Сьяновские каменоломни

Syanovskie Quarry

Useful Information

Location:	Staros'yanovo, Domodedovo
Open:	All year Tue–Wed 10–18, Thu–Fri 10–21, Sat–Sun 10–18. [2020]
Fee:	free. [2020]
Classification:	Rock Mine
Light:	bring torch
Dimension:
Guided tours:	self guided
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:
Address:	Syanovskie Quarry, 56, Staros'yanovo, Moscow Oblast, 142712 Tel: +7-.
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

17th century	beginning of quarrying.
1917	end of mining.
1970s	all entrances blocked by the authorities.
1980s	rediscovered.
2007	beginning of renovation.

Description

Сьяновские каменоломни (Syanovskie Quarry) is sometimes simply called Сьяны (Syani). The huge system of underground rock mines is the largest of its kind in and around Moscow. Currently about 19 km of mines are known, but the exploration is still ongoing. While this is a popular tourist attraction, it is not with an operator. The mines are accessible through the Kotkіna hole in the park between the town and the river. The tours are self guided, so you may spend an hour or three. The quarries are also used for discos and other events. There is a journal at the entrance where visitors enter their names and check out when they leave, so it is always possible to check who is inside and send the rescue if necessary.

This is the place where the white rock was mined for most buildings in Moscow. If you see a beautiful white church in Moscow it was most likely built with limestone from here. Even huge parts of Domodedovo airport were built with this rock, including the first runway. But the quarries were finally closed and later sealed for security reason. Urban explorers were searching for the quarries and finally reopened them.

The limestone which was quarried is karstified and contains numerous small caves. While the artificial passages are rectangular and between 50 cm and 3.5 m high, the caves have all kinds of shapes and sizes, but most are pretty small. Quite common are shapes resembling a cross, where a widened vertical crack meets a horizontal bedding plane. It seems to be a great fun for visitors to crawl into the most narrow parts and get stuck.

For a visit you need appropriate equipment, we recommend at least two lamps per person, helmet, gum boots and gloves. Old clothes and fresh clothes to change afterwards. The quarries are not overly dirty, but there are no paved trails either.