Yayva: Water Tower, Museum and Railway History

Yayva can be explored through its railway history, local history museum and public art. The water tower is Yayva’s oldest brick building; a 12-square-metre model depicts production facilities, a railway, administrative and residential buildings, and human figures. Together, these offer different ways to learn about the town’s history.

Railway and local history

One specific connection begins with railway construction: alongside the railway, Yayva station, a water tower, a water pumping station, and accommodation for employees and track workers were built. The water tower is also the oldest brick building in Yayva. The history therefore encompasses not only the station building and technical facilities, but also housing for employees. For travellers interested in local development, this combination makes the railway connection more tangible than a single building on its own.

Yayva’s local history museum was founded in 1974, initially as a museum of the Verkh-Yayvinsky Lespromkhoz, and developed into a local history museum over time. This change itself tells a story of a shift in focus: the initial orientation gave way to an emphasis on local history. For travel planning, the museum offers another way to discover Yayva, alongside its buildings and railway past.

A guided tour at the local history museum is listed for the period from 7 November 2024 to 28 December 2030. It covers the filming of the movie “The Girls” in December 1961 in the Yayva area, the circumstances of the filming, the actors’ relationships, and eyewitness recollections. This theme connects film history with local context and personal memories. If you would like to include this tour in your plans, check the specific dates before your visit.

Yayva in the model and the townscape

Created in 2015 with support from Yayvinskaya GRES, the model covers 12 square metres. It depicts production facilities, a railway, administrative and residential buildings, and human figures; lighting effects show the scene by day and by night. The different elements are presented together: industrial facilities, transport, administration and housing. The model thus offers a different perspective on Yayva from the history of individual buildings.

Public art also adds distinctive touches to the townscape. In “Birch Grove” stand sculptures of Yayva and Tulum, as well as a taimen symbolising the river. Alongside the railway and museum history, these figures and the river motif offer another cultural perspective.

Nature experiences in the Perm Region

One nature-focused destination within the broader Perm Region travel destination is the Basegi Nature Reserve. There is an excursion route there called “To the Summit of Northern Basegi.” Its round-trip distance is 11 kilometres; the duration, including the guided tour and time to rest, is 5 to 8 hours. The starting point is the checkpoint at the Schastlivy ranger station. On foot, the route covers 3,700 metres through taiga forest and about 300 metres across mountain meadows. The excursion season runs from June to October. This makes it possible to plan a separate, several-hour nature outing; arrange the details with the nature reserve in advance.

The visitor centre at Basegi Nature Reserve includes a small museum exhibition on the flora and fauna of the Perm Region. Environmental education discussions, lectures, quizzes and games featuring films or multimedia presentations are regularly held there. Visitors to the Perm Region can therefore choose between a seasonal route through forest and mountain meadows and recurring educational activities at the visitor centre.

Discover more destinations: Senkino, Sokol, Osa, Perm, Berezniki, Chusovoy, Mostovaya, Lysva

Go to the main travel overview: Perm Region.