jaunt one

Jaunt ONE VR camera now available for purchase… for $95,000

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Thursday April 27, 2017

By Jeff Meyer

Jaunt ONE, the 360-degree virtual reality camera aimed at professionals is now available to consumers, Jaunt has announced… with a staggering price tag.

Teased as far back as 2015, the Jaunt ONE has previously only been available to Jaunt’s partners but is now available for purchase by consumers.

The Jaunt ONE boasts a circular design with 24 integrated cameras with frame sync to provide 360-degree coverage at up to 8K resolution.

Jaunt says the ONE can also record continuously for up to 20 hours, even in harsh weather.

Other features include 18-stop exposure control, built-in media storage, a global shutter, 10 stops of dynamic range, 120fps capture and custom 130-degree FOV lenses with a fixed f/2.9 aperture.

If you want, you can pre-order the Jaunt ONE now from B&H Photo for the cool price of $95,000. For those counting, that’s about $3,958 per integrated camera!

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First Look: Jaunt’s ‘ONE’ VR Light-Field Camera with Newly Revealed Specs

Jaunt ONE (formerly known under code name ‘NEO’) is a professional-grade 360 camera system created by Jaunt VR , a cinematic VR company that has recently partnered with Google to become a ‘preferred content provider’. We got the chance to get some face time with ONE at this year’s Oculus Connect to see a little more about the 3D 360 light-field camera.

We haven’t seen much more than rendered photos and a small spec sheet of Jaunt ONE up until now, so the newly released specs and the up-close and personal look we had with the device at Oculus Connect spoke some about Jaunt VR’s future and their aspirations to integrate light-field-driven 360 video into VR—a technology that will hypothetically allow for the VR headset user to experience some degree of parallax.

Although the Jaunt ONE camera is not for sale (we can’t even begin imagine how much it would cost), it will be made available exclusively to partners of Jaunt Studios—a relationship that gives content creators a variety of production tools as well as access to Jaunt’s multi-device distribution platform.

A quick recap of the system’s basic capabilities:

• High quality, high resolution, full 360° capture
• Custom optics specifically designed for 3D light-field capture
• 24 Large format sensors with superior low-light performance
• High dynamic range (HDR) imaging
• Fully synchronized global shutter sensor array
• Compact and weatherproof form factor
• Stunning 360 degree industrial design by LUNAR
• Extensive tool set for configuration, rendering, and asset management
• Single button start/stop recording

While at Connect, we also got a peak at the new spec sheet which offers the prospective collaborator one of two models, dubbed the J1-24G and the J1-24R.

• 1 & 1.2″ “native HD” global shutter sensors, ideal for low-light and fast-moving objects
• up to 120 FPS, time lapse
• 3200 max ISO
• SNR @ ISO800 – 36 dB
• 11 stops per sensor module dynamic range
• custom optics, 130° diagonal, f/2.9
• 8K*4K per eye
• Available August 2015, ramping up in 2016
• 1″ 20MP rolling shutter system, ideal for outdoors and super high resolution time lapse photography
• up to 60 FPS, time Lapse
• SNR @ ISO800 – 29 dB
• custom optics, 130° diagonal, f/2.9
• up to 32K*16K per eye
• availability starting early 2016

We have feet on the ground at Oculus 2, and will be reporting on any more info that comes out about the camera. We still haven’t had the pleasure of trying out any footage captured by the device, but considering the J1-24G model was already due to hit collaborators’ hands last month, we ought to be getting our hands on something fairly soon.

Now THESE are some good professional level camera specs! Though 11 stops dynamic range seems a tad anemic.

There is one point I don’t get. My understanding so far is that lightfield cams are not able to capture motion. Why do they provide FPS data then? And how are we supposed to produce movies with that? Would be thankful for a explanation. :)

The title of this article is deceptive and incorrect. This is NOT a lightfield camera. This is merely an array of traditional cameras capturing video.

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A Sneak Peek at Jaunt's Most Advanced Camera Rig So Far

With a $65 million funding round under their belt, Jaunt VR is looking to take the 360 video market by storm. At Oculus Connect, we got to see a sneak preview of the camera that is going to lead the charge: the Jaunt ONE( previously called NEO ).

The Jaunt ONE is the latest and greatest 360 video rig from Jaunt, improving on previous models in a number of different ways. First off, it has fully synchronized shutters, making it far easier to set the camera up and start shooting. Previous models relied on GoPros that had to be turned on individually, making it difficult to start filming and even more difficult to stitch together.

Jaunt was able to have fully synchronized cameras only because it built its own cameras from the ground up for 360 video. By designing their own cameras, they were able to optimize them for different environments. The ONE actually comes in two different configurations: the J1-24G for low-light and fast moving objects and the J1-24R for outdoor filming and time lapse photography.

Second, the fully redesigned cameras also have a number of improved features over their previous counterparts. They have improved resolution allowing for true-HD 360 films. They also have an improved color spectrum and handle better in low light environments.

Finally, the camera’s look has been totally redesigned with style in mind. Jaunt’s Director of Hardware Engineering Koji Gardiner explained, “We realized this was an opportunity to come up with an iconic design that represents a brand new form of video capture.” He continued, “We wanted a camera whose look would be familiar to film makers and other creatives, and one that would look great photographed on stage at high-profile events like concerts or sporting events.” With that in mind, they worked with LUNAR Design to ensure that the camera had a sleek, industrial feel that will look right at home with all the other cameras on a stage ( or on Hoth searching for those Rebel scum! ).

This camera is going to be used by Jaunt to create their own original content and it will be available to partners through Jaunt Studios. One of the most interesting aspects of the camera is the stack of Jaunt Production Tools available with it. Partners will get access to a camera manager that runs on a laptop. All a person needs to do is plug the camera rig into the computer with a standard USB cable and they can check for errors, configure the cameras, and get a live preview with a limited field of view.

The software also allows users to collect and organize video and audio data into recordings, create rough cuts, generate previews, and upload recordings into the Jaunt cloud. Once the recordings are in the cloud, Jaunt can use its cloud rendering software to create a seamless 360 degree stereoscopic video. This video can be distributed through Jaunt’s distribution platform and played back on the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Gear VR, Google Cardboard, Playstation VR, Avegant Glyph, YouTube360, as well as most mobile devices.

When asked what type of experiences this camera would be used for, Koji replied, “We see this camera being used to film a wide variety of experiences: music, sports, travel, narrative content, and more. The ease of use of the camera coupled with its image quality and versatility make it ideal for any creative who wants to capture premier cinematic VR content.” This camera certainly provides the tools for filmmakers of all types to create a new wave of immersive content. It’s now up to them to show us what that premier cinematic VR content will be.

Detailed Specifications:

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The ONE, the fifth generation camera system from industry pioneer Jaunt, was designed to capture fully immersive, 360-degree cinematic VR experiences. Its dynamic and provocative bad-ass form factor reflects larger-than-life experiences, while a subtle use of materials and finish expresses the professionalism of photography and filmmaking. The ONE’s skeletal fins enhance the sense of structure and provide robustness and protection of the lenses, while hidden hinges in the base allow the body to fold open in quarters for easy access to the internals. The dark color tones reduce the light reflection while enhancing the camera’s stealth quality.

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Jaunt ONE™ Professional Grade VR Camera Available for Purchase

Jaunt, Inc., the industry leader in cinematic virtual reality (VR), today announced that the award-winning Jaunt ONE™ camera , which was carefully crafted and designed with visionary, professional VR creators in mind, will be available for direct to consumer sale through a network of resellers. Joining the network of providers making the camera available to the VR creative community is The Studio-B&H. Current rental outlets AbelCine and Radiant Images will also be part of the Jaunt ONE reseller network.

Check out 360 Degree Camera Review and Buying Guide 2017

Ahead of the 2017 National Association of Broadcasters Show, Jaunt also unveiled several new Jaunt ONE features including support for 120 frames per second capture, real-time video feed, and updates to white balance correction in the Jaunt ONE’s companion software suite, Jaunt Cloud Services (JCS).

“Demand for the Jaunt ONE has been unwavering since we introduced it to rental houses last summer,” said Koji Gardiner, VP of Hardware Engineering at Jaunt. “The natural next step was to provide filmmakers the ability to own the camera. These filmmakers are pushing the creative boundaries as they eagerly explore the medium and we could not be more proud to provide them with the only professional-grade VR camera designed specifically for their craft.”

Key Jaunt ONE features include:

• 24-camera array with synchronized global shutter sensors, providing full 360° stereoscopic coverage at up to 8K output resolution
• Best-in-class stereo image quality with dynamic exposure control enabling up to 18-stops of scene dynamic range
• Easy-to-use with onboard media storage for up to 20 hours of continuous recording and integration with industry-standard batteries and accessories
• Rugged & reliable design built to withstand extreme conditions and production tested worldwide
• Versatile rigging options for mounting Jaunt ONE to a tripod, dolly, Steadicam, camera car, cable cam, and more
• NEW – Support for capturing up to 120 frames per second
• NEW – Real-time monitoring of up to eight Jaunt ONE modules, enabling the user to preview what the camera is seeing prior to recording

The Jaunt ONE camera, along with JCS and Jaunt’s full platform capabilities, will be on display at NAB in Las Vegas April 24-27 at the Jaunt booth # C2436 in Central Hall.

Koji Gardiner will be speaking on the following days and times:

• Saturday, April 22 at 11:15 a.m. : participating in “Virtual Reality Rising: The Future of Editing Workflows, A Panel Discussion” hosted by Avid at The Wynn Hotel
• Monday, April 24 at 4 p.m. : presenting in the NAB Virtual and Augmented Reality Pavilion, located in the North Hall
• Tuesday, April 25 at 10:45 a.m. and 3:15 p.m. : speaking about the Jaunt ONE workflow at the B&H booth, Central Hall – C10415

Also speaking at NAB on behalf of Jaunt, Chief Technology Officer Arthur van Hoff will be part of the “The Acronym Game | Emerging Technologies (VR, AR, 360)” panel, happening on Saturday, April 22 at 12 p.m. , located in the Nikko room at SLS Las Vegas.

VP of Marketing Communications Miles Perkins will join the “VR Distribution” panel hosted by AbelCine, taking place on Wednesday, April 26 at 10 a.m. in the AbelCine booth, Central Hall – C8215

The Jaunt ONE camera continues to be available for rent through Radiant Images and AbelCine.

For more information about the Jaunt ONE camera and Jaunt Cloud Services, please visit: https://www.jauntvr.com/jaunt-one/

About Jaunt, Inc.

Jaunt is pioneering the future of creative storytelling through cinematic virtual reality. Founded in 2013, Jaunt is the leading developer of the hardware, software, tools, and applications to enable cinematic VR and put the power of virtual reality in the hands of today’s best content creators. Jaunt works with leading creatives – from brands to artists to filmmakers – to create cutting-edge content accessible across all devices and platforms.

Headquartered in Palo Alto, California, the company also maintains a presence in Los Angeles, California through its studio arm, Jaunt Studios; a European business office in London; and an engineering and development office in Amsterdam. In 2016, Jaunt established Shanghai-based Jaunt China, a VR company formed in partnership with Shanghai Media Group (SMG) and China Media Capital (CMC). Collectively, Jaunt produces branded and original VR content for audiences worldwide. Join @JauntVR on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. Experience more at www.jauntvr.com.

About AbelCine

AbelCine, established in 1989, is a full service equipment and technology provider to the broadcast, production and new media industries, with facilities in New York City, Burbank, CA and Chicago, IL. Core services include equipment sales, financing, training, rental and tech services. For more information, visit www.abelcine.com.

About Radiant Images

Radiant Images is an award-winning digital cinema innovator and rental house providing creative solutions in 2D, 3D, VR and augmented reality, leading-edge cameras and equipment, and unrivaled client support, to the motion picture industry worldwide. Radiant’s VR division also is recognized as an industry leader in testing and developing virtual reality and augmented reality technology, helping filmmakers and camera operators capture 360-degree content in a compelling way. The company utilizes an in-house engineering team and rapid prototype capabilities to provide filmmakers with the latest virtual reality tools and creative solutions. For more information about Radiant Images, visit online at www.radiantimages.com.

About The Studio-B&H

The Studio-B&H is a unique service-based environment dedicated to providing comprehensive solutions to all professional media markets. The Studio and its state-of-the-art Technology Center offer unmatched access to high-end technology as well as a superior level of expertise in all aspects of digital cinema, live broadcast production, post-production, emerging technologies and their related digital workflows. The Studio has assembled a highly skilled team of accomplished professionals who can provide solutions for nearly any media environment. In recent years, The Studio-B&H has developed a wide range of integration and system design services to all vertical segments of the media industry, from independent filmmakers to major broadcasters.

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A Complete Cinematic VR Solution

END TO END VR SOLUTION

Jaunt’s technology provides an end-to-end solution for creating cinematic VR experiences. They have developed an integrated suite of hardware and software tools to produce the highest quality immersive content.

Our camera system simultaneously records 3D stereoscopic video in all directions. Coupled with our 3D sound-field microphones, we capture everything needed to reconstruct the complete visual and auditory experience.

To complete their cinematic vision, creative professionals need access to the full suite of post-production tools including editing, color correction and compositing. Our video format is compatible with industry-standard software to take maximum advantage of the possibilities of this new medium today.

BUILT FOR VISIONARIES

The first professional grade stereographic cinematic VR camera built from the ground up, the Jaunt ONE was designed with visionary VR creators in mind. Following more than two years of intensive research and development, Jaunt’s camera features custom optics, high quality 360-degree capture, and stunning design.

Our proprietary computational photography algorithms transform the recorded video data using sophisticated geometric calibration, color adjustment, and image processing. The result sets a new standard for immersive content quality.

Jaunt’s cross-platform viewer renders content for the Oculus Rift and other devices. It uses VR head tracking to allow the user to see in any direction and binaural mixing which creates an audio experience that is just as immersive as the visual.

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Jaunt One is a virtual reality camera designed for pros

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Jaunt has carved out a name for itself as a maker of virtual reality films. Now it is launching the Jaunt One VR camera designed for professional VR creators. It will be available as a direct-to-consumer sale through a network of resellers.

The move puts the company into competition with rivals such as Nokia, with its Ozo camera, and gives the company a new line of business, in addition to its films. Among the resellers are The Studio-B&H, AbelCine , and Radiant Images .

Ahead of the 2017 National Association of Broadcasters Show, the Palo Alto, Calif.-based Jaunt also unveiled several new Jaunt One features, including support for 120-frames-per-second capture, real-time video feed, and updates to white balance correction in Jaunt One’s companion software suite: Jaunt Cloud Services (JCS).

“Demand for the Jaunt ONE has been unwavering since we introduced it to rental houses last summer, ” said Koji Gardiner, vice president of hardware engineering at Jaunt, in a statement. “The natural next step was to provide filmmakers the ability to own the camera. These filmmakers are pushing the creative boundaries as they eagerly explore the medium, and we could not be more proud to provide them with the only professional-grade VR camera designed specifically for their craft.”

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Above: Jaunt One can capture 120 frames per second.

Key Jaunt ONE features include a 24-camera array with synchronized global shutter sensors that provide full 360-degree stereoscopic coverage at up to 8K output resolution; stereo imagery with dynamic exposure control enabling up to 18 stops of scene dynamic range; onboard media storage for up to 20 hours of continuous recording and integration with industry-standard batteries and accessories; a rugged design built to withstand extreme conditions; versatile rigging options for mounting Jaunt One to a tripod, dolly, steadicam, camera car, cable cam, and more; support for capturing up to 120 frames per second; and real-time monitoring of up to eight Jaunt One modules, enabling the user to preview what the camera is seeing prior to recording.

The Jaunt One will be available for rent through Radiant Images and AbelCine. Jaunt was founded in 2013. The company has more than 100 employees, and it has raised $100.2 million to date. Investors include Disney, Evolution Media Partners, China Media Capital, and Sky.

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Jaunt’s super-fancy VR movie camera is getting easier to find

By Adi Robertson , a senior tech and policy editor focused on VR, online platforms, and free expression. Adi has covered video games, biohacking, and more for The Verge since 2011.

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VR film company Jaunt is opening a rental program for its all-seeing, camera-studded eye of a virtual reality film rig. In what’s described as a pilot program with rental house Radiant Images, Jaunt will offer both the Jaunt One hardware and access to its software tools, which filmmakers will need for the elaborate stitching and editing process involved in 360-degree video. From there, creators can either upload the videos to Jaunt’s catalog or release them on platforms like YouTube.

VR and 360-degree videos have exploded in popularity over the past few years, but for a while, filmmakers had to rely on either wiring together a lot of wide-angle cameras and blending the footage together, or working with a company that could do it for them. Jaunt has been one of those companies for years, working on projects that include a VR miniseries featuring Paul McCartney and our own Michelle Obama video .

But that’s slowly changing. At the relatively low end, filmmakers can currently preorder the Orah 4i , which will cost $3,600 when it theoretically ships in August. For bigger-budget projects, they can look to the $15,000 GoPro Odyssey or the $60,000 Nokia Ozo , which Radiant Images also rents. (There’s also the Lytro Immerge , although its future is less certain.)

The Jaunt One, formerly known as the Neo, rounds out the high end of this selection. When the camera goes up for rental in July, it will start at $4,500 per day. That's more expensive than the Ozo, which rents for between $2,750 and $3,500, and an order of magnitude greater than many of Radiant Images' normal video cameras, although high-end standard camera setups can still cost thousands of dollars a day. It’s obviously not something that’s showing up in homes any time soon, but getting more VR cameras on the market is a step toward getting more good-looking VR movies — a vital part of making the medium succeed.

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• JAUNT Manuals
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JAUNT ONE User Manual

• page of 17 Go / 17

Table of Contents

Troubleshooting, getting started.

• Getting to Know the Camera
• Case Layout
• Creating Your First Recording

Compatibility

• Removing/Replacing Lens Caps
• Inserting/Ejecting SD Cards
• Connecting Power
• Power On/Off
• Record Start/Stop
• Default Capture Settings
• Connecting USB
• Connecting Accessories
• Wired Remote Trigger
• Reviewing Data
• Camera Module Numbering

Specifications

Regulatory compliance.

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• 1 Getting to Know the Camera
• Download this manual

Summary of Contents for JAUNT ONE

• Page 1 O N E U S E R G U I D E COPYRIGHT 2016, JAUNT INC. UPDATED SEPTEMBER 27, 2016...

Page 2: Table Of Contents

Page 3: getting started, page 4: case layout, page 5: handling, page 6: compatibility, page 7: data, page 8: usage, page 9: connecting power, page 10: default capture settings, page 11: wired remote trigger, page 12: camera module numbering, page 13: troubleshooting, page 14: specifications, page 15: mechanical, page 16: regulatory compliance.

• Page 17 O N E COPYRIGHT © JAUNT...

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Dr. Jill Biden Kicks Off New York Fashion Week at the Ralph Lauren Show

Earlier this evening, the fashion set—and a crew of A-list celebrities—kicked off New York Fashion Week with a quick jaunt to the Hamptons in New York. (Some traveling by car; other VIPs by helicopter.) The spring 2025 show gathered quite the crowd in the front row, including names such as Usher, Kacey Musgraves, Jude Law, Tom Hiddleston, and Joey King—to name a few. Also in attendance? First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, who took time away from her busy pre-election schedule to support one of the most beloved American designers (not to mention one of her most-worn labels).

Dr. Biden—who attended the presentation with Finnegan Biden, Hunter Biden’s daughter—mingled with guests shortly before the runway show began, including posing for photos with Usher. For the affair, the First Lady chose a classic black two-piece suit (presumably by Ralph Lauren) with a square neckline and buttoned closure. She accented the look with an oversized crystal brooch and simple black pumps.

Usher and Dr. Jill Biden

The streamlined ensemble was a signature look from the First Lady, who tends to gravitate towards solid colors and clean, minimal designs. During her time in office, Biden has routinely worn Ralph Lauren for her various appearances, including at the White House State Dinner with the Indian prime minister Narendra Modi last year (then, she chose an off-the-shoulder sequined gown). Tonight, Biden showed her support for Lauren once again, proving she continues to use fashion as a form of patriotism—highlighting and championing American-born talent through her timeless fashion choices. Talk about starting NYFW off with a bang.

Finnegan Biden and Dr. Jill Biden

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YEKATERINBURG: FACTORIES, URAL SIGHTS, YELTSIN AND THE WHERE NICHOLAS II WAS KILLED

Sverdlovsk oblast.

Sverdlovsk Oblast is the largest region in the Urals; it lies in the foothills of mountains and contains a monument indicating the border between Europe and Asia. The region covers 194,800 square kilometers (75,200 square miles), is home to about 4.3 million people and has a population density of 22 people per square kilometer. About 83 percent of the population live in urban areas. Yekaterinburg is the capital and largest city, with 1.5 million people. For Russians, the Ural Mountains are closely associated with Pavel Bazhov's tales and known for folk crafts such as Kasli iron sculpture, Tagil painting, and copper embossing. Yekaterinburg is the birthplace of Russia’s iron and steel industry, taking advantage of the large iron deposits in the Ural mountains. The popular Silver Ring of the Urals tourist route starts here.

In the summer you can follow in the tracks of Yermak, climb relatively low Ural mountain peaks and look for boulders seemingly with human faces on them. You can head to the Gemstone Belt of the Ural mountains, which used to house emerald, amethyst and topaz mines. In the winter you can go ice fishing, ski and cross-country ski.

Sverdlovsk Oblast and Yekaterinburg are located near the center of Russia, at the crossroads between Europe and Asia and also the southern and northern parts of Russia. Winters are longer and colder than in western section of European Russia. Snowfalls can be heavy. Winter temperatures occasionally drop as low as - 40 degrees C (-40 degrees F) and the first snow usually falls in October. A heavy winter coat, long underwear and good boots are essential. Snow and ice make the sidewalks very slippery, so footwear with a good grip is important. Since the climate is very dry during the winter months, skin moisturizer plus lip balm are recommended. Be alert for mud on street surfaces when snow cover is melting (April-May). Patches of mud create slippery road conditions.

Yekaterinburg

Yekaterinburg (kilometer 1818 on the Trans-Siberian Railway) is the fourth largest city in Russia, with of 1.5 million and growth rate of about 12 percent, high for Russia. Located in the southern Ural mountains, it was founded by Peter the Great and named after his wife Catherine, it was used by the tsars as a summer retreat and is where tsar Nicholas II and his family were executed and President Boris Yeltsin lived most of his life and began his political career. The city is near the border between Europe and Asia.

Yekaterinburg (also spelled Ekaterinburg) is located on the eastern slope of the Ural Mountains in the headwaters of the Iset and Pyshma Rivers. The Iset runs through the city center. Three ponds — Verkh-Isetsky, Gorodskoy and Nizhne-Isetsky — were created on it. Yekaterinburg has traditionally been a city of mining and was once the center of the mining industry of the Urals and Siberia. Yekaterinburg remains a major center of the Russian armaments industry and is sometimes called the "Pittsburgh of Russia.". A few ornate, pastel mansions and wide boulevards are reminders of the tsarist era. The city is large enough that it has its own Metro system but is characterized mostly by blocky Soviet-era apartment buildings. The city has advanced under President Vladimir Putin and is now one of the fastest growing places in Russia, a country otherwise characterized by population declines

Yekaterinburg is technically an Asian city as it lies 32 kilometers east of the continental divide between Europe and Asia. The unofficial capital of the Urals, a key region in the Russian heartland, it is second only to Moscow in terms of industrial production and capital of Sverdlovsk oblast. Among the important industries are ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, machine building and metalworking, chemical and petrochemicals, construction materials and medical, light and food industries. On top of being home of numerous heavy industries and mining concerns, Yekaterinburg is also a major center for industrial research and development and power engineering as well as home to numerous institutes of higher education, technical training, and scientific research. In addition, Yekaterinburg is the largest railway junction in Russia: the Trans-Siberian Railway passes through it, the southern, northern, western and eastern routes merge in the city.

Accommodation: There are two good and affordable hotels — the 3-star Emerald and Parus hotels — located close to the city's most popular landmarks and main transport interchanges in the center of Yekaterinburg. Room prices start at RUB 1,800 per night.

History of Yekaterinburg

Yekaterinburg was founded in 1723 by Peter the Great and named after his wife Catherine I. It was used by the tsars as a summer retreat but was mainly developed as metalworking and manufacturing center to take advantage of the large deposits of iron and other minerals in the Ural mountains. It is best known to Americans as the place where the last Tsar and his family were murdered by the Bolsheviks in 1918 and near where American U-2 spy plane, piloted by Gary Powers, was shot down in 1960.

Peter the Great recognized the importance of the iron and copper-rich Urals region for Imperial Russia's industrial and military development. In November 1723, he ordered the construction of a fortress factory and an ironworks in the Iset River Valley, which required a dam for its operation. In its early years Yekaterinburg grew rich from gold and other minerals and later coal. The Yekaterinburg gold rush of 1745 created such a huge amount of wealth that one rich baron of that time hosted a wedding party that lasted a year. By the mid-18th century, metallurgical plants had sprung up across the Urals to cast cannons, swords, guns and other weapons to arm Russia’s expansionist ambitions. The Yekaterinburg mint produced most of Russia's coins. Explorations of the Trans-Baikal and Altai regions began here in the 18th century.

Iron, cast iron and copper were the main products. Even though Iron from the region went into the Eiffel Tower, the main plant in Yekaterinburg itself was shut down in 1808. The city still kept going through a mountain factory control system of the Urals. The first railway in the Urals was built here: in 1878, the Yekaterinburg-Perm railway branch connected the province's capital with the factories of the Middle Urals.

In the Soviet era the city was called Sverdlovsk (named after Yakov Sverdlov, the man who organized Nicholas II's execution). During the first five-year plans the city became industrial — old plants were reconstructed, new ones were built. The center of Yekaterinburg was formed to conform to the historical general plan of 1829 but was the layout was adjusted around plants and factories. In the Stalin era the city was a major gulag transhipment center. In World War II, many defense-related industries were moved here. It and the surrounding area were a center of the Soviet Union's military industrial complex. Soviet tanks, missiles and aircraft engines were made in the Urals. During the Cold War era, Yekaterinburg was a center of weapons-grade uranium enrichment and processing, warhead assembly and dismantlement. In 1979, 64 people died when anthrax leaked from a biological weapons facility. Yekaterinburg was a “Closed City” for 40 years during the Cold Soviet era and was not open to foreigners until 1991

In the early post-Soviet era, much like Pittsburgh in the 1970s, Yekaterinburg had a hard struggle d to cope with dramatic economic changes that have made its heavy industries uncompetitive on the world market. Huge defense plants struggled to survive and the city was notorious as an organized crime center in the 1990s, when its hometown boy Boris Yeltsin was President of Russia. By the 2000s, Yekaterinburg’s retail and service was taking off, the defense industry was reviving and it was attracting tech industries and investments related to the Urals’ natural resources. By the 2010s it was vying to host a world exhibition in 2020 (it lost, Dubai won) and it had McDonald’s, Subway, sushi restaurants, and Gucci, Chanel and Armani. There were Bentley and Ferrari dealerships but they closed down

Transportation in Yekaterinburg

Getting There: By Plane: Yekaterinburg is a three-hour flight from Moscow with prices starting at RUB 8,000, or a 3-hour flight from Saint Petersburg starting from RUB 9,422 (direct round-trip flight tickets for one adult passenger). There are also flights from Frankfurt, Istanbul, China and major cities in the former Soviet Union.

By Train: Yekaterinburg is a major stop on the Trans-Siberian Railway. Daily train service is available to Moscow and many other Russian cities.Yekaterinburg is a 32-hour train ride from Moscow (tickets RUB 8,380 and above) or a 36-hour train ride from Saint Petersburg (RUB 10,300 and above). The ticket prices are round trip for a berth in a sleeper compartment for one adult passenger). By Car: a car trip from Moscow to Yekateringburg is 1,787 kilometers long and takes about 18 hours. The road from Saint Petersburg is 2,294 kilometers and takes about 28 hours.

Regional Transport: The region's public transport includes buses and suburban electric trains. Regional trains provide transport to larger cities in the Ural region. Buses depart from Yekaterinburg’s two bus stations: the Southern Bus Station and the Northern Bus Station.

Regional Transport: According the to Association for Safe International Road Travel (ASIRT): “Public transportation is well developed. Overcrowding is common. Fares are low. Service is efficient. Buses are the main form of public transport. Tram network is extensive. Fares are reasonable; service is regular. Trams are heavily used by residents, overcrowding is common. Purchase ticket after boarding. Metro runs from city center to Uralmash, an industrial area south of the city. Metro ends near the main railway station. Fares are inexpensive.

“Traffic is congested in city center. Getting around by car can be difficult. Route taxis (minivans) provide the fastest transport. They generally run on specific routes, but do not have specific stops. Drivers stop where passengers request. Route taxis can be hailed. Travel by bus or trolleybuses may be slow in rush hour. Trams are less affected by traffic jams. Trolley buses (electric buses) cannot run when temperatures drop below freezing.”

Entertainment, Sports and Recreation in Yekaterinburg

The performing arts in Yekaterinburg are first rate. The city has an excellent symphony orchestra, opera and ballet theater, and many other performing arts venues. Tickets are inexpensive. The Yekaterinburg Opera and Ballet Theater is lavishly designed and richly decorated building in the city center of Yekaterinburg. The theater was established in 1912 and building was designed by architect Vladimir Semyonov and inspired by the Vienna Opera House and the Theater of Opera and Ballet in Odessa.

Vaynera Street is a pedestrian only shopping street in city center with restaurants, cafes and some bars. But otherwise Yekaterinburg's nightlife options are limited. There are a handful of expensive Western-style restaurants and bars, none of them that great. Nightclubs serve the city's nouveau riche clientele. Its casinos have closed down. Some of them had links with organized crime. New dance clubs have sprung up that are popular with Yekaterinburg's more affluent youth.

Yekaterinburg's most popular spectator sports are hockey, basketball, and soccer. There are stadiums and arenas that host all three that have fairly cheap tickets. There is an indoor water park and lots of parks and green spaces. The Urals have many lakes, forests and mountains are great for hiking, boating, berry and mushroom hunting, swimming and fishing. Winter sports include cross-country skiing and ice skating. Winter lasts about six months and there’s usually plenty of snow. The nearby Ural Mountains however are not very high and the downhill skiing opportunities are limited..

Sights in Yekaterinburg

Sights in Yekaterinburg include the Museum of City Architecture and Ural Industry, with an old water tower and mineral collection with emeralds. malachite, tourmaline, jasper and other precious stone; Geological Alley, a small park with labeled samples of minerals found in the Urals region; the Ural Geology Museum, which houses an extensive collection of stones, gold and gems from the Urals; a monument marking the border between Europe and Asia; a memorial for gulag victims; and a graveyard with outlandish memorials for slain mafia members.

The Military History Museum houses the remains of the U-2 spy plane shot down in 1960 and locally made tanks and rocket launchers. The fine arts museum contains paintings by some of Russia's 19th-century masters. Also worth a look are the History an Local Studies Museum; the Political History and Youth Museum; and the University and Arboretum. Old wooden houses can be seen around Zatoutstovsya ulitsa and ulitsa Belinskogo. Around the city are wooded parks, lakes and quarries used to harvest a variety of minerals. Weiner Street is the main street of Yekaterinburg. Along it are lovely sculptures and 19th century architecture. Take a walk around the unique Literary Quarter

Plotinka is a local meeting spot, where you will often find street musicians performing. Plotinka can be described as the center of the city's center. This is where Yekaterinburg holds its biggest events: festivals, seasonal fairs, regional holiday celebrations, carnivals and musical fountain shows. There are many museums and open-air exhibitions on Plotinka. Plotinka is named after an actual dam of the city pond located nearby (“plotinka” means “a small dam” in Russian).In November 1723, Peter the Great ordered the construction of an ironworks in the Iset River Valley, which required a dam for its operation. “Iset” can be translated from Finnish as “abundant with fish”. This name was given to the river by the Mansi — the Finno-Ugric people dwelling on the eastern slope of the Northern Urals.

Vysotsky and Iset are skyscrapers that are 188.3 meters and 209 meters high, respectively. Fifty-story-high Iset has been described by locals as the world’s northernmost skyscraper. Before the construction of Iset, Vysotsky was the tallest building of Yekaterinburg and Russia (excluding Moscow). A popular vote has decided to name the skyscraper after the famous Soviet songwriter, singer and actor Vladimir Vysotsky. and the building was opened on November 25, 2011. There is a lookout at the top of the building, and the Vysotsky museum on its second floor. The annual “Vysotsky climb” (1137 steps) is held there, with a prize of RUB 100,000. While Vysotsky serves as an office building, Iset, owned by the Ural Mining and Metallurgical Company, houses 225 premium residential apartments ranging from 80 to 490 square meters in size.

Boris Yeltsin Presidential Center

The Boris Yeltsin Presidential Center (in the city center: ul. Yeltsina, 3) is a non-governmental organization named after the first president of the Russian Federation. The Museum of the First President of Russia as well as his archives are located in the Center. There is also a library, educational and children's centers, and exposition halls. Yeltsin lived most of his life and began his political career in Yekaterinburg. He was born in Butka about 200 kilometers east of Yekaterinburg.

The core of the Center is the Museum. Modern multimedia technologies help animate the documents, photos from the archives, and artifacts. The Yeltsin Museum holds collections of: propaganda posters, leaflets, and photos of the first years of the Soviet regime; portraits and portrait sculptures of members of Politburo of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of various years; U.S.S.R. government bonds and other items of the Soviet era; a copy of “One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich” by Alexander Solzhenitsyn, published in the “Novy Mir” magazine (#11, 1962); perestroika-era editions of books by Alexander Solzhenitsyn, Vasily Grossman, and other authors; theater, concert, and cinema posters, programs, and tickets — in short, all of the artifacts of the perestroika era.

The Yeltsin Center opened in 2012. Inside you will also find an art gallery, a bookstore, a gift shop, a food court, concert stages and a theater. There are regular screenings of unique films that you will not find anywhere else. Also operating inside the center, is a scientific exploritorium for children. The center was designed by Boris Bernaskoni. Almost from the its very opening, the Yeltsin Center has been accused by members of different political entities of various ideological crimes. The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday, from 10:00am to 9:00pm.

Where Nicholas II was Executed

On July, 17, 1918, during this reign of terror of the Russian Civil War, former-tsar Nicholas II, his wife, five children (the 13-year-old Alexis, 22-year-old Olga, 19-year-old Maria and 17-year-old Anastasia)the family physician, the cook, maid, and valet were shot to death by a Red Army firing squad in the cellar of the house they were staying at in Yekaterinburg.

Ipatiev House (near Church on the Blood, Ulitsa Libknekhta) was a merchant's house where Nicholas II and his family were executed. The house was demolished in 1977, on the orders of an up and coming communist politician named Boris Yeltsin. Yeltsin later said that the destruction of the house was an "act of barbarism" and he had no choice because he had been ordered to do it by the Politburo,

The site is marked with s cross with the photos of the family members and cross bearing their names. A small wooden church was built at the site. It contains paintings of the family. For a while there were seven traditional wooden churches. Mass is given ay noon everyday in an open-air museum. The Church on the Blood — constructed to honor Nicholas II and his family — was built on the part of the site in 1991 and is now a major place of pilgrimage.

Nicholas and his family where killed during the Russian civil war. It is thought the Bolsheviks figured that Nicholas and his family gave the Whites figureheads to rally around and they were better of dead. Even though the death orders were signed Yakov Sverdlov, the assassination was personally ordered by Lenin, who wanted to get them out of sight and out of mind. Trotsky suggested a trial. Lenin nixed the idea, deciding something had to be done about the Romanovs before White troops approached Yekaterinburg. Trotsky later wrote: "The decision was not only expedient but necessary. The severity of he punishment showed everyone that we would continue to fight on mercilessly, stopping at nothing."

Ian Frazier wrote in The New Yorker: “Having read a lot about the end of Tsar Nicholas II and his family and servants, I wanted to see the place in Yekaterinburg where that event occurred. The gloomy quality of this quest depressed Sergei’s spirits, but he drove all over Yekaterinburg searching for the site nonetheless. Whenever he stopped and asked a pedestrian how to get to the house where Nicholas II was murdered, the reaction was a wince. Several people simply walked away. But eventually, after a lot of asking, Sergei found the location. It was on a low ridge near the edge of town, above railroad tracks and the Iset River. The house, known as the Ipatiev House, was no longer standing, and the basement where the actual killings happened had been filled in. I found the blankness of the place sinister and dizzying. It reminded me of an erasure done so determinedly that it had worn a hole through the page. [Source: Ian Frazier, The New Yorker, August 3, 2009, Frazier is author of “Travels in Siberia” (2010)]

“The street next to the site is called Karl Liebknecht Street. A building near where the house used to be had a large green advertisement that said, in English, “LG—Digitally Yours.” On an adjoining lot, a small chapel kept the memory of the Tsar and his family; beneath a pedestal holding an Orthodox cross, peonies and pansies grew. The inscription on the pedestal read, “We go down on our knees, Russia, at the foot of the tsarist cross.”

Books: The Romanovs: The Final Chapter by Robert K. Massie (Random House, 1995); The Fall of the Romanovs by Mark D. Steinberg and Vladimir Khrustalëv (Yale, 1995);

See Separate Article END OF NICHOLAS II factsanddetails.com

Execution of Nicholas II

According to Robert Massie K. Massie, author of Nicholas and Alexandra, Nicholas II and his family were awakened from their bedrooms around midnight and taken to the basement. They were told they were to going to take some photographs of them and were told to stand behind a row of chairs.

Suddenly, a group of 11 Russians and Latvians, each with a revolver, burst into the room with orders to kill a specific person. Yakob Yurovsky, a member of the Soviet executive committee, reportedly shouted "your relatives are continuing to attack the Soviet Union.” After firing, bullets bouncing off gemstones hidden in the corsets of Alexandra and her daughters ricocheted around the room like "a shower of hail," the soldiers said. Those that were still breathing were killed with point black shots to the head.

The three sisters and the maid survived the first round thanks to their gems. They were pressed up against a wall and killed with a second round of bullets. The maid was the only one that survived. She was pursued by the executioners who stabbed her more than 30 times with their bayonets. The still writhing body of Alexis was made still by a kick to the head and two bullets in the ear delivered by Yurovsky himself.

Yurovsky wrote: "When the party entered I told the Romanovs that in view of the fact their relatives continued their offensive against Soviet Russia, the Executive Committee of the Urals Soviet had decided to shoot them. Nicholas turned his back to the detachment and faced his family. Then, as if collecting himself, he turned around, asking, 'What? What?'"

"[I] ordered the detachment to prepare. Its members had been previously instructed whom to shoot and to am directly at the heart to avoid much blood and to end more quickly. Nicholas said no more. he turned again to his family. The others shouted some incoherent exclamations. All this lasted a few seconds. Then commenced the shooting, which went on for two or three minutes. [I] killed Nicholas on the spot."

Nicholas II’s Initial Burial Site in Yekaterinburg

Ganina Yama Monastery (near the village of Koptyaki, 15 kilometers northwest of Yekaterinburg) stands near the three-meter-deep pit where some the remains of Nicholas II and his family were initially buried. The second burial site — where most of the remains were — is in a field known as Porosyonkov (56.9113628°N 60.4954326°E), seven kilometers from Ganina Yama.

On visiting Ganina Yama Monastery, one person posted in Trip Advisor: “We visited this set of churches in a pretty park with Konstantin from Ekaterinburg Guide Centre. He really brought it to life with his extensive knowledge of the history of the events surrounding their terrible end. The story is so moving so unless you speak Russian, it is best to come here with a guide or else you will have no idea of what is what.”

In 1991, the acid-burned remains of Nicholas II and his family were exhumed from a shallow roadside mass grave in a swampy area 12 miles northwest of Yekaterinburg. The remains had been found in 1979 by geologist and amateur archeologist Alexander Avdonin, who kept the location secret out of fear that they would be destroyed by Soviet authorities. The location was disclosed to a magazine by one his fellow discovers.

The original plan was to throw the Romanovs down a mine shaft and disposes of their remains with acid. They were thrown in a mine with some grenades but the mine didn't collapse. They were then carried by horse cart. The vats of acid fell off and broke. When the carriage carrying the bodies broke down it was decided the bury the bodies then and there. The remaining acid was poured on the bones, but most of it was soaked up the ground and the bones largely survived.

After this their pulses were then checked, their faces were crushed to make them unrecognizable and the bodies were wrapped in bed sheets loaded onto a truck. The "whole procedure," Yurovsky said took 20 minutes. One soldiers later bragged than he could "die in peace because he had squeezed the Empress's -------."

The bodies were taken to a forest and stripped, burned with acid and gasoline, and thrown into abandoned mine shafts and buried under railroad ties near a country road near the village of Koptyaki. "The bodies were put in the hole," Yurovsky wrote, "and the faces and all the bodies, generally doused with sulfuric acid, both so they couldn't be recognized and prevent a stink from them rotting...We scattered it with branches and lime, put boards on top and drove over it several times—no traces of the hole remained.

Shortly afterwards, the government in Moscow announced that Nicholas II had been shot because of "a counterrevolutionary conspiracy." There was no immediate word on the other members of the family which gave rise to rumors that other members of the family had escaped. Yekaterinburg was renamed Sverdlov in honor of the man who signed the death orders.

For seven years the remains of Nicholas II, Alexandra, three of their daughters and four servants were stored in polyethylene bags on shelves in the old criminal morgue in Yekaterunburg. On July 17, 1998, Nicholas II and his family and servants who were murdered with him were buried Peter and Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg along with the other Romanov tsars, who have been buried there starting with Peter the Great. Nicholas II had a side chapel built for himself at the fortress in 1913 but was buried in a new crypt.

Near Yekaterinburg

Factory-Museum of Iron and Steel Metallurgy (in Niznhy Tagil 80 kilometers north of Yekaterinburg) a museum with old mining equipment made at the site of huge abandoned iron and steel factory. Officially known as the Factory-Museum of the History of the Development of Iron and Steel Metallurgy, it covers an area of 30 hectares and contains a factory founded by the Demidov family in 1725 that specialized mainly in the production of high-quality cast iron and steel. Later, the foundry was renamed after Valerian Kuybyshev, a prominent figure of the Communist Party.

The first Russian factory museum, the unusual museum demonstrates all stages of metallurgy and metal working. There is even a blast furnace and an open-hearth furnace. The display of factory equipment includes bridge crane from 1892) and rolling stock equipment from the 19th-20th centuries. In Niznhy Tagil contains some huge blocks of malachite and

Nizhnyaya Sinyachikha (180 kilometers east-northeast of Yekaterinburg) has an open air architecture museum with log buildings, a stone church and other pre-revolutionary architecture. The village is the creation of Ivan Samoilov, a local activist who loved his village so much he dedicated 40 years of his life to recreating it as the open-air museum of wooden architecture.

The stone Savior Church, a good example of Siberian baroque architecture. The interior and exterior of the church are exhibition spaces of design. The houses are very colorful. In tsarist times, rich villagers hired serfs to paint the walls of their wooden izbas (houses) bright colors. Old neglected buildings from the 17th to 19th centuries have been brought to Nizhnyaya Sinyachikha from all over the Urals. You will see the interior design of the houses and hear stories about traditions and customs of the Ural farmers.

Verkhoturye (330 kilometers road from Yekaterinburg) is the home a 400-year-old monastery that served as 16th century capital of the Urals. Verkhoturye is a small town on the Tura River knows as the Jerusalem of the Urals for its many holy places, churches and monasteries. The town's main landmark is its Kremlin — the smallest in Russia. Pilgrims visit the St. Nicholas Monastery to see the remains of St. Simeon of Verkhoturye, the patron saint of fishermen.

Ural Mountains

Ural Mountains are the traditional dividing line between Europe and Asia and have been a crossroads of Russian history. Stretching from Kazakhstan to the fringes of the Arctic Kara Sea, the Urals lie almost exactly along the 60 degree meridian of longitude and extend for about 2,000 kilometers (1,300 miles) from north to south and varies in width from about 50 kilometers (30 miles) in the north and 160 kilometers (100 miles) the south. At kilometers 1777 on the Trans-Siberian Railway there is white obelisk with "Europe" carved in Russian on one side and "Asia" carved on the other.

The eastern side of the Urals contains a lot of granite and igneous rock. The western side is primarily sandstone and limestones. A number of precious stones can be found in the southern part of the Urals, including emeralds. malachite, tourmaline, jasper and aquamarines. The highest peaks are in the north. Mount Narodnaya is the highest of all but is only 1884 meters (6,184 feet) high. The northern Urals are covered in thick forests and home to relatively few people.

Like the Appalachian Mountains in the eastern United States, the Urals are very old mountains — with rocks and sediments that are hundreds of millions years old — that were one much taller than they are now and have been steadily eroded down over millions of years by weather and other natural processes to their current size. According to Encyclopedia Britannica: “The rock composition helps shape the topography: the high ranges and low, broad-topped ridges consist of quartzites, schists, and gabbro, all weather-resistant. Buttes are frequent, and there are north–south troughs of limestone, nearly all containing river valleys. Karst topography is highly developed on the western slopes of the Urals, with many caves, basins, and underground streams. The eastern slopes, on the other hand, have fewer karst formations; instead, rocky outliers rise above the flattened surfaces. Broad foothills, reduced to peneplain, adjoin the Central and Southern Urals on the east.

“The Urals date from the structural upheavals of the Hercynian orogeny (about 250 million years ago). About 280 million years ago there arose a high mountainous region, which was eroded to a peneplain. Alpine folding resulted in new mountains, the most marked upheaval being that of the Nether-Polar Urals...The western slope of the Urals is composed of middle Paleozoic sedimentary rocks (sandstones and limestones) that are about 350 million years old. In many places it descends in terraces to the Cis-Ural depression (west of the Urals), to which much of the eroded matter was carried during the late Paleozoic (about 300 million years ago). Found there are widespread karst (a starkly eroded limestone region) and gypsum, with large caverns and subterranean streams. On the eastern slope, volcanic layers alternate with sedimentary strata, all dating from middle Paleozoic times.”

Southern Urals

The southern Urals are characterized by grassy slopes and fertile valleys. The middle Urals are a rolling platform that barely rises above 300 meters (1,000 feet). This region is rich in minerals and has been heavily industrialized. This is where you can find Yekaterinburg (formally Sverdlovsk), the largest city in the Urals.

Most of the Southern Urals are is covered with forests, with 50 percent of that pine-woods, 44 percent birch woods, and the rest are deciduous aspen and alder forests. In the north, typical taiga forests are the norm. There are patches of herbal-poaceous steppes, northem sphagnous marshes and bushy steppes, light birch forests and shady riparian forests, tall-grass mountainous meadows, lowland ling marshes and stony placers with lichen stains. In some places there are no large areas of homogeneous forests, rather they are forests with numerous glades and meadows of different size.

In the Ilmensky Mountains Reserve in the Southern Urals, scientists counted 927 vascular plants (50 relicts, 23 endemic species), about 140 moss species, 483 algae species and 566 mushroom species. Among the species included into the Red Book of Russia are feather grass, downy-leaved feather grass, Zalessky feather grass, moccasin flower, ladies'-slipper, neottianthe cucullata, Baltic orchis, fen orchis, helmeted orchis, dark-winged orchis, Gelma sandwart, Krasheninnikov sandwart, Clare astragalus.

The fauna of the vertebrate animals in the Reserve includes 19 fish, 5 amphibian and 5 reptile. Among the 48 mammal species are elks, roe deer, boars, foxes, wolves, lynxes, badgers, common weasels, least weasels, forest ferrets, Siberian striped weasel, common marten, American mink. Squirrels, beavers, muskrats, hares, dibblers, moles, hedgehogs, voles are quite common, as well as chiropterans: pond bat, water bat, Brandt's bat, whiskered bat, northern bat, long-eared bat, parti-coloured bat, Nathusius' pipistrelle. The 174 bird bird species include white-tailed eagles, honey hawks, boreal owls, gnome owls, hawk owls, tawny owls, common scoters, cuckoos, wookcocks, common grouses, wood grouses, hazel grouses, common partridges, shrikes, goldenmountain thrushes, black- throated loons and others.

Activities and Places in the Ural Mountains

The Urals possess beautiful natural scenery that can be accessed from Yekaterinburg with a rent-a-car, hired taxi and tour. Travel agencies arrange rafting, kayaking and hiking trips. Hikes are available in the taiga forest and the Urals. Trips often include walks through the taiga to small lakes and hikes into the mountains and excursions to collect mushrooms and berries and climb in underground caves. Mellow rafting is offered in a relatively calm six kilometer section of the River Serga. In the winter visitor can enjoy cross-mountains skiing, downhill skiing, ice fishing, dog sledding, snow-shoeing and winter hiking through the forest to a cave covered with ice crystals.

Lake Shartash (10 kilometers from Yekaterinburg) is where the first Ural gold was found, setting in motion the Yekaterinburg gold rush of 1745, which created so much wealth one rich baron of that time hosted a wedding party that lasted a year. The area around Shartash Lake is a favorite picnic and barbecue spot of the locals. Getting There: by bus route No. 50, 054 or 54, with a transfer to suburban commuter bus route No. 112, 120 or 121 (the whole trip takes about an hour), or by car (10 kilometers drive from the city center, 40 minutes).

Revun Rapids (90 kilometers road from Yekaterinburg near Beklenishcheva village) is a popular white water rafting places On the nearby cliffs you can see the remains of a mysterious petroglyph from the Paleolithic period. Along the steep banks, you may notice the dark entrance of Smolinskaya Cave. There are legends of a sorceress who lived in there. The rocks at the riverside are suited for competitive rock climbers and beginners. Climbing hooks and rings are hammered into rocks. The most fun rafting is generally in May and June.

Olenii Ruchii National Park (100 kilometers west of Yekaterinburg) is the most popular nature park in Sverdlovsk Oblast and popular weekend getaway for Yekaterinburg residents. Visitors are attracted by the beautiful forests, the crystal clear Serga River and picturesque rocks caves. There are some easy hiking routes: the six-kilometer Lesser Ring and the 15-kilometer Greater Ring. Another route extends for 18 km and passes by the Mitkinsky Mine, which operated in the 18th-19th centuries. It's a kind of an open-air museum — you can still view mining an enrichment equipment here. There is also a genuine beaver dam nearby.

Among the other attractions at Olenii Ruchii are Druzhba (Friendship) Cave, with passages that extend for about 500 meters; Dyrovaty Kamen (Holed Stone), created over time by water of Serga River eroding rock; and Utoplennik (Drowned Man), where you can see “The Angel of Sole Hope”., created by the Swedish artist Lehna Edwall, who has placed seven angels figures in different parts of the world to “embrace the planet, protecting it from fear, despair, and disasters.”

Image Sources: Wikimedia Commons

Text Sources: Federal Agency for Tourism of the Russian Federation (official Russia tourism website russiatourism.ru ), Russian government websites, UNESCO, Wikipedia, Lonely Planet guides, New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, National Geographic, The New Yorker, Bloomberg, Reuters, Associated Press, AFP, Yomiuri Shimbun and various books and other publications.

Updated in September 2020

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NASA Admits “Tension in the Room” as It Told Boeing Starliner Couldn’t Return Astronauts to Earth

Is this the understatement of the year, difference of opinion.

Amid the ongoing Starliner breakdown fiasco, NASA has admitted that there's been a bit of "tension" between its officials and their counterparts at Boeing.

As  highlighted by Space.com , the head of the agency's commercial crew program said during a press briefing earlier this week that the decision to bring the ailing Boeing capsule back to Earth sans its stranded crew was not met with enthusiasm from the embattled aerospace contractor.

According to commercial crew director Steve Stich, Boeing doesn't necessarily agree with NASA's assessment that the issues with Starliner's thrusters and docking modules with the International Space Station make it too unsafe to bring astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams back to Earth when the craft returns this week.

"Boeing believed in the model that they had created to predict thruster degradation for the rest of the flight," Stich said during the briefing. "The NASA team looked at the model and saw some limitation. It really had to do with, do we have confidence in the thrusters, and how much we could predict their degradation from undock through the deorbit burn?"

Boeing Brass

Originally planned as a week-long jaunt to highlight the embattled manufacturer 's spacecraft-building prowess, the Starliner mission's return has repeatedly slipped due to helium leaks and thruster issues. Now, Wilmore and Williams are stranded on the ISS until at least early February, and the decision to return them on a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule is one that Boeing does not seem to be taking with a smile.

"Where there's this kind of decision," Stich said, "there is some tension in the room."

Despite the admittedly bad vibes, the commercial crew director is sympathetic to Boeing's stance.

"From a Boeing standpoint," he added, "they certainly know their spacecraft, and they're analyzing risks and what they think the capability is with the one vehicle."

Ultimately, he said, NASA is "in a bit of a different position in terms of our understanding about the risks, and what's available to us without Starliner, so that's also a difference in the opinion."

Stich's description may be phrased diplomatically: last week, the New York Post reported based on anonymous comment from a NASA official that the conversations became "heated" and even involved yelling .

"Boeing was convinced that the Starliner was in good enough condition to bring the astronauts home, and NASA disagreed," the official told the  Post . "The thinking around here was that Boeing was being wildly irresponsible."

However severe the situation may truly be, it doesn't sound fun at all — and there's no doubt that there will be more tense talks moving forward, even after Starliner returns to Earth without its precious cargo.

More on Starliner: A Space Force Guardian Is Bringing Stranded Boeing Astronauts Home

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Sverdlovsk Oblast, Russia

The capital city of Sverdlovsk oblast: Ekaterinburg .

Sverdlovsk Oblast - Overview

Sverdlovsk Oblast is a federal subject of Russia, the largest region of the Urals, located on the border between Europe and Asia in the Urals Federal District. Yekaterinburg is the capital city of the region.

The population of Sverdlovsk Oblast is about 4,264,300 (2022), the area - 194,307 sq. km.

Sverdlovsk oblast flag

Sverdlovsk oblast coat of arms.

Sverdlovsk oblast map, Russia

Sverdlovsk oblast latest news and posts from our blog:.

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History of Sverdlovsk Oblast

The first people settled here in the Stone Age. At the end of the 16th century, the Russian kingdom gained control of the region. In the 17th century, the most significant stage of the initial development of this area happened, when Russian settlers began a massive advance to the east. In 1598, the first settlers founded the town of Verkhoturye on the territory of the present Sverdlovsk region.

Verkhoturye became the first capital of the Urals because of its strategic location on the Babinov road - an important crossroads of trade routes. Sverdlovsk oblast acted as a transshipment base between the central part of the country and the actively developed regions of Siberia and Central Asia.

The presence of strategic reserves of iron and copper ore, as well as large forest areas, predetermined the specialization of the region (ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, wood processing, mining, etc.). Exploration of minerals in the Sverdlovsk region began at the end of the 17th century.

In the 18th century, the Demidov dynasty founded several plants in the region that turned into large production and economic complexes. The local industry was characterized by a high level of technological development. The blast furnaces of the Ekaterinburg, Nevyansk, Tagil iron-making plants were superior in performance to the best European models of that time, and their products were the leading item of Russian exports.

More historical facts…

The launch of the Trans-Siberian Railway became a landmark event in the life of the Middle Urals, allowing large-scale export of plant products. Between 1920 and 1930, the Urals was able to once again take its place as the leading industrial region of Russia by strengthening its mining industry, creating new production facilities, developing energy and mass urban construction.

In the years of the first five-year plans, along with the reconstruction of old enterprises, several new large industrial facilities were opened: Uralmashzavod, Uralelektrotyazhmash, tool and ball bearing plants in Sverdlovsk, Uralvagonzavod and Nizhny Tagil metallurgical plant in Nizhny Tagil, pipe plants in Pervouralsk and Kamensk-Uralsky, copper smelters in Krasnouralsk and Sredneuralsk, the Ural aluminum smelter in Kamensk-Uralsky and others.

On October 3, 1938, the territory of Sverdlovsk Oblast was finally formed. During the Second World War, from July 1941 to December 1942, more than 2 million people came to the Urals region, of which more than 700 thousand stayed in Sverdlovsk Oblast.

In the postwar period, Sverdlovsk Oblast continued to develop as a major industrial center of the Urals. The industry of the region was a supplier of the most important types of machinery, products of ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, chemical, electric power, light, and food industries. Mechanical engineering and metalworking retained their leading place in the structure of the local industry.

Being one of the most important industrial and defense centers of the Soviet Union, the Sverdlovsk region remained closed to foreigners until 1991.

Beautiful nature of Sverdlovsk Oblast

Forest stream in Sverdlovsk Oblast

Author: Vlasov Pavel

Sverdlovsk Oblast nature

Author: Oleg Seliverstov

Sverdlovsk Oblast is rich in forests

Sverdlovsk Oblast - Features

Sverdlovsk Oblast received its name from its administrative center - the city of Sverdlovsk (Yekaterinburg). The name appeared on January 17, 1934, together with the formation of the region. After renaming Sverdlovsk back to Yekaterinburg, the region was not renamed and retained its Soviet name.

The territory of Sverdlovsk Oblast stretches from west to east for 560 kilometers, from north to south - for 660 kilometers. The climate is continental. The average temperature in January is about minus 16-20 degrees Celsius, in July - plus 19-30 degrees Celsius.

The Sverdlovsk region, being one of the oldest mining regions of Russia, is rich in a variety of natural resources. Today, the local mineral and raw materials base provides a significant part of the production of Russian vanadium, bauxite, chrysotile-asbestos, iron ore, refractory clay. The region is the main raw source for Russian aluminum industry.

There are significant reserves of nickel ores, precious metals, mineral and fresh groundwater, practically unlimited reserves of building materials. There are deposits of stone and brown coals, chromites, manganese and certain prospects for discovering oil and gas fields. Forests cover about 80% of the territory.

Sverdlovsk Oblast is an important transport hub of Russia. The Trans-Siberian Railway passes through its territory. Koltsovo is a large international airport located in Yekaterinburg. The largest cities and towns of Sverdlovsk Oblast are Yekaterinburg (1,493,600), Nizhny Tagil (340,700), Kamensk-Uralsky (162,500), Pervouralsk (117,700), Serov (93,900), Novouralsk (79,000), and Verkhnyaya Pyshma (76,400).

Sverdlovsk Oblast is known for its traditional International exhibition of armament in Nizhny Tagil, annual Russian Economic Forum in Yekaterinburg. Yekaterinburg is the 4th largest scientific center in Russia after Moscow, Saint-Petersburg and Novosibirsk.

It is one of the most important industrial regions of Russia. The structure of the local industrial complex is dominated by ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, enrichment of uranium and iron ore, engineering.

The largest enterprises of ferrous and nonferrous metallurgy are the Nizhnetagilsky Metallurgical Combine, the Kachkanar GOK Vanadiy, VSMPO-Avisma, the Pervouralsky Novotrubny Plant, the Bogoslovsky and the Ural Aluminum Smelters, the Kamensk-Uralsk Metallurgical Plant, the Sinarsky Pipe Plant, the Seversk Pipe Plant, as well as enterprises of the Ural Mining and Metallurgical Company (Uralelectromed, Sredneuralsky Copper Smelting Plant, Metallurgical Plant named after A.K. Serov, etc.).

The most important enterprises of the machine-building complex are Uralvagonzavod, Ural Heavy Machinery Plant, Uralelectrotyazhmash, Uralkhimmash, Ural Turbine Plant, Ural Civil Aviation Plant. Uralkhimplast, which produces synthetic resins, is the largest chemical plant in Russia.

Attractions of Sverdlovsk Oblast

Coniferous forests and numerous rivers make the nature of the Sverdlovsk region attractive for tourists. There is a number of reserves and nature parks: Visimsky State Nature Reserve, Denezhkin Kamen National Nature Reserve, Pripyshminsky Bory National Park, Oleny Ruchi Nature Park, Chusovaya River Nature Park, Bazhovskiye Places Nature Park, Rezhevskoy Nature and Mineralogical Reserve.

Some of the most interesting sights located outside of Yekaterinburg:

• Nevyansk Tower - a leaning tower in the center of the town of Nevyansk, built by the order of Akinfiy Demidov, the founder of the mining industry in the Urals, in the first half of the 18th century;
• Cathedral of the Savior’s Transfiguration in Nevyansk;
• Battle glory of the Urals - an open-air museum of military equipment in Verkhnyaya Pyshma;
• Automotive equipment museum in Verkhnyaya Pyshma - one of the largest collections of Russian cars, special equipment, motorcycles, bicycles;
• Obelisk symbolizing the border between Europe and Asia in Pervouralsk;
• Verkhoturye - a historical town with a kremlin and a lot of churches called the spiritual center of the Urals. The Cross Exaltation Cathedral of the St. Nicholas Monastery is the third largest cathedral in Russia after the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow and St. Isaac’s Cathedral in St. Petersburg;
• Mount Kachkanar located near the border between Europe and Asia. At the top of the mountain there is the Buddhist Monastery of Shad Tchup Ling;
• Monastery in the name of the Holy Royal Passion-Bearers on Ganina Yama standing on the site of the extermination and the first burial of the remains of the family of the last Russian Emperor Nicholas II and his servants;
• Museum Complex Severskaya Domna in Polevskoy, 52 kilometers from Ekaterinburg - an industrial and architectural monument (1860);
• Open-air museum in Nizhnyaya Sinyachikha - Ural wooden architecture and the richest collection of the Ural house painting;
• Severskaya Pisanitsa - a monument with rock paintings and images of the Neolithic Age located near the village of Severka.

Sverdlovsk oblast of Russia photos

Pictures of the sverdlovsk region.

Sverdlovsk Oblast scenery

Author: Anatoliy Kislov

Bridge in Sverdlovsk Oblast

Author: Igor Romanov

Road in the Sverdlovsk region

Sverdlovsk Oblast views

Field of dandelions in Sverdlovsk Oblast

Winter in Sverdlovsk Oblast

Author: Isupov Sergei

Churches in Sverdlovsk Oblast

Abandoned church in the Sverdlovsk region

Author: Timofey Zakharov

Wooden church in Sverdlovsk Oblast

Orthodox church in Sverdlovsk Oblast

Author: Kutenyov Vladimir

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