Trans-Siberian Railways Tours and Holidays should definitely include a sightseeing trip to the fascinating city of Ekaterinburg, Russia’s third largest city. It’s a stunning city, abundant in fascinating things to see from museums and theatres to cultural delights galore. To top it off, locals are friendly, open, and have retained a wonderful sense of tradition.
Historical Square
Historical Square is one of the most important sites in Ekaterinburg when it comes to heritage. It’s not the prettiest sight by any means, being set along the Iset River banks – a polluted creek amidst a concreted area. Nevertheless, it’s the heart of the city, and the dam has been there since Ekaterinburg come to be in 1723. It’s also the location where the iron forge that the city was based on used to sit.
Close by, you will find the Ural Nature Museum as well as the open-air Machinery Museum and the old water tower. During the summer several fairground attractions are set up in the square.
Just next to the square is Labour Square (Ploshchad Truda). Here you can see a monument to the founders of St. Petersburg while on your Trans-Siberian Railway Tours and Holidays. The two figures that make up the monument are Vasily Tatischev who managed the iron forge and Willem de Hennin, a Dutchman that played a big role in the plant’s development.
Behind the monument is the St. Ekaterina Chapel. A charming chapel named after the first church in the city which stood in the same spot and was a great deal bigger. The original church was blown up in 1930.
Polschad 1905 Goda
The central square in Ekaterinburg used to be called Cathedral Square, preceding communism. The name comes from the huge cathedral that used to stand in this spot but was also destroyed in 1930. Previously, a statue of Tsar Alexander II stood in the area, but it was also destroyed at the same time as the cathedral. Today, a large statue of Lenin stands in this area.
Just across from the statue is the Ekaterinburg City Hall. The building began being constructed before the revolution hand ended. After undergoing a couple of facelifts, it settled with its current Stalinist appearance in 1954.
Black Tulip Memorial Complex to the Victims of Local Wars
This striking war memorial is a must-see during your Trans-Siberian railway tours and holidays. There is a large, dark, somewhat brooding statue that stands in front of a series of columns. The columns lists those who died is the Ekaterinburg war. The memorial is most noted for honouring those who died in the Chechen conflict. There is another local war memorial dedicated to the troubles in Afghanistan. The area around the memorial, interestingly, is rather popular with skateboarders.
Ekaterinburg Opera and Ballet House
This is a beautiful building that was originally opened in 1912, answering the growing demand from the theatre-loving public. The building was designed by a St Petersburg architect known as Semenov. The architect won a nation-wide design competition, and for a long time, the theatre was known by his name.
The inside of the building is simply sumptuous. Typically there’s a performance held every weekday and two over the weekends between September to July.
Across the boulevard from the Opera House there is a statue of Yakov Sverdlov who was a prominent Bolshevik and leading orator. At one point he was successor to Lenin.
These are just some of the historical and attractive sights Ekaterinburg has to offer. Do make a stop to explore during your Trans-Siberian railways tours and holidays.
