Novokuznetsk.

History

Men from Tomsk built the Kuznetsk fort on the Tom in 1618, and it became a town in 1689. In 1857 Fyodor Dostoevsky married his first wife, Maria Isayeva, here. During the industrialisation of the 1930s the Kuznetsk Metallurgical Combine rose nearby, turning the town into a large coal-mining and industrial centre. It was called Stalinsk from 1932 to 1961, when it took the name Novokuznetsk.

Culture & traditions

A museum devoted to Dostoevsky keeps the memory of the writer's stay. The Builders' Palace of Culture is one of the city's notable venues, and a branch of Kemerovo State University is based here. The city's name recalls the Kuznetsk fort of 1618 where it all began, while its 20th-century look was shaped by the steelworks.

Sport

The city is known for ice hockey: it is home to the club Metallurg, and goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, defenceman Dmitry Orlov and forward Kirill Kaprizov were all born here. Novokuznetsk also has a professional rugby club.

Practical information

Spichenkovo Airport is 17 km west of the city. Novokuznetsk is a major railway junction with local and long-distance trains, and trams, trolleybuses and buses run in the city. Local time is Moscow plus four hours. The climate is continental, with warm summers that bring most of the rain and severe, dry winters; summer is the easier time to visit.

What to see

• Dostoevsky Museum — recalling the writer's 1857 wedding here
• Kuznetsk Metallurgical Combine — a giant of 1930s industrialisation
• Builders' Palace of Culture — one of the main cultural venues
• Meeting of the Tom, Kondoma and Aba — three rivers in one city