The Fedorov Geological Museum was founded in 1894 in Turinskiye Rudniki to collect materials on the geological structure of the Bogoslovsky mining district. Alongside this early geological focus, Alexander Popov’s childhood, stone religious buildings and public memorial sites are among the cultural and historical subjects in Krasnoturyinsk. When planning your trip, you can therefore focus on different interests: the history of science and settlement, biography or architecture.
The Museum’s Geology and History
The museum was founded by Yevgraf Stepanovich Fedorov and Alexander Andreyevich Auerbach. It was the first geological museum in Russia with a practical focus. Its place of founding, scholarly ambition and purpose as a collection give it a distinct profile: geology is closely connected to the museum’s original mission and to the history of the Bogoslovsky mining district.
In 1898, the museum also opened to the general public; in 1899, it received the official name “Fedorovsky Geological Museum.” The mineralogical cabinets housed rock and mineral samples, as well as their thin sections. These historical details reveal two aspects of the museum: its collection at the time and its early opening to visitors.
Alexander Popov: Childhood and Remembrance
The A. S. Popov Memorial House Museum is located in a wooden house dating from the mid-19th century at 70 Popov Street. Alexander Popov was born there and spent his childhood there from 1859 to 1867. His birth and childhood years are thus associated with a specific address.
Another monument to A. S. Popov stands on Lenin Street in front of the building housing the Ural Federal University’s branch campus. The house museum and the monument commemorate the same person in different ways: one is associated with the home of his early years, while the other is a monument in the urban landscape.
Religious Buildings and Memorial Sites
The stone Church of St. Maximus the Confessor was built in 1844–1851 and restored in 2000–2006. These dates specify both its construction and a later restoration. The stone Alexander Nevsky Chapel was built in the 1870s to commemorate the emancipation of the peasants from serfdom. Construction and restoration are the main focus for the church, while the chapel is associated with the reason for its construction.
Another historical landmark is the memorial complex to the residents of Krasnoturyinsk who fell at the fronts of the Great Patriotic War in 1941–1945. It was opened on 9 May 1979. In addition to religious buildings, the city’s memorial sites thus highlight different historical themes.
Settlement History at the Local History Museum
The exhibitions at the Krasnoturyinsk Local History Museum trace the beginnings of Turinskiye Rudniki and display everyday objects used by the settlement’s residents. Krasnoturyinsk emerged from Turinskiye Rudniki in the mid-20th century. Its development can therefore be explored both through the settlement’s transformation into a city and through objects from daily life.
The local history museum offers bus and walking tours to historic sites in the city and the region. The exhibitions and tours thus differ in format: the museum focuses on the settlement’s history and everyday objects, while the tours cover historic sites. Check the current availability of tours before your trip.
Discover more destinations: Lenevka, Resh, Belokamennyy, Priiskovyy, Sovkhoznyy, Baltym, Kushva, Beryozovsky
For the broader travel overview: Sverdlovsk Oblast.
