Novosibirsk is the largest municipal body in the Russian Federation, the biggest city in Siberia and the administrative center of the Novosibirsk Region. It is home to Representative Office of the President of the Russian Federation in the Siberian Federal District. As of January 1, 2004, its population totaled 1,413,000 people. Counting the residents of the satellite towns, the population within the Novosibirsk agglomeration exceeds 2 million people. Area of Novosibirsk is 504,61 square kilometers. Distance to Moscow (by railway) — 3,191 km. Time zone: GMT +06:00 (difference with Moscow time +3 hrs). Area code: within Russia — 383, internationally — 07-383.

Novosibirsk is located at the junction of forest-steppe and forest natural zones on the Priobsky plateau, which borders on the Ob River Valley. Its exact geographical position is: 82059'E and 55011'N. The general terrain layout is elevated and ridged, with the elevation of over 200m above sea level. The city's left-bank part is flat, while the right-bank part is dotted with numerous gullies, crests and ravines, since the terrain here starts to rise toward the mountainous relief of the Salair Ridge. Top soil here is characteristic of the forest-steppe zone, i.e. from black earth to sand pod found under pine forests. Natural factors favor the city development. The city borders on Zaeltsovsky and Kudryashovsky pine forests, the Ob water reservoir; there are small rivers and numerous lakes that all together offer excellent opportunities for recreation.

By its combined indices of the scientific and industrial, educational and cultural capacities Novosibirsk firmly holds the leading position in Siberia, and trails only Moscow and St. Petersburg nationwide. Novosibirsk spreads its influence over the whole of Siberia — a vast territory with the area of 8 million square kilometers and population of 26 million people.

Novosibirsk sprang to existence swiftly and boldly. Having started as a settlement in 1893, it acquired an official town status in 1904, and on September 2, 1962, it became the youngest city worldwide to have 1 million residents. Novosibirsk owes its establishment and rapid development to the busy railway that crosses the Ob, the largest river on the continent, at this exact place.

That gave a boost to turning Novosibirsk into the largest Eurasian transport hub. The city is a cross-over point of the West-Siberian railway, federal highways Chelyabinsk-Irkutsk (Baykal) and Novosibirsk-Tashanta (Chuysky Trakt); international, federal and regional airways and the navigable river Ob. Within the city limits there are 26 railway stations and stops (including the largest Eurasian shunting depot, Inskaya, and a large container terminal, Kleschikha); a river port, a marina and 8 river stations along the Ob; a bus terminal and a city airport. Tolmachevo International Airport is located in the vicinity of the city.

All these conditions have given Novosibirsk a status of the central connecting link for the whole economic territory of Siberia, a link to the major economic and demographic giants of Eurasia — Europe and countries of Asia-Pacific Region. Today the city presents a geographical point situated right in the middle between the coal-rich Kuzbass in the south, and oil-producing districts in the north; between the industrial centers in the west and east. It sits on the intersection of major transport west-east and south routes, which secure the transportation and economic connections of the Russian regions.

Industry is another major factor in the social and economic development of Novosibirsk. The factories and plants evacuated to Novosibirsk from the European part of Russia during the World War II, have made Novosibirsk into one of the largest centers of industrial production in the nation. At present, the Novosibirsk industrial capacities are based on 195 large and medium enterprises, while the number of small businesses is steadily growing. Over the last 5 years the industrial production growth in the city exceeded 131%.

The industry of Novosibirsk is represented by most branches of modern production. The major branches are: machine-building and metal-working, power industry, food industry, ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, production of construction materials, light industry, medical and chemical industries, woodworking and printing industries.

Since 1957, when the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (SB RAS) was established in Novosibirsk, the fundamental and applied sciences have constituted one of the major factors for city growth. Academgorodok is the core of the science center. It incorporates a variety of R&D, experimental-design and production organizations of the Academy of Sciences, as well as infrastructural and social facilities. Beside the SB RAS, Novosibirsk is home to the Siberian Branch (SB) of the Russian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, SB of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences and the Siberian Regional Branch of the Russian Academy of Architecture and Construction Sciences. In all, there are 131 scientific institutions in the city.

Today the Novosibirsk scientists, with the assistance of the federal government, are preparing the launch of a special economic zone and technical and innovation center based on capacities of Academgorodok. The international IT community dubs the Siberian science center as "silicone taiga" due to its well-developed IT industry.

Novosibirsk is widely recognized domestically and internationally for its educational institutions. The city boasts 18 state institutes of higher education and 5 branches thereof, 9 private institutes of higher education and 8 branches thereof. The total number of students attending institutes in Novosibirsk is a little less that 200,000 people.

At present Novosibirsk is one of Russia's distinguished cultural centers. Numerous creative unions and associations, over 150 cultural institutions, more than 700 creative groups and 8 professional theaters currently operate in the city.

Novosibirsk today is a large modern city with all the traits and features of a megalopolis, with a developed engineering infrastructure and transport network, which includes subway, public facilities and residential housing, with a wide network of social facilities securing the city's normal functioning.

  

go to main Harmens page