Tobolsk is the ancient capital of Siberia, which will not leave even the most sophisticated traveler indifferent. If you have already got acquainted with its main attractions and rich history, which has played an important role in the fate of the whole country, it’s time to rediscover Tobolsk. We offer an alternative route that will allow you to look at the city from a different angle.
BRIEFLY ABOUT THE CLASSICS
The only white–stone Kremlin beyond the Urals on a high promontory with a picturesque view of the Irtysh Valley, the last journey of the imperial family, one of the strictest and most mysterious prisons in history, the ancient control center for the whole of Siberia and the film sets of popular films are only a small part of what the “father of Siberian cities” has in store for his guests.
Tobolsk Kremlin, Tobolsk, Tyumen the area. Photo: VisitTyumen
Let this “gold standard for first acquaintance” enrich your luggage of travel experiences, and it’s time for us to move on for new emotions.
MUSEUM OF FORGOTTEN SOUNDS
It may not sound very original, but we will make our first stop in the Kremlin! Here, in the North Tower of Gostiny Dvor, the Museum of Forgotten Sounds is comfortably located. An interactive space that contains hundreds of musical instruments from all over the world.
All exhibits here are allowed not only to touch, but also to extract sounds from them. Some of the instruments look so intricate that they seem to have been brought from another planet. To learn more about them, you can choose one of the excursions. And for the most enthusiastic, master classes on playing the harp and harp are held.
Museum of Forgotten Sounds in Tobolsk. Photo: VisitTyumen
The museum is conceptual – and not only because it is located in the historic Kremlin tower, as guests are reminded by small neat windows and thick strong walls. Since its inception, Gostiny Dvor has been one of the most important points for merchants from the East and Asia. Two centuries ago, it was an international trade center where deals were made and negotiations were conducted. It is not surprising that music from different countries could be played here.
And now we suggest going down the legendary Pryamsky train, making a wish along the way, to Nizhny Posad, where the merchant quarter lay next to the Market Square – the heart of trade and the main venue for the largest holidays in pre–revolutionary Russia.
Direct delivery in Tobolsk. Photo: VisitTyumen
CHOCOLATE THAT WILL MAKE YOU WORRY
Let’s take a walk to the Alexander Garden along Mira Street – the merchant “rublevka” of Tobolsk under restoration, where large entrepreneurs lived, for example, the Volodimerov brothers, who supplied furs to aristocrats of European royal courts. Next to the Alexander Garden and the Museum of the Family of Emperor Nicholas II is the Chocolate Manufactory of Daria Egorova, a hereditary merchant from Tobolsk.
Sweets are created here according to reconstructed domestic recipes of the XVIII – XIX centuries. Surprisingly, the girl was inspired to make extraordinary sweets not by a stormy imagination, but by her grandmother’s stories that, for example, pickled cucumbers with honey were favored in Siberia! All this formed the basis of sweet production.
Chocolate manufactory in Tobolsk. Photo: VisitTyumen
Cocoa beans are bought in Venezuela, and the basis for colorful fillings is from Tobolsk cottagers and farmers. Along with such familiar flavors as sea buckthorn, cranberries, currants, pine nuts, you can try sweets with mint, sorrel, horseradish, beetroot with garlic, nettle, as well as the aforementioned “Monastery sandwich” (compote of pickled cucumbers with honey).
On the tour, you can see the chocolate production process, as well as participate in a small detective story: guess which candy you are being treated to – believe me, it’s not so easy. For those who want to understand all the basics, there is a master class on creating their own original chocolate bar.
Master class at the chocolate manufactory in Tobolsk. Photo: VisitTyumen
A CARNIVAL MUSEUM THAT WORKS AT NIGHT
Further down Mira Street, behind the Alexander Garden, you will find another unusual museum where you can return to traditions, remember your roots, celebrate forgotten holidays, learn about various rituals and master ancient crafts. Excursions are held at night, but you can book an individual visit at a convenient time, as well as participate in the holidays.
During your stay in the “House of Spiridon” you will get acquainted with the history of crafts, learn how to wield an axe, create wooden toys or spoons, cook printed gingerbread, as our ancestors did, and forge with a hereditary blacksmith on an ancient anvil. The staid stories of the keeper of the house will set you up in the right way, and everything will be fine.
“Spiridon House” in Tobolsk. Photo: VisitTyumen
In the interior of the museum there are many ancient and recreated household items, expositions of folk and author’s toys, a collection of Easter eggs that you can touch. Also, if desired, you can see a puppet show and learn a lot of interesting things about age-old traditions.
A NIGHT IN A FARMSTEAD
Healthy sleep, rustic flavor, a hot bath, folk workshops and a full retreat will be presented by the agro-tourist complex “Golden Horseshoe”, which is located 18 km from Tobolsk. Here you can book an all–season yurt and a sauna and stay overnight, and in the morning start exploring the cultures of two indigenous peoples of Siberia – Russians and Tatars.
For full immersion, there are master classes on horse harnessing, milking a cow or goat, cooking dumplings and baursaks, playing the harp. And you can also ride in a cart or sleigh along the Old Siberian Highway, get acquainted with the exposition of the Dumpling Museum and order a real rustic lunch or dinner.
Tobolsk. The farmstead “Golden horseshoe”. Photo: VisitTyumen
Animal lovers can chat with goats, rabbits, a donkey and other representatives of the farmstead, take care of piglets, feed the goats with milk, and in the incubation hall see how ducklings and chickens are born.
After such a reboot, you will return to Tobolsk rested and refreshed. And there is another place ahead that definitely requires a visit.
BAR NAMED AFTER THE GREAT CHEMIST
Not far from the Kremlin, in the neighborhood of Yershov Square, there is a chamber bar “D. Ivanovich”, dedicated to Dmitry Mendeleev, a native of the ancient capital of Siberia.
Perhaps the main ingredient for an unforgettable acquaintance with this institution is its atmosphere. Here, noble antiquity is stylishly combined with modernity: antique furniture, vintage decoration and trendy drinks, the recipe or name of which hides one of the stories associated with the great chemist.
From talking with the bartender, you will learn what kind of gastronomic preferences Dmitry Ivanovich had, as well as about his hobbies and hobbies. The bar menu is based on the author’s interpretations of drinks with Siberian ingredients, and on the menu you can find pies, game snacks, berry sweets.Delicious treats and warm conversations are a great combo for autumn.
Of course, these are not all places that deserve attention as part of a trip to Tobolsk.
Discover the ancient capital of Siberia, be inspired by history, extraordinary objects, establishments with delicious Siberian cuisine, options for family or extreme holidays and make up your tourist route together with VisitTyumen.
