The Isset Hotel

Trip to mountains

by Ansgar

One day we took the elektritska (local train) and left the city into the woods (station sportivnaja the stop before is fljus where the lake begins), it was a georgeous day. We climbed a small mountain (although we did not find the right path at first...) and on the top we were invited by four russian students - surely we got vodka, but also bread, cheese and letscho. Russian people sometimes are very friendly, definitely as soon as you got to know them a little bit.

Rent-a-boat station on the city pond

by Mirriko

If you feel like rowing, there's a rent-a-boat station on the city pond in Yekaterinburg. You can sail across the pond up to the Glavny Prospect (the Plotinka) in one direction and to the VIZ district in another direction.
The prices are about $2/hour for water bicycles and older boats and about $4/hour for newer boats.
Pros: The banks of the pond are very picturesque.
Cons: No swimming please, the water is not so clean. A cap or some cover for head is a must - it's very easy to get a heatstroke sailing in a hot sunny day.
You may have to buy a bottle of mineral water or a snack beforehand, because the station's shop doesn't boast a wide assortment of soft drinks and snacks.

The Church of Ascension

by xenia

founded in 1792 and was being built for about a century. In the first Soviet years it housed an exemplary school; during 1941-44 its premises was used to keep part of the Hermitage's evacuated collection of masterpieces; later still it was the History Department of the Museum of Local Lore. Recently the temple has been returned to God-believers.
The church is the only city's Russian baroque-styled temple.

the 3rd capital of Russia

by Sioma

Yekaterinburg is the capital of Urals region, and it is considered to be the 3rd capital of Russia, after Moscow and St.Petersburg.
Its population is about 1.5 mln of inhabitants.
It was founded in 1723, when Peter the great ordered to estabilish here a metallurgic plant to exploit the natural resources of Urals. The energy to make the factory working was obtained by the water: a dam was built on Iset river, and an artificial lake created; dam and lake are still present in the center of the city

Its historical importance is due to the fact that this is the city where last russian zar and his family were first jailed and then killed in 1918.
In that place has been recently built a big church, as a memorial.
During comunist age, its name was changed in "Sverdlovsk", in honour of Yakov Sverdlov, the officer of communist party who ordered the execution of zar's family.
In 1991 the old name (in honour of Peter's wife, Ekaterina, but also of S.Ekaterina, protector of miners) has been restored.