The only white-stone Kremlin in Siberia is located in Tobolsk. It is also the hallmark of the city. The Kremlin is perfectly preserved and has an excellent location. If you approach it from the Lower part of the city, it will appear in all its glory, majestically towering over the urban landscape. Take a closer look at the outlines of the Kremlin, and you will notice that they resemble the famous fairy―tale character – the “miracle yudo fish whale” – from Peter Ershov’s fairy tale “The Hunchback Horse”. Yershov himself, by the way, was a native of the Tobolsk province.
Walking through the Kremlin, you will see magnificent panoramas, the whole city will be in the palm of your hand. It is not for nothing that they say about Tobolsk that it is the “key to Siberia”.
The history of the city is closely connected with love. Once the wives of the Decembrists followed their husbands to Tobolsk for love, thanks to which cultural life began to develop in the city. Nowadays, the center of attraction is SIBUR, Russia’s largest gas processing and petrochemical company. It attracts young specialists like a magnet, generates migration flows, and people come to Tobolsk with their families for good living conditions. It’s all about love and for love.
You can pay tribute to the memory of the Decembrists and their wives by visiting the Zavalny cemetery ― the oldest necropolis of Tobolsk. Russian grave is a unique place where many famous personalities are buried, it is here that the grave of the great Russian storyteller Peter Ershov is located.
The concept of true love is reflected in the Dvortsovaya restaurant, where, by the way, we recommend going for dinner. The restaurant is located near the walls of the Kremlin, where you can taste local delicacies and just spend a pleasant evening in a cozy atmosphere. The hostess of the institution, having been trained in the capital’s restaurants, returned to her hometown, opened her own business for love and now rightfully holds the brand of one of the best restaurants in the city.
What to do in Tobolsk?
-
Visit the only Kremlin in Siberia
There are only 12 Kremlins in Russia that have survived to the present day. Tobolsk is rightfully considered one of the most beautiful, including due to its location on top of a hill.
-
To find the Tobolsk angels
Ten angel art objects have been installed on the territory of the city. It is absolutely necessary to find each of them, capture them and let them tell about the history of the city.
-
Take a walk along the abandoned Mira Street
A very symbolic place: at the beginning of the street there is a beautiful mansion where the royal family lived. Now the Museum of the Family of Emperor Nicholas II is open here ― the “Governor’s House”, we also recommend you to visit. Further down the street, you are greeted by abandoned houses, as if emphasizing the sense of tragedy associated with the fate of the last royal family. The city administration plans to restore and beautify the street, but even in the current atmosphere there is its own beauty and uniqueness. There are few places where you will find a ghost street in the city center.
-
Discover the “dark side” of the Siberian land
Visit the “Prison Castle”, which was built in 1838 and served as the Tobolsk transit and convict prison. Thousands of people passed through it, such famous people as Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky, Nikolai Gavrilovich Chernyshevsky, Alexander Isaevich Solzhenitsyn and others visited its dungeons. At the “Prison Castle” there is an operating hostel where you can spend the night, feeling for yourself what it means to be a prisoner ― a recreated “solitary cell” is at guests’ disposal.
-
Immerse yourself in the scenery of the TV series “Tobol”
And not only in the scenery, because a walk through the streets of Tobolsk will allow you to meet with the actors of the series. Filming took place within the city limits, and local residents took an active part in them.
-
To touch the latest technologies
The unique SIBUR plant has opened its doors to tourists. Here you can get acquainted with advanced technologies, learn about the history of production, drive along the workshops and admire the industrial landscape.
It is worth noting that there are more and more comfortable hotels in the city that meet all the requirements of a modern traveler. Well, the number of cafes and restaurants for every taste will surprise even the most discerning tourists.
Tobolsk is amazing and multifaceted, it carefully preserves a century-old history and boldly goes towards modernity. We have shared only a small part of the wealth of attractions of this charismatic city.
Tobolsk participates in the All-Russian competition of the subjects of the Russian Federation for the implementation of state support for regional programs for the design of the tourist code of the city center, implemented by the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia. The developers of the Tobolsk application are a consortium of Travel Business School and the YARUS Design and Consulting Center.
