Jar: Railway History and Regional Culture

• The Jar Historical and Local Lore Museum opened in 1998.
• The exhibition “History of Jar Station. Transport Network” is devoted to the development of the railway.
• The museum collection comprises around 5,000 items documenting the district’s history from the late 19th century to the present day.
• The “Yarskaya” nature trail lies outside the settlement of Jar and is 2 km long.

The exhibition “History of Jar Station. Transport Network” introduces visitors to the development of the railway. It gives the station and its role in the transport network a distinct place among the museum’s themes.

A tour of the Jar Historical and Local Lore Museum leads from a railway bridge to a water tower. Water from the tower was used by steam locomotives. The museum opened in 1998 in connection with the 100th anniversary of Jar Station and the 60th anniversary of the settlement of Jar. The route and the exhibition offer different points of focus: one explores a specific technical function, while the other looks at the development of railway transport.

The museum’s ethnographic collection includes themes relating to the lives of the Northern Udmurts in Jar District. Around 5,000 items document the district’s history from the late 19th century to the present day. The approximate figure gives an idea of the collection’s size; its chronological scope extends from historical developments to the present.

Another museum exhibition is devoted to the life and work of the Udmurt poet F. I. Vasilyev. Alongside the railway exhibition and the ethnographic collection, it offers different ways to explore Jar’s history and culture: through transport, everyday life and literature.

At the Jar District Crafts Center, the exhibition “Grandmother’s Dowry” displays traditional aprons, skirts and dresses, as well as looms, old chests and spinning wheels. Garments and equipment are presented side by side, so the exhibition is shaped not only by textiles but also by tools and objects from domestic life. Visitors especially interested in crafts and the material culture of everyday life will find a different thematic focus here than at the railway museum.

The “Yarskaya” nature trail runs outside the settlement of Jar and is 2 km long. Along the way, there is an area where visitors can feed birds, as well as a workout area. This excursion focuses not on exhibitions but on a trail with two specific stops.

The wider destination of the Republic of Udmurtia offers additional cultural and natural highlights in their own right. The Pyotr Tchaikovsky Museum in Votkinsk opened in 1940. The interior of a house from the mid-19th century has been reconstructed there. The exhibits include historic furniture from the 18th to the 20th centuries, porcelain, postcards, paintings, books and the Wirth grand piano, on which the composer learned to play. Tchaikovsky’s family lived in Votkinsk from 1837 to 1848, eleven years in total, before moving to Moscow.

Nature can also be explored as a highlight in its own right in the wider destination: Sharkan Nature Park lies between the Ita and Sharkan rivers and covers around 16,000 hectares. It is home to 507 species of higher plants, about half of the republic’s total flora. The park is divided into five functional zones, including protected, reserve and buffer zones, as well as zones for organized tourism and recreation and for traditional use.

Discover more destinations: Zavyalovo, Pervomayskiy, Khokhryaki, Izhevsk, Pirogovo, Sharkan, Pedonovo.

Where does the tour of the Historical and Local Lore Museum lead?

The tour leads from a railway bridge to a water tower. Water from the tower was used by steam locomotives.

What can visitors find along the “Yarskaya” nature trail?

Along the 2 km trail outside Jar, there is an area for feeding birds and a workout area.

What period does the museum collection cover?

The approximately 5,000 items document the district’s history from the late 19th century to the present day.

Go to the main travel overview: Republic of Udmurtia.