Sysert

Sysert (named after the river Sysert) is situated 30 km south from the city Ekaterinburg. It spreads on steep slopes covered with coniferous forest of the deep valley of the river Sysert, and on the banks of ponds at the foot of Mt. Besenkovaya.

This mountain and Sysertskii pond are the main sights of the local landscape - from the upper part of the mountain a spectacular panorama of the city and the river valley opens before us. Mt. Besenkovaya is the highest peak in the area.  At its base the first buildings of the Sysert metallurgical factory were built. On the peak and slopes, signs of primitive men were found - among them bronze bird idols – similar to those found on the top of Mt. Azov near the town Polevskoi, arrow-heads and stone boomerangs.

The first settlement was based here in 1732, in connection with construction the metallurgical factory on the river Sysert. The raw material (iron ore) for the factory was sent from the deposit, discovered by peasants from the village Aramilskaya Sloboda in 1680. The factory’s location was chosen directly by William de Gennin - an engineer and artillery general. He found this convenient place for a future factory at the confluence of the rivers Sysert and Chernaya (“Black”) in 1731.

For a long time Sysert was the central administrative department of the Sysert mountain district, including the following metallurgical factories – Sysertskii, Polevskoi, Severskii, Verkhnesysertskii, and Iliinskii.  Sysert was originally planned and built by Alexey Turchaninov (famous salt producer and merchant in the Urals) in 1779 – a monument of the architecture of the 18th century.

Two notable buildings - the Church of Saint Simeon and Anne and Turchaninov’s house are located in the factory square on the bank of the Sysertskii pond, where different holidays were often celebrated.  During the 18-19th centuries religious processions to the Chapel Nikolskaya and Mt. Besenkovaya also began from here. In this region from the 18th century until 1913 church holidays accompanied by ritual ceremonies were widely practiced.

In a two-storied building of the Sysert’s mountain district, next to the administrative department, the mineralogical museum, organized by Alexey Turchaninov was located. Near this building was built the scientific library for technicians of metallurgical factories, where different literature, including clay tablets and papyruses were collected. These days it is used as the museum of local lore.

Construction of the factory began from the dam located at the confluence of the rivers Sysert and Chernaya (“Black”) - at that time considered as the largest hydro-engineering construction in the Urals and from 1732 it has never leaked. At the dam, blast furnaces, hammer factories, smithies, and barns were built. The factory buildings were protected by fortifications with three bastions in case of a possible Bashkir’s attack. Next to the metallurgical manufactory the lapidary factory was built.

Sysert is “washed” by lakes - Big Sysert from the south and southwest, Small Sysert and Iliinskii from the east. Big Sysert is located within the town limits and includes three gulfs: in the north, Chernovskoi (named after the river Chernaya), in the south, the longest Verkhnesysertskii and the shortest gulf in the northeast. The river Sysert flows from the last gulf. In the lake several species of fish are found - perch, ruff, crucian, small fry, bream (freshwater) and pike. On the northern bank of the lake Mt. Bolshoi Ugor (“Big Hill”) raises, and along the western bank stretches Mt. Chernovskoi Uval (named after the river Chernaya) - covered with mixed (pines, birches) forest. Also on the northern bank is the natural monument – the rock “Sivka-Burka” (named after the hero of a Russian fairy-tale).

In the first quarter of the 19th century Sysert’s metallurgical factory was one of the largest enterprises in the Urals. Sysert was known as the administrative centre of the rich mountain district, including Severskii and Polevskoi metallurgical factories, tin mines, gold mines and many subsidiary manufacturing enterprises and services. Sysert’s factory smelted cast iron and manufactured iron articles.  At various exhibitions the factory received many awards for the excellent quality of its production, on which the brand - the image of a heron, was put.

At this factory in 1735, was constructed the first school in the Urals for the training of future factory personnel. 

In the beginning of the 20th century Sysert was a typical Uralian settlement - founded at the factory. Located here were schools - including the higher national school, a children's shelter with school, a small hospital, post office, telegraph office, meteorological station and some churches.

Sysert received “town status” in 1946 and it still maintains the aspect of a typical old Uralian town, where wooden architecture prevails. The inhabitants number about 30 thousand. 

One of the sights in the region is Lake Talkov Kamien - located in a westerly direction 4 – 5 km from the town centre near Mt. Chernovskoi Uval. The lake has an artificial origin - it is an old abandoned talc mine, which was flooded by subterranean waters. Talc schist was mined here by hand in the last decades of the 19th century and was used as a fire retardant material in the metallurgical factories of the former Sysert mountain district.

We are glad to offer you excursion and horseback riding in Sysert and its environs.