Zone time: +3 from Moscow one.
Population: about 1400 thous.
Average temperatures: January -20, April +1, July +22,
October 0.
The distance from Omsk to Moscow: 2562 km

Omsk is a city in the southwest of Siberia and situated on the banks of the north-flowing Irtysh, at its confluence with the Om River. It is beautiful city in a Siberian manner, distinctive only for the Siberian towns. Omsk is almost 300 years old. It was founded in 1716 as a frontier fortress for protection from nomad raids. Omsk became a strong point for further development of Siberia by Russians. In this year the wooden fort of Omsk was erected. In the 1760 when the old wooden fortress became dilapidated, the new fortification was built of stone. In the 19th century Omsk was a place of detention for political exiles. The famous Russian writer Feodor Dostoevsky was imprisoned there. For the brief period during the Civil War in 1918-19, Omsk served as headquarters of the anti-Bolshevik armed forces of Admiral Kolchak and held the imperial gold reserves. In 1894 the Trans-Siberian railway was built and connected Omsk with Moscow, Petersburg and cities of the Russian Far East. The economic contacts got more active and easier. Russian and foreign trade companies opened stories and offices here. Omsk started intensive construction: banks, shops, apartments and offices.

What to see

Regional museum of Local Lore

Address: 23a, Lenina str.

It was founded in 70 years of last century. Visitors can get acquainted with the history of West Siberia.

Omsk Art Museum

Address: 23, Lenina str.

Museum was founded in 1924. Now its collection includes over 15 thousand works of Russian and foreign paintings, drawings and engraving, sculpture and applied art. The pride of the museum is collection of landscapes by Levitan, Shishkin. Bogolyubov.

How to get

Omsk is a junction of highway in central Russian. (joint station of West Siberian and Sverdlovsk lines)

Passenger and freight boats along the Irtysh and the Ob river provide the connection from cities of Kazakhstan and northern Siberia.

Schedule and charter flights link Omsk with multiple domestic international (primarily, German) destinations.