Chalk quarries Belarus how to get there. Chalk quarries near Volkovysk
Nature has not endowed Belarus with impressive natural landscapes. There is neither sea nor any high mountains. Relict forest, lowland lakes - that’s all the wealth. But industry came to the rescue. With painstaking development natural resources Numerous quarries, mines and waste heaps were formed. Nowhere did they acquire such picturesqueness as in the village of Krasnoselsky in the Grodno region. This amazing complex of quarry ponds is nicknamed the “Belarusian Maldives” for the incredible turquoise color of the local water, in which chalk particles are dissolved.
1. It all started in 1914, when the Volyn joint-stock company built the ROSS cement plant near the village of Krasnoye Selo. He gave birth to the village. Raw materials from the quarry were delivered by aerial ropeway, which existed until 1959. Since 1948, they began to use road transport. 
2. In 1945, the plant received the name “Pobeda”. In 1972-1974, several new industries opened here: asbestos-cement, slate, lime, pipe. By the end of the 1980s, the plant became morally and physically obsolete. Its abandoned buildings still stand almost in the center of the village. 
4. Now JSC Krasnoselskstroymaterialy is one of the largest cement plants in Belarus. In addition to cement, they produce dry building mixtures, lime, finely granulated chalk, cellular concrete blocks, asbestos cement sheets, chrysotile cement pipes, ceramics and paving slabs. 
5. Raw materials are delivered to the plant from quarries along a public road marked with warning signs. 
6. The first dump truck appears around the bend. He doesn't care about driving on the right, he drives right in the middle of the road. 
7. The asphalt is narrow, two BelAZ vehicles cannot pass each other, so a wide shoulder is rolled out. 
8. Mercedes overtakes BMW. 
9. On the road, the trucks pass the village of Karpovtsy, where all the bushes, fences and houses near the road are white with lime dust. 
11. At the main entrance to the quarry there is a semi-disassembled EKG-5A crawler excavator. 
12. Mechanical excavators have been working in Krasnoselsky quarries since 1928. At first they were steam powered. 
13. Here is the first quarry. It is already quite overgrown with mud and looks completely unattractive. 
14. But magnificent bouquets of daisies grow on the banks. 
15. And the ubiquitous poppies. 
16. There are unnecessary poles on the edge of a road broken up by trucks. Previously, all quarries were electrified. 
17. In a deep excavation lies the road to the next quarry. 
18. A surface of water looms in the distance. 
19. The entrances to the quarries have been dug up in many places, and frightening signs have been installed near the shore. The popularity of “Maldives” is so high that even when you first visit the plant’s website, the following message pops up:
“Dear guests of the city. Krasnoselsky!
The management of OJSC Krasnoselskstroymaterialy, in order to prevent accidents, appeals to you with an urgent request to refrain from visiting chalk quarries and swimming in them. Quarries are a technological zone and belong to particularly 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 about yourself and your loved ones.
On July 1, 2013, the Volkovysk Zonal Center for Hygiene and Epidemiology tested water from the chalk quarries of Krasnoselskstroymaterialy OJSC. According to the test report, the water does not meet the requirements of the Sanitary Rules and Standards in terms of microbiological indicators (OCB and TKB - common coliform bacteria and thermotolerate coliform bacteria). The number of the above bacteria exceeds the norm from sixty to one hundred times.”
20. But warnings don't stop anyone. It's really beautiful here. Many people come overnight. 
21. This is one of the smallest ponds. Usually there are a lot of people here, but I came here on a cloudy morning and it was drizzling. I met only two or three companies who had come out of their tents to recover from their hangover. 
22. An old walking NKMZ excavator is visible on the mountain. Although it looks rusty, it is still in service. 
24. It is characterized by overgrown shores and numerous islands. 
25. Tourists made a path of stones to one of the islands. 
26. General view of the quarry. 
27. The depth of the depression is significant - about ten meters. 
28. A few tourists get here, take a couple of shots and go back. 
29. I went down the steps carved into the slope to the water itself. 
30. Water with chalk dissolved in it and great depth together give this beautiful shade. 
31. Where it is shallower, you can evaluate the color of the water. 
32.
33. On the way to the last, largest reservoir, you come across “failed” reservoirs. 
34. A vast expanse of water begins to appear among the trees. 
35. This is the farthest and largest quarry. 
36. Its length is almost 2 kilometers. 
37. Maximum width - 250 meters. 
38. Depth - at least 50 meters. 
39. The quarry has high steep banks. 
40. It is the shores that pose the greatest danger to travelers. Here is one of the trees that fell into the water after another collapse. 
41. But the beauty of these places makes up for any danger. 
42. Where BelAZ trucks once stopped, now there is the most convenient descent to the water. 
43. But swimming here is not very comfortable: the depth begins immediately from the shore, and the water is icy. 
44. To view the full panorama, click on the image. 
45. Fishermen are sitting in a quiet backwater. 
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47. Vegetation on the banks is the most common for Belarus. 
48. Birches, pines, heather, moss and field grasses. 
49. But in combination with the landscape it looks unusual. 
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53. From a high embankment the entire quarry is in full view. 
54. A long “sleeve” stretches from the wide part, which ensures a two-kilometer long career. 
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56. When the wind blows, flocks of waves run across the huge water surface. 
57. Last panorama. Click to open in full size. 
Stories about chalk quarries have long occupied the minds of sophisticated travelers and lovers of unusual nature. In Belarus, chalk quarries have been around for several years, and myths and legends about them are only multiplying, interest is growing, and there is more and more uncertainty. There are several places with chalk and limestone quarries in Belarus: these are chalk quarries near Volkovysk (in the village of Krasnoselsky), near Slutsk (Soligorsk, Lyubanya) and near Bereza.
To get acquainted with the nature and beauty of Belarus, you can choose any one you like and enjoy the sights!
Map of the route from Minsk to the chalk quarries near Volkovysk (link)
It is better to get to the quarries near Volkovysk by car along the P44 highway to Volkovysk and from there to the village of Krasnoselsky.
As you approach the quarries, everything around becomes covered with a white coating - this is chalk. Large trucks carry limestone back and forth along dusty roads.
On summer weekends, despite the prohibitory signs, there are quite a lot of people here. And everyone comes to admire the amazingly turquoise-azure water surrounded by white shores covered with greenery. Such visually attractive places have great potential, if only the banks there were developed, because there is a risk of collapse of unfortified quarry walls. In addition, the quarries are very deep - up to 15 meters. The area of the quarries near Volkovysk is huge, and the length of the quarry ranges from 1 to 4 km! But due to the fact that quarries are technical objects, tourism here is still “unofficial” and “oral”. But the views of the quarries are impressive!
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| Photo from the site tut.by |
INFORMATION UPDATE AS OF 06/17/2015:
“Near Krasnoselsky, Volkovysk district, they began reclamation of chalk quarries. This means that the quarries will lose their picturesque appearance. The water in them will no longer have such an attractive turquoise color. Following the creation in April of this year of a restricted zone in the technological zone of OJSC Krasnoselskstroymaterialy, the authorities and The administration of the cement plant did not stop at the “threats” of closing the quarries, but moved from words to action. In the words of the chairman of the Krasnoselsky village council, Lyudmila Demeschik, and the deputy general director of the plant, Gennady Naydyuk, in the news story of the Grodno TV and Radio Company, it was announced that the banks on the second and third lenses were smoothed out, the fourth was dug up. lens, the fields of the Neverovichi agricultural production complex are sown with grasses that cannot be passed by a car. After reclamation, the quarries will lose their picturesque and attractive appearance for tourists and at the same time will become safer for them.
Along the main road, a deep ditch was built that was insurmountable for cars, making it impossible to drive around all the obstacles across the field.
Several years ago, the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus proposed giving reservoirs the status of hydrological natural monuments. It was assumed that this status would be given to the quarries in 2013 - the steep banks would be leveled, trees would be planted around. But that’s why bureaucracy is bureaucracy, to leave as many projects as possible on paper,” the portal notes. This happened this time too. The idea was buried, the careers fell asleep. And all under a good proposal - to avoid future accidents."Source: tio.by
Other quarries are located near Soligorsk, Slutsk and Lyuban. These are the so-called " Blue Lakes" On the map they look like this:
Photos from quarries near Soligorsk (Slutsk, Lyuban):
The Krasnoselsky chalk quarries (where they are located will be discussed below) almost instantly acquired the status of the most visited. And despite the fact that this phenomenon is considered a technical object, there are no fewer people wishing to observe it with their own eyes from year to year. They are located near the city of Volkovysk. The mesmerizing beauty of the local landscape is revealed to tourists in the unique combination of an unusual landscape with bright turquoise water. Today, the Krasnoselsky chalk quarries, where some tourists compare a vacation to a trip to the Red Sea, are called by many names. So, among them: “a tourist mecca for Belarusians”, “the most popular attraction in the Volkovysk region”. This place is also called “a paradise for photographers.” Currently, the total area of the quarries is the size of approximately 300 football fields.
Pastime
Krasnoselsky chalk quarries offer their visitors a lot of interesting things. Tourists can not only enjoy extraordinary beauties view, swim in the turquoise waters, cook a barbecue or gather with a friendly group to sing around the fire. This place is also of interest to a targeted audience:
Description
Once upon a time, chalk was mined in quarries near Volkovysk. After some time, the excavated cavity naturally fills with water. Due to the fact that a small amount of chalk still remains at the bottom of the quarry, the water acquires a very beautiful shade: from delicate sky blue to bright azure and even emerald. A wonderful addition to the landscape were the high steep banks strewn with a crown of young boulders and pieces of silicon reminiscent of meteorites. The picture that appears to the eye creates a feeling of unreality in the perspective, as if footage from a science fiction film were embodied here.
The pits are located near the urban village from which they got their name - “Krasnoselsky chalk quarries”. It would not be an exaggeration to say that this locality has the highest tourism potential in all of Belarus. According to statistics, about 100 thousand independent travelers visited here in 2012 alone. And this takes into account the fact that the Krasnoselsky chalk quarries are far from the only attraction of the settlement. This is where the concentration of the most ancient silicon mines in Belarus is located. About 5 thousand years ago, primitive people mined valuable rock from them in order to make tools that were so necessary for them at that time. Unfortunately, the mine wells are currently sealed. There has long been a plan to organize a museum, but the project to open it has been collecting dust on the shelves for many years. Another dream that has not yet come true are the ideas of creating specially equipped beaches and parking lots near chalk quarries, building a campsite on its territory, organizing tent rentals, and opening food outlets. Also, the tourism industry could generate more income if visits to the Krasnoselsky chalk quarries were included in excursion programs.
Old pits
Krasnoselsky chalk quarries can be divided into new and old. Moreover, the age of the latter is not so great - only about 50 years. They were handed over to the state. You can find old quarries not far from the car depot, and more detailed route Anyone can point them out local. It is unlikely that there is at least one prohibiting sign about swimming here. And therefore the “local Maldives” became favorite place recreation for residents of nearby areas and those who do not want to break the law.
New pits
Presence in the territory where they are located is punishable by a fine of 3 to 10 basic units, since the quarries are the property of Krasnoselskstroymaterialy. Since mining activities are carried out here, they are classified as industrial facilities. It will be possible to legally visit the new Krasnoselsky chalk quarries, the photo of which is presented above, in 7 years, when the enterprise writes them off from its balance sheet. To do this, it is necessary that the angle of the coastal slope becomes less than 35°, then the pits will go into state use. From this moment on, all prohibiting signs will disappear, and entry into their territory will be allowed.
Krasnoselsky chalk quarries. How to get to these places?
The new pits are located along the industrial road behind the cement plant. It is very difficult not to notice her. Often passing MAZs and BelAZs sprinkle chalk all around: trees, the road and people passing by. This is where the majority of tourists strive to get, since they simply do not know about the existence of open access. Along the road leading to the new quarries, there are signs that prohibit outsiders from entering their territory. The entrances have been dug up or blocked with blocks. However, those who want to relax here this fact doesn't bother me. You can see improvised parking lots next to the road. And some brave people leave their car right on the side of the road, without even fear of heavy trucks “flying” past. Swimming in the new pits is also prohibited. And since the owner company, namely Krasnoselskstroymaterialy, is responsible for all accidents that occur here, it becomes quite clear why vacationers are unwelcome guests for them.
Why you shouldn't swim
Visits
Starting on Friday evening, everyone is slowly flocking to the new quarries. The maximum number of people arrives on Saturday afternoon. As a rule, they arrive in cars with Minsk license plates, but there are also tourists from Russia. People take with them mattresses, tents, their pets, boats and food supplies. Vacationers are confident that the water in the new quarries is absolutely safe, since it rises from the depths of the earth. As a result, it goes through several natural stages of filtration with gravel and sand. The color of the water is influenced by the chemical processes occurring at the bottom of the quarry with chalk. In order for the pleasant shade of a pond to please the eyes of its visitors for a long time, the object must be monitored. Otherwise, after 50 years the bottom will be overgrown with silt and the water will become dark.
About how the plant punishes
For the enterprise, vacationers are violators of the established order. And despite the fact that the plant makes a lot of efforts to prevent quarries from entering the territory, measures taken it still turns out to be not enough. They try to make tourists understand in the following way:
- Verbal warning. A raid group arrives at new quarries twice a day. Representatives of the plant explain why it is unsafe to be in the quarries and ask them to leave.
- Monetary sanctions. Near the quarries you can see billboards installed that threaten illegal visitors with fines. But in reality, not a single tourist has ever been punished in this way.
- Towing an abandoned vehicle. This is perhaps the worst punishment for a tourist. Factory employees call the traffic police to remove a car that is obstructing traffic from the side of the road.
Fascinating. Mountains of garbage are repulsive. Should I go or not? the site went on an expedition to the Volkovysk region and found out why swimming in the quarries is prohibited, but this does not stop anyone. If you have already arrived, natural questions arise: where to spend the night? Where to relax and have lunch? What attractions are there in the surrounding area? In the new project “Right off the bat” we will answer these questions.
Careers “legal” and “illegal”
“Grand Canyon”, “Pillars”, “Blue” - you can’t swim. “Blue” and “Mars” are possible. There are dozens of quarries scattered near the urban village of Krasnoselsky, but prohibition signs are installed along some of them, and no one will say a word to you for swimming in others.
It's not the blueness of the water or even the steepness of the banks. Conventionally, quarries near Vaukavysk can be divided into old and new.
Age old "blue lenses" about half a century. They are transferred to the ownership of the state. They are located next to the car depot, and any local resident will show you the way. Here you are unlikely to find signs prohibiting swimming. As a rule, locals and those who do not like to break the law swim in the Maldives.
New careers belong to the Krasnoselskstroymaterialy enterprise. These are industrial facilities, for which outsiders face a fine of 3 to 10 basic units.
It will be possible to walk around these quarries legally in 7 years. Then the plant will write them off the “balance sheet”. Only those quarries whose banks do not exceed an angle of 35 degrees will become state property. After this, they will be accessible, and the prohibitory signs will disappear.
They are located right behind the cement plant along an industrial road, which is impossible not to notice. Every few minutes BelAZ and MAZ trucks pass there, showering the road, trees and people with chalk. It is to the new quarries that crowds of vacationers go. They are not aware of the existence of other "blue lenses" that are allowed to visit.
Prohibition signs have been installed along the technical road, and all approaches to the quarries are blocked with concrete blocks or dug up. But this does not stop tourists.
Improvised parking lots appeared next to the road. Desperate people abandon their cars right on the side of the road, without fear of heavy vehicles that rush past at serious speed.
Swimming is prohibited
As we said above, the Krasnoselskstroymaterialy plant is responsible for the new quarries. The management of the enterprise “pays” for all accidents. Therefore, tourists are undesirable guests for them.
Since these are industrial facilities, there is no infrastructure here. No trash cans, no gentle slopes into the water, no places to rest, no parking for cars...
When you visit the plant’s website, the first thing you will see is a warning: “The water in the quarries does not meet the requirements of sanitary rules and regulations" But locals and tourists are skeptical about this message. " This is my third time coming here. The first time was in 2010. Did something happen to me?“- Minsk resident Evgeniy turned to me.
The bottom and banks of the quarries are strewn with silicon, from which our ancestors made axes and spears. The chance of cutting yourself is very high. Inexperienced swimmers should not take risks either: the depth in some places reaches 15 meters. Add to this the risk of bank collapse .
...but that doesn’t stop tourists
The mass pilgrimage here begins on Friday evening and reaches its peak at noon on Saturday. The license plates of the cars are mostly from Minsk, but there are also cars from Russia. Tourists arrive with tents, mattresses, boats and even supermarket carts filled with food. They also bring their pets with them.
I was assured that the water was safe, because it “rises from the depths of the earth, undergoes several degrees of natural purification, making its way through layers of sand and gravel.” The color of the water depends on the chemical processes with chalk that take place at the bottom. If you don't take care of the quarries, then in fifty years the water will turn dark when the bottom becomes overgrown with silt.
What is it like to stay in the “Belarusian Maldives”?
For a cement plant, tourists in new quarries are troublemakers. The company is trying its best to take measures against those who invade the industrial zone, but this, apparently, is not enough.
Verbal warning. A raid group arrives at the quarries twice a day. Two representatives of the plant in yellow vests politely explain that it is unsafe to be in the quarries and ask them to leave.
However, after a short briefing for the site, the law enforcement officers headed to the car with the words: “ We are leaving. That's it, you can swim" Whether we came across a good-natured patrol, or this method of persuasion is ineffective - remains a mystery.
Fine from 450 thousand. There are several billboards installed next to each quarry, threatening fines from 3 to 10 basic units for staying at the production site. However, no one remembers cases when people were actually fined.
Car evacuation. The most dire consequences await motorists who leave their cars on the side of the road. The traffic police are called by the plant employees. So, on Friday 20 cars were evacuated. Five of them turned out to be the cars of the company’s employees, who parked their “iron horses” at the entrance to the plant, but the traffic police did not investigate.
Infrastructure
« All the infrastructure is in our trunk» ,” said a visitor from Minsk cheerfully.
The nearest settlement (urban settlement Krasnoselsky) is located several kilometers from the quarries. Therefore, it is better to stock up on food and drink in advance.
At the nearest gas station at noon on Saturday you can no longer buy firewood and coal. Beer is also selling out quickly. In a store near a gas station, saleswomen were displaying a new batch of two-liter bottles of an intoxicating drink. According to them, five-liter bottles of water and beer snacks go away just as quickly.
Visitors spend the night in tents or cars. Although you can stay in the urban village of Krasnoselsky: rent an apartment or buy a bed in a hotel with the original name “Hotel”.
Should I go or not?
A survey of vacationers showed that for some, a trip to the quarries became the most memorable event of the summer. Others argued that they would never return here again. Should I go or not? The choice is always yours.
Interview with a representative of the Krasnoselskstroymaterialy plant.
Infrastructure of the “Belarusian Maldives”: where to eat, spend the night and refuel.
We thank FelOkt-Service LLC, the official dealer of the Skoda automobile brand in Belarus, for providing the Škoda Yeti car for the trip.
Finally, real summer has arrived, the heat has returned and vacationers in droves have gone to the “Belarusian Maldives” - the quarries near Vaukavysk, which have been slaughtered, but this has not made them any less attractive. A lot of posts have been written, but I’ll add my two cents (today only about the good).
The technology for creating such an attraction and a point of attraction for vacationers/photographers is quite simple. The area where they are located is rich in chalk deposits, the extraction of which has been carried out by JSC Krasnoselskstroymaterialy for many years (the plant produces cement, pipes, lime and all kinds of building mixtures). Mining is carried out in an open pit, in a quarry. After completion of operation, the equipment moves to a new location, and the abandoned quarry is gradually flooded with groundwater. Because of the chalky suspension in the water (or salt solutions?), the water takes on such an unreal color, and the elevation changes only add to the picturesqueness. It is not surprising that during the “season” thousands of people can be here at the same time.
I don't like people very much, especially in large quantities Therefore, not the warmest month was chosen for the trip - April.
First we decided to go to the old quarries, located closer to Krasnoselsky and the old (abandoned) plant. Now the production has been moved outside the village.
Since their exploitation was completed decades ago, the slopes and the area around them were overgrown with forest. Now these “lenses” are more like mountain lakes.
Over the years, the water has lost its emerald color.
The slopes are steep and high, the descent to the water is quite dangerous (filmed in fisheye for added effect).
You won’t find “tourists” here, but there are fishermen. At first I decided that it was some kind of bird, but the zoom helped me see it.
Overall, I liked it here, but the forest is very wild and finding a parking spot is problematic. Later they moved towards new quarries.
The path to them ran through the plant and the technological road along which the rock is transported. The road itself and everything adjacent to it is covered with a uniform layer of chalk.
Despite the “abandonment”, the quarries are technological territory. Of course, it is not intended for recreation and “tourists”, who sometimes drown here when drunk or fall under landslides.
Security with machine guns and heavy equipment prevent entry. It's just a bit difficult to get there by car.
But this is all nonsense; it is not difficult for a motivated person to walk a kilometer or two.
Bottom view...
And from above.
Unfortunately, we were short on time and we only visited one quarry. But the largest one is almost 2 kilometers long. There is no need to comment further.
As a result. During our April hike, we met only three people and saw almost no trash, but last weekend the situation was strikingly different. I promised not to write about bad things-) I recommend visiting the career, but it’s better not in the summer. True, there is now a whole poppy field nearby...
