Omsk

OVERVIEW
Population - 1.2 million
Local time- GMT +6
Average daily temperature
January -20
July +20
Distance from
Moscow: 2716 km
Vladivostok: 6582 km
By train from Moscow: 38 hr
By air from Moscow: 3 hr

It is a very cosy and green city, which stretches along the Irtysh River almost for 40 km. Its history began about 275 years ago, when a wooden fortress was built on the Ob riverbank. And the set–tlement grew into the city when the Cossack army under the leadership of Ivan Buholez came here in 1716. It was known as city of War officials. It was a place of exile of famous Russian writer Fyodor Dostoevslkiy. After the construction ofTrans-Siberian railwayroad, city began to develop and to grow; soon it became an industrial center. At present Omsk is a large cultural and scientific center, with 11 Universities and many research institutes. A Famous Russian painter Michael Vrubel was born here. His works are exhibited in the best Russian Art museums as well as in the Omsk Art Museum.

About three centuries have passed since those gone events when the troop of Lieutenaut-colonel of Life Guards Preobrazhensky regiment Ivan Bukhgolts landed at the mouth of the Om River and built two small palisaded redoubts. That gave a start of this Siberian town. Omsk has its real individual and inimitable worth which is based, first of all, on the fortunate choice of the site for a new fortress at the confluence of the quiet River of Om and the powerful Irtysh Piver in 1716. A number of constructions erected in different epochs but in concord within also add to the originality of the city. Some of the buildings are rightly considered as monuments of architecture.

Guardhouse (1782)
The panorama of Omsk it its architectural meaning is stylistically varied. It is the fortress where the earliest examples can be found. Who might even imagine a pattern in Baroque to exist in Omsk?! But to be true, this pattern is impretentious being not a palace but a building for its particular military purpose kept till nowadays.
The austere style of Classicsm came up to take the place of the elaborate style in Baroque.

Siberian Cadet Military College(The Common to all arms Military School)
The building of the Siberian Cadet Military College (The Frunze Common to all arms Military School now) proves it.
One can find its form of design stylistically repeated in the Nikolsky Cathedral built in accordance with "the drawings" of the outstanding Russian architect Vasili Stasov.

Nikolsky Cathedral
The Cathedral has got its original appearance by the efforts of the Omsk restorers.
The Cathedral of the Exalation of the Cross (Crossvosdvizhensky) situated in Tarskaya Street exists already 130 years. The edifice signifies a great interest of the architects of the second half of tne 19th century to historical styles. The silhouette of the domes and church-tower makes one recall the shapes of the Baroque structures. This impression is more intensified when the Cathedral in recent times was restored with gold.

Lyubinsky Prospect (avenue)
By the year of 1905 the high street of old Omsk - Lyubinsky Prospect (avenue) had been finally formed. No doubt, the leading role of its architectural complex belonged to the Moscow rows of stalls (designed by O.Dessin). Various Russian manufactory Joint-stock Companies (including P.Ryabushinsky, S.Morozov, the Nosovs) accomodated their goods for wholesale trade there.
The edifice of the Drama Theatre (engineer I.Khvorinov, 1904) was maintained in the traditions of Russian Theatre buildings.

Omsk Drama Theatre
The famous Paris Grand-Opera had served as a prototype for a great number of theatre buildings in Russia. The Omsk Drama Theatre was among them.In ten years the edifice was topped by the statue of a "Winged Genius" (sculptor V.Vinkler).
In 1911 the famous West Sibirian agricaltural and industrial exhibition was organized in Omsk. The novelty and originality of the form of its pavilions in the Modernist style had rather a great influence upon the building practice of town.

Town duma
There's a special attractiveness in old Omsk red brick mansions with their ornamental lattices of the gates, fences, corbels over the main entrance.
The edifice of the Omsk Railway Administration (formerly situated at the town boundaries) creates a great impression by its majestic view.
And we can really perceive it to be a monument to the Great Siberian railway track (the Trans-Sibirian Railway) due to the radical transformation it brought, Omsk has turned into a large industrial and commercial city by the early twentieth century.

Omsk Railway Administration(Academy of railway)
The architecture of the first years of Soviet times was rather simple and unpretentious as the pivotal idea became the task to create a new social environment for the working people. The first sings of its realization can easily be found in the House-hostel for the workers of Siberian metal trust (engineer P.Golyshev, 1929). A new social system laid new claims to architectural surroundings and the city's layout. The principal problems to be solved were equipping with services and utilities, and improving from a health point of view. And soon, in 1923 Linetsky and Nazarov, twoengineers, worked out a project according to which Omsk would have to be converted into a gerden sity. The start of this realization was made immediately. By the late 1950s and early 1960s Omsk had rightly won the fame of a city of gardens and flovers.

The early 1950s were dated by an active building of the arterial road of K.Marx Prospect (avenue). Just at the same time the start was given to the foundation of the Town of oil-industry workers as a consequence with the building trees and shrubs was also kept and enriched in the basic urban development.
Old Omsk looked as if it had turned away from the Irtysh River. Backyards, warehouses, factories occupied the banks.

River station
The town-planers of the new Omsk set themselves the task of turning streets and squares, parks and gardens to face the river. The Irtysh of nowadays becomes the main axis of the composition around which the city is developing and growing. The idea of the expansion of the town area including the left bank of the Irtysh appeared in the early 1950s when the Moscow Giprogor Institute was working out the first variant of the overall plan for the urban development. The opportunity to use the left bank created conditions for a new town architectural structure. Natural landscape promotes making these living microdistricts especially cosy and comfortable. Young birch groves near many-storeyed houses look nice rain or shine, wet or fine. To contemplate their beauty, tranquil and clear, really heals emotional state.

The Omsk bridges besides their principal function to be a means of communication also adorn the city with their audacity of the engineering solution and expressiveness of the forms. The bridges were erected according to the design of the Lengiprotransport Institute.
The panorama of the city is enriched by some new largescale erections of the last decades. They are the Shopping Centre (designed by Yuri Zemtsov and others), the Musical Theatre (designed by D.Lurie and others), the Irtysh Complex-Hall for Sports and Concerts (designed by M.Chachayev and others), the Pushkin library. The aspiration of the Omsk architects for making the environment more humane became apparent in their solution of the footpath of Ch.Valichanov Street (designed by Yuri Zaichenko).

Everyone who has once visited Omsk notices its openness, breadth and peculiarity. The city on the banks of the Irtish and 0m rivers is beautiful and sweeping in a Siberian manner.
A beautiful site was chosen for the new fortress by the Peter the Great guardsman Ivan Buchholz, when in spring of 1716 he and his detachment made a landing on the shore of the free Irtish, in the place where this powerful Siberian river takes the quiet 0m into its broad riverbed. According to the edict of the tsar Peter the Great and his deputy in Siberia prince Gagarin, pioneers erected here the fortification to guard the south Russian borders. Thus was founded the town, which in our days became the largest industrial and cultural center of Siberia.
No trace was left of wooden fortress - primogenitor of the town. But the ancient stone houses and the entrance fortress gates on the right bank of the river 0m, where it flows into the Irtish, still keep the voices of the remote past. Right here in the 1760s, when the wooden buildings of the first Omsk fortress became dilapidated, a new fortification was founded, this time built of stone.
In 1782 the fortress settlement was given the name of a town. Among inhabitants of this town were merchants, artisans, officials, but most people were the military. In 1812 battalions of the 24th Siberian division went to fight with Napoleon. Many of them died the death of brave on the Borodino field. The Shirvansky musketeer regiment units guarding the borders of Omsk fortress also distinguished themselves in the fights with Frenchmen. Later the heros and participants of that war served in Omsk. At different times the post of West Siberian Governor-general was held by P. Kaptsevich and G. Husford. During that time the town grew considerably, was decorated with gardens and sturdy stone buildings. In the 1820s Omsk was lined with buildings by the project of the famous Russian engineer V.Geste. Since that time the central architectural ensemble of the town began to take shape. One of the Omsk central buildings became the palace of Governor-general. In celebration days the tricolor flag appeared on the tower. From this tower the young town was viewed by many guests - well-known scientists, diplomats and travellers. They could see new squares, wooden houses with mezzanines and galleries, the broad Irtish, ships, fresh green Lyuba's Grove and the fortress with mighty belfry of Voskresensky Cathedral. The military significance of Omsk determined the fates of many Russians. We are not sure if the famous horses of talented sculptor Peter Klodt could appear on the Anitchkov Bridge in Petersburg without his Omsk experiences. Because here in Omsk a gifted boy fell for horses - these proud and beautiful animals. The fame found him in the Northern capital but here in Omsk, far away from European artistic world, for the first time baron Klodt felt the desire to learn curving, modelling and studying horses.

The fortress is the historical heart of Omsk. At present we can find here the buildings of different epochs: Catherine the Great baroque of the former guardhouse (the Regional Military Registration and Enlistment Office now) stands next to red-brick facades of the beginning of the 20th century buildings, severe forms of Military Assembly (House of Officers) are close to modern volumes of the Dzherzhinsky Palace of Culture.

Many buildings in the fortress are connected with the name of the great Russian writer F.Dostoevsky. First of all it's the house of commandant, where in 1990 was placed the Dostoevsky Literary Museum.
The former drill ground is now occupied by the cosy shady public garden. Being in the fortress you can't but remember the events which became the Omsk history milestones. In 1856 Mikhail Vrubel, the great painter born in Omsk, was baptized in the fortress Soboro-Voskresenskaya Church. Omsk Fine Arts Museum bears his name now. Mikhail Vrubel was around three when his father took him away from Omsk. But it's quite possible that his childish impressions revealed themselves at his mature age. It's no doubt Vrubel saw a lot in his native town. Among that lot a huge to him Cossack Nikolsky Cathedral in the garden of which the artist could have walked. "Its severe slim appearance" is very alike to its architectural brothers in Petersburg. And it's quite explicable because the Cathedral was built by the famous architect V.Stasov's drawings, who built a lot in the city on the banks of Neva.

In 1894 when the railroad came to Omsk it was called the Gates of Siberia. The Great Siberian Track made the economic contacts of businessmen more active and easier, by connecting Omsk with Moscow, Petersburg and Far East. The representatives of famous Russian and foreign firms came to the far Siberian town. Due to this Omsk started intensive construction of imposing buildings: banks, shops, apartments and offices.

In our days the work of organisations responsible for the keeping of Omsk antique memorials became animated, there appeared enthusiasts-students of local lore, whose opinion is considered by the community. The city's department of architecture lead by A.Karirnov has provided the restricted areas where the erection of new buildings is strictly regulated.
One of such areas are the Cossack suburb. Each house here has its unique history. On Pochtovaya street remained some ancient houses, among them No. 27 - the Khiebnikovs house where Omsk artists are working now. Durable house with a verandah facing the garden, with carved laurel branches on the front door and frieze reflected the taste of his owner - the famous public figure, lawyer Arseny Khiebnikov. In the beginning of the 20-s this house was visited by the talented youth, among them was young Vissarion Shebalin, who performed many of his works in this house on Pochtovaya for the first time.

Next is another famous building, No. 30 on Krasnykh Zor street, former Nikolsky avenue. Here lived our famous fellow-townsman prominent contemporary poet Leonid Martynov. We can entitle the book of his memoirs "The Aerial Frigates" the Omsk encyclopaedia of the first half of the 20th century. His love to the town was active, his interest to its history and its present was real. He saw Omsk change its image during the 20-s, 30-s, 40-s and he believed in its future. "This town standing on the border of Kazakhstan and Siberia, town where January frosts resemble Arctic and June heat resembles Middle Asia. This town above quiet 0m has grown during last 20 years" - wrote Martynov in his book "the Fortress on 0m".
Forever will remain in the history of WW II the names of its heroes. The name of Dmitry Karbyshev, our fellow-countryman, Omsk Military School graduate, man of great strength became a legend. 134 Omsk citizens were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

During this time the city 2,5 thousand kilometres away from Moscow was hosting the evacuees from Leningrad and other front-line towns and cities. Sharing bread and shelter with them. Omsk received industrial enterprises from the Ukraine, turned its cultural places into hospitals. 37 hospitals were opened and each third Omsk dweller became a blood-donor during the war.
There almost was no civil construction during the war. On the vacant lots were urgently erected shops of military plants. In those days started their activities the Baranov motor works, the Oktyabtskaya Revolution tank plant, Omsk tyre plant and many others, turning Omsk into large industrial center of Siberia. The builders lived in barracks which disappeared totally only in the 70s.
In the 50-s-60-s in the North West of Omsk due to the construction of the first Siberian oil refinery grew the town of oil industry workers. This town appeared on the spot which since the 18th century occupied "the quiet little village of Zakhiamino, surrounded by the windmills" as wrote I.Belov in his "Travel Notes and Impressions of Western Siberia" in the 1850s. A new city was created designed, by the indivisible architect-artistic project (the Vesniny Brothers architectural-planning workshop).
The idea of the city-garden presented for the first time in 1919 by the engineer D.Werner was incarnated in the end of the 50-s, when the city was all in green and the lawns of parks and public gardens were filled with exotic flora.

Many interesting buildings appeared in Omsk during last decades. Among the buildings which enriched the city's panorama we can enumerate the Trade Center, the builders of which were awarded the State prize in 1968, the Pushkin Scientific Library (architects Y.Zakharov, G.Narizyna, T.Moraz, I.Lubchich) on the Krasny Put street. Omsk architects are trying to form the complete ensembles, they attach great importance to the moulding of building's silhouette, use widely the natural factors in their creative plans. And at the same time they don't forget the antiquity and understand the necessity of its preservation.

The city cherishes its past. The architects and antiquity lovers restored the Serafimo-Alexeevskaya Chapel which even now is surrounded by numerous legends. One of them tells that the Chapel was built in 1908 to memorize the birth of the Cesarevitch Alexei. Another tells that it was built to memorize the soldiers killed in Russian war with Japan. The chapel was torn down in the 1920-s and was rebuilt brick by brick by the project and supervision of artist V.Desyatov.
You can meet the history of Omsk not only on the streets of the city. It lives in the museums, in the inspirational works of Omsk artists, actors and history scientists.
Omsk museum of local lore, history and economy is the oldest in Siberia. It was founded in 1878 by the famous Siberian scientists, explorers and public figures: M.Pevtsov, G.Potanin, N.Yadrintsev, I.SIovtsov.

Temples of Omsk
The first temple of Omsk was a small wooden church in a name of Sergiy Radonejskiy, erected at the centre of the First Fortress of Omsk. At the same time it was one of first fortress constructions. In 1718 family of Tyumen foremen casted bells for it, an d in 1755 the church was surrounded with a wooden fencing with octahedral belfry at a corner.

In a middle of 18 c. in Omsk settlement Ilinskaya church was constructed. In 1759 it had been transferred on the left coast and put at the walls of an old fortress on a hillock about Spasskie gates (nowadays Lenin square). In 1768 construction of the Second Omsk Fortress began. The first stone structure of it was the military Voskresenskiy cathedral ( it was opposite to a building of guardhouse ). In 1764 the commander of the Siberian corps I.I.Sh <http://I.I.Sh> pringer has addressed to mitropolit of Tobolsk and Siberia Pavel with the request for the sanction of building of a new temple in a name of God's Resuscitaition. The blessing was received, but erecting of the church had begun only after the plan of a new fortress was confirmed in 1769. The talented Tobolsk architects - I. and K. Chereoanovy took part in erection of the temple. The construction of cathedral was completed by 1773. The temple was an original structure. As soon as its basic building and eat ing-room made a single unit, it rather reminded a building of civil architecture.

Three-storeyed cathedral belfry with octahedral tent and dome dominated above surrounding area. The thickness of walls of cathedral reached 1.65 m. The means for its structure were given by military-engineering department. In 1906 at a cathedral the asylum for children of the orphans of the bottom grades, killed in the Russian-Japanese war w as established and also a library from 1875 volumes. The relics - gifts of Ecatherina II to a cathedral - were kept in a temple. After erection of a new temple the wooden church of Sergiy Radonejskiy, existing in an old fortress, was disassembled and tra nsported in village Gornokulachinskoe. In 1778 under the initiative of the commander of Siberian corps N.G.Ogarev near the wooden Ilinskay church construction of a new temple began. The stone Proroko-Ilinskaya church had 2 belfries and 4 thrones: the ma in - in a name of the St. Prophet Iliya ( was consecrated in 1789 ); in the western part - in a name of Svyatitel and Chudotvorez Nicolay ( was consecrated in 1785 ); in the northern part - in a name of Pokrov Presvyatoy Bogorodici ( was constructed by a merchant G.D.Kuzmin ) and in the southern part - in a name of St. Velikomuchennika Georgiy ( was constructed on means of merchant G.I.Terehova). Since 1893 in the top floor of one of church houses the church school was established, in which 60 children were trained. Under the St.Sinod decree in church on 1900 there were 3 priests, 1 deacon and 2 psalmists. The architectural decision of a temple which had no analogues in territory of Siberia was very interesting. In registration of church the transitive elements from borocco to classicism were used. The space-planning was unusial too. In Proroko-Ilinskaya church there were especially respected icons of Abalazcaya God's Mother, St. Velikomucheniza Paraskeva and St. Velikomuchenik Panteleimon. As soon as Voskresenskiy cathedral and Proroko-Ilinskaya church did not contain all religious people, in 1868 there was a question on expansion of Voskresenskiy cathedral. In 1885 the committee for the tax of means was founded, which work proceeded some years. The decision on construction of a new temple was accepted later. In engineering management of Omsk district the project of a cathedral was made, and in 1891 its construction began. At July 16 of that year the first stone of a builded temple was placed by the future king Nicolay II. Later it appeared, that the developed project required huge means, therefore in S.-Peterburg th e new project by architect E.F.Virrih was developed. K.A.Leshevich was apointed as the builder of Uspenskiy cathedral and the Novgorod foremen took part in its structure. In 1898 9 bells had been lifted and 3 thrones had been consecrated: the main - in a name of Uspenie of God's Mother, from the southern part - in a name of Mirlikiiskiy Chudotvorez St.Nicolay and from northern part - in a name of St. Ravnoopostolnaya Maria Magdalina. In 1838-40 Êàçà÷üÿ Íèêîëüñêàÿ church was constructed for Siberian Kaza k corps, in which the old relic - the banner of Ermak was kept. In 1865 in Omsk the Krestovozdvijenskaya church was built. The means for its construction were given by Omsk merchant G.P.Andreev; he was also the main work chief. The technical supervising over construction was carried out by the Omsk architect E.I.Ezet. In September 22 of 1870 the main throne was consecrated. The consecration of 2-nd throne in honour of God's Mother was held on February 12 1896. There were more than 45 various temples in Omsk before October revolution: orthodox churches and chapels, other cult structures. At the end of 19 - beginning of 20 c. in Omsk the orthodox churches were constructed: Svyato-Troizkaya - at railroad station of "Omsk", it was built on means of fund of the Emperor Alexander III A nd Committee on construction of Transsibirskaya highway, Paraskeevskaya - was constructed on means of merchantress Paraskeva Shkroeva etc. There was church for Lutherans, constructed in 1792 in territory of the Second Omsk fortress (nowadays museum of Om sk militia). In 1829 for the Mussulmans the mosque was erected. In 1862 on means of the exiled Poles the Polish Roman-Catholic church was built. There were available 2 synagogues for Jews. After the revolution the majority of temples was destroyed and th eir estate was plundered. In 30 - 50 of 20 c. Ilinskaya church, Voskresenskiy and Uspenskiy cathedrals, and other temples had been blown up. The bells were taken off for needs of industrialization, the brick was used for construction of civil buildings. From other churches the crosses and bells were removed, and these churches were adapted under cultural establishments. At the end of 80-th - beginning of 90-th of 20 c. many of kept temples were transferred to the religioners.