Tomsk was my favorite city in Siberia. It
actually lies just off the Trans-Siberian proper, making it a short but
worthwhile detour. Home to the oldest university in Siberia, it felt almost
like a kind of Siberian Cambridge. It was certainly one the prettiest city I
visited, with many beautifully preserved wooden buildings. Even the most
recent buildings had an elegance about them, many having been designed by
architects from the university. I was very lucky to have a great guide to
the city - Nadia - who had lived there all of her life, both studying at the
university and later teaching there too. I was also lucky to be there on a
city holiday, which meant dancing in traditional costume and a fireworks
show on the evening.
http://jnthn.net/cgi-bin/photos.pl?albumid=37
- A very nice apartment right in the city center at Gertsena #15. A quiet location near two parks and a stadium; a 10 min walk from (the main) Lenina street. This is an area of mixed epochs. You'll see: typical wooden residential buildings from the beginning of the 20 century; Khruschev's "five-storeys"; 70's- era grey buildings (like this very apartment building); and, from the last 10-15 years, new-style "towers" of red bricks. Very old constructions with no toilet or hot water sit alongside big, very expensive and well-equipped apartments. You will be able to see both lifestyles from your very window.
- This is a clean, comfortable,
well-appointed apartment, on the 3rd floor (in a 5-floor building), and with a
balcony. Convenient location. Phone, TV, VCR, stereo system,
piano, refrigerator and washing machine. Laptop Internet connections can
be obtained by using a special Internet card. Secure entrance and
quiet neighbors. Fully-equipped kitchen. Sofa-sleeper for an additional
overnight guest.
- Friendly and attentive landlady (see photo). Nearby are plenty of restaurants, cafes, night clubs, as well as many shops, markets, money exchanges, pharmacies, and 24-hour supermarkets. Several universities (there are 5 universities in Tomsk) are very close as well. You'll have no problem finding Internet cafes in the vicinity. It's very easy to reach any part of the city, because many public transport stops are nearby-- bus, streetcar, trolleybus, and minibus.