Novosibirsk is the largest city in Siberia with population over 1,6 million inhabitants, and it is the richest city in the region.
Officially, the date of the foundation is 1893 but it has become a city only in
the beginning of the 20th century. Actually, the camp of the workers, who were building the bridge across river Ob' to continue the Trans-Siberian Railway was settled in the 1893. This camp was not taken away after the bridge was finished, but became a town - Novosibirsk.
Main street of Novosibirsk - Krasny Prospekt
Rich cultural life of Novosibirsk is provided by six theatres, a local orchestra and a musical conservatory. The Novosibirsk Opera House is an architectural masterpiece itself and includes two ballet and opera groups well-known in the world.
The city was considered to be the business capital of Siberia, so the largest Siberian banks and the Siberian Stock and Commodity Exchanges are situated there.
Novosibirsk is an interesting mix of a big city and provincial town. The monumental central avenue (with Stalinist buildings), squared functionally
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 Akademgorod campus, Novosibirsk |
In the 1957 Siberian Branch of Academy of Science was opened in the city. In fact, they built special town "Akademgorodok" (Academy town) in the pine forest on the shore of the Ob Sea (man-made huge reservoir on the Ob-river). Nowadays it is a town with a 100.000 inhabitants, great ecology and the famous Novosibirsk University. On weekends, students usually go out to the Ob Sea for a swim and nice time with friends.
