Tomsk



Tomsk

Name: Vladimir Dudarev

Age: 32

Profession: Photographer

City: Tomsk

How long have you been doing photography? What style or genre most interests you? I have een taking photos for about 12 years. My favourite genre is photojournalism

Can you give us a short description of your city? Where is it located? What is it famous for? Tomsk is a Siberian city, about a four-hour plane journey east of Moscow. It was founded in 1604. It's famous for its architecture and universities. Wooden architecture is the hallmark and highlight of the city. Truly, it's a treasure on a global scale. The six universities are crucial city landmarks, and Tomsk is has one of Russia's highest student populations.

What is something about your city that only locals would know? Up until 1925 Tomsk was the capital of a very large region that included Altai Krai, Kemerovo, Novosibirsk and Tomsk Oblasts and a part of Krasnoyarsk Krai. In 1903 the Transsiberian Railway came into operation, but it did not go directly through Tomsk, which turned it into a provincial city. One legend has it that the reason Tomsk was bypassed was because local transport workers bribed railway planners to exclude Tomsk, but the reality was far simpler: if the railway had included Tomsk, it would have been 100 kilometers longer.

Lenin Avenue is the main promenade of the city and something of a vanity fair. It's the street of first meetings, meetings with friends, first kisses and weddings. It's also the street where you grab a bite to eat between classes or worry before exams. It's a street of bicycles, prams and motorcycles. It's a street of old women selling flowers and of street musicians. It's a street of churches, monuments, cold feet and cafes to go to after the theatre. It is the Nevsky Prospekt, Broadway and the Champs-Elysees of Tomsk.

Which places or sites are a must for someone to see if they visit your city? You must see Shishkova Street, Kuznetsova Street, Tatarskaya Street, which have the highest concentrations of wooden architecture. Also, there are very beautiful university buildings. Lagerny Garden is a favourite place to walk with children and one of the main wedding cortege targets.

Instagram: @vovadudarev



Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

The Moscow Eccentric
December 01, 2016

The Moscow Eccentric

Advance reviewers are calling this new translation "a coup" and "a remarkable achievement." This rediscovered gem of a novel by one of Russia's finest writers explores some of the thorniest issues of the early twentieth century.

Steppe
July 15, 2022

Steppe

This is the work that made Chekhov, launching his career as a writer and playwright of national and international renown. Retranslated and updated, this new bilingual edition is a super way to improve your Russian.

Murder at the Dacha
July 01, 2013

Murder at the Dacha

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin has a problem. Several, actually. Not the least of them is the fact that a powerful Soviet boss has been murdered, and Matyushkin's surly commander has given him an unreasonably short time frame to close the case.

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka
November 01, 2012

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

In this comprehensive, quixotic and addictive book, Edwin Trommelen explores all facets of the Russian obsession with vodka. Peering chiefly through the lenses of history and literature, Trommelen offers up an appropriately complex, rich and bittersweet portrait, based on great respect for Russian culture.

Faith & Humor
December 01, 2011

Faith & Humor

A book that dares to explore the humanity of priests and pilgrims, saints and sinners, Faith & Humor has been both a runaway bestseller in Russia and the focus of heated controversy – as often happens when a thoughtful writer takes on sacred cows. The stories, aphorisms, anecdotes, dialogues and adventures in this volume comprise an encyclopedia of modern Russian Orthodoxy, and thereby of Russian life.

A Taste of Russia
November 01, 2012

A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.

A Taste of Chekhov
December 24, 2022

A Taste of Chekhov

This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his life.

The Little Humpbacked Horse
November 03, 2014

The Little Humpbacked Horse

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955