Karelia: Marble Mountain :: Places of Interest :: Travel

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Karelia: Marble Mountain

February 25, 2016 16:52

(Source: http://www.k2000.ru/phonek)

No canoer who arises from the Krivozer to Hizhozero misses an opportunity to stay in the White Mountain. Even if he does not know that two hundred years ago marble for cathedrals and palaces of St. Petersburg was mined here.

In the "Memory trickle of the Olonets province" of 1858 it is said: "The products of local marble and stones are honored to decorate the dwellings of our sovereigns and the main temples of the best buildings of the capital".

Now the 25-meter cliff is not white in appearance and more than a century no development is conducted. But climbing upstairs is still necessary and a wonderful view of the surroundings will open. Be careful: there are no hiking trails paved here. But in the season you can find a lot of slippery white milk mushrooms.

If you come to the White Mountain by car you are recommended to make arrangement with the local people living on the coast, and they will transport you to a career by boat. Some of them will do it just for 'thank you', out of kindness; someone will take little money for that. You will not regret: as you can take photos and pick up a piece of marble to the memory.

It is said that the Peter I decided to produce the first marble in the White Mountain (and neighboring Tivdi).

However, in Karelia they refer to the decisive sovereign at every opportunity. From the literature it is known that the deposits of marble of the White Mountain were discovered in the 1750s by merchant Martyanov.

Breaking of Karelian marble began precisely in the village of the White Mountain, in years 1768-1769. Tivdiysky marble breakings had been large-scale production.

In the second half of the XVIII century the Karelian marble was widely known and used for construction. St. Isaac's Cathedral, Kazan Cathedral, Zimniy and Marble Palaces and even the sarcophagus of Napoleon I - all these are made of tivdiysky marble.

It can be white, pink, red, black, gray and green, yellow, striped and even spotted.