The Russian city of Novosibirsk is the capital of Siberia and Russia’s third-largest city. Being a waypoint for travelers moving between east and west, it offers a welcome contrast of warmth and immediate friendliness.
Novosibirsk is Siberia’s cultural and scientific hub. It is a city that revels in records: it has the world’s longest metropolitan railway bridge; the longest straight avenue in the world; and the second-biggest theatrical stage in Russia after the Bolshoi Theatre. Novosibirsk is a major point on the Trans-Siberian Railway, while its station is the largest one along the route. Novosibirsk was founded in the 19th century at the future site of a Trans-Siberian Railway bridge crossing the great Siberian river of Ob. Initially, the city received the name Novonikolayevsk, in honour of Saint Nicholas and the reigning Tsar Nicholas II, the last emperor of Russia.
