Today, the Sverdlovsk (Yekaterinburg) Oblast is primarily known both as a center of heavy industry and steel-making, and as a place proud of its wonderful, historical and often unique architecture which can be attractive for your eyes and interesting to compare.

Yekaterinburg’s major industries include ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, chemicals, timber, and pulp and paper. The city has long been an important trading center for goods coming from Siberia, Central Asia and Europe. The region also has a reputation as a center of higher education and research.

Yekaterinburg is situated on the very border separating two great continents: Europe and Asia. The Urals may be a draw for geologists (fascinated by the mineral-rich Urals) and the city itself is a big attraction for curious tourists who come for the Communist-era mystery and history, and find the city surprisingly rich in pre-Soviet churches and other architecture of an earlier era.

Hunting has always been very popular in Russia. Here, you have great opportunities to hunt, as Yekaterinburg is surrounded by forests full of different animals and birds. The city is also associated with a famous political figure of the present-day Russian politics, Boris Yeltsin, who was born in the village of Butka not far from Yekaterinburg.