Lake Isetskoye is located 25 kilometers from the city of Yekaterinburg, in the northwest of it. The city of Sredneuralsk is located on its shore. About 24 sq. km is the area of this lake. Many streams and rivers flow into it - Kalinovka, Bolshaya Chernaya, Shitovskoy source, Mulyanka, Lebyazhka, Berezovka. Only one river flows out - Iset. Lake Isetskoe, where we are interested in relaxing, is very shallow, it has many shallow bays - Teply, Lebyazhiy, Mulevka, Cheremshansky - all are located on the eastern shore.
Dam and ancient sites
In 1850, construction began on an earthen dam at the source of the Iset. It was replaced with concrete only in 1946. Due to this, the lake level rose, reaching the present level. Sredneuralskaya GRES uses this water.
Archaeologists along the river banks have found more than a dozen different sites of ancient people. They date from the Neolithic to the Iron Age. Ancient images painted with ocher were discovered on one of the islands. However, they were flooded as the water level in the lake rose.
Dam
In the 50s of the 19th century, namely in 1850, construction of an earthen dam began at the source of the Iset River. Until 1946 it existed in this form. And only in the 20th century, almost 100 years after its construction, it was replaced by a concrete structure. This caused the water level in the lake to rise and remains relatively stable to this day. Currently, water is used in the operation of the Sredneuralskaya State District Power Plant. The banks of the dam are swampy and covered with small pencil pine trees. Here you can find a huge amount of cloudberries and blueberries. In general, only 20% of the lake's shores are wetlands.
Recreation center "Iset" and the Solovetsky Islands
You are probably interested not only in terms of fishing and archeology in Lake Isetskoe. Is it possible to swim here? The answer is yes. A good place for this is the sandy Cape Tolstik located on the western coast. The Iset recreation center is located here. Opposite it, in the center of the lake, are the Solovetsky Islands, covered with sparse bushes and pine forests. They were named so because in past centuries (18th and 19th centuries) a monastery was located here, in which Old Believers monks lived. There is nothing left of him today.
If you plan to stay for a while exploring Lake Isetskoye, you can use the services of this recreation center. There are cozy, warm buildings, as well as a sauna with a swimming pool, a dining room with 100 seats, and a conference room with 50 seats. You can also spend the night in Sredneuralsk, in a hotel located at the address: st. Isetskaya, 6.
Traveling around our native land, I never cease to be amazed at the beauty and serenity of the nature of the Sverdlovsk region. This time the road took us to the city of Sredneuralsk. It’s a wonderful town, but I won’t say more about it, since the purpose of our trip was to visit Lake Isetskoe. In the foothills of the powerful Ural Mountains, about 25 km north of the city of Yekaterinburg, point “B” of our route is located. Let's hit the road! It is worth saying that the distance is insignificant, the quality of the road surface on the bypass was quite good at that moment. This is a good option for a short trip, when you don’t have a lot of time, but want to relax and get new impressions.
The lake is very popular among fishing enthusiasts, but enough information is known regarding the historical value of this reservoir. The lake is ancient, like the Ural mountains themselves. Indeed, excavations by archaeologists have revealed incredible historically valuable artifacts dating back to the Neolithic period. A small monument on the shore of the lake reminds of this. Some of the historical treasures found can be seen in the Museum of History and Archeology of the Urals in Yekaterinburg.
Historical information is useful, but first of all, we go to the lake for a pleasant experience. Lake Isetskoe is famous for its pristine beauty, picturesque shores, and fishing. And it’s true, the lake is surrounded by mountains, which gives the landscape an incredibly romantic look. Finding yourself on the shore of the lake from the city of Sredneuralsk, a wonderful view opens up!
Everything is clear here: mountainous shores, winding bays, and mysterious islands. It is worth mentioning that the shallow bays of the lake have very descriptive names: Teply, Lebyazhy, Elovy, Lipovy, Cheremshansky, Mulevka. The shores of the lake are a favorite place for swimming and relaxation among local and visiting tourists. From the observation deck in Sredneuralsk you can clearly see the Solovetsky Islands and Kamenny Island. There is also Krasnenky Island, but it is located behind Cape Berezovy, next to the village of Koptyaki. The islands on the lake are like green fluffy caps. But when the sun sets, it seems that now an unprecedented ancient animal will appear from the water, and the islands are parts of its body rising from the water. In the rays of sunset, when the lighting turns a warm amber hue, the outlines of the mountains and hills become even smoother, and the pleasant sound of water makes you relax. There is a feeling of unity with nature. How nice it is to meet a warm summer sunset on the shore of the lake. At such moments, time stops.
However, not everything is as serene as it seems. In any barrel of honey, someone will always throw a fly in the ointment. Of course, on the city side there are paths along the edge of the shore and trash cans installed. But still, not all vacationers’ minds accept the idea that “Lake Isetskoye is the cradle of Sredneuralsk” and it needs to be loved and protected. Due to the popularity of recreation, along the shores of its consequences. The amenities of the embankment leave much to be desired. The cleanliness and well-being of the lake is in your hands. In conclusion, I would like to quote the words of A.I. Herzen. became a quote: “Grandiose things are done with grandiose means. Nature alone makes great things for nothing.” We wish the residents of Sredneuralsk, surrounding settlements and all vacationers on the lake to preserve its cleanliness. Preserve this priceless gift of nature in the Urals.
Sredneuralsky city beach
For those who are not interested in a wild holiday, Lake Isetskoe can offer an equipped beach. Sredneuralsk is where you should go. A popular vacation spot for residents of this city itself, as well as Verkhnyaya Pyshma and Yekaterinburg, is the city beach. This is a great place for lovers of cultural recreation. There are several cafes and piers here, not just a bare beach.
Lake Isetskoe in this place is very picturesque; you will surely enjoy your vacation. Please note that parking here is paid in summer.
How to get to Lake Isetskoye
By car from the city of Yekaterinburg, go along the Serovsky tract, turn at the sign for the city of Sredneuralsk, located on the shore of the lake. Distance from the center of Yekaterinburg – 25 km. You can also get there by public transport: by bus or minibus from Mashinostroiteley or Uralmash metro stations to Sredneuralsk or by Tagil train to Iset station. In the vicinity of Lake Isetskoye there are the rocks Devil's Settlement and Petrogrom.
Pavel Raspopov
Krasnenky Island
What else can Lake Isetskoe, the photo of which is presented in this article, offer? In its southern part, opposite the source of the Iset and the dam, there is a loaf-shaped island called Krasnenky. Its northern part drops steeply to the water. It abounds in granite rock outcrops. The entire northern slope is strewn with boulders ranging in size from 0.5 to 2 meters.
Larch, birch and pine trees grow on the island. The southern side is flatter. There was once a beautiful birch grove here, in the shade of which it was pleasant to relax. However, since the early 1970s, vacationers began to harass her for wood for fires. There are now only a few pine trees left on the island, and only on the rocks in the northern part, which are difficult to reach. Krasnenky Island is a valuable archaeological site.
The remains of ancient people's dwellings were discovered here. In the local history museum of the village of Iset (school No. 7) there is a collection of clay shards and flint arrowheads collected by schoolchildren.
Islands
It contains small islands, for example, Solovetsky, Kamenny, which was previously called Korablikom. One of them has an interesting shape, which is why in the past it was called Monomakh's Cap. Currently this is the island of Krasny, or Krasnenky. It is the most important archaeological site. It was here that the remains of primitive man's dwellings were found. The museum in the village of Iset houses a collection of silicon arrowheads that were discovered on Krasnenky Island.
It is located in the southern part of the reservoir. The northern part of this landmass is covered with granite boulders, the size of which reaches from half a meter to two meters. Trees such as larch, birch and pine grow here. The south side is flatter. In time immemorial, there was an amazing birch grove with a linden undergrowth. It was possible to relax in the shade of the forest. However, in the 1970s, people coming here began to use the grove for firewood for fires. Currently, the island no longer has such dense vegetation. Most of the pine trees grow in the inaccessible northern part.
Mount Tolstik
Where else can you go while exploring Lake Isetskoe? On its western bank, behind the village of Iset (its northeastern outskirts), there is a hill. This is Mount Tolstik. It got its name, apparently, from the word “fat man.”
The mountain rises like a large rampart above the Iset River, forming a whole series of peaks, between which there are saddles. The hill juts out into Lake Isetskoe, forming Cape Tolstik here. Since 1909, the southern part of the mountain has been developed by the Isetsky granite quarry for crushed stone. She has practically disappeared by now. The same fate awaits the middle peak in the future. In the 1970s, on the eastern shore of this cape, local schoolchildren and A.G. Peshkov, who led the expedition, found a “leopard skin” - a new type of granite. A stone tent made of this material, which is about 4 meters high, is located on the top of the mountain. It extends 30 meters from west to east. The tent is steeper on the north side and flatter on the south.
Korablik Island
Near Cape Lipovoy, in the northeastern part of this lake, there is Kamenny Island, whose height is 4-5 meters. It was previously called Korablik because its outline resembled a medieval sailing ship. During the construction of the Sredneuralskaya State District Power Plant in 1934, this island had to be blown up. Today, only stone ruins remain of it, not at all like a ship. However, thanks to the watercolors of Sheremetevsky, a teacher at the Yekaterinburg men's gymnasium, the memory of what the island originally looked like still remains. This picture was created at the request of Clair Onisiy Yegorovich, who worked at the same gymnasium at that time. Sheremetevsky wrote it in 1908. Modest Onisimovich, the son of Onisy Yegorovich, brought a copy of the painting in 1919 to the museum of Sredneuralsk School No. 5, where it remains today.
On the island of Korablik in 1878-1879, archaeologist M. Malakhov discovered rock paintings of primitive people made with red paint. A brief description of them was made in 1890 by N. A. Ryzhikov, a member of UOLE. In 1914, sketches were made by V. Ya. Tolmachev. This writing can be dated back to the 3rd millennium BC. e. V.N. Chernetsov, who published the drawings, noted the presence of several bird figures on them.
Mount Petragrom
Mount Petragrom is located 4 km north of the village of Iset. It received its historical name in honor of the trustee of metallurgists, Peter the Thunderer. As evidenced by the results of excavations, back in the 2nd half of the 1st millennium, ancient people smelted copper in these places. The ancient masters erected a real mining and metallurgical complex. The mined ore was delivered to the rocks. A charge (a special mixture of crushed ore with animal bones and charcoal) was prepared and then placed in smelting furnaces. After this, the melting of the metal began, then it was poured into molds and then objects (jewelry, spears, arrows, tips, etc.) were processed. Metal products made here spread over vast territories - from the Yenisei to the borders of Norway.
The rocks are located at the top of this mountain. These are two-granite ridges that stretch in the direction from east to west. The first begins with a rock whose height is about 10 meters. Then follow 2 other rocks, expanding upward (about 20 m high) and somewhat reminiscent of giants in hats. Admiring these curved columns, recesses and cracks, you can’t help but wonder how nature could create such a beautiful masterpiece from granite. Next comes a cliff about 30 meters high. It is steep on the north side, and flatter on the south. This rock has many bizarre grooves, as well as small columns. From its top, spacious vistas open up. Mount Maly Petragrom can be seen in the south, Poldnevny - in the west, Sagrinsky Tolstik and the village of Sagra located at its foot - in the north. Further, the height of the rocks decreases, amounting to 3-4 meters. They extend to the west for about 20 meters more, after which they break off.
Dam and Sogrinsky mine
The dam is the place where the river flows out of Lake Isetskoye.
According to the data available today, ore was brought to Mount Petragrom from the Sogrinsky mine, known since ancient times. It is located in the upper reaches of the Sogra and Medyanka rivers (in their interfluves). The Sogrinsky mine is rich in iron and copper ores. In a straight line, it is only 9 km from Mount Petragrom. The Sogrinsky mine today consists of several mines. One of them, the deepest and largest, is flooded. A small lake formed in its place. Another, whose depth reaches 7 meters, still exists today. You can go down into it. Its trunk is secured with a wooden support made of larch. The logs are fastened with forged nails. The picture of this mine is complemented by many ditches and pits, and waste rock dumps can also be seen here. Remains of forges and smelting furnaces have been found throughout the area. Archaeologists have found piles of used ore and metallurgical slag here.
Lake Isetskoye in the Sverdlovsk region is a unique corner of nature in our country. This is a great place for lovers of antiquity and natural beauty. If you are one of them, be sure to visit Lake Isetskoe. Reviews about this place suggest that it is worth getting to know it better. Lovers of a quiet and healthy holiday in nature will find exactly what they are looking for here.
