I don't know where the third week went to - the time just disappeared and all of a sudden it was Friday!!
The Ural Federal University had offered to take us on a tour of the city on Friday afternoon so at midday, Kuldeep, Abhinav, Zoe, Raffael and I took off to explore some of the key sites. The rest of the team had already visited these places so did not join us - they stayed back and worked!!!
On the drive through the city the guide, who was a member of the Ural Federal University staff, told us many interesting facts about Ekaterinburg, including:-
Friday is a day of weddings and many brides head to the border (and all other key tourist sites in Ekaterinburg) to get their photos taken. The travel in decorated cars and everyone honks their horns to wish the couple well.
The couples love seeing and interacting with tourists and this beautiful bride gave me a flower from her hair and a bright green ribbon to tie around a post to wish her luck. You will see in the photos below that this is a place where people tie coloured ribbons as good luck symbols
We saw many other beautiful brides as well - they all looked so young - or is it that I am getting older!!!
The border of Europa and Asia mark the watershed - the rivers on the European side flow west and the rivers of the Asian side flow East. At the border you can stand with one foot in each continent.
It was here that I found out that for the last three weeks I had been in Asia - and all that time I thought I was in Europe!!!
From the border we went to see the Yeltsin statue. Yeltsin was from Ekaterinburg - he was a graduate of the Ural Federal University and the first president of Russia
Our last stop on this trip was at the Church of all Saints (called the Church On the Blood) where Nicholas II, the last Emperor of Russia, and his family and household were shot by the Bolsheviks during the Russian Civil War. The Tsar and his family are saints of the Russian Orthodox church.
The Ural Federal University had offered to take us on a tour of the city on Friday afternoon so at midday, Kuldeep, Abhinav, Zoe, Raffael and I took off to explore some of the key sites. The rest of the team had already visited these places so did not join us - they stayed back and worked!!!
On the drive through the city the guide, who was a member of the Ural Federal University staff, told us many interesting facts about Ekaterinburg, including:-
- Ekaterinburg was founded in the 1700s by Peter the Great who named the city after his wife.
- During this period all the houses were built out of wood
- It was originally founded to take advantage of the rich mineral desposits in the Urals
- Ekaterinburg was set up as a model Soviet City and most of the original building disappeared and were replaced with constructivist architecture
- During the Soviet era Ekaterinburg was known as Sverdlovsk, names after a Communist party leader.
- Up until 1991 no foreigners were allowed in Ekaterinburg as it was a high tech city and home to many different research institutes
- Ekaterinburg was a city of engineers and many of thepeople in the city were supporters of Perkestroika
Friday is a day of weddings and many brides head to the border (and all other key tourist sites in Ekaterinburg) to get their photos taken. The travel in decorated cars and everyone honks their horns to wish the couple well.
The couples love seeing and interacting with tourists and this beautiful bride gave me a flower from her hair and a bright green ribbon to tie around a post to wish her luck. You will see in the photos below that this is a place where people tie coloured ribbons as good luck symbols
We saw many other beautiful brides as well - they all looked so young - or is it that I am getting older!!!
The border of Europa and Asia mark the watershed - the rivers on the European side flow west and the rivers of the Asian side flow East. At the border you can stand with one foot in each continent.
It was here that I found out that for the last three weeks I had been in Asia - and all that time I thought I was in Europe!!!
From the border we went to see the Yeltsin statue. Yeltsin was from Ekaterinburg - he was a graduate of the Ural Federal University and the first president of Russia
Our last stop on this trip was at the Church of all Saints (called the Church On the Blood) where Nicholas II, the last Emperor of Russia, and his family and household were shot by the Bolsheviks during the Russian Civil War. The Tsar and his family are saints of the Russian Orthodox church.
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