Tavatuy is one of three settlements on the shore of Lake Tavatuy. The other two are Kalinovo and Priozerny, formerly the village of Shamannikha. This distinction helps separate the settlement from the body of water: Tavatuy is the lakeside settlement, while the lake forms its broader landscape setting. The lake is tectonic in origin and about 10,000 years old. It covers 21.2 km², has an average depth of 6 m, and stretches 10 km from north to south; it is 3 km wide. Its north–south extent is therefore more than three times its width. The different measurements also show that area, depth, and extent describe different aspects of the body of water.
Lakeshore and Hiking Route
The hiking route “Pochod ot Tavatuy tscherez Sem Bratjew” starts at the edge of Tavatuy. It passes the rock formations “Woronji Skaly” and “Skaly Sem Bratjew.” This gives travelers two specific reference points: Tavatuy as one of the settlements on the lake and the hiking route with its rock formations as destinations. If you are looking for a vacation rental, you can first decide whether the lakeshore or the hike will be the main focus of your stay, then check the location of a specific accommodation against your plans.
Old Believer History in Tavatuy
According to one account, Tavatuy was founded in the late 17th century by Pomor Old Believers who had migrated to the Urals. This founding account links the history of the settlement to a specific religious community. A report on the settlement’s history places an old cemetery on a cape on the lakeshore within the settlement. Ural Old Believers are said to be buried there; the report names Gavrilo Semenov, also known as Ukrainzew (1675–1750), as a mentor of the Pomor religious community and a prospector. The reference to the cemetery adds a named person and his role in the religious community to the account of the settlement’s founding.
In the Wider Sverdlovsk Oblast Destination
Sverdlovsk Oblast offers a broader regional perspective that extends beyond Tavatuy. In Verkhnyaya Pyshma is a museum complex dedicated to civilian and military technology. Its collection includes more than 15,000 exhibits, including more than 2,000 pieces of civilian and military equipment. Collection categories include military, civilian, railway, and mining technology; the figures may change over time. Alongside the local profile of the lake, hiking, and Old Believer history, this provides a distinct focus on the history of technology within the wider destination.
The 2026 list of approved road tourism routes in Sverdlovsk Oblast names the Demidov Route between Yekaterinburg, Nevyansk, and Nizhny Tagil. Other entries include “Wdol Iseti na swuk kolokola: puteschestwije w Kamensk-Uralski” between Yekaterinburg and Kamensk-Uralsky, and “Otkrywaja Ural: priroda, istorija, legendy” between Yekaterinburg, Irbit, Turinsk, and Tavda. Check the route information before departure.
For the broader travel overview: Nevyanskiy rayon.
