Salt lakes in Belarus. Volkovysk, chalk quarries: all about the "Belarusian Maldives"

Looking at the photographs presented in our article, it is difficult to believe that these beauties and blue water are in our country, in the Republic of Belarus. But it really is! The Republic of Belarus has its own Maldives, visiting which you do not need to pay for an expensive tour.

So, let's go on a journey and find out what is there and why, on these amazing fairy-tale beauties that were created by human hands. Yes, yes, the amazing Belarusian Maldives were created by human hands. The thing is that what you see in the photographs, this fabulous paradise is nothing but ordinary chalkpit filled with water.

There are chalk quarries where you can relax, and there are those that are prohibited, however, many brave tourists go there to have fun.

Chalk quarries prohibited for recreation

The prohibited chalk quarries, the Belarusian Maldives, include - "Pillars", "Grand Canyon" and "Blue" . Surprisingly, these quarries are considered the most visited, and all because many simply do not know about those where swimming is officially allowed.

These forbidden chalk quarries are located on the territory of the Krasnoselskstroy enterprise, 270 km from the capital, the city of Minsk. It is not difficult to find the way, as they are all strewn with chalk. There are chalk quarries prohibited for recreation immediately behind the cement plant.

If you still dare to go there to relax, then you should be aware that there is no infrastructure near the chalk quarries. Take everything with you.

Why is it dangerous to rest in forbidden chalk quarries?

First of all, it is worth noting that anyone who decides to visit the forbidden chalk quarries runs the risk of getting a fine of 3 to 10 basic units. But that is not all…

Coastline and the bottom of the forbidden quarries is littered with flint, which can seriously injure you. The depth of the forbidden quarries reaches 15 meters, which can be a big risk for inexperienced swimmers. Also, do not forget about the sudden collapse of the banks, which sometimes happen.

Beauty can require sacrifice, so don't forget about it!

Cretaceous quarries allowed for recreation, Belarusian Maldives

Permitted chalk quarries include "Blue" and "Mars" . These quarries are located right behind the motor depot, any resident of Krasnoselsky will be happy to show you the way to them.

Luxurious beaches you will not find it here, but you can admire the beauties to your heart's content. The descent to the water is very steep, and immediately from the shore it is very deep.

For avid fishermen real paradise, because in amazing blue waters old chalk quarries are found fish: pike, crucian carp and catfish.

Well, if you still want to swim without risk with pleasure and really relax. Visit the clay quarry, which is one minute away from the old chalk quarries. The water here has a traditional color, there is an excellent sandy beach, and there is no dangerous silicon at the bottom.

Amazing clean White sand on the beach, azure or turquoise the purest water, beautiful rocky cliffs on the shore of the reservoir - who would have thought that all this is available not in the distant Maldives or Seychelles, but literally very close by - in Belarus. Today I will talk about the Krasnoselsky quarries, where you can even swim.

It turns out that this small but proud country has its own man-made miracle the light that has already become tourist mecca local residents, but little is known about him outside of Belarus. It is called - Krasnoselsky careers. The spectacle, I must say, is amazing and unusual. It seems that you are somewhere in the subtropics and only the trees on the shore remind you that this is all ours, dear.

Where are the Krasnoselsky quarries located?

Finding these careers on your own is quite difficult. They are not listed in tourist routes and only the Internet or local residents can help. Surprisingly, these beautiful places so far, not one has been chosen Travel Company, which organizes tours in Belarus. There are no campsites, hotels, numerous services, and these beautiful beaches can be called wild. This is because the owner of all this is JSC "Krasnoselskstroymaterialy" - a plant that extracts chalk here. It was thanks to the work of the huge BELAZ trucks of this enterprise that numerous quarries were formed, the number of which today is in the tens. The company itself is only concerned with chalk mining and cares little that hundreds of tourists flock to these places every summer. Moreover, signs are hanging everywhere - "swimming is prohibited." This is explained simply: the places are not equipped, there are no lifeguards and other specialized services that are ready to help at any time. But no one pays attention to the signs. To admire the stunning scenery and swim in the purest clear water, people constantly come to these beautiful places.

How to get here?

You can get to these beauties by your own car or public transport. First, you need to come to the city of Volkovysk. It is located in the Grodno region of Belarus ( see on the map). This is a fairly decent regional center and there are even good hotels here. The quarries themselves are located about 15 kilometers from the city, near the urban village of Krasnoselsky, from which they got their name. Once in this village, it will not be difficult to get to the quarries, just ask the locals where they are. Until you get directly to these unique reservoirs, the landscapes will not be very pleasant. The village is quite gloomy, and only a huge mass near it rises the local cement plant, which, by the way, is already over 100 years old. Chalk is mined here almost around the clock, and the road to the quarries is covered with specific white dust.

It is quite difficult to be in the immediate vicinity of the quarries on your own car. All entrances are blocked by barriers. They say that this was done so that the coast did not accidentally collapse, and the car did not fall directly into the water. It seems that there has already been such an accident in these places. Therefore, stopping near the barrier, you need to walk a decent number of meters before those very amazing landscapes open up.

What are careers?

Careers themselves in their structure resemble small norwegian fjords- sharp, steep banks and water bodies stretching into the distance. These are such elongated lakes, of small width. However, all careers are different from each other. There are quite old reservoirs, which are very difficult to get close to. They are surrounded by forest and shrubs. Getting to the shore on a steep slope in these quarries can be very dangerous.

There are active quarries, but there is absolutely no interest for tourists, because there is dust everywhere, heavy equipment drives, and there is still no water in these places. The most popular places among people are those careers that were worked out 10-20 years ago. Here, the shores have not yet ripened to be covered with dense vegetation, and tourists have already trodden paths and organized something like beaches.

Why is the water blue here?

Everything is quite simple. The stunning azure hue of the water here is provided by a mixture of chalk and calcium. The bottom does not overgrow, so the water remains surprisingly clear. The main thing is that swimming here is absolutely harmless. The water is clean, rainy and has no harmful impurities. It can only become cloudy if you stir up the chalk bottom.

The only problem for vacationers may be the depth of the quarries. It is quite difficult to enter the water accurately here. Literally a meter from the shore it is already getting very deep, so it is really dangerous for children to swim here. True, they say that on one of the quarries there is a place where you can relax even with children.

Each of these reservoirs has already received its name. If the locals call them "Lenses" under different numbers, then tourists name careers depending on the color of the water or landscape: “turquoise”, “pillars” and other names.

What overshadows these landscapes?

Since the rest is wild, the beautiful picture is overshadowed by mountains of garbage, which no one cleans up here. Even if you carefully leave the packages in a common pile, it will still remain, because garbage trucks do not go here. It would be a pity if in 10 years these places become just a huge garbage dump, because no one is going to be engaged in landscaping here. Moreover, locals say that even now you can get a serious fine for entering the territory of the plant.

However, this does not deter fans. extreme recreation. As I know, in just a few years, tens of thousands of people have visited here, and this is far from the limit, since the popularity of quarries is growing every year. People come here on foot, bikes and cars.

How will the fate of this paradise- it is not known, but omniscient Belarusians say that these Belarusian Maldives are not the only ones in the country. Soon the same ones will appear in Brest and other regions of the country, because chalk deposits are one of the few natural resources, which is in abundance here.

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Those who are sure that they are white sandy beaches, washed by blue waves, are only in distant countries, I must see the chalk quarries near Volkovysk. No wonder this natural object was named "Belarusian Maldives".

The total area of ​​the quarries is 300 football fields. As the name implies, chalk is mined here, and over time, the worked-out quarries are filled with water. A bright turquoise color is given to it by the remains of Cretaceous rocks. Tree-covered cliffs and large flint fragments complete the unique landscape.

People come here to relax, fry kebabs and swim. There are many fishermen and even divers here. Silence and mild climate attract lovers of "wild" recreation.

Despite the proximity and beautiful views, it is forbidden to be on the quarries. There are several reasons for this:

• steep slopes. Since the quarry is an industrial facility, the descent to the water is a high, almost vertical slope. Getting to the water is quite difficult and traumatic, comfortable slopes and gentle areas are few;
• industrial work. Many sites are still under active development;
• deep bottom and loose edges of embankments. Therefore, it is dangerous not only to swim here, but also simply to admire the beauty of nature too close to the shore.

A large number of accidents forces law enforcement agencies to conduct regular raids and fine violators. Also, many tourists are frightened off by the lack of infrastructure - even in abandoned quarries, where work is no longer being carried out, there are no signs of improvement. There is enough space to put up a tent, but there are no tables, no booths, no garbage cans.

Some worked out quarries are undergoing the process of reclamation. In some places, the height of the banks decreases, formidable signs are removed. However, a full-fledged project to turn abandoned quarries into tourist area still no.

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Where are the chalk quarries located?

Quarries can be found near the village of Krasnoselsky. You will have to get there by car, there is no transport here. The reason for this is simple: despite the huge popularity among tourists, quarries are an industrial facility. Many of them still produce chalk. Therefore, at the entrance, those who want to relax are greeted with warning signs.

The police will daily patrol the roads near the chalk quarries in Krasnoselsky. Cars will be evacuated, and tourists will be fined. “These are not Belarusian Maldives, but dangerous technical careers,” the rescuers explain.

Chalk quarries near Volkovysk are one of the most popular "wild" sights of the country, although a few years ago only locals knew about their existence. Experienced Tourists found a way, made spectacular photos. And tourists hurried to see a new miracle.

Someone comes here to swim, someone - for a photo session, but there are also those who stop for several days with tents on the high banks of the quarries. Children are also taken to picnics.

Tourists are not stopped, but even attracted by the unsettledness of the local beauties. There are no equipped beaches, no lifeguards on the shore. The rubbish that tourists leave behind has already turned some of the slopes into a dump.

And although a danger warning is posted at the entrance itself, this does not become an obstacle for adventure lovers. “To see such beauty, you can take a risk,” many travelers say.

The locals in the quarries never swam

In terms of area, the chalk quarries near Volkovysk occupy about 300 football fields. The local enterprise "Krasnoselskstroymaterily" receives land for use for the development of deposits. Over time, the used quarries are filled with water. Chalk remains at the bottom, so the water acquires a bright turquoise color, for which this area was called the Belarusian Maldives.

However, this beauty is deceiving. Firstly, the depth of the quarries reaches 50 meters, the height of the embankment is 40 meters. Here there is a subsidence of the coast. Swimming is not the best place. 10 people have already drowned.

Secondly, the water only looks clean. In fact, the number of bacteria coli 100 times higher than normal. In addition, chalk not only dries out the skin, it settles in the lungs, causing asthma.

Local residents know about the insidiousness of the local quarries, so they themselves do not bathe in them. A warning about the danger does not stop visiting tourists.

Tourist cars will be evacuated

But this year, Krasnoselskstroymaterialy decided to seriously take up safety in quarries. The start page of the company's website opens with a warning why you should not go to a career.

Deputy General Director Gennady Naydyuk notes that tourists not only put themselves at risk, but also interfere with the work of the enterprise.

“People park their cars along the roads where our mining equipment runs. Therefore, last year we bought a tow truck, and this year we will actively use it.”, - he said in a comment for “SB. Belarus today".

According to the senior security inspector public order Volkovysk District Department of Internal Affairs Alexandra Samoilo, during the swimming season, a daily patrol will operate in the area of ​​​​chalk quarries.

“Along the route where the quarry runs, stopping and parking is prohibited. This means that we will evacuate all cars.”

Everyone who leaves the car near the quarries will pay a fine for traffic violations, towing services and paid parking. Tourists for visiting the quarry also face a fine - from 3 to 10 base units.

“Before, no one knew about these careers. But then articles appeared on the Internet, and tourists were drawn,- Alexander Samoilo continues. - You need to understand that these are technical quarries where industrial work continues. This is not a place for entertainment. Two people drowned last year.”

Can the quarries near Volkovysk become an ennobled place for tourists?

In order for tourists to be able to legally come to the chalk quarries in Krasnoselsky, security issues need to be resolved.

First, the water must be safe for swimming. On the eve of each bathing season sanitary services check reservoirs.

Secondly, you need to lay the banks. This work is underway. In quarries that Krasnoselskstroymaterialy no longer uses, the banks are gradually lowered.

But will there be in their place new resort depends on the local authorities. After all, it is necessary to equip the beaches, make parking for cars, organize the work of rescuers, garbage collection, and mobile sales.

“There are only a few such facilities in Belarus. There are lime quarries near Soligorsk, for example,- says the chairman of the association of tour guides and guide-interpreters Nikolai Chirsky. -Can understand the management of the enterprise and local authorities who forbid swimming there - after all, this is a safety issue. But it would be interesting to organize excursions there.”

At the end of August, a group of Belarusian guides is going to visit Krasnoselsk, including the chalk quarries.

“We are negotiating with the local museum, so I hope there will be no obstacles” Chirsky said.

Two years ago, specialists from the Volkovysk Regional Center for Tourism and Local History for Children and Youth developed one that also affected blue quarries in Krasnoselsk. According to the director of the center Inna Fist, summer excursions were in great demand among schoolchildren.

“Now we have excluded blue quarries from the route, because people are not allowed there,- says the specialist. - But near the quarry mines, we show tourists the old quarries, Green Lenses, where the shores are safer.”

At the same time, it is strictly forbidden for participants of the excursion to go down to the water. “The walls of the coast are not fortified, collapses are possible, so we do not allow swimming”, the director of the center explained.

The last few years of a career in the urban village of Krasnoselsky near Volkovysk have been very popular. Hundreds of people come here every summer. different corners Belarus and neighboring countries. The place became famous for its turquoise water and beautiful views quarries.

On " Belarusian Maldives"you can see independent travelers and lovers of extreme recreation. Tourists come in their cars, pitch tents and stop, as a rule, for the weekend. To see the Krasnoselsky quarries with their own eyes, mostly young people arrive. Often, young parents take their children and even babies with them.

Six years ago, when photos of quarries began to actively circulate on social networks, people slowly gathered just to admire the "Belarusian Maldives". The most daring swam in the quarries. Three or four years ago, travelers came with their families, with tents, food and things necessary for rest.

Local residents realized that the quarries were popular and illegally engaged in trade: they sold water, food, coal, and even tents for visitors. Some residents of Krasnoselsky and from neighboring villages were on duty the best beaches quarries, set a fee for a place from 30 to 50 dollars, for firewood - 10.

For the sake of rest in a beautiful and popular place independent travelers ready for a lot: to go by car, get there by night train or commuter trains, bus, hitchhiking. People are not afraid of steep cliffs, the depth of quarries and even signs that indicate the danger of the place.

A few years ago the organizers active rest And extreme entertainment came from other cities to earn extra money on chalk quarries. They offered vacationers to fly on a paraglider, fly with a breeze on a bungee from one coast to another, use a jet ski and kayaks.

Local businessmen realized that quarries could become a gold mine and even turned to the management of the Krasnoselsktroymaterialy plant, which owns the quarries. But, despite the convincing projects of businessmen, the "Belarusian Maldives" are considered an industrial zone and are a prohibited place for recreation and swimming. There is even a risk of landslides. The management of the plant does not want to take responsibility for people's lives, so to make legalized tent city with a well-equipped infrastructure, retail shops and dry closets, probably will not work in the near future.

Krasnoselsky quarries have become a favorite place for photography and video filming. Often, young couples and newlyweds are photographed in quarries. In 2012, in the Belarusian Maldives, the Aloe Color group shot the video Our Summer.

In early 2014, the BelTA agency wrote that chalk quarries could become an object of water tourism in the Volkovysk region as part of the "In the Footsteps of the Miners" project with the support of the US Agency for international development(USAID) "Local Entrepreneurship and economic development". In April, the Belarus 1 TV channel reported that in the Volkovysk region they began developing a tourist route on the lakes that are located in. The story says that a recreation area will be built in the Belarusian Maldives in the next two years.

However official information there is no information about the fact that rest and improvement of infrastructure are allowed in the quarries. This is evidenced by the signs on which the administration of JSC "Krasnoselskstroymaterialy" notifies of the danger.

Also, when entering the website of the building materials plant, a warning window pops up.

Dear guests of the city of p. Krasnoselsky!

The management of JSC "Krasnoselskstroymaterialy", in order to prevent accidents, appeals to you with an urgent request to refuse to visit the chalk quarries and swim in them. Quarries are a technological zone and are classified as especially dangerous production facilities, the presence of unauthorized persons on the territory of which is strictly prohibited.

Remember, being on the territory of chalk quarries, you expose your health and life to great risk and danger. Think of yourself and your loved ones.
On July 01, 2013 Volkovysk Zonal Center for Hygiene and Epidemiology tested water from chalk quarries of JSC Krasnoselskstroymaterialy. According to the test protocol, the microbiological indicators of water (OKB and TKB - common coliform bacteria and thermotolerant coliform bacteria) do not meet the requirements of sanitary rules and regulations. The number of the above bacteria exceeds the norm from sixty to one hundred times.