The Chusovaya River is a Ural legend. It is the only stream of water which crosses the Ural Ridge and it is through the waters of the Chusovaya that the complete history of the acquisition of the mountainous country by Russian colonists can be told. The river served as the main route via which Yermak Timofeevich, who headed the conquest of Siberia, led his expedition. For a long time this waterway was the main transportation artery along which the influential Russian industrialists, the Demidovs, floated their iron caravans. The rocky cliffs lining the riverbanks once presented a mortal danger to these ships and barges, however today they are part of the breathtaking landscape which leaves a lasting impression on the tourists sailing along the Chusovaya River.