Most Russian stone quarrying and processing companies employ modern equipment imported from Italy and other developed countries. In the marble quarries, portable diamond wire saws and chain saws are the most popular types of extraction machines. 

 

Today, machines made in Russia can sometimes be found working alongside imported machines. In the granite quarries, the prevalent extraction technology is to drill a line of holes which are then filled with "gentle" explosives. This is known as "dynamic splitting" or the Finnish method. The explosive generally used today is called Granilen and it was invented by Russian scientists. A new method of slow explosion is now in use in some quarries. With the so-called "gas wedge" technology, the explosion in the blast holes proceeds very slowly - several seconds duration-ensuring minimum damage. The jet flame method is rarely used in Russia today. Diamond wire sawing is employed in the Vozrozhdenie quarry (one machine) and in one or two gabbro quarries in the Karelian Republic. This method is not very popular in Russia on account of the short life and high cost of the diamond wire when cutting granite .

 

All Russian decorative quarries are open cast - with one exception: the OAO Leningradslanets mine in Leningrad region. The profitability of mining limestone blocks here is ensured by sales of a by-product - combustible shale. Underground quarrying at Kibik-Kordon in Siberia is currently under study.

 

Most Russian stone processing plants are equipped with modern imported machines andion lines. According to the author's research, there are around 30 modern frame saw machines for, 8 frame saws for marble and limestone, 30 block cutters for and granite, 20 large diameter circular saw machines, 10 multi-axis diamond wire contouring machines, 25 calibrating and polishing lines and many secondary saws in Russia today.