The weather here in Siberia can be pretty rough in the winter. Andrey and I have been holding out for a nice day with some sun to go downtown and walk around, but then we realized we might be waiting until Spring, so we decided to go for it.
Where I work, The Omsk State Musical Theater, which is home to the ballet, orchestra, and one of the city's two theater companies.
The view from the theater, a park with a very small church in it. There are many churches in town and they range from impressive Cathedrals to tiny ones like this.
The intersection of the Irtysh and Om Rivers. In 1716 Peter the Great sent a military expedition to explore the area and they build their first fortress here.
This chain covered in locks hangs right below the cannon. There is a tradition for just married couples to come and put a lock here to represent their love and then throw the key in the river.
Walking back along the river, this sweet statue is situated among the trees. Across the river you can see one end of the main street.
The view as we walked across the bridge towards the old center of town, where most of the businesses used to be located. You can still find a good selection of shopping here, but unfortunately the appearance of mega-malls has taken its toll.
Another one of the city's extremely small, but ornate churches.
Many of these beautiful buildings were homes in the past, sometimes with businesses on the ground floor.
Omsk State Drama Theater, home to the city's other theater company.
Dormition Cathedral is one of the largest churches in Siberia. The original church was blown up in 1935, but the Russian Orthodox Church had it rebuilt according to the original design at the beginning of this century.
While we were out exploring the city we found Skuratov Coffee, a locally owned coffee shop that is a little over a year old. They have two locations one of which is located conveniently close to my work. I am pretty sure we have found our favorite place to hang out in Omsk. It doesn't hurt that it reminds me of New York.
Skuratov is the only coffee shop in Omsk that roasts its own coffee. They also have a few vegan and gluten free options among their baked goods!
Enjoying a coffee break during our day out in the city.