Jaiwa: Local History Museum, Water Tower and Railway History

• The water tower is the oldest brick building in Jaiwa.
• The local history museum was founded in 1974, initially as the Museum of the “Verkh-Jaiwinski lespromchos,” and later developed into a local history museum.
• A town model created in 2015 with support from Jaiwinskaja GRES covers 12 m².

The water tower is notable not only for its age: it is also part of the history of railway construction in Jaiwa. The railway was built together with the station building, a water tower and a pumping station. Accommodation for employees and track workers was also provided. This building history places the tower in a broader context, without suggesting that the individual historic buildings survive today as a single ensemble.

This connection provides a distinct reference point for local history: the tower represents Jaiwa’s oldest brick building, while the station, pumping station and accommodation illustrate the railway infrastructure of the time. This helps you distinguish between the different aspects of the town’s history.

The local history museum began in 1974 as the Museum of the “Verkh-Jaiwinski lespromchos” and gradually developed into a local history museum. A special exhibit is a model of Jaiwa created in 2015 with support from Jaiwinskaja GRES. Covering 12 m², it depicts industrial facilities, a railway, administrative and residential buildings, and human figures. Lighting effects show the scene by day and night.

The model brings several themes together in one display: work, transport, buildings and people. It offers another way to explore Jaiwa’s local history, distinct from the water tower or the history of the railway.

A guided tour at the local history museum covers the filming of the movie “Devchata” near Jaiwa in December 1961. It also explores the circumstances of the filming, the relationships between the actors and eyewitness recollections. The tour is listed for the period from November 7, 2024, to December 28, 2030.

The “Berjozovaya roshcha” birch grove is home to sculptures of Jaiwa and Tulum, as well as a taimen symbolizing the river. The taimen is associated with the river. These three motifs give the site a different cultural connection from the railway and museum themes.

In the wider Perm Region destination, the Basgi Nature Reserve offers the excursion routes “To the Summit of Northern Baseg” and “To Southern Baseg.” The route to the summit of Northern Baseg is 11 km round trip; the excursion, including a guide and rest breaks, takes 5 to 8 hours. The excursion season runs from June to October. Check arrangements with the reserve before planning your trip.

The route starts at the checkpoint by the Schastlivy ranger station. On foot, it follows 3,700 meters through taiga forest—that is, the mountain forest zone—and about 300 meters across mountain meadows. Along with the duration, these details give you an idea of the landscapes described, without specifying the level of walking difficulty.

The visitor center of the Basgi Nature Reserve is also part of the Perm Region context: it features a small museum exhibition about the region’s flora and fauna. Environmental education talks, lectures, quizzes and games featuring films or multimedia presentations are held there regularly. Another cultural attraction in the Perm Region is Khokhlovka, the Urals’ first open-air architectural and ethnographic museum of wooden architecture.

Decide whether Jaiwa itself or the Perm Region is the main focus of your trip planning.

Discover more destinations: Perm, Krasnokamsk, Nytva, Senkino, Alexandrovsk, Chaikovsky, Osa, Gubakha.

What is the oldest brick building in Jaiwa?

The water tower is the oldest brick building in Jaiwa. It is also part of the town’s historic railway infrastructure.

What does the Jaiwa town model show?

The model, created in 2015 with support from Jaiwinskaja GRES, covers 12 m². Among other things, it shows industrial facilities, a railway, administrative and residential buildings, and human figures.

How long does the route to the summit of Northern Baseg take?

In the wider Perm Region destination, the 11 km route takes 5 to 8 hours, including a guide and rest breaks. The excursion season runs from June to October; check arrangements with the reserve before planning your trip.

For the wider travel overview: Perm Region.