Shigir pantry
The oldest wooden sculpture on Earth from the Urals.
The Museum of History and Archeology of the Middle Urals houses one of the most unique finds not only in the Sverdlovsk region, but throughout the world. As part of the “Shigir Pantry” exhibition, you will see the Great Shigir Idol – the largest and oldest monumental cult sculpture made of wood on Earth.
The idol, according to scientists, is from 9,500 to 11,000 years old, which means that it is almost 3 times older than the pyramids in Egypt and the mummies of the pharaohs! The then inhabitants of the Ural land made a sculpture from a split larch trunk, and at that time it was a figure 5.3 meters high. Researchers believe that the idol depicts the mythology of the ancient Urals.
- Where and when: Museum of History and Archeology of the Middle Urals, Yekaterinburg, prosp. Lenina, 69/10. See opening hours and ticket prices here.
To Konzhakovsky Stone by car
Mount Konzhakovsky Stone, located in the southern part of the Northern Urals, on the territory of the Sverdlovsk region, is one of the highest and most interesting peaks of the Ural range.
Dunite deposits found at the foot of the mountain, on the territory of the Job Plateau, laid the foundation for the development of a quarry, and as a result, the construction of a road for transporting the extracted material.
Actually, the presence of a road that is not yet closed to ordinary tourists made it possible to carry out a road trip almost to the foot of the Konzhakovsky stone.
The route is designed for SUVs; Nissan X-Trail and Toyota RAV 4 were spotted at the foot of the mountain. The distance from Yekaterinburg to the top of the Konzhakovsky Stone is 475 km, incl. walk about 4.5 km. from the parking lot, on the Job plateau, to the top of the mountain.
Lake Shartash
A body of water a million years old.
The lakes of the Sverdlovsk region are almost the most popular natural attractions, and this is not surprising. Thus, within the boundaries of Yekaterinburg there is a unique lake that was formed more than a million years ago. People have inhabited the area around a small reservoir, shaped like a bean, since the Paleolithic (by the way, near the lake you can find the remains of ancient settlements, which are called the Shartash “megaliths”).
Since then, the flora and fauna around have changed: now instead of ferns there are coniferous forests, instead of lizards there are bears, moose, and wolves. And only the shape of the lake remained the same. Today it is considered the main natural attraction of Yekaterinburg - residents of Yekaterinburg consider a holiday on Shartash at any time of the year an excellent way to spend a weekend with their family.
- Where and when: Shartash can be visited all year round - in summer for sunbathing and swimming, in winter for skiing and ice fishing. The lake is located in the Kirovsky district of Yekaterinburg, on the northeastern outskirts of the city.
Palkinsky zakopushki or Verkholovskaya pomegranate mine
Traveling through your native expanses, at some point in time you begin to understand that it would not hurt to add variety to your natural routes.
I think many will find it interesting, and also educational, to mine with their own hands a semi-precious stone, with which the subsoil of the Sverdlovsk region is rich. The original weekend route is Palkinskie zakopushki or Verkholovskaya garnet mine, where you can find real semi-precious stones - garnets. Young treasure hunters will also enjoy the pomegranate mine.
The route is designed for off-road vehicles. Suitable for hikers too. The distance from Yekaterinburg is about 40 km.
Nizhnyaya Sinyachikha
A museum created by a simple Ural citizen.
In the village of Nizhnyaya Sinyachikha there is a unique museum-reserve of wooden architecture, which was created entirely through the efforts of a local resident. In the 70s of the last century, Ivan Danilovich Samoilov decided to restore a crumbling ancient wooden church in the village - so he came up with the idea of collecting the best examples of Russian wooden architecture in this place.
Soon the enthusiast began to travel around the villages of the Sverdlovsk region and collect future exhibits (houses, towers, mills, chapels) - they were dismantled, transported to Nizhnyaya Sinyachikha, carefully assembled and restored. Carefully restored and protected objects of wooden architecture are definitely worth the attention of both local residents and tourists.
- Where and when: the museum-reserve is located 160 km from Yekaterinburg. See opening hours and ticket prices here.
Reftinskoye Reservoir
The Reftinskoye Reservoir is a must-see place to go on vacation in the Sverdlovsk region in the summer. It appeared during the creation of the Reftinskaya State District Power Plant.
This reservoir is very popular among the local population and residents of nearby cities. Thanks to the hot water released into the reservoir, the swimming season can open earlier than in other reservoirs. Fishermen also chose this place, because there is a lot of fish, which were grown artificially in Soviet times. Sometimes you can catch larger fish. Catfish reach up to 40 kg.
A dam was built at the point where warm waters enter the reservoir. You can walk along it far from the shore, which also attracts tourists.
For relaxation, it is better to choose paid beaches located on the territory of the bases. There are signs everywhere along the road. At the bases you can rent a house, set up a tent, or just relax during the day. There are always a lot of vacationers on the wild beach, which has led to its pollution with household garbage.
Threshold Howler
The roar of the Ural river.
It so happens that the rivers in the Middle Urals do not have rapids. The calm and quiet Ural River Iset, which flows in the center of Yekaterinburg, 80 kilometers from the regional capital, changes beyond recognition and turns into a frantic water flow among the rocks - an ideal place for fans of extreme rafting.
Thanks to the boulders blocking the path, the water makes such powerful sounds that they can be heard several hundred meters away. That's why this place was nicknamed Howler. By the way, scenes from the famous Russian film “The Geographer Drank the Globe Away” were filmed here, right on the doorstep.
- Where and when: Tourists and locals visit Revun Rapids all year round, but the most popular time to visit is late spring and early summer. The place is located 80 km from Yekaterinburg, in the Kamensky district of the Sverdlovsk region;
- Tip: in one day you can visit not only the Revun rapids, but also the Smolinskaya cave, which is located very close (read about it below).
Mount Mare's Head, Kyrman Rocks
The route to one of the interesting mountains of the Sverdlovsk region - Mount Kobylya Golova and the Kyrman Rocks - is ideal as a weekend hike for the whole family.
The mountains are easily accessible to unprepared tourists: the tops of the rocky outcrops of the mountains are easy to climb. The route is designed for all-terrain vehicles, but is also suitable for ordinary passenger cars. In this case, you can leave your car just outside the village of Ayat and walk. From Ayati to the rocks it is about 5 kilometers. The distance from Yekaterinburg to the Kyrman Rocks is about 60 km.
Smolinskaya cave
Chapel of the Ural Old Believers.
At a distance of only 1 km from the Revun rapids there is another interesting place that was discovered by scientists at the end of the 19th century. In the cave, more than 800 meters long, which was named after the nearby village of Smolino, icons, steps carved into the rock and benches were found.
It is still unknown at what time the Ural Old Believers chose this place and how often they gathered here for services, however, the Smolinskaya cave with grottoes called “Big Cell”, “Altar”, “Road to Hell” is visited to this day. True, already for tourism purposes.
- Where and when: I recommend visiting the cave in the dry season and accompanied by a guide. The place is located 80 km from Yekaterinburg, in the Kamensky district of the Sverdlovsk region.
