The lavish building in red and white tones is located next to the Yekaterinburg-Passenger station and the Ural metro station. It attracts the attention of city guests who are visiting the capital of the Sverdlovsk region for the first time.

The Old Station is indeed an interesting place, known as the "military" station. It was from here that soldiers departed for the front during the First and Second World Wars.

Today, the station is a monument of architecture, a witness to the country's historical events, and a museum where one can spend time waiting for a train.

The first railway station appeared in Yekaterinburg in 1878 after the construction of the Ural Railway, connecting Perm and Yekaterinburg. Architect Pyotr Shreiber from St. Petersburg created similar stations in both cities. The railway served the needs of Ural enterprises, so it did not extend further west or east.

The Old Station of Yekaterinburg consisted of a complex of buildings: two main structures, a baggage department, and a square in front of the station. The facade was designed in the neo-Russian style with a tower adorned with kokoshniks and the city’s coat of arms. The station became the center of the city due to its luxurious appearance.

The interior of the station was no less impressive. Travelers entered a spacious vestibule with a ticket office and a baggage department. There were also souvenir shops selling products made from Ural stones. To the right of the vestibule was a hall for first and second-class passengers, and to the left, for third-class. The station also included a post office, telegraph, buffet, office, and infirmary, and in the right wing, a hotel for the rich and famous.

The station buildings were heated by stoves, and lighting was provided by kerosene lamps. The square in front of the station was decorated with a garden featuring flowers and a fountain.

Until the end of the 19th century, the station served Yekaterinburg, but with the development of the railway and an increase in passenger traffic, a new station was built in 1914. In 1939, it was renovated, and a staircase leading to the platform was added.

Today, the operating station in Yekaterinburg has two floors, adorned with stucco, paintings, and frescoes dedicated to the Stalin era. The path to the trains passes through a tunnel, while the old building has become a museum.

The First World War determined the future of the building. It became a meeting place for soldiers returning from the front and a hospital for the wounded. The station earned the nickname "military" and remained so until 1990, when it was surrounded by trade stalls and offices, losing its former charm.

In 2003, at the initiative of Russian Railways, the old station was restored and transformed into a museum of history, science, and technology of the Sverdlovsk Railway. Now it is a cultural heritage site of the country, telling the story of locomotive construction, the development of transportation routes, and the evolution of railway transport in the Urals.

Sculptures depicting passengers and railway employees have appeared in the old station square. Inside the building, exhibits reconstruct important episodes from the history of the railway. The exhibition is divided into technical and historical parts, the latter presented in chronological order.