Yekaterinburg.
Yekaterinburg, the centre of Sverdlovsk Oblast and Russia's fourth-largest city, spreads along the Iset River on the eastern side of the Ural Mountains. A city of metalworkers and miners, it is known for constructivist architecture, theatres, Ural rock and street art.
- Region
- Sverdlovsk Oblast
- Population
- 1,536,183 (2024)
- Founded
- 1723
- Airport
- Koltsovo · SVX
Good news & stories
All good newsHistory
The city was founded on 18 November 1723 as an ironworks by decree of Peter the Great and named after his wife, Catherine I. It became the administrative centre of the Ural mining works, and in 1781 Catherine the Great granted it town status. Between 1820 and 1845 a large share of the world's gold was mined here. In July 1918 the imperial family was executed in the city. From 1924 to 1991 it was called Sverdlovsk; during the Second World War many factories were evacuated here, and the Sverdlovsk Film Studio opened in 1943.
Culture & traditions
Yekaterinburg is one of Russia's most theatrical cities, with about thirty theatres; its Opera and Ballet Theatre won a Golden Mask for best opera production in 2020. The city has about fifty museums, and one of them holds the Shigir Idol, the oldest known wooden sculpture, around 11,500 years old. The city is famous for constructivist buildings and is called Russia's street art capital. Many Ural rock bands started here, and the United Museum of Ural Writers tells the story of Bazhov and other authors.
Sport
Yekaterinburg hosted four matches of the 2018 FIFA World Cup. In 2023 it held the first International University Sports Festival.
Food & drink
The signature local dish is pelmeni, served everywhere from canteens to restaurants. The city offers a wide choice of cafés, bakeries and restaurants.
Practical information
Koltsovo International Airport is one of the busiest in Russia. Yekaterinburg is a major rail junction on the Trans-Siberian Railway, where seven lines meet. The city has a one-line metro, trams, trolleybuses and buses, and local time is two hours ahead of Moscow. The climate is continental, averaging about −13 °C in January and +19 °C in July; summer is the best time to visit.
What to see
- The Dam and City Pond — the historic heart where the city began
- Church on the Blood — built in memory of the imperial family
- Vysotsky skyscraper — an observation deck on a 54-storey tower
- Shigir Idol — the oldest known wooden sculpture
- Kharitonov-Rastorguev Estate — a classicist mansion
- Opera and Ballet Theatre — winner of a Golden Mask for best opera production
Plan a trip
Yekaterinburg · SVX
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Sources
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