Tomsk

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. It was closed to outsiders during the Cold War.
Today, Tomsk has a population of around 525,000, of which 15% are students, coming from all over Siberia, Central Asia and even the European part of Russia. As a result, Tomsk probably has a bigger proportion of foreign language speakers than any other Siberian city.

By plane

• Bogashevo AirportFlights operate to/from Moscow (4 hours overnight), Novosibirsk (30 minutes, occasional departures), Yekaterinburg (2.5 hours), Irkutsk, Krasnoyarsk, Surgut, and Tyumen.

Bus #118 () operates between the airport and the city centre.

By bus

Buses are the most convenient way to reach Tomsk from Novosibirsk (4.5 hours, , 12 per day). Tickets can be purchased online.

By train

There is a rail branch from the Trans-Siberian Railway junction at Taiga, 2.5 hours from Tomsk by train.

By foot

Most of the city centre is within walking distance.

By public transport

Buses and trams typically cost .

By taxi

There are many taxi companies, most of which charge around 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.

University campuses

• Tomsk State University

  phone: +7 382 252-98-52
  address: Lenin Ave 36
  Founded in 1878 and has 16,000 students.

• Tomsk Polytechnic University

  phone: +7 382 260-63-33
  address: Lenin Ave 30
  Founded in 1896 and has 20,000 students.

Districts

• Governor's District. The central location in Tomsk, near the Oblast Administration office, on the bank of the river Tom. It was built to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the city and reflects its history with several attractions, including the city's main cathedral and controversial and funny monument to Anton Chekhov.
• Verhnyaya Yelan' is a carefully renovated and well-kept little district with wooden architecture, where old traditional merchant mansions are situated. Stunningly beautiful at night.

Monuments

• Chekhov through the Eyes of a Drunk Man Lying in a Pit Who Never Read Kashtanka - a funny-looking monument of Chekhov in retaliation for Chechov's description of Tomsk as a muddy little town where the only good place to eat was Slavyanskiy Bazar.
• Wolf Monument inspired by the cartoon Once Upon a Time Lived a Dog (on Shevchenko Street) - if you press the button on the wolf's belly, it will say one of 8 sayings from the cartoon.
• Tomsk Slippers Monument (on the steps of Tomsk-2 Hotel across from Tomsk-I Train Station)
• The Pregnant Woman Monument - a monument of a baby coming out of a pregnant woman.
• Lagerny Sad (Camp Garden) is WWII monument on the bank of the river Tom which is beautiful by itself and provides an amazing view of the river and the surroundings.

Viewpoints

• Voskersenskaya Hill has a great viewing point; this is where, in the 19th century, fire fighters watched for signs of fire.

Concerts

• The church choir in the Epiphany Cathedral
• Tomsk State University capella performs at what was the University chapel

Parks

• Tomsk City Garden (Томский Городской сад) - has a Ferris wheel that offers a great view
• Buff-Garden features an artificial cascade

Spectator sports

• FC Tom Tomsk is the local team in the Russian Premier League

A lot of beautiful souvenirs made from birch bark, these range from hair brushes to bottles and baskets and maps of Russia. These are characteristic of Western Siberia and you will not get them anywhere else. Also try local souvenir shops conveniently located at the airport and the main railway station for some other traditional local gifts.

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.

Cafes

• Bulanzhet

  phone: +7 382 251-07-99
  address: 6 locations
  Great tea, soups, and desserts.

• Endorfin

  phone: +7 382 251-07-99
  address: Several locations
  A cafe that serves unique coffee drinks.

Budget

• Antonov Dvor

  phone: +7 382 251-73-17
  address: Lenina Ave 104
  Good selection of cheap food.

Mid-range

• People's

  phone: +7 382 226-55-06
  address: Krasnoarmeyskaya St 31
  Grilled meat and burgers.

• Reka 827

  phone: +7 382 290-20-20
  address: Kooperativnyy St 2
  European food.

• Stary Zamok

  phone: +7 382 290-20-20
  address: Gagarina St 11A
  Great homemade food and ambiance.

Splurge

• Slavyanskiy Bazar

  phone: +7 382 251-55-53
  address: Lenina Sq., House 10
  Chekhov dined here. Traditional Russian food with traditional Russian ambiance. The most expensive restaurant in Tomsk.

• Vechnyi Zov

  phone: +7 382 252-81-67
  address: Sovetskaya St 47
  Traditional Russian food.

• Parmezan

  phone: +7 382 251-17-74
  address: Rozy Lyuksemburg 2
  Excellent soup and seafood.

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 11PM, although beer is still available at night.

Bars

• Harat's Irish Pub

  phone: +7 382 299-55-09
  address: Karla Marksa 23А

• Siberian Pub

  phone: +7 382 253-00-47
  address: Novo-Sobornaya pl 2
  Popular with expats.

• U Kryugera

  phone: +7 382 242-39-03
  address: Arkadiya Ivanova 18А
  A great place to drink beer. Also has an extensive food menu with grilled meats and the like.

Nightclubs

Most nightclubs charge high entrance fees.

• RayON Night Club

  phone: +7 382 230-78-88
  address: Krasnoarmeyskaya ulitsa 120

• Shizgara

  phone: +7 382 221-77-55
  address: Belinskogo 54

• Strekoza Striptease

  phone: +7 382 220-74-74
  address: Frunze Ave 16

• TEATRO

  phone: +7 382 250-30-86
  address: Frunze Ave 103

• Underground Jazz Cafe

  phone: +7 382 251-63-91
  address: Lenin Ave 46

Budget

• 8 Floor Hostel

  phone: +7 382 256-55-22
  address: Dzerzhinskogo 56-55

• Hostel Athens

  phone: +7 923 407-67-78
  address: Karpova 16/2

Mid-range

• Art Plaza Hotel Tomsk

  phone: +7 382 250-71-50
  address: Istochnaya 53

• Bon Apart

  phone: +7 382 253-46-55
  address: Gertsena 1a
  Cozy hotel with a pool.

• Forum Hotel

  phone: +7 382 253-02-80
  address: Lenin Ave 91

• Gogol Hotel

  phone: +7 382 290-97-09
  address: Gogolya 36А

• Rubin

  phone: +7 382 249-26-89
  address: Akademicheskiy pr 16

Splurge

• Magistrat

  phone: +7 382 251-11-11
  address: pl Lenina 15

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.

• The Altai Republic is a long drive south but has extremely beautiful scenery that will take at least a few days to explore.
• Krasnoyarsk is a large city to the east.
• Novokuznetsk is a polluted city south of Tomsk that offers more insights into Russian life.
• Novosibirsk is 4.5 hours away by bus and is a bigger city with more nightlife options.
• Moscow is easily accessible via a direct flight.