{"id":1256,"date":"2019-04-04T18:49:49","date_gmt":"2019-04-04T18:49:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/russiable.com\/?p=1256"},"modified":"2024-01-06T12:31:51","modified_gmt":"2024-01-06T12:31:51","slug":"novosibirsk-siberian-capital","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/russiable.com\/novosibirsk-siberian-capital\/","title":{"rendered":"Next stop: Novosibirsk. Welcome to Siberia!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Don\u2019t think of passing by. Novosibirsk is a mandatory stop on the Trans-Siberian Railway. In addition to being the capital of Siberia, Novosibirsk is an important cultural, scientific, tourist and transport hub, as well as Russia\u2019s third largest city. It is a very young city, founded in 1893, and it holds the Guinness record as the city that has reached a population of one million in the shortest time (in only 70 years). I\u2019ll tell you what to see and what to do in “New Siberia” or, rather, in Novosibirsk.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Novosibirsk
By A.Savin<\/a> (Wikimedia Commons<\/a> \u00b7 WikiPhotoSpace<\/a><\/span>) – Own work<\/span>, FAL<\/a>, Link<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

1. Novosibirsk, the NEW SIBERIA<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you are making the Trans-Siberian Railway a mandatory stop<\/strong>, after Yekaterinburg<\/a> comes Novosibirsk. Don\u2019t think of passing by. It is the capital of Siberia, Russia\u2019s third largest city after Moscow and St. Petersburg, with a population of 1,600,000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Novosibirsk is a young city, born as a result of the extension of the railway into Central Asia and the Far East and, at the same time, it serves as a connection to the capital city Moscow and European Russia. In fact, Novosibirsk was founded in 1893 by workers who were building a railway bridge over the Ob River, which crosses the city and divides it into two parts. Czar Nicholas II named it Novonikolayevsk in 1903, giving it city status.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was created with primitive wooden buildings. Brick was only used in the St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral (1896-1899) and the Chamber of Commerce (1910-1911). In 1926 it was given its current name, Novosibirsk, which means “New Siberia”. Later it became a highly industrial city, mainly in the Soviet era, with its five-year plans and a massive exodus to Novosibirsk during one of the waves of Siberian migration in the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The strong demographic growth put Novosibirsk in the Guinness Book of Records<\/strong> as the city that had been the fastest to reach a population of one million, in just 70 years. (Chicago took 90 years to reach one million, New York 250 years and Moscow 700 years, to name a few examples).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite not having the historical and artistic heritage of other places in the country due to its relatively recent founding, nowadays Novosibirsk is a city that has diversified its economy in the areas of science, transportation and tourism, beyond the post-industrial context.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition, it is a cultural center of prime importance<\/strong> in the entire Russian Federation, as attested by its numerous museums and theaters, as well as its high-quality music programme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, if you go in winter, you should wrap up well because it is a cold city, with very severe winters but mild summers. As for the hours of daylight, they vary from about 7 in the winter solstice to 17 in the summer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. HOW TO GET TO Novosibirsk<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

First of all, you should note that Novosibirsk is 4 hours ahead of Moscow, and that it is located 3,360 km away on the fastest road route. Therefore, the best options are by train or air.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The railway options from the capital Moscow are many, since Novosibirsk is the main stop on the Transiberian<\/a> after Yekaterinburg<\/a> and it is located halfway between that city and Irkutsk, the gateway to the Lake Baikal<\/a> area. The shortest train ride takes almost two days and costs between 50 and 130 euros approximately, depending on the train, the type of compartment and the time of year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The main arrival station is called Novosibirsk-Glavny<\/a>. On the official Russian Railways website you have to look for it under the name “NOVOSIBIRSK GL”. The station has lockers in case you want to leave your luggage to visit the city and return to take the next train on the Trans-Siberian Railway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Traveling<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Travelling by air, you arrive from Moscow (from different airports) in less than four hours on direct flights, with departures to the Novosibirsk\u2019s Tolmachevo International Airport<\/a>, only 17 km from the city center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are four companies that operate the Moscow-Novosibirsk round-trip direct flight, with prices starting from around 120 euros, namely:<\/p>\n\n\n\n