvas. From here - a few more kilometers to the volcano itself.
2. The most preferable and safe is to start moving from the Karelian capital - Petrozavodsk. You need to leave the city in the direction of Murmansk along the P21 highway, then, following the signs, turn to the village of Girvas. Having reached its center, turn left and move until you see the bridge over the Suna. Having moved to the other side, you can leave the car in the parking lot, and on the left you will see the Girvas volcano, “coming out” of the river.

Volcano Girvas

Scientists who analyzed the rocks in the area of ​​activity of the volcano are sure that the Girvas volcano was one of powerful volcanoes Earth. It shook the surface for several kilometers, the landscape changed in seconds, and now you can walk along the volcano without fear...

The word "volcano" evokes certain associations. First of all, it is a large cone-shaped object with a crater-shaped top. Girvas Volcano is not affected by these ideas. For 3 billion years, the forces of nature have been carefully removing all the results of the work of the Girvas volcano, which before that had been spewing lava for one billion years. Giant figures even on a planetary scale, given that the age of the Earth is about 6 billion years. The remains of the volcano's vent can be seen even now, it stretches for 50 m. In addition to the vent, the explosion pipe and the side layer of the volcanic apparatus are visible. It's like watching a volcano through a section or looking inside a complex mechanism.

However, it is far from the geological value that delights people who find themselves in the territory where the volcano hosted. First of all, the hearts of the guests of Karelia are conquered by the picturesqueness of these ancient monoliths, which have long been occupied by the approaching taiga. Many old coniferous trees have chosen sandy soils between the rocks. These deposits have been left here since ancient glaciation. The volcano was discovered several decades ago, but volcanologists are still interested in it, finding new features, making new discoveries. Girvas is an interesting book for them, and the more carefully you read it, the more interesting details it will tell.

Maybe no one would have known that the giant was active here, if not for the traces of lava rivers that were found in the former bed of the Suna. After the construction of the dam, the river exposed its bottom with petrified streams. The crater and debris of the volcano are completely destroyed. In this pile of rocks, it is simply impossible to guess the outlines of the volcano. Now it's very significant geological monument, which is not bypassed by any introductory geological expedition, and tourists are happy to honor this place with attention. There is a sense of transience here in a special way. In the past, the lava field was equal to 1 thousand square meters. km, which demonstrates the complexity of the volcanic structure.

In the stone conglomerates of the Girvas volcano, there are magmatic fragments in the form of pillars and balls, as well as whole “bombs”, inside of which gas voids are formed. If you take a position on the elevated bank of the river, then the lava tongue is clearly visible. The volcano itself is surrounded by a thick, several hundred meters thick layer of lava.

How to get to Girvas volcano

Tourists who plan to visit Girvas should definitely go to the waterfall located on the Suna River, 37 km from the volcano. Despite the change in the course of the river, the name of the volcano still looks majestic. The lacy frills of its water stream impress with their size and beauty. The volcano went out or maybe just fell asleep, because no one can predict what awaits our planet in the future. It is definitely worth looking at this giant, frozen in the middle of magical Karelian nature.

The R-21 road, along which motorists get to Karelia, leads to the village of Girvas, a sign will warn about this. At the end of the village - turn right and after 2 km you will see the bridge and the structure of the hydroelectric power station. Behind the bridge is a place where you can leave your car. Next, you should go down a well-visible path.

Source: rus-globus.ru

Legendary Thirty, route

Through the mountains to the sea with a light backpack. Route 30 passes through the famous Fisht - this is one of the most grandiose and significant monuments nature of Russia, closest to Moscow high mountains. Tourists lightly pass all the landscape and climatic zones countries from the foothills to the subtropics, overnight stays in shelters.