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Novosibirsk facts
City Novosibirsk, the capital of Novosibirsk Region • Founded: 1893 • Population: 1500 000 • Region Area: 178,2 000 km2 • Region Population: 2 793,1 000 • Religion: Russian Orthodox, Islam, Animist • Status: Region within the Russian Federation • Economic region: West Siberia • Time zone: Moscow + 3 hours, GMT + 6 hours Novosibirsk is the biggest city of Siberia located between Ural Mountains and Lake Baikal. It looks like a model of soviets epoch. The city appeared almost on the blank space when the bridge across OB River was built. The stop in Novosibirsk is a good chance to see modern life in Siberia. It is a good place for a stop for tourists that traveling by TransSib. Novosibirsk is a child of Trans Siberian Railroad. It was founded in 1893 in the point of intersection the railroad and Ob River. Till the 1925 Novosibirsk was known as Novo-Nikolaevsk. Its swift development took the start in the 1920, when it had been projected as the industrial and transport center between eastern coal-fields in Kuzbass and western mineral-fields in Ural. During 30-s, after TurkSib from Novosibirsk to the south Almaty (Kazakhstan) was built the city became key one on transport road connecting Russia and Asia. It is friendly and dynamic city. The superlative degree is often used here: the biggest city in Siberia with the largest space after Moscow and St.Petersburg, the biggest library, a big airport, and a big artificial sea. Siberian Big Theatre is the biggest theatre in Russia. It has wonderful Ballet troupe and Ballet school. The pride of Novosibirsk is Akademgorodok that was founded on the shore of OB reservoir as an academic mini town of Soviet Academia of Science. The city widely spreads along Ob River and has the center on the right eastern shore. The center of the city is Lenin Square that is the crossing between the main street Krasny Prospect and Vokzal’nay magistral’ street. The last one leads toward Railway Station. If you go down Krasny Prospect you will get Ob River. In other side the street is finished by city airport “Severny”. Culture Almost all kinds of culture and arts have got the development in Novosibirsk. It has the biggest library in Siberia, and the biggest Opera and Ballet Theatre in all of Russia - even bigger than Moscow's Bolshoy. This Theatre has become the architectural symbol of Novosibirsk, as well as St.Nicholas Chapel, destroyed by the Soviet regime and reconstructed in 1993. Novosibirsk is also famous by the dozens of its theatres, from student studios to State Academic theatres; State Conservatorium; Choreographic, Theatrical and Musical Colleges; Novosibirsk Philarmonic Society and Academic Symphony Orchestra; by its Picture Gallery, biggest in Siberia, and of course by its remarkable jazz groups. Science The significant part of the scientific potential of Siberian region is concentrated in the Akademgorodok (Novosibirsk Scientific Center). It was founded in the 1950's in 40 km from the Novosibirsk, in pine forest and birch groves, near to Ob Sea as the first scientific center of Russia. It is a powerful scientific complex with the few dozens of scientific and research institutes. Business & Industry Novosibirsk is the main business center of Siberia characterized by the highest level of business activity and banking capital concentration. Business partnerships connect the capital of Siberia with 80+ countries. Minneapolis (USA), Sapporo (Japan) and Menjan (China) are the twin-cities of Novosibirsk. Novosibirsk is also the biggest industrial center east of the Ural Mountains. The output of machinery manufacturing, metallurgy plants, giant chemical concentrates and aeronautical enterprises is exported worldwide. Besides this, Novosibirsk is a major transport hub and educational center, and we can't help mentioning that for the last few years it is also called 'The Silicon Taiga', because of the fact IT solutions developed there are well-known all over the world. Highlights The Big Siberian Theatre – Theatre of Opera and Ballet. It is unique monument of architecture that is named “Siberian Coliseum”. The theatre was founded on the 12th of May 1945. Possibly, it is the most monumental building in Novosibirsk. Majestic architecture, columns, bas-reliefs, richness of decoration stylistically reflects striving of people of tenth anniversary of soviets epoch. «With its silver dome, giant portico and rich interior, this is indeed grand; many residents consider it the city’s main attraction. The classical ballet and opera inside are good, too, and it’s easier to get to see them here than it is in Moscow or St. Petersburg. Novosibirsk takes ballet seriously and its school is among Russia’s best». /Lonely Planet Guide/ The Local Studies Museum has two lay outing centers. The main is placed near central Lenin Square, right opposite the City Council. The history since the end of 18th century is shown here. There is also a rich ethnographical exposition of Siberian area and current Art Exhibitions. In the second center nature of Siberia and paleontological exhibits are shown. The pearl of museum is the full skeleton of adult female of mammoth. The Novosibirsk Art Museum has a lot of works of Russian painter of 19th century Nikolay Rerich that were presented by him. Rerich, that is now world famous person, was staggered by the beauty and magic of Altai Mountains and dedicated to Altai a couple tens of his works. Gallery has an interesting collection of Russian icons of 16-20th centuries. Collection counts about 500 icons and let trace iconographical diversity and peculiarity of Russian icons during 4 centuries. Special collection contains national icons that were founded by expeditions in Novosibirsk area. Chapel of St Nicholas (Chasovnya Svyatitelya Nikolaya) is a small and very beautiful chapel near Lenin Square. It is considered the center of Russian Empire in accordance with bounds in 1913. For the first time the chapel was built in 1915 by 300aniversary of Romanov’s Dynasty. After October Revolution it was destroyed by Bolsheviks and restored in 1993 by 100aniversary of the city. More closer to the Ob River is Alexander Nevsky Cathedral - one of the first stone buildings in the city. The Cathedral of the Ascension is in the center near to the Circus and dated of 1900. That beautiful Cathedral in gold and blue is more beautiful inside. 30km far from Novosibirsk is Akademgorodok (Academic Township). It was founded in 1950 by Siberian Academia of Science as “mind center”. In its time it was elite town with 23 prestigious institutes. Though many scientists left country for work abroad because of high salaries the research works are continuing. One of the active institutes - Novosibirsk’s Institute of Archeology and Ethnography - well known for its archaeological discoveries in the Altai. First of all it is “Altai Princess” – well preserved mummy of a Pazyryk noblewoman that is in the museum of Institute now. In the beginning of 90-s on the bleak Ukock Plateau institute’s diggers uncovered and explored tombs of nomadic leading figures. Thanks to frozen condition of underground the tombs have been well preserved. There were found numerous items that couldn’t be preserved in usual conditions: mummified corpses, a funeral chariot, wood carvings and wool carpet. But the found of woman’s mummy with splendid tattooing on her shoulders and arms has become a real sensation. Mummy’s age is 2500 years. A part of museum is the exposition under open sky that represents buildings of 17th century. Novosibirsk ZOO despite the fact this site is only available in Russian it won't stop you from enjoying the pictures of the animals. Only a small part of the animals kept in Zoo is represented there, so you can get acquainted with all of them visiting Zoo in person. Situated in the pine forest just ten minutes ride from the city center ZOO has to offer you more than 4000 animals of 399 species a third of which are rare and disappearing. Useful information Getting & Away Airlines It is quite possible that your trip round Siberia will start from Novosibirsk. The city has the biggest airport in the region with a lot of international non-stop flights. Airport “Tolmachevo” provides services for about 80 domestic and international flights. "Tolmachevo" is located about 20 km from Novosibirsk in suburb and headed on long distance flights. Regular flights connect Siberia with Europe (Frankfurt, Hanover) and Asia (Dubai, Tel-Aviv, Seul, Beigin, Urumchi, Tianjin, Tokio). There are up to 6 daily flights to/from Moscow and some to/from St.Petersburg. Long-distant trains Numerous long-distance trains run through Novosibirsk daily, including the Trans-Siberian, the Trans-Mongolian and the Trans-Manchurian trains. The trains go not only east and west, but also south along Turk-Sib line to Almaty, Bishkek and Tashkent. The main station of Novosibirsk is called Novosibirsk Glavny. The most comfortable way to get Novosibirsk from Moscow for 48 hours is using fast daily train “Sibiryak”. Eastbound there are usually 2-3 daily trains to Vladivostok (about 4,5 days), 6-7 trains to Irkutsk (31-35 hours) and 8-10 trains to Krasnoyarsk (13-14 hours). In the train timetable specified Moscow time (GMT +3 hrs). Transport Rent a car There are several companies that do this: Oka naprokat - Lets small Russian cars Oka for rent. Tel. 22-05-19, 22-59-02 Located at Maksima Gorkogo, 85. Email: prokat@ngs.ru Akademprokat - Toyotas for rent. Tel. 32-20-80, 32-32-44 Located at Musy Dzhalilya, 21 and Krasniy prospect, 86 - 307. www.akademprokat.ru. Zapadno-Sibirskaya Transportnaya Kompaniya Tel. 49-63-53, 49-68-36 Located at Tolmachyovskoye shosse, 43/1. Moy Gorod Tel. 21-22-12, 27-13-31 Located at Dimitrova prospect, 7 - 101. Oranta-Novosibirsk Tel. 27-62-22, 27-62-23, 27-62-24 Located at Kraniy prospect, 86 - module 3, 410. www.oranta-sk.ru, Email: oranta-nsk@gcom.ru Pegas Tel. 30-17-10, located at Ilyicha, 6. Email: pegas_nsk@mail.ru Taxi Novosibirsk is quite large city, so using taxis might be expensive. The good thing is that you're not limited to official taxis and you can also just wave your hand standing on the road and some driver with 'entrepreneurial spirit' will pick you up shortly. General guidelines for bargaining with drivers - short distances (equal to 20 minutes walk or one-two stations by underground) - 100-200 rubles. Longer distance - 200-250 rubles. From/to airport - 300-500 rubles. This all depends on the car, driver’s mood and availability of other options. Subway Novosibirsk metro (the only one to the east to the Ural) was put into operation in 1986. It includes 10 stations and a metro bridge across the Ob river 2145 meters long. Novosibirsk metro is the third in Russia in passenger’s throughput (250 thousand passengers a day). It is safe to say that Novosibirsk metro is the cheapest and the easiest way to move to different parts of the city. Unlike stuffy and always overcrowded Moscow underground, it is quite clean and easy to breathe. Using buses / trolley buses/ trams These are very developed public transports, the net of their routes cover the entire city and you can get to virtually anywhere on these (using connecting routes). Among them there is something we can't even have English equivalent for - in Russian it is called 'marshrutnoye taxi' or 'marshrutka' - in fact it is a passenger van turned bus - like any bus it has designated route and bus stops, but moves much faster than real bus and sometimes is quite convenient. Time zone & whether Novosibirsk time zone is GMT +6 hours, Moscow +3 hours. Climate: The climate is sharply continental. That means that winters here are very severe, cold and snowy. Summer is rather hot and dry. Temperatures in summer range from 20 to 22°C, ; in winter - (18 - 20°C) , but sometimes they may go up to -35°C in winter and 35°C in summer . The difference between the highest and the lowest temperature is 88°C. Most of the time the weather is sunny. The spell of sunny weather is 2880 hours an year. Don't believe to sayings that the snow lies on Siberian ground even in summer! Actually, the summer in Novosibirsk is usually hot (sometimes up to 90F). The winter which starts in the end of November and lasts until March is frosty and snowy as a rule. However, three years ago we had a rain at January, 3
Hotels Sibir hotel (***) Superior tourist class Hotel "Sibir" one of the most beautiful constructions of the city. It is situated at the cross-roads of Lenin Street and Dimitrov Prospekt in center of Novosibirsk, business and cultural life. This hotel built in February, 1991as a hotel for foreign tourists. It is good mix of international level hotel and up-to-date business centre. High standard and efficiency of service are the main characteristics of the hotel. Location: in the central part of the city, 10 minutes from the Opera and Ballet Theatre, the Museum Local Lore, the Art Gallery, 1 km from main railway station "Novosibirsk Glavny", 20 km from Tolmachovo airport (0,5 hour). • Floors: 11 Rooms: 215 Single: 107 Double: 91 Suites:17 • Every standard room has: bath, TV, telephone, refrigerator • Dining: two restaurants of European and Russian cuisines, two bars • Pay hour: 12 a.m. Lifts: 3 • Facilities: room service, ironing and laundry service, beauty saloon, exchange offices, souvenir shop, luggage service, hairdressing saloon, business services, 92-seat and 40-seat conference-halls, banquette-hall, service buro (internet, fax) security guards service, free car parking • Leisure: sauna, pool Novosibirsk hotel (**) Tourist class Highest hotel in Novosibirsk (25 floors). Reconstructed in 2001. Location: in the city center, 200 m far from main railway station "Novosibirsk Glavny", 20 km far from Tolmachovo airport (0,5 hour), 100 m far from metro station "Gharin-Mikhailovski", city bus and shuttle bus stop. • Floors: 25 Rooms: 888 Suites:16 • Every standard room has: bath, TV, telephone, refrigerator • Facilities: room service, hairdresser, ironing and laundry service, currency exchange, security guard service, free car parking • Dining: restaurant, bar • Pay hour: 12 a.m. Lifts: 6 Leisure: sauna, massage, casino Ob` hotel (**) Tourist class Location: in city center, 3 km far from main railway station "Novosibirsk Glavny", 23 km from Tolmachovo airport (0,5 hour), on a Ob` river bank, 500 m far from metro station "Rechnoi Vokzal"and bus stop. • Floors: 14 Rooms: 230 Suites:40 • Every standard room has: bath, telephone, TV, refrigerator. All the rooms are exclusively furnished and comfortable, as well as offering a level of service which anticipates individual or professional needs. • Facilities: room service, ironing and laundry service, service bureau (internet, fax), currency exchange, luggage service, own security guards, free car parking • Dining: restaurant, night club, buffet, bar • Pay hour: 12 a.m. Lifts: 3 • Leisure: sauna with swimming-pool, gym hall, disco, night-club Vostok hotel Tourist class Hotel is builded in 1956. Last reconstruction 1994. Location: 5 km far from city center, 30 km far from Tolmachovo airport, 7 km far from main railway station "Novosibirsk Glavny". • Floors: 5 Rooms: 31 Single: 11 Double: 18 Suites:2 • Every standard room has: bath, TV, telephone, refrigerator • Facilities: room service, ironing and laundry service, barber's shop, conference hall • Dining: restaurant (80 seats), banquette-hall, bar • Leisure: billiard, gym hall Zolotaya Dolina hotel Tourist class Location: in forested zone of the Akademgorodok, 3 km far from the Ob sea, 35 km far from Novosibirsk city center, 40 km far from Tolmachovo airport, 5 km far from local railway station, 500 m from far from city shuttle bus stop. • Floors: 7 • Rooms: 200 Singles: Doubles: Suites: • Every standard room has: bath, TV set, telephone, refrigerator, air conditioner (in suites) Facilities: room service, ironing and laundry service, gym hall, barber's shop • Dining: restaurant, bar Centralnaya hotel Tourist class Location: in very city center, 1.5 km far from main railway station "Novosibirsk Glavny", 20 km far from Tolmachovo airport (0,5 hour), 300 m far from metro station "Lenin square", bus and minivan stop. • Floors: 5 Rooms: 262 • Every standard room has: bath, TV, telephone, refrigerator • Facilities: shops, hairdresser, room service, training hall, luggage service, own security guards, free private parking Dining: restaurant, buffet • Pay hour: 12 a.m. Lifts: 1 • Leisure: sauna Restaurants Restaurant "Drizhba" Address: ulitsa Lenina,3 Phone:22-06-68, 22-28-96. Working hours:12.00 - 01.00; break:17.00 - 18.00 Restaurant "Tsentralny" Address: ulitsa Lenina,1 Restaurant "Don Quixote" Address: ulitsa Frunze,2 Restaurant "Renaissance" Address: ulitsa Sovietskaya,20 Phone: 23-16-63 Working hours:12.00 - 23.00 p.m. without break Restaurant "Mexico" Cuisine: Mexican Address: ulitsa.Oktyabrskaya, 49, (near metrostation Ploschad Lenina) Phone:10-34-20 Working hours:12.00 - 03.00 a.m. without break Restarant "Aragvi" Cuisine: Georgian Address: ulitsa Frunze,15 Phone: 17-02-36 Working hours: 12.00 - 02.00 a.m. without break Restaurant "Ochotnik" Address: ulitsa Narimskaya,23 Phone: 20-37-52 Restaurant "Istanbul" Cuisine: Turkish Address: ulitsa Tankovaya,72 (bus stop "Suchoy log) Parking area, live music on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Turkish belly dances Working hours: 12.00 - 02.00 a.m. without break Resturant "U Vatslava" Cuisine: Czech Address: ulitsa Gorkogo,78 (near Ploschad Restaurant "Tiflis" Cuisine: Georgian Address: ulitsa Frunze,2 Restaurant "Titanic" Address: ulitsa Sovietskaya,37 Working hours: 12.00 - 2.00 a.m. without break Restaurant "Pekin" Cuisine: Chinese Address: ulitsa Trolleynaya,85 Phone: 43-09-43, 43-37-76 Restaurant "Oktyabrsky" Address: ulitsa Yadrintsovskaya,14 Phone: 22-60-97, 22-15-87 Working hours: 8.00 am - 2.30, break: 17.00 - 18-00 Restaurant "Sibir" Address: ulitsa Lenina,21 Phone: 23-17-92, 23-13-48 Working hours: 18.00 - 01.00 Restaurant "Ob" Address: ulitsa Dobrolubova,2 Phone: 66-00-20 Nightlife Nightclubs MADISON Address: sad Dzerzhinskogo, Phone: 79-89-26 Opened: everyday except Monday 21.00 - 6.00 WINNER'S Address: ulitsa Uchitelskaya,46a Phone: 76-76-18 Opened: every day except Monday 20.00 - 6.00, FOLK Address:Krasny prospect,12, Phone:23-46-87 Opened: every day 12.00 - 17.00, 20.00 - 3.00 "888" Address: prospect Marxa, 37 Phone: 46-32-19 Opened: everyday 18.00 - 23.00 ESTORO Address: ulitsa Turgeneva,171 Phone:66-55-13 Opened: everyday 21.00 - 6.00 "7.40" Address: ulitsa Dobrolubova 2, Phone: 66-52-23 ( hotel "Ob") Opened: every day 19.40-6.00 FAUST Address: DK"Stroitel" Phone: 77-86-83 Opened: every day except Mondayand Tuesday 23.00 - 6.00 PILOT Address: ulitsa Airport,1 Phone: 28-35-61 (DK "Aviator") Opened: every day 21.00 - 6.00 BABYLON Address: ulitsa Lenina,24 Phone:10-08-51 Opened: every day 21.00 - 7.00 CRAZY NIGHT Address: ulitsa B.Bogatkova 266, Phone: 11-73-32 Opened: everyday 21.00 - 6.00, except Monday WEST HALL Address: ulitsa Zabalueva 74/2, Phone: 41-96-55 Opened: everyday 21.00 - 6.00 "DOM NA KRASNOM" Address: Krasny prospect,218 Phone: 28-71-72 Opened: everyday 21.00 - 6.00 CHERNAYA VDOVA Address: ulitsa Narimskaya, 21 Phone:46-32-19 Opened: on Tue., Wed.,- 12.00-17.00 , Thur.,Fri., Sat.,Sun.. - 12.00 - 00.00 BEGEMOT Address: ulitsa Vatutina, 17/1 Phone: 46-12-07 Opened: everyday except for Monday 21.00 - 6.00, NVN Address: Mayakovsky cinema Phone: 23-93-50 Casino Casino "Prince Igor" Address: Krasny prospect, 28 Phone 238483 Opened every day from 12.00 p.m. to 8.00 a.m. Admission free. Casino "Medved" Address: ulitsa Lenina, 21, (Siberia Hotel) Opened: 8.00 p.m. - 6.00 a.m. Admission free. Currency exchange You can change your money for rubles in commercial banks, numerous exchange offices, in hotels; just try to find a board with the inscription "Currency Exchange" on it. Here is the list of some exchange offices where you can swap your bucks for really hard currency: ACCEPT BANK address: Gorky Street, 53 phone: 95-93-29 operating hours: 9.00 - 18.00, days of: Sat., Sun. address: Cheluskintsev St., 50 phone: 21-98-24 operating hours: 9.45 - 17.30, days of: Sat., Sun. address: Vokzalnaya Magistral,15 phone:18-08-30 operating hours: 9.45 - 17.30,days off: Sat., Sun. address:"Sibir" Hotel, phone: 23-28-36 operating hours: 9.00-13.00,14.00 - 18.00, days off:Sat., Sun. address:Krasny Prospect, 157/1 phone: 28-19-30 operating hours: 9.45 - 17.30, days off: Sat., Sun ALPHA BANK NOVOSIBIRSK address: Dimitrov Prospect, 1 operating hours: 9.00 - 12.30,13.30 - 17.00, days off: Sat., Sun. address: Krasny Prospect, 17 operating hours: 10.00 - 18.00, without days off address: Krasny Prospect, 85 operating hours: 10.00 - 14.00,15.00 - 18.00, without days off BASHCREDITBANK address: Cheluskintsev Star., 15a ("Premier" shop) phone: 18-49-44 operating hours:11.00 - 13.30,14.00 - 18.00, day off: Sun. IMPEX BANK address: Krasny Prospect, 50 phone: 22-61-28 operating hours: 9.30 - 13.00,14.00 - 17.30, day off: Sun. address: Vokzalnaya Magistral, 1 phone: 20-19-48 operating hours: 10.00 - 13.00,14.00 - 21.00, without days-off address: Krasny Prospect, 28 phone: 23-16-81 operating hours: 8.00 - 13.00,14.00 - 19.30, without days off LEVOBEREZHNY BANK address: GUM phone: 44-67-90 operating hours:10.00 - 18.00, without days off address: Sovetskaya Str.,33 phone: 22-28-04 operating hours:10.00 - 13.00,14.00 - 18.00, without days-off address: Krasny Prospect, 25 phone: 18-07-54 operating hours: 10.00 - 12.00,13.00 - 15.30, day off: Sat., Sun. NOVOSIBIRSKVNESHTORGBANK address: Sovetskaya Str., 33 phone: 22-17-61 operating hours: 9.30 - 19.00, without days-off address: Lenin Str, 21 phone: 23-06-12 operating hours: 0.00 - 24.00, without days-off address: Krasny Prospect subway station phone:17-07-63 operating hours: 9.30 - 19.00, days off:Sat., Sun. address: Krasny Prospect, 42a phone: 22-03-43 operating hours: 9.30 - 19.00, without days-off |