Presentation of Novosibirsk

Geography

The city of Novosibirsk, capital of Siberia, is located in the south of Siberia on the banks of the Ob River, which flows from Altai.

A bit of history...

Novosibirsk was founded in 1893 at the time of the construction of the bridge across the Ob River as a part of the Trans-Siberian Railway. Initially called Novonikolayevsk (after the tsar Nicholas II), it was renamed Novosibirsk in 1925. A point of intersection between European and Asian parts of Russia, today it has more than 1 450 000 inhabitants and is the third largest city of Russia.

Things to do in Novosibirsk

The city is known for its numerous theatres – the Opera and Ballet Theatre, which is the symbol of the city and one of the largest theatres in Russia, the Philharmonic Hall, where you can hear the symphonic orchestra of Novosibirsk, and many drama theatres.
Other attractions include the scientific and academic centre Academgorodok, the Novosibirsk zoo where you will be able to approach the famous Siberian tiger, and plenty of museums: among others, one can mention the Railway Museum with its collection of locomotives of the Trans-Siberian, the Ethnography Museum which presents an interesting collection of local costumes, including costumes of shamans, and the Picture Gallery with birch bark artefacts.

Besides, you will find in Novosibirsk cafes and restaurants of all kinds. Whether you want to try borsch (Russian soup) with pelmeni (typical Siberian dish) or just have a Cappuccino, you will find everything you need within several minutes walk from our language centre.