When you come to any city, you want to embrace the immensity. See the most delicious, meaningful things. But what if you only have one day? Don’t despair, because Yekaterinburg is the most compact multimillion-dollar city. This means that you will have time to see a lot.
Articles on the topic
September 16, 2014
What to bring from Yekaterinburg
You can follow the official route, which is marked with a red line. Or you can use our tips and go on a slightly different trip, while the main attractions of Yekaterinburg will not be left out.
It is a well-known fact that Yekaterinburg was founded as a factory city. Usually people start getting acquainted with him from Plotinka. But today we will change the route a little and start from the observation deck on the roof of the business building. .
Vysotsky. Observation deck.
A (Malysheva St., 51)
Before you go for a walk around the city itself, we recommend that you take a look at it from an almost two-hundred-meter height. Seeing the city from above, you will understand why Yekaterinburg is called the most compact multimillion-dollar city. Be sure to take an audio guide at the observation deck; highly qualified professionals worked on it and the story about the city turned out to be capacious and vivid.
The cost of going up to the observation deck is 350 rubles. ATTENTION! Only cash payment is possible.
Opening hours on weekdays from 12:00 to 22:00, on weekends and holidays - from 10:00 to 22:00.
By the way, if you bought a ticket to the observation deck, you can visit the Vladimir Vysotsky Museum, which is located on the ground floor of the same building, for free.
White Tower
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In Yekaterinburg, in the Ordzhonikidze district, there is an architectural monument that dates back to the era of constructivism. This is a former water tower, built in 1928 - 1931 and abandoned in our time.
The need for a tower arose when construction of the Ural plant began in the north of Sverdlovsk. The architect of the structure was Reisher M.V. According to his plan, the structure had two observation platforms at the very top. Two geometric bodies – the prismatic plate of the tank cylinder and the stairs – had to intersect. The tower reached 29 meters in height, its tank was entirely made of iron. In 1931, the tower was ready, but an hour after it was filled with water, the bottom bent, broke, and all the water poured onto the street.
The bottom was redone by Prokhorov, and this time it turned out to be reliable and made of reinforced concrete. The tower was painted with white lime and people began to call it the “White Tower”. Now it is an unofficial symbol of Uralmash and a prototype for many other similar structures. In 2006, Red Cross activists planned to revive the monument, which was already included in the list of cultural heritage sites. They wanted to create a security zone around the structure.
Today, only piles of rubbish can be seen inside the tower; in 2012, the Red Cross abandoned custody of the monument and is now being handled by a public organization called the Architectural Initiatives Group.
Shigir idol. Museum of History and Archeology of the Urals
B (Lenin Avenue, 69, building 10)
If you are the kind of person who, on vacation in Egypt, first of all goes to the pyramids, then in Yekaterinburg you should definitely visit the local history museum, which houses the Shigir Idol. Firstly, because this idol is much older than the pyramids, and secondly, because it is the oldest wooden sculpture in the world (age is estimated at 11 thousand years). You don’t have to visit the entire museum, but buy a ticket only to the hall of the Shigir Idol.
The cost of visiting is 200 rubles.
Opening hours: Mon., Tue. - closed, Wed, Fri, Sat, Sun 11:00 - 18:00, Thu 12:00 - 20:00.
Museums of Ekaterinburg in 1 day
There are many museums in Yekaterinburg; it will take more than one day to cover even the main ones. We won’t offer a ready-made route, it all depends on your tastes and preferences, but we’ll try to give you a little guidance.
If you want to get acquainted with the history of the Urals, you should start with the Museum of History and Archeology of the Urals , where you can learn about the settlement of the Urals by Russians, the development of Ural factories in the 18th–19th centuries, and also see the oldest wooden sculpture in the world - the Great Shigir Idol, which is about 11 years old centuries.
Yekaterinburg has great opportunities for mineral lovers. You can see huge collections of minerals and products of Ural jewelers in the Museum of the History of Stone-Cutting and Jewelry Art of the Urals and the Ural Geological Museum . For unique works of modern Ural stone-cutters, go to the International , where the private Ural Mineralogical Museum of V. A. Pelepenko and the salon of the Stone-Cutting House of Alexei Antonov are located.
A complex of museums dedicated to the literary life of the Urals of the 19th–20th centuries and Ural writers can be visited in the Literary Quarter .
There are many possibilities, but even if you only have a few hours waiting for a train or bus at the Northern Bus Station , you can look into the nearby Museum of History, Science and Technology of the Sverdlovsk Railway . You will see a beautiful historical building of the former railway station and will be able to take a photo with sculptures of characters installed nearby, which, of course, are familiar to everyone who has ever used the services of the railways.
Museum of History, Science and Technology of the Sverdlovsk Railway Photo: © Anna Kudryavtseva
More details about each museum, ticket prices, opening hours in the Museums of Yekaterinburg section.
Chekistov town
© Square streets Lenin-Lunacharskogo Avenue-Pervomaiskaya-Kuznechny Lane, Lenin Avenue, 69, building 12
Ekaterinburg is not only the most compact multimillion-dollar city, the custodian of the oldest idol on Earth, but also a city that has become the largest center of constructivist architecture in the USSR. Constructivism is an avant-garde movement in fine art that originated in the post-revolutionary era. Architects and art historians from all over the world come to Yekaterinburg to see constructivism in architecture.
And you literally just left a building that was built in this style, and if you go into the courtyard, you will see a whole complex that was built in the 30s of the last century - this is the NKVD residential complex (“Chekist Town”), which consists of 14 buildings. It was understood that people here would live in a commune. Inside the town there were built: a canteen, a hospital, a kindergarten, a palace of culture, and a bathhouse. Kitchens were not provided in the apartments; communal, organized meals were assumed in the dining room.
According to legend, if you look at the Chekist Town from above, you can see “The Hammer, Sickle and Waving Flags.” The sickle is the semicircular building of the Iset Hotel, the Hammer is the building of the Local History Museum with an extension, the flags are the remaining buildings. Try to see it when you're at the observation deck.
But the NKVD residential complex, or rather its basements and dungeons, also gained notoriety. Just 5-7 years ago it was possible to go down into the dungeons, but now the entrances are walled up. It is known that all the houses were connected to each other by a single underground corridor system. One can only guess what was going on there.
Stories, routes and tourist tips
We recommend that you get acquainted with real reviews from tourists, since interesting routes and unusual ideas can often be gleaned from there. The best routes around Yekaterinburg are in the reviews of our Tourists:
- Routes from local residents in the general Guide to Yekaterinburg.
- Route along the “Red Line” of Yekaterinburg: part 1, part 2.
- Route along the Blue Line of Yekaterinburg.
- Sightseeing route from Elena Return to Yekaterinburg
All reviews about holidays in Yekaterinburg on Turister.Ru
Let’s not forget about the “Questions and Answers” that exists on the site. Here you can not only check with experts for up-to-date information about specific city attractions if necessary, but also simply get advice on issues that interest you regarding your planned trip to Yekaterinburg.
Forest Park “Stone Tents” Photo: © Anna Kudryavtseva
Kharitonovsky Park. Kharitonov-Rastorguev Estate
(D) st. Karl Liebknecht, 44
The Kharitonov-Rastorguevs were famous Ural merchants. The head of the family began building his estate in 1814. And it is with her that the most terrible legends of Yekaterinburg are connected. According to legend, the estate was designed by a French imprisoned architect, who was promised freedom after completing the work. But Rastorguev did not keep his word. The architect was returned to the Tobolsk prison, where he cursed the house and owners, after which he hanged himself.
Since then, deaths began in this family. The children died one after another before reaching the age of one year. Legend also says that the head of the house starved his wife, married a gypsy, and later jumped out of the window. His house was inherited by his son-in-law Pyotr Kharitonov. He was a cruel, capricious man who tortured quite a few factory workers to death.
In general, Yekaterinburg is very fond of legends about terrible dungeons where people were tortured and rotted alive. The legend did not bypass the dungeons of the Kharitonov-Rastorguev estate. The fact that there were underground passages is a scientific fact, but we can only guess what mysteries they hold.
Temple on blood
(E) st. Tsarskaya, 10
This temple is located directly opposite the Kharitnov-Rastorguev estate and is one of the largest Orthodox churches in Russia.
The temple is a remake, built on the site of the death of the royal family in 2003.
In 1918, a large stone mansion of engineer Ipatiev stood on this site. The royal family was transported here from Tobolsk and this house was supposed to become a transit point for the family of Nicholas II before being sent to Moscow for trial. But on the night of July 17, 1918, the royal family and their associates were shot in the basement of the Ipatiev House.
At the moment, the Church on the Blood is a functioning cathedral, as well as a museum complex. The museum part displays a number of exhibits dedicated to the last months of the life of Emperor Nicholas II and his family.
Ganina Yama
Ganina Yama is the name given to a once-operating iron mine located next to the Four Brothers tract. On the territory of the mine in 2000, a Monastery was built in honor of the Holy Royal Passion-Bearers, one of the main centers of Orthodox pilgrimage in the Urals.
From the former mines, only a few dozen mines remain, which are overgrown with forest. But historians and ordinary tourists are especially attracted to them. The bodies of Emperor Nicholas II, his wife and children, shot by the Bolsheviks, were hidden in one of the mines. The bodies were later hidden and buried in St. Petersburg in the 1990s.
It’s strange, but the Russian Orthodox Church to this day does not recognize the authenticity of the archaeologists’ find. Even the positive results of many genetic examinations did not convince them. The church even wanted to destroy the historical monument. Fortunately, scientists were able to defend the Romanov Memorial, and now everyone can visit this mysterious place.
Embankment
(F) st. Gorky, 7A
The embankment of the city pond has long been turned into a place of folk festivals. From this shore you can see the Academic Drama Theater, the house of the merchant I.G. Pshenichnikov, House of the Chief of the Mining Factories of the Ural Range, in which Alexander II himself and the poet Zhukovsky once danced at a ball.
Other interesting places to stay
There are many more places in Yekaterinburg that tourists should visit. For example, "House Upside Down." This is a fascinating establishment where all elements of furniture and decor are located upside down. This place is more interesting for children, however, it will be exciting for the whole family, especially taking pictures.
The next place to visit should be noted Kharitonovsky Garden. In the summer, wedding photo shoots are held here. This garden contains very beautiful nature, a small artificial lake and a rotunda gazebo. The garden was founded at the beginning of the 19th century, on the territory of which the former estate of the Rastorguev-Kharitonovs is located.
The list of Ekaterinburg attractions will be completed by the city zoo, which was founded in 1930. Currently, it houses more than 1,150 animals. The zoo is considered one of the best in the country.
Article design: Vladimir the Great
Sevastyanov's House
(G) Lenin Avenue, 35
This mansion is certainly a decoration of Yekaterinburg, and it once belonged to an official of the mining department, Sevastyanov. Guests of the city often wonder whether Yekaterinburg was really such a rich city that even a simple official could afford such a palace. In fact, how the collegiate assessor got this mansion remains a mystery. Either he had won big at cards, or he knew some secret, but on the salary of a simple official it was possible to build only a small wooden house.
This palace is also interesting because it is the only building in the Urals that was built in the neo-Gothic style.
Shartash stone tents
Yekaterinburg is a large city, but there is also a place for pieces of nature. For example, within its boundaries, on the northeastern outskirts, there is Lake Shartash and the so-called “stone tents”. These are favorite vacation spots for city residents, and tourists will find it very interesting to see the wonders of nature.
Natural monument within the city
The tents are not really tents, but granite slate rocks. They resemble an uneven stack of laundry on a shelf. The height of the stone formations varies, from 5 to almost 20 meters, and with the hill on which they lie, twice as much. The shape of the rocks was achieved through the action of wind and water. This, one might say, is not only a geological, but also a historical monument. For example, at one time the Ural Bolsheviks held their secret meetings here under the leadership of Yakov Sverdlov, the most famous revolutionary of this city. And now this is a place for relaxation and meeting of ordinary citizens - interesting views, pleasant nature, greenery, proximity to water help to have a good time.
Historical square. Dam
It was here that Yekaterinburg was born. In 1723, by decree of Peter I, the construction of the largest ironworks in Russia began on the banks of the Iset River. The dam is the oldest structure of the former plant; it was built from Ural larch, which does not rot, but turns to stone in water.
Now a museum zone has been built on the left bank of the Iset, and a memorial zone on the right bank. On the memorial side there is a “Garden of Rocks”, which contains a large collection of Ural minerals. On the same side, closer to Malyshev, there is the Museum of Fine Arts, which is located in the building of the former Mining Hospital.
Some historical buildings are still preserved in the museum area. The Museum of the History of Architecture and Industrial Technology of the Urals is located in the former mint. By the way, the mint once issued banknotes for the whole of Russia.
The Ural Nature Museum is also located in a building that once belonged to a factory and later to a mint. The water tower on Plotinka is a unique symbol of the city. It was built in 1886 next to the railway workshops, where water was supplied. Since then, the appearance of the tower has not changed at all.
There is also a monument to the founding fathers of Yekaterinburg - Tatishchev and de Genin.
Buildings and structures of Ekaterininsky, which have survived to this day: • the wall of the main building; • grotto; • gates; • remains of the ancient dam of the Isetsky pond with fragments in the locations of the spillways; • granite foundations of the oblique bridge across the Iset River; • drying body; • industrial building; • house of draftsmen; • storage building; • water tower;
Where to stay in Yekaterinburg
In Yekaterinburg, several types of housing are offered to city guests. There is a wide selection of hostels for budget travelers, affordable hotels up to 3 stars, status hotels 4–5 stars, some of which belong to the chains Hyatt, Radisson, Wyndham Ramada, Accor, Vienna House. There are also apartments for every taste and opportunity: from modest apartments in five-story buildings to huge apartments in prestigious residential complexes.
Let's highlight several popular options: "Atlantic" - a 3* hotel near the water park, "Ramada By Wyndham" - a hotel on the way to the airport with a large spa complex, and "Vysotsky" and "Hyatt Regency" are famous for the best views of the central part of the city.
- Ekaterinburg Hotels
- Hostels for Budget Travelers
- Flats and apartments
Some of the hotels are in demand both among residents of Yekaterinburg and guests from neighboring regions. Read more about them in our thematic reviews:
- 15 best SPA hotels in Ekaterinburg and the region
- Country hotels and recreation centers in Ekaterinburg
It's profitable to travel - book accommodation on Booking.com with cashback: Cashback promotion on Tourist. RU
Monument to Tatishchev and de Gennin Photo: © Anna Kudryavtseva
Vayner Street
Weiner Street has always been considered the main shopping street of the city. All famous merchants of Yekaterinburg had a shop or a whole store here. Its appearance has not changed much since the merchants traded here.
Opposite the merchant shops, in the 30s of the 20th century, construction of a residential complex-commune began, which was never completed. Now we can see here only one classic building in the constructivist style, this is the house at Vainera, 9a.
At the moment, Vayner Street is a pedestrian zone, many call it “Ekaterinburg Arbat”. Street musicians often play here, young people meet, and sectarians talk about their faith. Shops, eateries, idlers - this is all one of the city’s favorite streets, Weiner Street.
