State Stone Cutting and Jewelers Art History Museum, Yekaterinburg (must see)

Founded in 1992, the State Stone Cutting and Jewelers Art History Museum focuses on stone cutting and jewelry art. It is housed in a former pharmaceutical building from the early 19th century. The building has a simple Classical design, which contrasts with the bright colors and complex surfaces of the stone and metal objects inside. Today, the museum works as both an exhibition space and a research center dedicated to applied arts based on Ural mineral resources.

A major part of the collection comes from the Imperial Lapidary Works and shows state-supported stone cutting of the 18th and 19th centuries. One of the most important pieces is a vase made of Kalkan jasper, about 1.5 meters high. It is among the oldest and largest surviving stone-cut works in the region.

Another section focuses on stories connected to stone and local culture. Eleven decorative panels are based on Ural folk tales recorded by Pavel Bazhov in The Malachite Casket. These panels show figures such as the Mistress of the Copper Mountain and are created using stone, metal, and mixed techniques. This display explains how folklore shaped artistic images and gave minerals symbolic meaning in the region.

In addition to its permanent collection, the museum regularly hosts temporary exhibitions, lectures, and workshops. Contemporary jewelers and stone cutters take part, showing how traditional materials and skills are used in modern work. This mix of historical objects and current practice shapes the museum’s activity today.