Kasli Iron Casting

The Kasli ironworks opened in 1747 and by the nineteenth century was casting art rather than only industry: figurines, animals, candlesticks, plaques, chess sets and busts, in iron so finely moulded that folds of cloth and open lace come out sharp, then finished by hand with files and coated black. The works employed sculptors and bought models from established ones, and the surface finish became the house signature. For the 1900 Paris exposition the works cast an entire cast iron pavilion, an openwork structure of columns and panels, which took the grand prix; the story goes that a buyer wanted it and the works refused to sell because the deal would have included a sculpture of Russia standing in front of it. The pavilion is now in the Yekaterinburg art museum, disassembled and rebuilt there. Kasli itself has a small museum of the casting and the works still operates.

What you actually see

• The fine detail - cloth folds and openwork lace reproduced in cast iron.
• The Paris pavilion - the 1900 grand prix structure, now displayed in Yekaterinburg.
• The hand finishing - files and black coating applied after casting.
• The town museum - historical pieces and moulds in Kasli itself.

When to go

All year. Two hours in Kasli; the pavilion itself needs a trip to Yekaterinburg.

Honest expectations

The famous pavilion is not in Kasli - it is in Yekaterinburg, several hours away. The town museum is small and Russian-labelled. Works tours are limited. Casting sold as Kasli varies in quality and the finish is the tell.

Nearby

The Kasli lakes surround the town; Chelyabinsk is about two hours south.