Photo: museums and exhibitions, other places, Tomsk State University, Tomsk

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Tomsk State University and University Grove

Museums and Exhibitions • Other places

Tomsk is considered to be the university capital of Siberia. Tomsk State University was founded in 1878 and became the first on the vast territory of Russia to the east of the Volga River. Its snow-white building was designed by the St. Petersburg architect Bruni. Funds for it were donated by famous Russian entrepreneurs Demidov, Sabashnikov and merchants from Siberia and Moscow.

First there was only one faculty at Tomsk University — medical. Now there are 23. There is also a museum of rare book here. And 4 million books have been stored in the scientific library! It was at Tomsk University that the most powerful supercomputer of Eastern Europe, SKIF Cyberia, was launched in 2007.The first buildings of the university were built near the banks of the Tom River in the center of a small grove now called the University Grove. The university botanical garden, the first in Siberia, was laid here. The grove itself is the remains of an ancient old-growth forest. They hunted a squirrel here at the end of the XIX century. And today squirrels, owls and other birds and animals live in the grove in the center of a large city. The grove is also decorated with several stone «heads» — monuments to the ancient Turkic leaders. The «heads» have been «guarding» Tomsk University for many years. And Zoological Museum and Paleontology Museum are located in the first historical building of the university.

Tomsk State University and University Grove

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