Kamensk-Uralsky is one of the oldest industrial cities in Russia. It was founded in 1701. Today, this city is, in fact, an open-air museum. Sights of Kamensk-Uralsky are numerous, and visiting them will certainly be interesting to many tourists. There really is something to see in this city.
History and general description
There is a very interesting legend about the foundation of a settlement on the site of modern Kamensk-Uralsky . According to legend, once in a local forest there was a small hut. Once in the winter, hunters stayed there for the night. The weather was frosty on the street, and the guests did not spare the firewood for the stove. At some point, the hearth warmed to the limit could not stand the heat and collapsed. The stones from which it was made fell into the fire, melted, and then solidified with a continuous monolithic slab. It is believed that this is exactly how the iron ore deposit was discovered in the interfluve of Kamenka and Iset.
At first, the monks of the nearby monastery used the ore deposits found by hunters. This land was later seized in favor of the state. And after some time, the construction of the first Russian iron foundry began in the field.
Today, a total of more than 170 thousand people live in Kamensk-Uralsky. The city is modern and well developed. However, even today, it is with the geology of the area and the history of the iron foundry that its main attractions are connected. Kamensk-Uralsky, whose description of interesting places is available in many tourist guides, despite its venerable age, remains primarily a city of metallurgists and craftsmen. In addition to the iron foundry, there are several more industrial enterprises that were built mainly in the Soviet years. The largest of them are the Sinarsky Pipe Plant and the Ural Aluminum Plant.
Sights of Kamensk-Uralsky: what to see first of all
This city is located 100 km from Yekaterinburg. Its main attractions are:
Rocks "Seven Brothers" and "Stone Gate".
Transfiguration Monastery.
Mount Bogatyrek.
Bell factory.
The dam of the city pond.
Also worthy of tourists' attention are such sights of Kamensk-Uralsky as the chapel of Alexander Nevsky and merchant estates of the XIX century. A lot of tourists visit the Geological Museum in this city.
Seven Brothers and Stone Gate
These rocks in the city are perhaps the main attractions. Kamensk-Uralsky (photo confirms this) is a city that has a completely modern look. However, it was built under Peter the Great. And its foundation was directly related to iron ore. This city is located in a very interesting geological zone. There are many kinds of beautiful stone landscapes here. The rock "Seven Brothers" attracts tourists mainly with its unusual shape. This stone complex is very similar to the well-known Devil's hillfort located near Sverdlovsk. It belongs to the Verkh-Isetsky massif. Many consider this rock even more spectacular than the Sverdlovsk fortification. The fact is that the Seven Brothers belt is higher and has much steeper slopes. Climbing onto this rock without climbing equipment is impossible.
Externally, the belt is a huge stone ridge stretching from north to south. Once, apparently, this rock was a single monolithic massif. However, over time, due to weathering, its upper edge acquired a bizarre shape, being divided into separate groups. Today, seven unusual vertical rocks rise above the solid wall of the massif. The shape of each of them is somewhat reminiscent of a human figure. From here the name “Seven Brothers” came.
There are many legends about the origin of this ancient natural complex. According to one legend, “brothers” are the petrified children of one of the workers, who once tried to escape on the mountain from a cruel steward. There is also a legend according to which these stones appeared in pagan times. According to this legend, evil giants turned into rocks from the sign of the cross of Ermak.
The Seven Brothers formations and the landscapes surrounding them are actually very interesting sights. Kamensk-Uralsky (the photo below confirms this), however, attracts tourists with another unusual rock. “Stone Gate” is an interesting object, which is, in fact, the hallmark of this city. This unusual rock is a huge miraculous monolith with a large entrance hole in the middle. It is called so because in appearance it really resembles a huge rickety gate, one side a little gone under the water.
Bell factory
As you can see, natural attractions are very interesting in this city. Kamensk-Uralsky (photo and description of it, data above, confirm this), however, is an industrial village. And therefore, he is famous not only for the original stone landscapes. In addition to unusual rocks, the Bell Factory is a very popular attraction among its guests. This venture was founded by a group of activists in the early 1990s. Today, due to its presence, the city of Kamensk-Uralsky is called the bell capital of Russia. At the plant, you can either look at the casting process itself or visit an art workshop, or listen to an interesting story about the history of this enterprise.
Transfiguration Monastery
A few pretty ancient religious buildings are also what you can see in a city like Kamensk-Uralsky. The sights of the city (architectural) are concentrated mainly in its historical part. It is here that the Transfiguration Monastery is located. This complex was founded as a female almshouse in the 19th century. The initiator of the construction was the unknown widow of Ivanov. Ten years later, a relatively new almshouse was transformed into a Christian community. After some time, the daughter of a wealthy craftsman Avdotya Voronin donated a stone house and two large wooden buildings to her. Of course, the benefactor also became the leader of the community. In a stone house, it was decided to equip the church. The consecration of this small building was carried out in 1862.
In 1872, the construction of another church began on the territory of the community. Six years later, her main throne was consecrated in honor of the Transfiguration of the Lord. In 1892, the entire complex, of which a large chapel was already a part, was approved by the Church as a female monastery.
Some time after the revolution, the monastery, like many other similar religious complexes, was closed. Later, the monastery buildings were used as a transit point for political prisoners. The monastery was revived in 1998. Nowadays it is a functioning male monastery.
Mount Bogatyrek
Rocks “Seven Brothers” and “Stone Gate” are not the only noteworthy natural attractions of Kamensk-Uralsky. Guests of the city should definitely visit the Bogatyrek massif. This rock is located near the center of Kamensk-Uralsky. It represents an ancient limestone outlier. Several of its peak-teeth descend fan-shaped into the valley of the Kamenka River. The highest vertical array in shape resembles a male figure. Hence the name of the rock.
Tradition
Of course, there is an interesting legend about this unusual formation. According to legend, once upon a time there lived a young man nicknamed Bogatyrek, dexterous and skillful, but of small stature. Once an evil witch came to the village. She settled nearby in the forest, in a cave, and began to harm people. Bogatyrek volunteered to neutralize the witch, gathered up his armor and went along the Iset shore to her lair. The battle between the sorceress and the young man lasted a long time. Bogatyrek finally defeated her. However, the dying sorceress managed to send him his last curse. And now the fellow stands in the form of a rock in the middle of a modern industrial city.
City Pond Dam
This interesting building is also a must-see for tourists who come to Kamensk-Uralsky. The sights of the city of metallurgists are actually very interesting. And the old city dam is no exception in this regard. The construction of this structure began even before the foundation of the city itself - in 1700. He supervised the construction of the dam Yermolay Nekhlyudov. This building is located in the old part of the city. The dam formed by the dam once became one of the first artificial reservoirs created in Russia. Over the entire period of the existence of this building, it was completely several times completely flooded and built again. However, on the right bank of the Kamenka, the retaining wall built in the 18th century is still preserved.
Near the dam is another interesting attraction of Kamensk-Uralsky - the monument "Cannon". Established this unusual composition in the city in the middle of the last century - in 1967. The monument was erected in honor of the workers of the iron foundry, who became famous in military battles.
Sights of the Kamensk-Uralsky Sverdlovsk region: the chapel of Alexander Nevsky
This religious building was erected in honor of the 300th anniversary of the city according to the project of architect A. Dolgov. Consecrated the chapel in 2001 by the Archbishop of Yekaterinburg Vincent. The chapel was named after the icon of Alexander Nevsky, presented as a gift to this new church by the city administration. On the square in front of the chapel, the Russian bell ringing festival is periodically organized.
Merchant Manors
Ancient architectural monuments are also what Kamensk-Uralsky is famous for. The sights of the city (a photo of one of the buildings can be seen below) of this group are very interesting, and many tourists visit them. The most popular ancient architectural objects of Kamensk-Uralsky are merchant estates of the 19th century, built in the Baroque style. They are located in the historical part of the city, on the street. Lenin. Inside some of these beautiful houses, decoration elements of the century before last are even preserved. Guests of Kamensk-Uralsky have the opportunity to inspect the estates of merchants:
Shamarin (Lenin, 91).
Zyryanovs (Lenin, 100).
Vorobievs (Lenin, 127).
Also, many tourists visit the old Tronins mansion, built in the Gothic style.
Geological Museum
What other attractions are there in Kamensk-Uralsky? The photo of the old merchant's estate clearly shows how unique the buildings look to the historical part of the city. But there is another attraction in Kamensk-Uralsky that is very popular with tourists - the Geological Museum. Visitors to the city should definitely visit this object. A museum was organized in secondary school No. 16. The total number of its exhibits is 4009 copies. There are several main sections in the museum. The most interesting, according to many tourists, are “rocks”, “historical geology”, “paleontology”.
Instead of a conclusion
Of course, the rocks “Seven Brothers” and “Stone Gate” in this city of metallurgists are the main attractions. Kamensk-Uralsky is famous for its architectural monuments. But the natural formations described above, the monastery and the museum are, of course, far from the only places that a tourist should visit in this city. There are in Kamensk-Uralsky and many other attractions worthy of the attention of its guests.
Of course, you can get acquainted with the unusual places of this city on your own. However, many experienced tourists are advised to better visit one of the local travel agencies and purchase several excursions. With a guide about the history and features of the sights of Kamensk-Uralsky, you can, of course, learn a lot more.