Description of the attraction
Several large quartzite deposits are known in the Prionezhie region. Of these, the most interesting are the outcrops of these rocks located near the village of Shoksha. Outcrops of crimson and red quartzites, as well as old quarries, have become a unique natural monument.
Shoksha quartzite is a durable and especially durable decorative material for facing work, and they are perfectly polished. The first works on the extraction of Shoksha quartzites began in the 18th century, but then quartzites were used only for the purpose of decorating the palaces of the city of St. Petersburg. Monochromatic Shoksha quartzites, which have a dark crimson color, were of greater value; they were also called "Shoksha porphyry". Reddish quartzites were used in the manufacture of crushed stone and paving stones.
After some time, the area of use and application of Shokshire quartzites has expanded significantly. This material was used in the design of Napoleon's sarcophagus located in the House of Invalids in Paris, the monument to the Unknown Soldier in Moscow, the Lenin Mausoleum, the memorial located on the Mamayev Kurgan in the city of Volgograd, the tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the city of Petrozavodsk, the memorial monument to Victory in St. Petersburg, as well as many other historically and architecturally significant objects.
There is even an interesting legend about sending crimson quartzite to Paris. When the French government decided to transport the remains of Emperor Napoleon I from Saint Helena, they decided to build something unique for the famous emperor that cannot be found every day even in such a rich and prosperous country as France. As you know, samples of the Olonets stone have a second common name - "Shoksha porphyry", the samples of which were proposed by a former engineer from Russia. This kind of red-brown stone was recognized as fully meeting the goal of making a tombstone from it, because the stone had an amazing strength, could withstand a particularly high-purity polish and had an even uniform color on all pieces. It is thanks to these amazing qualities of "Shoksha porphyry" that the French government decided to turn to a Russian engineer with a question about purchasing a unique stone at the price then stipulated. A report of this kind was sent to Emperor Nikolai Pavlovich, who immediately ordered the stone to be sent to Paris without the price indicated in the report.
It is worth paying tribute to all the creators of the greatest monument, because the sarcophagus of the great Napoleon, even now, is one of the best monuments proving the expedient use of the Shoksha stone. However, do not forget that at that time many veterans were still alive, who witnessed the devastating Napoleonic invasion. Then not everyone understood this rather broad gesture of Nikolai Pavlovich in memory of a still very recent enemy.
