The city of Omsk was founded about three centuries ago. It was in 1716 when the Cossack fortress was built at the mouth of the Om river. Years passed, the little siberian town grew up, its face had been radically changing: step by step wooden houses vanished from the central streets and new buildings appeared. Such edifices as Drama Theatre (built in 1904), St. Nicolas Cathedral, Transport Institute (built in 1914) are considered to be the pearl of the architecture of our city. Some famous architects took part in the creating of the projects of these buildings. At the end of the 19th century Luba's Avenue (named so in honour of the wife of the governor) was built. This street (now it's Lenin street) became an example of two architectural styles.

There is one more interesting fact from the history of Omsk. Before 1917 only 5 cities in Russia were allowed to arrange fireworks: Moscow, Warsaw, Tbilise, St. Petersburg and our city also was among them.

In the 18th-19th centuries Omsk Fortress was the place of exile for convicted persons. Great Russian writer F. M. Dostoyevsky was banished in Omsk jail, where he spent four years. In his famous "The crime and the punishment" in the descriptions of the town he depicted Omsk as "a dusty steppe town".

In the 1st decade of the 20th century the industry of our city began to develop rapidly. Nowadays Omsk is both industrial and educational center of Siberia. Its population is on approximately 1.4 million. About 70 nationalities reside here. Omsk is a rather big city. It stretches more then 40 km on the bank of Irtysh. Omsk is one of the Siberian cultural centers.