[POST]Industrial Urals: Aramil. A town where religions meet

Aramil (1,125 miles to the east of Moscow) is a town in Sverdlovsk Oblast, located at the confluence of the Iset and Aramilka rivers (Ob basin).

Aramil is one of the oldest towns in the Urals. It was founded in 1675.

Some Muslims helped rebuild the place of worship. Pictured: An Orthodox priest with the imam of the mosque against the backdrop of the church in Aramil.

The Muslim and Orthodox communities stand together against the problems that face the town: drug abuse, crime and racism.

The imam is conducting a wedding ceremony, or nikah. The bride and groom are on the right.

The table during the celebration of nikah. The main treats are sweets and cakes.

Islam is the second largest religion not only in Russia, but also in the Urals.

Traditional Muslims (Tatars and Bashkirs) have long lived side-by-side with the Christian population.

During the Soviet period, Islam, like any other religion, was forbidden. Mosques were closed or destroyed.

Now, particularly in the Urals, new mosques are being built and houses of worship reconstructed.

One of the features of the Ural Islam is its multi-ethnicity. It has its own specificity: among the Muslims of the region, a large percentage of migrants come from Central Asia. They are gradually consolidated into their own ethnic and religious structures and become part of the region’s economic and social life.

The indigenous population of the Urals prevails in Aramil's mosque, although their views are taken into account when decisions on major issues are made.

By 1707 the settlement of Aramil included 24 towns. Many plants and factories were built here at the beginning of the 18th century. They added impetus to the further development of the major Ural cities.

Aramil itself received town status in 1966. It is located 9 miles from Yekaterinburg.

Pictured: The word “Allah” on a blackboard in Aramil's mosque.

Aramil’s population as of 2014 is about 14,000 people.