Omsk



Omsk (Russian: Омск ohmsk) is the capital of Omsk Oblast, Siberia, and is a regional hub for Western Siberia and the Altai mountains in Russia, as well as northern Kazakhstan.

Understand
Founded in 1716 as a fortress on the Imperial Russia's expanding southern frontier, by 1850s Omsk grew to become the capital of Western Siberia and parts of Central Asia. The construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway in the late 1890s brought a rapid development boom, culminating in an extravagant 1910s World Fair, around the time of which Omsk acquired much of its neoclassical architectural heritage. Largely due to its strategic importance as the gateway to Siberia and the Russian Far East, Admiral Kolchak of the anti-Soviet White Army chose Omsk as his base and "capital of Russia" in 1918–1919.

Today, Omsk is Russia's seventh largest city with a population of over 1.5 million. An Omsk visit is one of the highlights of a trip to Siberia for the city's attractive and bustling 19th century center, and its numerous cultural opportunities. Literature lovers will find a special interest in Omsk, as it was Dostoevsky's home during the majority of his exile from Saint Petersburg.

By plane


When taking a taxi from the airport, be sure to negotiate the price in advance and take a legal taxi.

By train
The southern and northern branches of the Trans-Siberian Railway converge at Omsk. Trains arrive from Moscow (40 h) and the Russian Far East (4-5 days) daily.

The railway station is south of city centre. Buses and trolley-buses run to the centre up Bolshoi Marxa Prospekt, fare approx ₽25, the conductors issue tickets on board and give change within reason.

By foot
The city center around Lyubinsky prospekt is easily walkable and is best explored on foot. In autumn 2017 Lenin St south of the River Om is being dug up and is difficult to walk along, but businesses there and the cathedral remain open.

By public transport
Public transport operates from 06:00 to 23:00 and will take you to most places you need to go. Route maps are available online. A ticket for a bus, trolleybus, or tram costs ₽22 and a ride in a marshrutka costs ₽20-25.

Trolley N4 & N7, and buses N50, 60 and 69 are particularly useful.

By taxi
Taxis are plentiful and there are several taxi companies operating in Omsk.

See
The historical part of town is centered on Lyubinsky prospekt, near the confluence of the Om and Irtysh rivers. It is lined with century-old buildings of former merchant salons, residences, and larger commercial, government and religious establishments. The area now has some of the poshest shopping and the best nightlife in the city.

Ulica Krasnyh Zor' (aka Nikol'skij prospekt) leads from the Cossacks' cathedral to a few blocks of historical carved-wood houses. This street can give an idea what Omsk and Siberia used to be like for centuries before industrialization. Unfortunately, these houses are not yet protected as cultural heritage landmarks and may eventually be demolished.

Buy
Omsk is rich in shopping. There is a big difference between the rich and the poor in the city, and this is visible in its shopping malls. While there are shops with extremely cheap goods, there are also modern, upscale malls where every shop is very expensive; a simple shirt at one of these stores could be £100, for example, and a handbag £200. Nevertheless, Omsk offers some great shops with lots of goods.

Eat
American chains including McDonald’s, KFC, Subway, Friday's, and Sbarro have locations in Omsk.



Nightclubs

 * Angar Kemerovo st., 1/3  8 381 290-57-77

Stay safe
Dangerous areas of the city are Neftyaniki (town of oilmen), Amurskiy posyolok (Amur settlement), Port Arthur, Staryi Kirovsk (Old Kirovsk), and the area of the Omsk tire plant.

Consulates

 * 🇩🇪 Germany
 * 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

Go next
Omsk is a convenient hub for several regional attractions. Distances are large and locals will consider a city 700km away to be 'nearby'. However, trains are reliable.


 * Tobolsk and Tomsk are the oldest cities of Siberia. Because the main transportation arteries originally bypassed them, the towns stayed small, avoiding the typical Soviet development, and retaining their unique picturesque characters. They are reachable by overnight train, or, in the case of Tobolsk, by speed jet boat along the Irtysh River (10-12 hours). Irregular boats also operate to Khanty-Mansiysk and Salekhard, within the Arctic Circle, a 2783 km journey taking six days (see timetable). This is the best way to see the West Siberian terrain, grand rivers, and rural lifestyle. For some towns, this boat is the only access to the outside world.
 * Barnaul (16 hours by train or a 1½ hour flight) is the gateway to the Altai mountains and national parks.
 * Kazakhstan is accessible by train - Petropavlovsk (4 hours), Astana (12 hours), or bus - Pavlodar (8 hours).