⚠️ TEMPORARILY OCCUPIED TERRITORY
Amvrosiivka Quarry is located in the city of Amvrosiivka, Donetska oblast — on territory temporarily occupied by Russia since August 2014 and seized in the course of the full-scale invasion of 2022. Visiting is impossible and dangerous. This article is documentary and informational in character.
In the middle of the flooded marl quarry stands a small island. Locals named it “Love Island.”
The same pattern as dozens of quarry lakes across Ukraine — but the scale is different. The Amvrosiivka Quarry is one of the largest marl quarries in Europe.
General Information
| What? | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | Amvrosiivka Quarry |
| Address | city of Amvrosiivka, Donetska oblast (occupied territory) |
| Quarry type | marl (raw material for cement production) |
| Status | one of the largest marl quarries in Europe |
| Distinctive feature | small island (“Love Island”); bright blue water |
| ⚠️ Occupation | since 2014; active hostilities since 2022 |
Marl and Cement: Why Amvrosiivka
Amvrosiivka is a major centre of Ukraine’s cement industry. It sits on one of the largest marl deposits in Ukraine — the soft sedimentary rock that is the primary raw material for cement production.
Marl extraction began here in the late 19th century. During the industrial boom, a suspended cable way was built to transport the rock from the quarry to the plant — a remarkable engineering solution for its time.
Three cement plants and one brick factory were operating here before the First World War.
3,460 Acres (1,400 ha) of Quarry Area
The quarry area in the Amvrosiivka district exceeds 3,460 acres (1,400 ha).
The marl deposit alone is one of the largest in Ukraine, and the quarry itself — at the scale of the Donbas steppe — is a genuine landscape phenomenon.
“Love Island” and Blue Water
Because the quarry floor is covered with quartz sand deposits, the water acquires an intense blue colour. Clear and clean.
The small island that rises from the water is a natural remnant of unsaturated rock that was not levelled during extraction.
Conclusion
One of the largest marl quarries in Europe. A small island in the middle.
Extraction began in the late 19th century. A cable way to the factory was built before the First World War.
Today — occupied territory.
