Marble canyon Ruskeala. Although the Marble Canyon is the main attraction of Ruskeala, many picturesque rocks and stones can be found nearby.

Middle of the 18th century. Newly proclaimed capital Russian state is developing rapidly. They build palaces, pave squares, lay out parks. St. Petersburg needs marble. Lots and lots of it. Preferably domestic, so that it is inexpensive and not far away.

Catherine II orders to produce " geographical research all around 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 region. It would be easily lost on the map if not for unique nature and glorious history.

For centuries, these lands have been the subject of military disputes. three states and then passed to the Swedes, then to the Finns, then to the Russians. Therefore, the first developers of the 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 region remained with Russia, and the Ruskeala canyons came under the jurisdiction of Field Marshal Buturlin. The extraction of marble was temporarily abandoned.

But in 1768, at the suggestion of the local pastor Samuil Alopeus, work began to boil again in Ruskeala. From all sides masons, architects and mining engineers gathered. An inconspicuous border village in just a few years became industrial center. Over the next 50 years, more than 200 thousand tons of marble were mined. Blocks of stone were loaded onto sledges pulled by 80 horses and taken 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 the era of Ruskeala marble without exaggeration. This noble ash stone adorned the interiors of many metropolitan objects:

• Orlovsky Gate (Tsarskoye 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. The architect Auguste Montferrand personally came to Ruskeala to supervise the breaking of the stone. As a result of the wall St. Isaac's Cathedral lined with beautiful white-gray marble about 50 centimeters thick.

In the second half of the 19th century, marble began to go out of fashion (city architects switched to granite). Active marble mining in Ruskeala has stopped. In 1896, the Finns rented the deposit: they built a marble-lime plant and produced marble chips, and with it, in turn, walls were plastered and floors were poured.

Production closed with the start of the Soviet-Finnish War of 1939–1940. The marble quarries were flooded. According to one version - by the Finns, according to another - by Soviet aviation.

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

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

What to see in Ruskeala?

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 Tokhmajoki River (“mad river”) flows into Lake Ladoga and has many rapids and rifts, the largest of which form waterfalls. The largest one is called Ahvenkoski, which in Finnish means "perch threshold". To say that the place is beautiful is an understatement. What is worth 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 Ruskeala. Next to it there is a parking lot, a gazebo and a souvenir shop. Ruskeala waterfalls are a great place to take a break 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 mountain park"Ruskeala" (more about it a little 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 where they took marble for St. Isaac's Cathedral and other St. Petersburg architectural monuments.

The canyon makes a huge impression! Sheer silver marble rocks, going deep into the clear waters, grottoes and adits - all this creates the feeling that you are in fairyland, and a dwarf with a pick at the ready will look out of the mine.

Water is particularly striking. The quarry is fed by clean groundwater, there are no algae at the bottom. Therefore, its transparency reaches 15-18 meters, in some places you can even see the 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 above ground).

A horizon is a layer within a rock.

Most of the galleries are under water. Only one of them, in the northwestern part of the mountain park, has remained above the water level and is open to the public. It is believed that the Finns broke through it in the 1930s in order to transport trolleys with marble from mine No. 2. The mine itself is about a third flooded, and ice is visible at its bottom, which does not melt even in summer.

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

Another attraction of the Ruskeala mountain park is the Ruskeala failure. This is a collapsed vault of underground workings. According to the memories local residents, it was formed in the 1960s after a strong explosion in a quarry. As a result, a huge hole about 30 meters wide was formed on the surface of the earth.

A feature of the failure is its microclimate. In the far parts of the working, the ice never melts, where bizarre icicles hang from the walls. But directly at the site of the failure in the warm season, small lake. Therefore, in order to get deep into the working, you must first go down to the boat on a rope, and then get to the ice “floor” on it. In winter, everything is easier: you immediately descend onto strong ice.

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

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

What to do in Ruskeala?

As already mentioned, in 2005 the Marble Canyon, as well as the Ruskeala failure and the Italian quarry, became part of the Ruskeala mountain park.

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

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

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

1. Jump from the 24-meter cliff of the Marble Canyon. Of course, with insurance. Height free fall at the same time it is 8 meters.
2. Passage along the rope bridge: three ropes are stretched across the canyon at a height of 24 meters - you walk one at a time, you hold on to two.
3. Trolls is downhill on a roller along an obliquely stretched rope straight to the surface of Marble Lake.

Another popular pastime in the park is diving. As you remember, the Ruskeala marble canyon has three underwater horizons. Flooded mines, connected by adits, like a mysterious labyrinth. Diving lovers 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 abyss. For this you need to have special equipment and permission from the management of the institution. In addition, descent 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 failure. Even if you are not a fan of extreme sports, the views that open up inside the failure are worth it to overcome your fears. In winter, it is like the residence of the Snow Queen! Take a look at this virtual tour and see for yourself.

Of the quieter winter activities - riding huskies (those very fluffy cuties) and taking pictures with them. Also in the park and its surroundings, various recreational activities: concerts, folklore holidays, historical installations, competitions and more.

But at the camp sites 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 tour or go rafting.

Rafting is sports alloy By mountain river on six-, four- or two-seater inflatable vessels.

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

In a word, you will not be bored in Ruskeala. From this place you will take away a lot of picturesque photos and no less vivid impressions.

How to get to Ruskeala?

The village of Ruskeala is located in the Sortavalsky district 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 private 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 highway. The distance from St. Petersburg to Ruskeala is about 300 kilometers.

From Petrozavodsk to Ruskeala, the M18 highway (another name is R-21) leads first, from which, in the area of ​​​​the city of Pryazha, you need to turn to the villages of Lyaskelya and Helyulya (road M130).

By bus

From Petrozavodsk to Sortavala run every day intercity buses. You can see the schedule. In turn, from Sortavala to Ruskeala can be reached by shuttle bus. Also from Sortavala to the Marble Canyon can be reached by taxi for a few hundred rubles. With a taxi driver, you can agree on the day and time when he will return for you.

By train

Train 350A "St. Petersburg - Kostomuksha" runs from St. Petersburg to the city of Sortavala. 23 hours - and you are there. Too bad the train doesn't run every day. Check out the schedule. How to get from Sortavala to Ruskeala - see above.

It is also possible to get there by train, but you will have to make several transfers.

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 of 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.

Marble Canyon is so beautiful that even norwegian fjords. Sheer silvery walls embrace a transparent emerald lake, adits caves can be seen. 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, through which you can trace the history of mining from the 18th to the 20th century. For centuries, workers with the hardest work have been extracting marble, which adorned luxurious palaces Petersburg.

Ruskeala is a village located 20 kilometers from the Finnish border and located in the Sortavala region, near the city 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 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 - for facing 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 was visited by Tsar Alexander II.

Creation of a mountain park

In the 1990s, Ruskeala experienced a rebirth: a private company engaged in the equipment of flooded quarries as 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. Leningrad region but also more separated regions.

Marble Canyon Ruskeala

The main attraction of the park, which is visible even before entering the park itself, is the marble canyon. This is an amazingly beautiful place: sheer marble cliffs along the banks and crystal clear water of a greenish-blue color. The color of the water is fascinating: 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 but one of the mines 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 on a boat or from above ( hiking trail runs around the canyon from above).

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

Photos

Canyon characteristics

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

Boat rental

The canyon can be viewed from above by walking around it (and every visitor to the park will make this journey, because there is a trail there), but the real drive can be obtained by taking a boat ride on the lake. By boat you can swim to any place of the lake, incl. swim inside, under the rocks.

Renting a boat in 2014 cost 400 rubles for an unlimited time (about an hour - so much is needed to swim back and forth and enjoy the views), tickets are bought at the box office, but you need to wait in line. The queue and boarding of 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 a territory along which paths leading to other attractions are laid. Entrance costs 150 rubles for adults, children under 7 years old and certain categories of citizens are free. Opening hours - until 21-00.

Firstly, entering the mountain park, you can go around the entire marble canyon, admiring the green expanse of water and boating. But further there is an equally interesting underground lake - a failure.

Ruskeala failure

They say that the failure was formed when an industrial explosion was made not far from it, at another quarry, and the earth fell down. A large hole was formed with an area of ​​approximately 500 square meters, flooded with water. The most remote edges of the sinkhole are covered with ice even in summer.

underground adit

Between the canyon and the failure 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 exhibition: 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), move out, like on a bungee, from one edge of the lake to the other, ride dog sledding. This place is also interesting for divers who swim across 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 the Ruskeala park. When buying a ticket at the box office, you can take a map of the mountain park and go straight along it. You can order a tour service.

Where to stay?

You can stop in the city of Sortavala or numerous nearby on the shore Lake Ladoga, for example, on the eponymous b / o "Ruskeala", "Black Stones", "Yanisjarvi", "Piipun Piha" and others.

How to get to Ruskeala mountain park?

There are no particular difficulties on the road: 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, picturesque with a recreation area will be visible. We recommend stopping there on the way there or back, 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 the city of Priozersk, the city of Sortavala and then on the A-129 highway, turn around the turn to the village of Vartsila along the A-130 highway.

• By car from Petrozavodsk

By car from Petrozavodsk, you need to go through the cities of Pryazha, Kolatselga, Lyaskelya and turn to Vartsila village. The distance is approximately 250 km.

• By public transport

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

I continue the story of our weekend trip to Karelia by car. The main purpose of the trip was the Ruskeala Marble Canyon.

I longed to visit Karelia, because I really wanted to see northern landscapes, rivers and lakes instead of the sights of Thai palm trees and beaches that were pretty greasy.

Sounds weird, doesn't it? I think many people dream of just the opposite - to soak up the warm sand away from the hustle and bustle and swim in the sea, but when the weather and landscapes outside the window hardly change for five months, you start to want something else. Like most people, I like variety.

From time to time, the guys write questions in social networks about whether I regret that I came to Russia and whether I miss Asia. Where is it! In Russia gorgeous nature, summer is coming, so it's time to continue exploring this vast country, especially since the Ruskeala marble quarry, which opened my eyes in Karelia, is perhaps one of the most striking natural attractions that I had a chance to visit this year. Russia still hides many such treasures.

Hotels and apartments in Sortavala

You can read about the beginning of the trip and organizational moments, prices in Karelia and our hotel in the post:

If you plan to spend the night in the canyon area, keep in mind that the nearest place where you can rent a hotel, apartment or hotel is the city of Sortavala, 30 km from Ruskeala.

It is better to book accommodation in advance, especially on weekends or in summer high season. We traveled to May holidays, most of the hotels in Sortavala were occupied.

You can study the prices on several search engines or at least write down the addresses of the hotels you like in order to know exactly where to go. Links to hotels in Sortavala:

So, having settled in the pre-booked Seurahuone hotel in the city of Sortavala, Marina, Kostya and Max went to the Ruskeala canyon, which is located near the village of the same name, 30 km from Sortavala. Approximately the same number of kilometers separate the deposits of marble from the Finnish border.

History of Ruskeala mountain park

The Ruskeala mountain park became a tourist attraction only in 2005. It is interesting that it was created at the private expense of several entrepreneurs from the Northern Ladoga region. To equip the surroundings of the canyon and create tourism infrastructure, it took about two years and about 600 thousand rubles.

Until the second half of the 18th century, the territories near Ruskeala belonged to the Swedes, who actively mined marble from the bowels of the earth. After the Northern War, the lands were ceded to Russia, and the quarries were forgotten.

The Russians remembered the marble deposit in those parts under Catherine II, with whose light hand the development resumed, and four marbles began to be mined from the quarries. different types: white with gray streaks, ash gray, white-gray-blue and gray-green.

The construction of St. Petersburg required significant amounts of materials. Blocks were taken from the marble quarries of Ruskeala for facing St. Isaac's Cathedral, the decoration of the Mikhailovsky Castle and many other buildings in St. Petersburg, Gatchina and Leningrad. region, he also laid the floors of the Kazan Cathedral and decorated the memorial of the Brest Fortress in Belarus.

With the beginning of the Soviet-Finnish war in 1939, the development in the quarry completely stopped. After the Second World War, there were feeble attempts to resume marble mining, but the aquifer was already damaged, and the water in the quarry was rising so quickly that the marble miners hurriedly abandoned tractors, cranes and other special equipment.

In 1973, marble mining was resumed in new workings created near Ruskeala. Currently, work is carried out in a limited amount due to the danger of collapse of the quarry.

Parking in the park is free, but the entrance to the park itself is paid. Tickets are sold in this wooden house:

Souvenirs (magnets, mugs and wooden items) are sold on site. There is also a cafe.

What to see in Ruskeala Mountain Park:

– Marble Canyon Ruskeala

Perhaps one of the most interesting sights of the Mountain Park can be safely called the man-made Marble Canyon. This is a giant bowl, hollowed out by human hands in a mountain layer and filled with groundwater over the years of its existence.

There is a picturesque trail along the canyon, which offers breathtaking views of the grottoes, caves, as well as the incomparable water surface. The walls of the former quarry are pierced with adits, drifts and shafts, in which marble was previously mined. Now most of the workings are flooded with water. The length of the canyon is about 450 m, width - 60-100 m, depth - 30-50 m.

There are many viewing platforms around the perimeter:

It is forbidden to enter this site, as it is gradually being destroyed. Relatively recently, 20 tons of earth and rocks fell into the water. Out of ignorance, we spent about half an hour on this site, until a guide passing by said about a possible danger.

In addition to the improved quarry, there are several other abandoned or developed quarries on the lands near Ruskeala, but we did not look for them.

— Adits at the Ruskeala quarry

Only one adit remained on the territory of the mountain park, which can be visited without a guide, and which was not flooded by the Finns before the Soviet-Finnish war. To be honest, this is the first adit I have visited in my life.

Before my career trip, I didn’t even know the word. Also, by the way, in St. Petersburg I got acquainted with the concept of “lakhta”. In general, sometimes it is useful to enrich the vocabulary to travel and change the place of residence. :)

An adit is a horizontal or inclined mine working that has access to the earth's surface. At one time, marble was mined in adits.

There is still snow at the bottom

- Ruskeala failure

The Ruskeala failure arose in the 60s of the 20th century as a result of explosions in neighboring quarries. If you go down into this hole on a special rope (the descent will cost 1000 rubles) and go through the tunnel, you can get to the marble production center. Interestingly, the ice in the corridors does not melt even in summer. Previously, it was possible to get to the main quarry through the Ruskeala dip, but now all the passages are blocked.

In winter, the thickness of the ice is about 25 cm. Brave climbers who are not afraid of the cold descend into the Ruskeala failure, spend the night there and carve figures out of ice, so that later tourists invited to the cave can admire the ice sculptures. Also in winter you can go ice skating.

We chatted with the guy who is responsible for the descent of tourists into the Ruskeala failure along a rope. He told us a story about how, on the day of our visit, one economical citizen decided to climb into the cave for free through the mine, without informing the workers of the Ruskeala park.

He went on an adventure not alone, but with a friend. Being a clever man, our citizen gave his friend the opportunity to go first. As a result, his comrade fell through the ice without even taking a few steps.

Fortunately, our adventurer extended a helping hand in time and pulled his companion by the scruff of the neck. In general, if you are not an experienced speleologist and not a novice suicide, then it is better to go down into the cave under the supervision of the mountain park staff. The guys assure that they have undergone special training and in case of danger they can save everyone.

Ruskeala failure is still covered with ice

– Italian quarry

After inspecting the Ruskeala dip, you can go along the path to the Italian quarry to see the marble in the section. Relatively recently, the Italians began to develop this part of the quarry, but the quality of the marble at the output turned out to be so low that pasta lovers abandoned their idea and left the development. The fact is that the quality of marble depends on the depth of its location, and on the surface the marble is too fragile.

What to do in Ruskeala Mountain Park:

– Diving in Ruskeala Marble Quarry

The marble quarry is very famous and popular among Russian divers (especially among caving divers and tech divers). People come to Ruskeala to dive from the clubs of St. Petersburg and Moscow, because this is the only deep reservoir in the north-west of Russia with underwater caves and excellent transparency. In the quarry, visibility reaches 12 meters, in adits it reaches 17 meters. Inspection of underwater mines is available only to experienced divers.

Equipment remained at the bottom of the quarry. The crane, cars and motorcycles were flooded by the Finns before the start of the 1939-40 war. and now rest peacefully in the depths. Several submarine routes have been developed varying degrees difficulties.

Official descent to the banks of the canyon

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 is translated from Finnish as “mad”. Most likely, she received such a name for her skittish character. It was caused by numerous thresholds. The locals also call her Ruskolka from the Karelian word "ruskea" - "redhead". This is the color of the water in the river.

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

From quarry to park

Marble began to be mined in these parts 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. It was required in large quantities for the construction of residential buildings and fortifications. The field 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 its suburbs, which required a huge amount of marble.

Photo: Local marble has a beautiful pattern

In the summer of 1765, mining masters arrived in Ruskeala to assess the quality of the stone. Marble was found suitable. The Empress issued a corresponding decree, and a year later they began the industrial development of the deposit. Since there were not enough specialists in the capital, stonemasons 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 on sledges or carts were delivered to the village of Helyulya near Serdobol (now Sortavala). There they were loaded onto small ships and transported along Ladoga to St. Petersburg. St. Isaac's and Kazan Cathedrals were erected from Ruskeala marble, marble palace and Mikhailovsky Castle. The development of the deposit ended only in the late 80s of the last century.

In 2005, on the site of the mining enterprise, natural Park. Its concept was developed by the Karelian local historian Andrey Gribushin. An illuminated hiking trail was laid around the former quarry. Observation platforms have been set up in the most spectacular places. Developed excursion programs. New tourist facility quickly gained popularity. Now during the year it is visited by about 300 thousand tourists! Ruskeala Mining Park is unique because it is the only such facility in Russia.

Hits of Ruskeala

The dominant feature of the mountain park is undoubtedly the quarry itself. It was romantically nicknamed "Marble Canyon". And he deserved that name. The giant niche is filled with water. In fact, this 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 is man-made.

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. Particularly impressive are the spacious rooms. They are decorated with marble columns that rise from the bottom of an underground lake. It is only possible to get into them with scuba gear. Particularly impressive man-made caves look like winter. When water freezes, ice stalagmites and stalactites form. Often they resemble fabulous figures of animals and people.

In the northern part of the park there is an entrance to the adit. A hundred years ago, it was struck in the upper underground horizon. From a special bridge here you can see the shaft of an old vertical mine. Picturesque places include the cliffs of Catherine II and Ivan da Marya. Even more impressive is the failure underground lake", by which you can make walking tour by pontoons. And the “Italian Quarry” is absolutely mesmerizing! It traditionally serves as a place for mass photo shoots.

The mountain park is not only an industrial facility, but also an open-air natural museum. Many plants grow on its territory, which are listed in the Red Book. Rare species of reptiles, amphibians and bats are found here. So that visitors do not engage in spontaneous “mining” of marble, a small working 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, one cannot pass a picturesque place with seething waterfalls formed by the Tohmajoki River. Before the war they were called "Achinkoski". Translated from Finnish, 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. Now near the waterfalls there are cafes, souvenir shops, water bike rentals, hiking trails. There is a large car park.

Things to Do in Ruskeala

Apart from 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. But the view from the water is fantastic! Only by boat is it possible to visit some of the grottoes, since the entrance to them is only from the water. If you are too lazy to work with oars, you can ride on a small boat with a motor. It accommodates more than ten people. Such walks are available from May 20 to September 30.

Photo: Boat trip on Marble Lake

Fans of extreme sports are recommended "zipline" - a flight over the abyss along cable car. The "bungee" is in operation. In winter, dog sledding is popular. Huskies are the driving force. The amazing transparency of the water in the lake attracts divers here. They travel with scuba gear through the labyrinths of flooded quarries. At the bottom of the quarry, old equipment remained - a crane and dump trucks. Visibility under water reaches 14-17 m. Such entertainment is offered not to ordinary visitors, but to experienced divers.

In summer, the park hosts international festival outdoor Ruskeala Symphony. The magnificent acoustics of the canyon make this show especially spectacular. For children, games are organized with the participation of gnomes and other fairy tale characters. Fire-and Laser show, as well as annual new year holidays. Marble Canyon "lit up" in the films "Shaman", "Dark World", "Golden Trap".

Tours and opening hours

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

More exotic excursion "Underground Ruskeala". Route length - 850 m. Duration - 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 workings does not exceed +80.

Opening hours of the Mountain Park: from November 1 to February 28 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. (Fri-Sat from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.); 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 dress

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

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

There are cottages and guest houses, whose guests are offered organized trips in Mountain Park. There is a campsite near the Ruskeala waterfalls. In the vicinity there are many picturesque places 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

Mountain Park coordinates: 61.9475, 30.5865

St. Petersburg and Ruskeala are connected by the A129 highway, which passes through the cities of Priozersk and Sortavala. Distance - 309 km. Estimated travel time is about 5 hours. A train runs from the Ladoga railway station to Kostomuksha, which makes a stop in Sortavala. Then you will have to get by taxi or regular bus. Several times a day he goes to Vartsila through Ruskeala.

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

From Petrozavodsk by car, you should go along the P21 highway through Kolatselga. Distance - 287 km. Travel time is 4-5 hours. Train No. 680-Ch runs to Sortavala. Further, they get to Ruskeala by taxi or bus. Taxi drivers are waiting for tourists railway station. For a group, you can take a minibus.

Ruskeala, marble quarry and waterfalls - real paradise for those who are tired of the heat, beaches and endless palm trees.

Be sure that in Karelia you will not find any of this - only northern nature, which will captivate with its severity and incredible beauty.

History of the mountain park

Ruskeala is a relatively young attraction - this park opened its doors to tourists only at the beginning of 2005.

Remarkably, the park is a private property and was built by the Ladoga entrepreneurs, who in two years ennobled the surroundings of the quarry and built a tourist infrastructure, spending more than half a million rubles.

But the territories on which Ruskeala Park is today were not always Russian - until the mid-1700s, these territories were assigned to the Swedish side, which were engaged in the development of marble deposits.

Russia, however, gained control over these lands only at the end of the Northern War, but the development of marble deposits was not resumed. They remembered these fruitful places only at the beginning of the reign of Catherine II, who ordered the extraction of marble - then the development of gray, white, gray-blue and green marble was resumed.

The resumption of work was not accidental and was due to the construction of St. Petersburg, which required large material costs.

Today, Ruskeala marble can be seen near the Hermitage - the famous atlantes at the entrance to the museum are made from it, as well as floors in the Kazan Cathedral and wall cladding in St. Isaac's Cathedral. A considerable number of marble elements are also found in the Mikhailovsky Castle. You can meet the materials even in Belarus - there they made decorations for the memorial of the Brest Fortress.

In 1939 work on the extraction of marble in the quarry was again stopped due to the outbreak of war between the Soviet Union and Finland. The end of the Great Patriotic War led to attempts to revive the work on the extraction of marble, however, during the work, the aquifer was almost destroyed, and the water began to arrive at an incredible speed - frightened workers abandoned their equipment and hurriedly left the quarry.

Such - filled with water and with abandoned equipment on the banks - Ruskeala Canyon remained until the beginning of the 70s of the last century. In 73, new workings began to be created near the main basin. However, such a close location of the workings to each other and to the main canyon itself limited the possibilities of workers, since the risk of the collapse of the marble walls turned out to be too high, and therefore marble is mined there today, but in very, very small quantities.

The mountain park combined several Karelian sights and made their viewing convenient and - most importantly - safe.

Each of the attractions is equipped viewing platforms and security fortifications, as well as guides working in the park who will help you not to get lost and not miss anything interesting.

So, the first thing tourists go to the mountain park for is, of course, the Marble quarry. This is not at all surprising, because even in the photo the canyon impresses with its scale and beauty. What can we say about the sensations that you experience, looking at it with your own eyes?

A truly man-made work of art, which human hands have been knocking out of a monolithic stone for many centuries, with the participation of nature, which filled the marble bowl with crystal clean water, makes a lasting impression.

Along the quarry throughout its entire length (and it is nearly 500 meters long) a path has been laid from which you can see absolutely the entire canyon, its grottoes and caves, mines and drifts.

There are places on the coast entrance to which is strictly prohibited. This is due to the fact that relatively recently several tens of tons of earth went into the water.

Also on the territory of Ruskeala there are small quarries - some of them are abandoned, and some are still being developed.

Slightly inferior in popularity adits. On the territory of the park there is only one unflooded adit, inside which you can go even without an instructor. The rest were buried under the water column by the Finns after the war with the USSR.

The galleries are special type workings. Their distinctive feature is the presence of an exit to the surface, that is, they are through holes in the marble firmament of a horizontal or vertical orientation.

Inside the adit is always damp, water drips even from the ceiling. In summer, snow can be found in its depths.

The third most popular Ruskeala failure, the appearance of which dates back to the 60s of the last century and is due to numerous explosions carried out to create new workings.

Today it is allowed to descend into the failure with the help of a special rope. But this is not just entertainment - going down, you will find yourself in a tunnel that will lead you to the very "heart" of the marble mine.

More recently, the failure made it possible to go to the main career, but now the passages were littered.

winter lovers extreme recreation they take skates with them on the slopes and arrange mass skating in the failure.

And closes the number of attractions Ruskeala Park italian canyon . In this territory, relatively recently, the Italians began to develop marble, but its quality turned out to be extremely low, which did not justify the cost of work and the hopes of the foreign guests themselves.

This is due to the fact that in order to obtain high quality material, it is necessary to extract it from maximum depth. Marble in the upper layers of the earth is too fragile.

But thanks to them, today's tourists of the mountain park can look at the marble in the section.

Rest in the Marble Quarry

Undoubtedly, the most popular pastime among visitors to Ruskeala is the excursions offered by the park. a large number of. However, fans of extreme recreation do not like such events.

For such visitors have also developed many ways to relax. The first of these is diving in the pool of the main marble quarry- or, speaking plain language diving into water.

Often, visitors come to the Mountain Park precisely for the sake of these descents - a considerable number of so-called speleologists or tech divers love to dive in the reservoir. People come here from all over the country, but most often from the two capitals - Moscow and St. Petersburg, for the reason that the Karelian marble canyon is the only place that has underwater caves and almost crystal clear water.

So, in the quarry pool itself, visibility under water is 13 meters, but in adits it is much higher - more than 17 meters.

But do not delude yourself - if you do not have sufficient experience in diving, no one will let you into the caves.

It will be interesting to dive also because at the bottom of the canyon there is a large number of abandoned equipment. It is of Finnish origin - it was this people that flooded a large number of cars, motorcycles and even a crane, before the start of hostilities with Soviet Union in the year 39 of the last century.

To date, there are several routes for underwater explorers, which differ, first of all, in the degree of difficulty.

The second most popular entertainment in the park is ropes and bungees.

The first one is used for zip line- flying over the canyon on a rope. With bungee ropes, they jump from certain sites.

Rowing boats are also in great demand. walks on the pond. From mid-May until the end of September, equipment rental is open, with which you can get to know this natural beauty better. In addition, you get the opportunity to swim inside the grotto.

But be prepared for the fact that you will have to row yourself.

In winter, there is another unusual attraction- Husky sledding. The track for sledding has a length of almost 3 kilometers.

Karelian waterfalls

Karelian waterfalls are considered to be one of the the most beautiful places Russia, which attract crowds of tourists. In addition, waterfalls are a great way to diversify your vacation.

The first most popular waterfall is Kivach. It is the second largest in the entire European territory, second only to the Rhine Falls. The height of the Russian one is about 11 meters, and it is located on the Suna River.

There is a legend about the origin of this miracle of nature among the Karelian people. According to her in old times there were two rivers - Suna and Shuya, which were sisters. They constantly kept close, but at one point Suna got tired and, in order to rest, left the channel, giving way to her sister. But she rushed forward from her sister - in the morning Suna noticed the loss and rushed after her, sweeping away everything in her path. so, the place where she broke through a stone block, and a waterfall arose.

Today the waterfall is located on the territory of the reserve of the same name.

Next in popularity Ruskeala waterfalls. There are practically no excursions on them, since the Tohmajoki River, on which they are located, is perfectly visible from the highway. Near it there are equipped parking lots, which allow you to view the natural landmark in more detail and soak up its energy.

The complex includes four waterfalls up to four meters high. Additional fame brought them the shooting of the film "The Dark World", held on their territory.

Of particular interest for rafting lovers is the Ahvenkoski waterfall.

The third most popular place is occupied by another complex - White Bridges. It consists of two waterfalls located at a small distance from each other. They got their name from real bridges - unfortunately, today only fragments remain of these Finnish buildings.

The height of the fall is about 20 meters, which makes the White Pillars one of the highest in all of Karelia.

There are always very few tourists on their territory - this is due to the fact that the road to the sights has become unusable for a long time, and public transport does not go there.

But in summer, waterfalls provide a unique opportunity to get unique sensations - during this period, the water level in it decreases and this allows you to rinse under falling water, as if in a shower.

Mountain park "Ruskeala" in the Republic of Karelia

Ruskeala (Republic of Karelia) is magnificent park and a unique marble quarry with clear emerald water and underground caves. The history of this place began several centuries ago, and today in this amazing highlands located one of the most beautiful natural parks our country.

Quarry history

The Ruskeala marble quarry is a huge thicket carved by human hands, almost 500 m long. Initially, the area belonged to the Swedes, where they mined high quality banded marble. After the end of the Northern War, the borders of the Russian Empire expanded significantly. Karelian quarries ended up on Russian territory. Peter I presented these lands to one of his close associates. So in these places the Ruskeala settlement was formed.

Active development of the quarry resumed during the reign of Catherine II. The Empress ordered the use of Ruskeala marble deposits in the construction of new palaces and cathedrals. The facade of St. Isaac's Cathedral is decorated with stone, the building of the Hermitage is lined with it, and the floors in the Kazan Cathedral are laid out.

403 Forbidden

403 Forbidden

In the middle of the XIX century. Marble mining ceased, and the once valuable mineral began to be broken into rubble and used for the production of building lime. The misfortune that occurred during the Russian-Finnish war helped the career to turn from an abandoned quarry into a pearl of Ruskeala nature. A huge pit during the demolition work was simply flooded with the waters of a nearby river.

However, the Soviet government could not abandon the mineral-rich region of Karelia - the marble quarry was reopened and partially restored. Mining has resumed. They led it in several ways at once. It was during this period that a whole network of underground passages, adits, tunnels and caves appeared in the mountain range.

The war with fascist Germany caused irreparable industrial damage to the marble canyon Ruskeala, Karelia was almost completely under the bombing of enemy aircraft. On the former scale, stone mining was no longer carried out, although they still had time to revet several stations of the St. Petersburg metro. A new milestone in history locality Ruskeala in Karelia began in 2002. picturesque places turned into a mountain park with a recreation center. Now here everyone can rent a cottage and relax among the amazing Karelian nature.

Attractions

Today, the Ruskeala mountain park is well organized. Everything has been done in it for the convenience of vacationers, but with minimal damage to natural beauties. Guarded parking, Russian-style houses and cottages, an open-air kitchen, a wood-fired sauna and even a small amusement park - tourists do not have to worry about anything. Nevertheless, most visitors come to the park not to relax in comfortable conditions, but to admire the local nature. Fantastic waterfalls, some of which do not freeze even in winter, the purest rivers, mountains surrounded by centuries-old forests - there is something to see here.

But the main attraction of the complex is, of course, the famous marble quarry with clear emerald water. It is surrounded by neat paths made of Ruskeala marble, in underground labyrinths at a depth of 200 m a safe a tourist route. On summer nights, the quarry is illuminated with multi-colored lights, and in winter it turns into a real ice castle. Tourists in marble quarry Lots of entertainment is offered, including:

• Boating and fishing. There are so many people who want to ride on the purest water, the transparency of which allows you to look 15 m deep, that you need to sign up in a queue in advance.
• Diving. You can not only swim along the canyon, but also dive to the very depths, seeing its underwater world with your own eyes.
• Rope bridge walk. A special rope bridge with insurance will be stretched across the quarry at a height of 24 m. The tourist is walking on one rope and holding on to the other two. You do not need to be a climber and have special skills to see the sights of the park from such a height.
• Cliff jump. Breathtaking flight from a height of 24m. Free fall distance is 10m.
• Trolls. This is a passage along a special cable from the lowest point of the quarry to the highest. Another attraction that will take your breath away.

Russia is rich natural beauties, but Ruskeala Park is amazing place, an analogue of which can hardly be found anywhere else. It is not necessary to rent a cottage to visit the complex. Excursions are regularly arranged in the park for tourists, students, schoolchildren and foreign guests. Moreover, small children and WWII veterans can visit the complex for free. The cost of living in the mountain park includes only rental housing. All services, as well as visits to various facilities are paid separately. A house or a whole cottage for several families can be rented both on the territory of the complex and outside it.