The history of the stone-carving craft is rooted in the remote past, and is connected with the mysterious “marble” cave on the bank of the Pyana-river at the village of Bornukovo of Buturlino district. The cave has always been famous for anhydrite stone called “Nizhny Novgorod marble”. It was of various colours – pink, white, blue, brown, grey and green – and with different patterns. In the time of Katherine the Great the stone from the cave was used to finish Saint-Petersburg palaces.
Stone-carving art in Bornukovo reached its fullest flower in the 30s of the 20th century, when “Bornukovskaya Peschera” factory was established in Bornukovo. First it was a branch of Kazakovo Jewellery Association, then it became an independent enterprise. In several years, after having adopted the experience of the Urals craftsmen, Bornukovo carvers reached the peak of the mastery and more than once were rewarded with the prizes at Russian and international exhibitions.
Now it is “Bornukovskaya Peschera” enterprise that maintains the traditions of stone-carving art. The craftsmen have preserved the technology of stone processing as well as the traditions of the assortment range. In stone processing turning is used in combination with bold carving and engraving. The expressive silhouette, soft plasticity, lyrical mood and unsophisticated images of the samples express the beauty and originality of the fauna and the kindness of the Russian national soul. Besides sculptures of birds and animals the craftsmen produce a wide range of various utensils: exquisite candlesticks, vases, boxes, desk sets.
There is a show-room at the enterprise; tourists are offered master-classes of stone-carving, tours around the factory and the Bornukovo cave.
Bornukovo craft is unique as it is. It is commonly believed that if a child is taught to work with stone he will become a good man because the nature has put nobleness into stone, and stone generously shares it with people.
