Yekaterinburg

Yekaterinburg is a lovely city in Russia that is spread along ancient Ural Mountains and lies on the border of Europe and Asia. It’s considered to be the 4th largest populated city in Russia with over 1.4 million people living there. It was named after the wife of Peter the Great – Yekaterina (Catherine I) and it was founded as one of the first industrial cities in Russian Empire as a strategic connection between Europe and Asia.

There are hundreds of things that you can do in Yekaterinburg, but we’ll tell you about the most interesting ones.

Last Romanov and his family

Yekaterinburg is well known because of the tragic events that happened there in 1918. After the power was taken over by Bolshevists, the tzar’s family was sent in exile to Yekaterinburg, where later on they were cruelly assassinated.

CHURCH ON THE BLOOD

The Temple on the blood was constructed as a five-dome temple monument in Russian-Byzantium style. It was built on the territory of former Ipatyev’s House that served as a prison for Romanov’s family until their murder there in July 2018. The execution of  Nicholas II, his wife Alexandra, his five children as well as their loyal servants was extremely cruel  which is well documented in the diary of one of the executors. You will get to know about that sad side of Russian history during the tour that is offered in the Church.

From one side of the lower temple to the upper temple, one can walk up 23 stairs — this is the number of years during which Nikolay II was the tzar of Russian Empire and coincidentally it is also the same number of stairs that led from the upper floor to the lower one where the «shooting» room was located in the Ipatyev House.

In 2000 the Romanov family was canonized as saint imperial Great Martyrs. Every year people honour the last Royal Family by doing a walk that starts at the Church and ends up by Ganina Yama.

GANINA YAMA

Another place that has been linked to Tzar’s family assassination is Ganina Yama (Ganina Pit). At first it used to be a gold mine, however later it was abandoned.It is a popular site as the bodies of executed Romanov’s family and their servants were discovered there in 1920.  Currently it represents a beautiful wooden monastery complex only 15 km away from Yekaterinburg.

Ganina Yama comprises of 7 chapels to honor  7 members of the Imperial family. It is considered to be a memorial to Romanov’s family despite of the fact that their discovered remains have been buried in Saint Petersburg at St. Peter and Paul Cathedral. It has happened in an official ceremony exactly 80 years after their murder.

PLACES OF INTEREST AROUND YEKATERINBURG

There are plenty of fascinating sites and museums in Yekaterinburg worth of your attention. Here are some of them that you might find quite interesting.

The Square of 1905

The central square of Yekaterinburg has been named after the first Russian revolution that took place in 1905-1907.  Nowadays it represents a mix of historical buildings and monuments and modern commercial venues. Every Year City Administration builds its popular Ice City with a beautiful Christmas tree right in the middle of the Square. Moreover, the International Ice Sculpture festival Europe-Asia is organized exclusively there.

 Tatishchev and De Genin Monument

The monument to the founders of Yekaterinburg – Vasily Tatishchev and Wilhelm de Gennin is located right in the centre of Yekaterinburg, where the former Metallurgical plant was located. It was made by sculptor Chusovitin and introduced to the public in 1998 -when the city celebrated its 275th anniversary. Peter the Great sent Tatishchev to the Urals to find a good location for the construction of metallurgical plant. Tatishchev chose the spot where the Dam (Plotinka) is currently located and started the works, however he didn’t get along with some rich local family. In order to get rid of him they sent a denunciation to the Tzar and Tatishchev was removed from the project. De Gennin was sent to investigate that case and he finally confirmed that everything was done properly and according to Tzar’s orders. Currently the monument is a famous meeting point for all the citizens and you can’t miss it.

Visotsky Business Centre and the monument

The building of business centre and hotel Visotsky (named after famous Soviet poet, singer and actor  Vladimir Visotsky) is the tallest building in the city. Moreover it is the second tallest building in Russia outside of Moscow.

It was even included in the Guinness Record Book as «The tallest multifunctional business-center in the Ural-Siberian and Central-Asian regions». There’s a beautiful lookout point on the 52nd floor (186 meters),

from where you can admire the panoramic views of Yekaterinburg.

Next to the business centre there is a monument to Vladimir Visotsky. It depicts his playing a guitar to his lover, Marina Vladi. Visotsky was very famous for his anti-soviet songs and poems.

Plotinka

Plotinka (the Dam) is a central point of Yekaterinburg. At first it was used to supply water and power to its first Metallurgical plant. Now it’s a popular meeting spot for the citizens, especially in the summer time. You can take a stroll there, sit in one of the beautiful rotundas, and enjoy the sunshine.

This is a place where many people come to take a walk, have a quiet evening or see the singing fountains show.

Metro

Yekaterinburg’s metro is well-known in Russia for being the shortest metro in the world (only 9 stations). Though it’s not very long, it is beautifully done, very clean and definitely a must see. Just like in Moscow, every station is unique, and decorated with Ural stones.

Theater of Opera and Ballet

Pay a visit to Yekaterinburg’s Opera and Ballet Theatre.  A lot of talented architects competed to win over the honour of building the Theater of Opera and Ballet. It opened its first season in 1912 with an opera by Glinka “Life for the Tzar”. After the revolution, the soldiers declared the new regime from its stage, starting the era of communism. It’s interesting that in 2008 Bolshoy Theater from Moscow performed its first ballet on stage of the theater of opera and ballet in Yekaterinburg for the first time. Apparently it was a great success.  So if you wish to enjoy a wonderful performance of gifted ballet dancers and opera singers,  don’t forget to buy a ticket  well in advance  because it’s often sold out.

Yeltsin Centre

It is a relatively new complex that was established in 2015. It was built in honor of the first Russian President – Boris Yeltsin. So it’s not a surprise that the central attraction there is the Yeltsin Museum, dedicated to the history of Russia, and its first president. Moreover, it’s an educational, cultural and social center that is definitely worth a visit.

Lenin Street

Almost every city in Russia has a street, named after revolutionary leader – Vladimir Lenin. Yekaterinburg is not an exception. Lenin street is the main street, that goes right through its centre with a monument of Vladimir Lenin which one can see from far away.  It’s the busiest street in the city and it’s a good starting point to explore Yekaterinburg. One can find plenty of interesting museums, monuments and churches as well as the biggest shopping centers and restaurants along Lenin street.

 Church of Ascension

A beautiful baroque facade of the Temple of Ascension will mesmerize you with its lively blue colors. It’s the oldest Orthodox church in the city, that is built on a high Voznesenskiy Hill in honor Ascension of Jesus. Originally it was a small wooden structure that quite soon had fallen apart.  The perishers have asked to build a two-storey stone church. Now the ground floor was dedicated to Virgin Mary and the second floor – to the Lord’s Ascension. It is located close to the park as well as to the Church on the Blood.

Border of Europe and Asia

There are two obelisks symbolizing the border between Europe and Asia. One is only 17 km from Yekaterinburg and it’s a popular spot for newlyweds and the guests of the city. The other one, which is arguably a more picturesque one, is 40km away near a small town of Pervouralsk. The obelisk commemorates Tsar Alexander II that visited it on his way to Siberia in 19th century. The legend says that he stopped on the border to have a drink. Since then it has become a  tradition. Don’t miss a chance to have a glass of sparkling wine on the border with one foot in Europe and one in Asia. There is also a wish tree where couples hang their padlocks and make a wish sitting on a bench.

Yekaterinburg will be hosting 4 matches for FIFA Soccer World Cup in 2018. The first match that will be hosted there is on the 15th of June and it’s between Egypt and Uruguay. For packages and more information contact our friendly travel experts.