Description of the attraction
In 1765, near the city of Simbirsk (now the city of Ulyanovsk), on the banks of the Volga River, a deposit of an unusual stone was found. Outwardly similar to carnelian and amber, the translucent stone had a rolling color; from sunny red to reddish brown with shiny veins. Some specimens were so pure and transparent that after the stone was processed, few people could distinguish it from amber at that time. The uniqueness of the stone consisted in easy processing, the ability to take almost any shape and at the same time retain all its properties. The Ulyanovsk region until our time remains the only deposit of "Volga amber" or in the common people - the stone sun.
In 1982, a rare ornamental stone of the calcite group was called simbircite, in honor of the old name of the city of Simbirsk, and in 2005, Volzhsky Amber, which over the years has turned into a symbol of Ulyanovsk and its main attraction, is erected as a monument in the city center. Simbircite in Ulyanovsk can be found almost on every corner: in the names of organizations and children's circles, in crafts and souvenirs, in expensive jewelry and well-deserved awards. But in other regions and in the capital's stores, it is not recommended to buy the "sun stone", from the territory of Ulyanovsk the "symbol of prosperity and success" is practically not exported.
In ancient times, the inhabitants of the Volga region believed that simbircite had medicinal properties and used a stone crushed to powder for healing wounds and curing eczema. In the souvenir shops of Ulyanovsk, there are often charms, amulets and talismans made of "little sun" that will not only protect you, but also relieve stress and fill you with positive energy. There is also a stone museum in the city, which describes in detail the history of education and stone-working craft, and there you can order an individual product from "Volzhsky amber" as a souvenir.
