Novosibirsk

Novosibirsk is the largest city in the Siberian Federal District and Novosibirsk Oblast in Russia. It has over 1.6 million people, making it the third-largest city in the country, after Moscow and Saint Petersburg. It is also the biggest city in North Asia.

The city was founded in 1893 along the Ob River, where the Trans-Siberian Railway crosses. It began as a small town called Novonikolayevsk but grew quickly into an important place for travel, business, and industry. After difficult times during the Russian Civil War, the city became a major industrial center, especially during World War II, when many factories moved there for safety.

Today, Novosibirsk is known for beautiful buildings like the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral and the famous Novosibirsk Opera and Ballet Theatre. It also has one of the best zoos in the region, the Novosibirsk Zoo. The city’s main airport, Tolmachevo Airport, is the busiest in all of Siberia.

History

See also: Timeline of Novosibirsk and History of Novosibirsk

Novosibirsk started as a small town called Novonikolayevsk in 1893. It was built near where the Trans-Siberian Railway crossed the Ob River. The town grew fast because it was an important place for travel and trade. By 1917, it had many schools, churches, and businesses.

During hard times like wars, the city faced challenges but always rebuilt. It became a key place for industry and science, especially when many factories moved there during World War II. Researchers and students came to Novosibirsk, making it a place of learning and invention. Today, Novosibirsk is a big, busy city with a rich history.

Administrative and municipal status

See also: Novonikolayevsk Governorate

Novosibirsk is the main city for managing a large area called an oblast. It is also the center for a district named Novosibirsky, even though the city itself is not part of that district. In local government, Novosibirsk is called Novosibirsk Urban Okrug.

City districts

The city of Novosibirsk has 10 different areas:

• Dzerzhinsky (Дзержинский)
• Kalininsky (Калининский)
• Kirovsky (Кировский)
• Leninsky (Ленинский)
• Oktyabrsky (Октябрьский)
• Pervomaysky (Первомайский)
• Sovetsky (Советский)
• Tsentralny (Центральный)
• Zayeltsovsky (Заельцовский)
• Zheleznodorozhny (Железнодорожный)

Demographics

According to the 2021 Russian census, Novosibirsk has 1,633,595 people. This is more than in the 2010 census, when the city had 1,473,754 people.

People from over eighty different ethnic groups and nationalities live in Novosibirsk. The largest groups are Russian, Tajik, Tatar, Uzbek, Ukrainian and Kyrgyz.

Ecology

Flora

Novosibirsk has many kinds of trees. The most famous local trees are birch, pine, and aspen. You can also see mountain ash, hawthorn, spruce, and fir. European trees like apple, ash, elm, linden, and oak have been planted and grow well in the city.

Geography

Urban layout

Novosibirsk was planned after a big change in Russia. Before that, important buildings like railways and government offices were spread out. After the change, a main avenue called Krasny Prospekt was built, and a big opera house was made in an area that used to be a market square.

The city has several roads and bridges, including three major roads and a metro system.

Location

Novosibirsk is along the Ob River in a wide, flat area of Russia. It is near other big cities such as Omsk, Barnaul, Kemerovo, and Tomsk. The city is far from Moscow, about 2,811 kilometres away.

Climate

Novosibirsk has a very cold climate, typical of Siberia. Winters are long and freezing, while summers are warm but short. Snow falls often in winter, but usually not in large amounts. Summer temperatures can reach up to +35 °C (95 °F), while winter temperatures can drop to −35 °C (−31 °F). Despite the cold, Novosibirsk’s winters are not as harsh as some other places further east in Siberia.

Broadcasting

Novosibirsk has Russia's strongest shortwave relay station east of the Ural mountains. This station can send signals to most of South Asia, West Asia, and China. Together with the Magadan and Vladivostok stations, broadcasters like the Voice of Russia can share their messages with the areas they want to reach.

Transportation

International and intercity transportation

Airports

The city uses Novosibirsk Tolmachevo Airport. It connects Novosibirsk with big Russian cities and many countries in Europe and Asia. Tolmachevo is a center for S7 Airlines.

There is also a smaller airport called Yeltsovka Airport.

A small area for private planes at Novosibirsk Severny Airport closed in 2012. In 2008, an aerobatics competition for Yak-52 planes happened there.

Railway stations

Novosibirsk is an important stop on the Trans-Siberian Railway and the northern end of the Turkestan–Siberia Railway. The main train station, Novosibirsk-Glavny station, is in the center of the city's right bank area. Other stations in Novosibirsk include Novosibirsk-Zapadny, Novosibirsk-Vostochny, and Novosibirsk-Yuzhny. All long-distance trains stop at these stations. There are also smaller stops for local trains, like Inskaya.

Many trains connect Novosibirsk with cities across Siberia, the Far East, Ural, and European Russia. International trains go to China, Mongolia, Belarus, and Central Asia.

Bus stations

The old Novosibirsk Bus Station on Krasny Avenue closed in April 2020. Plans exist to build new stations around the city; the first opened in December 2019 on Gusinobrodskoe Сhaussee. Until new stations finish, some city bus stops serve long-distance buses.

Buses connect Novosibirsk with cities in southern Western Siberia and major places in Central Asia.

River passenger terminals

The Novosibirsk river passenger terminal opened in 1974 on the Ob river. A nearby metro station opened later. In 2003, a big fire damaged part of the terminal, which was torn down.

Today, only two main passenger routes run: Novosibirsk to Kudryash island to Yagodnaya to Cheremushki to Novaya Zarya to Bibikha to Sedova Zaimka, and Novosibirsk to Berdsk. There are also trips on the Ob river and Novosibirsk Reservoir to Tomsk and Barnaul. Boats use the Novosibirsk Shipping Canal to move between the river and the reservoir.

The water route season starts in late April or early May and ends in late September or early October.

City public transportation

Metro

Novosibirsk was the fourth city in Russia to get a metro system, after Moscow, Saint Petersburg, and Nizhny Novgorod. It was the first in Siberia. The Novosibirsk Metro opened in 1985. By 2022, it had two lines (Leninskaya (red) and Dzerzhinskaya (green)) with 13 stations.

Tram system

The Novosibirsk tram system began in 1934. By 2022, it had 10 routes: six on the left side of the city and four on the right.

Trolleybus system

The Novosibirsk trolleybus system started in 1957. By 2022, it had 14 routes.

Bus system

The Novosibirsk bus system started in 1923. By 2022, it had 52 big bus routes and 17 smaller bus routes.

Waterbus system

By 2021, the Novosibirsk waterbus system had these routes:

• Novosibirsk river passenger terminal to Beach "Bugrinskaya Roshcha" to Korablik Island
• Novosibirsk river passenger terminal to Severo-Chemskoy area to garden community "Smorodinka" to garden community "Tikhie Zori"
• Novosibirsk river passenger terminal to Novosibirsk Waterpark (this route did not run in 2021 because the Waterpark was closed).

The water route season starts in late April or early May and ends in late September or early October.

Route taxi

The Novosibirsk fixed-route taxi system (marshrutka), using small buses, started in the late 1970s. Private companies began in 1989 after a new law. Today, there are 56 marshrutka routes in Novosibirsk. Recently, many of these routes have changed to regular bus services.

Marshal Pokryshkin metro station

[BKM](/wiki/Belkommunmash)\-60103 tram

71-623 ([UKVZ](/wiki/Ust-Katav_Wagon-Building_Plant)) tram

[Tatra KT4DM](/wiki/Tatra_KT4) tram

[Trolza](/wiki/Trolza)\-5265 low-floor trolleybus

[MAZ](/wiki/Minsk_Automobile_Plant)\-103 low-entry bus

[Waterbus](/wiki/Waterbus) Moskva type on the Ob

[Ford Transit](/wiki/Ford_Transit) marshrutka

Economy

Novosibirsk is a big city with many factories and companies. It has more than 200 large factories that make many things for the area. Some of the main things they make are airplanes, nuclear fuel, big farm machines, and parts for electronics.

The city is also home to many important companies, like a big food company and IT businesses that work with computers and software.

Governance

Until 2023, the mayor of Novosibirsk was chosen by voting among the city's residents. Anatoly Lokot from the Communist Party of the Russian Federation served as mayor starting from April 23, 2014. In February 2023, local leaders decided to change how mayors are chosen. Instead of public voting, the new mayor would be selected through a competitive process.

In December 2023, Andrey Travnikov, the leader of the area, announced that Anatoly Lokot would take a break and leave his position. Oleg Klemeshov, the first deputy mayor, took over temporarily. In April 2024, Maxim Kudryavtsev from United Russia was chosen as the new mayor by local leaders.

Sport

Novosibirsk is a great city for sports! It has many talented athletes, like Aleksandr Karelin, who was a top wrestler and won many world championships.

The city also loves ice speedway racing and holds many big races there. A special place for motorcycle racing, called the Motordrome ROSTO, is found on Ulitsa Tul'skaya. Siberian teams from Novosibirsk have raced in important leagues over the years.

Professional sports clubs active in the city:

Music

Novosibirsk has many talented musicians. Famous violinists like Vadim Repin and Maxim Vengerov were born there. Singers such as Yanka Dyagileva and Pelageya Khanova also come from the city. Novosibirsk has important music schools and theaters. These include the Novosibirsk State Conservatory named after composer Mikhail Glinka, the Novosibirsk Opera and Ballet Theater, and several orchestras and musical groups.

Education

Novosibirsk has many places for learning. Some famous schools are:

• Novosibirsk State University (opened in 1959)
• Novosibirsk State Technical University (opened in 1950)
• Novosibirsk State University of Economics and Management (opened in 1929)
• Novosibirsk State Agricultural University (opened in 1936)

There are also over 50 schools to help people learn special jobs and skills. A place called Akademgorodok has many science labs and schools, including Novosibirsk State University.

Culture

Novosibirsk has many places where people can read books and learn new things. Important libraries include the State Public Scientific & Technological Library and the Novosibirsk State Regional Scientific Library.

The city has theatres where people can watch performances. The Novosibirsk Opera and Ballet Theatre and the Novosibirsk Regional Puppet Theatre are examples. There are also drama theatres, a musical theatre, and a youth theatre.

Novosibirsk has a philharmonic society that holds about 60 concerts each month. They use two main concert halls.

The city has many museums, such as the Novosibirsk State Art Museum, the Novosibirsk State Museum of Local Lore, and museums about history, art, and nature. There are also two planetariums where visitors can learn about the stars and space.

Every year, Novosibirsk holds many festivals and events. These include art festivals, music events, film festivals, and forums for young people and scientists.

Places of entertainment

Cinemas

Novosibirsk has 16 cinemas. One is Cinema Park, which shows movies in IMAX and IMAX 3D. Another popular cinema is Pobeda Cinema.

Circus

The modern Novosibirsk Circus building was built in 1971.

Zoo

The Novosibirsk Zoo is famous and attracts many tourists. It cares for over 11,000 animals from many different species. The zoo helps protect endangered animals. Since 2016, the zoo has had a center for oceanography and marine biology called "Dolphinia". About 1.5 million people visit the zoo each year.

Children's railway

Main article: Small West Siberian Railway

The Small West Siberian Railway is a special train for children in Zayeltsovsky Park. It has five stops: Zayeltsovskiy Park, Razyezd Lokomotiv, Sportivnaya, Razyezd Eltsovskiy, and Zoopark. The train runs during the summer.

Botanical gardens

The Central Siberian Botanic Garden is in Akademgorodok.

Twin towns – sister cities

Novosibirsk has many friends in other countries. Some of these friends are called "twin towns" or "sister cities." Here are a few of Novosibirsk's friends:

• Minneapolis and Saint Paul in the United States (since 1989)
• Sapporo in Japan (since 1990)
• Mianyang and Shenyang in China
• Daejeon in South Korea
• Varna in Bulgaria
• Osh in Kyrgyzstan
• Kharkiv and Sevastopol in Ukraine
• Minsk in Belarus
• Yerevan in Armenia
• Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia
• Tiraspol in Moldova

These cities work together and share ideas to help each other grow and learn.

Notable residents

Main article: List of people from Novosibirsk

Novosibirsk is where many talented people were born. Violinist Mikhail Simonyan, playwright Nina Mikhailovna Sadur, and Olympic wrestling champion Aleksandr Karelin all grew up here. Pop singer Shura, singer and The Voice judge Pelageya, rapper Allj, and model Sofia Steinberg were also born in Novosibirsk. Israeli violinist, violist, and conductor Maxim Vengerov was born here too. Fencer and president of the Russian Olympic Commission Stanislav Pozdnyakov was born in the city.