Yekaterinburg Sights and Landmarks Guide, Russia

Also known as the ‘Capital of Ural’, Yekaterinburg is a city in the Russian Federation and one of the country’s leading industrial, scientific and educational centers. Apart from its communist heritage, its numerous research labs and technical schools, Yekaterinburg has plentiful interesting sights to show, from architectural monuments to cultural institutions. Being closed for foreigners for decades due to the defense industry labs and plants located in the area, Yekaterinburg has now the chance to reveal its hidden treasures.

Yekaterinburg Sights – Historical Landmarks and Museums

Probably the most visited between Yekaterinburg sights, the Church of Blood was built in 2003, as a reminder of a dark episode in Russia’s history: the assassination of the Romanovs. Tsar Nikolai II was killed in 1918, together with his wife and children, in the basement of Ipatiev House, which was demolished in 1977 to make room for the present church. Many of Yekaterinburg Museums have a scientific orientation: the Geological Museum, Stone Museum, Regional Museum (more than 100 years old!), as the Urals are a rich source of minerals and represent a continuous fascination for scientists. Local arts and crafts can be admired at the Fine Arts Museum and Museum of Stone-Cutting and Jewelers’ Art. The historical public garden is home to two other museums: the Nature Museum and the Museum of History of Architecture of the Urals. Right in the core of the city, Plotinka dam stands as reminder of Yekaterinburg’s early days.

Yekaterinburg Sights – Cultural Attractions

Yekaterinburg’s present look is a blend of classical, constructivist and contemporary style buildings. Some of the most notable pieces of architecture are: the Rastorguev-Kharitonov estate, the Mining Board, the Church of the Ascension, the Church of Alexander Nevsky, the White Tower, Voznesenskaya Hill palace and Ural State Univeristy. Yekaterinburg is also a capital of performance arts, being home to several well-know theater companies: Kolyada Theatre, Yekaterinburg Academic Ballet and Opera Company, Yekaterinburg Theatre for Young Spectators, Children’s and Puppet Theater. The city in the Urals proved to be a fertile ground for contemporary and experimental theater and dances, as well as for rock and classical music – it is where New Drama and Ural Rock were born. So, don’t miss a hot gig or a moving concert in one of the city’s clubs or some institutions like the Opera House or the Philharmonic Auditorium.

One of the most provocative attractions of the city is the QWERTY Monument, representing a gigantic computer Keyboard made of stone. If you get overwhelmed by the impressive number of Yekaterinburg sights, try visiting some close by cities like Perm or Saratov.