The historical part of town is centered on Lyubinsky prospekt, near the confluence of Om and Irtysh rivers. It is lined with century-old buildings of former merchant salons, residences, and larger commercial, government and religious establishments. The area now has some of the poshest shopping and the best nightlife in the city. The ornate and, upon closer inspection, cutely small Drama Theater crowns the district and is somewhat of a city icon.
The Historical museum is in the former West Siberian Governor's mansion — look for the ebony Kalmyk throne and the outfits of the local nomads before the Russian colonization. Admiral Kolchak, the head of the White government, lived here in 1918-19, supported by the Western powers and the Russian gold reserves, briefly placing Omsk in the heart of Russia's history.
The Vrubel Art museum is in the former bourse building, across the street from the Drama Theater, and houses an interesting collection including a few Rerikhs. A couple of other art galleries, Liberov-Center and Belov Museum, are located in carved-wood historical houses a little further away from the center.
A few churches, notably the Cossacks' St. Nicholas Cathedral, Krestovozdvizhenski on ulica Tarskaya, and St. Nicholas on ulica Truda, may be of interest. The first, St. Nicholas, was used for other functions during the Soviet era: a movie theater, a Young Pioneers' club, a warehouse, and a Pipe Organ Hall (look for the musical door handles). It is now converted back, and contains one of Siberia's Cossacks' most treasured relics: their centuries-old "conquest" banner.
Ulica Krasnyh Zor' (aka Nikol'skij prospekt) leads from the Cossacks' cathedral to a few blocks of historical carved-wood houses. This street can give an idea what Omsk and Siberia used to be like for centuries before industrialization. Unfortunately, these houses are not yet protected as cultural heritage, and may disappear before the authorities realize what has been lost.
The Military Museum is a must. With exhibits on WWII , Afghanistan as well as Chetchen conflict
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Omsk
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Omsk - updated May 2024
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Omsk Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
