12 Instagrammable places in Yekaterinburg

Where is Yekaterinburg? The capital of the Urals and one of the most Instagrammable cities of Russia, located at the junction of Europe and Asia, near the great Ural mountains range. Here gather people from small towns of the Urals, forming a cohesive people of the third capital of Russia. Ural Airlines also was based here. The people are the main treasure of any city in the world. The flow of people from different cultures allows any city to be diverse, and Yekaterinburg, among them. As a person who has been living in this Instagrammable city for the last six months and has already managed to fall in love with it, I consider it my duty to tell you about where to take most liked Instagram photos in Yekaterinburg.  In our small sightseeing tour of Yekaterinburg, I will open the best installation sites. Let's start with the most obvious, where the guests of the capital of the Ural come in the first place and finish in places where few people check.

1. Vysotsky Tower

Until 2015, Vysotsky Tower was the tallest building of the Ural capital. Even if it is no longer so, but remains the most recognizable skyscraper not only in Yekaterinburg but perhaps Russia. The main property of Vysotsky Tower is its observation deck, located on the roof of the skyscraper. View from a height of 188 meters allows you to see most of the city in all its glory, and, of course, capture it. On the tower, you can always see many people looking down and watching the city. Also, from the loudspeakers installed on the observation deck, you can hear a looped speech of audio guide.   Vysotsky Tower is one of the first places in Russia where the "Run to the skyscraper" was held. Dozens of athletes take part in the marathon each time, climbing the observation deck with the help of a cable in an attempt to get a money prize. And a few words for those who wonder why the tower has such a name. Yekaterinburg is connected with quite a long period of Vladimir Vysotsky's life. One of the admirers of the musician's work recreated his hotel room, which is now located on the second and third floors of the skyscraper, and in front of the entrance to the building is a monument to Vladimir Vysotsky and his wife, Marina Vlady.  Entrance to the Vysotsky Museum is free by a ticket to the observation deck. So, after visiting the observation deck of Vysotsky Tower should visit the museum, making it a bonus to one of the best Instagrammable places for most liked Instagram photos in Yekaterinburg.

2. Greenwich shopping centre

At first glance, it is not clear how the shopping mall got into the list of "Instagrammable places in Yekaterinburg". Everything here is simple. "Greenwich" is not only the largest shopping centre in Yekaterinburg but also a rich exposition of sculptures. Each floor is replete with Instagrammable statues on the theme of everything. Here you can meet the heroes of fairy tales, movies and mythologies of different countries. Here are some statues, located on the territory of "Greenwich": Soviet Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson, Poseidon, Heracles during their various feats, Alice in the country of miracles. When I first came to the mall, I disappeared for half a day.

3. Vayner Street

If you exit from "Greenwich" through a particular door, above which is written "Exit to the street Weiner," we will immediately find ourselves at the monument ... Gena Bukin. The same shoe salesman from the old series "Happy Together". As strange as it may sound, this monument is the most visited one among the whole 'Greenwich' exposition and the adjacent territory. Let's go further along Vayner Street. Here we see how easy it is to guess the continuation of Greenwich's exposition. We meet Michael Jackson, Baba Yaga and quite surreal statues. In general, Vayner Street is the main pedestrian street of the Yekaterinburg, the analogues of which are found in most cities of Ural.  Tourists are always attracted to such places. Here you can meet street musicians, numerous fountains, next to which there are cosy benches for romantic meetings and Instagram photos. This street is, of course, in the very centre of the city, as well as all its analogues in other cities of Russia.

4. Plotinka

The next stage of our journey to find Instagrammable places to take beautiful Instagram photos in Yekaterinburg - Iset river dam in the city centre, popularly called just "Plotinka". This deterrent water pressure device is favourite not only by tourists visiting the capital of the Ural Mountains but also by locals who prefer to spend time here in good weather Yekaterinburg. Here, as in the previous example, street musicians are continually gathering. Mostly they like to perform in one place - in the tunnel, which runs under Lenin Avenue from Carpenters to the full-flowing section of the Iset River. This small tunnel is painted with graffiti on a musical theme: street musicians performing here are watched from the walls by Victor Tsoi and Keith Flint.  The dam itself is a beautiful place of Ural. On one side of Lenin Avenue is an artificial waterfall, and on the other - a spacious view of the city. Here you can see the skyscrapers of Yekaterinburg, and numerous alleys, and the infamous square by the drama theatre. In the summer of 2019 at this square held multiple actions against the construction of the temple in a place where people loved to rest. After that, Yekaterinburg was nicknamed City of demons.

5. Iset river embankment and Keyboard Monument

We go further along the Iset River to the side where the dam holds back the water pressure and come across many installation sites in Ural. Here we see numerous bridges across the river, museums of railway business and industry of the Urals, a majestic inscription at the factory "Who are we, where are we from, where are we going?", and make our way along numerous alleys of the green zone.  This place is remarkable, first of all, for its rich sprouts and various sculptures.  Here is another beautiful pedestrian zone with street lights and benches along the river. You may enjoy your time there, but keep in mind that weather Yekaterinburg is unpredictable. If you deviate a bit from the route and go deep into a small park zone, which is located immediately after the bridge over the river on Malysheva Street, we will see a rather original monument in honour of the cult "The Beatles".  On the other side of the monument is a gutter. What can be unusual about the channel? The fact that the craftsmen painted it, making it the headquarters of the Ninja Turtles. Above the drain is painted graffiti with their symbol and portrait of young mutants. Let's hope that this work of art will live long. Soon the alley will begin to end, and if you look at what surrounds the path in the course of movement - on one side will be Dendropark with brought to the exotic city plants, and on the other - numerous office buildings, one of which is popularly called "System Block". This building was called so for a reason. And it is not for a simple reason that the river is sometimes called not "Iset", but "I-network". The thing is that there is probably the central installation place, a monument to the keyboard, which is loved by the people. On the slope leading from the dammed river to modern buildings, there is a stone QWERTY keyboard of international standard. Its keys are ground concrete blocks weighing from 100 to 500 kg.  This monument is a kind of symbol of the computer era. The locals love this monument and cleaned and restored it many times by the power of ordinary people. People love to type different words and their combinations on these keys, jumping from one access to another and using the tickets as a bench. Many people who visited Yekaterinburg have Instagram photos with the monument to the keyboard.

6. Tsar's Bridge

Another beautiful place along the river Iset. Only from the previous to it will have to walk long enough - the bridge begins where the end of Yekaterinburg.  This bridge was built by order of Alexander I, who wanted to connect the inaccessible Instagrammable places in Russia. All crews passed over this bridge towards Siberia. Now this road, which begins at the end of Yekaterinburg, is called the Siberian highway. Because of its cultural heritage, the bridge was repeatedly restored, overgrown with modern asphalt and concrete blocks, but in general, it leaves its original appearance - the bridge of the times of Tsarist Russia.

7. Kharitonov garden

We will return to the centre of Ural, Yekaterinburg. Here, next to the great Temple on Blood, where the last Romanovs were hiding in due time, is the oldest park in Yekaterinburg. Hariton Garden, aka English park, was laid back in 1826 by order of the local nobility. This place, mostly used for dog walking, is one of the most Instagrammable installations in Yekaterinburg.  It is the only structure that is located in the park. Once upon a time, this park was an essential part of the estate with its cave and wine cellar. Now, the entrance to the cave is only partially preserved, as is the rotunda that leads to it. But in the park's very centre, there is an artificial lake with a peninsula in its centre. Thanks to this peninsula in the centre of the lake there is another rotunda, built closer to our time. It offers a magnificent view of the park, and the rotunda itself is also one of the most Instagrammable places in Yekaterinburg.

8. Literary quarter

It is also the United Museum of Ural Writers. It is a quiet street in the very centre of Yekaterinburg, where you may feel as if you are in a 19th-century park. This impression is created by the fact that several houses-museums of Ural writers surround the park, creating a small thematic quarter. It is worth walking through the fence inside the yard, opening a courtyard of old wooden houses, where you can see symbols of Russian literature everywhere. Classical music concerts and poetry contests are also held here.

9. Stone Garden

This name has another modest place in the centre of Yekaterinburg. At first glance, this heap of stones has no value. But it is only the first sight, and it will remain so if you do not come closer. The main property of a garden - to remind people that the Ural Mountains, as well as all Russia, are unusually rich on natural resources. And I am not talking about oil now. The garden of stones is samples of minerals of the most different origin collected from the Ural Mountains. Here, in the centre of the city, you can take most liked Instagram photos of the places that surround us.

10. Stone tents on Lake Shartash

Even if you do not like the view of the collected materials in the garden of stones, welcome to the park "Stone Tents" on the shore of Lake Shartash. And if you like it, this place will certainly not leave you indifferent.  Stonehenge branch in the city limits of Yekaterinburg. Is it a loud name? The stone slabs may not be as big as they are in Britain, but the fact that they are within walking distance of the city says a lot. Why not take a look at this park if you are in Yekaterinburg? As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, there will be less visited places in the end. And that makes them better. If you are in town looking for installation sites, it would be much better if your Instagram photos were different from most people who visit this wonderful city. As archaeologists are convinced, there was a place for sacrifices. The substantial stone sculptures, which are vast constructions of irregularly shaped stone slabs, have something like an altar on top. This place is not only a strange place for the modern eye to store stones but also a perfect observation deck.

11. Abandoned Hospital in the Zelonaya Roshcha

We have come to the most exciting place in the Ural. For those who are not only looking for a place to take most liked Instagram photos in Yekaterinburg but also to experience the thrill. Like most of the places described in this article, the abandoned hospital is in the centre of Yekaterinburg. A vast building towers over the Zelenaya Roshcha Park, giving the park an unusual mystery for hiking. The hospital experienced many fires, which only added to its mysterious atmosphere. In Soviet times, the hospital functioned very well and even had one of the best equipment for those times. But the great country collapsed.In 2000, the hospital was abandoned, but there was no order to demolish it until now.  Like all such places in Russia, this hospital is a former abode of Satanism, and you can see traces of occult societies - pentagrams, traps and traces of blood.  Many legends walk around this sinister place - both mystical and quite real criminal cases. Nowadays, there are often strikeball players there who decided to play their favourite game in an exciting environment. 

12. Uralmash cemetery

We approached the most unusual installation site in Yekaterinburg. This place, as well as the previous one, is for those who are looking for unique, but at the same time Instagrammable places. The Uralmash Cemetery, officially named the Northern Cemetery, bears the memory of how severe Russia was in the early nineties.  Here, in the north of Yekaterinburg, lies the criminal authority of the Uralmash group, which is so named because their active are is Ural. They are not just resting, but are creating a kind of "hero alley" with their vast monuments in a row.  This cemetery is a symbol of its era. If you are not strangers to the spirit of the nineties, welcome to a place where the monuments of criminal authorities look more majestic than many monuments of real heroes.