Tomsk facts

City of Tomsk, the capital of Tomsk Region

• Founded: 1604
• Population: 473000
• Area of the region: 314,400 km2
• Population of the region: 1 074000
• Ethnic groups: Russian, Khanty, Munsi
• Status: Region within the Russian Federation
• Economic region: Western Siberia
• Industry: Wood, Coal, Fur, Oil…
• Time zone: GMT + 14 hours, Moscow + 5 hours
• Climate: Average temperature - January - -19,2, July +18,1С
• River port. Railroad station. Airport. Road junction.
•  Coat of arms: white horse on the green field (year 1804)

Tomsk is one of the oldest cities in Siberia. It was founded in the year 1604 as a military fortress according to the personal decree of the tsar Boris Godunov. The new settlement appeared on the territory of the Tatarian prince Tojan in the middle of taiga, where the tribes of hunters and fishermen lived - Khanty, Mansi, Selkupi. The word “Tom” in the Ket language meant “dark”. The harsh Siberian region with it’s riches was attractive for many people and Russian merchants became it’s trailblazers. During the whole XVII century Tomsk was an advanced post of the defense for Russian lands against the attacks of steppe nomads, from here the kozak military groups went to conquer and join to the Russian State the new lands. Settlers from the Central parts of Russia (peasants, handicraftsmen, merchants) explored the Tomsk region gradually.
Building of the Siberian Road, that connected Moscow with Siberian outlying districts, made Tomsk to be the most important transit and trade center. It is known, that in the XVIIth century the unknown before that time tee was brought to Europe from the Central Asia. To the court of Russian tsar Mikhail Romanovich tee was brought by caravan trade way by a Tomsk merchandiser Vasilij Starkov, it happened 8 years earlier before Hollanders brought tee to Europe by sea. It was the beginning of a famous “Tee route” that connected China, Mongolia, Buryatia, Russia and part of Eastern Russia for two centuries. The total extension of this route was 9-10 thousand km, one caravan with tee made it’s way in about a year. Considering the volume of trade exchange the Tee Route was in a second place after the Great Silk Route and it effected greatly the forming lifestyle, culture and economical activity of the Siberian natives.
Fast economic development of Tomsk began in the 30-s of the XIXth century when the gold-fields have been discovered. It became one of the largest governor’s town of Russia, in the sphere of it’s influence and administration was the whole Western Siberia and partially Kazakhstan. Sometimes Tomsk in that years was called “Siberian Moscow”, trade capital of the Siberian region. Building of the Trans Siberian railroad stimulated the further development of the town.
The unique architecture of Tomsk had formed historically, especially it’s wooden architecture. In the year 1888 here have been opened: the first University in Asiatic part of Russia, technological high school, city trade exchange. Tomsk becomes the scientific-educational center of Siberia and gets the name of “Siberian Athens”.
Modern Tomsk is one of the largest industrial and national cultural centers on the East of Russia. Starting with the 1960-s the development of the Tomsk region was mainly determined by the oil-and gas-fields exploration. In the year 1991 Tomsk was granted with a status of a historical city. It’s reserve zone makes 950 hectares. In this historical-reserve region have remained the authentic city landscape with stone buildings of the governor’s town XIXth - beginning of XXth centuries and wooden buildings decorated with antique carving .

Climate and temperature

Tomsk region is located in the South-East of Western Siberia and has a total square of 314 thousand sq. km. The distance between the Northern and Southern boarders on meridian is almost 600 km, and for this reason climate conditions in Southern and Northern regions greatly vary. Almost the whole territory of the region is in a taiga zone. Climate is continental. Average year temperature is minus 1,3C. The winter is harsh and long. Average temperature in January is minus 19-21C, the average temperature in July is plus 17-18C. Time period without frosts is about 100-105 days. Precipitation – 435mm.

Sights

Wooden lace of Tomsk

Wooden architecture is one of the main sights and pearls of Tomsk. Until today the buildings, made in traditions of wooden architecture of Russian North, from the XIXth– beginning of the XXth centuries have remained. In the architecture Russian baroque and classicism stressed by the involution of local and eastern cultures are to be noticed.
Wonderful carved decoration, there is a tendency to stateliness and mansions, complicated planning of chamber-houses, that have a lot of bay windows, loggias and galleries – are the main features of the Tomsk architecture. Their equipment of the architects was not complicated: sharp ax, saw, chisel, chisels and plane. But the perfect lines and design make a great impression.
Wooden architecture of Tomsk is like Russian poems in wood, created by the wise laws of beauty, they still radiate the warmth of the hands of their creators.

Siberian Botanical Garden

One of the largest and richest gardens of the world. It was founded by the Tomsk State University in the year 1880 by the scientist and gardener G. N. Krilov. It has the reserve park, fruit garden, memorial, greenhouse complex with the total square of 128 hectares. Collection plant funds have around 3 thousand types, forms and sorts. In greenhouses grow more than 10 thousand tropical and subtropical plants, that belong to 1100 types from the different regions of the world. In this natural memorial there are following exhibitions: “Siberia”, “Europe”, “Eastern Asia”, herb and decorative collections.

The Resurrection Church

Architecture of the church is a great example of magnificent Siberian baroque of the XVIII-th century built in the style of B. Rastrelli school, with gothic elements in the details of it’s exterior and inner decoration. The name of the architect of the main temple of the city of Tomsk is known – Ivan Karpov. According to the legend a wonderful appearance of the Saint Blessed Lady took place in this church. In the year 1858 here was the wedding of Mikhail Bakunin – “father of the world’s anarchism”, and in the year 1906 – “Russian Joan of Arc” Maria Bochkareva – the creator of women death battalions during the World War I.
The Blessed Lady-Alekseevskij monastery (1605) – the oldest of the functioning monasteries on the territory of Siberia, (temple of Kazan God Mother, ancient cemetery, chapel of St. Fedor Tomskij where the deported Hannibal was held).
Ensemble of the I. D. Astashev Mansion – the only remaining mansion from the middle of the 19th century, built in the style of classicism with buildings, bell tower, palace…

Museum of Wooden Architecture

Mansion and exposition of the cabinet of architect Krjachkov. Rare collection of oven doors and samovars. Hall of wooden decor of old Tomsk (models, platbands, fretwork, carver’s equipment, etc.). Hall of history of Siberian stockaded towns – photographs, models.

Museum of political repression’s history “Inner prison of People’s Commissariat of Internal Affairs

Is situated in a basement of a normal house, where until the year 1944 a division of OGPU-PCIA was located. Reconstruction of prison interiors (real doors, plank beds, clothing…), cabinet of the investigator. Thematic exhibitions contain real documents, decrees, pictures and letters of people who have been subjected to repression, materials from the funds of UVD, FSB, PCIA.

Tomsk State University:

museum of archeology and ethnography of Siberia – the exposition on archeology and ethnography of Siberian natives (statuettes and ornaments of the neolith period, the Bronze Age, shaman costumes and tambourines, hunting objects, etc). Collections are brought from Mongolia and China.

Zoological museum – the rarest collections of fauna from all over the world.

Museum of paleontology – collection petrifactions from Russia, Europe and North America (skeletons of mammoth, bison and the complete skeleton of a dinosaur).

Museum of mineralogy – exposition of minerals, thematic expositions, fragments of meteorites, copies of famous diamonds.

department of rare books and scripts of the library – exposition that is situated only in one hall will give you a great opportunity to explore the historical world of the book: wooden tables-showcases conventionalized in an antique way, antique and beamed bookcases, shining with gold rootlets of the folios, rare lithography of XVIII-XIX centuries… Among the books – unique European publications in luxurious leather and morocco bindings with golden stamping, works of great French masters of French Revolution times, album with sites of Egypt that belonged to Napoleon, and many other treasures.

Tomsk pisaniza

Natural reserve-museum of ancient of rock paintings is situated in a picturesque place on the shore of river Tom’ under the open sky. It is the first complex museum of history, ethnography and nature in Russia. Unique gallery of paintings and subject images that are incused on a smooth surface of the rocks and drawn with the brick-red paint by the ancient painters, have always been surrounded by the aura of mystery and religious worship.
The possibility to understand the world’s perception, interests and lifestyle of our ancestors for centuries had made the interest for Tomsk pisaniza great. From the very beginning of the exploration of Siberia the pioneers were puzzled by the view of painted rock on the shore of the river Tom’. They were made on the huge rocks from the Devonian period. In the year 1719 in Siberia according to the decree of Peter the Great a special expedition has been sent in order to explore these rocks. Scenes from the everyday life of ancient hunters, sacred animals and birds, mysterious boats and spirits are very realistic and are made with great skill. In ancient times rock paintings had served as a place for ritual celebrations and magical ceremonies.
On the territory of natural reserve-museum “Tomsk pisaniza” more than 10 exposition complexes are situated. The rock paintings, pagan sanctuary, stone figures of the Bronze Age and Middle ages, burial hall are presented. People can get acquainted with the reconstructed houses of Siberian natives, idols of pre-orthodox Slavic gods, ancient techniques (archery, javelin throwing, fire-making, pottery). Ethnographical complex – estate of the end of XIX century, forge, house of shaman, wedding hut, cemetery. Useful information

Hotels

“Ruby”**

In hotel: 8 floors. The complex is specialized for international conferences. There is a business-center open, where the office equipment, Internet, video materials can be used. Winter garden. There are restaurant, bar, cafe, hairdresser’s salon, and laundry room open. Disc-club “OK”. Sauna, swimming-pool. Types of rooms: 1-room,with 1-bed, 1-room 1-bed half-lux , 1-room 2-bed, 2-room. 2-bed, 2-room. 2-bed lux, 2-room. 2-bed lux, appartments.

“Eden” ***
Hotel complex. It is situated in the city-center. 12 half-luxes, 5 luxes. All rooms have shower, bath, toilet, TV-set, telephone, refrigerator. Double beds. Restaurant (with 3 halls) is situated in the hotel. Sauna.

“Power Engineer”****
Hotel complex (is situated in ten minutes from the city-center). 5 rooms. Luxes 2-room and 3room. Sauna, billiards, restaurant.

“At Kruger”***
Hotel complex in the center of the city. Complex includes: brewery, restaurant, sauna, bar, billiards, hotel. Rooms (5) lux and half-lux with one-two beds. Sauna, billiards.

"House of the Foreign Specialist"
Types of rooms: 1 lux, 12 one-room half-lux.

Restaurants

Restaurant "Cedar" is situated on the river Basandayka, 4 km from Tomsk, on the road to Siniy Utyes. The interior is decorated with cedar and ceramic ornaments. The main hall is designed for 24 people, the banquet hall, which is similar to wine barrel, is for 20 people, the hall of aperitifs with the fireplace is for 10 people, and the summer veranda is for 30 people. Russian and European kitchen is delicious, the most refined dishes are from fish and game animals. Specialities are the salad "Cedar", cabbage leaves stuffed with hazel grouses, elk chops, pel'menis with bear's flesk, Atlantic salmon.

Restaurant-Bar "Praga". On the first floor it can contain 30 people, in the bar - 60-70. The interior is rather constrained, moraine wood successfully blends with green decoration. Czech and European kitchen.

Restaurant Complex "Mercury" is a new restaurant. It is one of two Tomsk restaurants, owning the exclusive quality certificate. The Chimney Hall is designed for 50 people, and is fulfilled in Gothic style with the huge chimney in it's center. In the restaurant there is a European kitchen. Specialties are - "Mercury" salad, fish soup "Opekannaya", fried beef "Provencal", seignioral beef, liver by Tomsk kitchen, calf's kidneys "Surprise". The restaurant's guests especially appreciate baked sturgeon. In the wine list there are Georgian, Spanish, French wines and Russian vodka.

Restaurant "Pekin" is situated not far from the center of the city. Upper hall of the restaurant is Chinese, inferior hall is European. Chef is a Chinese person and kitchen is Chinese. Specialties are - frog's clamps, lobsters, shrimps and mussels. Moldavian and French wines, cognacs and Russian vodka are in the wine list.

Restaurant "Mimino" is designed for 36 people and suggests Georgian kitchen. There are three separate cabinets. Interior is in Georgian style. Among special dishes are hachapuri, harcho, lobio, chohohbili, dolmu, kebab. Specialties are - kupaty, sazivi, hinkali. Georgian wines and Georgian music are the integral part of the restaurant.