In Russia there are many exciting beautiful places that attract tourists. One of them is the Cheremshansky quarry.
Discovery story
The Cheremshansky quarry is located in the Chelyabinsk region, and more precisely, in the city of Upper Ufaley. It attracts many visitors, many of whom are from the Urals. Before this quarry was opened, a nickel mine operated in Verkhny Ufaley. Metal reserves were discovered by chance in 1907 during a reconnaissance operation to search for and extract iron ore on Cheremshanskaya Hill.
Krotov opened the mine, and, accordingly, he was named after him. In 1913, Shadlun discovered the Novo-Cheremshansky quarry on the western side of the Cheremshansky mountain, which was located near Krotovsky. But large-scale work on nickel processing began only in 1930.
In 1933, a plant was built in Upper Ufaley. It is still functioning. The Cheremshan mine contains not only nickel, but also natural stones, marble, quartz, talc, amphibole, pyroxene, garnet, magnetite, calcite, chromite, serpentine and so on. This place is named after wild garlic, which grows on a mountain.
Novo-Cheremshansky mine
Now there is a little confusion in the names Novo-Cheremshansky and Staro-Cheremshansky mine. The first has the shape of the letter "H", while Staro-Cheremshansky has the shape of an oval. The length of the Novo-Cheremshansky mine is about 500 meters, the depth is 250 meters, the diameter of the funnel is about one and a half kilometers. Steps go down to him from the Cheremshansky quarry, each of which is about 10 meters high.
There are 22 such steps. Thanks to them, the quarry is also called the Cheremshan Amphitheater. A variety of trees grow on its slopes. Water still continues to flow into the quarry, and it is dark emerald in color. This shade was obtained due to the metal salts in the mine. During the existence of the mine, approximately 6 million tons of ore were mined.
In the summer season, the water temperature reaches +5 degrees. This place attracts divers because the water is clear, there are many spectacular objects visible at the bottom, for example, tall spruces, which are called "Ural corals."
But it’s better not for professionals not to dive deep.
There is also a convenient road to the quarry. It should be noted that this place is a geological attraction of Russia, and its official name is the Nickel profile of the weathering crust in the Southern Urals.
Staro-Cheremshansky quarry
The dimensions of the Staro-Cheremshansokgo quarry exceed the dimensions of Novo-Cheremshansky. Its length is 900 meters, and its depth is two and a half hundred meters. It runs from the southeast to northwest. This quarry was opened in 1912.
The slopes of the old quarry are more overgrown with trees than the new. Also, the water in this mine has a lighter shade than the water of the Novo-Cheremshan mine. This difference is due to the presence of different composition of metal salts, which are available in these places. The water is as clear and transparent as in another mine.
During its existence, approximately 7.5 million tons of ore were mined, of which 55 thousand tons of nickel were smelted. It is better to visit the quarry in the daytime, when the sun illuminates the natural beauty of the environment. The differences in the colors of the water in the mines will be better seen. The lake around is surrounded by cliffs. Therefore, rockfalls periodically occur.
From opposite shores there are two descents to the water. You can also reach one of them by car, without wasting your energy. But it’s better to walk, breathe fresh air and enjoy the views of nature and the lake. True, some tourists say that on the shore lies a small amount of garbage left by past visitors. No need to litter nature!
Interesting Facts
Rumor has it that a motorcycle and a stolen VAZ-21099 car were drowned at the bottom of the Cheremshan mine. The lake continues to fill at about 0.5 meters per year.
If you plunge into the lake, then you can see all the underwater living creatures only up to thirty meters in depth. Verkhovka fish lives in the lake. Not far from the quarry is mining equipment operating to this day, and be careful and vigilant. After all, not so far is the testing ground for explosives.
Is it possible to swim in the Cheremshan career
Travelers, tourists, and ordinary passers-by can calmly and with pleasure splash around both in the Novo-Cheremshansky and in the Old-Cheremshansky Lake. Locals also do not refuse such a pleasant pastime.
The water temperature is warm enough for swimming, but at the bottom it does not warm up well enough: the temperature is on average 5 degrees. This can be explained by the fact that the lake is filled with underground wells. By the way, locals take drinking water from them as a source of life-giving force. When swimming, be careful, as there are sharp stones in the water that did not have time to drain off. That is why it would be better to take some slippers. Ideal rubber.
How to get to the Cheremshansky quarry
An amazingly beautiful quarry is located ten kilometers northeast of the city of Upper Ufaley. The closest inhabited village is Cheremshanka.
If you are traveling from the city of Yekaterinburg, then you must drive to the city of Polevsky, from there to the village of Poldnevaya, and then through the city of Upper Ufaley. There is no need to get to the village of Cheremshanka, you need to turn right towards the quarry. The distance from Yekaterinburg to Cheremshansky is 116 km.
If you are leaving the city of Chelyabinsk, you should keep heading towards the city of Kyshtym, followed by the city of Kasli and then the city of Verkhny Ufaley, and from it to the village of Cheremshanka look for the desired turn to the Cheremshansky career. The distance from Chelyabinsk to the place you need is longer than from Yekaterinburg. It is 160 km.
Career pictures
In the photo, the Cheremshansky quarry resembles an ancient amphitheater. It seems that it was here that large-scale, fascinating, and sometimes even cruel competitions took place, as in ancient Greece.
Such a beautiful descent to the water, like a pyramid.
Novo-Cheremshansky really has the shape of the letter "H". And what an incredible color!
The Old Cheremshansky quarry is surrounded by trees on all sides.