Novokuznetsk
Novokuznetsk (Russian: Новокузне́цк nuh-vuh-kooz-NYETSK) is a big metallurgy and coal city in the south of Kemerovo Oblast. As the oldest city in the region by far (1617), Novokuznetsk has seen its fair share of different names. It was known simply as Kuznetsk (Blacksmith City) until the 1930s when massive coal deposits were found, sparking the industrialization of the city under the name Stalinsk. In the Khruschev era, the city was reborn as Novokuznetsk (New Kuznetsk). Novokuznetsk's age and proximity to the Kemerovo Oblast's beautiful southern region makes it the top destination in the region for tourism.
Get in
Trains arrive from Novosibirsk and Kemerovo, or, if arriving from the east, the more distant Taishet. It's not far from the Trans-Siberian Railway proper, and if doing that trip in sections, you may find it convenient to take a train passing through Novokuznetsk.
Novokuznetsk also has an airport with flights arriving from Moscow and Saint Petersburg. For the benefit of locals who want to get out of Siberia and hit the beaches, there are also flights in the summer to/from Russia's Black Sea Region: Sochi, Krasnodar, and Anapa.
Get around
See
Do
- Drama Theatre
- Circus
- Ice hockey palace
- Skating rink
Buy
- Entertainment & Shopping Centers Globus and Continent
Learn
Eat
- Pel'meni
- Bliny
- Smetana
- Khren
- Schi
Drink
Sleep
- Novokuznetskaya (Новокузнецкая), 53 Kirova st (The city center), ☏ +7 3843 46-46-47, fax: +7 3843 46-46-47, nvkz_hotel@mail.ru. Free wi-fi at the cafe on the 6th floor 2000-16500 руб.
- Gold wing (Золотое крыло), 51 Lenina st, ☏ +7 3843 37-79-70, gold-nk@yandex.ru. 24h reception, sauna with karaoke, jacuzzi, billiard, cafe-bar, free wi-fi. 1350 руб for single, 1750-3000 руб for double.
Go next
- Novokuznetsk is a convenient gateway for travelers going south into the Gornaya Shoria region of Kemerovo Oblast: to Tashtagol for skiing or to the Shorsky Nature Reserve.
- Kuznetsky Alatau Nature Reserve