The Mountain Colonel

The small mountain Colonel is located 60 km from the town of Guy, and 40 km from Orsk. This is one of the main attractions of the Orenburg region.

In fact, this is not even a mountain, but a small hill rising only 40-60 meters above the level of the nearby Or River. The maximum height of the mountain above sea level is 240 meters. The hill stretches from south to north for almost three kilometers.

Although this mountain was noticed in the middle of the XVIII century, it received its modern name only a little over a century ago. In 1886, the Turgai stud farm was opened on the western slope of the mountain. His manager was Colonel N.V. Balk. Going there, the locals said, "I went to the colonel." Gradually, this became fixed in the national memory. So the name of the mountain came from the title of the stud farm manager.

A unique deposit of jasper of amazing beauty has made this completely unremarkable mountain famous all over the world. This is the most famous Ural jasper deposit. Variegated Orsk jaspers are generally considered the most beautiful in the world! They are distinguished from other deposits by a variety of colors and patterns. Almost all known colors are found here, among which red-brown shades predominate.

The Colonel Mountain is composed of lava and tuffs of basalts, in which there are layers of jasper. Jasper consists of quartz for 90 percent, and its color is given by impurities: epidote, chlorite, garnet, pyrite, magnetite, hematite and others. This deposit has been developed for more than two centuries. Even now, you can easily collect excellent samples for your home collection. Jasper is literally everywhere here!

The scale of the former mining of Orsk jasper is evidenced by the huge clay pit remaining on the hilltop. Its diameter is about 300 meters and its depth is 10-15 meters. There are also many mining pits on the hillsides around. The first quarries at the outlet of jasper on the Ori River appeared in the 1750s, shortly after the first Russians arrived here. In 1755, 14 wagons loaded with the best samples of Orsk jasper were sent to the capital. In the same years, Ural stone carvers began to produce the first products from colorful Orsk variegated jaspers. Jasper was taken from here to make artful crafts in Yekaterinburg to a cutting factory. Until the revolution, Orsk jasper was widely used by stone carvers.

In Soviet times, since the 1930s, jasper was remembered again. It was used to make jasper tiles, inkwells, ashtrays, brooches, various souvenirs and jewelry. Before the Great Patriotic War, up to 300 tons of jasper per year were mined on Mount Colonel. Then the scale of production decreased.

Items made from the Orsk jasper of Mount Colonel can be seen in major museums, including the Louvre, the Hermitage, the Russian Museum, and the Museum of Jewelry and stone-cutting in Yekaterinburg. In earlier times, the manufacture of huge jasper vases from monolithic stone required special skill.

The famous Soviet mineralogist A.E. Fersman visited Mount Colonel. He wrote about jasper: "I do not know of any other mineral species that is more diverse in its color than jasper: all tones, except pure blue, are known to us in jasper, and they sometimes intertwine into a fabulous picture."

Until recently, production at this rich deposit was stopped, being considered unprofitable. However, in 2011, the administration of the city of Orsk issued a license for mining operations to one of the private companies. It is possible that in our time jasper will regain its well-deserved place among the precious stones. As part of this weekend itinerary, you can visit another famous natural landmark of the Orenburg region — the Gubernian Mountains. They are located only 30-40 kilometers from Orsk.