Siberia is a huge part of Russia, the inhabitants of which are very proud of the title of Siberian. Large natural reserves are concentrated here, which make this territory attractive not only for Russian, but also for foreign investors. It is quite natural that for a long time there has been a dispute about which city is the capital of Siberia? Several megacities claim this high-profile title at once, each of which has its own advantages: Tobolsk, Omsk, Tyumen, Irkutsk, Krasnoyarsk, Novosibirsk … In any of them you can hear the phrase: “The capital of Siberia welcomes you!” What arguments do the inhabitants of these cities give, proving that it is their small homeland that should be preferred?
Hero City Tyumen
Tyumen has been standing for more than 400 years (founded in 1586) - the center of the oil and gas industry in Siberia, a major supplier of money to the country's federal budget. In the development of the city for many yearsthere is a positive trend. The head offices of well-known companies are located here: LUKOIL, TNK BP, Transneft. Relatively small in terms of population, this city links the main parts of Russia: the center, the Urals, Siberia. Tyumen is practically the oldest Siberian city. One of its main attractions was the old estate of the Kolokolnikovs, monopoly merchants who controlled the sale of tea at the Irbit Fair. Tyumen still has one of the oldest and richest local history museums with unique exhibits. It is not surprising that the people of Tyumen are sure that the capital of Siberia is their hometown.
Tobolsk covered in glory
During the years of active colonization of the Siberian lands, Tobolsk was founded, it was he who in those years became the center (and remained so for about two centuries) of the Siberian land. Many great people of the Russian Empire lived here, and even the family of the last emperor lived here for nine months. The pride of Tobolsk is the white-stone Kremlin, which once protected the fortress from enemies. Today Tobolsk is also the largest center of tourism development in Siberia. And in 1994, the Holy Synod declared Tobolsk the third city in Russia in terms of the development of spiritual life.
Gray-haired Omsk
One of the oldest and densely populated Siberian cities is Omsk. In the middle of the 19th century, F. Dostoevsky served hard labor in Omsk. For some time after the October events of 1917, the center of the self-proclaimed Siberian Republic was located here, and then the headquarters of Kolchak.
Omskhas grown significantly and changed: there are a lot of green spaces and places for recreation. A special monument of nature is the willow in the city center, planted in 1884. The famous Assumption Cathedral, almost destroyed in the Soviet years and only recently restored, a wonderful art gallery (a mini-Tretyakovka, as its inhabitants call it), many theaters (it is no coincidence that Omsk is the unspoken third theater capital of Russia) allow us to award the city the title of "cultural capital of Siberia" "".
Irkutsk is the center of Eastern Siberia
Another wonderful old Siberian city is Irkutsk. Proximity to Lake Baikal has made it very famous among tourists. Irkutsk is, in fact, a large museum that allows you to trace the history of Christianity in Russia. The majestic monuments of Russian architecture (ancient monasteries, the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, the Znamenskaya, Transfiguration, Spasskaya and Trinity churches, the Cathedral of St. Joseph), the Museum of Local Lore and the Museum of the History of the City, the children's puppet theater "Stork" leave no one indifferent. Irkutsk is the place of birth and life of famous Siberian writers, including V. Rasputin. Hence the belief of local residents that their city is the capital of Siberia. In any case, its eastern part.
Young heir - Novosibirsk
Finally, one more contender for the title of the capital, if not of all Siberia, then of Western Siberia, for sure, is the relatively young (it is a little over 100 years old), but rapidly developing Novosibirsk. In the 25-30s of the last century, it was an administrativethe center of the region, and from the 30th year it became the center of Western Siberia. At the same time, the economic heyday of the young city falls. Today Novosibirsk is the most important regional center of our country.
Cultural life is organized at a fairly high level in Novosibirsk. In addition to a large number of libraries, cinemas, art galleries and other facilities, there are 8 theaters, the Botanical Garden, the State Conservatory. Glinka. More than 300 architectural, historical and archaeological monuments have been recognized and taken under protection. But the main thing that distinguishes this city is the natural panorama "Virgin Steppe" by V. Grebennikov, which is not like in any corner of the world.
Where is she anyway?
Of course, one can talk about who should be given preference in this case for a long time. But, probably, the main thing is not what the capital of Siberia is. What is more important is the role each of these cities once played in the formation and development of this region.
