What to see in Chelyabinsk: city guide

Main attractions of Chelyabinsk: TOP-5

The city carefully treats historical and cultural monuments acquired in different eras. Among the diverse sights of Chelyabinsk, photos and descriptions of which you will find on the page, it is worth highlighting several particularly significant ones.

Monument to the Founders

• Address: st. Kirov. Transport stop "Geological Museum".

At the beginning of Kirov Street, which the townspeople themselves call Chelyabinsk Arbat, there is a wonderful monument to the founders of the city. The place was not chosen by chance. It was here that a fortress was built in 1736, giving rise to the Ural metropolis. A rectangular tower with battlements and a large dial rises on the pedestal. The high spire of the dome is crowned with the figure of the Archangel Michael, as if hovering above the street. At the base of the tower there are bronze sculptures of a Bashkir - the indigenous inhabitant of the land, a peasant who built the fortress, a Cossack who defended the city from enemies, and the head of the garrison A. Tevkelev. The monument, made of concrete, is lined with slabs of gray marble. The dome and spire are covered with gold.

Complex of buildings of South Ural University

• Address: Lenin Avenue, 76. SUSU transport stop.

During the Second World War, not only many factories were moved to the Urals, but also a number of educational institutions designed to train qualified personnel for production. On the basis of one of them, the Stalingrad Mechanical Institute, the South Ural University was organized in 1943, which by the middle of the last century became the largest university in the region. At the same time, a complex of 7-story buildings was erected, consisting of a main and two auxiliary buildings connected by passages. During the reconstruction carried out in 1999-2003, the main building acquired a new look. The building has grown by 11 floors. A magnificent tower was erected on its roof, topped with a spire with a double-headed eagle, rising 86 m above the ground. The side pylons are decorated with sculptures of Nike and Prometheus. For more than 15 years, the Palace of Science in the Stalinist Empire style has been one of the main symbols of Chelyabinsk.

Sculptural composition “Tale of the Urals”

• Address: Station Square. Transport stop "Railway Station".

The magnificent monument, personifying the fortitude, power and inflexibility of the character of the Urals - one of the main foundation stones on which the power of Russia is based, is an iconic landmark of Chelyabinsk. The Russian hero, glorified in Bazhov’s tales, leans on a huge hammer and proudly looks into the distance. At his feet is a mountain of stone blocks, crushed by a mighty hand. The sculptural composition made of granite, 12 m high, is placed on a pedestal trimmed with marble slabs. V. Zaikov’s creation makes a stunning impression.

"Good Angel"

• Address: Victory Garden. Transport stop "Victory Garden".

The city sacredly honors the memory of the heroes who did not return from the battlefields of the Great Patriotic War. In 2008, a monument was erected in Victory Square, which immediately took its place among the main attractions of Chelyabinsk. A 10-meter marble column placed on a pedestal is crowned with a gold-plated sculpture. An angel standing on a hemisphere symbolizing the globe releases a dove of Peace into the sky. The monument looks both majestic and elegant.

Lenin Mausoleum on the Scarlet Field

• Address: Scarlet Field Square. Transport stop "Scarlet Field".

The unique monument-mausoleum can undoubtedly be considered one of the iconic sights of Chelyabinsk, despite the ambiguous attitude towards the figure of the leader of the world proletariat. The incredibly beautiful building, erected in 1925 under the leadership of the famous Vera Mukhina, is distinguished by its eclectic style. Egyptian obelisks and antique columns, oriental arches and European cast iron coexist perfectly in its exterior. Bronze bust of V.I. Lenin by V. Kozlov, installed in a deep niche on the second floor, to which two staircases lead.

SPHERE OF LOVE

After walking through Aloe Pole Park, we walked along Krasnaya Street, crossed Lenin Avenue and turned onto Sonya Krivoy Street. Not Sophia, but Crooked Sonya - well, just like in Odessa, only this Sonya is not a raider, but a revolutionary. Here is the Kinomax cinema, and next to it is the composition “Sphere of Love”. It was Monday, there were no brides and grooms nearby, and we could take a close look at her. It is a huge blue glass dome supported by four trees. Under the dome there are figures of a young man and a girl flying towards each other. The composition serves as a must-have place for wedding photo shoots. It has three stairs. The bride and groom go up each in their own way, dance a wedding dance on the landing, and then go down the middle staircase together.

I'll give you a few numbers. It took 12 tons of copper to make the metal trees, which are 8.5 to 9 meters high. The height of the composition is 12 meters, the diameter of the dome is 10 meters, the size of the figures of a young man and a girl is 4 meters. The dome and copper parts of the composition were made in Italy. The composition was installed in 2000; a group of sculptors led by Viktor Mitroshin worked on its creation. The composition is quite unusual; we have not seen anything like it in Russian cities. One can only be happy for Chelyabinsk brides getting married in such a romantic setting. We took pictures and remembered our wedding. It was so long ago!

Chelyabinsk pearls of architecture

Over its almost 250-year existence, the city of Ural craftsmen has gone through a lot. Each era has left traces in the architecture of its buildings, some of which are considered monuments of regional and federal significance.

Arkhipov merchant mansion

• Address: st. Communes, 68/41. Transport stop "Library".

The mansion, which once belonged to the wealthy businessman Arkhipov, is considered the best-preserved example of the original merchant architectural style of pre-revolutionary Chelyabinsk. The first floor of the building, erected in 1911, is built of stone, and the second of round timber, but the facade is completely plastered. Above the eaves of the mansion rise magnificent attics, topped with luxurious flowerpots. Its façade is decorated with stucco monograms, wreaths, and half-columns. The highlight of the exterior are the elegant forged elements of the balcony fencing and gratings between the attics.

Trading house Valeev

• Address: st. Kaslinskaya, 64. Transport stop "Shopping Center".

The merchant of the 1st guild, Muhammetkhan Faleev, occupied an honorable place among the most successful businessmen of pre-revolutionary Chelyabinsk. Therefore, it is not surprising that the best city store, opened in 1911, belonged to him. At that time, it was an ultra-modern shopping center with bright shop windows, mannequins, and autonomous electric lighting. The townspeople were also amazed by the exterior of the modern building. It looks incredibly elegant, attracting the eye with graceful half-columns, carved pediments, and cornice balustrades.

Ryabinin estate

• Address: st. Kaslinskaya, 137. Transport stop "Circus".

The wooden mansion, built in 1885, acquired its current exterior at the beginning of the last century, when businessman and industrialist A.L. became its owner. Ryabinin. It was then that three decorative hipped-roof turrets with spiers in the pseudo-Russian style appeared on the roof. The house with towers, well preserved to this day, is elegant and original. The window openings of the facade are decorated with openwork platbands, and the cornices are decorated with finely shaped carvings.

Palace of Culture "Mechel"

• Address: st. J. Hasheka, 1. Transport stop "DK Metallurgov".

A wonderful building in the style of a magnificent Stalinist Empire style, which houses the palace of culture for metallurgical plant workers, was inaugurated in 1957. Despite some pomp, it looks very elegant. The luxurious portico with an oval arch is supported by powerful columns, resplendent with friezes. Above the pediment there is a sculpture of a girl with a palm branch of Peace in her hand and two luxurious vases symbolizing abundance. The interiors of the palace are no less colorful, striking with the elegance of the stucco moldings.

Amazing temples, cathedrals and mosques

Wonderful cathedrals and churches are something you definitely need to see in Chelyabinsk. City churches, some of which were built in modern times, are not inferior in splendor to the religious buildings of Rostov-on-Don or Irkutsk.

Holy Trinity Church

• Opening hours: daily, from 7:30 to 18:30.
• Telephone.
• Website: https://www.kirillmefody.ru
• Address: st. Kirova, 60A. Transport stop "Circus".

The incredibly beautiful church, built on the site of the oldest Chelyabinsk church and consecrated in 1914, is a true pearl of the city’s architecture. In its exterior, Byzantine and Russian styles are surprisingly harmoniously intertwined. The nine-domed temple and the elegant bell tower create a stunning composition, striking with its smooth lines and perfection of forms. The highlight of the temple's interiors are the delightful cedar iconostasis and wonderful frescoes covering the walls and vaults.

Temple of Alexander Nevsky

• Opening hours: daily, from 7:30 to 18:30.
• Telephone.
• Website: https://www.hram-nevskogo.ru
• Address: Scarlet Field. Transport stop "Scarlet Field".

At the beginning of the last century, the population of Chelyabinsk was growing at a rapid pace, so the need for the construction of a new temple became more and more urgent. Soon funds were collected and already in 1911 the church was consecrated in honor of Alexander Nevsky. However, the prosperity did not last long. After the revolution it was closed. The domes and tents were removed from the domes, the frescoes were covered up, and the building was given first to a printing house, then to a planetarium, the Palace of Pioneers, and then began to be used as an organ hall. The restoration of the church began only at the end of the last century. 13 domes and onions were restored, the interiors were again decorated with stucco, delightful panels made of jasper, marble, and serpentine. In 2013, the temple finally returned to the fold of the church.

Ak-Maszhit Cathedral Mosque

• Working hours: daily.
• Telephone.
• Address: st. Elkina, 14. Transport stop "Geological Museum".

The Muslim community of Chelyabinsk acquired the oldest religious building at the end of the 19th century. On the former Asian Street, a white stone mosque was erected in the traditional style of those times. The octagonal minaret in four tiers was inscribed directly into the volume of the building. The two upper floors of the tower have graceful balconies, and the building itself attracts with multi-profile cornices and elegant frieze decor. During the years of Soviet power, the premises of the temple were used for economic needs. Believers returned to its canopy only in 1989. Interestingly, now the walls of the mosque are painted light blue, but it is still called White.

Topic: Sights of the Chelyabinsk region

HOTEL

Although Chelyabinsk is an industrial city, it has two five-star hotels. By the way, according to the 2GIS company, the share of five-star hotels in the city is 4.6%, and according to this indicator it is the fifth in Russia. In Perm, for example, there are no 5-star hotels at all.

According to the same 2GIS, the most popular hotel names in Russia are “Uyut”, “Voyage”, “Victoria” and “Visit”. But we made a choice, like somewhere in Europe, between “Vidgof” and “Markstadt”. In the end, we chose a cheaper one and located closer to the local pedestrian street “Markstadt”. At the time of selection, this hotel had the highest rating among hotels in the city on the website komandirovka.ru.

There are different ways to get to the city. The well-known head of the workshop, and now the presidential envoy Kholmansky, surprises the townspeople by flying from Yekaterinburg to Chelyabinsk by plane. We got there by train Ekaterinburg-Orenburg. When we arrived, it was already dark. “We won’t take a taxi in this city,” said the wife. We took a minibus and soon got off at the Aloe Pole stop, from which we walked to the hotel. The Markstadt Hotel was opened in 2009 and has 92 rooms. At the accommodation desk there was an insignia received in August of this year from the famous review site TripAdvisor. We were not required to pay upon check-in. The standard room on the second floor suited us quite well. The window faced the courtyard, we did not hear any noise. The room had an LCD TV, bathrobes, slippers, hairdryer, safe, telephone, and there was a cooler with drinking water nearby on the floor. Everything is new, everything worked, no comments.

Where to go with a child in Chelyabinsk

The city will offer a special program to its guests traveling with children. Young tourists will be able to see a lot of interesting things, attend colorful performances, and come into contact with wildlife.

Separate article: Entertainment in Chelyabinsk for children

Museum "Experimentus"

• Opening hours: daily, from 10:00 to 20:00.
• Ticket price: adult from 400 rub. up to 590 rub., children from 300 rub. up to 490 rub.
• Telephone.
• Website: https://www.experimentus.ru
• Address: st. Ordzhonikidze, 58A, building 3. Transport stop “City Garden”.

A visit to this unique museum will leave a lot of impressions on all family members. There are more than 120 interactive exhibits here that help you understand the essence of the complex physical and chemical processes that fill the world around you. Children are given a lot of useful knowledge in an accessible form. Children will be able to take part in exciting experiments themselves and become participants in master classes. They will learn how a battery works, learn to read encrypted messages and even hammer a nail into a banana. Be sure to give your child a journey into the world of amazing discoveries.

Chelyabinsk Zoo

• Opening hours: daily, from 10:00 to 20:00 and from 10:00 to 18:00 in winter.
• Ticket price: adult 150 rubles, children under 12 years old 80 rubles, children under 5 years old free.
• Phone: +7 351 263‑18-64.
• Website: https://www.chelzoo.ru
• Address: st. Truda, 191. Transport stop "Zoo".

The city zoo, founded in 1996, is considered one of the most dynamically developing institutions of its type in the country. It covers an area of ​​about 8.5 hectares, which allows creating excellent conditions for the 133 species of animals, birds and reptiles kept here. The administration does a lot for young visitors. For several years now, a children's petting zoo has been operating, where children can play with animals. The installation “The Lost World” recently opened. Children love to play among the life-size dinosaur sculptures, and city visitors love to take pictures with the prehistoric reptiles in the background.

City Circus

• Opening hours: performances are given from Wednesday to Sunday inclusive. Shows start at 18:30 on weekdays, at 13:00 and 17:00 on weekends.
• Ticket price: from 800 rub. up to 1500 rub.
• Telephone.
• Website: https://www.circus-chelyabinsk.ru
• Address: st. Kirova, 25. Transport stop "Circus".

The Chelyabinsk circus dates its history back to 1901, when a permanent building was built for performances by artists of the original genre touring the Urals. Today, circus troupes demonstrate their skills in another building, built in 1980 and capable of accommodating 1,814 spectators. The performances at the local arena are incredibly colorful. The enchanting performances of trainers, jugglers, acrobats, and illusionists are supported by magnificent color and musical accompaniment. An amazing show that will undoubtedly delight your child.

You may be interested in interesting places in Chebarkul, Satka, Miass, Troitsk, Magnitogorsk, Khanty-Mansiysk, Kyshtym, Kurgan, Tyumen and Yekaterinburg.

The colorful sights of the city can surprise and delight even the most experienced traveler. In the most interesting places in Chelyabinsk you can take beautiful photographs that will remind you of a great vacation for a long time.