In the XVIIIth century the Ural region was a national and world leader in the manufacture of ferrous metals, producing 4/5th of the total amount of metal in Russia. In the second quarter of the XIXth century Yekaterinburg became a major machine engineering center. In the second half of the XIXth century its plants began to manufacture mining machinery, metallurgical equipment, and steam engines. The best known manufacturers were Yates, the brothers Korobeinkikov, and the brothers Berenov.

At first Yekaterinburg belonged to the Tobolsk region. However, in 1781 it was granted the status of a town of within the Perm principality. In 1783 the Senate approved its coat of arms. The upper part of the shield in this coat of arms displayed a bear with the New Testament on its back against the background of red which was to symbolize that the town belonged to the Perm region, while the lower part showed a silver smelting furnace and a mine against the background of green which symbolized the abundance of minerals near the town. In 1807 Yekaterinburg was granted a unique status of a mining city. It had its own mining courts and mining police, Catherine's Mining Cathedral, the main mining pharmacy, and a town garrison directly subordinated to the Head of the Mining Plants of the Ural Mountain Range. It is only in 1863 that the town was returned under civilian rule.

At the same time Yekaterinburg was turning into a center of non-mining industries and banking business. The discovery of Siberian gold brought about a fabulous wealth to city and stimulated its growth. For a long time the mining of this gold was the monopoly of Yekaterinburg merchants, the Ryazanovs, Rastorguyevs, Balandins, and others.

Situated on the border between Europe and Asia the town played an important mediating role in trade. Initially one of the parts of the fortress, and then of the town, was called a Trade part. In 1843 the State Commercial Bank opened its branch office in Yekaterinburg; the Siberian, the Volga-Kama, and the City Community Banks began operating here early in the XXth century.

Despite its provincial character the town was a major cultural center. It had a mining school, a mining research society, and a mining museum. 1843 is the year of establishment of the town's first theater company, for which, four years later, the citizens constructed a theater building in the Glavny Prospect (High Street). In 1870 the Ural Society of Science Enthusiasts was established whose members published works about the Ural region and organized expeditions. The national crisis caused by World War I, the February revolution and the October upheaval radically changed the fate of the town. On October 26, 1917 Soviet Power was proclaimed in Yekaterinburg.

Before the civil war Yekaterinburg became a regional center, and in 1923 it was granted the rights of the center, and in 1923 it was granted the rights of the administrative center of the newly established huge Ural region.

In 1924 the name of Yekaterinburg disappeared from the map of the country. As the totalitarian regime grew stronger it gave the names of its leaders to all places, big and small. Thus, Yekaterinburg was renamed into Sverdlovsk. In 1934 it became the main city of the region bearing the same name.

Throughout the 1920s - 1930s Yekaterinburg preserved its significance as an industrial and cultural center of the Urals. The construction of huge plants brought about a threefold increase in its population. The Sverdlovsk builders constructed dozens of industrial buildings, blocks of flats, schools, shops and hospitals. In 1925 the city got its first water supply line and first bus routes. In 1929 the first tram appeared on its streets and a broadcasting station was put into operation. High-rise buildings became the sign of the time.

In 1940 the city had 12 institutions of higher learning, 30 technical schools, 100 secondary schools, 166 libraries, 7 museums, and 5 theaters.

Sverdlovsk was turning into a city of big science. In 1932 the USSR Academy of Sciences opened its branch here.

During the years of World War II the city was turned into a powerful arsenal of military equipment and armaments. The leading enterprises of the city were converted to military production. Sverdlovsk gave refuge to the People's Commissariat of Nonferrous Metallurgy, the Presidium of the USSR Academy of Sciences, the N.Zhukovsky Air-Force Academy, the Central Theater of Soviet Army, the famous Moscow MHAT theater, and the unique collections of the Hermitage.

Dozens of thousands of Sverdlovities fought on the fronts of the Great Patriotic War. Over 100, 000 citizens were decorated with orders and medals; 55 were granted the title «Hero of the Soviet Union».

After the war Sverdlovsk continued to develop as a large industrial center in the Urals. Its industrial plants and factories were important suppliers for machine engineering, ferrous and nonferrous metallurgy, chemistry, power engineering, and light and food industries.

The city was rapidly growing. In 1967 its millionth resident was born.

On November 18, 1978 the people of Sverdlovsk celebrated the Day of the City for the first time. Now it is a traditional popular festival.

On September 4, 1991 the city was returned its original name - Yekaterinburg.