By Russian standards, the city of Omsk is very young, it is only 303 years old. However, it is one of the largest cities in Russia with a population of more than one million people. In Omsk there is an airport, all types of land transport, a seaport, 28 higher educational institutions, 14 theaters, a huge sports arena and amazing architecture. The preservation of historical and cultural heritage, as well as the increase in the level of architectural and artistic expressiveness of the city is monitored by the Omsk Department of Architecture. It is understandable, because the city has more than five hundred objects of cultural heritage!
History of the first buildings
The year of foundation of Omsk is considered to be the 1714th. Of course, before the construction of the main facilities, namely the Omsk fortress, began, people lived on the territory of the city, as well as on any land near large rivers rich in fish, such as the Irtysh and Om. It is near these aquatic geographic objects that archaeologists still find traces of the stay of ancient settlers of the 6th millennium BC. e. according to the 13th century e.
However, Peter the Great began the serious development of the Siberian land to strengthen the Russian borders in the east, as well as scientific research and the search for sand gold.
Colonel Ivan Buchholz received the decree of the king to build a fortress on the Om River, leave the garrison there and move on with the expedition. So in 1716 the first fortress in the city of Omsk was laid. The fortress had four gates: Omsk, Tarsk, Tobolsk and Irtysh, until now the Tobolsk gates have "survived", and in 1991 the Tara gates were restored.
After the so-called headquarters was built, which has survived to this day. The city gradually grew, and in 1764 the Resurrection Cathedral was built, it became the first stone building of the city, it will be demolished only in the XX century. The first architecture of Omsk was formed. Around the fortress new buildings, general and commandant houses, barracks, a market and an educational institution were gradually built.
City architecture
Omsk stands on the Irtysh and Om rivers. Like all cities of that time, it was wooden. Since 1826, a series of fires has occurred, which almost completely destroyed the city. From that time, a new architectural life of Omsk began. The architect V. Goeste was sent here from St. Petersburg to create a new and modern city. At that time, a palace was built for the governor, gardens, a commercial school, the Siberian cadet corps and the first street lighting appeared.
The houses along the river belonged mainly to wealthy citizens and were built of stone, the rest of the buildings remained wooden. After the advent of the railway in 1894, the city began to develop rapidly.
Subsequently, the city was built as an amphitheater: low buildings in the center, and the farther from it, the higher the buildings increased. Beyond the historical part of the city, 20-30-story houses have grown. Now the Department of Architecture and Urban Planning of Omsk is solving problems with the restoration of a number of historical monuments that are in a decadent state. A lot of wooden monuments were destroyed in the 90s with the development of private business. Now the architecture of old Omsk requires a very serious reconstruction, and it is often easier to completely destroy it than to preserve it.
Historical monuments of the city
Of those monuments that have been preserved, the most important:
- Omsk fortress, built in 1716.
- The Tobolsk gates belonging to the fortress also represent the cultural value of the city. These gates led to the fortress, where there was a penal prison. Now the gate is a symbol of the city.
- In 1862, the architect F.F. Wagner designed the Governor-General's Palace in the city center on the banks of the Om River. The palace has survived to this day almost in its original form.
- In 1813, a Cossack school was built, which was later renamed the Siberian Cadet Corps, the building has survived to this day.
- The mansion of the merchant Batyushkin is a stone building of incredible beauty. Amazing architectural ensemble, devoid of clear symmetry. It was erected in 1902.
- Another unusual decoration of Omsk is a fire tower. Built on the site of a wooden predecessor, it was often threatened with demolition, but in the end remained untouched to this day.
Omsk Orthodox
Speaking about the architecture of Omsk, it is impossible to ignore the churches and temples of the city that are amazing in their performance. In Omsk, 23 religious movements and 85 religious organizations are officially registered. This could not but affect the architecture of old and modern Omsk. The main monuments of religious architecture of Omsk:
The most visited temple is the Holy Assumption Cathedral. It was founded in 1891. One of the most beautiful temples in Russia.
- Holy Cross Cathedral. The turquoise domes of this temple look amazing against the blue sky. The temple was built at the expense of citizens. From 1920 to 1943, a dormitory was located in the temple.
- For Muslims in Omsk, the Siberian Cathedral Mosque was built.
- Cossacks in 1913 built St. Nicholas Cossack Cathedral. Particles of the relics of St. Seraphim of Sarov and St. Theodosius of Chernigov are stored in the church.
- One of the youngest is the Nativity Cathedral, built in 1997. Its golden domes are visible from almost anywhere in the city.
- The seraphim-Alekseyevsky chapel, graceful of red brick, became a real decoration of the city. Built on the site of its destroyed predecessor.
- The only surviving temple of the 18th century was the Lutheran Church. The temple was built for ethnic Germans, of whom there were quite a lot in the city after the Northern War.
- The difficult fate of the amazingly beautiful Achaira Cross Nunnery deserves special attention. The monastery was rebuilt in the 90s. Previously, the Soviet NKVD was located in the monastery building.
Omsk Drama Theater
It is worth noting that in Omsk today there are 14 operating theaters. The most respected of them is the Drama Theater, it is also the largest in the north.
The wooden building, the forerunner of the theater, burned down, and a new, already stone, baroque building was built in 1920. The theater is decorated with many sculptures, the main of which meets visitors on the roof, it is called "Winged Genius."
Bridges
It is impossible to imagine a city on a river without bridges. There are ten of them in Omsk! The first bridges of Omsk began to be built in the 1790s. The city is a major transport hub, the first railway bridge was built here in 1896, and in 1919 it was blown up when Kolchak left. A year later, fully restored.
The symbol of the city is the Jubilee Bridge, which was repeatedly reconstructed and finally "found itself" in 1926.
Bridges harmoniously fit into the architecture of Omsk.
Modern city
Perhaps the most unusual building in the city is the Musical Theater. Built in 1981, the comedy musical theater was supposed to resemble both a harp, grand piano and a floating ship. However, most of the townspeople and guests of the city, see in the architectural idea rather a springboard for skiers, rather than musical instruments.
The red roof of the theater is striking from all aerial perspectives of the city, which attracts universal attention.
Cultural Omsk
Speaking about the architecture of the city, one cannot ignore the numerous museums, many located in houses of historical value. Most often these are single-story buildings of the 19th century. One of them is the literary museum of F. M. Dostoevsky. The writer spent four years in exile in the city, many of his works originated in the walls of old Omsk.
The museum building was built in 1799, the commandants of the Omsk fortress lived in it. Looking at it, you can imagine what were the houses of that time. This house became a museum only in 1991.
