Sverdlovsk region – an amazing region of the Russian Federation, especially famous for its unique nature. Natural attractions, ancient and unusual architectural monuments and many inherently mysterious places are being discovered by more and more tourists every year.
We will tell you about the best, from our point of view, attractions of the Sverdlovsk region with their photos and interesting descriptions.
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.
Verkhoturye is the smallest in population and the oldest in the region
The smallest town in the Sverdlovsk region, Verkhoturye, has a population of 8,651 people: 169 times less than in the regional capital, and 1,460 times less than in Moscow. It is located on the right bank of the Tura, a tributary of the famous Siberian Tobol River. The distance from Yekaterinburg is quite large - 360 km to the north.
It is also the oldest city in the region, founded in 1598 on the site of an ancient settlement of the Mansi people. In a short time it acquired strategic importance, becoming an important junction connecting the central and eastern lands. Rapid development began thanks to the opening of a customs point here, where all passing freight convoys were registered. It is not surprising that the closure of this peculiar border control in the 18th century led to the decline of the settlement. Since 1856, the number of inhabitants has almost tripled. The maximum number of citizens was recorded in 1959 - 10,917. In the next 50 years it remained at levels between 7400-8900. The leading sector of the economy is woodworking, and one of the largest enterprises is the Verkhoturye Hydroelectric Power Station. However, the locality lives on subsidies and cannot provide for itself. The town acts as a significant tourist center of the region. The main attraction is the smallest Kremlin in Russia.
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.
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.
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).
What to see in Yekaterinburg, Tyumen and Ufa
Memorable places of Yekaterinburg
Sevastyanov's House
The Middle and Southern Urals are not only numerous natural monuments, but also large cities with a busy rhythm of life. While waiting for your flight from Yekaterinburg, you can take a busy walk through local memorable places. Among them are the beautiful Butterfly Park, Kharitonovsky Garden, the Literary Quarter and the Path of Love, and the Red Line tourist route. The city is home to a large number of valuable architectural monuments, such as the Sevastyanov House and the Borchaninov-Pervushin Mill. There is also a memorial sign-obelisk “Europe-Asia”. Also in Yekaterinburg it is worth visiting the Boris Yeltsin Center, the Museum of Military Equipment (located outside the city), and the Museum of the History of Stone-Cutting and Jewelry Art. The most beautiful view of the city and surrounding area opens from the observation deck of the Vysotsky skyscraper.
Excursions and entertainment in Tyumen
Alexander Garden
Tyumen offers its guests a large selection of excursions and entertainment. One of the favorite vacation spots of the townspeople is the pretty Siberian Cats Square. Its name has a close connection with the history of besieged Leningrad, where during the war years thousands of cats were sent from Tyumen to fight rats. While spending a day in Tyumen, it is also worth visiting the Alexander Landscape Park, Tsvetnoy Boulevard, and the Bridge of Lovers. Among the most beautiful architectural monuments are the Regional Philharmonic, the building of the Commercial School and the museum-estate of the Kolokolnikov merchants, the Temple of the Savior, the Ushakov House, the Popova House, and Gostiny Dvor.
Monuments and museums of Ufa
Museum of Archeology and Ethnography
If your way home runs through the capital of the Republic of Bashkortostan, you can also see and learn a lot of interesting things here. Ufa is known for its cultural and architectural monuments. The Friendship Monument, the Seven Girls fountain, the Lyalya Tulip Mosque are some of them. The 22-meter grandiose monument to Salavat Yulaev is very famous far beyond the borders of Ufa. Its observation deck offers a picturesque view of the district. While waiting for your flight, you can go on an excursion to the Ufa Limonarium or the Museum of Mineral Resources. Don't miss the chance to look at the works of the famous futurist artist David Burliuk, as well as the collection of Sarmatian gold in the Museum of Archeology and Ethnography.
The list of beautiful places in the Middle and Southern Urals can be continued endlessly. Every tourist will find something of his own here and get maximum impressions from this beautiful region, which really has something to surprise its guests.
The Ural region is good at any time of the year. If you wish, you can go on an exciting trip both in the warm months and in winter.
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.
Architecture of the Sverdlovsk region
The Sverdlovsk region has a surprising number of extraordinary architectural objects. Many of them, of course, are located in the capital of the region - Yekaterinburg. In this ancient city I would especially like to highlight 2 architectural attractions .
- The first of them is the Sevastyanov House , located on the banks of the river. Iset at Lenin Ave., 35. This is an indescribably beautiful building, “born” in the 19th century. It is very elegant and festive, richly decorated both outside and inside, and decorated with beautiful stucco molding.
- Another building that we would like to especially note is the Rastorguev-Kharitonov Estate , the creation of which dates back to the 18th – 19th centuries. The territory of the estate is very vast. The building itself is made in a classical style, but due to its asymmetry, it looks quite unusual. The estate is surrounded by a beautiful park with many ancient and rare plants; there is also an artificial lake with an elegant rotunda.
Sevastyanov's House
Rastorguev-Kharitonov estate
You will find this amazing building at the address: st. Karl Liebknecht, 44.
In the Sverdlovsk region there are still many noteworthy architectural monuments outside of Yekaterinburg:
- In the town of Nevyansk there is a unique Nevyansk Tower . Thanks to its inclined shape, it resembles the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa.
- In Verkhoturye there is the Verkhoturye Kremlin , the first buildings of which appeared back in 1598.
- In addition to the “Kremlin,” Verkhoturye is home to many beautiful ancient temples and churches, for which it was nicknamed the “Ural Jerusalem . Here you can see such unique buildings as the Spaso-Nicholas Monastery , Holy Cross Cathedral , Trinity Cathedral and many others.
Speaking about the architecture of the Sverdlovsk region, undoubtedly, one cannot ignore the most mysterious object - Ganina Yama . Initially it was a gold mine, but since the idea of extracting valuable ore was unsuccessful, it was soon closed. Ganina Yama gained its sad fame thanks to the burial of the remains of the royal family here in 1918, after which this place is considered holy.
Now this is an amazing temple complex, which includes temples in honor of:
- Royal Passion-Bearers (the myrrh-streaming cross is kept here);
- Iveron Icon of the Mother of God;
- St. Venerable Sergius of Radonezh;
- St. Venerable Seraphim of Sarov;
- "Sovereign" icon of the Mother of God;
- St. Righteous Job the Long-Suffering;
- Saint Nicholas.
In addition to the architectural attractions described above, in the Sverdlovsk region we recommend seeing:
- Church on the Blood (Tolmacheva St. 34a);
- Alexander Nevsky Cathedral (Zelenaya Roshcha St., 1);
- White Tower (Ordzhonikidze Avenue, 8);
- Church of All Saints of the Urals and Siberia (Merkushino, Verkhotursky district).
Stone gate
A unique natural monument.
Very close to the Revun threshold and the Smolinskaya cave there is another stunningly beautiful place - the most beautiful and unusual 20-meter rock on the Iset River called “Stone Gate”.
Right in its center, due to the destruction of the rock, an arch was formed, which makes this natural object so unique. By the way, if you look closely, you can see ancient fossils in the rock.
- Where and when: the rock can be visited all year round; it is located about 30 km from the Revun rapids and the Smolinskaya cave, 97 km from Yekaterinburg and 9 km from Kamensk-Uralsky.
Talkov Stone
New life for an old mine.
Despite its name, Talkov Stone is another of the picturesque lakes in the Sverdlovsk region. Only now it was created by the joint efforts of man and nature.
Once upon a time, talc was mined at this place, not far from the city of Sysert, but in the 20th century this mineral lost its relevance, and work on its extraction was completely stopped. After some time, the mine was flooded with water.
Today it is a wonderful place for relaxation, walking, and also for training scuba divers and divers - despite its modest dimensions (about 70 meters wide), the depth of the reservoir reaches more than 30 meters.
- Where and when: the lake can be visited all year round; it is located approximately 9 km from Sysert and 53 km from Yekaterinburg.
Ural Mars
Alien clay quarry.
Do you want to feel like a Martian? Come to the Bogdanovichsky quarries - the largest deposit of refractory clay in the Sverdlovsk region.
During the Great Patriotic War, the Bogdanovichsky refractory plant, built at this deposit, was the main supplier of clay in the country. Today, on an area of about 75 square meters, you can see fantastic landscapes: hills of red, black and white, patterns of cracked clay crevices, red lakes and streams.
- Where and when: I advise you to come to the Bogdanovich quarries in the spring-summer season, in dry weather. The place is located approximately 110 km from Yekaterinburg and 20 km from the city of Bogdanovich;
- Advice: when visiting the quarries, do not forget durable shoes with thick soles.
Where to go with children in the Sverdlovsk region?
Undoubtedly, it is good to go for a walk with children to any of the natural sites in the region .
In addition, we recommend visiting the following attractions:
- The zoo (Mamina-Sibiryaka St., 189) in Yekaterinburg will introduce children to the diversity of the animal world.
- Limpopo Waterpark (2 Shcherbakova St.) will put you in a good mood with fun water games.
- State Circus named after. V. Filatova (8 Marta St., 43) is great entertainment for the whole family.
- Oceanarium "Aqua-Gallery" (Lunacharsky St., 128). Visiting it will be a real adventure, from which you and your children will learn a lot about the life of sea animals.
- Wonderland Park "Galileo" (Lenin Ave. 50Zh) will open before you a world of fairy tales and entertainment.
- The petting zoo (Lenin Ave., 49) will delight you with sincere communication with nature. After all, many animals here can be fed and touched with your hands.
- Light and music fountain (Historical Square). His vivid performance will surely be remembered by you and your children for a long time.
- The reindeer farm (village Visim) will introduce you and your children to the life of deer.
Limpopo Waterpark
We wish everyone a pleasant acquaintance with the Sverdlovsk region. We are confident that everyone will find something to their liking in this rich region. And those who have already visited the Sverdlovsk region can leave their comments with their impressions of the trip.
Arakulsky Shikhan
Chinese wall in the Urals.
Almost on the border of the Sverdlovsk and Chelyabinsk regions you can see the majestic rock massif Arakulsky Shikhan. Its height above the ground is 80 meters, and the length of the entire chain is 2 kilometers. From the peak of the massif, Mount Chamberlain, a breathtaking view of 11 nearby lakes opens, including Lake Arakul.
The rock chain itself looks extraordinary - it seems to be made of huge granite slabs and blocks. And here sites of ancient people from the Bronze Age were found. Unusual stone bowls filled with mountain water, bizarre shapes of rocks and stones, indescribable beauty of sunsets and sunrises - for all this, Arakul Shikhan is definitely worth a visit.
- Where and when: The mountain range can be seen at any time of the year, but I recommend you visit during the warm season. Shikhan is located 150 km from Yekaterinburg and 34 km from the city of Verkhny Ufaley.
Rocks Devil's settlement
The Devil's Settlement rocks are a weekend route suitable for any time of year, including winter walks with the whole family.
The place is interesting, actively visited by both hikers and tourists traveling on ATVs, snowmobiles and cars; the paths are well-trodden at any time of the year. The road is a grader (in winter, as a rule, it is knurled, but not cleared), the distance from Yekaterinburg is about 35 km.
With all-terrain vehicles you can climb to the foot of the cliffs, but the upper part of the climb is quite steep and, especially in the rainy season or during heavy snowfall, travel is difficult. In this case, cars can be left at the turn to the rocks and walked, a distance of approx. 700 - 800 meters.
