The city of Yekaterinburg is famous for its rich history and an extensive list of interesting objects that are worthy of the attention of any tourist. If you are fed up with the city life of the megalopolis, the frantic pace of life is tiring and you want to go out into the countryside, we recommend that you go to the largest abandoned quarry "Old Lens". This place is amazing in energy and beauty.
It was here that about 40 years ago, a useful mineral, talc, was mined. Today it is a tourist area with stunning natural scenery. The pit is a unique creation of human hands and the environment. Here you can observe the confrontation of nature and industrial development. So, let's get to know this place closer.
Features
The quarry "Old Lens" is located in the picturesque village of Shabra, just 20 km from the center of Yekaterinburg. Almost every resident knows this fantastic talc pit well and has been here several times. It enjoys tremendous popularity among nonresident people. Constantly on the horizon you can observe a whole delegation of newly arrived and bewitched tourists. You will have to go down the pit along the narrow wooden steps, but this does not scare away guests, but even, on the contrary, causes a feeling of delight and a storm of emotions.
When did it appear?
Before its occurrence, the extraction of the mineral was carried out near the town of Sysert. Work on the new site began in 1927. The depth of the pit is 100 m, the width is 250 m, and the length is more than 400 meters. Industrial development was carried out until 1974, then the monolithic talc section was “frozen” for an indefinite period.
The reason is a change in mining technology. Talc deposits were found in the New Lens, and now their development is carried out in other ways. And the "Old Lens" turned into an empty abandoned pit. Nature over the years absorbs abandoned industrial equipment and everything connected with it.
However, the pit is under protection, which favors visitors. At the bottom of the Staraya Lensa quarry, the mineral reserve has not been exhausted, therefore, development of the field will continue in the uncertain future. And so that the site does not finally turn into a huge bottomless lake, groundwater is regularly pumped out of it, flowing down steep slopes.
A charming place through the eyes of tourists
When tourists get here, they have the feeling that they are near the Egyptian pyramids. Everywhere there are huge overhanging cliffs covered with greenery. At the very bottom, a small lake of a bluish tint was formed. And above it was built a house with a pump, in which a guard lives.
Over time, picturesque waterfalls arose, flowing in a thin stream along the ledges of the quarry and gradually destroying them. In winter, at sub-zero temperatures, waterfalls turn into ice. Often here you can see ice climbers. In the pit reigns complete silence and serenity.
Indescribable natural beauty is simply mesmerizing and frightening at the same time. Tourists repeatedly find valuable minerals (talc, pink tourmaline, quartz and much more) at the bottom of the pit of the Old Lens quarry. Driving directions here will depend on the path chosen, but more on that later.
Detailed acquaintance with the pit
When descending into the quarry, the first thing they pay attention to is a huge trolley, now buried in lush vegetation, and once used to distill talc masses. Moving along the rickety ladders, tourists find themselves in a world of peace and pristine nature. A reminder of human intervention is a large excavator and a giant electric saw, which is breathtaking.
Rusty tools and broken equipment are scattered among the bushes. The purest springs with icy water flow a little further. A few years later, overgrown and trees will completely absorb the remnants of once working machinery. Today, the canyon has become the main tourist attraction of the city. Every weekend, regardless of the time of year, at the bottom of the site you can meet crowds of people relaxing with barbecue.
This is a favorite place of photographers and artists, since it is unlikely to find such beauty somewhere. The steep slopes covered with moss, white birch trees and sandy soil shining with talcum powder create an atmosphere of magic and mystery. To isolate oneself from the metropolis and enjoy nature - that's why crowds of tourists come to the Old Lens quarry. Rest with tents attracts both residents and nonresident guests.
How to get there
You can get to the point of interest from several points. Drive your own car from the western part of the city and follow the Polevsky tract to the Polevodstvo stop, then turn left towards the village of Shabrovsky. Drive to the Sysert station and turn into Shabry.
We leave from the eastern part of the metropolis to the Old Lens quarry. How to get to the site? We move along the Chelyabinsk tract to the village of Sedelnikovo (according to the signs). After about 500 m, we notice a fork, turn right into the field, at the next intersection there will be a road to the tank farm, turn right and go to the Sysert station. Next, go left to the village of Shabra.
The quarry can also be reached by bus. We are waiting at the Yuzhnaya stop for public transport (No. 9), which runs to the village of Shabra. The driver will tell you where you better go. You will have to walk a little by rail to the talc plant.