A Route with History
On vacation, my husband and I definitely hit the road. We've already traveled almost all of Russia's Golden Ring with its ancient cities, admired St. Petersburg and Sochi, made it to Rostov-on-Don and Tyumen. And one of the longest and most eventful trips was in 2021 — driving our own car from Kirzhach through the Urals to Tobolsk.
The route was over 2,200 km one way. Along the way we stopped in Suzdal, Ivanovo, Kineshma, Kirov (formerly Vyatka), Perm, and Yekaterinburg. There's something to see everywhere, we liked it all — but these cities are easily accessible to Moscow and Moscow region tourists, whereas few people make it to Tobolsk. Meanwhile, it's a very beautiful and interesting city that's only beginning to emerge as Siberia's tourist center.
This ancient city, founded in 1587, became the second (after Tyumen) Russian fortress on Siberian soil, the center of its development, and from 1708 by decree of Peter the Great — the official center of the Siberian province, which included territory from Vyatka to Alaska.

What to See
All of central Tobolsk can be considered one big attraction. There are no modern high-rise buildings here, and the city has preserved its historical appearance: green, low-rise, with many monuments of Siberian architecture — both stone and wooden — from the 18th–19th centuries. The heart of Tobolsk is, of course, the first and only kremlin in Siberia, located on a high hill above the Irtysh River. From here a magnificent view opens onto the city center and the Siberian expanse beyond, and here is located one of Siberia's oldest cathedrals — the Sofia-Assumption Cathedral — and the famous Prison Castle, which many historical figures passed through on their way to exile. Now the Museum of Siberian Hard Labor is located here, and across the square from it is the Provincial Museum. In general, Tobolsk has about twenty museums and more than 200 monuments and attractions! It's impossible to see everything in one trip. No wonder the city is called an open-air museum.
At the foot of Chuvash Hill, where in 1582 the battle between Ermak and Khan Kuchum took place, the "Siberian Old-Timers' Settlement" has been built — a museum complex, a reconstruction of an ancient town with houses, household items, and crafts. It was erected in 2019 for filming the movie "Tobol" and preserved as a tourist site where you can stroll, participate in entertainment programs, and take colorful photos.
If you're traveling in your own car, you can drive out of town to the "Abalak" tourist complex — a modern ethnographic and cultural center designed in Old Russian style. Here you can immerse yourself in the living atmosphere of fairy-tale antiquity, watch theatrical performances, participate in master classes and various Russian entertainments, stay in a tower-hotel, and try dishes from ancient cuisine — in short, spend time actively and enjoyably.

What to Try
It's impossible to be in the very heart of Siberia and not try authentic Siberian cuisine — it's everywhere here. In the Tobolsk Kremlin, we chose the "Ladeyny" restaurant, built like a wooden boyar tower — my husband especially liked the fish stroganina, and we appreciated the game dishes. Among desserts, we particularly enjoyed the cloudberry and cedar cone preserves.
Siberia amazes not only with its boundless expanses but also with excellent roads, cleanliness, order, high service level, and friendliness. There are neat, well-maintained hotels, restaurants, cafes, and finding parking or a gas station for an auto traveler is no problem. And we were also lucky with sunny and warm weather, so our impressions of the city were magnificent!