Tomsk — The Siberian Torchbearers' Secret

Your quest begins in front of the main building of Tomsk State University (TSU), at 36 Prospect Lenina. Founded in 1888 by imperial decree, TSU is Siberia's first university, a beacon of scholarship that today hosts over 20,000 students. Observe its Neo-Russian architecture, erected between 1888 and 1898, and imagine the generations of scholars who have walked these grounds. It is here that the spirit of Siberia's first university city took root, shaping the intellectual identity of Tomsk and the region.

Continue towards University Grove (Университетская роща), a 20-hectare forest park planted in the 19th century, a protected area that has served as a historical promenade for students since 1890. This green haven, in the immediate vicinity of TSU, offers you a glimpse into student life in Tomsk through the ages. The fresh air under the century-old trees recalls the importance of nature in the development of this historic Siberian city, whose wooden architecture is a UNESCO candidate.

The route then takes you to the Tomsk Regional Drama Theater, founded in 1885, with its main building constructed in 1900. One of Siberia's oldest theaters, it can accommodate around 800 spectators for drama, opera, and ballet performances. This major cultural site in Tomsk reflects the city's artistic vitality. Not far, the Tomsk Regional Museum named after M.B. Shatilov, opened in 1926, houses over 300,000 artifacts, including archaeological pieces dating back to 1604, bearing witness to Siberian history and local ethnography.

Explore Voskresenskaya Gora (Resurrection Hill), a historic hill adorned with 18th-century Orthodox churches, including the Church of the Resurrection built in 1790. From this vantage point, you get a panoramic view of the Tom River, the center of Tomsk's historic district. A little further, the Bogoroditse-Alekseevsky Monastery, founded in 1653, is one of Siberia's oldest, with an architectural complex from the 17th-19th centuries, also located near the Tom River, highlighting the religious heritage of the city from 1604.

Your exploration of Tomsk concludes with the understanding that this city is a true crossroads of Siberian history. From the imperial decrees of 1604 to the rise of Tomsk State University, every stone and every tree tells a part of the past. Camp Garden, a park on the banks of the Tom River named after 18th-century military camps and its 19th-century southern observation terrace, just 1.5 km from your starting point, offers a final perspective on this resilient city. You take with you the memory of an interactive visit to Tomsk, where the heritage of Tomsk and the history of Tomsk are revealed at every step.