Gorod Zlatoust: Museums, Crafts and Sculpture Parks

The Museum of the History and Culture of the City of Zlatoust was founded in 1825 as the Museum of the Zlatoust Mining District. The Trans-Siberian Railway runs between Moscow and Vladivostok through the Zlatoust Urban District. Other destinations mentioned include museums, workshops and parks with a range of different themes.

The Museum of History and Culture offers overview tours of its history, nature and art departments. These give you three different subject areas to choose from for a museum visit. The ARSENAL Museum of the Zlatoust Arms Factory focuses on the factory’s products: its collection includes more than 1,200 items, among them decorated bladed weapons, cutlery, tableware and personal belongings.

Another cultural destination is P. P. Bazhov Mountain Park. It is home to the museums «Khronograf Zlatousta» and «Oruzheynaya masterskaya», where replicas of blades made at the Zlatoust Arms Factory in the 18th and 19th centuries are on display. The «Sozvezdiye samotsvetov» museum presents a mineral collection described as one of the finest in the Urals. The park thus brings together the history of weapons and minerals.

The park features 36 sculpture groups depicting characters from Pavel Bazhov’s tales. The «Otkrytaya kniga» fountain symbolizes the entrance to the world of these tales. There is also a waterfall tower made of Ural stones and the «Dub zhizni» sculpture group on the observation platform. Visitors can also have their photo taken in a real cuirass.

The cultural complex «Bashnya-kolokolnya s chasovney Svyatitelya Ioanna Zlatousta» offers a different perspective on Zlatoust and its surroundings. From a height of 36.5 metres, you can see the city and the area around it; there are also stories about the city’s history and the life of Saint John Chrysostom. The complex is at 16A Krasnaya Gorka, Zlatoust. Check the current access arrangements before your visit.

At the «AiRovka» arms settlement, visitors can see the complete process of making utility knives, try their hand at blacksmithing and take part in individual master classes. The record-breaking «Svyatogor» sword is also on display there. If you plan to take part in these activities, check their current availability in advance.

Vladimir Sharikov’s sculpture workshop offers several ways to work with clay yourself: visitors can make a copy of Zlatoust’s coat of arms, a vase based on the master’s designs, or an original piece of their own. Sharikov was a sculptor from Zlatoust and an Honored Artist of the Russian Federation; he created the city’s coat of arms. The museum-memorial «Masterskaya skulptora Vladimira Zharikova» displays his sculptures, reliefs, repoussé work and woodwork. Check the current schedule when planning a workshop visit.

The «Krylatko» children’s park has more than ten rides, including a children’s Ferris wheel, a racetrack and multi-seat swings shaped like ships. Ride availability may vary. Pony rides for children are also organized in the park; this activity is seasonal and should be confirmed on site. The «Bogatyrskie zabavy» rope park is also part of the «Molodezhnyy» Culture and Recreation Park.

In the wider destination of Chelyabinsk Oblast, Taganay National Park offers a different focus from the museums and parks of Gorod Zlatoust. The «Ves Taganay za 600 shagov» ecological trail is just over 1.5 kilometres long and passes through scenic parts of Chernaya Skala and typical natural landscapes of the national park. The trail has a paved section and an observation platform and is accessible to wheelchair users; check current conditions before your visit.

At 853 metres, Chernaya Skala is one of the northern peaks of the «Nazminskiy-khrebet» mountain range and consists of white quartzite. The easy ecological trail to the Zyuratkul Ridge is also in Chelyabinsk Oblast: it is six kilometres one way and climbs 460 metres. Children can manage it too. This information helps you compare different trail lengths and elevation profiles across the wider destination, without conflating them with the city’s attractions.

Discover more destinations: Gorod Yuzhnouralsk, Gorod Verkhniy Ufaley, Sosnovskiy rayon, Yemanzhelinsky District, Chelyabinsk, Plastovsky District, Troitskiy rayon, Krasnoarmeyskiy rayon.

What subjects are covered on an overview tour of the city museum?

The tours cover the history, nature and art departments.

What can visitors make in the sculpture workshop?

They can make a copy of the city’s coat of arms, a vase based on Sharikov’s designs, or an original clay piece of their own.

What should you bear in mind about the activities at the children’s park?

Ride availability may vary. Pony rides for children are seasonal; confirm their availability on site.

Go to the wider travel overview: Chelyabinsk Oblast.