Novaya Lyalya

The Lyalya River flows through the forested country of the northern Urals. Its name has been interpreted from Mansi as “river of enemies.” Copper was discovered in the area during Peter I's reign, and a state copper-smelting works was built nearby in 1723. It processed ore for a short time but closed in 1744 as the deposits were exhausted. The inhabitants of the surrounding country then turned to agriculture; the later settlement of Novaya Lyalya took its name from the river.