Tomsk (Russian: Томск tohmsk) is the capital city of Tomsk Oblast.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons contributors.
Located on the River Tom, the city was founded in 1604 by the order of Tsar Boris Godunov as a military outpost against nomadic peoples. Gold was discovered in 1830, which boosted the fortunes of the city, but after the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railroad, which bypassed Tomsk and passed the area further to the south, economic development also moved away from the city. Instead, Tomsk became a university town. Tomsk benefited after World War II as factories were moved east, away from the conflict.
Most of the city centre is within walking distance. Buses and trams typically cost 32 руб. There are many taxi companies, most of which charge around 150-200 руб to go anywhere in the city. Taxi dispatchers and drivers do not speak English, so you would have to learn a couple of key phrases. If you are going to the airport or bus station, book the taxi in advance in case of high wait times. Don't hail taxis from the streets if possible, since they can rip off foreigners.
1 Tomsk Oblast Local Museum (Томский областной краеведческий музей). 2 Tomsk Oblast Art Museum (Томский областной художественный музей). 3 Tomsk history museum (Музей истории Томска), Bakunina Street 3. 4 Tomsk planetarium (Томский планетарий). 5 Tomsk State University, Lenin Ave 36, ☏ +7 382 252-98-52. Founded in 1878 and has 16,000 students. 6 Tomsk Polytechnic University, Lenin Ave 30, ☏ +7 382 260-63-33. Founded in 1896 and has 20,000 students. Governor's District. The central location in Tomsk, near the Oblast Administration office, on the bank of the river Tom.
The church choir in the Epiphany Cathedral Tomsk State University capella performs at what was the University chapel 1 Tonsk Regional Drama Theatre (Томский областной драматический театр). Tomsk City Garden (Томский Городской сад) - has a Ferris wheel that offers a great view Buff-Garden features an artificial cascade 2 Siberian Botanic Garden (Сибирский ботанический сад). 3 Mikhailovskaya Grove (Михайловская роща). FC Tom Tomsk is the local team in the Russian Premier League
The cuisine is similar to what you can try in Novosibirsk, Krasnoyarsk and any other city in the region. Local foods like pelmeni or bliny (pancakes) can be found in practically any restaurant. Try the Siberian Pancakes (Sibirskie Bliny) with a lot of different fillings. Bulanzhet, 6 locations, ☏ +7 382 251-07-99. Great tea, soups, and desserts. Endorfin, Several locations, ☏ +7 382 251-07-99. A cafe that serves unique coffee drinks. Antonov Dvor, Lenina Ave 104, ☏ +7 382 251-73-17. Good selection of cheap food. Large selection of cakes from a local producer. People's, Krasnoarmeyskaya St 31, ☏ +7 382 226-55-06. Grilled meat and burgers.
Nefiltroff is the local non-filtered beer — cheap, tasty and cheerful! Local vodka is also pretty cheap and considerably well-done. Supermarkets cannot sell spirits after 10PM, although beer is still available at night at specialized bar-shops (they open bottles on sale). Bars and restaurants have no time limits for selling alcohol. Harat's Irish Pub, Karla Marksa 23А, ☏ +7 382 299-55-09. Daily 12:00-02:00. Siberian Pub, Novo-Sobornaya pl 2, ☏ +7 382 253-00-47. Popular with expats. U Kryugera (У Крюгера), Arkadiya Ivanova 18А, ☏ +7 382 242-39-03. A great place to drink beer. Also has an extensive food menu with grilled meats and the like.
Try not to drink on the streets, or at least not to show it to local policemen. They are usually quite tolerant and in most cases will just tell you to stop drinking, still there may be accidents. There is zero tolerance toward drugs, even the softest ones — so take extreme care.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
In Jul, Tomsk typically sees ~24°C daytime highs and 12 rainy days.
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