Новосибирск. Краткая история

Эдуард Михальков

Эта книга представляет собой лаконичный и доступный обзор истории города Новосибирска, с момента основания города в 1893 году до настоящего времени. В краткой и живой форме автор рассказывает об основных вехах становления и развития города как крупнейшего политического, экономического и культурного центра России. Книга адресована самой широкой аудитории читателей, интересующихся историей.

EN

The city of Novosibirsk was founded in 1893 during the period of rapid construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway across Russia.

The small village of Krivoschekovo on the Ob River was chosen by the Ministry of Railways as the site for a major bridge crossing and renamed Novonikolaevsk in the same year.

The engineers faced a grandiose task — to build a bridge across the 1.5 km wide Ob River valley. Under the direction of Konstantin Mikhailovsky, a 13-span steel bridge on stone piers was built according to American designs and completed in 1897. With the appearance of the bridge Novonikolayevsk became an important transportation hub.

In 1903 Novonikolayevsk received the status of a city. The population grew rapidly due to the influx of railroad workers and engineers. By 1908 the population reached 47 thousand people. The first bank, hotel, telegraph and telephone network appeared in the city.

In 1910s Novonikolaevsk turned into a large industrial center. Railroad workshops turned into a huge locomotive and car building plant. Metallurgical, flour milling, sawmill and brick factories were built. During the First World War the industry was converted to the production of military products. After the revolution of 1917 the city was renamed Novonikolayevsk.

In the 1920s, under Soviet rule, the city continued to develop as a center of wagon building and machine building. Major infrastructure projects included construction of city sewerage, internal water supply, electrification and streetcar lines. In 1925, the city's first airport was built.

By the 1930s Novosibirsk had become Siberia's largest industrial and transportation hub. Rapid development of heavy industry contributed to the growth of population, which by 1939 exceeded 400 thousand people. During this period such grandiose monuments of Stalinist architecture as the railway station and the opera house were built.

During World War II, Novosibirsk housed more than 50 evacuated factories and 500 thousand displaced citizens. The city's industry played an important role in providing Soviet war production. Despite the devastation from Nazi air raids, the city quickly recovered after the war.

In the postwar period, Novosibirsk continued to develop rapidly as a Siberian scientific center specializing in metallurgy, nuclear physics, and aerospace engineering. The construction of a powerful hydroelectric dam on the Ob River contributed to the development of industry. By 1959, Novosibirsk was home to more than 1 million people and had become the third largest city in Russia.

In the 1960s and 1980s, Novosibirsk became a center of scientific research and education, housing, among other institutions, the Siberian Branch of the Academy of Sciences. To accommodate the growing population, which exceeded 1.5 million by the late 1980s, extensive apartment blocks were built.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Novosibirsk underwent a difficult transition period associated with the reduction of federal subsidies. However, the city retained its importance in technology and manufacturing for the Russian space program and defense industry. Its population remained relatively stable at about 1.6 million.

In the 2000s, Novosibirsk evolved into a modern city with a diverse high-tech economy. Infrastructure projects underway contributed to the development of public transportation, telecommunications, business districts and cultural attractions. As of 2020, Novosibirsk remains the locomotive of Siberia's economy and science.

Key historical events and population:

Founding of Novosibirsk (July 28, 1893): The city was founded during the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway and became one of the largest railroad hubs in eastern Russia. The founder of the city was academician Mikhail Shishkov. Rapid development of infrastructure and industry began.

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