Map of Omsk

History

The creation of the Omsk fortress, like other Upper Irtysh fortresses, was caused by the urgent need to strengthen the trade route to China. The credit for their arrangement belongs entirely to the Siberian governor, Prince M.P. Gagarin. However, he also bears a large share of the responsibility. Gagarin, being the governor in Nerchinsk and then the head of the Siberian order and the Siberian province, devoted a lot of time and effort to trade with China. And above all, he organized the trade route to this country.

The main route passed from Tobolsk, down the Irtysh, then up the Ob, then along the Ket portage to the Yenisei, and on to the border with China. The journey was long, difficult, and expensive. There was also a second option - up the Irtysh, twice shorter and much easier.

Geography

Omsk is in the south of the West Siberian Plain, along the banks of the north-flowing Irtysh, at its confluence with the Om River. The city has an elevation of 87 meters (285 ft) above mean sea level at its highest point.

Omsk is an important railroad hub and is the junction point for the northern and southern branches of the Trans-Siberian Railway. The city also serves as a major hub for the regional highway network. River-port facilities handle both passengers and freight, giving the city access to navigating the extensive waterways of the Irtysh and Ob River. The waterways connect Omsk with the coal and mineral-mining towns further up the river in Kazakhstan, as well as with the oil, natural gas and lumber operations of northern Siberia.

Economy

The Russian Air Force base called Omsk-Severnyy (air base) is located nearby. The OKMO tank-design bureau, the S.M. Kirov Factory no. 185, the Omsk Transmash all produce weaponry. Transmash produced T-80 tanks from the 1970s, and handled the BTR-T, TOS-1, and the prototype Black Eagle tank.

Omsk is a major rail, road, and air hub. The city is served by a station on the Trans-Siberian Railway, and by the Tsentralny Airport Omsk possesses a river port on the Irtysh, offering service to domestic destinations and to cities within Kazakhstan. Omsk is in European route E30 (in Russia R254 highway) that provides access to all of Europe.

Demographics

The population in Omsk had been steadily rising, according to the records: from 31,000 in 1881 to 53,050 in 1900 and to 1,148,418 in 1989. The 2002 Census recorded that the population had declined to 1,134,016, but it rebounded marginally, according to the 2010 Census, which listed the population of 1,154,116. By 2021, the population had declined to 1,125,695.