Moscow news
-
26-Jun-2008
Tyumen’s Time
Writing about Tyumen is not easy, as it takes some effort not to label it as a typical Siberian city. Furthermore, digging into the history of Tyumen, there is little that is particularly vivid or striking.
Typically founded as an ostrog (fortress) in 1586 thanks to Cossack leader Yermak's brutal colonization of east Siberia, the city was built mainly by the young and desperate coming for a better life to the distant corner of the mighty Russian Empire. This became a constant theme while the Trans-Siberian Railway was under construction and passed through Tyumen (allegedly it was meant to go through Tobolsk, but Tyumen's merchants allegedly bribed officials and later made one of them an honorary freeman). Then in the late 1960s, large gas and oil fields were discovered in the vicinity and, stimulated by the government, droves of young professionals rushed to find their new home in Tyumen and its region. Today, many huge oil and gas companies (including both Lukoil and Gazprom) have opened offices here and have given the young and brave another opportunity to join the quickly growing city. Thus, Tyumen has always been the home of the young and has developed correspondingly.
Despite its age, the city cannot boast anything particularly old, but it is interesting in its own way. Tyumen looks as if it was built exclusively for the sake of the young and rich in a perfectly nouveaux riches style. The city's boosted development in recent years has made it a perfect example of a Russian oil and gas industry city, where modern glass and concrete office blocks mix with 19th-century pretentious merchants' houses, traditional Orthodox churches and pompous Soviet box-like administration buildings. The tradition has continued: the new residents destroy everything old and build anew. (With skyrocketing oil and gas prices, this seems to be an acceptable practice).
Basically, the city has two main streets - rather typically called Ulitsa Lenina and Ulitsa Respubliki (ironically former Tsar Ulitsa) - which travel almost through the whole city, including central squares and small historical sites. Take either of the two streets and stroll about the city, catching glimpses of the new and ugly houses of newly rich oil companies and their shareholders. Visitors will also see the pompous and ugly fashionable merchant houses of the 19th century, as well as the "fashionable" houses of the former Soviet elite. Do not miss the central square (in the middle of Ulitsa Respubliki), a traditional gathering place in Tyumen, which is crowned by its obligatory monument to Lenin and the Region Administration building, which adjoins the Oil and Gas University. Take a side street adjoining the Dom Sovetov, and very soon you will reach Tsevtnoi Boulevard. Here, visitors can take a ride on a ferris wheel and other attractions, as well as to visit the local circus.
Return again to Respubliki Ulitsa, gaze in awe at the enormous cubist's nightmare of a house occupied by the Lukoil offices, and head farther along the street until it reaches the Tura River, the city's Eternal Flame, and a cable-stayed bridge, which was recently dubbed Lovers' Bridge and is now a usual meeting spot for those in love (a clock hanging on one side of the bridge helps to resolve arguments about who is late for their date). Cross the bridge to the other side and enjoy the view of the Holy Trinity Monastery, one of the oldest places in the city, and Tyumen State Architectural Construction University atop the hill. It was there that Lenin's body was kept, evacuated from Moscow during World War II.
Take any street, and wander about the ever-youthful city that is constantly building up for the sake of the young. The city is said to have one of the highest standards of living in Russia, which is easy to believe while visiting Tyumen, which still bears, however,
the strong atmosphere of the Russian provinces. As an old Siberian saying goes, Tyumen is the capital of villages, which is true even now.
Travel tips
Thanks to its oil and gas patrons, Tyumen is easily accessed by frequent daily flights from all Moscow airports. The city's central streets offer quite a large number of eating places and several hotels including the four-star Tyumen Hotel. One day is enough to cover the city and get a general impression. It is strongly recommended to take a train or bus to Tobolsk (a 4-5 hour trip), the old capital of Siberia, featuring a memorable kremlin and remarkable city center.
By Alexander Usoltsev
The Moscow News