The Lyznyky quarry, located near the village of Lyznyk and the settlement of Chervonohranitne in the Zhytomyr region (Horoshiv hromada), is one of the largest and most famous granite deposits in Ukraine.
Its dimensions are impressive: the quarry is about 730 meters long, 600 meters wide, and exceeds 60 meters in depth. It is a true canyon of red granite. Stone from here has been used not only in Ukraine, but also far beyond its borders.
History and Development
Development of the Lyznyky deposit began back in 1898. The modern name of the village is Lyznyk, but it was formerly called Leznyk, which is why the quarry is also often called the Leznyky quarry. The settlement of Chervonohranitne grew up next to it, formed on the basis of the Lyznyky Quarry Management settlement, which arose in 1946. In Soviet times, granite mining actively developed, and the red stone from Lyznyk gained widespread popularity.
According to a common version, it was Lyznyky granite that architect Aleksey Shchusev chose to decorate Lenin's Mausoleum in Moscow. Although the mausoleum itself remains a controversial legacy, the granite from here became famous as a high-quality material that withstands centuries.
Technical Characteristics
- Quarry length: 730 m
- Width: 600 m
- Depth: over 60 m
- Granite type: red, decorative and construction
- Products: blocks, tiles, crushed stone and rubble stone
The quarry is an operating enterprise and a restricted facility: access to the territory is permitted only with the management's authorization and when blasting operations are not taking place. For visitors, there is a viewing platform near the management office, which offers a vast panorama of the pit.
Use of Granite
Throughout the 20th century, large granite blocks were quarried from the Lyznyky quarry and supplied throughout the Soviet Union. After the 1990s, block mining became less profitable, and some of the stone was processed into crushed stone and rubble. In the 21st century, the enterprise resumed full-scale extraction: blocks and tiles are used for the construction of roads, railways, private and commercial facilities.
Today, the quarry area is filled with various materials: screening spoil heaps, piles of rubble stone, stacks of paving stones, and metal gabions. High-quality polished tiles are also produced here, which are in demand among builders and designers.
Architectural and Cultural Value
The red granite of the Liznyky quarry is often called "Leninist", and its use in famous structures has made the deposit a symbol of the reliability and strength of the material. With a history spanning over a century, the enterprise continues to remain one of the key granite suppliers in Ukraine.
The Liznyky quarry is not only an industrial site, but also a monument to the history of Ukrainian geology and construction, a place worth seeing if only to appreciate the scale of one of the country's largest granite deposits.
Photo by Roman Malenkov
