The Avdiivka Quarry. No Sea Needed. The Season Still Open

You have seas and lakes, and we have — a quarry. With emerald water and a velvet beach, with little islands and spits, a friendly public and welcoming locals. The worked-out sand quarry in Avdiivka is a popular spot of recreation for townsfolk and for the residents of the nearest towns.

 

Avdiivka. The sand quarry

In the morning the beach is sparsely peopled, but that lasts only until the arrival of the Chaplyne-Pokrovsk-Avdiivka suburban train, on which come all those who love to sunbathe on the clean sand and to swim in the blue water. And for now there is quiet and calm here. Only the cries of the seagulls, dwellers of the sea's expanses, can be heard.

Officially, swimming in the quarry is forbidden, and warning signs have been set up along the shore. But who could hold back, in the incredible heat, from the alluring ultramarine coolness?

The morning calm lets you appreciate the water's transparency and the relief of the bottom. Fry and some tiny fish circle in little shoals — so there must be bigger fish too. Which means the pond has been stocked? After 4-5 metres the shallows give way to a drop-off, for this is neither a lake nor a pond, but a former sand-extraction pit. The shore has room for all comers.

 

For comfortable rest, mushroom-canopies with chairs, changing cabins, toilets, and bins have been installed. The pavilion-gazebos with swings, little tables, and grills, despite the extra charge, are always full.

On the grounds there is a football pitch, a volleyball court, a dance floor, and a car park.

The beach and the adjoining area are cleaned constantly, and the service staff are friendly. Entry to the beach is 10 hryvnias; children under 14 and pensioners are free. Use of the car park is 10 hryvnias. Such democratic rates are found nowhere else.

And such a beach, with its very loose, deep, and soft sand, is found nowhere else. The sinking layer reaches 15-20 centimetres; beneath the dry, powdery surface lies a moist mass. The fine, malleable sand the children turn into fortresses and castles, ringing their sandy citadels with a moat and burrowing in the heaped bastions. Some of the dreamers test their gifts as sculptor and artist. Playing sport or a team game on such a silky surface is a sheer pleasure.

 

If you cross to the eastern side of the quarry, you can stroll over dunes and barchans, as in a real semi-desert. During its abandonment, the hills of sand and the slopes of the quarry have become overgrown with trees and shrubs, creating a green oasis.

 

A walk over the sandy massif recalls scenes from the film "Generals of the Sand Pits". The glinting of billions of grains of sand is the result of the interplay of wind and water, which together wear down the stones. Sand is needed for the production of building materials, roof tiles, and glass. It is one of the most sought-after resources that nature has given to humankind.

 

All over the world the demand for sand is growing, yet in front-line Avdiivka the sand pit has ceased extraction and lost its potential. The access railway, more than 2 kilometres long, has been dismantled. Concrete sleepers, also made using sand, are scattered chaotically, like the bones of an extinct animal.

From the water's surface stick out, like rusty limbs, the remains of a dredger, pipes, and a winch. Only a few kilometres away runs the line of contact, and the echo of gunfire can be heard constantly.

This part of the shore has been favoured by anglers and lovers of secluded rest.

 

The Avdiivka Eden compares favourably in many ways with the seaside towns.

 

In recent years our resorts have been marked by inflated prices, a murky sea with a mush of jellyfish and discharges of urban sewage, huge crowds, and the boorish attitude of the hosts. The road to warmer climes is not always comfortable, and most often it is in overcrowded, stifling carriages or marshrutkas for a fair sum of money. On the trampled beaches you cannot walk without stepping on someone's encampment. The bins are overflowing; holidaymakers bury rubbish and cigarette butts right in the sand. Our society's culture of alcohol consumption turns a summer holiday into sheer horror. Catching some ailment at such "health resorts" is quick and easy, and many vacationers return home with a rotavirus infection, getting rid of which is very troublesome. No — far better our own native, local corner of paradise.

 

We have no fewer sunny days than the celebrated Ukrainian resorts.

 

There may be no fairground rides or restaurants yet, but everyone here has fun without them, and you can grab a bite in the cafe. Pizza, cheburekas, pastries, chips, little kebabs, shrimp, ice cream, and cold drinks at non-robbery prices are quite enough to refresh one's strength in the open air.

A characteristic detail: beside the cafe are stacked harmany — implements for threshing grain. These concrete cogwheels, also made using sand, have long ceased to beat the grain from the ears, but the exhibits are laid out on the beach as decor. The collection of old agricultural equipment is a tribute to the history of the region — agrarian and industrial — living in expectation of peace.

 

Summer has flown by and the holidays are over, but in September there is still a chance for a pleasant rest at the quarry and to close the season in a positive mood.