There are many admirable constructions (both, old architectural monuments and victims of modern urban architecture) in Yekaterinburg (unofficial capital of the Urals). But it is the abandoned and left-to-the mercy-of-fate TV tower that possesses original uniqueness and that is an object of justified pride of the citizens. There may be no more objects like this in the whole world. 220 meters of high-quality, high-strength concrete, huge sums of invested money - all of these have been standing in heavy rains and high winds for years, being no one's property and care - without guard and upkeep. The tower was foisted off on those who enjoy sharp feelings and breath-taking adventures because it is possible to climb up to the top of the tower using metal constructions inside it, and from above "one may see everything, that is" (Russian folk song).
 

     The erection of the tower in former Sverdlovsk (now Yekaterinburg) started in the late 80-ies. The project was grandiose. In addition to the TV stuff, they wanted to fill it up with cafe and restaurant (on the top) - just like in Ostankino. The ambitions of Sverdlovsk regional administration were really fantastic. They wanted it to be like in Moscow and in the capitals of the Soviet Republics. The construction of the TV tower was being carried out with the help of the most advanced techniques and methods: high-strength concrete was poured right on the spot. The giant was born and started to get bigger. The concrete frame was finished at the height 220 m above pavement level. The tower became known as "the monument to a real man" (which is amazingly true, especially if you look at it through the dome of the circus).
     At the beginning of the 90-ies the money allocated for the building of the tower were all used up and it froze hovering over the city in its dignified oblivion.
 

     At first it was considered that the construction of the tower was just temporarily suspended and the tower was protected. But at some point in 1992 - 1993 the pioneers from the masses found out that the tower was absolutely unprotected and open to general public which could use it in any way it wanted. Moreover it turned out that one could reach the top of the tower using the constructions inside it (in order to do that one had to have basic physical skills only). Thus the climbers started the era of the exploration of the tower. Every 24 hours several dozens of people (mainly under 20 years old) used to climb the tower up to the observation ground. People started to call the tower "the sea".
 

     The epoch of spontaneous exploration of "the sea" lasted 3 years. In April 1995 the "Television Agency of the Urals" (TAU) started using the tower. The first step of the TAU was to hold an extremal parachute event called Base-jumpers, during which 4 sportsmen jumped from the top of the tower with their parachutes open. Following the event there was created a movie. But it was not until June 1997 that this topic got its peculiar development with TAU holding 7 extremal events.
 

     On June 12th 1997 mountaineer Michael Pershin and rock-climber Ramil Belalov began climbing up the exterior, sheer wall of the tower. They used mountaineering methods and techniques, punched holes in the concrete and spent nights right on the wall on the mountaineering platform. 4 days later the duet Pershin - Belalov reached the top.
 

     After that it was a mountaineer Sergey Tarasov who, using the same holes in the concrete, performed solo-ascent. The "TAU" created full-length films reflecting both events.
 

     Another direction in the adaptation of the TV tower promoted by the "TAU" was BASE - one of the most dangerous kinds of human activities. BASE-JUMP means a jump from the stationary object (BUILDING - ANTENNA - SPAN - EARTH) with the parachute closed. The canopy opens during the jump with the help of the auxiliary (pilot) parachute ("medusa").
 

     The main hero of all events held by "TAU" was Dmitry Kiselyov (nicknamed The Drop) the most advanced and experienced Russian baser (currently lives in Moscow). Of course, there are even more renowned Russian-speaking base-jumpers, e.g. Yuri Kuznetsov from Washington. But the Grasshopper (Russ. - kuznetchik) started to do Base in America and he lives in the US now. Thus the Drop is definitely the best if compared to other Russian base-jumpers.
 

     "The Drop" made his first base-jump from Yekaterinburg's TV tower on June 22nd 1997. From that day on he made 10 more jumps, both solo and with beginners. A sandwich jump (when 2 people jump together) is considered to be the greatest achievement in this kind of sport. Dmitry Kiselyov and Sergey Kuznetsov (Yuri's brother) performed 3 jumps like this in June 1997. The pictures show different phases of such sandwich jump. The most dangerous thing about such 2-layer jump is to get entangled with the canopy of the partner who is below, which in most cases means certain death. Fortunately there were no accidents in Yekaterinburg so far. Following those jumps, the "TAU" created several films.
 

     While the "TAU" carried on a civilized exploration of the TV tower with the help of well-trained professionals, suicides and laymen-extremals also headed for the tower. Crowds of connoisseurs of sharp feelings and adrenalin, without special training, were climbing the tower. The inside constructions of it allow those who have good physical fitness to reach the 220 m mark in 30 - 40 min. And gradually it has become favourite pastime of the idle lot, only lazybones didn't do it.

     But the bravest thought of another fun - to use the outside ladder of the tower to get to the top of it. This is really crazy because the ladder, after 10 years of standing in rains and winds, got completely rusty. Besides, it dangles and has no banisters on the upper 150 m. The risk to fall is tremendous. But despite the fear, the group of courageous young men, so-called "ladder specialists", appeared in Yekaterinburg. For them the tower came to mean the way of life. This "Interest Club" has approx. 2 dozens of members.
 

     On October 27th 1998 the strongest and the most experienced climber of this group Alexander Palyanov died by accident. He plummeted from the height of 220 m. He climbed the tower in the night, stumbled and plunged through the hole in the top landing to his death. Very little was left from the young body of the student of medical school. The body was identified through the shoes and a cigarette case. Alexander was not the first person who fell victim to the forlorn tower. It is rumoured that the highest object of the Urals took lives of 25 people. In actual fact it was reported only about 3 lethal accidents. At the beginning of the 90-ies, at an early stage of exploration of the tower 11-year-old boy plunged 10 meters to his death due to the lack of experience and special training. Next to come was the suicide of 20-year-old Eugene, who jumped voluntarily from the top of the tower on September 1st 1997. He had killed his own mother the day before and had become so guilt-ridden that decided to die. And the last and the most dramatic and terrible death was the death of Alexander Palyanov. He risked life and lamb on any occasion. According to him, he tried to make the borderline between life and death as thin as possible. He went up the dangerous ladder blindfolded, with his hands bound, with weights tied to his feet etc. And died accidentally. And in order to prevent his followers from tempting fate, the "Television Agency of the Urals" cut the outside ladder and welded the entrance door of the tower. 3 victims of the tower-climbing are enough.
 

     Tactical-technical specifications: the tower is a frustum of cone 220 m high, with wide-diameter socle at the foot of it. The socle is 10 m high above pavement level. Metal scaffolding can be stationed inside the tower. It is a combination of right-angled girders and square cells approx. 1m high. It was counted that there are 206 such squares from the earth till the observation ground. 164 of them are equipped with ladders (8 steps each). 1 ladder - for 2 squares. All in all, there are 1,312 steps in the tower. 42 squares don't have ladders at all, and one has to have a good stretch to get over them. The ladders are situated in the lower part of the tower, a few of them - in the middle and a long fragment of the ladder at the finish. While climbing the scaffolds to get to the top, one may come across 2 intermediate camps that are there to give shelter and rest to a tired traveller.
 

     The legal and factual owner of the tower was finally found in 1998. There have been elaborated projects how to bring the tower up to scratch (so that it can be useful not only for young extremals but for all citizens - TV viewers).