Tyumen, city of western Siberia

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I never liked winter. I imagined that during the winter months from Serbia I would travel to some warm country and return to the spring. It happened quite the opposite. On October 20 I came to Russia. In Moscow it was cold, zero degrees. Before my departure in Belgrade it was warm, a temperature of over 20 degrees. After only a few days spent in Moscow, the director told me that I had to travel to Tyumen for two weeks. I knew that Tyumen is in Siberia. In my mind, Siberia was a symbol of abnormal colds and Stalin's camps. City in Siberia? I was expecting a Soviet city where everything is old. When I arrived everything was different. Compared to Serbian cities, only Belgrade is bigger and more modern.
Tyumen is the administrative center of the Tyumen ареа and was the first Russian settlement in Siberia. It was founded in 1586 on the site of the Tatar city of Chimgi-Tura. In 1782, Tyumen gained city status.

Tyumen spreads on the banks of the River Ture. The coast of this river is arranged and and beautiful looking.

In a length of four kilometers, it is a promenade and a place to rest. From this coast is the exit to the bridge of lovers. In its place, it was previously a wooden bridge, which was collapsed in 1980.

The bridge is an important sight of the city, a place of meeting of love couples. Since 2005, loving couples on the fence of the bridge have been putting padlocks whose keys are thrown into the river. This is a mass phenomenon and every five years these padlocks are cut in order to reduce the weight of the bridge. Unfortunately, the bridge is also popular for suicides.

On the north side of the central city square is the building of the Tyumen administration, and in the southern part, there is parliament of the Tyumen area.

Building of the Tyumen administration

Parliament of the Tyumen area

There is a park between these buildings and in the middle of the park there is a great monument of Lenin.

On the east side of the square is the building of one of the state universities (Tюменский государственный нефтегазовый университет).

On the other side of the Tyumen administration building there is a pedestrian boulevard (Цветной бульвар). Within it are the Tyumen circus arena, sports complex, numerous restaurants and the largest city fountain.

Pedestrian boulevard

Circus arena

Of the many cultural institutions I will mention the Tyumen Drama Theater and the Tyumen Philharmony. According to the capacity of the building, the Tyumen Drama Theater is the largest theater in Russia

The Tyumen Drama Theater

The interior of the Tyumen Drama Theater

Tyumen Philharmony

The most important architectural monument is the building of the Agricultural Institute. Vladimir Lenin's balsamed body was secretly transferred to Tyumen and was kept on the second floor of this building between July 1942 and April 1945.

Building of the Agricultural Institute

Most inhabitants of Tyumen are Orthodox religions. Of the numerous Orthodox churches, it is necessary to see the Church of the Savior (Спасская церковь), the Znamensky Cathedral (Знаменский кафедральный собор ) and the Monastery of the Holy Trinity (Свято-Троицкий монастырь ).

Church of the Savior

The Znamensky Cathedral

The Monastery of the Holy Trinity

In Tyumen we have a Catholic church, a synagogue and several mosques.

Synagogue

I recommend that you visit the local museum "Городская Дума" in which are constantly exposed flora and fauna of the Tyumen area, its oldest inhabitants.

Museum "Городская Дума"

The interior of museum

You should also see the "House of Masharov" museum built in the neoclassic style.The museum building was once the home of the famous Russian industrialist Masharov.

House of Masharov

The interior of house

I have to mention the nature park "Александровский сад".
I did not expect anything from Siberia, and in this city I saw a lot of things. I was pleasantly surprised and I want to visit another places in cold Siberia. I suggest you visit some Siberian city.

Images I found by google search.