In the southeast of the Perm region is Kungur. The sights of this city can surprise even the most sophisticated traveler. After all, there is a huge number of both natural and man-made objects that are worth seeing. Moreover, getting to Kungur is quite simple, since the city is crossed by two motorways - Perm - Yekaterinburg and Perm - Solikamsk, the Trans-Siberian Railway, and the railway.
Kungur History
The city was founded in 1648, and the place is the Kungurka River. In 1662, the village was destroyed as a result of the Seit rebellion, and in 1663 Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich ordered it to be restored, however, at a new place, namely at the confluence of two rivers - Sylva and Ireni.
Convenient location contributed to the fact that the city became the trade and administrative center of the region, and after some time - the center of the Perm province. In the 19th century, Kungur was a large merchant city; unofficially it was called the "tea capital of the Russian Empire." During this period, many merchants lived here, the money of which erected the sights of Kungur, which today appear to the eyes of residents and visitors of the city. These are churches, and estates, and schools, and schools, and sitting rooms, and much more.
Kungur Churches
Since the founding of Kungur, it has always been considered the center of the Orthodox culture of Prikamye. He retained this status today. Now 4 Orthodox churches (Nikolskaya, Preobrazhenskaya, Tikhvin and All Saints) have Kungur on their territory. The sights of this direction will be interesting to both religious personalities and architecture lovers.
The Tikhvin Church was built in the 18th century at the expense of the voivode Yu. A. Matyunin. The temple is a stone baroque five-domed two-structure. The quadruple and entablature of the platbands is decorated with a cornice with a bug-like frieze. At the end of the 19th century, the church was rebuilt thanks to the donations of A. S. Gubkin, who was a Russian tea-merchant merchant. At the end of the 20th century, the Tikhvin temple was converted into the Oktyabr movie theater, but today the church is operational and Orthodox Christians can live in it, the place of residence of which is Kungur.
The sights of the city also include the Transfiguration Church. It is the only shrine in the territory of the region, which is crowned with a “baptized” five-domed head. This temple was built in the period from 1768 to 1782 at the expense of I.M. Khlebnikov, who died in 1774, protecting the city from Pugachev’s troops. At the moment, the temple is fully operational.
City courtyards
Merchant city - this is the status Kungur has been endowed with for a long time. The sights that can be seen on its territory today confirm this. We are talking about the guest houses of the city. On the Cathedral Square is a building that was erected in 1865-1876. It is presented in the form of a closed polygon, which is filled along the perimeter with trading rows. The architecture of the building traces the style of classicism with a touch of eclecticism. On the outside of the living room there is a covered gallery, and inside is a platform where people often walk, who for one reason or another have arrived in Kungur.
The sights of the city also include the Small Gostiny Dvor, which was built in the years 1872-1874 in an eclectic style with elements of the old Russian style and oriental motifs. Now the building houses the Museum of the History of Merchants.
Ancient educational institutions of the city
Considering the sights of Kungur (Perm Territory), one cannot ignore his educational institutions, which were erected at different time periods. So, in 1878, the merchant A. S. Gubkin built the Elizabethan needle school. The merchant erected the institution in memory of his daughter Elizabeth, who passed away very early. The school was intended for the education and upbringing of orphans. Since 1926, the building was a teacher training college, and now - the college of industrial technology, management and design.
In 1877, a technical school appeared in the city, the building of which was equipped with all the novelties and amenities of that time - Dutch ovens, a ventilation system, etc. The school studied physics, mathematics, technology, chemistry, drawing, and also made various products, among which machine tools, drills and much more. Now there is a motor transport college, but it is interesting for tourists, since its building includes Kungur sights on its list. Photos of this educational institution can be seen below. In addition, visitors to the city should inspect the four-year and real schools.
Manors and mansions of Kungur
For several hundred years, many merchants lived in the city of Kungur. Attractions for this reason now include a huge number of diverse estates and mansions, which at one time were erected by certain personalities.
So, in 1927, S. I. Gubkin organized a manor on the territory of which there was a wooden house, an outbuilding, a barn, stables and a bathhouse. After the death of his father, his son A.S. Gubkin in the 1860-70s erected a new stone on the site of the old house, which can be seen today.
The estate of the merchant E. Ya. Dubinin deserves special attention, the construction of the mansion on whose territory began in 1883. The building was made in the style of eclectic brick. A mezzanine with a pediment was erected in the center of the house, the latter is supplemented with a balcony. Nearby is the Tikhvin Church.
In addition to those already mentioned, the mansions of V. A. Shcherbakov, M. I. Gribushin, G. K. Kuznetsov, A. P. Chuloshnikov, N. I. Kovalev and many other merchants who previously lived in the city of Kungur deserve attention. Sights of this kind will especially interest history buffs and architecture lovers.
The natural beauty of Kungur
However, the many man-made sights of Kungur - this is not the only thing the city is rich in. On its territory and in the vicinity there are many natural beauties - rivers, lakes, hills. But the Kungur Ice Cave deserves the most attention , which is the first in Russia equipped for tourists to visit. This natural attraction is located in the north-eastern part of the city, in Ice Mountain, which is located between the Iren and Shakva rivers.
At the moment, 5.7 km of the cave are explored, but the excursion route is only 1.5 km. Under the ground there are 60 lakes filled with crystal clear water. About 100,000 people visit the cave annually. Perhaps, the object will soon be included in the UNESCO heritage list, since this issue is already being discussed.