Travel Information

Omsk derives its name from the Om river, which merges with the Irtysh here. Om is supposedly an old Tatar word meaning “quiet,” which refers to the small river’s slow current. Located almost equidistant between Yekaterinburg and Novosibirsk, Omsk is a 12 or 9 hour train ride, respectively, from these cities. There are regular (3 1/2 hour) daily flights from Moscow to Omsk; a train ride from the capital takes 42 hours.

There are two hotels in Omsk worth considering: the Turist (3812-314-414, fax 3812-315-222) and the Irtysh (3812-232-702, fax 3812-232-212). The Irtysh is the nicer of the two, but it is located well outside the city center. The Turist is located downtown, but is decidely less comfortable. There are good restaurants in the hotels and some in the downtown area.

For a good local travel agency to arrange local travel details, try Euroasia Tour (ph. 3812-307-405, fax 3812-307-748, email [email protected]). They offer city tours, visits to the Dostoyevsky House Museum and an unusual tour to nearby Tatarsky uval, considered by many to be a place uniquely high in positive energy.