Do you want to spend your time in Ekaterinburg in a meaningful way?
Here are the 5 best museums in the Urals which will make for fantastic memories that will last a lifetime.
Boris Yeltsin Presidential Center
The Boris Yeltsin Presidential Center, located on the banks of the Iset River in a part of downtown called Ekaterinburg City, is a central meeting place in the city. So what will you find there?
The main part of the centre is the Boris Yeltsin Museum, dedicated to Russia’s first president, where you can learn more about the seven days of history that changed the country dramatically. For some real authentic Ural cuisine, stop in at Barboris Restaurant. Piotrovsky Bookstore is a good choice for some interesting reading material about the city.
Typical and unique souvenirs from the Ural region can be found at Yel Shop. Don’t forget to take a picture with the Ural Motorcycle and enjoy the riverfront view while sitting in front of Yeltsin Center.
UMMC Museum of Military and Automotive Technology
If you are a fan of war stories, then your must-see in the Urals is the Museum of Military Technology with one of the largest collections in all of Russia, along with Moscow, St. Petersburg, Togliatti and Saratov.
The museum has around 5,700 exhibits, including 400 items of military equipment and more than 250 Soviet and foreign cars. Here you can put on a real military uniform from the Second World War, take a photo with a legendary Formula One race car and become a virtual tankman in the 5D simulator.
STAY | Angelo by Vienna House Ekaterinburg
Nevyanskaya Tower
Did you know that there is a Leaning Tower of Pisa in the Urals? Located in Nevyansk about 90 km from Ekaterinburg, this tower was built by Akinfiy Demidov, one of the richest Russian industrialists of the 18th century.
The Leaning Tower of Nevyansk makes for mysterious sightseeing. Supposedly an alchemy laboratory was hidden beneath the tower to secretly make precious metals. The tower keepers say that some serf workers were walled up in there, and therefore strange sounds can sometimes be heard at night.
There also is an operating clock mechanism in the tower that Demidov brought from England for 5,000 rubles in gold.
The Grand Prospect
The Grand Prospect Loft Gallery is the newest famous space in the Urals. Unique modern exhibitions as well as cultural and historical objects can be found here.
Marvel at gemstones from the Urals and learn more about mines and the ways of mining precious metals, feel the majesty of Peter the Great, the founder of the city whose 4-meter statue is located in the foyer, and get acquainted with the work of famous contemporary artists. At the end of the tour, stop in for a snack at the pop art style Café Andy. Come discover the modern side of Ekaterinburg.
Museum of Local History
Do you know what the oldest artefact is that was found in the Urals? Shigir Idol, a completely unique archaeological object.
There is nothing like it in the Urals or in the entire world! Shigir Idol is the oldest wooden sculpture on our planet, made in the 18th millennium BC, long before the Egyptian pyramids were built. The idol is kept in a special showcase at a constant temperature of 16 degrees and with special lighting to emphasize all the details of this special artefact.
Welcome to the Urals and Ekaterinburg!