Probably, it is far not all know, that the well-known white stone which has awarded Russia by an epithet «belokamennaya», served by a material for building and manufacturing of ornaments of many palaces and the temples, stood tests by centuries is the most ancient natural material limestone. This widespread rock has arisen on the Earth much millions years ago at the bottom of the ancient seas from marine deposits and takes more than 10 % of adjournment of a cover of our planet. Limestone almost completely consists from kaltsita and has uniqu internal structure: the volume of an internal time reaches 20-30 % from stone volume thanks to what the mineral "breathes". It high frost resistance of a white stone, so, and its durability speaks. The film of aeration with which the material in due course is covered, prevents the further chemical destruction of a stone. Hardness of crystals kaltsita gives to limestone high durability, and fineness and availability of a time do its one of the materials most convenient for processing. The last property in many respects also has defined a role of a white stone in architecture of many countries of the world, including ancient Russia.

Extraction and limestone processing

Limestone extraction was conducted simply enough - method lomki. It was called so because the top layer of breed lifted lomami and broke hammer blows on iron wedges. Small pieces of a stone pulled out manually, to larger applied the adaptation of type of a collar which put in action from ten to twenty workers.

Sawing up of stones on blocks was carried out manually by a simple iron saw. In the course of work into place raspila added sand (as an abrasive) and the water doing a natural stone softer and pliable. The part of the extracted limestone went on roasting for reception to exhaust, bruski and blocks intended for building of the bases and walls, and flat plates went on external and internal furnish of buildings.

Processing of items from a white stone also was carried out manually: roughnesses of a surface chopped off the special tool, and then ground by means of river sand and pig-iron gladilki. For polishing of figured elements produced the separate graters repeating the forms of ledges. For giving to finished products of additional durability them dried under the sun or in special furnaces.

History of items from limestone

In Russia limestone use has begun with times of construction prince Andrey Bogolyubsky of a temple of the Cover on Nerli, in 1165. Under the legend, the stone for construction has been brought from bulgarskogo kingdoms which the prince has won for a year prior to the beginning of church building. Belokamennyie carved reliefs have decorated construction walls, and tsar David sitting on a throne, the left hand keeping psaltyir, and right creating blagoslovlenie became the central figure in a composition.

However, to the Cover temple on Nerli has been constructed belokamennyiy Boris and Gleb’s Temple in village Kideksha near Suzdal, and date of its structure name 1152.

The further building in Russia was conducted from local limestone. Its extraction have begun under Dmitry Donskogo’s decree, decided to surround the Moscow Kremlin with a stone wall. Since then the white stone began to be used everywhere both for building, and for decorating of structures by ornaments and portals. White and yellowish myachkovskie limestones became an ideal material for creation of a refined carving and sculptural compositions, and the masters working on them, named kamnesechtsami.

The church of the Sign constructed in village Dubrovitsy, nearby to Podolsk became one of the finest belokamennyih structures. It is erected from blocks myachkovskogo limestone and decorated by a surprising carving in the form of leaves and the clusters of grapes twisted on walls. Skill of builders and carvers on a stone has allowed to create a temple recognised as one of masterpieces of world art.

For manufacturing of bas-reliefs the white stone began to be used actively in second half XV centuries. Then the architect and sculptor Vasily Yermolin had been produced two bas-reliefs, established on Spassky (before called Frolovoy) a tower of the Moscow Kremlin. From lateral aspect of gate the arms of a city of Moscow, representing George Pobedonostsa have been established. And in twenty years after that events, in 1466, the party of a tower paid to the Kremlin, the bas-relief with Dmitry Solunskogo’s figure has decorated.

But the peak of popularity of a white stone in Russia has fallen to the beginning of XIX century. Then the set of sculptures and carved ornaments, among which more has been produced than three hundred sculptor Ivan Vitali.

Soon after a victory of Russian people in a Patriotic War of 1812 on mountains Vorobyovyh building of a temple of the Christ of the Savior, as gratitude for protection Supreme and as a monument to courage of Russian people has begun. On a plan of architect A.L.Vitberga this grandiose structure should be visible from any point of capital.

The material for the temple base had been chose limestone. That its delivery did not manage the expensive, extraction of this stone has begun in the village Grigorovo possessed nearby to Moscow. However because of availability of underground streams and fragility of soils on mountains Vorobevyh building was necessary to finish and choose for a temple other place - on the bank of the Moskva River, nearby to the Kremlin. After the building termination on mountains Vorobevyh have been suspended and grigorovskie limestone workings out. To this deposit have come back already later, in 15 years when have started new building of a temple.

For furnish of walls the dense white limestone developed in vicinities of Kolomna was used. Also other natural stones were applied to internal and outside facing - dark green labradorit, pink shokshinskiy quartzite, multi-coloured marble. The temple of the Christ of the Savior was under construction almost 40 years, and after closing-up looked the white block similar to a huge iceberg. Such it remained in memory of contemporaries even after this majestic structure has been destroyed.

From times of use as a material for processing of a white stone in Russia the set of great architectural masterpieces has been created, some of which are famous not only in the country, but also abroad. Some of them, unfortunately, were not saved till our times, but the large part of churches, palaces and manors admires with the beauty and refinement of furnish and to this day.

Limestone application presently

From the middle of the last century of working out of a natural stone in Russia began to be conducted by explosive method. On the one hand it has considerably facilitated work of workers, with other – has sharply reduced use in building and limestone furnish. Specificity of deposits of the white stone, lying down too thin layers alternating with mergelyami and glinami was the reason for that. The explosive method brought down together with layers of limestone and unnecessary breed accompanying them, mixing them and hindering stone extraction.

Besides, in the country the railway communication began to develop actively, and it became cheaper and easier to deliver a finishing stone from apart. Furnish from a granite, marble, gabbro, extracted on Urals Mountains, Ukraine or on caucasus became the Most widespread at that time.

Almost working out of limestone for facing in Mjachkovsky open-cast mines has completely ceased: the stone therefrom was delivered seldom enough, for special orders.

Now limestone working out began to revive actively. More and more buildings began to find graceful belokamennuyu furnish, returning to Russia the forgotten epithet «belokamennaya». Teams of the qualified experts and carvers on a stone attend to restoration of facing of ancient monuments. Their new works do not concede to creations of ancient masters, and thanks to new modern tools, the art carving became more graceful, refined.

Stone quarries again opened across all Russia allow to deliver experts in processing of a stone limestones of various kinds and shades – from dazzling snow-white to noble yellowish. But experts on kamneobrabotke are not limited to a stone only the Russian deposits: limestone is successfully delivered and from foreign countries, including from Italy.

Source: http://www.kam-company.ru

Probably, it is far not all know, that the well-known white stone which has awarded Russia by an epithet «belokamennaya», served by a material for building and manufacturing of ornaments of many palaces and the temples, stood tests by centuries is the most ancient natural material limestone. This widespread rock has arisen on the Earth much millions years ago at the bottom of the ancient seas from marine deposits and takes more than 10 % of adjournment of a cover of our planet. Limestone almost completely consists from kaltsita and has unique iternal structure: the volume of an internal time reaches 20-30 % from stone volume thanks to what the mineral "breathes". It high frost resistance of a white stone, so, and its durability speaks. The film of aeration with which the material in due course is covered, prevents the further chemical destruction of a stone. Hardness of crystals kaltsita gives to limestone high durability, and fineness and availability of a time do its one of the materials most convenient for processing. The last property in many respects also has defined a role of a white stone in architecture of many countries of the world, including ancient Russia.

Extraction and limestone processing

Limestone extraction was conducted simply enough - method lomki. It was called so because the top layer of breed lifted lomami and broke hammer blows on iron wedges. Small pieces of a stone pulled out manually, to larger applied the adaptation of type of a collar which put in action from ten to twenty workers.

Sawing up of stones on blocks was carried out manually by a simple iron saw. In the course of work into place raspila added sand (as an abrasive) and the water doing a natural stone softer and pliable. The part of the extracted limestone went on roasting for reception to exhaust, bruski and blocks intended for building of the bases and walls, and flat plates went on external and internal furnish of buildings.

Processing of items from a white stone also was carried out manually: roughnesses of a surface chopped off the special tool, and then ground by means of river sand and pig-iron gladilki. For polishing of figured elements produced the separate graters repeating the forms of ledges. For giving to finished products of additional durability them dried under the sun or in special furnaces.

History of items from limestone

In Russia limestone use has begun with times of construction prince Andrey Bogolyubsky of a temple of the Cover on Nerli, in 1165. Under the legend, the stone for construction has been brought from bulgarskogo kingdoms which the prince has won for a year prior to the beginning of church building. Belokamennyie carved reliefs have decorated construction walls, and tsar David sitting on a throne, the left hand keeping psaltyir, and right creating blagoslovlenie became the central figure in a composition.

However, to the Cover temple on Nerli has been constructed belokamennyiy Boris and Gleb’s Temple in village Kideksha near Suzdal, and date of its structure name 1152.

The further building in Russia was conducted from local limestone. Its extraction have begun under Dmitry Donskogo’s decree, decided to surround the Moscow Kremlin with a stone wall. Since then the white stone began to be used everywhere both for building, and for decorating of structures by ornaments and portals. White and yellowish myachkovskie limestones became an ideal material for creation of a refined carving and sculptural compositions, and the masters working on them, named kamnesechtsami.

The church of the Sign constructed in village Dubrovitsy, nearby to Podolsk became one of the finest belokamennyih structures. It is erected from blocks myachkovskogo limestone and decorated by a surprising carving in the form of leaves and the clusters of grapes twisted on walls. Skill of builders and carvers on a stone has allowed to create a temple recognised as one of masterpieces of world art.

For manufacturing of bas-reliefs the white stone began to be used actively in second half XV centuries. Then the architect and sculptor Vasily Yermolin had been produced two bas-reliefs, established on Spassky (before called Frolovoy) a tower of the Moscow Kremlin. From lateral aspect of gate the arms of a city of Moscow, representing George Pobedonostsa have been established. And in twenty years after that events, in 1466, the party of a tower paid to the Kremlin, the bas-relief with Dmitry Solunskogo’s figure has decorated.

But the peak of popularity of a white stone in Russia has fallen to the beginning of XIX century. Then the set of sculptures and carved ornaments, among which more has been produced than three hundred sculptor Ivan Vitali.

Soon after a victory of Russian people in a Patriotic War of 1812 on mountains Vorobyovyh building of a temple of the Christ of the Savior, as gratitude for protection Supreme and as a monument to courage of Russian people has begun. On a plan of architect A.L.Vitberga this grandiose structure should be visible from any point of capital.

The material for the temple base had been chose limestone. That its delivery did not manage the expensive, extraction of this stone has begun in the village Grigorovo possessed nearby to Moscow. However because of availability of underground streams and fragility of soils on mountains Vorobevyh building was necessary to finish and choose for a temple other place - on the bank of the Moskva River, nearby to the Kremlin. After the building termination on mountains Vorobevyh have been suspended and grigorovskie limestone workings out. To this deposit have come back already later, in 15 years when have started new building of a temple.

For furnish of walls the dense white limestone developed in vicinities of Kolomna was used. Also other natural stones were applied to internal and outside facing - dark green labradorit, pink shokshinskiy quartzite, multi-coloured marble. The temple of the Christ of the Savior was under construction almost 40 years, and after closing-up looked the white block similar to a huge iceberg. Such it remained in memory of contemporaries even after this majestic structure has been destroyed.

From times of use as a material for processing of a white stone in Russia the set of great architectural masterpieces has been created, some of which are famous not only in the country, but also abroad. Some of them, unfortunately, were not saved till our times, but the large part of churches, palaces and manors admires with the beauty and refinement of furnish and to this day.

Limestone application presently

From the middle of the last century of working out of a natural stone in Russia began to be conducted by explosive method. On the one hand it has considerably facilitated work of workers, with other – has sharply reduced use in building and limestone furnish. Specificity of deposits of the white stone, lying down too thin layers alternating with mergelyami and glinami was the reason for that. The explosive method brought down together with layers of limestone and unnecessary breed accompanying them, mixing them and hindering stone extraction.

Besides, in the country the railway communication began to develop actively, and it became cheaper and easier to deliver a finishing stone from apart. Furnish from a granite, marble, gabbro, extracted on Urals Mountains, Ukraine or on caucasus became the Most widespread at that time.

Almost working out of limestone for facing in Mjachkovsky open-cast mines has completely ceased: the stone therefrom was delivered seldom enough, for special orders.

Now limestone working out began to revive actively. More and more buildings began to find graceful belokamennuyu furnish, returning to Russia the forgotten epithet «belokamennaya». Teams of the qualified experts and carvers on a stone attend to restoration of facing of ancient monuments. Their new works do not concede to creations of ancient masters, and thanks to new modern tools, the art carving became more graceful, refined.

Stone quarries again opened across all Russia allow to deliver experts in processing of a stone limestones of various kinds and shades – from dazzling snow-white to noble yellowish. But experts on kamneobrabotke are not limited to a stone only the Russian deposits: limestone is successfully delivered and from foreign countries, including from Italy.

The article is granted by Company "KAM"

Date of the publication 30.10.07