Discover Is: Culture at the “Platina” Visitor Center

The cultural and tourism visitor center “Platina” gives Is a clear cultural focus. The center opened in the settlement of Is; its themes connect rural life in tsarist times with gold prospecting, minerals and local history. If you are looking for a holiday apartment, this focus can help you choose a destination: Is suits a travel plan that includes local culture. Check current visiting arrangements before you arrive.

Exhibitions spanning everyday history and gold prospecting

When the visitor center opened, its featured content included depictions of rural life in tsarist times, gold prospectors’ tools, a model of a floating dredge and minerals. Together, these themes lead from historical ways of life to the tools and technical aspects of gold prospecting. The center therefore offers several different points of interest for a visit, rather than focusing on just one period or subject.

In October 2025, visitors could also see the “Chitalnya” themed room, with its reconstructed aristocratic living space and a gramophone. Another exhibition covered the Great Patriotic War, telling its story through well-known figures with ties to the settlement. The living space and the exhibition offer different perspectives: one presents a reconstructed setting, while the other explores history through figures connected with Is.

The visitor center announced theatrical tours, cultural programs and quizzes for 2025. An interview in 2025 also extended an invitation to everyone interested. If these formats are what make a visit especially appealing to you, check current visiting arrangements and dates before your trip.

Choose your route and accommodation to suit your travel plans

A bus journey from Nizhnyaya Tura to Is takes 35 minutes. Check the current timetable before setting out. This gives you a specific indication of the journey time for this bus trip and can help you plan your day roughly.

The focus of your trip is a useful starting point when looking for a holiday apartment. If you mainly want to explore the visitor center’s cultural themes, you can make Is the destination for your search. For a broader itinerary, your choice should be guided by the places where you actually want to stay overnight.

Another cultural focus in Sverdlovsk Oblast

In the wider destination of Sverdlovsk Oblast, another cultural focus is the Museum Complex for Civilian and Military Equipment in Verkhnyaya Pyshma. It has more than 15,000 exhibits, including over 2,000 items of civilian and military equipment. Its collection includes military, civilian, railway and mining equipment; collection figures may change. Unlike the historical and gold-prospecting themes at the “Platina” Visitor Center, the focus there is a broad technical collection.

The 2026 list of approved routes for Sverdlovsk Oblast includes the Demidov Route between Yekaterinburg, Nevyansk and Nizhny Tagil as an approved road tourism route. The same list includes the route “Vdol Iseti na zvuk kolokola: puteshestvie v Kamensk-Uralskiy” between Yekaterinburg and Kamensk-Uralsky as an approved road tourism route. The list also includes the route “Otkryvaya Ural: priroda, istoriya, legendy” between Yekaterinburg, Irbit, Turinsk and Tavda as an approved road tourism route. The places named distinguish the regional route options; check current route information before departure.

For the broader travel overview: gorod Nizhnyaya Tura.