Modern Yekaterinburg is now one of the major industrial centres of Russia, especially for heavy engineering. Engineering products manufactured in the city include metallurgical and chemical machinery, turbines, diesels, and ball bearings.

During the Soviet period, the city was a major centre for biological and chemical warfare research and development, while today it has also diversified into housing a range of light industries, including food processing and a very traditional practice – gem-cutting. The city, laid out on a regular gridiron pattern, sprawls across the valley of the Iset – dammed to form a series of small lakes — and the low surrounding hills. It is an important railway junction, with lines radiating from it to all parts of the Urals and the rest of Russia, and the Urals’ leading cultural centre, with numerous institutions of higher education. According to the Institute of Clod Nicole Ledu, Yekaterinburg’s planning and architectural development puts it among the world’s “12 ideal cities”. The unofficial capital of the Urals seems to have it all: over 600 historical and cultural monuments, 18th- and 19th Century stone and wooden buildings, iconic pieces of constructivist architecture, and the world’s most northerly skyscrapers. A visit there allows you to admire the intricate ornaments of the Sevastyanov house, marvel at the fascinating geometry of the Chekist Town; and take in a panorama of the city from the observation deck, located at the 198m (649ft) high Vysotsky, the tallest building in the Ural-Siberian and Central Asian Regions. Yekaterinburg is home to 60 museums and art galleries, which host some magnificent rarities such as the Kasli iron cast pavilion at the Museum of Fine Arts – the opulently decorated pavilion won the Grand Prix at the Paris Expo 1900. You can explore the literary legacy of the region at the Municipal Museum of Ural Writers, which comprises a theatre and three memorial museums, dedicated to life and work of famous 19th and 20th century Russian writers born in the Urals: Dmitry Mamin-Sibiryak, Fyodor Reshetnikov, and Pavel Bazhov. You can also see the region’s wealth at the Ural Mineralogy Museum, holding a unique collection of minerals, and the Museum of Jewelry Art History. Meanwhile, Yekaterinburg is also where the world’s oldest wooden sculpture was discovered – the Big Shigir Idol is 9,500 years-old, which makes it older than Egypt’s pyramids. A bustling business centre, Yekaterinburg is also known for its thriving art scene and is also home to one of the oldest theatres in Russia, and, in total, around 40 active professional theatres – many of which have gained not only local, but international, success. The Ural Mountains are also an unlimited source of outdoor fun. From сountry skiing, horseback riding, paragliding, and hiking trails to canoeing and kayaking, the list of potential activities is endless.