Omsk

Omsk is the administrative center and largest city of Omsk Oblast, Russia. It is in southwestern Siberia and has over one million people.

The city is an important transport node. It is a key train station for the Trans-Siberian Railway and a stopping point on the Irtysh River.

During the Imperial era, Omsk was an important government center. Later, for a short time during the Russian Civil War, Omsk was the capital of the anti-Bolshevik Russian State.

Today, Omsk is the episcopal see of the bishop of Omsk and Tara, and the administrative seat of the Imam of Siberia. The current mayor of Omsk is Sergey Shelest.

Etymology

The city of Omsk is named after the Om river. In the language of the Baraba Tatars, the river’s name means "the quiet one". The name of the river is called a hydronym.

History

See also: Timeline of Omsk

Omsk has a long and interesting history. It began as a small fortress built in 1716 to protect trade routes to China. Over time, it grew into an important city.

During the Imperial period, Omsk was developed as a military and trade center. It became a town in 1782 and later an important administrative center for the region.

In the Soviet period, Omsk became a major industrial city, especially during World War II when factories were moved there for safety. It developed strong manufacturing, including military production.

After the Soviet Union ended, Omsk faced economic challenges but also saw new developments and cultural events like the Siberian International Marathon and City Days Festival.

Geography

Location

Omsk is in the south of the West Siberian Plain, next to the Irtysh river where it meets the Om River. The city is 87 meters (285 feet) above sea level.

Omsk is important for trains because it is where the northern and southern parts of the Trans-Siberian Railway meet. It is also a key spot for roads and rivers. The city’s river port helps people and goods move along the Irtysh and Ob River. Omsk has an airport, Tsentralny Airport, linking it to many places in Russia and nearby lands.

The city is about 450 km (280 miles) north of Astana in Kazakhstan, 600 km (370 miles) west of Novosibirsk, and 2,230 km (1,390 miles) east of Moscow.

Climate

Omsk has big changes between its seasons. Winters are long, dry, windy, and very cold. Summers are short, sunny, and warm, sometimes hot. Over recent years, average temperatures have been about +20 °C (68 °F) in July and −17 °C (1.4 °F) in January, but it can get as warm as +40 °C (104 °F) in summer and as cold as −45 °C (−49 °F) in winter. Omsk gets sunshine on more than 300 days each year, with about 2,201 hours of sunlight a year. The city gets an average of 415 millimeters (16.3 inches) of rain or snow each year.

Demographics

The number of people living in Omsk has changed over time. In 1881, about 31,000 people lived there. By 1900, this grew to around 53,000. In 1989, the population reached over 1 million. After a small drop, the numbers went up again and then fell slightly by 2021.

Different groups of people live in Omsk.

Architecture

Omsk has many interesting buildings. You can see different styles along Lyubinsky Avenue and Lenina Street, like the old Gostiny Dvor and two small chapels.

Near the Om and Irtysh rivers, you can find old buildings from an 18th-century fortress. The city’s biggest and most beautiful church is the Dormition Cathedral. It has five domes and was built in the Russian Revival style. It was finished in 1896, torn down later, and rebuilt in the early 2000s.

Nikolsky Avenue and Krasnykh Zor Street have old wooden houses where merchants once lived. This area leads to the Neoclassical cathedral of St. Nicholas, built for the Cossacks by Vasily Stasov and finished in 1840. Inside, you can find special items important to the Siberian Cossacks.

The Achair Women’s Monastery, named after the Life-giving Cross of the Lord, has a special mineral spring thought to help people feel better. The spring was blessed on September 14, 1993, by Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow.

Education

Omsk has many places where people can go to learn and study. Some of the schools and universities there include the Law and Economics Institute, Omsk Academy of Law, Omsk Academy of MVD Rossija, Omsk Foreign Language Institute, Omsk State Medical University, Omsk State Transport University, Omsk State Agrarian University, Omsk State Pedagogical University, Omsk State University, Omsk Institute of Consumer Service Technology, Omsk State Technical University, and many more.

Culture

Omsk is a place with many spots to learn and enjoy art. The city has museums, theaters, music venues, and schools. Some famous museums include the State Museum of Regional History, the Dostoyevsky Museum of Literature, the Vrubel Museum of Fine Arts, the Military Museum Complex, the Kondraty Belov Art Museum, and the Liberov Center for Art. The city also has theaters such as the Omsk Opera, the Omsk Theater of Drama, the Omsk Circus, and the Omsk State Music Theater, along with several smaller performance spaces.

Omsk has many places for sports, including the G-Drive Arena, the Blinov Sports and Concerts Complex, and Dinamo stadium. The city has professional teams in football and hockey.

Politics

Omsk has had many disagreements between its leaders over the years. For more than ten years, there were problems between the Governor and the mayors of the city. This began when the Governor, Leonid Polezhayev, had issues with Mayor Valery Roshchupkin in 1999. Later, other mayors also had problems with the Governor. Even when new leaders were chosen, the arguments continued.

In 2012, Governor Polezhayev left his job, and Viktor Nazarov became the new Governor. That same year, Vyacheslav Dvorakovsky became the new mayor. But the disagreements kept happening. Once, during a big event, the mayor was not allowed to speak. These arguments made it hard for the city and the area to work together well.

Administrative and municipal status

Omsk is a very important city in its area. It has special status that makes it equal to other bigger parts of the region.

Omsk City Council

The people of Omsk choose leaders called deputies to help make decisions for the city. There are forty deputies, and they were last chosen in 2017. Vladimir Korbut has been leading this group since September 2017.

Economy

Omsk has big factories and important places that help the city. The Omsk Refinery makes gasoline and other fuels. There is also an important Russian Air Force base nearby.

You can travel in Omsk in many ways. Trains leave from Omsk railway station, part of the Trans-Siberian Railway. Omsk Airport lets people fly to other places. Travel by water is possible at the river station on the Irtysh River. Roads, such as the European route E30, connect Omsk to cities in Europe and Russia.

Buses, trolleys, and trams help people move around the city. Shared taxis called marshrutkas are also available. Plans for a Metro system are moving forward, with a bridge already open for cars. Work continues on the train part underneath. Only one Metro station is open now, used mainly for walking between areas.

Honors

The asteroid called 3406 Omsk is named after the city. This asteroid is in the main asteroid belt.

Notable people

Main article: List of people from Omsk

Omsk is a city where many famous people have lived. These people have done well in many different areas, like art, acting, music, and sports.

Athletes

Omsk has produced many great athletes, especially in ice hockey and rhythmic gymnastics. These athletes have done very well in competitions all over the world.

Twin towns – sister cities

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Russia

Omsk has many friends in other countries. Some of these friends include:

• Antalya, Turkey
• Fuzhou, Fujian, China
• Gomel, Belarus
• Hamrun, Malta
• Kaifeng, Henan, China
• Lublin, Poland
• Manzhouli, Inner Mongolia, China
• Pavlodar, Kazakhstan
• Petropavl, Kazakhstan
• Púchov, Slovakia
• Ürümqi, Xinjiang, China
• Regional Municipality of York, Ontario, Canada