In the north of the Chelyabinsk region is an important industrial center of the Southern Urals - the city of Kyshtym. From all sides it is surrounded by forests, lakes and low hills. In this article we will tell you about the most interesting sights of Kyshtym, with photos and detailed descriptions.
There really is something to see here: several valuable architectural monuments have been preserved in the city, and unique natural objects are located in the vicinity.
Kyshtym: attractions and general description of the city
The city of Kyshtym is located 90 kilometers from Chelyabinsk, on the river of the same name. It was founded in the middle of the 18th century by the industrialist Nikita Demidov. The latter erected two iron and cast iron factories here.
Modern Kyshtym is an important center of the mining industry of the Southern Urals with a population of 37 thousand inhabitants. There are more than five dozen enterprises that produce copper, selenium, lumber, mine equipment, quartz concentrate for the manufacture of glass and much more.
The flag of the city is rather curious. It depicts three main sights of Kyshtym: the mountains of Egoza and Sugomak, repeatedly sung in songs and poems by local poets, and the so-called "White House". In addition, at the bottom of the flag we see a stylized image of a water surface, which indicates the abundance of hydrological objects in these parts.
The sights of Kyshtym are, first of all, stone temples, beautiful civil constructions, as well as interesting monuments and memorials. Due to the picturesque natural surroundings, the city is often referred to as “little Switzerland”. But the abundance of rivers and lakes within the village gave him another honorable nickname - “Ural Venice”.
The main attractions of Kyshtym of the Chelyabinsk region and its immediate surroundings include the following objects:
- the estate "White House";
- Mount Egoza;
- Mount Sugomak;
- Sugomak cave;
- Church of the Nativity;
- Church of the Descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles;
- Cathedral Mosque;
- Druzhinin's house;
- Monument "Workers of the rear";
- monument "To the liquidators of the Kyshtym accident";
- abandoned kaolin quarry ;
- Lake Uvildy.
"White House"
The so-called “White House” occupies a special place in the list of attractions of the city of Kyshtym. So the locals call this building (for the bright white color of its facades). In fact, this is the estate of Nikita Demidov, the actual founder of Kyshtym.
The estate was built in 1757 in a classic style. Most likely, the author of this project was Matvey Kazakov, an outstanding Russian architect who rebuilt the center of Moscow under Catherine II. The building was made of brick and "wild" stone and plastered. In 2015, the White House was closed for reconstruction. It is planned that in the near future it will open a museum, hotel and restaurant.
Mount Fidget
Mount Egoza is one of the main natural attractions of Kyshtym. To the west of the city is the highest peak (608 meters above sea level). The slopes of the mountains are overgrown with mixed forests, in the thick of which rare plants are found. From here, along a forest road, you can go to another famous peak - Sugomak. In the vicinity of Mount Egozy are the remains of old mines and the ruins of a dynamite plant.
Sugomak cave
On the eastern slope of Sugomak Mountain, five kilometers from Kyshtym, a unique natural site is located. This is the only cave in the Urals that has formed in the thickness of marble rocks. It consists of three underground grottoes connected by a narrow crevice. The study of the cave greatly complicates the presence of water in its passages. To date, only 123 meters of its corridors have been explored. Near the entrance to the cave there is a spring called Maryina's tears.
Kyshtym dwarf
In 1996, local pensioner Tamara Prosvirina discovered a strange creature of small stature in a forest under a pine tree (according to another version - in a cemetery). She took him to her home, called Alyoshenka and fed mainly sweets. Soon the woman was forcibly taken for treatment to a psychiatric hospital, and Alyoshenka died at that time, being left all alone in the old woman’s apartment ...
This is the story of the "Kyshtym humanoid." Subsequently, the body of an unknown creature disappeared without a trace, only photos and a video remained. History has gained quite a lot of publicity. Journalists from Japan even came to Kyshtym, who subsequently released the film "In the Footsteps of the Alien Alyoshenka."
Some experts consider the Kyshtym dwarf to be a successful hoax, others as a consequence of a mutation, while others ascribe cosmic origin to it. Skeptics claim that this is nothing more than an urban legend. In 2015, a life-size monument to Aleshenka was erected in the outskirts of the city, on the shore of Lake Anbash. It enjoys considerable popularity both among tourists and local newlyweds. Both of them leave candy sculptures at their feet.