Novosibirsk

Novosibirsk (ˌnoʊvəsɪˈbɪərsk,_-voʊs-, also UKˌnɒv-; Новосиби́рск, nəvəsjɪˈbjirsk) is the largest city and administrative centre of Novosibirsk Oblast and the Siberian Federal District in Russia. As of the 2021 Census, it had a population of 1,633,595, making it the most populous city in Siberia and the third-most populous city in Russia after Moscow and Saint Petersburg. The city is located in southwestern Siberia, on the banks of the Ob River. Novosibirsk was founded in 1893 on the Ob River crossing point of the future Trans-Siberian Railway, where the Novosibirsk Rail Bridge was constructed. Originally named Novonikolayevsk ("New Nicholas") in honor of Emperor Nicholas II, the city rapidly grew into a major transport, commercial, and industrial hub. Novosibirsk was ravaged by the Russian Civil War but recovered during the early Soviet period and gained its present name, Novosibirsk ("New Siberia"), in 1926. Under the leadership of Joseph Stalin, Novosibirsk became one of the largest industrial centers of Siberia. Following the outbreak of World War II, the city hosted many factories relocated from the Russian core. Novosibirsk is home to numerous Russian corporations, the neo-Byzantine Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, the Novosibirsk Opera and Ballet Theatre, as well as the Novosibirsk Zoo. It is served by Tolmachevo Airport, the busiest airport in Siberia. Timeline of Novosibirsk Novosibirsk was founded on the right side of the Ob, near an area traditionally inhabited by Chat Tatars (Chertovo gorodishche). The Russian town originated on 30 April 1893 at the future site of a Trans-Siberian Railway bridge crossing the great Siberian river, the Ob, and in 1895 became known as Novonikolayevsk (Новониколаевск), in honor both of Saint Nicholas and of the new reigning Tsar, Nicholas II. It superseded Bolshoye Krivoshchyokovo village, located on the opposite side of the Ob, which was founded in 1696 and was resettled in 1893 due to the construction of the Novosibirsk Rail Bridge.