South Ossetian marbleized limestone was used in the construction of the Moscow metro stations and ceremonial buildings of the Stalin era. The stone processing enterprise LLC Impuls-A (Alan Kamen) shared the information in its Telegram channel.
"Part of the Paveletskaya metro station in Moscow is faced with noble marbleized limestone mined in South Ossetia.
For connoisseurs of paleontology, these stones are a real calling card of the Moscow metro: fossils from the Jurassic deposits of South Ossetia and Crimea are forever imprinted in their structure.
It is simply impossible to pass by such a geological chronicle," the press service of the enterprise has noted.
As noted by the press service, these unique rocks have been mined in South Ossetia since 1936, and date back to the early Jurassic period — about 185 million years.
“South Ossetian marbles are easy to distinguish by their deep dark crimson color with cherry-sealing wax tints, emphasized by grayish-beige veins.
This rock was formed from calcareous silt deposited on the bottom of the warm shallow sea that covered the region during the Jurassic period,” the press service has emphasized.
Their former conditions, the company representative continued, are indicated by rare but expressive finds of colonial six-rayed corals — typical inhabitants of sunny shallow waters.
“Their presence proves that millions of years ago, transparent warm waters were splashing here, where reef ecosystems were flourishing.
Thus, each square meter of this stone is not just a finishing element, but a natural archive that has preserved the memory of ancient seas and their inhabitants,” the press service has shared.
They added that today South Ossetia could rightfully be proud of its contribution to the architectural heritage of Moscow and other cities.
