# Plotinka Dam, Yekaterinburg > Plotinka is the 1723 dam on the Iset river where Yekaterinburg was founded, together with the Historical Square below it. It is free and open 24/7. A walk takes about 45 minutes, or two hours with a museum. Fountains run in summer, and the big city events happen here. It is a five-minute walk from Ploshchad 1905 Goda metro station. Web page: https://yesgo.io/russia/yekaterinburg/yekaterinburg-plotinka - City: [Yekaterinburg](https://yesgo.io/russia/yekaterinburg), Russia - YesGo score: 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 45 min - Opening hours: Open 24/7; the museums around the square keep their own hours - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: Free - Open: 24/7 — it is a public dam and square - Metro: Ploshchad 1905 Goda, ≈ 5 min on foot along Lenin Avenue - Where: Lenin Avenue between Voevodina and Gorkogo streets; the square runs down along the Iset - Fountains: Warm season only, usually May to September - Museums: Paid, with their own days off — check with each museum - Time needed: ≈ 45 min for a walk, up to 2 h with a museum - Coordinates: 56.83643, 60.60419 - Facts checked: 30.10.2026 ## Key facts - **1723** — the dam and ironworks were built — the start of Yekaterinburg (source: Russian Wikipedia: Historical Square; Sverdlovsk Region Tourist Information Centre) - **Pond and river** — the dam holds back the City Pond; the Iset river flows on below it (source: Russian Wikipedia: Historical Square; Sputnik8 guide) - **250th anniversary** — the Historical Square was laid out in the early 1970s on the site of the old works (source: Russian Wikipedia: Historical Square; E1.ru) - **1998** — the monument to the city founders Tatishchev and de Gennin was unveiled for the city’s 275th anniversary (source: Ruwiki: Monument to Tatishchev and de Gennin; Tonkosti Turizma guide) - **Pyotr Chusovitin** — sculptor of the founders’ monument; the bronze was cast at the Uralmash plant (source: Ruwiki: Monument to Tatishchev and de Gennin; Tonkosti Turizma guide) - **“Beavis and Butt-Head”** — the locals’ nickname for the founders’ monument (source: E1.ru; Sputnik8 guide) - **Late 19th century** — the granite-and-timber water tower was built (source: Russian Wikipedia: Historical Square; Lonely Planet) - **Since 1995** — the water tower has been a branch of the Yekaterinburg History Museum (source: Yekaterinburg History Museum; Russian Wikipedia) - **Rhodonite** — a block of pink Ural stone stands in front of the waterfall below the dam (source: E1.ru; Russian Wikipedia: Historical Square) - **1886** — busts of Peter I and Catherine I were put on the dam; in 1917 they were thrown into the pond (source: Russian Wikipedia: Historical Square; E1.ru) ## What is Plotinka? Plotinka — “the little dam” — holds back the City Pond on the Iset river, and Lenin Avenue, the main street, runs across its top. It was built in **1723** to power the ironworks that Vasily Tatishchev and Georg Wilhelm de Gennin founded here, and the town grew up around the factory. For locals this is where Yekaterinburg began. Below the dam, along the river, is the **Historical Square** (Istorichesky Skver), laid out in the early 1970s for the city’s 250th anniversary on the site of the old works. Surviving factory buildings became museums, and the dam wall was faced with granite and carved with reliefs about Ural miners and metalworkers. > **Come on a summer evening** By day Plotinka is a pleasant riverside walk; on a summer evening it is where the whole city hangs out — fountains running, buskers by the water, groups on the steps. In winter the fountains are off and 20–30 minutes is plenty. Don’t walk on the frozen pond, even if you see others doing it. ## Is Plotinka worth visiting? Yes — and it costs nothing. Plotinka is not a big sight in itself, but it is the natural hub of central Yekaterinburg: most of the old town is a 10–15-minute walk away, and you will cross it anyway. Give it 30–45 minutes, ideally on a warm evening. Don’t come expecting a grand monument. The appeal is the setting — the pond on one side, the river and lawns on the other, and the sense of standing where the city started. If you only have a day, walk through it between the [Church on the Blood](https://yesgo.io/russia/yekaterinburg/yekaterinburg-church-on-the-blood) and the [Yeltsin Center](https://yesgo.io/russia/yekaterinburg/yeltsin-center) rather than making a special trip. ## Things to do at Plotinka and Historical Square - **Look at the dam wall from below** — granite with reliefs of Ural mining and industry; the best view is from the square by the river. - **Find the founders’ monument** — bronze Tatishchev and de Gennin on a plinth by Lenin Avenue, nicknamed “Beavis and Butt-Head” by locals. - **Step into the water tower** — granite below, timber above; inside are a visitor centre, a coffee shop and a small museum about the dam and the tower. - **Spot the Ural stones** — boulders of local rock around the square; the pink **rhodonite** sits in front of the waterfall. - **Watch the fountains** — in summer, including an evening light-and-music show. - **Sit on the steps by the Iset** — a favourite summer hangout with a view of the pond and the old centre. - **Walk through “the Pipe”** — the underpass beneath Lenin Avenue that links the upper and lower parts of the square. ## Museums around the square Several museums sit around Plotinka in old factory and merchant buildings. All are paid and keep their own hours, so check the museum’s website on the day. The **Museum of Fine Arts** at Voevodina Street 5 is the one to choose if you have time for only one: it holds the **Kasli cast-iron pavilion**, an openwork iron pavilion made by Ural craftsmen. The **Museum of Architecture and Industrial Technology of the Urals** fills former works buildings with 19th-century machinery. The **Water Tower** is a quick 15–20-minute stop. Paying in Russia: foreign Visa and Mastercard cards have not worked here since March 2022, so bring roubles in cash or a Russian bank card for museum tickets and cafés. The walk itself is free. ## When do the fountains run? Like all city fountains in Yekaterinburg, the Plotinka fountains run only in the warm season — usually May to September; exact dates are announced each year. A light-and-music fountain was added for the city’s 300th anniversary in 2023: come after dark for the show. In winter there are no fountains, but the dam is lit up at night. ## How to get to Plotinka 1. Take the metro to Ploshchad 1905 Goda — Yekaterinburg has one metro line, so it is easy to find. 2. Come up onto Lenin Avenue and walk towards the pond — about 5 minutes. 3. Where the avenue crosses the water you are on the dam: the pond is on one side, the Historical Square below on the other. 4. Take the stairs or the underpass under the avenue down into the square. 5. No metro nearby? Trolleybuses and buses run along Lenin Avenue, and from anywhere in the centre you can walk — the map on this page plots the way. ## Before you go: checklist - [ ] Checked for festivals or concerts today - [ ] Warm season — the fountains are on - [ ] Museum hours checked, if going inside - [ ] Roubles or a Russian card for museums and cafés - [ ] A jacket — it is windy by the water - [ ] Next stop planned — Sevastyanov House is right by the dam ## Plotinka vs other central sights | | Plotinka | Church on the Blood | Yeltsin Center | Vysotsky | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | What it is | Dam and square where the city began | Church on the site of the Ipatiev House | Museum and cultural centre | Skyscraper with a viewing deck | | Entry | Free | Free | Paid museum | Paid viewing deck | | Time needed | ≈ 45 min | 30–45 min | 2–3 h | ≈ 1 h | | Best time | Summer evening | Quiet morning | Any weather | Sunset | Plotinka costs neither time nor money — walk through it on your way between the other central sights. ## Yekaterinburg by the water Every waterside place in Yekaterinburg rated by YesGo. - [Plotinka Dam](https://yesgo.io/russia/yekaterinburg/yekaterinburg-plotinka) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free - [Keyboard Monument](https://yesgo.io/russia/yekaterinburg/keyboard-monument) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 15 min · Free - [Olenyi Ruchyi Nature Park](https://yesgo.io/russia/yekaterinburg/olenyi-ruchyi) — YesGo score 16/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 4 h · 557 ₽; free for Russian under-18s ## The old centre in half a day From the Church on the Blood along the pond to Sevastyanov House, across Plotinka to the keyboard monument on the Iset, and up the Vysotsky tower for sunset. Add them to your route — YesGo fits in the timing and walks. 1. [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 2. [Sevastyanov House](https://yesgo.io/russia/yekaterinburg/sevastyanov-house) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free, outside only 3. [Plotinka Dam](https://yesgo.io/russia/yekaterinburg/yekaterinburg-plotinka) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free 4. [Keyboard Monument](https://yesgo.io/russia/yekaterinburg/keyboard-monument) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 15 min · Free 5. [Vysotsky Skyscraper](https://yesgo.io/russia/yekaterinburg/vysotsky-skyscraper) — YesGo score 41/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · 600 ₽, children 5–12 400 ₽ ## Good to know Plotinka is the locals’ name; on maps and signs you may also see Istorichesky Skver (Historical Square) for the lower part. The “Theatre on Plotinka” is a separate theatre company that performs at the Writers’ House on Pushkin Street, not on the dam itself. On city festivals the square is fenced off for a stage and gets very crowded. ## Tips - For the best shot of the carved dam wall, stand in the square by the river; for the pond, stand on the Lenin Avenue bridge. - Start a walking day here: [Sevastyanov House](https://yesgo.io/russia/yekaterinburg/sevastyanov-house) is right next to the dam, the Church on the Blood about 15 minutes along the pond. - On public holidays it gets packed — come on a weekday or in the morning for a quiet walk. - In summer you can sometimes hire a boat or pedal boat on the pond for a view of the centre from the water. - Only time for one museum? Pick the Museum of Fine Arts and its Kasli cast-iron pavilion. - Combine it with the [keyboard monument](https://yesgo.io/russia/yekaterinburg/keyboard-monument) a short walk down the Iset — a fun, quick photo stop. ## Questions ### What is Plotinka in Yekaterinburg? The dam of the City Pond on the Iset river, built in 1723 together with the ironworks that the city grew around. Below it is the Historical Square with museums, fountains and the founders’ monument. ### Is Plotinka free? Yes. The dam and the Historical Square are public spaces, free and open 24/7. Only the museums around the square charge for entry. ### How do I get to Plotinka? Take the metro to Ploshchad 1905 Goda and walk about 5 minutes along Lenin Avenue towards the pond. Trolleybuses and buses also run along the avenue. ### Is Plotinka worth visiting? Yes, as a free 30–45-minute walk — it is the hub of the old centre and you will pass it anyway. It is at its best on a summer evening. ### How long do you need at Plotinka? About 45 minutes for the dam and the square; up to two hours with a museum. In winter half an hour is enough. ### What is the water tower at Plotinka? A late-19th-century granite-and-timber tower. Since 1995 it has been a branch of the Yekaterinburg History Museum, with a visitor centre, a coffee shop and a small museum inside. ### Who is the monument at Plotinka? Vasily Tatishchev and Georg Wilhelm de Gennin, the founders of Yekaterinburg. Sculptor Pyotr Chusovitin’s monument was unveiled in 1998 for the city’s 275th anniversary. ### When do the Plotinka fountains work? Only in the warm season, usually May to September. Come after dark for the light-and-music show; exact dates change every year. ### Can I pay by card at Plotinka? The walk is free. In museums and cafés, foreign Visa and Mastercard cards do not work in Russia — bring roubles in cash. ## How we checked Plotinka and the square are open public spaces, so entry and opening times are self-evident. The dam’s date, the square’s origin, the founders’ monument (1998, sculptor Chusovitin), the water tower and the stones are each checked against at least two sources. Sources date the water tower differently — the 1880s or the early 1890s — so we say “late 19th century”. The fountain season (May–September) comes from city news and is marked “verifying”, as dates change every year. We don’t publish museum hours or prices, since each museum sets its own; check on the day. Event dates are not published either. ## Sources - Russian Wikipedia: Historical Square (Istorichesky Skver); Wikidata Q4204516 - Ruwiki: Monument to Tatishchev and de Gennin - Tonkosti Turizma guide: Monument to Tatishchev and de Gennin - E1.ru: Plotinka, the heart of Yekaterinburg; reports on the light-and-music fountain for the city’s 300th anniversary - Yekaterinburg History Museum: Water Tower - Sputnik8 guide: Plotinka - Lonely Planet: Water Tower, Yekaterinburg - Sverdlovsk Region Tourist Information Centre --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.