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THE HISTORY OF NOVOSIBIRSK

heir- наследник

insistence- настойчивость, упорство

decline- ухудшаться, уменьшаться

solemn- торжественный, важный, официальный

merit- заслуга

occasion- случай, возможность

deserted- опустошенный

significant- значительный

convenient- удобный

peasant- крестьянин

raise- поднимать, воздвигать, выращивать

foundry- сталелитейная промышленность

commodity- предмет потребления, товар

compulsory- обязательный

More then 100 years ago Russian emperor Alexander III pointed out in his prescript to his heir that it is necessary “to connect by inner railway net the Siberian regions which are the richest with gifts of Nature”. Thus the building of Great Siberian Railway began.

Primarily it was considered that Trans-Siberian Railroad would cross the Ob river near the big age-old Kolyvan village. But owing to insistence of N.G. Garin-Mikhailovsky, the chief of prospecting party and a Russian writer, they took a final decision to build the bridge at the Krivoschokovo village. Garin-Mikhailovsky wrote later: “The change of primary project is my own merit, and I see with pleasure that the railroad is not declined from my idea”. In May, 20, 1893 in a thick pine wood on the bank of the Ob river there was held a solemn church service on the occasion of laying of the bridge, the project of which had been prepared by N.A.Belelubsky, professor of the Petersburg Railway College. Very many workers were required for the bridge building. Thus Novonikolayevsk settlement appeared and became later the largest town of Russian Asia.

In the spring of 1897 the bridge across the Ob river was opened for traffic. By that time the building of railway station and locomotive depot with workshops was completed. After that many builders left for other building sites, but the settlement did not become deserted and the work went on there. That was significantly promoted by convenient, even ideal geographical situation. The peasants from the Altai and the nearest villages brought here the greatest quantities of grain for further transportation by railroad.

The trade capital opened up the region of the Great Siberian Way which in the shortest time made the small settlement grow into a big city; Novonikolayevsk was given the official status of the city in December, 1903.

Novonikolayevsk soon became the place of concentration of banking capital. The population of the town was raising so quickly, that the first head of the city, V. Jernakov, said: “It (Novonikolayevsk) has got rightfully the name of American City”. In 1897, when the bridge was opened for traffic, Novonikolayevsk settlement accounted 7, 8 thousand people. In 1903 it was already a town without so called “uezd” – surrounding administrative territory – and accounted 22 thousand people. In 1907 it became the city with all the rights of self-government and population of 47 thousand.

Before February Revolution Novonikolayevsk had already 80 thousand of population and was the largest commercial and industrial center having not only agricultural processing industry, power station, iron foundry, commodity market, banks, commercial companies, but also 7 Orthodox churches, one Roman-Catholic church, several cinemas, 40 primary schools, a high school, teachers’ seminary and the Romanovs’ House non-classical secondary school. It is remarkable that Novonikolayevsk was nearly the first town in Russia which accepted the compulsory primary education in 1913.

Novonikolayevsk continued its safe and successful development even in such storming and tragic years for Russia as 1915-1917. Shops were heaped up with goods; all markets were packed with bread, meat and butter. Merchants of Novonikolayevsk, who had become rich enormously because of military supplies, were thinking of building of a tram line.

The town could not stand aside from social cataclysms. In December, 1917 the Soviet of Workers’ and Soldiers’ Deputies of Novonikolayevsk seized the power. And just after that the civil war came to the town. The town became the important strategic place of admiral Kolchak’s

Army. But in December, 1919 Novonikolayevsk was taken by the Red Army.

The civil war acquired monstrous forms. “White” and “red” terror, military actions, terrible typhus and cholera epidemics – all those took off many thousands of lives. The bridge across Ob was blown up. For the first time in the history of Novonikolayevsk the number of town inhabitants decreased.

The town revived only in 1921 after the beginning of Lenin’s New Economic Policy. At that time Novonikolayevsk again was turned up into commercial, industrial and transportation center where many thousands of peasants’ carts brought grain and butter. Workers, who had scampered about surrounding villages before, came now back to their depot and factories. Soon the Bolsheviks’ regional political administration ran over from Omsk to Novonikolayevsk. In 1925 there was formed the vast Siberian Region spreading from the Vasugan swamps up to the Trans-Baikal steppes, and Novonikolayevsk became its administrative center.

In 1925 the town received the new name of Novosibirsk. The status of Novosibirsk as administrative center of Siberia influenced much on the town appearance. Lenin House, Palace of Work, Dwelling House (now Central Hotel), Sibrevkom (now The Picture Gallery) and other buildings were constructed under the projects of talented Siberian architects headed by professor A.D.Kryachkov.

In the years of Industrialization Novosibirsk turned from a large commercial city into a big industrial center of Siberia. Many industrial giants were built here: the Sibkombain plant, mining tools plant, metal processing plant, food processing and other plants and factories, and also a high power station. In 1932-1933, when the terrible hunger broke out into Central Russia, more then 170 thousand refugees arrived at Novosibirsk and settled down in the town outskirts. In 1954 the tram rails were laid in the streets of Novosibirsk: the biggest city of Siberia had already 287 thousand population and needed vitally that kind of transport.

Novosibirsk started as integrated architectural complex only after 1955, when the Kommunalny bridge, the main city bridge across the Ob, was built. Just from that time the town chose the way of total renovation and improvement. Activity of building companies acquired real industrial basis. Large-panel construction became the main kind of house building.

Nature environment of the town was also changing because of industrial development. In the middle of 50s a hydro power station for 400 kilowatts was erected near Novosibirsk, which caused the creation of a new great water reservoir – the Ob Sea

In 1957 the building of a large scientific center was started on the bank of the Ob Sea; it was the Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, so called Akademgorodok. That new part of the town included 14 research institutes, a university, dwelling and public buildings, a department store and the Scientists’ House.

The territory of Novosibirsk extended more and more, and the population of the town was rising. In the early 1960s the population of Novosibirsk reached one million. In the subsequent years new architectural sites were created in the town – scientific centers of Academy of Medicine and Academy of Agriculture.

The construction of subway was started in Novosibirsk in 1979. The first line was opened in 1985. So 1990s were a turning point for the whole country. But in spite of economic crisis, Novosibirsk goes on developing. Commercial banks, markets, exchanges and private companies have appeared again in the town. Now the future of Novosibirsk is closely connected with a new social economical system of all the country.

Answer the questions:

Why was the construction of Great Siberian Railway important?

How was the place for the bridge across the Ob chosen?

Why did a small settlement grow into a big city so rapidly?

When did the city become self-governed?

Why was Novonikolayevsk the biggest industrial and commercial centre?

How did the city develop during storming years and the Civil War?

When was the Siberian Region formed and what territories did it include?

What plants were built in Novosibirsk in the years of industrialization?

What was the Ob Sea created for?

When was underground constructed in Novosibirsk?

Translate into English:

Транссибирская железная дорога была построена с целью объединить Сибирские регионы, богатые природными ресурсами.

Гарин-Михайловский определил место строительства железнодорожного моста через Обь.

Идеальное географическое положение Новониколаевска способствовало быстрому развитию города.

До 1917 года Новониколаевск был крупнейшим промышленным и торговым центром.

Город был переименован в Новосибирск в 1925 году.

После 1955 года Новосибирск начал развиваться как единый архитектурный комплекс.

Население Новосибирска достигло одного миллиона в начале 1960-х годов.