Barnaul (Барнау́л), Russia

Barnaul (Russian: Барнау́л) is a city in Siberia, Russia. It is the administrative center of Altai Krai. Located on the Ob River in the West Siberian Plain, Barnaul covers 321 sq km and has a population of 612,000 people (2012 estimate).

Demidov Square in Barnaul, Russia
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Barnaul_-_Demidov_Square.jpg
Author: Muad'Dib


Located on the northern part of Altai Krai, Barnaul is the nearest major city to the Altai Mountains to the south. It is on the southern end of the Siberian stelppe. The city experiences a continental climate with extremes in temperatures between summer and winter. Winters here are long and frigid, with temperature often dropping to -40°C (-40°F). On the other hand, in summer the temperature may rise to over 40°C (104°F).

Barnaul was founded in the 1730s, making it one of the earliest cities in Siberia. The discovery of copper in the area attracted the wealthy Demidov family to establish the city. Later on, the discovery of silver helped to cement Barnaul's position. At one point, it produced some 90% of Russian silver. By the 1770s it was one of the biggest mining towns in Siberia.

Today Barnaul is an important industrial center and home to some 100 industrial enterprises. It also has an important diamond faceting industry.

Visiting Barnaul

There are trains from Moscow to Barnaul. The journey takes two and a half days. The local airport (German Titov Airport) receives flights from Krasnodar, Moscow, Irkutsk, Rostov-on-Don, Vladivostock and Saint Petersburg.

Places of Interest in Barnaul

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