Geography
Tyumen is situated in West Siberia, 2144 km from Moscow. Sometimes it is called the Dallas of Siberia. It is the administrative centre (the capital) of the Tyumen region that stretches to the Arctic and is rich in gas and oil.
The climate is continental, with rapid changes of the weather. The average temperature in January is -17°Ñ and the minimum temperature in this month is -49°Ñ. The average temperature in July is +18°Ñ. In summer, it may rise to about 38°Ñ.
The city stands on the Tura River which is the tributary of the Tobol River.
Population of the city is 600,000 people. Time: Moscow time + 2 hours. City telephone code: +7 3452.
History
Tyumen is the first Russian town in Siberia. It was founded in 1586 on the basis of the Tartar city called Chingi-Tur which was conquered by Russian troops in 1581. In 1709 the city became the part of the large Siberian Province.
Tyumen is an important location on the trade routs connecting Siberia and China. In XIX century the economic importance of the city grew because of start of navigation on the rivers in 1840s and construction of railway from Yekaterinburg in 1885. The XIX century was the period of rapid development of ship building, fish industry and other different services.
In 1930 the first University was opened in Tyumen. It was the Agriculture Teachers Institute. At the same time the first busses appeared in the city and the first cinema called Tempo welcomed the first audience. In 1936 the first high school was built. By 1940 (before the World War II) some kinds of ships, equipment, furniture, fur coats, footwear and many other products had been produced in Tyumen.
During the World War II, about 22 plants from occupied areas had been transferred into the city. They all were working during the war. At that time, the city supplied tanks, motorbikes, mines, coats, footwear and food for soldiers.
On August 14 1944 Tyumen became the centre of the huge Tyumen Oblast (Region). After the war the plants were re-equipped to produce goods that were required in the peace time.
1957 was the year of the first TV broadcast.
The new epoch in the history of the city began when rich deposits of gas and oil were found. The exploitation began in 1970s and many new plants were built. In 1966 the government started construction of the Tyumen – Tobolsk – Surgut – Nizhnevartovsk rail route. Tyumen became the main staging post in delivery of freights to the North.
Oil and gas from Tyumen now go to different part of Russia and even to some foreign countries.
Transportation
The train station is 1,5 km south of the main Respubliki street. The other main streets are Ordzhonikidze and Lenina streets.
There are exchange bureaus in the Vostok Hotel. There are many banks and exchange offices on the Respubliki street.
Culture
The Fine Arts Museum is perhaps Tyumen’s most interesting attraction as it houses different collections of bone and wooden items. It is located at Ordzhonikidze str. 47. Phone: (+7 3452) 469115. The museum is open 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday.
The House Museum of XIX-XXth Century History is located at Respubliki str. 18. Phone (+7 3452) 464963. It is open 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. – 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.
The Town Hall Museum located at Respubliki str. 2 contains stuffed animals, mammoth fossils and the like. Phone (+7 3452) 468071.
The Marsharov Mansion Museum located at Lenina str 24 is a house of a rich factory owned who lived in XIX century. Phone (+7 3452) 461310.
As for the churches, there are the Cathedral of the Holy Cross built in 1837 (Semakova str 13) and the Church of St. Peter and Paul (Kommunisticheskaya str, 10, phone (+7 3452) 462412) with the black-domed Cathedral of Trinity Monastery inside which is now being renovated.
Hotels
Tura Hotel. It is the small but rather good hotel at Melnikaite str, 103A. Phone/fax: +7 3452 229969.
Vostok Hotel. Address: Respubliki str. 159, offers quite good rooms with bathrooms, TV and fridge. Phone/fax: +7 3452 226124. Single and doubles with breakfast are both USD 28 (October, 2003).
The same level is Prometei Hotel. Adress: Sovetskaya str 61, phone/fax +7 3452 251423.
Perhaps the most expensive hotel is Quality Hotel at the Ordzhonikidze str 46. Phone: +7 3452 494040, fax +7 3452 494050, e-mail quality@sbtx.tmn.ru. Single room is about USD 80.
The cheapest, although not very good, places to stay are resting rooms of Tyumen located at the railway station. Single room is about USD 5.
Evgeniya Stroganova
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