Magnitogorsk on the map of Russia. Where is it located, city attractions, photos

A little about Magnitogorsk

Magnitogorsk on the map of Russia is geographically located on the slopes of the Southern Urals, near Magnitnaya Mountain, and is part of the Chelyabinsk region. The city is divided into 2 parts by the Ural River.

Large industrial enterprises are located on the left bank (in Asia), while the right bank (Europe) is built up with residential areas. The urban population is more than 418 thousand people, most of whom are Russians (over 80%).

The climate of Magnitogorsk is significantly influenced by the Ural Mountains, which block the flow of warm Atlantic air masses. Because of this, the city is exposed to cold Arctic air currents. The sharply continental climate is characterized by cold winters with little precipitation and severe frosts, and hot, dry summers.

Due to the harsh winter, the peak of tourist activity occurs in the warmest and driest months - from May to July inclusive.

General information and history of Magnitogorsk

Magnitogorsk (or, as local residents lovingly call it, Magnitka) is the main domestic center of ferrous metallurgy and the largest city of regional subordination in Russia. It is also one of the youngest cities in our country. Its history began in the late twenties of the last century, when the Soviet authorities decided to build a huge metallurgical plant at the foot of Mount Magnitnaya and build an entire proletarian city around it.

Magnitogorsk received the status of a real city in 1931 (by decision of the Presidium of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee). However, even before the construction of the metallurgical plant began, within the boundaries of the current city there was a fortress (and then the village) Magnitnaya. The date of its foundation is considered to be the distant year 1743. This village was the most important defensive point of the Orenburg region on the border of Russia and the Kyrgyz-Kaisak steppe.

The first houses of the “official” Magnitogorsk appeared on the left bank of the Ural River (where the main industrial enterprises are now located). The city grew quickly and soon spread along both banks of the Urals, climbing into the territory of historical Bashkortostan.

At the moment, the city is the twenty-fifth largest populated area in the Russian Federation, occupying an area of ​​almost 400 km2. From east to west, Magnitogorsk stretches for 22 km, and from north to south – for all 27.

Stela of Magnitogorsk

The distance by rail from the regional capital (Chelyabinsk) to Magnitogorsk is 420 km. But by road it’s “only” 308 km. From Moscow to the city of metallurgists it is about 2000 kilometers. Therefore, it is easy to guess that the time zone here is MSK+2.

Eternal flame

A black triangle on a white background was chosen as the coat of arms of Magnitogorsk, symbolizing the geological icon of iron ore. And at the end of May 2011, local deputies approved the city anthem - the song “Magnitka”, the authors of which are Alexandra Pakhmutova and Nikolai Dobronravov.

How to get to Magnitogorsk

Magnitogorsk on the map of Russia is located relatively far from the capital, and the straight line distance is about 1400 km.

You can get to the city from Moscow both by land and by air:

Where to stay in Magnitogorsk

The city's hotel business is aimed at business travelers from other cities, foreign representatives of enterprises and athletes who come to any annual sporting events.

There are relatively few tourists in Magnitogorsk, and it is visited mainly by people vacationing at nearby resorts. Therefore, most hotels in the city are designed for the average income level.

The most popular and most comfortable hotels for tourists are:

• Europe 4* – the cost of a standard single room is 4.2 thousand rubles. A buffet breakfast is also included. The hotel has parking, a conference room, a tennis court, a sauna and billiards. The hotel is located in a fairly quiet and cozy area of ​​the Right Bank on the street. Green.

• Laguna 3* – the hotel is located in the city center on the street. Embankment, near the Ural River. Guests have the opportunity to visit the indoor swimming pool, SPA center, and solarium. The cost for single occupancy is 3.8 thousand rubles, including breakfast.
• Forum 3* – the hotel is located in the central part of the city on Lenin Avenue. The average cost for single occupancy is about 3 – 4 thousand rubles. It includes a buffet breakfast. The hotel has a sauna, karaoke room and fitness center.

The cost of hotels with a lower star rating varies from 1 thousand rubles. per day, and a hostel can be found at a price of 500 rubles. per person. The hotels are located on the right bank of the Urals, closer to the central part of the city.

Districts and real estate of Magnitogorsk: which coast is better to live on?

Strict geographers and cartographers divide Magnitogorsk into 3 administrative districts: Leninsky, Ordzhonikidze and Pravoberezhny. However, local residents in most cases prefer a simpler division - Right Bank and Left Bank. The fact is that the famous Ural River flowing through the city divides it into two unequal parts: the “working quarters” of the Left Bank and the more respectable Right Bank. These parts of the city are connected by three bridges, called the Southern Passage, the Central Passage and the Cossack Crossing.

Magnitogorsk map

It is along the Urals that the geographical border between Asia and Europe passes. So, while living in Magnitogorsk, you can regularly travel from one part of the world to another. Signs "Europe - Asia" are located in the center of each of the bridges. Under it you can often find city guests taking pictures. The locals are already quite indifferent to this cute feature of Magnitogorsk – they’ve gotten used to it.

Europe Asia

Local residents are more concerned about the environmental situation in the city. As mentioned above, Magnitka occupies the top positions in the not very honorable ranking of the most environmentally disadvantaged settlements. The work of the giant MMK and its subsidiaries - calibration, hardware and other plants - is to blame. Therefore, the industrial Left Bank (or rather the left bank part of the Ordzhonikidze and Leninsky districts) is considered not the best place for housing.

So apartments and rooms can be purchased quite cheaply here. The average cost of a left-bank “kopeck piece” is from 1,200,000 to 1,600,000 rubles (depending on the area, layout and condition of the living space). Renting a room will cost 3-4 thousand per month, and it is quite possible to rent a small apartment for the same period for 8-12 thousand rubles.

Housing on the Left Bank

The “Asian” Left Bank arose on the site of a workers’ settlement created in 1929 for the construction and subsequent maintenance of the Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works. Barracks were built for the enthusiasts who came to build the MMK. With the development of the city, major housing development was organized here, starting with Pionerskaya Street. Despite the fact that these houses have gone through more than one major renovation, their spacious and comfortable apartments are in great demand among Magnitogorsk residents. However, some housewives claim that the kitchens here could have been larger.

Currently, representatives of the working class live in this part of the city, working at MMK and attracted by the relatively low cost of housing. Young families with average and low incomes often rent or buy apartments here. Marginal individuals often find themselves on the Left Bank, having received a room or a tiny apartment as a result of a series of transactions for the sale of more prestigious living space.

Typical house on the Left Bank

It is worth noting that the local Stalinist and Khrushchev buildings are already pretty battered by life and most of them require serious repairs. The unfavorable ecological situation of the Left Bank also affects their appearance. Even surprisingly beautiful examples of the Stalinist Empire style became covered with untidy black stains over time. However, apartments in such houses often turn out to be very, very good: with large square footage and high ceilings. And in many courtyards, children’s playgrounds have been installed to the delight of children and their parents.

A number of houses in the area fall under the relocation programme. The fact is that these buildings are located in particularly unfavorable places and living in them, according to city authorities and Magnitogorsk environmentalists, can cause serious harm to people’s health. As a result, driving along the left bank, you can see empty houses (for example, two-story buildings in the area of ​​​​the City Theater and on Pionerskaya). Their residents have already been resettled to other, more prosperous areas. Such abandoned houses often serve as a refuge for antisocial elements and groups of teenagers.

House on Pionerskaya Street

Entry to Magnitka from the left bank is through the private sector. For the most part, these are ordinary modest houses with tiny plots of land. Some of the local residents even manage to maintain small farms. Away from the main streets, you can even stumble upon free-roaming chickens or geese. However, you can also see modern two- and three-story cottages here, but this is the exception rather than the rule.

In the “Asian” part of the Ordzhonikidze district there are many small heterogeneous villages with individual buildings. Mostly representatives of the middle class settle here, having managed to save up a more or less decent amount to build their own home. The most prestigious are the sleeper houses located in the southern part of Magnitka, closer to the Ural River. Other villages on the left bank mainly consist of panel houses.

In recent years, many truly respectable villages have appeared on the right bank of the Urals (the village of Magnitnaya, etc.). Private three- and four-story cottages are being built here. And in the southern tip of the “European” part of the Ordzhonikidze district, the local Rublyovka even appeared. This is the village of Khutorki, popularly called the “Tsar’s Village”. This is where most of the Magnitogorsk elite live: successful businessmen, some MMK managers, “notable” hockey players and other well-known personalities in the city.

The cost of a “house” on Magnitogorsk Rublyovka is off the charts, not just thousands, but millions of rubles. On the Internet you can find advertisements for the sale of a three- or four-story cottage for both 12 and 40 “lemons.” However, such an acquisition is considered a very profitable investment. After all, this is not just living space, but a kind of passport to the world of the rich and famous.

House on Khutorki

However, “mere mortals” live quite comfortably in the right-bank “European” part of the Ordzhonikidze district. Mostly there are panel houses from the Brezhnev era. The apartments in them have an improved layout (compared to Khrushchev buildings, of course), and therefore a higher cost. The price of apartments is significantly affected by the distance from MMK. Therefore, for housing with an area of ​​60-70 square meters they ask for 1.5-1.7 million rubles and more, but an apartment in an elite new building can cost 3-4 times more.

Housing in Pravoberezhny district

As you might guess, real estate prices in the Pravoberezhny district are even higher. Firstly, residential areas located on the right bank of the Urals are located in a relatively favorable ecological zone. And secondly, this is the real center of business and administrative life of the city with a well-developed infrastructure. This is where the city administration, branches of large commercial banks, communications enterprises and design institutes are located.

This is the central area of ​​the city, occupying a fairly large area. Its borders lie between the park area of ​​the Ural coast and Sovetskaya Street (from the Drama Theater to the Cossack crossing). The architecture of administrative and other “public” buildings is very original. For the interior decoration of many of them, marble, granite, openwork cast iron parts and even jasper were used.

Residential buildings in the Pravoberezhny district are mainly represented by standard panel and block Khrushchev buildings, similar to each other like twin brothers. At one time, their appearance helped to at least partially solve the housing problem that was particularly acute at that time.

In theory, the narrow streets of the area (except for the central highways - Lenin Avenue and Karl Marx Street), clogged courtyards and the not very attractive appearance of the houses should be factors reducing the cost of apartments. However, housing in the Pravoberezhny district is not cheap at all (on average 30-35 thousand rubles per square meter). The center is the center. If you wish, you can find fairly cheap housing here. True, it will be a tiny one-room apartment in a small family with a small kitchen, a combined bathroom and a sit-down bathtub.

Lenin Avenue

But it is unlikely that you will be able to save money on buying housing in the right bank block No. 14 “a” (this is the Leninsky district of Magnitka). The houses that make up it were built after 1945 by German prisoners of war and are considered real architectural monuments. The architecture of the quarter contains Western European motifs, and its interior space is represented by small closed courtyards. This block has its own composition: the houses in it are built relative to a planning axis, starting from the central arch of a two-story residential building on the street. Uralskaya, 36 and smoothly descending towards the Ural River.

All the houses in the block are two-story (the builders were required to put living space into operation as quickly as possible), and the materials for them were slag concrete and flagstone. From Uralskaya Street you can get here through wide gates with patterned metal bars. The houses themselves are decorated with patches of flagstone, small balconies and other interesting elements. So the desire to live in the “German Courtyards” will be quite expensive.

Magnitogorsk German town

The most expensive housing in Magnitka is located in the blocks of the “European” Leninsky district. The so-called Stalin buildings (houses built in the pompous “Stalinist Empire” style) predominate here. Architects used turrets, niches, colonnades and portals as decorative elements for them. Many of the buildings have front entrances, and the apartments here have a convenient layout, large area and significant ceiling heights. The northern part of Leningradskaya Street (formerly Zhdanova Street) is considered one of the architectural landmarks of the area.

Leningradskaya street

From the windows of many houses here, the smokestacks of the Left Bank are clearly visible. However, the abundance of all kinds of squares, gardens, front gardens, boulevards and green courtyards partially helps to compensate for the not entirely favorable environmental situation associated with the relative proximity of the MMK (about a kilometer).

Proximity to the center, original architecture, cozy streets and abundance of greenery make housing in the Leninsky district especially attractive. Naturally, increased demand could not but affect the cost of local apartments. The cost of 1 square meter of living space here is significantly higher than the average level of Magnitogorsk real estate prices.

Where to eat in Magnitogorsk

Magnitogorsk cuisine, like the cuisines of other regions on the map of Russia, has its own distinctive features and special recipes, formed under the influence of the cultures and traditions of different peoples.

Traditional dishes of the Urals combine the features of Tatar, Asian, Kazakh and original Russian cuisines. Residents of the Urals prefer all kinds of flour dishes - be it meat pies or sweet pastries. Of course, everyone knows the Ural dumplings. But traditionally this dish was prepared not with meat, but with vegetable filling.

Liquid dishes are prepared thick and rich. And in general, the entire cuisine of the Urals is very filling and high in calories. This is the kind of food you want to eat in severe frosts. In addition, the main dishes include gifts of nature - local fish, forest mushrooms and berries. Bird cherry fruits are popular, from which delicious preserves and jams are prepared, as well as bird cherry flour for baking sweets.

Tourists can taste both native Russian dishes and dishes of Japanese, European and Italian cuisines.

There are quite a lot of establishments in the city to suit every taste and budget:

• Russian estate is a restaurant on the outskirts of the city, located on the highway. Western. Despite the distance from the center, it is in great demand. It is located in a quiet place, surrounded by nature, and its external and internal interior is made in the old Russian style like a log hut.
• Uchkuduk is an oriental-style restaurant located in the central part of the city on the street. Oktyabrskaya. This colorful establishment with a beautiful interior includes no less interesting dishes of Eastern European cuisine on its menu.
• Dikanka – a restaurant of Ukrainian cuisine in the city center on the street. Komsomolskaya. The menu features traditional Ukrainian dishes, and the portions are large and filling for a reasonable fee. The establishment is popular not only among local residents, but also among tourists.

Popular budget restaurants include Galushka, Bufet and Koff-Chic, as well as chain restaurants and fast food cafes.

Enterprises and work in Magnitogorsk: about the giant MMK and others

Magnitogorsk is rightly called one of the largest centers of the Russian (and even global!) metallurgical industry. This city arose on the basis of a village intended to serve the metallurgical plant. By the way, OJSC Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works is still one of the largest industrial enterprises in the city.

MMK

Several tens of thousands of people work here (more than 20,000 at the metallurgical plant itself, the rest at subsidiaries). Many residents of the region specifically go to Magnitogorsk “to earn money”, because they say that MMK workers earn very, very well. The South Ural press periodically mentions how the management of the iron and steel plant takes care of its employees, improving their working conditions and participating in various social programs. However, the work in the local workshops remains quite difficult. The brigades have fairly strict discipline: there is no place for alcoholics and truants.

Central entrance of MMK

In addition to MMK, a number of industrial enterprises operate in Magnitka. The main part of them is concentrated in the Ordzhonikidze district. First of all, these are MMK's subsidiaries - the calibration and hardware and metallurgical plants. On the left bank is OJSC Prokatmontazh, one of the leading construction and installation companies in the Urals. It has several installation departments, a plant for the production of bricks, reinforced concrete products and plastic window structures, as well as plants for the production of pipelines, metal structures and non-standardized equipment. The enterprise includes various laboratories, a design institute, a motor transport department and some other divisions.

Another large industrial complex is the Sitno plant, which produces all kinds of food products - from bread and confectionery to sausage products. In every district of the city you can see shops and stores from Sitno.

Alpha Center

In the light industry sector in Magnitogorsk there is a plant for plastic tableware and packaging "Alcor", as well as a clothing factory. The Training and Production Enterprise of the All-Russian Society of the Blind is located on Pushkin Avenue, which produces electroplating, lighting and brush products and sews work clothes.

According to some data, about large, medium and small enterprises of various types of property are concentrated in the Ordzhonikidze district. But the Right Bank region cannot boast of such industrial achievements. Although there are also enterprises here: a reinforced concrete plant, the Magnitogorsk shoe factory, a large-panel housing construction plant, Uraltransgaz LLC, Housing Trust LLC, linear production management of main gas pipelines, etc.

The Magnitogorsk Shoe Factory (or MOF LLC) deserves special mention here. This is one of the largest enterprises in our country producing teenage and children's shoes. The website of this company states that modernization and expansion of production is constantly taking place here. As a result, new jobs often appear in the company. This periodically requires seamstresses, shoe assemblers, fashion designers, technologists, as well as managers at various levels.

TRC Gostiny Dvor

An important enterprise of the city is OJSC Magnitostroy (large-panel house-building plant). At one time, this plant was the first large-panel house-building enterprise in the USSR. Now its specialists produce sets of reinforced concrete products for the construction of block and panel houses. The main products here are interior and exterior panels, small concrete blocks, floor slabs and paving slabs. In addition, the plant produces vibropressed small-piece products.

Another “strategically important facility” of Magnitogorsk is Metallurgmash, a metallurgical engineering plant. Since the existence of the USSR, the production of hammer drills, winches, as well as various steel, cast iron and non-ferrous castings has been established here. In the post-war period, the plant mastered the production of road moldboard plows, hydraulically driven bulldozers, self-propelled drilling rigs, track layers, bit refueling machines, and platforms for moving heavy loads.

One of the city’s “long-livers” is the Magnitogorsk Printing House. If in Soviet times its employees were mainly engaged in the production of newspapers, then today the list of services of this enterprise includes the printing of books, the production of advertising, business cards and other printing materials.

There are also a number of motor transport enterprises, construction departments, factories producing food products, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. So it is almost impossible to remain without work in this city.

Architectural landmarks

Magnitogorsk is a city that was not built up chaotically and gradually (like most Russian cities), but grew and expanded according to a plan thought out in advance. That’s why the buildings on many streets are lined up like a ruler.

Leningrad architects took part in creating the modern architectural appearance of the city, so in many buildings in Magnitogorsk you can find familiar features of St. Petersburg ensembles: columns, turrets, porticos are in harmony with the strict facades of the buildings.

• Chimes is a city 29-meter rectangular tower with a clock, built in the very center of Magnitogorsk, on the People's Festival Square. The tower was erected in honor of the city’s 50th anniversary in 1979. Since then, it has become an iconic meeting and dating place.
• German quarter - this is the name of block 14-a in the old part of the city, in the Leninsky district. The houses are finished with gray stone, and the facades are decorated with arches and miniature open balconies, which are not typical for Russia.

  
  The height of the houses does not exceed 2 - 3 floors, creating the impression of a residential area in some Western European city. The quarter was built by German prisoners captured during the Great Patriotic War, and, according to the idea of ​​the Soviet government, it was supposed to become a visual symbol of Russia's victory.

• The Opera and Ballet Theater is a classical-style building with a colonnade along the central facade. The theater was opened in 1996. The interior includes 2 halls, and the repertoire is designed not only for adults, but also for children.
• Metallurgov Avenue , the calling card of the city, is a wide street with buildings in the same architectural style of Stalin times. The street was built up in the 50s. XX century, and the beautiful facades of buildings with bay windows, arches and balconies give it a cozy and festive look. On the territory of the avenue there is a small city square and Arbat, where local artists and performers can express their talents.
• Ice Arena – located on Lenin Ave., near the city center. Magnitogorsk became famous for its hockey team “Metallurg”, which is part of the KHL, so the ice palace was named “Arena-Metallurg”.

  
  Since its opening in 2007, it has served not only as a sports ground, but also for hosting all kinds of entertainment events and concerts. There are no special excursions to the legendary Arena, but you can attend a hockey match by purchasing an inexpensive ticket.

Monuments

Magnitogorsk on the map of Russia, although it has the status of an industrial city, attracts tourists with many different attractions, among which interesting monuments occupy a special place.

Many of them are dedicated to the first settlers of Magnitogorsk, who came to mine ore, and to the iron ore itself, thanks to which the city was built. During the war, it was from Magnitogorsk ore that the majority of military shells and tanks were produced.

• The First Builders' Tent is a federal monument depicting a stone tent with a hand holding iron ore. It is located on the square. Sverdlova near Veterans Park, is one of the symbols of the city.
• Monument "Europe - Asia" - installed near the Central City Bridge and serves as a symbolic border between Asia and Europe, and on the bridge itself there is a similar road sign.

• The first steam locomotive is a real steam locomotive that delivered the first train to the future city of Magnitogorsk in 1929. 50 years later it was installed near the railway station as a monument on a concrete pedestal.
• Monument “Rear to Front” - a monument in the city center, on Lenin Ave. Consists of 2 sculptures - a worker who forged a sword, who gives it to a warrior. The warrior's face is directed to the western direction, where the front was previously located. The 15-meter monument has become one of the most recognizable symbols of the city.
• Metallurgist - forged from copper and is a statue of a metallurgical plant worker. Initially, he was part of the sculpture “Worker and Collective Farm Woman”, having visited several international exhibitions. And in 1967 it was transferred to Magnitogorsk. The monument is located near the railway station.

The city also has interesting monuments to parents, students, a janitor and plumber, and a blast furnace operator.

Ecology of Magnitogorsk

The unfavorable environmental situation is the most acute problem facing modern Magnitogorsk. What area it is - today this is not the most relevant for the reason that people do not want to go there because the level of pollution is too high. Scientists from the American Blacksmith Institute classified this city as one of the cities in the world with the worst ecology. A concentration of formaldehyde was detected in the atmosphere that is 4 times higher than the maximum permissible limit. There are many other harmful substances in the air.

The metallurgical plant is the main reason for such an unfavorable environmental situation, which is characteristic of Magnitogorsk. The Chelyabinsk region does not have a single city as polluted as this one. You can often see a cap of gray-brown-crimson dust over Magnitogorsk and smell the acrid smell of hydrogen sulfide. But despite this drawback, the city has many interesting places to visit and objects worth seeing.

Religious sites

Magnitogorsk is a multinational city with quite a lot of Muslims living on its territory. Therefore, the religious sites of the city are represented not only by Orthodox churches, but also by mosques.

• Church of the Ascension of the Lord - a white stone temple on the banks of the Urals with 7 domes, 42 m high. It is located on the street. Voznesenskaya. Despite the fact that the cathedral was consecrated only in 2004, it is one of the most beautiful religious sites in the country. In front of the temple there is a statue of St. Simeon of Verkhoturye, and in its vicinity there is a house of mercy, a belfry, and a baptismal church.

• The Cathedral Mosque is a beautiful building located on the street. Gryaznova. The general architecture of the area surrounding the mosque is shaped like a crescent (utility building) with a star (mosque building). The mosque itself is built in the shape of a 9-pointed star and is a snow-white building with a dark dome. In the center of the crescent there is a minaret with a platform for the call to prayer. The mosque itself has 2 separate halls - for men and women.

History of the city

The founding date of the city is 1743. Initially it was a fortress village located on the banks of the Yaik River. As of 1759, this village consisted of 110 residential households and 300 inhabitants. It was in this year that iron ore deposits began to be developed. The first ore processing plant, called Beloretsky, was built in 1874. At this time, 2.5 thousand people worked there. The villages of Magnitny, Navarinsky, Chernigovsky, Yangelsky, Trebiatsky and the settlements of Verkhnekizilsky, Bobrykinsky, Smely in 1881 supplemented Magnitogorsk. No one probably remembers what region or region it was in those years, but it is known for sure that after the annexation of the listed settlements, the population increased to 10,000 people.

To establish a connection with Beloretsk, a railway was built in Magnitogorsk in 1915. 1929 was the year of construction of a metallurgical plant in the city, which turned Magnitogorsk into the center of metallurgy in the country. Beginning in 1932, the city had its first school, pedagogical institute, theater, airstrip, several tram lines, a cement plant and a music school. In 1940, the city's population was 147 thousand inhabitants. The 50s became a period of expansion of Magnitogorsk - its area increased significantly, many new residential buildings were erected.

Museums

There are several museums in Magnitogorsk that will introduce guests to the history and culture of the city, the features of its development:

• Museum of Local Lore - the very first museum of the city, which includes in its collection not only historical and cultural exhibits, but also scientific exhibits from the field of geology and biology. The museum was founded in 1944, and during the history of its existence it has repeatedly moved from one building to another. At the moment it is located on the street. Soviet army.

• Museum of the Metallurgical Plant - opened in 1973 and is located on Pushkin Avenue. The museum contains a collection of exhibits telling about the history and stages of development of the metallurgical industry. Here there is a visual model of the Metallurgical Plant, with all its workshops and plants. A special place is occupied by a military exhibition dedicated to the life and history of those times, including exhibits of military equipment and weapons made from Magnitogorsk ore.
• Art Gallery – located on the street. Newspapers Pravda. The museum's collection includes more than 7 thousand exhibits, including rare and unique pieces of art.

  
  The creation of the gallery was conceived along with the formation of the city, and the collection dates back to the 1930s. The gallery periodically hosts cultural festivals, exhibitions of contemporary art, all kinds of seminars and meetings.

Geography of the city

Regardless of whether a person has heard or not about a city like Magnitogorsk, what region it is, few can say. After all, attention is usually focused on other features of the city, of which there are many. Many even think that the Magnitogorsk region exists, but this is not so.

In fact, the city belongs to the Chelyabinsk region and is located in its southwestern part, near the border of Bashkiria. 370 square kilometers - this is exactly the area occupied by the city of Magnitogorsk. Which region - you already know, all that remains is to add that administratively the city is divided into 3 districts - Pravoberezhny, Leninsky and Ordzhonikidze.

The most interesting and unusual places in Magnitogorsk

In the city and its surroundings there are quite interesting and popular places among tourists that are worth visiting:

• Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works is a journey through the main production workshops of the steel vein in Russia, where you can get acquainted in detail with the process of mining and processing of ore, evaluate its scale and compare with your own eyes the industrial workshops with a model in the metallurgy museum.
• Happy Alley – one of the most unusual places in the city, popular not only among tourists, but also local residents. The alley opened in 2014, in the park named after. Romazana.

  
  It consists of 14 original shops, each of which is decorated in an original style and is dedicated to one or another desire, which, according to the developers, leads to real happiness. There are benches dedicated to love, fidelity, frankness, children, and longevity. It is believed that if you sit on the right bench, a person will definitely get what he wants.

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• Bath Lake is located 50 km from the city, not far from the popular ski resort Metallurg - Magnitogorsk. On the outskirts of a quiet and picturesque area, on the shore of the lake, there are many recreation centers and sanatoriums offering not only a good time in nature, but also improved health.

Population of Magnitogorsk: a city of students and workers

According to data at the beginning of 2014, over 415 thousand people live in the city. Of course, Magnitka is still far from the main city of the region, Chelyabinsk (or, in common parlance, “the city of Che”). Actually, this settlement is much less old... So, everything is ahead, energetic Magnitogorsk residents believe.

If we take into account the Magnitogorsk agglomeration, the results will be more significant - approximately 633.7 thousand people. It fully or partially includes Kartalinsky, Agapovsky, Verkhneuralsky, Kartalinsky, Nagaibaksky and Kizilsky districts of the Chelyabinsk region. In addition, the Magnitogorsk agglomeration includes the Abzelilovsky, Baymaksky, Beloretsky and Uchalinsky districts of Bashkortostan.

Streets of Magnitka

The majority of the population here are Russians, about 10% are Bashkirs, about 4% are Tatars and Ukrainians. In addition, representatives of other nationalities live in the city: Belarusians, Udmurts, Uzbeks, Jews, etc.

Most of Magnitogorsk residents live on the Right Bank: here the air is relatively clean (compared to the Left Bank, of course), and the infrastructure is better developed. It is here that most of Magnitka's educational institutions are located: State Technical University, Magnitogorsk State University, Conservatory, Higher School of Business, as well as branches of the Ural Academy of Civil Service, Russian International Academy of Tourism and the International Institute of Economics and Law.

Metallurgov Avenue

In addition, in the city there are a number of secondary specialized educational institutions that graduate health workers, teachers and technologists in various fields. Impressive? That's why Magnitogorsk is called a student city. There are a lot of young people here: creative and active, cheerful and lively.

Not only students, but also business people, city guests, and villagers who came to the “second capital” of the region for purchases. The market in the circus area is especially popular among the latter (there is also an amusement park, a flea market, several cafes, and a mosque). As a result, on weekends it can be difficult to crowd here. Perhaps this is why many native Magnitogorsk residents advise “newcomers” in this area to take a closer look at their bags.

Magnitogorsk Nosov Square

On the left bank a slightly different picture emerges. Here you can see real “working-class neighborhoods” with the appropriate atmosphere. Flocks of “specific boys” may gather on benches in courtyards or near establishments selling alcohol. Often on the Left Bank there are marginalized individuals laundering bottles at a water pump or sitting picturesquely in the bushes for another picnic in nature.

The Magnitogorsk railway station also suffers from the abundance of antisocial individuals. Unlike Chelyabinsk, which was chosen by gypsies, here you can often find police officers leading the next drunken “hero of the day” to the police station. Waiting for a bus at the local bus station is also a special pleasure. Usually, within fifteen to twenty minutes, two or three petitioners approach a person sitting peacefully on a bench, persuading him to give some money for treatment/bread/trip, etc. Another “attraction” of the local station at one time was the “bottle juggler”: a woman pulled them out of bin, threw it high into the air, masterfully caught it and put it in her bag.

Magnitogorsk City Day

However, in any of the districts you can meet young mothers with strollers, couples in love in public gardens, young people riding bikes/roller skates and eternal grandmothers, like all things, on benches. So Magnitka is also a family city!

Where to go with a child in Magnitogorsk

Despite the industrial orientation, the city has a lot of entertainment for both adults and children.

The most suitable for family holidays are:

• Dancing fountains - a whole complex of fountains is located on the central square of Folk Festivals. In the evening, the beauty of the composition is complemented by lighting and classical musical compositions, which crowds of people gather to see.
• Ecological park - a green corner in the city center, offering all kinds of recreation for adults and children.

  
  The eco-park in Magnitogorsk offers fresh air and entertainment for children and adults.
  In the summer, the park has a fairy tale meadow and a playground, and provides all kinds of active sports recreation. In winter, ice skating rinks and slides open on its territory. The park is located on the street. Forest park, in the Pravoberezhny district.

• Waterpark Waterfall of Miracles is the only water entertainment center in the Southern Urals with a capacity of up to 150 people. The water park is located on the street. Embankment, on an area of ​​more than 2 hectares. It includes 3 restaurants, 4 slides, 5 attractions and 7 swimming pools.
• Dinosaur – a dino park on the shore of Lake Northern Ulyanda, located 27 km from Magnitogorsk. The park includes 28 life-size robotic dinosaur figures, tennis courts, a beach and food establishments.

• The city of cheerful shorties is an amusement park at the intersection of Lenin Ave. and st. Gryaznov, next to the city circus. The park has attractions for children and adults, and entertainment events are held.

Magnitogorsk

History of Magnitogorsk

The generous depths of the Magnetic Mountain, rising above the Yaik River (Ural), have been developed by local ore miners since time immemorial.
Tatar and Bashkir craftsmen mined ore here, smelted high-quality iron and excellent weapon steel from it. The Bashkirs called the mountain itself “Atach”. The first Russian settlement that pushed the Bashkir uluses away from Magnitnaya Mountain was a fortified village built by an advance detachment of Cossacks in 1743. It continued the Orenburg chain of forts of the Russian Empire, which was actively expanding its eastern borders. Next lay a vast plain; on Russian maps of that time it was designated as the Kyrgyz-Kaysat steppe. The village of Magnitnaya is connected with the uprising of Emelyan Pugachev in blood - during its assault in 1774, thousands of rebels and defenders were killed, and Pugachev himself was wounded by shrapnel from the fortress cannons. However, the ataman took the fortress and gathered an army of 10,000 sabers. The basis of this army were Yaik Cossacks, Bashkir and Tatar horsemen. After the suppression of the Pugachev rebellion in 1775, the angry Empress Catherine II ordered the Bashkir toponym “Yaik” to be erased from the maps and henceforth to call the river the Ural, in order to forever eradicate the memory of the Yaik Cossack freemen.

In subsequent years, Russian entrepreneurs started developing mines here. The ore was transported to an iron smelter built 85 km northwest of the settlement (today the Beloretsk Metallurgical Plant). The ordinary Ural mining village was not distinguished by anything remarkable. The most striking events in its history were the visits of crowned heads: in 1837, Tsarevich Alexander Nikolaevich visited here while passing through, and in 1891, the train of Emperor Nicholas II stopped here.

Everything changed in 1929, when, according to the plan for the first five-year industrialization of the USSR, it was decided to build a huge plant right at the source of iron ore, which became the flagship of the Soviet metallurgical industry and was popularly called “Magnitka”. Thousands of builders headed to Magnetic Mountain. The first streets of the future city of Magnitogorsk were surrounded by rows of tarpaulin tents of pioneers, but at the same time as the factory floors, the walls of good-quality residential buildings also grew.

Soviet engineers had no experience of such large-scale construction. The construction of the metallurgical complex was advised by specialists from the United States, and to design the city, the Soviet government invited a group of German architects under the leadership of the famous innovative urban planner Ernst May. According to his designs, the first residential quarter of Magnitogorsk was built with all the necessary infrastructure - kindergartens and nurseries, schools, shops. This microdistrict, exemplary for those times, called “Sotsgorod”, still exists.

At first, the construction of the city took place on the left bank of the Ural River, where most of Magnitogorsk’s industrial enterprises were built. At the end of the 40s, residential neighborhoods appeared on the right bank. Here you can see classic examples of good-quality buildings in the Stalinist Empire style, their facades are decorated with turrets, columns, arches, and niches. There are especially many such pompous buildings on Leningradskaya Street. However, the bulk of urban buildings in the first decades were low-rise and featureless. Only in the 80s, for the half-century anniversary of Magnitogorsk, interesting architectural highlights and 16-story high-rise buildings began to be erected on its streets.

During the Great Patriotic War, every third artillery shell fired at the Nazis was machined from Magnitogorsk steel, half of the Soviet tanks were built from armor plates produced at Magnitogorsk. Monuments erected in city squares remind of this contribution to the defeat of the occupiers. In 2015, Magnitogorsk was awarded the honorary title of “City of Labor Valor and Glory.”

Geography and climate

Magnitogorsk is one of the few cities located in two parts of the world. The blocks built on the right bank of the Ural River are geographically located in Europe, the left bank faces the east, and here is Asia. The city's territory is 392 km², its development stretches along the river for 27 kilometers. In 2021, the population of Magnitogorsk exceeded 416 thousand inhabitants. The western suburbs border on the territory of neighboring Bashkiria, and Magnitogorsk airport is located on the territory of this republic.

In 1937, to supply the metallurgical complex with water, a dam was built in Magnitogorsk, blocking the Urals. A reservoir was formed, stretching from south to north for 24 km. A significant part of the reservoir is located within the boundaries of Magnitogorsk; the townspeople call it the Factory Pond. The left-bank and right-bank areas are connected by the Northern, Central and Southern bridge crossings, and the Cossack crossing runs along the fourth dam.

Magnitogorsk is located in the continental climate zone. Winters here are cold and with little snow, summers are warm and often dry. In January, the air temperature usually drops to -18...-14 °C, but sometimes Siberian anticyclones bring severe frosts. The record figure in February 1975 was –46.1 °C. Spring comes to the city in April, when the air warms up to +5...+10 °C. This time of year is also marked by anomalies. For example, in May 2019, residents of Magnitogorsk were surprised by the extraordinary heat; the thermometer reached +28.8 °C; such a temperature is rarely recorded here even in August.

The swimming season on city beaches opens in June, when the water warms up to +18...+20 °C, and lasts until the beginning of September. The most comfortable water temperature is in July-August: +22…+24 °C.

Sights of Magnitogorsk

The streets of Magnitogorsk are decorated with monuments to the first builders of Magnitogorsk, a modern metallurgist and a master of Demidov’s times. In the park near Metallurgov Avenue, an elderly couple sat on a cast-iron bench; this monument, beloved by the townspeople, is dedicated to their parents. In Lomonosov Park there is a sculpture depicting a teacher leading a young student along symbolic steps to knowledge. There are funny statues of a plumber and a janitor in the city; tourists love to take pictures with these bronze characters.

The outlines of the monument called “The First Tent”, which has stood since 1966 at the entrance to the Magnitogorsk Veterans Park, are extremely laconic and emotionally expressive. The composition is included in the register of monuments of federal significance. The steam locomotive frozen on a concrete pedestal near the railway station also reminds us of the pioneers. This is the first locomotive to deliver a train carrying construction workers here in 1929. On his coal tender there is a perky slogan: “Give Magnitostroy!”

A recognizable symbol of Magnitogorsk has become a monument known throughout the country, called “Rear to Front”. The monument was erected on a mound in the city Victory Park in 1979. The 15-meter bronze sculptures of the composition depict a metallurgist handing over a symbolic sword to a soldier. At the foot of the monument lies a star carved from a single block of red granite, with the Eternal Flame burning in its center.

On the People's Festival Square, opposite the city administration building, rises a 29-meter marble tower, topped with the main clock of Magnitogorsk. Four concave “plates” of black dials with a diameter of 3.5 m are facing the cardinal directions, the time is indicated by gilded hands, each hour is marked by the melodic chiming of chimes. At the base of the pylon with a clock there is a light and music fountain. In the evenings, the chimes and fountain are beautifully illuminated. This is the most popular meeting place among city residents.

Another light and music fountain is located at the entrance to the Palace of Culture of Metallurgists on Naberezhnaya Street, 1. The three-tier waterfall is crowned with tubular nozzles that create a sparkling water ball from thin jets. Residents of Magnitogorsk nicknamed him “Dandelion”. The dance of the jets is accompanied by music and lighting. In the park opposite there is a monument to Sergo Ordzhonikidze, and the cultural center, built in the late 30s of the last century, has since then been named after the first People's Commissar of Heavy Industry of the USSR.

In the 131st microdistrict on the right bank of the Urals, a sundial was installed in 1983 (Galiullina St., 17). Tall snow-white pylons with clocks are surrounded by smiling lions. This beautiful sculptural composition represents a chronological mystery: not only tourists, but also local residents do not know how to use it to determine the current time.

There is an art gallery on Gazeta Pravda Street, 12/1. Art Saturdays are held here weekly. The two-hour program includes an excursion, a lecture by an art historian and master classes, where participants master the origami technique and enthusiastically create flower arrangements and beadwork. Here you can get acquainted with other types of artistic creativity. It is offered to join the project for 250 rubles. The gallery is open daily except Sunday. Opening hours: 11:00-18:30. After viewing the exhibition, stop by the “Bitter Coffee” coffee shop; a popular establishment is located two steps away. Get to the gallery by bus No. 17 or minibus No. 31, you need to go to the Drama Theater stop. Trams No. 1, 11, 17, 24, 29 also pass here; get off at the Kuranty stop.

The city museum of local lore is located on Sovetskaya Armiya Street, 51-A. More than 100 thousand objects and documents are presented in museum exhibitions. The oldest artifacts date back to the Bronze Age; this is a structured collection of finds from archaeologists at excavations of nearby ancient settlements. The central place in the museum is occupied by an exhibition telling the story of the founding of the village of Magnitnaya in the mid-18th century, and the role of Magnitka in supplying the Red Army with armored combat vehicles and weapons during the Great Patriotic War. Separate rooms are dedicated to the Ural minerals, flora and fauna of the region. A collection of antique samovars and samples of the work of local masters of artistic metal casting are also presented. The entrance ticket costs 50 rubles; for the right to photograph the exhibits you need to pay an additional 150 rubles. The services of a guide will cost 350 rubles. The museum is open from Monday to Friday from 10:00 to 18:00, on Saturdays the exhibition closes at 16:00, and on Sunday there is a day off. You will be taken to the museum by buses No. 21 and 24, trams No. 11, 16, 18, 22.

The seven-domed Cathedral of the Ascension of the Lord, built on the river bank, was consecrated in 2005. The gilded cross mounted on the central dome shines at a height of 52 meters. Icon painters from the Trinity-Sergius Lavra took part in painting the interiors. The cathedral became one of the largest centers of Orthodoxy in the Southern Urals. The temple complex, which occupies more than three hectares, houses various charitable services: a charity house with a refectory, a shelter for the needy, a hotel, a Sunday school, and a medical center. Several more Orthodox churches have been built in the city: the temple in the name of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker (79 Chkalova St.), the Church of Michael the Archangel (79 Kommunarov St.), the chapel of the icon of the Mother of God “Joy of All Who Sorrow” (104-B Kirova St. ). The chapel is dedicated to the memory of the repressed builders and metallurgists of Magnitka, sent to the Gulag camps. On its walls there are memorial plaques with the names of hundreds of innocent people who died. The chapel is located on the outskirts of the city, near the Left Bank cemetery. Minibus number 100 goes there from the station.

There are many Muslims among the residents of Magnitogorsk. In 2004, at the intersection of Mardzhani and Gryaznov streets, an elegant Cathedral Mosque was built at the expense of the community. The two tiers of the building are united by arched portals; the façade of the minaret is decorated with figured stonework with geometric patterns. The mosque has a madrasah, a hotel for pilgrims, and a Muslim library. On the opposite bank of the Urals there is another mosque, called “Levoberezhnaya” (Kuzbasskaya St., 1).

Photos of the city from the top point can be taken at the observation deck located on Mount Kara-Dyr. Another viewing platform is located on the outskirts of Magnitnaya Mountain, where in 1971 a simple monument was erected, created by workers for the 40th anniversary of the mine: an excavator bucket with a block of ore on a pedestal welded from steel sheets. A pedestrian path leads to this panoramic platform, starting on Shchorsa Street.

Country excursions

In the vicinity of the city there are many attractions worthy of the attention of travelers. Tourists can travel from Magnitogorsk, for example, to Paris. The village, named after the French capital, is located 95 km northeast of the city, in the Nagaybak region. On the road map of this region you will find several more French and German names. This is how the Ural Cossacks named their villages back in the 19th century - in memory of their participation in the victorious campaign of Russian troops that defeated Napoleon’s army.

To the village of Paris you need to go along the Magnitogorsk - Chelyabinsk highway until the turn sign for Ferchampenoise. On the outskirts of the village, along the banks of the Kyzyl-Chilik River, there grows a protected alder grove, recognized as a natural monument. The path will lead travelers to a spring with tasty water. But the main attraction of Paris is a copy of the Eiffel Tower 50 meters high. It was built by creative specialists in 2005; the tower serves as a cell phone tower. It did not cost much more than a standard design, and made the village famous throughout the area.

After taking a selfie at the Eiffel Tower, drive to the village of Ferchampenoise, 35 km to the northwest. There you will find another interesting attraction - a private stone museum, created by a local geologist and a passionate local historian, who collected an impressive collection of minerals during his expeditions. There are samples of lapis lazuli from Bashkiria, sparkling spar from the Krasnoyarsk Territory, rocks interspersed with precious garnets brought from the Kola Peninsula, Ural malachite, serpentine, agate and other ornamental stones. The museum is located on the territory of the collector’s estate, on Stroiteley Street, 7.

To the south of the village of Ferchampenoise, along the banks of the Gumbeyka River, there is a picturesque natural monument - Batyrtau Yar. In its steep slopes up to eight meters high, you will certainly be able to see the fossilized remains of marine animals that lived here in the Devonian period about 400 million years ago. Fossil organisms can also be found in the White Stone tract near the village of Yangelskoye, which is 20 km from Magnitogorsk. This place is well known to Magnitogorsk museum workers and collectors of rare paleofauna specimens. Here, on the left bank of the Ural River, white layers of limestone 15 meters high are exposed. This landscape tract belongs to the protected areas of the Chelyabinsk region.

In the vicinity of Magnitogorsk there is a mysterious anomalous object with unexplained properties. It is located 63 km north of the city, in the Verkhneuralsky district, near the village of Mezhozerny. There lies a huge boulder, seemingly unremarkable. But local residents claim that the stone itself gradually moves and turns over, ignoring the laws of gravity: sometimes it lies flat, sometimes it becomes vertical. Proof of the phenomenon are photographs taken in different years.

Another anomalous place is located 90 kilometers from Magnitogorsk, on the border of the Chelyabinsk region and the Republic of Bashkortostan. The vast Karagai forest stretches here. Leshacha Mountain rises 514 meters above the dense forest. According to local legend, twice a year in the windfall on its top, Ural witches, goblins, water creatures and other fairy-tale evil spirits gather for a Sabbath. They say that these creatures appear here in January, on the eve of the holiday of Kolyada, and in July, on Ivan Kupala. Be that as it may, tourists notice strange compass readings and glitches in satellite navigation in this place. Skeptics explain the anomaly by the presence of iron ore in the depths of the mountain. But the air in Karagay Bor is truly miraculous; there are several climatic sanatoriums here.

On the outskirts of Vekhneuralsk, which is 60 km from Magnitogorsk to the north, rises the Kamennaya Sopka, its Tatar and Bashkir name is “Diyo-Tash”, which means “Camel Mountain”. According to an old legend, there is a “place of power” here; powerful shaman-sorcerers once lived in a grotto at the foot of the hill, and under the mountain there is a secret underground passage to the opposite bank of the Ural River. In 2003, the legend was unexpectedly confirmed: an archaeological expedition discovered several cultural layers with fragments of ceramics and burnt bones of sacrificial animals in the grotto and on the top of the Diyo-Tash rock. True, they did not find the entrance to the underground labyrinth; it was probably enchanted. Using radiocarbon dating of the remains, it was established that a sanctuary of unknown tribes existed here for several thousand years, from the Bronze Age to the early Middle Ages. It is surprising that the legend has reached our time in oral form through the centuries.

A dirt road leads to the top of Camel Mountain. There is an observation deck with views of the Ural River and picturesque forests covering the hilly landscape. On the slope of the nearby Mount Izvoz, the inscription “Lenin” is clearly visible, composed of many live pine trees, planted in 1970, on the centenary of the leader’s birth.

In the village of Ulyanda, located 30 km northwest of Magnitogorsk, there is an entertainment center. This local Jurassic Park is populated by two dozen moving mechanical models of huge prehistoric lizards. To the delight of the children, they click their teeth, reach out to the audience with their clawed paws, and make heartbreaking sounds. There are also copies of modern animals - an elephant, a giraffe, a bear, a lion, a crocodile, and a giant boa constrictor. A steam locomotive with passenger carriages travels through the park. Tourists are invited to view the monsters by taking to the skies in a hot air balloon or helicopter. The entertainment center has attractions, a small hotel, fast food kiosks and a grill cafe with a decent menu. Nearby there is a lake with an equipped beach, a tennis court and a football field. The cost of visiting the park is 400 rubles, a child ticket will cost 200 rubles.

Beaches

There are three beaches in Magnitogorsk, and there are seven pleasure boat rental stations on the banks of the reservoir. The central city beach is located on Naberezhnaya Street, near the stadium. In the Magnitka Veterans Recreation Park, on Nikolai Shishka Street, there is another equipped beach. There is a boat station here, and nearby there is a kebab cafe “David” with Azerbaijani and European cuisine. You can get to the beach from the station in half an hour by minibuses No. 31 and 40, you need to get off at the Sverdlov Square stop, then go to the river through the park. In Victory Park, right behind the “Rear to Front” monument, you can find the third city beach.

Along the left bank in the southern part of the reservoir there are dacha cooperatives. There are many unequipped beaches here that are open to everyone.

Active recreation in Magnitogorsk

You can have good fishing right in the center of Magnitogorsk, in the waters of the Zavodsky Pond. To catch pike, pike perch and tench, local fishermen advise going to the creeks above the North Bridge. Carp and crucian carp bite well in the area of ​​the Central Bridge Crossing. A little further, on a sandy spit, rudd and roach are caught.

An excellent place for relaxation and fishing is Ablyazov meadows, located on the banks of the Ural River, 20 km from Magnitogorsk. Here the river intricately winds, the old channels have turned into lakes in the middle of the meadows. Nearby, the Gumbeyka River flows into the Urals. Its waters are home to crucian carp, perch and chebak - Siberian roach. This entire area has been declared a botanical reserve. The banks are overgrown with centuries-old poplars, willows, elms, and shrubs. Small groves of trees are scattered among forbs. During the season there are many mushrooms and berries in the undergrowth. Recreational fishing is allowed here, but lighting fires, cutting down trees and driving off paved dirt roads into the virgin meadow is prohibited.

The reserve on the Nugush Reservoir, located 35 km from Magnitogorsk, is also known for its wonderful places for fishing and hunting. You can stay here at the Parus recreation center. Near the reservoir, wooden cottages were built - “Fisherman’s House” and “Hunter’s House” with cozy rooms. There are common living rooms with fireplaces, and residents have a kitchen with the necessary equipment and utensils at their disposal. At the base there is a restaurant, cafe, baths; there is a beach here. In the summer, river rafting and mountain biking tours are organized, and in the winter, a ski track is laid in the forest, and an ice skating rink is built on the territory of the base. The necessary equipment is available for rent.

The Bannoye resort is located 35 km from the city. This complex is located on the shores of the lake of the same name. In summer, rental points near the beaches of the Bannoe resort offer boats and catamarans (200 rubles/hour), jet skis (650 rubles/5 minutes), and water skis (350 rubles per lap around the lake). An hour-long yacht trip will cost 2,300 rubles. Another large resort was built 60 km from Magnitogorsk.

At both resorts, ski centers (SLCs) are open from November to April. There are two ski lifts at the Bannoye ski resort, the height difference is 450 m, the length of ski slopes of varying degrees of difficulty exceeds 17 km. Snowmobile rentals available. The Abzakovo ski resort has five lifts, the height difference is 320 m. There are 13 cross-country and slalom ski trails, their total length is 18 km. There is a shooting range for biathletes, and a spa complex and entertainment center are open all year round. In summer there is a large water park here, its pools are filled with clean water from mountain rivers. The cost of visiting is 1500 rubles.

Entertainment

The townspeople and guests of Magnitogorsk have no shortage of entertainment. There are many modern shopping centers built in the city, each of them has entertainment centers and cinemas.

Near the Central Bridge, on Naberezhnaya Street, 9, there is the Waterfall of Miracles water park. Nearby there is a family recreation park “Lukomorye”, there is a cafe, playgrounds, and trampoline attractions.

Take your children to the Magnitogorsk Circus (55 Gryaznova St.), and after the show, take the kids to the square near the circus, where the amusement park is located. There is a Ferris wheel installed here, there are carousels, a shooting gallery, children's playgrounds, and several cafes are open. On Boris Ruchyev Street, 7-A, there is the Buratino puppet theater. An interesting “Backstage” museum has been created in the theater foyer.

Those who want to have fun until the morning will find many interesting midnight establishments in Magnitogorsk. The nightclubs “Jaga-Jaga” (Naberezhnaya St., 3) and “Pyramid” (Karl Marx Ave., 50) are popular. Further along Karl Marx Avenue, 210, you will find the Penthouse nightclub. On Lenina Avenue, 99-A, there is an entertainment center from 12:00 to 04:00. At 35 Gagarina Street, the Duet karaoke bar awaits night owls.

Purchases

Shopping in Magnitogorsk can be done in numerous shopping centers. The usual opening hours of large stores are 09:00-21:00. Tourists note a large selection of goods in the shopping center "Continent" (Lenin Ave., 83), and in the shopping center "Gostiny Dvor" (Karl Marx Ave., 153). Recently, a large shopping and entertainment complex “Family Park” was built at 172 Karl Marx Avenue. In addition to the Auchan hypermarket, many shops and boutiques, there are a variety of restaurants and cafes; several establishments are united by a food court on the third floor of the center. There is a children's amusement park "Megaland" with a rope maze and slot machines, a trampoline park "Ulet", and a cinema.

The hunting and fishing equipment store is located in the Ordzhonikidze district (136 microdistrict, Boris Ruchyev St., 3-A). On the same street, in building No. 7-A, there is a store called “Pyatigorsk Fair”, where you can buy clothes and other products made from fur and sheepskin. Throughout the city there is a chain of jewelry stores “Citrin” with a large selection of jewelry and crafts made from Ural gems. One of them is located on Karl Marx Avenue, 194.

High-quality and environmentally friendly products are offered in the Ural Farmer store, located on Lenin Avenue, 91, and in the circus area there is a food market where seasonal vegetables and fruits from the regions of the Southern Urals and Central Asia are sold.

Cafes and restaurants

There are about 250 restaurants and cafes in Magnitogorsk. Most establishments represent European and oriental cuisine. The Subway fast food restaurant chain is very popular. The average bill here does not exceed 240 rubles. For delicious desserts, go to the Biscuit cafe-confectionery, located on Sovetskaya Armii Street, 49. The average check for sweets is 50 rubles. Not far from the singing fountain on Chapaeva Street, 30, there is a popular gastrobar “Coff-Chic”, where there are always a lot of visitors. The owner of the establishment offers original dishes of signature cuisine. At the same time, lunch here is inexpensive, about 400 rubles per person (without drinks).

Among the ethnic establishments in the center of Magnitogorsk, tourists praise the Ukrainian restaurant “Dikanka”, it is located on Gorky Street, 1. The interiors are decorated with ceramic dishes, ornaments, embroidered towels. The portions here are generous, so grab one appetizer for two or three. Start your meal with barreled Nizhyn cucumbers and the Getmanskaya appetizer - a full plate of smoked lard, fried homemade sausage, baked pork belly and vegetables (470 rubles). It is served with a bowl of freshly grated horseradish. You will be surprised by the taste of salted milk mushrooms with pickled onions and sour cream (225 rubles). Then try the rich borscht with pampushki in garlic sauce (220 rubles), and in the hot summer ask for ice-cold okroshka with homemade bread kvass (200 rubles). For the main course, order dumplings, cabbage rolls, and potato pancakes. The choice of signature dishes takes up several pages on the menu; their cost ranges from 500 to 1000 rubles.

You will find the delights of oriental cuisine on the menu of the atmospheric restaurant “Uchkuduk” with the interior of the Sultan’s palace, located on Oktyabrskaya Street, 12. It also offers a hunting menu with game dishes, and dishes for vegetarians are also prepared here. At the entrance you will be greeted by a camel and a friendly beauty dressed as a sultana. On Fridays and Saturdays, guests are entertained by dancers in oriental outfits; lovers of aromatic tobacco have a veranda with sofas and hookahs. For the children of visitors, the owner of the restaurant has equipped a corner with toys, construction sets and drawing supplies, and they also show cartoons to the children. For dessert, you will be given an unexpected compliment from the chef - Turkish delight, halva, nuts in honey, candied almonds. Main courses here will cost 350-500 rubles, and a pot with juicy lamb and pomegranate seeds, designed for 4-5 eaters, costs 3,555 rubles.

Where to stay

Hospitable Magnitogorsk offers travelers a choice of more than 60 hotels and mini-hotels. One of the most comfortable 3* hotels. Guests have access to a swimming pool, fitness center and spa complex. The price range for accommodation is 4500-6100 rubles per day.

The 3* Forum Hotel, recently built on Lenin Avenue, 130, competes with the Laguna. The hotel is located in the business district of the city, near the Metallurg Ice Arena. In addition to standard rooms, it offers spacious apartments, studio apartments and suites. The cost of living is from 1500 to 5100 rubles. Nearby, on Lenin Avenue, 129, there is the Panorama 3* hotel. Here you can rent a wonderful suite with a panoramic balcony offering views of Magnitogorsk and the foothills of the Southern Urals from the 16th floor. The hotel has a chic lounge area with a fireplace for receiving guests; you can order a decent buffet there and waiter service in the restaurant on the ground floor. Rooms here cost from 3,650 to 4,900 rubles per night. Breakfast (buffet) is included in the price.

You can stay cheaply in mini-hotels. For example, in the Teply-Pled mini-hotel on 84 Vokzalnaya Street, they charge 1,180-1,250 rubles for a room. There is a dumpling shop nearby, and the Alibi and Baked Potato restaurants are a five-minute walk away.

40 km from Magnitogorsk, on the shore of Lake Bannoe, surrounded by wooded spurs of the Southern Urals, is the Yubileiny sanatorium. The territory of the health resort is so vast that a free golf cart transfer is organized here. Electric cars run here from 9:00 to 19:30. The rooms are located in five-story buildings and in a dozen cozy country cottages. On the shore of the lake there is a beach with a rental point for boats and sports equipment; nearby there is a tennis court and a beach volleyball court. On the territory there is a cafe, attractions, a billiards room, a shooting range, sports grounds, and playgrounds for children. Here you can have a wonderful rest, and, if necessary, improve your health. The sanatorium's doctors specialize in the treatment of respiratory organs, pathologies of the cardiovascular system, and various allergies. A standard double room in the sanatorium will cost 2,400 rubles per day per person. The cost of living in a superior two-room suite is 3,400 rubles. The price includes three meals a day. When undergoing a course of treatment, holidaymakers pay an additional 300 to 500 rubles daily to the indicated amounts; nutritionists develop an individual menu for patients.

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Transport

The urban transport network in Magnitogorsk is excellently developed. Buses, trams and minibuses run along the streets. The cost of a ticket in public transport is 20-30 rubles. Taxi park tariffs are moderate: 5-7 rubles/km. Getting around the city by taxi will cost 50-70 rubles; when traveling to the surrounding areas, drivers often demand double the price.

How to get there

It is convenient to travel from Moscow to Magnitogorsk by plane. Airliners operating direct flights depart daily from Sheremetyevo Airport. Travel time – 2 hours 25 minutes. You will have to fly from St. Petersburg to Magnitogorsk with a transfer. The fastest option (4 hours 55 minutes) is in transit through Sheremetyevo.

Magnitogorsk International Airport is located 14 km west of the city. Buses No. 140 and 142 run from the arrival terminal to the center of Magnitogorsk. The ticket costs 20 rubles. A taxi ride will cost approximately 450-500 rubles.

You can get from Moscow to Magnitogorsk without transfers in the trailer carriage of train 014E, which departs from the platform of the capital's Kazansky station every other day. Travel time is 32 hours.

In Magnitogorsk, the railway station and the airport are connected by minibus No. 54. On Station Square there are stops for buses and trams running throughout the city.

Calendar of low prices for air tickets

Night Magnitogorsk

The city has many clubs and bars open at night, not only on weekends, but also on weekdays. The entry price is quite affordable, and there are often 2-for-1 promotions. Alcoholic drinks also do not have a high price tag, and face control is quite loyal.

• Jaga-Jaga - one of the most popular establishments is located on the street. Embankment. This is an entire entertainment center, including a restaurant serving Serbian cuisine, a large dance floor and a bar. Russian stars often perform on the stage of the establishment.
• Universal - entertainment center on the street. Suvorov, which combines a nightclub, karaoke, bowling and billiards under its roof. The prices in the club are the most affordable, and the music is modern. Therefore, the main contingent of the establishment is young people.
• Sugar - club is located on the street. Even on ordinary days, Herzen is a cafe with cozy tables and a large bar. On Friday and Saturday, the establishment is open until the morning, turning into a nightclub where themed parties are often held and DJs from other cities are invited.

What to see in Magnitogorsk in 1 day

Magnitogorsk on the map of Russia has an elongated shape along the banks of the Urals, and its main attractions are located on the right bank of the river.

In 1 day you can get acquainted with the main attractions of the city, following the direction from the railway station to the south:

• Railway station – upon arrival in the city, it is worth looking at the famous monument to the Metallurgist and the First Steam Locomotive. Then go along Lenin Avenue past the Opera and Ballet Theater on the street. Uralskaya to Gorky Square, where the German Quarter is located.

• After admiring the houses of the German Quarter, you need to go south, where the city Avenue of Metallurgists is located.
• Further along Lenin Avenue you can go straight to the central Folk Festival Square, and on the way look into the museum of the poet B. Ruchyev and the Drama Theater named after. Pushkin.
• If you have time left, you can visit the park near the Eternal Flame, stroll along the alleys and look at the “Rear to Front” monument.

• It is better to see the Folk Festival Square in the evening, when you can see the Dancing Fountains in full glory, with music and lighting.

What to see in 2-3 days

If you have a little more time to explore the city’s sights, then the one-day itinerary should be slightly adjusted:

• From the train station you can head east to Veterans Park, where the First Builders Tent is located. Then see the German Quarter and other Metallurgists.
• From Metallurgov Avenue you can go east to the Central Passage, where the “Europe – Asia” monument with a sign is located.
• Once you find yourself on the other side, you should visit the Metallurgical Plant and look at the city from the observation deck.
• Afterwards, moving along Pushkin Avenue in a southern direction, go to the Museum of the Metallurgical Plant.
• Then along the street. Magnetic cross the river again. Finding yourself on the Right Bank, the beautiful Church of the Ascension of the Lord and the “Metallurg Arena” appear before your eyes.
• Moving north along Lenin Avenue, you can see the Museum of History and Local Lore, which you should visit to get acquainted with the history of the city.

• A little higher, on the street. Gryaznov, there is a beautiful building of the Cathedral Mosque.
• Slightly deviating from the route, moving west along the street. Gryaznov, you can go to the Ecological Park - a place of recreation and entertainment for children and adults.
• Returning back to the intersection of Lenin Ave. and st. Gryaznov, you should go north along Lenin Avenue to admire the clock tower, Dancing Fountains, visit the Art Gallery, the Ruchyev Museum, the Drama Theater and the park near the Eternal Flame.

Coat of arms

The coat of arms of Magnitogorsk is presented in the form of a French shield. A black pyramid is depicted in a silver field. It symbolizes Mount Magnitnaya and indicates the presence of ferrous metallurgy.

The coat of arms can be crowned with two ribbons of red and blue colors: the Order of Lenin and the Red Banner of Labor. The second version of the emblem, with a free part, is acceptable. A red rectangle can be placed in the upper left corner. It reproduces a figure from the small coat of arms of the Chelyabinsk region. It depicts a silver camel.

The artistic composition was adopted by the Decision of the Magnitogorsk City Assembly of Deputies of October 26, 2010 No. 190.

Winter tourism

You can see the sights of the city at any time of the year, but many tourists prefer winter Magnitogorsk, since the Metallurg-Magnitogorsk ski resort is located 40 km from it.

Many Russian celebrities vacation here, and thanks to the presence of snow generators, skiing can be done from November to April. The resort is also called “Bannoye”, due to its location on the shores of Lake Bannoye.

Guests have at their disposal:

• professional inventory and equipment;
• instructor services;
• ice skating rink on the lake;
• 8 ski trails;
• 4 lifts (including children's);
• hotel and cafe.

30 km from the base (and 60 km from Magnitogorsk) there is a popular ski resort, repeatedly visited by V. Putin. It includes 13 slopes and 7 lifts, a snow park and freeride tracks.

The resort has more than 20 hotels and a recreation center of the same name, which
offers its visitors a visit to:

• baths and saunas;
• rental of cottages and picnic areas;
• hotel rooms;
• water park and entertainment center.

Both resorts can please guests not only with a variety of recreational activities, but also with affordable prices.

What to bring from Magnitogorsk

As a gift for relatives and friends from Magnitogorsk you can bring:

• Magnets and postcards with views of city attractions and surrounding areas.
• Souvenir porcelain plates and bells with landmarks.
• Jewelry and figurines made from local stones - onyx, jasper, agate.
• Souvenirs and clothing with the symbols of the Metallurg hockey club.
• Products from the Magnitka confectionery factory.
• Beer from local brewery "Hagel".

Despite the fact that Magnitogorsk is the industrial center of the Urals and the largest center of metallurgy on the map of Russia, it also plays the role of the cultural center of the Chelyabinsk region. The city has many interesting attractions, and the nearby popular resorts have made it famous not only among Russian tourists, but also among foreign travelers.

Author: Anna Lalochkina

Article design: Mila Friedan

City infrastructure or life in Magnitogorsk from the point of view of the average person

Residents of almost any city are always ready to complain about problems with roads, the quality of housing and communal services, the availability of places in kindergartens, and so on. Magnitogorsk is no exception in this regard. Citizens are often dissatisfied with both the congestion of the streets with vehicles and the quality of work of public utilities... However, some problems are being quite successfully resolved here.

Take, for example, the “road revolution” that thundered throughout the Southern Urals. It also affected Magnitogorsk. In 2010, after a visit from the regional governor, officials from the city hall quickly analyzed the condition of the roads and began repairing the most problematic areas. Over the past time, the road surface has been repaired on many streets (B. Ruchev, Gryaznov, 50th anniversary of Magnitka, etc.), and the capacity of Karl Marx Street has been slightly expanded.

However, one of the most pressing problems of Magnitogorsk remains overcrowding of the streets with transport. During the daytime, you can move around the city more or less calmly by car. But around 17:00, cars of metallurgical plant workers join the traffic flow. And this is where the “fun” begins. If you look closely, you can easily find that at this time two standard lanes of the road turn into three, or even four - motorists are doing their best to find an opportunity to get home faster.

During working hours, it is extremely difficult to drive through many of the MMK checkpoints. Despite the fact that there are parking lots for employees' cars, there is simply not enough space. Therefore, cars lined up in a long line along the side of the road are quite common here.

Many motorists often criticize the clumsy trams. From time to time there are rumors in the city that this type of transport will be replaced by cheaper and more convenient trolleybuses. It is worth noting that waiting for the right tram here can sometimes be very difficult. Especially on the Left Bank. Then the townspeople have to get to the center by minibuses. At the same time, there is always a good chance to meet an “extreme” driver who brakes in the most unexpected places and maneuvers in traffic in a way that simply takes the breath away of ordinary passengers.

How well are the communal services in Magnitogorsk? Compared to many other cities, tariffs for housing and communal services here are not too high. Electricity costs local residents 1,379 rubles. for 1 kWh, and for those who are especially economical, it is possible to install meters with day and night tariffs. But for organizations, a kilowatt costs a little more - 1.97 rubles. The payment “per meter” in residential premises depends on the degree of wear and tear of the building. Thus, residents of comfortable stone houses with up to 40% wear and tear pay 1.79 rubles per 1 m2. (+ maintenance of elevators, garbage chutes and solid waste removal). Water supply and sanitation in houses with complete amenities costs 79.72 and 124.49 rubles, respectively. per person. The average cost of heating services is 32.24 rubles. for 1 sq. meter of living space.

House of Peoples' Friendship

Unfortunately, the quality of utilities in many houses leaves much to be desired. Consumers often complain about the quality of water, its temperature and the ineffective operation of the heating system. In addition, residents of Magnitka have more than once faced the problem of water shortage in the city in the summer. For example, last year organizations were even set appropriate limits on consumption. It happened that the water supply to residential buildings was temporarily limited.

A big headache for Magnitogorsk architects is the unauthorized actions of residents to glaze balconies and loggias. Moreover, in each specific case, different materials and technologies are used, which does not have the best effect on the overall appearance of the building. The sad result of such actions may be the collapse of some decorative elements. For example, not long ago, a concrete flowerpot fell from the balcony of one of the houses in the Leninsky district, only by luck not injuring any passers-by. Many city residents believe that such collapses are also partly to blame for utility services, which do not monitor the condition of the house well.

Magnitka also lacks places in kindergartens. Experienced mothers get in line from the very birth of the baby. But this is not a guarantee that at one and a half to two years the child will already take his rightful place in the group. But the city has many early childhood development centers, swimming groups, sports clubs and art schools. Mostly such establishments are concentrated on the right bank, but residents of the Left Bank also have somewhere to send their children. And for adult Magnitogorsk residents, the city has all kinds of fitness clubs, dance schools, beauty salons, gyms and other entertainment and health facilities.

The health of small and large city residents is monitored by doctors from Magnitogorsk clinics. Despite the fact that the regional governor has ordered the elimination of queues in medical institutions, getting an appointment with the right specialist here can sometimes be problematic. A couple of years ago, the story of the transfer of the left bank children's clinic to the building of infectious diseases hospital No. 3 received wide resonance. Due to a thirty-year lack of repairs, the clinic building fell into almost complete disrepair, and at that time officials were unable to find new premises for it.

However, those who are not satisfied with the queues at clinics can safely make an appointment with a private specialist. Fortunately, there are plenty of commercial establishments of this kind in Magnitogorsk. These include dentists, diagnostic centers and even plastic surgery clinics. Many opticians employ qualified ophthalmologists. There is also a Family Medicine Center in the city.