Verkhnyaya Sinyachikha is a village, located not far from the city Alapaevsk, in the north of the Sverdlovsk region. 
In 1769 an iron ore was found on the bank of Sinyachikha river and the construction of the plant began. A big dam was built, people produced and sold iron in Moscow, St. Petersburg and England. Houses were situated on the right side of the river and factory shops – on the left one. That's how this village arised.
    In 1778 the first school was opened here and the settlement started to grow rapidly. During World War II the plant was producing steel for the bullets used by soldiers. After the end of war the village continued to develop – new areas appeared and a bus service between Verkhnyaya Sinyachikha and Alapaevsk was established.  
For more than a half century the ironworks has been the only big enterprise in the settlement. Many generations of countrymen have mastered the profession of metallurgist. But as time passed by, new industrial companies were opened. In 1941 a wood-chemical plant was launched and in 1972 first products were manufactured by a plywood factory. In 1980 an agricultural college with the up-to-date equipment appeared in the village.
  Today Verkhnyaya Sinyachikha is a locality with features of a modern city. School of art, library, three schools, shops and hospital are situated here. There are also different sports centres like a basketball club “Burevestnik”.

Verkhnyaya Sinyachikha and the Romanov Dynasty
It is also an important historical place. Monastery of New Russian Martyrs located here was founded in memory of Romanov dynasty. It stands on a place where in 1918 Grand Duchess Yelizaveta (Elizabeth) Fyodorovna and other members of Nicholas II family were killed – they were thrown alive in the mine. Now there is a memorial cross here, visited by pilgrims every year. The monastery keeps St. Elizabeth's relics, brought from Jerusalem in 2004. 
Yelizaveta Fyodorovna was a German princess and the wife of Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich (brother of emperor Alexander III). She became famous in Russia for her beauty and charitable works. After her marriage in 1884 she has learned Russian and adopted orthodoxy. In 1905 her husband has been murdered by a terrorist. It was a great loss for her and Yelizaveta became a nun. She had sold her jewelries and then bought an estate, where the Marfo-Mariinsky Convent was opened. It was not only a spiritual, but also a medical centre. Famous doctors read lectures there and Grand Duchess looked after sick people. When the Bolsheviks had come to power, she refused to leave Russia. In 1918 she was arrested like other members of the Romanov dynasty. She was taken to Yekaterinburg and then to Alapaevsk, where she met her death.

Verkhnyaya Sinyachikha: How to Get There
By Car: Follow the Berezovsky tract, take the exit labeled Rezh, pass “Monetny” and “Losiny” stops and just before Rezh turn right to Alapaevsk. Follow until the road sign “Nizhnyaya Sinyachikha” and then turn left towards Verkhnyaya Sinyachikha. The monastery will be seen from afar. You can drive up to the temple. There is a small car park there. It is about 170 km from Yekaterinburg to Verkhnaya Sinyachikha. 
By Bus: North (“Severny”) Bus Terminal is situated in Vokzalniy district of Yekaterinburg, near the railway terminal. You should take bus 823 in the direction Verkhnyaya Sinyachikha. It will go through Alapaevsk and the last stop is that what you need. The approximate time departure: 2 p.m., 6.45 p.m, 7.30 p.m., 8.15 p.m. The ticket costs 298,5 rubles per person. You can check the exact timetable here: www.avtovokzal-ekb.ru 
 
 Sources: Wikipedia, Uralweb, www.nashgorod.ru

Natalia Semicheva