Ekaterinburg - First half of the 19th century.

The first half of the 19th century is the period of intensive development of pre-revolutionary Ekaterinburg. Ekaterinburg became the centre of all Ural industry.

In 30-s of the 19th century Ural merchants organized a group and sent it to Siberia. This group discovered a large gold field in Tomsk Oblast. The field development and its exploitation brought immense riches to Ekaterinburg. This event as well as flourishing of trade and industry favored further city's development. Capital forthcoming caused intensive industrial and house-building.

In 1837, Glinka V. took a post of plants' superior. Machinery factory and other factories played an important role in industry development. State enterprises as well as private ones were developing. The most powerful enterprise was Verch-Isetsky plant, which belonged to Yakovlev S.S., though, in fact, it was beyond city boundaries.

The city is famous not only for its industry but for important cultural and historic events.
Ekaterinburg was one the cities, which lied on the route of Decembrists. They stopped in Ekaterinburg when they were deported to Siberia. There are several buildings where Decembrist stayed. Some Decembrists mentioned about Ekaterinburg, when they described their way to Siberia. They wrote about people in Ekaterinburg, their respect to Decembrists and desire to help them. Now there is one street in the city named in memory of Decembrists, the Decembrist Street, the former Alexandrovsky Avenue. There is also the Decembrist Bridge, the former Tsar's Bridge, it stands over the Iset River.

Due to trade development more and more merchants became rich. They wanted to demonstrate their richness and power. For this reason they began to build mansions: stone houses with wide yards and gardens. These mansions belonged to prosperous officials and merchants, owners of gold-mines, who imitated Moscow's style. They defined the architectural style of Ekaterinburg in the first half of 19th century.

Ekaterinburg -Second half of the 19th century.

At the end of the 18th century Russia was feudal still, though first signs of capitalistic system appeared. In spite of it, new social-economic system settled only in the middle of the 19th century, later than in Europe.

After the reform in 1861, serfdom was abolished, that increased a number of workers in cities. Industry boosting in the country set a base for a new stage of capitalism - imperialism in 90-s. It caused technological progress and further development of trade. Ekaterinburg remained its peculiarity till the reform of 1861. Till this year industry was based on serfdom, that's why the serf-ownership crisis influenced further development of the city badly.

Ekaterinburg turned into a common chief town of a district. Ekaterinburg as all other Russian cities had economical crisis in this post reform period. 60-s were difficult years for Ekaterinburg. It was a period of changes for the city, as it lost its status of a military and administrative centre. Due to home craft and trade development, manufacture appeared, that made the basis of city's industry. At the same time Ekaterinburg was turning into a financial centre. Branches of Siberian and Volghsky Banks as well as private banks were opened here.

In 1878, there was one more important event. The railway was built. It connected Ekaterinburg with other Ural cities, than with Siberia and later with the European part of Russia.

By the end of 19th century, Ekaterinburg became a typical capitalistic Russian city, this fact influenced its architecture. A lot of new industrial plants and enterprises were built. They appeared not only in the suburbs but within the precincts of the city. Except plants and factories, stream mills and an electric power station appeared.