Novosibirsk.

History

The settlement was founded in 1893 during construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway; it was called Aleksandrovsky until 1895, then Novonikolayevsk in honour of Nicholas II. It became a town in 1903 and took its present name on 12 September 1926. A 1912 decision to start the Altai railway from here made it a major junction on both banks of the Ob. In Soviet times it grew into an industrial centre, and factories were evacuated here during the Second World War. In 1957 work began on Akademgorodok, 30 km to the south.

Culture & traditions

The Novosibirsk Opera and Ballet Theatre occupies the largest theatre building in Russia. Akademgorodok is home to the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, more than 35 research institutes and Novosibirsk State University. The zoo keeps over 11,000 animals of 738 species and draws around 1.5 million visitors a year. The city also has art and local history museums, a planetarium and its main thoroughfare, Krasny Prospekt.

Sport

Novosibirsk is strong in ice hockey, volleyball and basketball, with well-known clubs such as Sibir (hockey) and Lokomotiv (volleyball). The city's most famous athlete is Greco-Roman wrestler Aleksandr Karelin, a three-time Olympic and twelve-time world champion. Novosibirsk is also known for its biathletes and fencers.

Practical information

Tolmachevo, Siberia's busiest airport, is in the town of Ob, 16 km west of the centre. Novosibirsk is a major Trans-Siberian stop with its Novosibirsk-Glavny station, and has had a metro since 1985 (two lines, 13 stations). The climate is continental, averaging −20 to −12 °C in winter and +15 to +26 °C in summer; summer is the easiest time to visit.

What to see

• Opera and Ballet Theatre — Russia's largest theatre building
• Akademgorodok — a science town with dozens of institutes and a university
• Novosibirsk Zoo — more than 700 animal species
• Krasny Prospekt — the city's main avenue
• Planetarium — named Russia's best social infrastructure project in 2015