Apollo paleovolcano is the remains of a large and ancient volcano in the Dnepropetrovsk region. It was active in the Archean era – more than 4 billion years old and died out 3.2 billion years ago, when life was just beginning on Earth.
This object is unique because there are no such ancient volcanoes anywhere else in Eastern Europe. All three are located in Ukraine. Two of which are in the Crimea – Karadag and Fiolent. The latter are much better preserved and can be seen with the naked eye.
Now from the ancient volcano remained only small mounds in the middle of the field between the villages Apollonovka, Bogdanovka and Sursko-Mikhailovskoe, rivers Sukhaya and wet Sura in Dnepropetrovsk region, 40 km from the Dnipro city.
Among these uplands, experienced geologists will determine exactly where the mouth of the volcano, where the lava flowed, and what kind of rock can be seen inside the ancient giant – it is metabasalt. This is what the seafloor is made of.
The modern history of the Apollonovsky paleovolcano began in the 1880s. The Ukrainian geologist Valerian Domger worked in the Kherson and Yekaterinoslav provinces. He explored the area for the construction of a railroad line here, and then for the presence of minerals, in particular manganese.
Eventually Domger found the volcano by the rock formations sticking out of the steppe. The locals mined granite here and excavated what was left of it.
Domger completed his research by recording all of his findings in his work “Geological Investigations in Southern Russia” in 1881-1884.
What is the Apollo paleovolcano now
Today the paleovolcano is a rock sticking out of the ground, the preserved vent – has a shape of a semicircle (one part of the ridge is not preserved). The highest height of the ridge – 7-10m. The width of the crater – 100-110m.
Apollonovsky palevolcano – natural monument
Inside the sump grows thick and soft grass, trees, and small boulders scattered around. It is also quiet and windless, with no litter due to the absence of tourists. It’s a great place to rest and meditate, to get energy from this peculiar place of power.
Now this object has no status. However, scientists and local authorities would like it very much, and this question is in the competence of the Regional government. At the same time, the Solonyansky District Council already wants to include the paleovolcano in the tourist routes.
While at the official level there is no such thing, there are safely going excursions, for example from the local ecological farm Zelenyi Hai.
How to get there
You can get here by public transport, as well as privately.
If you can’t find the way, the locals will tell you.
- From Shinnik there is a bus 218 – Dnepr – Sursko-Mikhailovskoye. Stop at the railway crossing near the 242km platform behind Bogdanivka. The bus runs every hour on schedule. Go to the goal – 3 km.
- From the bus station you can go by bus Dnepr – Solenoye (the one that goes through Sursko-Mikhailovskoye). You must get in Sursko-Mikhailovka and walk from the center of the village to the volcano. The road will take about an hour.
- Another way is to take a train from Dnepr to Apostolovo. It is necessary to look at the schedule and get up at 242km.
- On your own transport it is not difficult to find the way. Please note that after the rain there may be a lot of mud and not everyone will be able to overcome it.