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 Samovar Murders
November 01, 2019

The Samovar Murders

The murder of a poet is always more than a murder. When a famous writer is brutally stabbed on the campus of Moscow’s Lumumba University, the son of a recently deposed African president confesses, and the case assumes political implications that no one wants any part of.

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.

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.

Russian Rules
November 16, 2011

Russian Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.

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.

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas
October 01, 2013

The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas

This exciting new trilogy by a Russian author – who has been compared to Orhan Pamuk and Umberto Eco – vividly recreates a lost world, yet its passions and characters are entirely relevant to the present day. Full of mystery, memorable characters, and non-stop adventure, The Pet Hawk of the House of Abbas is a must read for lovers of historical fiction and international thrillers.

 
Survival Russian
February 01, 2009

Survival Russian

Survival Russian is an intensely practical guide to conversational, colloquial and culture-rich Russian. It uses humor, current events and thematically-driven essays to deepen readers’ understanding of Russian language and culture. This enlarged Second Edition of Survival Russian includes over 90 essays and illuminates over 2000 invaluable Russian phrases and words.

White Magic
June 01, 2021

White Magic

The thirteen tales in this volume – all written by Russian émigrés, writers who fled their native country in the early twentieth century – contain a fair dose of magic and mysticism, of terror and the supernatural. There are Petersburg revenants, grief-stricken avengers, Lithuanian vampires, flying skeletons, murders and duels, and even a ghostly Edgar Allen Poe.

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.

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices
May 01, 2013

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod is a mid-sized provincial city that exists only in Russian metaphorical space. It has its roots in Gogol, and Ilf and Petrov, and is a place far from Moscow, but close to Russian hearts. It is a place of mystery and normality, of provincial innocence and Black Earth wisdom. Strange, inexplicable things happen in Stargorod. So do good things. And bad things. A lot like life everywhere, one might say. Only with a heavy dose of vodka, longing and mystery.

Moscow and Muscovites
November 26, 2013

Moscow and Muscovites

Vladimir Gilyarovsky's classic portrait of the Russian capital is one of Russians’ most beloved books. Yet it has never before been translated into English. Until now! It is a spectactular verbal pastiche: conversation, from gutter gibberish to the drawing room; oratory, from illiterates to aristocrats; prose, from boilerplate to Tolstoy; poetry, from earthy humor to Pushkin. 

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