Lenin Street (from February 9, 1920), the central street of the city of Omsk, is located in the historical building area. It passes from Cathedral Square through the Jubilee Bridge to the Mayakovsky Street that is parallel to Karl Marx Avenue. Here, a unique architectural ensemble of the late 19th to early 20th centuries is preserved. The street received the status of a historical monument of federal significance and is a landmark of the city where you can find local products. On holidays, traffic on Lenin Street is closed for festivities.
The History of Lenin Street
The beginning of the formation of the street can be marked with the emergence of the Lubin Grove in 1851. The trees were planted on the orders of Governor General G.H. Gasford on the right bank of the Om River between the modern streets of Lenin and Partizanskaya. Named after the late wife of Gasford, the grove for many years was a place of walking and resting for Omsk residents.
From the former Ilyinsky Bridge, a road ran through the grove to the city bazaar. By the decision of the City Council in 1869, the road was granted for construction. Omsk city architect E.I.Ezet drew up a project for future development. One-story and two-story stone and wooden buildings were mainly reserved for private merchants. By 1890, a single row of stone houses with shops in the lower floors were built. These houses laid the foundation for Chernavinsky Prospekt.
Behind the Iron Bridge (which stood on the site of the present Yubileiny Street), Palace Street with the Governor General’s Palace and Ataman Street ran. These streets were in the center of the city and at that time had a fairly developed infrastructure. In 1898, the first bridge in the history of Omsk was laid along Chernavinsky Prospekt, which, due to the lack of stone, was laid out with iron brick and pebbles.
In 1899, by the Highest Decree of His Imperial Majesty for development, it was allowed to use the territory of the Lubinsky Square (Lubin Grove). Here were built the Moscow shopping arcade (1904), the Rossiya Hotel with a restaurant (1906), cinema (later the Khudozhestvenny movie theater), the trading houses of the Ovsyannikov brothers and A. Ganshin with their sons (the modern building of the Medical Academy).
In 1905, the building of the Drama Theater was built. In 1916, in honor of the celebration of the bicentennial of Omsk, the city council decided to rename Palace and Ataman streets into Peter the Great Street. However, the February revolution prevented this: the commissioner of the Provisional Government for the Steppe Governor General did not approve this decision. As a result, in 1920, these streets from Kuznechnaya to Zhelezny Bridge were renamed Republic Street, and Chernavinsky Prospekt from Zhelezny Bridge to Kaznakovskaya Street was renamed to Lenin Street. In the Soviet years, Lenin became the central street of the city. In 1960, the first automatic soda water vending machines appeared in the city.
The Street Becomes a Wide and Long Pedestrian Sometimes
When there are events held along the street, the traffic is completely blocked that the whole place becomes a pedestrian. One of the most popular events is the gastronomic festival “Tasty Lubinsky”. From 10:00 on August 24 to 02:00 on August 25, 2019, from Pobedy Square to the intersection with Partizanskaya and Shcherbaneva streets in Omsk, the passage along Lenin Street were blocked.
Every year, the number of public transport routes along Lenin Street is reduced. The project is supposed to make it completely pedestrian following the example of Moscow Arbat. However, since the beginning of the 21st century the routes of buses as well as a number of commercial passengers still pass the street.
The Interesting Ensemble
Being a type of one-stop city attraction, Lenin Street offers so many places to visit. This is what makes the street very popular among tourists. Here are the buildings you can find there:
On the odd side
- Number 1 – Prosecutor’s Office of the Omsk Region
- Number 3 – Omsk Regional Museum of Fine Arts
- Number 23 – Omsk State Museum of History and Local Lore
- Number 27a – Omsk Concert Hall
- Number 39 – Consulate of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Omsk
- Number 41a – Ministry of Youth, Physical Culture and Sports of the Omsk Region
- Number 45 – The Union of Theater Workers of the Russian Federation , Omsk Branch (House of Actor)
- Number 53 – The Thousand Little Things Store. The outstanding Omsk actress T. Ozhigova lived in this house. In the memory of her, in 1994 a memorial plaque with a high relief was installed here.
On the even side
- Number 2 – Office of the FSB of Russia in the Omsk Region, as well as the Department of Internal Affairs in the Omsk Region
- Number 8a – Omsk Academic Drama Theater
- Number 12 – Omsk State Medical Academy
- Number 14 – Office of the Federal Bailiff Service in the Omsk Region
- Number 22 – Hotel IBIS
- Number 24 – Omsk Aviation College named after N.E. Zhukovsky
- Number 26 – Omsk Cadet Corps
- Number 28 – Russian Artists Union , Omsk Regional Organization
- Number 34 – Omsk Regional House of Journalists
- Number 36 – Children’s Creativity Center
- Number 40 – The prominent Omsk actors Boris Kashirin (1920-1992) and Elena Aroseva (1923-2016) lived in this house, a memorial plaque was installed here.
Between these important buildings, you can find small cafes, restaurants, and shops that sell many kinds of things; starting from local products, souvenirs, to modern goods like clothing and more. It is safe to say that Lenin Street of Omsk is the core of the city where everything is centered. It is a must to visit the street when you travel to Russia and visit the city.