Founded in 1723, this Russian city has grown from a military outpost into an industrial hub, with 19th-century mansions, wooden cottages, and one of Russia's oldest ballet theaters.
Perm stretches along the Kama River, marking a transition between European Russia and the Ural Mountains. You can touch the bronze Walking Bear statue on Lenin Street, step inside the Perm Opera and Ballet Theatre’s columned building, or take a ferry to see the Permyak Salty Ears monument shaped like giant ears. The city grew from a copper-smelting village established in 1723 to a key industrial center during World War II, with factories relocated from western Russia. Today, former military sites like the Motovilikha artillery complex and the Perm-36 labor camp museum reveal layers of its past. Thick pine forests surround the city, and the Kama’s wide waters flow through its center, creating a landscape that rewards slow exploration.
Theaters, Museums, and Cultural Events
Begin your visit at the Perm Opera and Ballet Theatre, a pale yellow building with a domed roof that stages Swan Lake and new Russian plays. Dancers from its training school regularly join Moscow’s Bolshoi Theatre. The Perm State Art Gallery holds gold-leaf religious icons from the 1400s, carved wooden angels made by local craftsmen, and oil paintings by Dutch artists like Jacob van Ruisdael. At the PERMM Museum, housed in a former river port warehouse, you’ll find rotating exhibits of modern sculptures and video art. Each May, the Diaghilev Festival fills theaters with ballet premieres and street performances celebrating Sergei Diaghilev, who grew up in Perm.
History Shaped by Industry and Politics
Workers built Perm’s first copper smelter in 1723 under orders from Peter the Great’s advisor Vasily Tatishchev. The city became a shipping hub when the Trans-Siberian Railway reached it in 1899, connecting grain from Siberia to European markets. During World War II, factories moved here from cities under German siege began producing tanks and artillery shells. A 20-ton cannon made at the Motovilikha Plant now stands on a hill overlooking the Kama. For a darker chapter, drive 120 kilometers east to Perm-36, a preserved Soviet prison camp where dissidents lived in unheated barracks until the 1980s.
Exploring Nature Around Perm
Rent a bike to ride along the Kama’s paved riverside paths, passing fishermen and cargo docks. Take a boat tour to see the city skyline from the water between May and September. The Khokhlovka Architectural Museum, 40 kilometers north, displays 300-year-old log houses and a wooden watchtower on a pine-covered hill above the river. Experienced cavers dive in the Orda Cave’s crystal-clear gypsum tunnels near the village of Orda, using waterproof lamps to navigate. In January, ski lifts open at Gubakha resort, two hours east, with slopes suitable for beginners.
Getting Around Perm
Bolshoye Savino Airport has daily flights to Moscow and Istanbul. From Perm-II Railway Station, overnight trains reach Yekaterinburg in six hours. Trams and buses cost 20 rubles per ride, but schedules can be irregular—download the Yandex Maps app for real-time updates. Follow the Green Line painted on sidewalks to walk past the Cathedral of the Transfiguration’s white bell tower and the Central Market’s produce stalls. The Red Line route takes you past Soviet-era apartment blocks and the concrete dam spanning the Kama. For distant sites like Perm-36, book a taxi through the Yandex Go app.
Food and Evening Entertainment
Order shanga, a baked dough disk with egg or jam, at Stolovaya No. 1 near Lenin Street. At the Central Market, vendors sell posikunchiki—fried dumplings stuffed with beef and onions. Grill-Tavern Montenegro prepares elk steaks with cranberry sauce, served alongside dark Permskoye beer. After sunset, head to Sibirskaya Street where Molotov Bar Shop serves vodka infusions with horseradish or pine nuts. On summer weekends, temporary beer gardens open along the riverbank, lit by strings of bulbs.
Annual Festivals and Seasonal Tips
Perm celebrates its founding every June 12th with a parade down Komsomolsky Prospekt and fireworks launched from barges on the Kama. The Diaghilev Festival in May includes ballet workshops and outdoor film screenings near the opera house. In February, athletes compete in the Ice Cross Downhill World Championship, sliding down an icy track near the city center. Between November and March, visit the Kungur Ice Cave to walk through frozen tunnels with electric lamps highlighting ice stalactites. Book theater tickets at least a week ahead, even though most visitors are locals.
