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A Walk Around the Merchant Town of Shadrinsk
Shadrinsk was founded in 1662 in the Iset River valley. It quickly became a major trading center of the Isetsky District. Merchants "captured" all the grain trade. Local residents became rich and built a stone city with their honestly earned money. At the same time, there were tragic pages in the city's history. For example, in the 18th century, a fire destroyed almost everything, but it was rebuilt.
Russian writer Dmitry Mamin-Sibiryak, famous for his works about life in the Urals, described the pre-revolutionary city as follows: »
Almost all the houses on Oktyabrskaya Street are masterpieces of stone architecture. The buildings are not distinguished by any particular style or variety, but each has its own little story. Marshal Georgy Zhukov stayed in one of the houses, and the plot of Mamin-Sibiryak's story "The Crime" unfolded in another.
You can get to know Shadrinsk in the city theater, built at the end of the 19th century. It was a witness to all the fateful events that took place in the country in the last century. Today, creative life flourishes here, and labor is valued throughout the Kurgan region.
It is also worth visiting the local history museum. You can spend hours looking at sculptures, rare books, paintings, old coins, weapons and much more. Before the revolution, Shadrinsk was a prosperous city, so there are many exhibits here.
The city's first cathedral, the Transfiguration Cathedral on Mikhailovskaya Square, has survived to this day. It was built in the 18th century. Divine services and prayers are still held in the cathedral. One of the first brick factories was opened in Shadrinsk for the construction, as well as a bell foundry.
Shadrinsk also produced porcelain, threads and wine. However, the building where the distillery was located has been preserved in its original form. It is easily recognizable by its figured pediment and cornice. Today, the building is listed as a cultural heritage site of regional significance.
One of the main heroines of Russian folklore, Elena the Beautiful, was "registered" in Shadrinsk. Local historian Alexander Zyryanov described the story of the princess from her native Shadrinsk district and sent his notes to collectors of oral folklore. The manuscript is still kept in the archives of the Russian Geographical Society.
Thanks to her, today Shadrinsk is a wonderful map of Russia, and the princess has become its face. Here, Elena the Beautiful has her own residence in an old mansion, as well as sculptures in the main library, performances in the local theater, and even a museum.
An equally remarkable historical symbol is the Shadrinsk goose. This is a fragrant dish and a breed of bird bred here, the roots of which go back to the time of Catherine II. If you hear the expression "Here is the Shadrinsk goose!", then know that we are talking about a cunning and resourceful person.
In addition, geese appear on the pages of the story of the same name by Yevgeny Fyodorov and even adorn the coat of arms of the Shadrinsk district. Its image is also used in the sculpture "Old Town", where a goose tenderly cuddles up to a young girl in a headscarf. Tourists often come to this monument to take souvenir photos.
People come to Shadrinsk not only to learn about the history of its stone architecture, but also to learn about the mineral springs discovered here in the 1970s. Ural mineral water is not only good for the body, but also tasty, as it does not have a sharp smell of hydrogen sulfide. In total, about 30 wells have been discovered in Shadrinsk.
Some of them are used by local sanatoriums, while others are open to anyone who wants to visit. For example, spring #305 near the Shadrinsk-Mylnikovo road.
Shadrinsk is also well known to fans of ice racing, it is also called the Ice Hippodrome. The city also hosts the Russian Championship in this sport, and the local club "Torpedo-SHAAZ" has won the championship title twice.