Yekaterinburg

With a population of 1.4 million people, Yekaterinburg is the 4th most populous city in Russia after Moscow, Saint Petersburg, and Novosibirsk. The city was founded in 1723 by the order of Peter the Great as a metallurgical factory. It was named after the wife of Peter the Great, Yekaterina. In 1918, the last czar family was imprisoned, and later executed, in a house in Yekaterinburg which was later demolished. During World War II, the city grew rapidly as industries and people moved west to escape the war. Between 1924 and 1991, the town was known as Sverdlovsk (Свердловск), named after Communist Party leader Yakov Sverdlov and signs with this name still abound, particularly at the train station.
To this day, the city retains its metallurgical roots and the metal industry is the largest contributor to the economy.
The city is next to the Ural Mountains, which divide Europe from Asia. This border is marked by several symbolic monuments.

By plane

• Koltsovo International Airport

  phone: +7 343 226-85-82
  18 km southeast of the city centre, it serves 4.3 million passengers per year. The airport is the base of operations for Ural Airlines. There are direct flights to most major cities in Russia and there are international flights to Minsk, Rome, Sofia, Frankfurt, Munich, Prague, Barcelona, Vienna, Dubai, Tel Aviv, Istanbul, Tashkent, Bishkek, Osh, and Helsinki.

By train

See Russia#By train 2 for general advice on travelling in Russia by train.

• Central Railway station

  address: Ulitsa Vokzalnaya (Вокзальная), 22.
  All Trans-Siberian trains stop at Yekaterinburg-Sverdlovsk Railway Station. There is also an extensive network of local trains serving the Sverdlovsk Oblast.

By bus

• Northern Bus Station

  address: Ulitsa Vokzalnaya (Вокзальная), 15a.

• Southern Bus Station

  address: 8th Marta (8 Марта), 145

Tourist information and maps

You should either buy a street map from one of the many newsstands and shops in the train stations, print out a street map of Yekaterinburg, or pick up a free detailed street map from the Ekaterinburg Tourist Information Service at 8 Marta St. #21, office #2, in the city center.

By public transport

By metro

Yekaterinburg has 1 underground metro line, connecting the city centre (stop is near the Circus) to Uralmash — a large industrial and residential area, with a stop near the main railway station. The metro is popular with locals because it is quick and inexpensive, costing per ride. The stations are impressive, decorated with native Ural stones, granite and marble.
All stations are open between 06:00 and 24:00. Train frequency on weekdays in rush hour is 4-5 minutes; all other times and weekends it is 8-11 minutes.
Metro stations from north to south:

• Prospekt Kosmonavtov

• Uralmash

• Mashinostroiteley

• Uralskaya

  address: Ulitsa Sverdlova (ул. Свердлова)

• Dinamo

• Ploshchad 1905 Goda

• Geologicheskaya

• Chkalovskaya

• Botanicheskaya

Suburban rail

Stations from North to South

• Pervomayskaya

• Shartash

• Ploschadka VIZ

• Yekaterinburg-Sortirovochnyy

• Lesotekhnicheskaya

• Botanicheskaya

• Uktus

• Vtorchermet

By Koltsovo Express

• Aeroport KoltsovoAn express train to/from the airport that runs twice per day.

Embankment of the City Pond

• Ekaterinburg Museum of Fine Arts

  address: 5, Voevodina str
  Some fine works by Russian 18th- and 19th-century artists, minor artists of the 16th- to 18th-century European Schools and some lovely small sculptures and jewelry.

• Dam on the River Iset

• House of the Merchant Pshenichnikova

  address: Naberezhnaya. Rabochey Molodezhi (наб. Рабочей Молодежи), 2
  1830
• 
  

  • QWERTY MonumentEasily one of Russia's weirdest attractions is the gargantuan keyboard monument in this city. Big white stones rise from the earth, and as you approach, you see engraved upon them, words like "Q" and "SHIFT."

  
  
  A.Savin

  • • Building of the Sverdlovsk Region Railways

      address: Ul. Chelyuskintsev (ул. Челюскинцев), 11
      1925-28

    • Zotova-Tarasova Manor

      address: Ul. Gorkovo (ул. Горького), 21
    
    

    Prospekt Lenina

    • Central Military District

      address: Prospekt Lenina (пр. Ленина), 71.
      Headquarters of the Volga Ural Region Military district. The district includes the territories of the former Siberian Military District. Units of its: the 2nd Army in Samara, the 41st Army in Novosibirsk, Special Forces (Spetsnaz Brigades), and Russian Air Force 2nd Command. Built in 1929.

    • Town of Chekists and Hotel "Iset"

      address: Prospekt Lenina (пр. Ленина), 69
      An architectural complex in the neighborhood of Streets Lenina—Lunacharskogo—Pervomayskaya—Kuznechnaya (1929-1936).

    • Opera and Ballet Theatres

      address: Prospekt Lenina (пр. Ленина), 46А
      There are many theatres in the inner city around Square of 1905.
    
    

    Other areas

    (WT-shared) FreakRob

    • Church on the BloodChurch on the Blood built in 2003 at the site of the execution of Tsar Nicholas II and his family.

    • Ural State UniversityIt's a wonderful building situated in a neighborhood full of beautiful old buildings. Makes for a pleasant stroll in the direction of Square of 1905.

    • Ural State Technical UniversityAnother wonderful building. Alma mater of Boris Yeltsin.

    
    

• Cross-country skiing: the trails stretch away for miles. There are some downhill skiing resorts as well. It will take you approximately 25 minutes to get to the nearest of them from the centre of the city.
• Watch football at Yekaterinburg Arena, which hosted matches in the 2018 World Cup. The home team are FC Ural who play in the Russian Premier League, the top tier of Russian football - in 2018 they narrowly avoided relegation. The stadium dates back to 1957; it was upgraded and expanded for the World Cup but its capacity has now reduced to 23,000. The Arena is 3 km southwest of city centre, take tram or bus to Kommunarov Square.

• Aquapark LimpopoThe largest water leisure park in Europe.

• Circus

  address: Ul. 8 Marta (ул. 8 Марта), 43
  Richly ornamented building which hosts all sorts of circus shows. Nearby is the abandoned television tower.

• Yekaterinburg For You English ClubGreat place to meet other foreigners and local Russians who speak English.

Parks

• Arboretum

• Ledovyj GorodokDuring New Year's. A whole city block under the eyes of Lenin made out of ice. On the central Square of 1905.

• Shirokorechenskoye Kladbishche CemeteryThis is the infamous "Mafia cemetery" where there are dozens of gaves ornated with big life-size images in stone of former Mafia members.

• Alliance Française.

Markets

• Chinese MarketMake a visit. The market consists of many hundreds of small outdoor stalls, selling everything from toilet paper to fur coats, all at the best prices in the city. But this kind of market is not really the right place to buy souvenirs.

• Vaynera StreetA lot of shops with a wide range of small things to buy. Usually this street (it's pedestrian only) is called the Urals Arbat, after the famous Arbat in Moscow.

Leather in Russia is considered some of the best in Europe; handbags and wallets are of especially high quality. Gold jewelery, while expensive, is also very good. Markets, such as the Chinese market is good for cheap bargains.

Malls

• Grinvich shopping center

• Dyryzhabl shopping center

• MEGA MallA huge mall on the outskirts of town owned by the IKEA group. It features tons of Western/international stores including a decent food court.

During recent years many new cafés and restaurants have opened in Yekaterinburg, providing the usual mix of Russian, Japanese and Italian food; unfortunately the level of international cuisine is not that high.

Budget

• Uralskiye Pelmeny

  phone: +7 343 350-71-50
  address: prospekt Lenina 69
  This restaurant serves Russian, Georgian and Uzbek cuisine. The Georgian and Uzbek meals are done in a separate part of the restaurant with suitable waiters and table cloths and the works. The Russian food is served canteen style, where you choose the dishes you want from a smörgåsbord, and pay at the end of the buffet. The Russian food is nothing special but it is filling, the ingredients are fresh and it's cheap.

• Pizza Mia

  address: Vaynera St 12
  A cheap Italian fast-food place. Most of the people eat potatoes with some pink sauce.

Mid-range

• Dacha

  phone: +7 343 379-3569
  address: At the corner of Prospect Lenina 20 and Khokhryakova St
  This restaurant is vaguely reminiscent of the Mari Vanna restaurant of Moscow for its decor and its cozy atmosphere. Good Russian food is available with the usual European and Asian alternatives. Perfect for a date, a discrete business meeting or for lunch with colleagues.

• CCCP

  phone: +7 343 350-5246
  address: Pervomayskaya St 27
  A restaurant full of Soviet-era kitsch, which was more popular some time ago. Nowadays it lacks atmosphere.

• Paparazzi

  phone: +7 343 253-7080
  address: Prospekt Lenina 23
  Offers Italian cuisine. If you are Italian you will probably prefer to try something else but for all others it should be ok. Decor of the restaurant is nice, food is good, not too many people.

• Il Patio/Friday's/Planeta SushiA franchise that you will find across all Russia. The offer respectively Italian, American, and Japanese accessible cooking. Food is reasonably priced and always ok.

• Manilov

  phone: +7 343 375 8793
  address: Ulitsa Gagarina, 18
  Far off from the main tourist routes, this restaurant offers a dishes of traditional Russian cuisine with the once common but now largely forgotten Ural flavour. Pelmeni, pirogi, borsch, salo, holodets, local fish and mushrooms, all that goes well with vodka, at prices that are not as expensive as they usually would be in Russia. Menu in Russian, English and Chinese.

Splurge

• Noble House

  phone: +7 343 253 1234
  address: 8 Borisa Yeltsina St
  Offering South-East-Asian cuisine. Sunday brunch every two weeks from 12:00 to 15:00. Very sophisticated environment, good to impress a date or to quietly discuss. It is the only place in town where you will be able to taste some spicy food. Portions are generous, contrary to what you might expect. Not the best oriental food you will try, but for sure the best of this kind in Ekaterinburg.

• La Cucina

  phone: +7 343 253 1234
  address: 8 Borisa Yeltsina St
  Mediterranean-style and Russian favourite dishes in a modern and colourful setting. Excellent view on the river. Very good place for business lunch.

• Triakurov

  phone: +7 343 378-8118
  address: Malysheva St 137
  This place of Russian cuisine is very similar to the Puskin cafe in Moscow, but without its atmosphere, it's location, and its clientele. This is the restaurant for a big closing dinner, for official situations (Medvedev and Angela Merkel were guests at this restaurant). Unfortunately you will find it empty most of the time, which gives you a sense of exclusivity but suggests that maybe you are overpaying for your food.

Bars

• Doctor Scotch

  phone: +7 343 371-4363
  address: Malysheva St 54a
  Very large pub attracting crowds at weekends. After the midnight there is a lot of drunk people, music, a little dance floor near the bar. Worth a visit.

• Jame's Pub

  address: Mamina Sibiryaka St 58

• Old Dublin Irish Pub

  phone: +7 343 3765173
  address: Khokhryakova St 23
  A popular Irish pub on two floors. Good food and a very friendly, cosy atmosphere. Helpful, English-speaking staff. Seems to be 'the' place to go, to chat and get to know the locals.

• Rosy Jane

  phone: +7 343 371-0607
  address: Prospekt Lenina 32-34

Clubs

• Havana Club

  phone: +7 343 355-9414
  address: Mamina Sibiryaka St 36
  An extremely popular place in the city and among the foreign visitors.

• Hills 18/36

  address: Bazhova st, 193
  A little disco in the ground floor of a hotel. It's some sort of elegant place.

• Gold Club

  phone: +7 343 254-8585
  address: Tkachey st, 9

• Alibi

  phone: +7 343 350-0690
  address: Malysheva st, 74
  It's a pub very busy after midnight. Better book a table if you are not alone. There is a small dance floor... it is impossible to avoid rubbing each others!

Budget

You can pay hourly rates at the resting rooms (Komnaty Otdykha) at the main train station. To get there, walk to the eastern end of the station to the last and small set of glass doors. First door on the right should lead you to a set of stairs which will take you there.

• Europe Asia Yekaterinburg Hostel

  address: Tchaikovskogo 75/216
  2 kitchens with all the necessary utensils.

• Omnomnom Hostel

  phone: +7 982 6737477
  address: Vaynera 60, Apartment 26
  Best to call in advance and make reservations as there isn't always someone present to open the door. Beautiful dorms overlooking the Circus.

Mid-range

• Atrium Palace Hotel

  address: Kuibyshev St., 44

• DoubleTree by Hilton Ekaterinburg City Centre

  address: Lenina 9a

• Green Park Hotel

  address: Narodnoi Voli St., 24

• Moskovskaya Gorka Hotel

  phone: +7 343 310-00-30
  address: Moskovskaya St, 131

• Novotel Yekaterinburg Centre

  address: Engelsa St., 7

• Hotel Onegin

  phone: +7 343 310 3838
  address: Rozy Luxemburg, 49
  There are 142 guestrooms at the Onegin Hotel Yekaterinburg. The hotel offers standard, studio and suite room options. Wi-Fi, air conditioning, telephone, mini-bar, private bath and bathrobe, conference facilities, restaurant and lobby bar. A ticket service and tour desk make it easy for guests to enjoy the many attractions not far from the hotel.

• Ramada Yekaterinburg Hotel & Spa

  address: Kuibyshev St., 44

• Renomme

  address: 8 Marta St., 50

• Voznesensky Hotel

  address: Mamina-Sibiryaka St., 52

• Vysotsky Hotel

  address: Malysheva Street 51, 37th floor

Splurge

• Hyatt Regency Ekaterinburg

  address: 8, Borisa Yeltsina St
  296 rooms & suites with views of Cathedral-on-the-Blood and Iset River. Amenities: ergonomic work area, open bath concept, wireless internet access, tea and coffee making facilities. Regency Club Lounge for free continental breakfast, cocktails and hors d'oeuvres.

Consulates

• Armenia

  phone: +7 343 212-7401, +7 343 212-7514
  address: Moskovskaya St 46

• Austria

  phone: +7 343 350-0503
  address: Turgeneva St, 16 / Pervomayskaya street, 13

• China

  phone: +7 343 253-5780, +7 343 253-5778 (consul issues)
  address: Chaikovskogo St, 45

• Czech Republic

  phone: +7 343 376-1501
  address: 15ж Gogolya St

• Democratic Republic of the Congo

  phone: +7 343 377-6338,+7 343 355-9210
  address: Gogolya St, 15

• France

  phone: +7 343 253-0081
  address: Ofc #401, 22 Karla Libknekhta St

• Germany

  phone: +7 343 351 1300
  address: 44 Kuybysheva St

• Hungary

  phone: +7 343 355-9254
  address: 15 Gogolya St

• Italy

  phone: +7 985 769-3610 (mobile)
  address: Krasnoarmeyskaya St, 10, Ofc 1029

• Mongolia

  phone: +7 343 359-8882, +7 343 371-5128
  address: Marshala Zhukova St, 3

• United Kingdom

  phone: +7 343 379 4931
  address: 15a Gogolya St

• United States

  phone: +7 343 379-3001
  address: 15 Gogolya St

• Vietnam

  phone: +7 343 253-0280
  address: Karla Libkhekhta St, 22, Ofc 411

Visa centers

• Bulgaria, Greece, Malta, Netherlands, and Spain

  phone: +7 343 278-2419
  address: Karla Libknekhta St, 22, Ofc 313

• Latvia

  phone: +7 343 355-9254, +7 343 310-1006
  address: Gogolya street, 15A

• Canada

  phone: +7 343 31-00-136
  address: Gogolya St, 15A

• Ganina Yama (Ганина Яма)You can visit this wooden monastery semi daily by bus tours offered right in front of the main train station building. It is situated in the north direction from the city, near the village Shuvakish (Шувакиш). You can get there by train from the main station in the direction Nizhni Tagil (Нижний Тагил). When you get off the train, go to the bridge over railways and turn right (not to the station). From the bridge turn to the right again, go, go, go and after a while you will get to the asphalt road. There turn left and go some two kilometres.

• Europe & Asia border monumentThere are semi-daily offered tours from the main trains station. If you can't make the tour, you might take the bus 150 from the northern bus terminal (Северный Автовокзал) near the metro station Uralskaya (Уральская). Ask the driver to let you get off at the border. This is common practice. When you get off the bus, there is a small, somewhat historic looking stone monument that has a red brick line where the border is. Go up a bit through the patch of wood and you will be at the big monument where the tour buses go on the big tour. It is a spot for weddings, so usually you will find a bride or two. After you are done taking pictures, go back the way you came, go on the other side of the highway and signal a bus driver to pick you up. Buses 150 or 180 take you back, however 180 takes you only near metro station Tsirk (Цирк). If no bus driver happens to be willing to pick you up outside of a station (though this is common practice), you can walk into Pervoural'sk up to the second bus stop you encounter (buses 150 and 180 do not regularly stop at the outermost bus stops) and then get on a bus. From the outermost bus stop there is a little marshrutka going to the next one for .

• Deer Streams National Park (Prirodniy Park Olenji Ruchji)

  phone: +7 902 2550062
  address: Nizhnie-Serginskiy rayon, posyolok Bazhukovo (150 km W from Ekaterinburg, take tour or by bus/train)
  A hiking tour in a national park "Deer Streams". A picturesque river, cliffs, deepest cave of Sverdlovkaya Oblsat region, beautiful forest. A very popular place to go among Russians in summer and in winter. Several different routes to choose from, depending on difficulty. To get by bus: take any bus that goes to Mikhailovsk (Михайловск), Arty (Арти), Urmikeevo (Урмикеево), Tulgash (Тюльгаш). Leave at the "prirodniy park Olenji Ruchji" stop. Then walk 2 km according to sign directions. By train: from the central train station take a suburban train to Druzhinino (Дружинино). From Druzhinino take another train to Bazhukovo (Бажуково). From Bazhukovo station — it is a 5-minute walk to the park. The train goes 3 times/day. The road by bus takes 2½ hours. By train: 4 hours.