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The capital city of Omsk oblast: Omsk.
Omsk oblast (also spelled Omskaya) is located in the southeastern part of Siberia, part of Siberian Federal District. The administrative center is Omsk city. The region borders on Kazakhstan country on its southern border.
Omsk oblast has the population of 2,014,000 (2009) on the territory of 141,100 sq. km.
The territory of Middle Irtysh which is occupied by Omsk oblast started being inhabited by ancient people over 14,000 years ago. This area became the place of numerous migrations of different peoples, of interpenetration of forest and steppe cultures. In Middle Ages the territory of Western Siberia was a part of various nomad empires - from West-Turkish Khaganate to Siberian Khaganate.
A lot of peoples’ histories are connected with Omsk oblast - of Indo-European, Finno-Ugric, Mongol and Turkish peoples. The history of inhabiting the Irtysh area by the Russians is connected first of all with legendary Yermak although even before him, in XV century, Russian merchants from the Urals visited the Siberian khanate.
Great changes made by Peter I in early 18th century urged large expenses. And the Tsar paid attention to the East which was rather typical for his time. He sent a Cossack troop commanded by lieutenant-colonel I.D.Bukhgolts from Tobolsk town up the river Irtysh to search gold-placer mines. The expedition failed facing the resistance of nomad-Dzhungars. They had to step back and on the Irtysh they founded the Omsk fortress in the mouth of the river Om. Thus, in 1716 it was the start of the Omsk city.
With arrangement of Omsk fortress Russian peasants began assimilating the neighboring lands. To the south of Omsk a line of installations was constructed for defense from nomads - they were advanced posts. In 1782 Omsk fortress was reformed into a town. Omsky district was formed on the basis of the southern part of Tarsky district and in 1785 the town of Omsk was given a coat of arms.
Omsk region nature
Omsk oblast field view
Omsk oblast scenery
Omsk became a remarkable center of researching Siberia and Central Asia. The history of Omskaya oblast like most of other Siberian regions and krays is inseparably linked with the history of political exile.
The people exiled to Siberia in 19th century were the Decembrists, Petrashevts, Narodniki, representatives of other revolutionary parties and organizations, participants of Polish national movement. These people influenced the Siberian population not only by their propaganda, but by their education, ideological views, their wide scientific interests and social inquires. Among the prisoners in Omsk jail there was great Russian writer F.M.Dostoyevsky.
The end of 19th - early 20th centuries were a period of great changes for Siberia. The colonization of the peasants caused a sharp increase of in the economics of the region, first of all its agricultural sector. The Great Siberian railway provided including the local economy into the system of Russian and European markets. Due to its favorable economical and geographical location - at the intersection of the Siberian railway and the river Irtysh, among a wide agricultural area - Omsk rapidly turned into a large transport-, trade- and industrial center of Western Siberia. Omsk became the largest city in Siberia.
The years of the World War II became an important stage in the development of Omsk and Omskaya oblast. About 100 industrial plants evacuated from the European part of the country were located in the city. They became the basis of rapid progress made by machine-building industry of Omsk.
After the war, in 1954-1956s, virgin soils were cultivated and highly profitable crops and milk and meat producing plants were built in the south of the region, a developed net of agricultural settlements was constructed. In 1949 the first in Siberia oil processing plant was constructed and Omsk became the largest center of oil chemistry in the country.
Omsk Russia region view
Omskaya oblast village view
Omsk oblast country scenery
The territory of Omsk oblast stretches 600 km from the south to the north and 300 km from the west to the east. The main river is Irtysh and its tributaries Ishim, Om, Osha and Tara. There are numerous lakes on the territory of Omsk oblast (Saltaim, Tenis, Ik, Ebeyty). The oblast is located on West-Siberian valley, with steppes in the south which turn into forest steppes, forests and marshy tundra in the north.
The climate of the region is of continental type. The average temperature in January is 19-20 degs C, in July 17-18 degs C in the northern part and 19 degs C in the south.
Largest cities and towns of the oblast are Omsk (1,131,000), Tara (26,600), Isylkul (26,100), Kalachinsk (23,600).
From 1998 gas fields developing began in Omsk oblast. Deposits of brown coal and iron ores are prospected. As the oblast is one of the largest oil chemical areas in Russia, oil is considered the main raw resource of the region industry.
The industrial and agricultural plants and transportation influence the nature of Omskaya oblast. The air, water, soil are polluted; rare species of plants and animals vanish; the productivity of natural meadowlands decreases; small rivers and marshlands disappear.
In order to improve the environment the system of protected natural territories is being created. Protected territories make about 80%. A lot of natural monuments, recreation resources are various and substantial, Krasnoyarsko-Chernoluchinskaya resort area is well known.
Omsk oblast wooden house
Omsk region wooden bridge
Omsk Russia oblast winter
Omskaya oblast wooden church
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