Novosibirsk

Novosibirsk (English) Новосибирск (Russian)
Novosibirsk skyline
Location of Novosibirsk Oblast on the map of Russia
Location of Novosibirsk on the map of Novosibirsk Oblast
Coordinates 55°01′N 82°56′E / 55.017°N 82.933°E / 55.017; 82.933Coordinates: 55°01′N 82°56′E / 55.017°N 82.933°E / 55.017; 82.933
Coat of Arms	Flag
City Day: Last Sunday of June
Administrative status
Federal subject In jurisdiction of Administrative center of	Novosibirsk Oblast Novosibirsk Oblast Novosibirsk Oblast, Novosibirsky District
Local self-government
Charter	Charter of Novosibirsk
Municipal status	n/a
Mayor	Vladimir Gorodetsky
Representative Body	City Council
Area
Area	503 km² (194.2 sq mi)
Population
2002 Census - Rank - Density	1,425,508 inhabitants 3rd 2,834/km² (7,340/sq mi)
Events
Founded	1893
Town status	January 10, 1904
Renamed	February 12, 1926
Other information
Postal code	630xxx
Dialing code	+7 383
Official website
http://www.novo-sibirsk.ru/

Novosibirsk (Russian: Новосиби́рск, pronounced [nəvəsʲɪˈbʲirsk]) is Russia's third-largest city, after Moscow and St. Petersburg, and the largest city of Siberia. It is the administrative center of Novosibirsk Oblast as well as of the Siberian Federal District. The city is located in the south-western portion of the federal district and occupies an area of 477.2 square kilometers (184.2 sq mi).^[1]

History

The city was founded in 1893 at the future site of a Trans-Siberian Railway bridge crossing the great Siberian river of Ob and was named Novonikolayevsk (Новониколаевск), in honor of both Saint Nicholas and of the reigning tsar, Nicholas II. The bridge was completed in the spring of 1897, making the new settlement the regional transportation hub. The importance of the city further increased with the completion of the Turkestan-Siberia Railway in the early 20th century. The new railway connected Novosibirsk to Central Asia and the Caspian Sea.^[2]

At the time of the bridge's opening, Novonikolayevsk hosted a population of 7,800 people. Its first bank opened in 1906, with a total of five banks operating by 1915. In 1907, Novosibirsk, now with a population exceeding 47,000, was granted town status with full rights for self-government. The pre-revolutionary period saw the population of Novosibirsk reach to 80,000. During this period the city experienced steady and rapid economic growth, becoming one of the largest commercial and industrial centers of Siberia and developing a significant agricultural processing industry, as well as a power station, iron foundry, commodity market, several banks, and commercial and shipping companies. By 1917, Novosibirsk possessed seven Orthodox and one Roman Catholic church, several cinemas, forty primary schools, a high school, a teaching seminary, and the Romanov House non-classical secondary school. In 1913, Novosibirsk became one of the first places in Russia to institute compulsory primary education.^[2]

The Russian Civil War took a toll on the city, with wartime epidemics, especially typhus and cholera, claiming thousands of lives. In the course of the war the Ob River Bridge was destroyed and for the first time in its history the population of Novonikolayevsk began to decline. The Soviet Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies of Novonikolayevsk took control of the city in December 1917. In May 1918, Czechoslovak prisoners of war rose in opposition to the revolutionary government and, together with the White Guards, captured Novonikolayevsk. The Red Army took the city in 1919, retaining it throughout the rest of the Civil War.^[2]

Novonikolayevsk began reconstruction in 1921 at the start of Lenin's New Economic Policy. It was given its new name, Novosibirsk, in 1926.^[2] The new name can be translated as "New Siberia City".

During Stalin's industrialization push, Novosibirsk secured its place as one of the largest industrial centers of Siberia. Several massive industrial facilities were created in the city, including the 'Sibkombain' plant, specializing in the production of heavy mining equipment. Additionally a metal processing plant, a food processing plant and other industrial enterprises and factories were built, as well as a new power station. The Great Soviet Famine saw the influx of more than 170,000 refugees to Novosibirsk. The new arrivals settled in barracks at the outskirts of the city, giving rise to slums such as Bolshaya Nakhalovka, Malaya Nakhalovka, and others.^[2]

Rapid growth and industrialisation were the reasons behind Novosibirsk's nickname: the "Chicago of Siberia"^[3]

Tram rails were laid in 1954, by which time Novosibirsk reached a population of 287,000, making it the largest city in Siberia. The following year the original Ob River Bridge was replaced by the new Kommunalny bridge.^[2]

The rapid growth of the city prompted the construction of a Hydroelectric power station with a capacity of 400,000^[4] kilowatts, causing the creation of a giant water reservoir—now known as the Ob Sea. As a direct result of the station's construction vast areas of fertile land were flooded as were relic pine woods in the area, additionally the new open space created by the reservour's surface caused average wind speeds to double, increasing the tempo of soil erosion.^[2]

In the 1950s, the Soviet Government directed that a center for scientific research be built in Novosibirsk; consequiently, the multi-facility scientific research complex of Akademgorodok was constructed about 30 km south of the city center in 1957. The Siberian Branch of the Academy of Sciences is headquartered in Akademgorodok and the town hosts a total of fourteen research institutions and universities. Although it posses a fully autonomous infrastructure, Akademgorodok is administratively a part of Novosibirsk.

On September 2, 1962, Novosibirsk reached a population of one million. At that time, it was the youngest city in the world with over a million people. Novosibirsk took fewer than seventy years to achieve this milestone.^[5]

In 1979, work began on the Novosibirsk Metro Transit System, culminating in the opening of the first line in 1985.^[2]

Novosibirsk was in the center path of the Solar eclipse of August 1, 2008 with a duration of 2 minutes and 20 seconds.

Geography and climate

Location

The city stands on the banks of the Ob River in the West Siberian Plain. To the south of the city lies the Ukok Plateau, which forms part of the Golden Mountains of Altai UNESCO World Heritage Site.^[6]

Climate conditions

The climate is sharply continental, with severely cold winters. Snow is frequent, falling on almost half of winter days, but individual snowfalls are usually light. Temperatures in summer range from 20 °C to 25 °C (75 °F); in winter -18 °C to -20 °C (0 °F), but can reach from -40 °C to -50 °C (-40 °F) in winter and 35-40 °C (100 °F) in summer.^[1] The difference between the highest and the lowest temperature is 88 °C (158 °F). Most of the time the weather is sunny, with an average of 2880 hours of sunshine per year, but heavy rain is possible in summer.^[1]

Travelers coming from countries with mild climates may find Novosibirsk’s winter tough, but it will not be extraordinary for those from northern countries. At times, bitter cold may hold for some days, but temperatures of -40 °C and lower do not occur every year. In contrast, springtime is not the best season for visiting Novosibirsk, as streets and roads become dirty due to mud and melting snow, while the weather is still cold.

Weather averages for Novosibirsk
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Average high °C (°F)	-12.2 (10)	-10.3 (13)	-2.6 (27)	8.1 (47)	17.5 (64)	24.0 (75)	25.7 (78)	22.2 (72)	16.6 (62)	6.8 (44)	-2.9 (27)	-8.9 (16)	7.0 (45)
Daily Mean °C (°F)	-16.2 (3)	-14.7 (6)	-7.2 (19)	3.2 (38)	11.6 (53)	18.2 (65)	20.2 (68)	17.0 (63)	11.5 (53)	3.4 (38)	-6.0 (21)	-12.7 (9)	2.4 (36)
Average low °C (°F)	-20.1 (-4)	-19.1 (-2)	-11.8 (11)	-1.7 (29)	5.6 (42)	12.3 (54)	14.7 (58)	11.7 (53)	6.4 (44)	0.0 (32)	-9.1 (16)	-16.4 (2)	-2.3 (28)
Precipitation mm (inches)	19 (0.75)	14 (0.55)	15 (0.59)	24 (0.94)	36 (1.42)	58 (2.28)	72 (2.83)	66 (2.6)	44 (1.73)	38 (1.5)	32 (1.26)	24 (0.94)	442 (17.4)
Source: [7]

Flora

The temple of St. Alexander Nevsky

Novosibirsk Trans-Siberian railway station

One of the city's new skyscrapers

The administrative building of Novosibirsk Oblast

Aerial view of the center of the city

New apartment buildings

Lenin street

The most prominent tree genera native to Novosibirsk are birch, pine, and aspen. Some mountain ash, hawthorn, spruce, and fir are also present. European species of apple, ash, elm, linden, and oak have been successfully introduced.

Fauna

Large mammals native to the Novosibirsk area include the brown bear, reindeer, moose (locally called elk), wolf, and fox. Also present are wolverine, ermine, marten, weasel, and polecat. The predators among them are supported by populations of beaver, hare, mouse, hamster, vole, shrew, squirrel, and chipmunk. More than 350 species of birds have been recorded. On the other hand, only a few cold-blooded vertebrate species occur on land, but they include the venomous adder and the swift grass snake. Perch and carp are prominent among the fish, of which there are more than thirty species. The carp often host a dangerous parasite, the liver fluke. Ticks in the area are frequent carriers of viral encephalitis.

Broadcasting

Novosibirsk is home to Russia's most powerful shortwave relay station east of the Ural mountains. This relay station can reach most of South Asia, the Middle East, and China. The Magadan and Vladivostok relay stations when operated in conjunction with Novosibirsk can guarantee that the Voice of Russia or any other broadcaster renting time at Novosibirsk is heard in the intended target area.

Transport

Novosibirsk is the third largest city in Russia (after Moscow and St. Petersburg) and the first in Siberia in which a metro system was established (the Novosibirsk Metro, opened in 1985). The city is served by Novosibirsk Tolmachevo Airport with regular flights to Europe and Asia as well as to other Russian cities. Tolmachevo is the hub for S7 Airlines. There is also the auxiliary Novosibirsk Elitsovka Airport and a smaller field for general aviation at Novosibirsk Severny Airport. Novosibirsk was one of the stops for the 2009 edition of the popular television show, "The Amazing Race."

Sports

Several professional sports clubs are active in the city:

• HC Sibir Novosibirsk - ice hockey, Kontinental Hockey League
• FC Sibir Novosibirsk - football, Russian First Division
• Sibirtelecom Lokomotiv Novosibirsk - Men's basketball team, Russian Basketball Super League
• Dynamo-Energiya Novosibirsk - Women's basketball, Russian Women's Basketball Super League
• HC Sibselmash — bandy, Russian Vyschaya Liga

Novosibirsk is the hometown of several former Olympians including Alexander Karelin, a 12-time world Greco-Roman wrestling champion, who has been voted the greatest Greco-Roman wrestler of the 20th century by FILA.

Music

Three contemporary classical violinists—Vadim Repin, Natalia Lomeiko, and Maxim Vengerov—are natives of Novosibirsk.

The city possesses a Conservatory (named in honor of Mikhail Glinka), a Philharmonic Orchestra, and several notable music venues.

The Novosibirsk Zoo

The Novosibirsk Zoo is a world renowned scientific institution as well as a popular tourist attraction. The zoo has over four thousand species of animals and is an active participant of thirty-two different endangered species. On average, around 700,000 people visit the zoo each year.

In 2000, the zoo held the closest relative to the cape lion of South Africa. John Spence was always fascinated about the stories of these grand lions scaling the walls of General van Riebeeck's castle in the 17th century. Spence's search took thirty years, which led him to the Novosibirsk Zoo where he found the closest living resemblance to the cape lion; the zoo called him Simon. The lion and his family are kept outdoors in large, natural settings. "It is kept all the year around in the climate conditions of the West Siberia at the temperatures from −49 °C (−56.2 °F) to 36 °C (96.8 °F). In forty years, more than sixty cubs were born."^[8]

The zoo's current curator is Rostislav Shilo. Simon's cubs were named after him and his wife, Olga.^[9]

International relations

Twin towns/Sister cities

Novosibirsk is twinned with:

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Novosibirsk

• News from Novosibirsk - the main local TV station "Vesti-Novosibirsk" (Russian)
• Novosibirsk skyline photos
• CNN article on Siberian IT industry

v • d • e Cities and towns in Novosibirsk Oblast Administrative center: Novosibirsk Barabinsk · Berdsk · Bolotnoye · Cherepanovo · Chulym · Iskitim · Karasuk · Kargat · Kupino · Kuybyshev · Ob · Tatarsk · Toguchin