The city pond — an artificial reservoir created in 1723 to power the iron foundries that gave Yekaterinburg its existence — is the centre's chief open space. A paved embankment runs around it, planted with limes and birches, and serves as the city's main promenade.
Across the dam at the southern end is the Plotinka — a small park built atop the original 18th-century dam, with old hydraulic equipment on display, an evening hangout for skaters, buskers and beer-drinking students.