Описание (английский)
Orsk is the second largest city in Orenburg Oblast, Russia, located on the steppe about 100 kilometers (62 mi) southeast of the southern tip of the Ural Mountains. The city straddles the Ural River. Since this river is considered a boundary between Europe and Asia, Orsk can be said to lie in two continents.
Orsk was founded in 1735 in the process of the Russian colonization of Bashkiria and the Southern Ural region. The first settlement was founded by an expedition headed by Ivan Kirilov as a military fortification at the Mount Preobrazhenskaya
on the left bank of the Yaik River (presently Ural River). Originally
called Orenburg, its name was changed to Orsk in 1739. In 1743, the name
of Orenburg
was transferred to the town which is now known under this name; it is
located 250 kilometers (160 mi) west of Orsk. At its foundation it
marked a southeastern projection of European Russia toward the steppes
of Central Asia. It housed an exchange post and Russian customs that
dealt with traders from Kazakhstan and Asia.
From June 22, 1847 to May 11, 1848, the fortress of Orsk was home of the exiled Ukrainian poet and painter Taras Shevchenko.
In 1861, the fortress was decommissioned and became a station of the Orenburg Cossack army. In 1865, Orsk was granted the city status and became the uyezd center in Orenburg Governorate.
The city grew dramatically starting from the 1870s. The population
was mainly occupied with trade in cattle and grain, reprocessing of
agricultural products, and various arts and crafts. Many women were
involved in the business of weaving famous Orenburg shawls.
By 1913, the population of Orsk was over 21,000, and by 1917 there were
eleven churches and minarets, and sixteen educational facilities of
various types and levels.
During the Russian Civil War, from 1918 to 1919, Orsk withstood a three-month-long blockade and then four times changed hands between warring sides.
In the 1930s, the construction of large industrial enterprises, which
drew their resources from the mineral rich soils of the region,
started. One of the most notable stones excavated within the Orsk city
line in the Mount Polkovnik is jasper.
Orsk jasper is revered for its variety of natural designs and colors.
All colors except for blue are represented in this stone.