Why is Kungur called the "navel of the universe"?
Kungur is a small ancient town in the Perm region on the banks of the Sylva River, with a population of just over 62,000. It was first mentioned in 1623. In the late 1700s, the Russian philosopher and writer Alexander Radishchev I was passing through Kungur and stayed not happy: "The city is ancient, poorly built. Formerly provincial... In the square in front of the fence stand 20 cast-iron cannons on carriages, of which three are serviceable."And suddenly – “the navel of the earth.” Why?
A few years after Radishchev's visit, the city was transformed and was "merchant republic." In 1783, the Siberian Highway reached Kungur. The city found itself at the crossroads of the roads from Moscow to Siberia, the Birsk route toward Ufa, and the Goroblagodat route to the Trans-Urals. The city also passed through lay The Great Tea Road is a route from China, India and Ceylon to Russia. reached out carts with tea. Thus, Kungur became a center for trade in various goods, and by the 19th century, along with Kyakhta, the "tea capital of Russia." A box of tea cost as much as a house and a plot of land back then. Local merchant Alexey Gubkin was the first to take up the tea business, and others soon gained fame in the field. Thus, tea came to Russia and became part of the national culture, and Kungur confirmed its title as the "navel of the universe."
In 2007, a veritable "Navel of the Universe" appeared in Kungur as a tourist attraction. It's a sculptural composition on the Sylva River embankment. It's a granite hemisphere surrounded by a compass rose. The outer circle marks the distance from Kungur to Perm and world capitals like Moscow, Paris, and others. The monument's location is that very intersection. seven roads - automobile, pedestrian and river (along the Sylva River) roads of Kungur.
Today, Kungur isn't a major center of trade and economics, but it is a major tourist attraction. They are drawn by the many ancient buildings and the famous Kungur Ice Cave. one of the largest Karst caves in the European part of Russia. It extends 8,1 kilometers deep, making it the 17th longest cave in the world. It's estimated to be 10 to 12 years old. However, not all tourists are satisfied: they complain about the dilapidated cultural heritage sites, the poorly maintained city, and the lack of modern services. The biggest disappointment is the cessation of tours to the ice cave. closed For undefined period.
