In 2002 a sophomore in university stepped off a plane and began an adventure in a strange new world. This new world, to him, was Russia. He did not know anything about the language at the time, and barely knew enough to survive, if need be, in regard to the history of this nation. But he enjoyed the experience of Russia so much, that he visited the city in 2004, and decided to start living there with his wife in 2005.

I want to tell you my story and feelings about Ekaterinburg, Russia. When I first came in 2002, the city, as a whole, was different than it is now. We arrived in the old terminal of the airport where construction was taking place. A specially ordered bus met our group, which then carried us to our destination. Because I did not stay in a hotel, I did not have a typical business visit. Instead, I stayed in the apartment of an older Russian lady, who was a member of the Church with which I was going to work during my time in Ekaterinburg.

When I first came in 2002, the city, as a whole, was different than it is now. 

The first day I was there, my hostess walked me past the Church of the Resurrection («Храм Вознесения») on our way to our destination, the Palace of Culture («ДК Железнодорожников»), Train Station (Вокзал). At that time, the Church of Christ met there and I was shown the most beautiful part of Russia, the people. After worship, members of the church showed us a retired locomotive that was located immediately outside this Palace of Culture. It is an old refurbished steam locomotive colored black with red highlights, which can easily be seen from the active Train Station across the street. Since my childhood, I have always had an interest in trains, and it was good to expand this interest outside of the borders of America. 

Bible study at Alexanders	Church

Later, during our stay, we visited the area where now stands The Church-on-the-Blood («Храм на крови»). At that time the temple was yet to be built. Our group went to the assassination building (which coincidently still resides next to the Orthodox building). If one knows the events that took place, it is a hallowing location. It took me by surprise to see the size of this building, because it is not very large, but the meaning of the building still loomed with each piece of wood laying on the structure.

One of the most enjoyable areas for me to visit was the dam in the center of the city. From this location, I could look up and down the Iset River, along which some of the prettiest and, at that time, newest buildings were being built. Also, in that area there was a statue of the two founders of the city. They stood tall, as if surveying what was happening in their city. We stood in front of the two founders and looked straight ahead down into the lower level of the dam, where a time capsule was located in the wall, waiting to show what secrets were hidden and now lost until the time of opening. Our guide also brought us to the Natural History Museum, which was an unexpected surprise. We did not think that it was located there on the dam, but it was sitting there peacefully in a long white building, which guarded the upper hill of the area. It was an interesting museum, with a lot of the natural fauna and flora of the Ural mountain region. Meanwhile in the dam area, the amount of people who congregated there was outstanding, and the number grew as the night drew nigh.

One of the most enjoyable areas for me to visit was the dam in the center of the city. 

During the next week, I worked especially with a group of children from the local church of Christ in the Ural, as well as nightly men’s meetings. These were wonderful experiences, especially since at least eight different Russian families housed these events. Through this, I had the ability to see a large portion of the city, and also get to know personally many different Russian families. One family, with whom my wife and I stayed the second time I visited Russia, lived near the center of the city on Malisheva Street (улица Малышева). He had two teenage grandchildren, with whom I worked and spent a lot of time. Originally this family was not from Russia, so it was interesting to see the difference in his old culture, mixing with his current culture of Russia.

The Dam or so-called "Plotinka"	Old building

One day, our group visited the zoo, located not far from the family that lives on Malisheva Street (улица Малышева). This was an enjoyable experience as I have always loved animals. When I first saw the zoo, I was surprised because it was only located on one square block, but the designers constructed it to utilize every square inch of that block and also left room for expansion. They had a wide variety of animals. One of the most surprising animals was one that most Americans would never consider seeing in a zoo. He is sometimes called a "pest" or "a thief" due to the design around his eyes and his sly characteristics. Of course, I am talking about a raccoon, a truly common animal in the United States. Since my first visit, the zoo has improved and added numerous different animals to their collection.

Knowing little about the Russian culture, but something about its history, another meaningful location in the city for me was "The Square of 1905" (Площадь 1905 года). When studying about Russia in American schools, we learned about the Tsars, as well as Stalin, and Lenin (not in that order). Seeing the Lenin statue standing triumphantly in the center of the city reminded me of the long history of this country and many changes that have taken place. Across the street from this statue is the head of the Duma in the Sverdlovskaya Oblast. It is a massive building with a beautiful clock, seen from many blocks away. Its outer adornments are captivating and make for a good picture location. In the winter time, someone told me that an ice-land is constructed there. I was fortunate to see that later when my wife and I lived in the city.

Interestingly enough, small ice-lands are found throughout the entire city during the winter months. After visiting the statue of Lenin, we turned right and walked down Artisans alley («Аллея художников»). There, we were bombarded by artisans and sellers who had collections of various Russian treasures that visitors and locals could buy. It was interesting to see the variety of objects that were for sale. Children sitting on stools, as artists sketched their portrait. The most exquisite objects were the delicate wood workings and the precious stones of the Urals. The artisans transformed these stones into objects, which could be used in a variety of different settings. Another interesting point was the main post office located on Lenin’s Street (улица Ленина). Russian post offices are arranged quite differently from the American post office system. In a Russian post office, I could buy anything I wanted. It was similar to a little store. Also, when we exited the building, we stood around the marker for the exact center of the city. It has a picture of the Sverdlovskaya Oblast engraved in the metal. 

Some pics made in the zoo	Moray

One of my Russian friends, who I met on my first trip, lived near the Shartash. When I went to visit him, I had no idea that a park was in that area. After we had a meeting, my friend led the group across a main street to a steep hill. At the top we noticed that there were large rocks arranged like sentinels. They overlooked the Shartash region of the city. It was fun getting away from the work for a few moments and exploring the park and climbing the rocks.

Before traveling to Russia, I had been blessed to visit many cities and countries around the world. Many of these cities are some of the most frequently visited areas by tourist, i.e. Paris, Madrid, Amsterdam, St. Petersburg, Moscow, etc. But of all the cities that had metros, I was not impressed, due to the untidiness of their metro systems. Many times, liter was lying around and disgusting odors met you in their corridors. But I must say I was very impressed with the metro in Ekaterinburg. Each stop was uniquely designed, and was built with beauty. Most metros, which I have seen, have white tiled walls, but this metro has ornate colors and areas to sit down and I felt very comfortable at all times. The lighting in each stop made the metro a safe and enjoyable way of traveling throughout the city.

I was very impressed with the metro in Ekaterinburg. Each stop was uniquely designed, and was built with beauty.

One cannot travel to Ekaterinburg and not eat at the restaurant chain «Mac-peak". Our group ate at this restaurant two times during our stay and we enjoyed the variety of food that it offers. If one wants to eat a relatively cheap Russian meal, I would suggest eating at this location. Not only do they offer hamburgers and Russian pizza, but they also offer Russian dishes that one can try. A relatively new (within the last two years) «Mac-peak" has been built in the lower parts of the comedy theater. This is a pleasant location because the music is soft and the environment makes you become a part of the theater.

We also ate at "Subway" and "Baskin Robbins", because, like every group that travels, there are always some people who will not try the local cuisines. These restaurants were pleasant to visit, and see how they fit into the Russian culture. I noted that the food tasted a little different, still delicious I might add, but just changed a bit to fit the Russian produce and culture. Since my first trip, Ekaterinburg has built two McDonald’s restaurants. It seems that people enjoy eating there as well.

And last, but not least, our group went to the circus together. The performers put on quite a show as they exhibited a variety of animals doing many types of acts. If one was going to have an extended stay, he or she could go to the circus and see different shows every few months, since the show changes to keep things fresh.

One of the numerous churches	The circus building

During my first trip to Ekaterinburg, I did not spend all of my time in this city. Around five days of the trip, my group was located in Degtyarsk. We had a great time there climbing the mountain, which overlooks the whole valley, allowing one to see at least three neighboring cities on a clear day. After we climbed the mountain, we came down to a large lake, which was serine. During the summer month when I was there, people congregated around the banks and talked together. The dusk was beautiful as the sun disappeared behind the Ural Mountains.

Also in Degtyarsk, I had the opportunity to see the «fake mountains", which are composed of dirt from the old mining shafts in the center of the city. These “mountains” loom over the city and show how important the mining factory was to this town. The final exhibit that I remember seeing in Degtyarsk was the museum in the Palace of Culture. It was based on the Great Patriotic War (World War II during the time that Germany attacked Russia, and they defended their homeland). They had memorabilia from the time, and colorful maps showing the battles and maneuvers during this war. This was especially intriguing to me because my dad was a director of a World War II Museum in Eldred, Pennsylvania in the United States.

Overall, the Lord has blessed me and allowed me to travel to Ekaterinburg two times and live in the city for more than three years. Any travelers to Ekaterinburg, Russia, in my opinion, should try to visit a few of the places that I have mentioned in this short article. There are other exhibits that through time, my wife and I have been able to see, i.e. the burial monastery of the Tsar family, Iron museum (by the dam), different parks, and many monuments.

If one would just walk around the city, he or she would find many interesting statues, parks, and buildings that display the Russian culture and society. May God bless you as you travel throughout the world, and maybe to Ekaterinburg.

Written by Erik M. Pfaff; M. Min.

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