The construction of a fort to protect the future ironworks from the Bashkirs, who occupied this territory at the time, began in 1723. Over 1 000 peasants from 20 villages worked on the construction of the dam led by foreman Leonty Zlobin. They dug a deep ditch then used rows of wooden piles and decks to form the body of the dam, all the gaps were filled with clay.
The dam was originally earthen with larch wood base which does not rot, but hardens under water without oxygen. The granite cover was added much later during a reconstruction of the 1830-1850s. The researchers argue that having served without a single repair for almost three hundred years, the dam could easily stand for as much longer.
In the 18th century just like a human heart transporting blood the Dam transferred the energy from the Iset to the first industrial objects of the city: ironworks, mint, and stone-cutting factory. Today it’s the historic center of Ekaterinburg, a place very popular among citizens and affectionately called “Plotinka”.
Water Tower by the city pond dam was built in 1880s to supply Ekaterinburg’s railway workshops.
The lower level of the hexagonal water tower is made of large granite blocks, and the upper level is wooden. The structure is topped with a lantern. In 1972-1973 the wooden parts of the tower were replaced and the metal talk removed from the inside.
Water tower is one of well-recognized symbols of Ekaterinburg. During summer the tower hosts the “Metal Shop” museum dedicated to the blacksmith craftsmanship of the Urals in the 18–19th centuries.
INTERESTING FACT
Contrary to popular belief, the current central drain of the dam has never had industrial use. It was necessary to get down vernal waters and regulate the flow rate, to prevent the risk of flooding the plant. The actual industrial drains were located on both sides of the central. One of them nowadays serves as an underground passage, and the other one is used to store cleaning equipment.