Novosibirsk

Saturday, June 21, we departed from Yekaterinburg and traveled toward Novosibirsk. The train trip was two days and one night in duration. That put is in Novosibirsk on Sunday, June 22. When we arrived in Novosibirsk, we were actually taken to Akademgorodok - Academic City - which was located about 10 miles south of Novosibirsk. It was hotel in Akademgorodok that served as our base of operation. The following photographs and narratives portray our visit to the 3rd largest city in Russia.
Our trip from Yekaterinburg to Novosibirsk took us across the Western Siberian Lowland. Much of it was covered with a mixed forest of birch and pine while other portions were open like the photo to the left.
As we traveled, the train would occasionally stop at a station along the way. Sometimes we would get off (if we had enough time) and sometimes we would just look through the train window at the station scenes. At this station, several women were seated in the shade and attempted to sell a variety of products to passengers as they came of the train. The the produce ranged from fish to ice cream.
One of our treats while traveling was to go to the restaurant car to eat our meals. Here you see Paul, Cody, Phyllis, Todd, and Kathleen getting ready to enjoy breakfast.
A few minutes later, Connie and Mike joined us. Most of us agreed that the train travel was an excellent part of the tour.
Another view of the Western Siberian Lowland.
Another view of the Western Siberian Lowland. While the vegetation varied, the relief did not - it was flat.
Our greeting upon arrival in Novosibirsk was spectacular! These four people, dressed in traditional costumes, sang and danced for use. We were most impressed and felt very special!
The welcoming group singing to us.
The traditional Russian welcome involved giving bread and salt to the visitors. We each broke a piece of bread from the loaf, dipped it in salt, and ate it. This was a wonderful way to welcome our group. From that moment on, we developed a rather close relationship to our hosts, Yevgeny Lishtovanny and Aneta Izioumova - we called her Anya.
This was the hotel we stayed in while in Akademgorodok It was, perhaps, the nicest accommodations we had while in Russia. It contained a very nice restaurant on the bottom floor and a small cafe on the 8th floor where we were able to have breakfast. It was here that we were met each day by Yevgeny and Anya as we began our daily activities.
At each our locations, we continued to have geography lectures by Dr. Paul Butt and Russian language lessons by Dr. Todd Marshall. On occasion, they would work together so that geographic terminology was taught by Paul and the corresponding Russian words were taught by Todd. The teaching situations were not always ideal, but the did a great job adapting!
By the time we concluded our Siberian Seminar, we felt rather good about our geologic knowledge of Siberia - we visited three geology museums and had three lectures on the mineral resources of the region. This is our tour of the geology museum in Akademgorodok.
Our tour guide in the museum was very enthusiastic and seemed to enjoy her presentation. From left, May, Kay, the guide, Lena, Phyllis, and Todd, listen.
Our guide now tells us about items we can purchase from the museum.
Paula places her hand on a large piece of quartz so that she will have health and happiness (I guess).
Here we are being shown a diamond as it was discovered in some rock.
This is Gymnasium #3. A school in Akademgorodok that taught children K - 12 grades. It was one of three schools visited while in Akademgorodok
While we were at Gymnasium #3, we were taken to the auditorium where small school children were participating in an education program about Russian traditions.
More of the Russian traditions program.
More of the Russian Traditions program.
We were able to have a lengthy discussion about educational issues with teachers at Gymnasium #3.
Here we are examining some of the material produced by the school.
This discussion we joined was actually a seminar for teachers from various places around Akademgorodok. They were discussing parental involvement, such as PTOs, in schools. They were curious about parental involvement in American schools and we anxious to organize PTOs for their schools.
On the right, Connie and Mike examine material produced by the school.
We also visited Lyceum #130. It also was a school for K - 12. The information shared by the teachers regarding Russian and American educational systems was very interesting.
More information shared at Lyceum #130.
Akademgorodok also contained a specialized math and science school. We spent about an hour learning about their program from it director - in white at the head of the table. This was especially interesting to Karen because she has taught at a math and science school in Oklahoma.
This is the entrance to the math and science school. Students from all over central Russia applied for entrance to this school, but only a few were chosen each year. When students finished here, they would enter the local university or attend some other university in Russia. Yevgeny's son, Denis, attended this school.
Another very interesting tour was our visit the to local Archeological and Anthropological Museum. This museum enabled us to learn a great deal about the early inhabitants of central Siberia. While in the museum, we were able to see two mummies that had been excavated from south-central Siberia. They had been featured in the October 1994 issue of the National Geographic Magazine. We were not allowed to take pictures of them. This lady is the museum curator.
Todd, Gail, Kathleen, Phyllis, and Cody looking at some of the museum exhibits.
In the background is Yevgeny visiting with Lena. Anya is our translator (lower right).
One of the artifacts we were able to handle and learn about.
Here is our guide explaining the origins of the artifacts found in the museum.
Some of the group examine artifact exhibits.
A less academic portion of our stay in Akademgorodok was our evening spent on the Ob Sea - actually a reservoir. Yevgeny had hired a boat to take the group up stream to a place where he cooked shashlik for us. It was a very pleasant afternoon.
This was the boat that took us up the Ob.
Sasha is filming our excursion and Paul is enjoying the sun and the view.
Some of the group were enjoying the shade on our boat tour. Contrary to popular opinion, Siberia is not always cold.
Here we are disembarking from the boat. We had to climb down a ladder into foot-deep water then wade to shore.
We enjoyed resting on the beach while shashlik was being prepared by Yevgeny
This was a wonderfully warm afternoon. We had failed to take our bathing suits so we didn't have a chance to swim. In the far distance, however, Todd and Cody went in, and later, Gail took her turn.
This is the amazing Yevgeny He had prepared a lot of food for us to eat as well as this very tasty shashlik - pork on a kabob. Yevgeny and Anya were terrific hosts. In a few short days, they became good friends.
On one afternoon we were taken on a tour of Novosibirsk. One stop was at a Birch Bark Museum, the front of which is shown here.
An intricately carved birch box in the Museum.
One artist had created this icon on a piece of birch. It represents one of the Russian Orthodox saints. The glare at the left is from a light that was shining on the icon.
This is a memorial to the Bolsheviks in central Novosibirsk.
Another view of the Bolshevik memorial.
This is the entrance to the memorial. To the right is a small park containing busts of important Bolsheviks in the history of Novosibirsk.
This small church is said to be located at the very center of the Russian Federation - dividing the country from west to east.
Another view of the geographic, west-east, center of the Russian Federation.
One of the main Orthodox cathedrals in central Novosibirsk.
Another view of the cathedral shown above.
Novosibirsk also had a rather large Roman Catholic community which was derived from Poles sent to Siberia by Stalin. This is there church.
Across Russia one finds the ubiquitous Lenin statue. In the center of Novosibirsk, this memorial had been constructed of Lenin and other party workers. Local residents want to have it torn down because it detracts from the beauty of the city.
This is the Novosibirsk opera house.
The large dome of the opera house.
And finally, Novosibirsk is located rather close to the former Islamic Republics of the USSR so it was the home to many Muslims. Here is the main mosque. We were able to have a tour of the inside.

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