Tobolsk is called a pearl on the necklace of ancient Siberian cities and the cultural capital of Siberia
Photo: abalak.su
Tobolsk was officially the capital of the Siberian Government of the Russian Empire for almost 200 years, since 1708. The great trade routes (торговые пути) from Middle Asia, namely the Great Silk Route (Великий шелковый путь) and the Great Siberian Tea Route (Сибирский чайный путь), went through this city. Tobolsk is the hometown of a prominent (выдающийся) Russian scientist D. Mendeleev.
It is impossible to study Tobolsk in just one day. To see where and how the last Russian emperor spent his last year with his family, you can visit the unique cabinet-museum of Nicholas II. The house where the imperial family lived is located in the foothill part of Tobolsk. This two-storeyed building at number 10 on Mira Street is called the Governor’s House. Here in truth once lived the Governor-General of Western Siberia, and from August 1917 to April 1918 the Romanov family was finding shelter.
You can also visit the famous Tobolsk factory of artistic bone carving (резьба по кости) products – the only operating enterprise of this type in Russia. Do not forget to buy a couple of souvenirs.
(To be continued)
