novosibirsk – новосибирск

Novosibirsk is Russia's third-largest city after Moscow and Saint Petersburg. It is also the largest city in Siberia. The city appeared in 1893 as a construction site of a bridge across the Ob River for the Trans-Siberian Railway.

Gradually Novosibirsk grew into one of the largest industrial centers of Siberia. It is a nice looking modern city but without any outstanding places of interest. The huge silver-domed Opera and Ballet Theatre is bigger than the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow.

The Lenin statue flanked by revolutionary fighters and students stands in front of the theatre.

This little Chapel of St. Nicholas allegedly marked the geographical center of Russia when it was built in 1915. Today the geographical centre of Russia is located over 2,000 km to the north on the bank of Lake Veevee (Виви in Russian) in Evenkia.

The Red Torch drama theatre.

Streetscapes.

Novosibirsk skyline.

Tolmachevo Airport is 17 km from the centre of Novosibirsk. It is a home base of S7 airlines and the busiest airport in Siberia.

An Ilyushin-86.

A Tupolev-154.

The Sky Lounge Hotel.

NOVOSIBIRSK oblast – НОВОСИБИРСКая область

tatarsk – татарск

The small town of Tatarsk founded in 1894 thanks to the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway is devoid of any sights of interest but can be used as an overnight stop when traveling by road to/from Novosibirsk. The Zarya Hotel is at your service.

The clock tower.

The railway station as it looked in May 2015.

The same railway station as it looked in May 2021 after the area around it had been renovated.

The Intercession Church.

The World War II memorial.

The 1918-20 Civil War memorial.

Tatars living in Tatarsk have built themselves a nice mosque.

barabinsk – барабинск

The town of Barabinsk was founded in 1893 also thanks to the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway.

The railway station.

The Sorrowing Church.

The central square.

Lenin seems to be surprised by something.

The 1918-20 Civil War memorial.

The WWII memorial.

kuibyshev – куйбышев

Kuibyshev was founded in 1722 under the name of Kainsk. In 1935 Kainsk was renamed Kuibyshev to commemorate Valerian Kuibyshev a revolutionary and a prominent public figure. Kuibyshev spent three years in exile in Kainsk before the 1917 Russian Revolution. Samara was also renamed Kuibyshev in 1935 but it was returned its historic name in 1991. So came that my grandfather and Valerian Kuibyshev were comrades in arms in the days of the 1917 Russian Revolution.

The statue of Valerian Kuibyshev.

The WWII memorial.

An Iluyshin-14 airplane.

kargat – каргат

The town of Kargat is worth a detour from the main road to walk around its nicely renovated center.

The Saint Iliya Church.

The WWII memorial.

To wartime kids.

To border guards both modern day and ancient ones.

The railway station.

The House of Culture and Lenin.

The House of Culture is named after the famous Russian and Soviet writer Maxim Gorky. The façade is decorated with Gorky's bas-relief.

As a matter of interest: other place where you can see Lenin and Gorky mentioned together is the Island of Capri (Italy). Gorky rented a villa in Capri in 1906-09. Lenin visited him several times to play chess and to discuss the upcoming Russian Revolution. Currently the villa is The Hotel Villa Krupp.

Somewhere in Novosibirsk Oblast.