Founded in 1604, Tomsk is one of the oldest cities inSiberia. It has six universities, with over 100,000 students, includingTomsk State University, the oldest university in Siberia.[15]
The discovery ofgold in 1830 brought further development to Tomsk in the 19th century; however, when in the 1890s theTrans-Siberian Railway bypassed the city in favor of the village of Novonikolayevsk (Novosibirsk), development began to move south to connect with the railway. In time,Novosibirsk would surpass Tomsk in importance.
In the mid-19th century one fifth of the city's residents wereexiles. However, within a few years, the city reinvented itself as the educational center of Siberia with the establishment ofTomsk State University, founded in 1880, andTomsk Polytechnic University, founded in 1896. ByWorld War II, every twelfth resident of the city was a student,[18] giving rise to the city's nickname, theSiberianAthens.
Like many Siberian cities, Tomsk became the new home for many factories relocated out of the war zone from 1941. The resulting growth of the city led the Soviet government to establish the new Tomsk Oblast, with Tomsk serving as the administrative center.[18]
During theCold War, Tomsk became one of many designatedclosed cities,[citation needed] which outsiders and, in particular, foreigners, could not visit. In 1949 matters went a stage further with the establishment of a secret city, known as "Tomsk-7[19]" (or sometimes simply as "Postbox 5") 15 kilometres (9 miles) north-west of Tomsk; the new settlement became the home of theTomsk Nuclear Plant (subsequently renamed the Sibirskaya Nuclear Power Plant), theSoviet Union's first industrial-scale nuclear-power station. Tomsk-7 received municipal status in 1956 and was renamedSeversk in 1992.
Tomsk has ahumid continental climate (Köppen climate classificationDfb) barely escaping asubarctic classification. The annual average temperature is +1.2 °C (34.2 °F). Winters are severe and lengthy, and the lowest recorded temperature was −55 °C (−67 °F) in January 1931. However, the average temperature in January is between −21 °C (−6 °F) and −13 °C (9 °F). Summers are somewhat short and quite warm; the average temperature in July is +18.8 °C (65.8 °F). The total annual rainfall is 587 millimeters (23.1 in). In 2006, Tomsk experienced what might have been its first recorded winds ofhurricane force, which toppled trees and damaged houses.[20]
Climate data for Tomsk (1991–2020, extremes 1837–present)
Tomsk City Administration buildingTomsk, view from the fire-observation tower
Tomsk is governed by a mayor and a 33-memberDuma. The current mayor, appointed in 2013, isIvan Klyayn,[23] a member of TheUnited Russia party.
Of the 33 members, 16 are elected from the eightdouble mandate districts while 17 are chosen fromparty lists.
In the October 2005 local elections,United Russia was expected to cruise to a solid victory; however, thePensioners Party put up a strong showing. The final count was (proportional representation):
In 2020, supporters ofAlexei Navalny won at least 16 seats in Tomsk's 37-seat city council while the pro-PutinUnited Russia party secured no more than 11 seats.[24]
Tomsk has the oldest electrical grid inSiberia. There are three power stations in the city:
TEC-1 (launched on January 1, 1896)
GRES-2 (launched on May 28, 1945)
TEC-3 (launched on October 29, 1988)
Tomsk consumes more electric energy than it produces. The bulk of the city's electric and thermal energy is produced by the GRES-2 (281 MWt) and TEC-3 (140 MWt) powerplants, belonging to Tomskenergo Inc. Tomsk supplements its energy needs with electricity generated atSeversk.
A large number of educational institutions in the city have contributed to making Tomsk a major center for Russia's IT industry. Tomsk was one of the first cities in Russia to gain access to the Internet, which became available in the early 1990s owing to grants received by universities and scientific cooperation. Tomsk has a number of prominent institutions of higher education, including:
The main line of the Trans-Siberian railway, built in 1896, bypasses the city 50 km (31 mi) to the south. Access from Tomsk to the Trans-Siberian railway is available via the town of Tayga. Aregional rail line links Tomsk with Tayga.
The majority of inner-city and suburban transportation is provided bymarshrutkas (routed taxis) and minibuses (mostly manufactured byPAZ, and serving about forty routes).
Additionally, the city has eleven proper bus routes, eight trolleybus lines (built in 1967), and five tram lines (constructed in 1949). Private taxis are also readily available.
Tomsk Museum for Regional Studies and the Organ Hall of the PhilharmonicExample of wood carving in Tomsk wooden architecture
Tomsk has many local cultural institutions including several drama theaters, as well as a children's theater and a puppet theater. Major concert venues in the city include the Conservatory Concert hall and the Tomsk Palace of Sport. The city also boasts cultural centers dedicated toGerman,Polish andTatar languages and culture.
One of the city's prominent theaters was destroyed in an act ofterrorism in 1905. TheKorolevsky Theater (built in 1884–85) was being used by a group ofcommunist revolutionaries when the theater was attacked and set on fire by members of theBlack Hundred, a hard-line nationalist organization. Those who escaped the flames were gunned down by Black Hundred members waiting outside the theater. Estimates put the number of casualties between 200 and 1000.[citation needed]
There are a number of museums in Tomsk devoted to various subjects, most notably art, local history and wood carving. There is also a Museum of Oppression, housed in a former KGB dungeon. Tomsk State University has a number of small museums with exhibits onarchaeology,paleontology,zoology, as well as aherbarium and abotanical garden
As in many other cities in the formerSoviet Union, the revolutionary government destroyed a number of old churches in the city including two that had existed since the 17th century. However, Tomsk managed to save some of its churches by transforming them into machine shops, warehouses, archives, and even residential buildings. Since the end of the communist era some of the churches have been renovated and returned to their congregations.
Tomsk is well known for its intricate "gingerbread" decoration of traditional wooden houses in the area. However, the number of old homes in this style is decreasing due to redevelopment or some of them catching fire, as the structures have little to no fire protection.
Trud (Labor) Stadium, in central Tomsk was the base for matches with theFC Tom Tomsk, the city's professionalfootball club, before dissolving in 2022. The team's 2004 promotion to theRussian Premier League gave local fans a chance to see some of the nation's best teams play at the city's own stadium.
^Хахалкин А.А."Томская Хроника XVII—XVIII вв". Хронос. Всемирная история в Интернете. Archived fromthe original on October 15, 2011. RetrievedSeptember 25, 2015.1603.12. - 1604.01. Поездка Тояна в Москву. Тоян подал челобитную царю Борису Годунову с просьбой принять его со всеми 'томскими людьми под высокую государеву руку'. [December 1603 to January 1604: Toyan's visit to Moscow. Toyan swore homage to Tsar Boris Godunov, requesting him to take himself and all 'the people of the Tom under his Lordship's protection'.]
Государственная Дума Томской области. Закон №271-ОЗ от 22 декабря 2009 г. «Об административно-территориальном устройстве Томской области», в ред. Закона №153-ОЗ от 17 ноября 2014 г. «Об упразднении отдельных административно-территориальных единиц Томской области и о внесении изменений в отдельные законодательные акты Томской области в связи с упразднением отдельных административно-территориальных единиц Томской области». Вступил в силу по истечении 10 дней после дня официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Томские новости", №51, 24 декабря 2009 г. (State Duma of Tomsk Oblast. Law #271-OZ of December 22, 2009On the Administrative-Territorial Structure of Tomsk Oblast, as amended by the Law #153-OZ of November 17, 2014On Abolishing Several Administrative-Territorial Units in Tomsk Oblast and on Amending Various Legislative Acts of Tomsk Oblast Due to the Abolition of Several Administrative-Territorial Units in Tomsk Oblast. Effective as of the day which is 10 days after the day of the official publication.).
Государственная Дума Томской области. Закон №238-ОЗ от 12 ноября 2004 г. «О наделении муниципального образования "Город Томск" статусом городского округа», в ред. Закона №76-ОЗ от 19 июня 2014 г. «О внесении изменений в отдельные законодательные акты Томской области в части уточнения статуса населённых пунктов, входящих в состав городских, сельских поселений». Вступил в силу по истечении 20 дней со дня официального опубликования (6 декабря 2004 г.). Опубликован: "Красное знамя", №154, 16 ноября 2004 г. (State Duma of Tomsk Oblast. Law #238-OZ of November 12, 2004On Granting Urban Okrug Status to the Municipal Formation of the "City of Tomsk", as amended by the Law #76-OZ of June 19, 2014On Amending Parts of Various Legislative Acts of Tomsk Oblast Dealing with the Clarification of the Status of Inhabited Localities Within Urban, Rural Settlements. Effective as of upon passing of 20 days from the day of the official publication (December 6, 2004).).
Государственная Дума Томской области. Закон №241-ОЗ от 12 ноября 2004 г. «О наделении статусом муниципального района, сельского поселения и установлении границ муниципальных образований на территории Томского района», в ред. Закона №76-ОЗ от 19 июня 2014 г. «О внесении изменений в отдельные законодательные акты Томской области в части уточнения статуса населённых пунктов, входящих в состав городских, сельских поселений». Вступил в силу по истечении 20 дней со дня официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Томские ведомости", №47, 18 ноября 2004 г. (State Duma of Tomsk Oblast. Law #241-OZ of November 12, 2004On Granting the Status of a Municipal District, Rural Settlement to and on Establishing the Borders of the Municipal Formations on the Territory of Tomsky District, as amended by the Law #76-OZ of June 19, 2014On Amending Parts of Various Legislative Acts of Tomsk Oblast Dealing with the Clarification of the Status of Inhabited Localities Within Urban, Rural Settlements. Effective as of after 20 days from the day of the official publication have passed.).
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