# Ganina Yama near Yekaterinburg > Ganina Yama is a working Orthodox monastery in the forest 15 km north of Yekaterinburg, around the mine pit where the bodies of Nicholas II’s family were dumped on 17 July 1918. Entry is free, the grounds are open daily roughly 6:00–21:00 and guided tours run from 9:00. Allow about 90 minutes on site, half a day with the trip. Web page: https://yesgo.io/russia/yekaterinburg/ganina-yama - City: [Yekaterinburg](https://yesgo.io/russia/yekaterinburg), Russia - YesGo score: 31/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 1 h 30 min - Opening hours: Grounds daily roughly 6:00–21:00; monastery tours 9:00–18:00; museum until 16:30; services in the Tsar’s Church at 6:30 and 17:00 - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: Free, no tickets - Grounds: Daily, roughly 6:00–21:00 - Monastery tours: Daily 9:00–18:00 by booking, 50 minutes; mostly in Russian - Museum: Nine rooms under the Derzhavnaya church, until 16:30 - Bus 223 out: From Pedagogical University stop by Mashinostroiteley metro: 8:52, 11:28, 13:37, 15:50, 19:03 (the 7:03 starts in Verkhnyaya Pyshma) - Bus 223 back: 7:45, 10:23, 12:32, 14:49, 16:55, 20:18 - Dress code: Shoulders and knees covered; women in a skirt and headscarf - Location: Verkhnyaya Pyshma district, by the village of Shuvakish - Coordinates: 56.94192, 60.47383 - Facts checked: 30.10.2026 ## Key facts - **7 churches** — all wooden, one for each murdered member of the imperial family (source: English Wikipedia, “Ganina Yama”; Russian Wikipedia, “Monastery of the Holy Royal Passion-Bearers”) - **17 July 1918** — the morning the bodies were brought here from the Ipatiev House (source: English and Russian Wikipedia, “Ganina Yama”) - **≈ 15 km** — north of central Yekaterinburg, near the villages of Shuvakish and Koptyaki (source: English Wikipedia, “Ganina Yama”; Lonely Planet) - **2000** — the monastery was founded; it was formally established on 28 December (source: English and Russian Wikipedia) - **Ganya’s Pit** — what the name means: Ganya was the local nickname of the 19th-century mine owner Gavriil (source: English and Russian Wikipedia, “Ganina Yama”) - **≈ 21 km** — walked overnight by the Royal Procession from the Church on the Blood every 16–17 July (source: EAN news agency and Lenta.ru, 17 July 2026) - **9 rooms** — in the monastery museum, opened in 2015 beneath the Derzhavnaya church (source: Official monastery website; Tonkosti travel guide) - **1979, 1991, 2007** — years remains were found at Porosenkov Log, the second burial site (source: English Wikipedia, “Ganina Yama”; Russian Wikipedia, “Porosyonkov Log”) - **Iron ore** — was mined here in the late 1800s; the shafts were abandoned by 1918 (source: English and Russian Wikipedia, “Ganina Yama”) > **Dress code: this is a working monastery** Cover shoulders and knees. Women are expected to wear a skirt and a headscarf; men should wear long trousers and take hats off inside the churches. Wrap skirts and scarves are usually available at the entrance, but bring your own to be safe. Keep your voice down and put the camera away during services. ## What happened at Ganina Yama? In the early hours of **17 July 1918** Nicholas II, Alexandra, their five children and four servants were shot in the Ipatiev House in Yekaterinburg. That morning the bodies were trucked into the forest north of town and thrown into an abandoned mine shaft here — the pit was so shallow the water barely covered them. The killers came back the next night and moved the remains down the old Koptyaki road to **Porosenkov Log**, where they lay hidden until the late 20th century. The Russian Orthodox Church, however, treats Ganina Yama as the place where the family’s bodies were destroyed, which is why the monastery stands here. The name is older than the tragedy. In the 19th century a contractor called Gavriil bought the plot hoping for gold; villagers from nearby Koptyaki called him Ganya, and his pits became “Ganya’s Pit”. Later the mine supplied iron ore to the Verkh-Isetsky ironworks before it was abandoned. ## What to see at the monastery - **The pit** — at the centre of the grounds, ringed by a wooden walkway. You walk around it; you can’t go down. - **Church of the Holy Royal Passion-Bearers** — the “Tsar’s Church”, the first to be built and the closest to the pit. - **Church of the Derzhavnaya Icon** — the main church. The original burned in 2010 and was rebuilt in 2014; the museum is in its lower floor. - **St Nicholas Church** — easy to spot by its cluster of small domes. - **Churches of St Seraphim, St Sergius and St Job** — Job matters here because Nicholas II was born on his feast day. - **The gate church** of the Iveron Icon above the entrance, where most visitors start. - **The museum** — nine rooms of photographs, documents and personal belongings, plus a reconstruction of the Ipatiev House basement room. Open until 16:30, visited with a monastery guide. - **The pine forest** itself — boardwalks and paths between the churches, quiet on most days of the year. ## Is Ganina Yama worth visiting? Yes, if the Romanov story is part of why you came to Yekaterinburg. With the Church on the Blood in town, it completes the story: one marks where the family died, the other where the bodies were taken. The setting — dark wooden churches among tall pines — is striking in any season, and especially in snow. If you have no interest in the Romanovs or in Orthodox churches, it is a long round trip for what will look like a quiet forest monastery. In that case the city centre will give you more for half a day. Without context the site says little, so read up before you go or take a guide. ## Ganina Yama tours from Yekaterinburg A **guided tour from the city** is the easiest option for foreign visitors: transport both ways and a guide who explains the history, usually 3–6 hours including the Church on the Blood and often Porosenkov Log. Ask for an English-speaking guide when you book. The monastery runs its own **50-minute tours** of the grounds, the museum or the architecture, daily from 9:00 to 18:00, booked by phone or through its website. These are in Russian, and the price is given on booking rather than published. There is also a free monastery **audio guide** on the izi.travel app, with an overview route and themed walks. Download it in town — mobile signal in the forest can be patchy. ## Entrance fee and opening hours Entry to the grounds is **free** and there are no tickets. City guides give the grounds as open daily from about 6:00 to 21:00; the monastery’s own website gives hours only for tours (9:00–18:00) and the museum (until 16:30). Candles, donations and monastery tours are paid on site. Foreign Visa and Mastercard cards have not worked in Russia since March 2022, so carry some cash in roubles — for the bus fare as well. Avoid the night of 16–17 July unless you want to join the pilgrimage: tens of thousands of people walk here during the Royal Days festival. A weekday morning is the calmest time. ## How to get to Ganina Yama from Yekaterinburg 1. From the Plotinka dam and Historical Square, walk 5 minutes up Lenin Avenue to **Ploshchad 1905 Goda** metro and ride 3 stops north to **Mashinostroiteley** — about 7 minutes. 2. Exit towards Frontovykh Brigad Street. The **Pedagogical University** (Peduniversitet) stop is on the trolleybus and bus loop, opposite the dispatcher’s office. 3. Take **bus 223**, which leaves at 8:52, 11:28, 13:37, 15:50 and 19:03 (the early 7:03 starts in Verkhnyaya Pyshma) and runs via Verkhnyaya Pyshma and Sredneuralsk — about 50 minutes. 4. Get off at **Tsarsky Monastyr (Ganina Yama)** by the pilgrim centre; the gate is a couple of minutes’ walk. 5. Buses back leave at 7:45, 10:23, 12:32, 14:49, 16:55 and 20:18 (the last one only to Verkhnyaya Pyshma). Check the times on the monastery website before you go. 6. Alternatives: a **taxi** from the centre takes roughly 30–40 minutes without traffic — set the destination as the Monastery of the Holy Royal Passion-Bearers. Or take a **suburban train** from Yekaterinburg-Passazhirsky station to Shuvakish (about 30 minutes) and walk about 2.5 km along the old Koptyaki road. ## How long do you need? Plan on **about 90 minutes** on site: a loop of the walkway around the pit, a look inside two or three churches, and time in the forest. Add half an hour if you visit the museum with a guide. By bus the whole trip takes half a day, because there are two to three hours between departures — pick your return bus before you set off. With a taxi or a tour, 3–4 hours covers Ganina Yama and Porosenkov Log together. ## Ganina Yama, Church on the Blood or Porosenkov Log | | Ganina Yama | Church on the Blood | Porosenkov Log | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | What it is | Monastery with seven wooden churches round the pit | Cathedral on the site of the Ipatiev House | Memorial at the second burial site | | Where | Forest, ≈ 15 km north | City centre | Forest between Shuvakish and Sem Klyuchey | | What you see | Churches, walkway, museum | Lower church on the site of the execution room | Crosses and a stone by the old road | | Time needed | 1.5 h + travel | 1 h | 20–30 min | With one day, YesGo would pair the [Church on the Blood](https://yesgo.io/russia/yekaterinburg/yekaterinburg-church-on-the-blood) with Ganina Yama. Porosenkov Log is for those who want the full story: there is little to see, but it is where the remains later buried in St Petersburg were found. ## Before you go - [ ] Shoulders and knees covered; skirt and headscarf for women - [ ] Bus 223 times chosen both ways, or a taxi or tour booked - [ ] Audio guide downloaded or a tour booked - [ ] Cash in roubles — foreign cards don’t work in Russia - [ ] Warm boots in winter — the paths are snowy - [ ] Not 17 July, unless you want the crowds of the procession ## Churches of Yekaterinburg: compare and choose Faith sites in Yekaterinburg scored by YesGo. - [Church on the Blood](https://yesgo.io/russia/yekaterinburg/yekaterinburg-church-on-the-blood) — YesGo score 55/100 (Yes, go) · 45 min · Free entry to the church - [Ganina Yama](https://yesgo.io/russia/yekaterinburg/ganina-yama) — YesGo score 31/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Free entry ## Ganina Yama and central Yekaterinburg in a day Morning bus or taxi to Ganina Yama, back in town for lunch, then the Church on the Blood, the Sevastyanov House and an evening walk along the Plotinka. Add it to your route — YesGo sets the timing and walks. 1. [Ganina Yama](https://yesgo.io/russia/yekaterinburg/ganina-yama) — YesGo score 31/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Free entry 2. [Church on the Blood](https://yesgo.io/russia/yekaterinburg/yekaterinburg-church-on-the-blood) — YesGo score 55/100 (Yes, go) · 45 min · Free entry to the church 3. [Sevastyanov House](https://yesgo.io/russia/yekaterinburg/sevastyanov-house) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free, outside only 4. [Plotinka Dam](https://yesgo.io/russia/yekaterinburg/yekaterinburg-plotinka) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free ## Good to know Ganina Yama is outside the city limits, in the Verkhnyaya Pyshma district, so search for the monastery’s name rather than the street address in a taxi app. The Ipatiev House itself no longer exists: it was demolished in 1977, and the Church on the Blood now stands on the site. ## Tips - Take the 8:52 bus on a weekday and you arrive as the first tours start, before any coach groups. - Walk the boardwalk around the pit first, then go into the churches — the layout makes more sense that way. - The museum closes at 16:30, so an afternoon arrival may leave no time for it. - It is noticeably colder in the forest than in the city; dress for it in winter. - Return buses are two to three hours apart — don’t leave your choice to the bus stop. - Photos outside the churches are fine; ask before photographing monks or inside during services. - A tour from the city that combines the Church on the Blood, Ganina Yama and Porosenkov Log is the most efficient way to see the whole Romanov story. ## Questions ### What is Ganina Yama? A forest site about 15 km north of Yekaterinburg where the bodies of Nicholas II’s family were taken after their murder in July 1918. Since 2000 it has been a monastery with seven wooden churches around the pit. ### How do I get to Ganina Yama from Yekaterinburg? Take the metro to Mashinostroiteley, then bus 223 from the Pedagogical University stop — about 50 minutes, five departures a day. A taxi takes roughly 30–40 minutes, or take a suburban train to Shuvakish and walk 2.5 km. ### Is there an entrance fee? No. Entry to the grounds is free. You pay only for monastery tours, candles and donations, or for a guided trip from the city. ### What are the opening hours? The grounds are open daily from about 6:00 to 21:00. Monastery tours run 9:00–18:00 and the museum closes at 16:30. ### Is Ganina Yama worth visiting? Yes, if you are interested in the Romanovs: together with the Church on the Blood it tells the whole story. If not, the long round trip to a quiet forest monastery may not be worth half a day. ### What happened to the Romanov bodies at Ganina Yama? On 17 July 1918 they were thrown into an abandoned mine shaft here. The next night they were moved to Porosenkov Log, where remains were found in 1979, exhumed in 1991, and two more were found in 2007. ### Is there a dress code? Yes. Cover shoulders and knees; women should wear a skirt and a headscarf. Wrap skirts and scarves are usually lent at the entrance. ### Are there tours in English? The monastery’s own tours are in Russian. For English, book a private guide or a tour from Yekaterinburg in advance, or use the free audio guide on izi.travel. ### When is the Royal Procession to Ganina Yama? Every year on the night of 16–17 July. After an overnight service at the Church on the Blood, pilgrims walk about 21 km to the monastery as part of the Royal Days festival. ## How we checked Tour and museum hours, service times, the museum’s nine rooms and the bus 223 timetable come from the monastery’s official website. The website gives no hours for the grounds or any statement on entry; free entry and roughly 6:00–21:00 are given by both Komsomolskaya Pravda and Tonkosti, so they are marked “checking”. The monastery does not publish its tour price, and the only figures we found date from 2022, so we leave them out. EAN and Lenta.ru put the procession at 21 km from the Church on the Blood, Komsomolskaya Pravda at 23 km from the city centre; we say “about 21 km”. Bus journey time is from EAN, the train time from Lonely Planet, the walk from Shuvakish from Tonkosti; taxi time is our estimate from the distance. The dress code follows Tonkosti and tour descriptions; loan skirts at the gate are not officially confirmed. No source gives the bus fare. Sources differ on the distance to Porosenkov Log, so we leave it out. ## Sources - Official website of the Monastery of the Holy Royal Passion-Bearers: Tours, Bus timetable and home pages, 30.10.2026 - Komsomolskaya Pravda (Yekaterinburg): Ganina Yama monastery guide - Tonkosti travel guide: Ganina Yama, October 2026 - English Wikipedia: Ganina Yama; Russian Wikipedia: Ganina Yama, Monastery of the Holy Royal Passion-Bearers, Porosyonkov Log; Wikidata Q126847 - EAN news agency and Lenta.ru, 17 July 2026 — on the Royal Procession - EAN news agency, 15 July 2020 — on bus route 223 - Lonely Planet: Monastery of the Holy Martyrs --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.