Holovyne is an urban-type settlement on the Bystriivka River, a tributary of the Nyka, in the Cherniakhiv hromada of the Zhytomyr Raion. It is 40 km from here to Zhytomyr, and 15 km to the Horbashi railway station. About two thousand people live here. Holovyne is known far beyond Ukraine thanks to one stone: labradorite, which flashes in shades of blue and azure under a certain angle of light.
The stone that shines
The Holovyne labradorite deposit has been developed since 1928, and the main enterprise of the settlement is the Holovyne Quarry. This decorative stone has an iridescent effect: shimmers of dark blue, light blue, and green appear on its dark surface, like on a butterfly's wing. As early as the late 19th century, descriptions of the village mentioned "deposits of labradorites".
Holovyne labradorite was used to face a number of metro stations in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Kyiv, the main building of Moscow University, the State Kremlin Palace, and the Mausoleum on Red Square.
On the eastern outskirts of the settlement lies the geological natural monument "Outcrop of Iridescent Labradorite" — here the stone comes to the surface, and its shimmers can be seen in its natural state. Minor planet No. 220418, discovered in 2003 at the Andrushivka Astronomical Observatory, is named after the settlement.
From castle to quarry
Ancient kurgans and a Slavic burial ground from the 6th–7th centuries were discovered near the settlement. In 1502, King Alexander granted the Holovyn estate to Prince Semen Yuriyovych Olshansky, the starost of Lutsk, who built a castle here. Later, the estate passed to the Ostrogski princes and became part of the Ostrogski entail: the owner was obliged to appear before the army with his own retinue at every call. In the 19th century, Holovyn belonged to the Czartoryski princes.
Until 1981, Holovyne was a village, after which it became an urban-type settlement. There is a school, a vocational school, a culture house, a recreation park, and a memorial to those who died in World War II.
Tip
The active quarry is an industrial site, and entering its territory without permission is prohibited. It is best to view the labradorite at the outcrop on the outskirts or in the Khoroshiv Stone Museum.
How to get there
Holovyne lies 12 km east of Cherniakhiv; buses run from Zhytomyr, Kyiv, and Cherniakhiv. Nearby are the wooden Trinity Church in Trokovychi and Khoroshiv with its museum of precious and decorative stones. More about the surroundings can be found in the article about the Zhytomyr Raion.
