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Novosibirsk History, Russia

Novosibirsk, History- General Presentation

Novosibirsk is located in the southwest of the Siberian Federal District, being also the largest city in Siberia. Even more, it is the third largest city in Russia and the biggest one near Ural Mountains. Novosibirsk occupies both banks of the Ob river. It’s a relatively young city, founded in 1893, when the construction of the bridge across the Ob river was started.

Novosibirsk, History-Early Beginnings

Novosibirsk history is one full of events. Initially, the city received its name after Saint Nicholas: Novonikolayevsk. It represented the future place where the Trans- Siberian Railway bridge would cross the river Ob. After the construction was over, despite the fact that many builders left the place, the settlement didn’t become deserted, Novonikolaevsk's population increasing to 7,800 people. In 1906, the first bank opened in Novosibirsk, which turned the city into the largest commercial and industrial center in the region. It is important to be mentioned that Novonikolaevsk was the first Russian city which agreed with the introduction of compulsory primary education, in 1913.

The Russian Civil War affected not only the number of population, which decreased drastically, but also destroyed the famous Ob bridge. The town couldn’t avoid the social cataclysm that followed. In May 1918, Czechoslovak prisoners seized Novonikolaevsk. In 1919 it was captured by the Red Army.

However, the city came to life again in 1921 with Lenin's New Economic Policy. Enormous factories were built here and thousands of refugees arrived. In 1926 the town got a new name, that of Novosibirsk. Another bridge, The Kommunalny bridge was built on the Ob to replace the destroyed one. This led to the development of the city, which became the center of administration of the Siberia region. Many industrial factories were built here, in order to cope with the increasing number of population.

In 1962, the number of inhabitants in Novosibirsk increased to one million. This event turned Novosibirsk into the youngest city in the world with such a high number of population. Stock exchanges, banks, markets and important companies have appeared again in the town.

Novosibirsk, History- Nowadays

Despite Novosibirsk's past, now the city is closely related to a new social economical system which is applied throughout the whole country. If you also read the story of the largest city in Russia: Moscow History or if you are interested in the evolution of another Russian city, you can choose: Novokuznetsk History. Thus, you will come to realize that all these cities went trough the same vicissitudes of time and still managed to come to life again, turning their inhabitants into great survivors of their cruel past.

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