History Yekaterinburg Omsk Novosibirsk Krasnoyarsk Irkutsk Ulan-Ude Khabarovsk Vladivostok Tours
2676 kms from Moscow
Zone time: Moscow+3
Average temperatures: January -19, April +1, July +19, October +1
The population of Omsk is 1.15 million residents
Geographically, Omsk city is located in the south of Western Siberia on the banks of two rivers, the Om River and the Irtysh River.
History
It was founded in 1716 as frontier fortress for protection from nomad raids and as strong point for further development of Siberia by Russians. In the 1760th years on the right bank of Om and Irtysh new fortress became administrative centre of all Siberian frontier lines. The city is almost 290 years old and mainly known to Russians as an industrial center. Omsk is home to an oil industry, precise mechanical engineering, and the food and textile industries.
The Trans-Siberian railroad reached Omsk in 1894 opening new frontiers for the city's economy. It quickly became a transit gate between neighboring Central Asian States and Siberia. If you are a river cruiser, Omsk is a good start for exploring great Irtysh and Om rivers winding peacefully through lowlands of Western Siberia. In 1941 during Great Patriotic War, war plants were evacuated into Omsk that in addition served for development of industry.
Thing to see and do
Literature Museum, which includes a section on Fyodor Dostoevsky.
History Museum, which offers a traditional resume of local history from prehistoric finds in the area. The ethnographical section on Cossack, Tatar and Russian peasant life are particularly good.
St. Nicholas Cathedral.
Bolsherechye - the fortress was founded on the large Siberian river Irtysh as a barrier for defense from invasions in 1627. Bolsherechye is an ancient Siberian village located in 180 km to the north from Omsk. A tour to Bolsherechye includes a visit to the Bolsherechye Zoo, naturally stretched out through 19 hectare, and a unique ethnographical complex "Siberian antiquity".....Duration - 12 hours.
