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Traffic Eastleigh

•   Eastleigh
• Nearby: West End Winchester Southampton Mottisfont Crawley Fareham

Current traffic around Eastleigh

The following traffic incidents and congestion for Eastleigh have been reported by Highways England, Traffic Scotland, Traffic Wales or Transport for London (TfL) in the last two hours:

Traffic in Nearby Villages

• Bishopstoke (0.21mi)
• Stoke Common (1.08mi)
• Fryern Hill (1.32mi)
• Boyatt Wood (1.32mi)
• Allbrook (1.45mi)
• Brambridge (1.58mi)
• Highbridge (1.58mi)
• Fisher's Pond (1.59mi)
• Chandler's Ford (1.86mi)
• Nob's Crook (1.96mi)
• Pylehill (2.02mi)
• North Stoneham (2.03mi)
• Colden Common (2.14mi)
• Crowdhill (2.16mi)
• Hensting (2.44mi)
• Moorgreen (2.48mi)
• Hocombe (2.62mi)
• Hiltingbury (2.62mi)
• Otterbourne (2.62mi)
• Horton Heath (2.66mi)
• Flexford (2.69mi)
• Bassett Green (2.89mi)
• Swaythling (2.9mi)
• Hampton Park (2.9mi)

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M3 traffic: Road to close overnight and lane restrictions to remain through rush hour

• M3 motorway
• Wednesday 8 February 2023 at 1:23pm

Drivers have reported being stuck in long queues on the M3 this morning, after overrunning roadworks brought traffic to a near standstill.

The motorway has been reduced to one lane near to Junctions 11 and 10 for Winchester, due to emergency repairs.

National Highways has apologised for the disruption, which it says it due to a bridge joint.

A specialist repair is required and the agency says the lane closures will remain in place for a "protracted period".

The agency confirmed that the works would see the road close overnight and restrictions would remain in place through Wednesday evening's rush hour.

It also said that the lane closures were likely to remain in place on Thursday morning.

One driver took to social media to say their journey, which would only take around 30 minutes, took nearly two hours this morning.

The motorist travelled to Winchester from Southampton, and said it took them 1hr and 40 minutes to travel the 8 mile stretch of road.

Another said: "Just come the opposite way and it is carnage!"

Meanwhile one driver commented: "Just sat an hour and a half in traffic through this. One highway lorry in the 2 lane closure and no sign of works happening or works done!!!"

There is no reopening time for the road and according to National Highways South East drivers can expect delays of around an hour.

Local roads, such as through Eastleigh, are reported to be heavily congested, with long queues reported.

Alternative routes are in a similar state, with Twyford experiencing long queues as motorists try to avoid the works.

A spokesperson for National Highways South East said: "We apologize for any inconvenience caused by the lane closures this morning and for any further impacts these emergency works will have going forward.

"Road users are urged to consider alternate routes (if possible) and allow plenty of extra time for their journey if heading that way."

"National Highways have employed specialist contractors, equipment and materials to undertake repairs to the infrastructure.

"However due to the complexity of the repair and the extent of the work required as a result the lane closure will remain in place until later tonight. The road will then be closed overnight tonight - timings of this closure are yet to be confirmed but we expect it will be between 10pm and 6am.

"We expect the lane closures to also have to remain in place tomorrow morning even after the road has been re-opened."

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Overturned caravan stops M27 traffic between Hedge End and Eastleigh - recap

One person was injured

• Updated 09:10, 17 FEB 2023

All traffic was at one point stopped along the M27 westbound through Hampshire on Thursday (February 16) following a collision involving an overturned caravan. According to traffic monitoring service Inrix, the incident took place between J7 (Hedge End) and J5 ( Eastleigh ).

Delays at one point reached 35 minutes, even after one lane reopened to traffic. Hampshire Police attended the scene and provided this statement: "We were called at 2.11pm to a report of a single vehicle collision in the M27 near junction five westbound.

"A van had collided with a barrier and overturned, with the occupant of the vehicle having suffered a minor head injury. Three lanes have been closed while we respond."

READ NEXT: First Bus ending Southampton services this weekend - here's all you need to know

The incident resulted in a fuel spill along the westbound carriageway between Hedge End and Eastleigh. All lanes reopened just before 5pm.

HampshireLive provided updates below.

Never get stuck in a traffic jam again with our FREE traffic and travel email for HampshireLive readers. Find out more here.

• Traffic now easing on M27 17:56
• All lanes now open on M27 17:12
• One person suffered head injury in M27 crash 15:46
• One person injured 15:07

Traffic now easing on M27

Traffic is now easing on the M27 westbound between J7 A334 Charles Watts Way (Hedge End) and J5 A335 Stoneham Way (Southampton Airport / Eastleigh). An earlier fuel spill was cleared up at around 4.45pm

Delays of ten minutes but queues easing

The latest from traffic information service Inrix:

Queueing traffic due to earlier overturned caravan and earlier spillage of fuel on the road on M27 Westbound between J7 A334 Charles Watts Way (Hedge End) and J5 A335 Stoneham Way (Southampton Airport / Eastleigh). Congestion to halfway past J8 ( Bursledon / Hamble), traffic heading away on the A27 through Bursledon and West End. Travel time is ten minutes. All lanes have been re-opened.

All lanes now open on M27

All lanes have now reopened on the M27

40-minute delays on M27

There are still long delays on the M27 this afternoon. The latest from traffic monitoring service Inrix:

Long delays, two lanes closed and queueing traffic due to fuel spillage and earlier overturned caravan on M27 Westbound between J7 A334 Charles Watts Way (Hedge End) and J5 A335 Stoneham Way (Southampton Airport / Eastleigh). Congestion to halfway past J8 ( Bursledon / Hamble), traffic heading away on the A27 through Bursledon and West End. Travel time is 40 minutes

Hampshire Constabulary statement in full

We were called at 2.11pm to a report of a single vehicle collision in the M27 near junction five westbound. A van had collided with a barrier and overturned, with the occupant of the vehicle having suffered a minor head injury. Three lanes have been closed while we respond

Van overturned after crashing into barrier

Police confirmed a van collided with a barrier and overturned near junction 5 westbound. Three lanes were closed while officers responded

One person suffered head injury in M27 crash

Police said one person was injured in a crash on the M27. They said the occupant of a vehicle suffered a "minor head injury"

One person injured

Hampshire Police have provided images from the scene of the incident which resulted in a fuel spill.

35-minute delays

Despite one lane reopening, road users are still being warned of heavy delays along the M27 between J7 and J5.

One lane has reopened

Traffic is able to pass the incident westbound using one lane, while the other three remain closed.

• Traffic & Travel
• Most Recent

I saw Fiji's magic myself. Here's how travelers can preserve the splendor for everyone.

• Fiji is a bucket list destination for many travelers, but it's also a country that's vulnerable to climate change.
• The country is committed to sustainable tourism and is working to protect its natural resources.
• Travelers can help by choosing sustainable accommodations, giving back to the place and immersing themselves in culture.

Climate change   is drastically impacting the world around us, including the way people travel and the destinations themselves. “Green Travel” is a seven-part series delving into how climate change is transforming the landscape of travel. If you'd like to contribute to our future reporting and share your experience as a source, you can   click here to fill out this quick form .

It felt like a dream. Here I was, on a boat a couple of miles offshore from a secluded island in the middle of Fiji, ready to jump into its crystal-clear waters and cross off a bucket-list item of mine.  

I zipped up my wetsuit and donned my scuba diving tank. The visibility was perfect as I dove about 30 feet to a coral reef, a hotspot where manta rays come to be cleaned by other fish.  

In just a few minutes, several reef mantas glided by, their 10-foot wingspan dwarfing me. They drifted gracefully around the reef, ignoring my presence and going about their day.   

It was completely mesmerizing.  

Learn more: Best travel insurance

This is just one of many intimate encounters travelers can have with Fiji’s stunning natural world. From its picturesque beaches to vibrant marine reefs, these awe-inspiring experiences are a powerful reminder of the importance of preserving nature for posterity – a pillar in sustainable tourism.  

For many bucket list destinations around the world, sustainable tourism is more than a buzzword – it’s a necessity. Pacific islands are dreamy but face limited resources and heavy reliance on tourism. In Fiji, tourism drives 40% of the economy, according to the World Bank . However, tourism strains the environment through development and consumption. These challenges only add Fiji’s vulnerabilities to climate change, such as rising sea levels, eroding coastlines, and flash flooding. 

Hawaii's beaches are disappearing: The uncertain future of Oahu's iconic Waikiki due to climate change

“For us Fijians, we don’t have sky towers and theme parks to sell, the only thing we sell is the sun, sand, smiles and sea,” Sunishma Singh, sustainability lead at Tourism Fiji, told USA TODAY. “In order for us to maintain or even increase (tourism), we need to take care of our natural resources.” 

The country committed to a sustainable tourism industry as stated in its 2021 tourism development plan, which focuses on environmental stewardship and community empowerment. In 2023, Fiji became a member of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), which establishes global sustainable standards for destination management, and is pursuing certification.  

In 2022, Fiji welcomed over 636,000 international visitors, but only 10% of travelers participated in sustainable activities, according to a survey by the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation . 

In 2022, Americans made up 11% of all visitors to Fiji, staying longer than other international travelers. They said they were drawn to Fiji for its natural beauty and that it had always been on their bucket lists. Fiji Airways is the only airline with direct flights from the U.S. to Fiji, taking 10 hours from Los Angeles. 

After scuba diving with manta rays and spending time in a local village, I fell in love with Fiji. Traveling there gave me a deep appreciation for its natural beauty and culture, but also made me reflect on the importance of preserving Fiji's future, so both travelers and locals can enjoy the same wonders I did.  

Fall in love with nature  

The Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI), the world’s largest diving organization, agrees. To get travelers involved in protecting Fiji’s natural environment, the organization is pushing for regenerative tourism through scuba diving – a term they coined “regenerative diving.” Fiji is home to over 42% of the world’s coral species and one of the first PADI Eco Centers – which are conservation-focused dive operators – in the South Pacific.  

Are there blind scuba divers? Here's the accessible way anyone can explore the ocean.

At Wakaya Island Resort, where I dove with mantas, divers can join the resort’s nonprofit partner, the Manta Trust Fiji , and record the mantas they see at the resort’s reefs to aid in the effort of keeping track of population numbers.  

“By participating in hands-on citizen science, healing local ecosystems and communities, establishing a collaborative relationship with nature, respecting local cultures and, most importantly, shifting our collective perspectives to one of giving back – rather than taking – we can regenerate our watery home – driving global ocean change,” said Julie Anderson, Director of Brand + Media for PADI.  

Find sustainable accommodations  

Resorts and hotels are on the frontlines of the visitor experience including impacting how sustainable your trip will be, from their infrastructure and operations to activity offerings. Travelers should do their research and choose wisely.  

My first Fijian resort was Waya Island Resort , a small adults-only property that opened in 2024 on Waya Island. Each of the 17 bures – free-standing Fijian guest bungalows – features solar panels on the roof to slowly phase out usage of the resort’s generator. Yalobi village, located on the other side of the island, is home to 90% of the resort’s staff. The resort also sources much of its fresh produce from local farmers in the village. 

At the Six Senses Fiji , a luxury resort on Malolo Island, I got to see how a leading resort chain pursues sustainability. The resort sources nearly all ingredients for its restaurants from local purveyors, which keeps cash flow in the country while exposing guests to the local cuisine and flavors – a win-win. The resort also uses Tesla solar batteries for most of its power and filters water on-site for its refillable bottles in guest rooms to cut down on waste and energy consumption. (The resort also makes these sustainability metrics transparent by displaying them on a sign for guests to see.) 

Throughout the property are “touch points” to educate guests on making greener choices even back home, according to Raquel Saavedra, sustainability manager at Six Senses Fiji. Think pigs and chickens that live on property to teach about composting. 

“Tourism from the start has a lot of negative impacts … but we can try to bring our impact to a minimum and give back,” Saavedra said.  

By that, she means several projects underway to help Solevu, the local village that leases the land to the resort, become more self-sustaining, such as purchasing a trash incinerator and rainwater tanks for the residents. 

Give back to the place  

When travelers take time out of their vacation to give back through volunteering, they not only help meet community needs but gain a rewarding experience for themselves. Research shows that volunteering while traveling can improve your well-being and give you a greater sense of purpose.  

“Voluntourism is really kind of connecting and thinking of what the traveler can do,” said Anna Abelson, a professor of sustainable travel at New York University’s Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality, told USA TODAY. “It's also such a transformative experience not only for the host community, but obviously for the traveler.”  

At Six Senses Fiji, I joined members of the Coral Gardeners – a reef restoration organization headquartered at the resort – on a boat trip to clean algae from the coral nurseries. Since 2023, Fiji has suffered mass coral bleaching from warming water temperatures, which impacts marine life and the people who depend on the oceans. Resort guests can attend weekly presentations by the Coral Gardeners and then join the nonprofit on snorkeling trips to take care of the coral, helping to conserve the very ocean they’re enjoying.  

Coral reefs need help. This is how travelers can help restore them in the Maldives

Immerse yourself in culture  

Most Fijian islands are not only home to resorts but also local villages that allow visitors on certain days to get a closer look at Fijian culture. “The villages, that is part of what they do week in, week out,” said Marika Kuilamu, assistant lecturer for the School of Tourism and Hospitality Management at The University of the South Pacific in Fiji, told USA TODAY.  

Tucked behind Wakaya Island Resort is a village where the approximately 80 workers of the resort and their families live. There’s a church, school, community hall and series of small duplex homes.  

As I set off for my visit to the village, I wrapped the sulu (Fijian sarong) around my waist, as is customary.  

“The idea is that it's very important not only to visit and stay in the property, but also to have that immersive experience of connecting with the culture and understanding the locals and roaming around,” said Abelson. 

After spending time at the school meeting the kids and chatting with the teachers, I felt a deeper connection to Fijian culture. Their warm hospitality added a special touch to my stay, making it unforgettable. I live in Hawaii, another popular island destination, so I know how powerful it is for a traveler to connect with the local community.  

“Doing an experience like that, (travelers) can go back and say, we weren’t just at the hotel 24/7, we had the chance to visit and interact,” said Kuilamu.

The reporter on this story received access to this opportunity from PADI and Tourism Fiji. USA TODAY maintains editorial control of content.  

The Key Points at the top of this article were created with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and reviewed by a journalist before publication. No other parts of the article were generated using AI. Learn more .

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The do’s and don’ts of using AI to plan your travel

By David Nield

Posted on Aug 25, 2024 8:10 AM EDT

6 minute read

The generative AI revolution is underway, with these bots now taking care of everything from coding apps to making movies (or at least attempting to). One way you’ll sometimes see these AI chatbots used is as smart travel assistants, giving you recommendations on the locations to stay at, eat at, and tour around in just about any location you can name.

There’s no doubt that AI can be helpful here, in a variety of different ways, but it’s also important to remember the limitations of the technology. These chatbots have never visited the places they’re talking about—they don’t know what fine dining is, or what a cozy hideaway is, they’re just regurgitating text they’ve found on the web (albeit in a smart and natural way).

By all means enlist the help of a generative AI bot when you’re planning a trip, but be aware of the do’s and don’ts. I’ve tested out OpenAI ChatGPT and Google Gemini by asking them for recommendations about local towns near where I live (which I know better than they do), and I’ve included some notes below on what they managed to do well and what they didn’t do so well with.

Do use AI chatbots for complex queries

One area where AI chatbots have the advantage over a standard Google search is in complex queries. Ask about activities in a town for kids and under a certain budget, and an AI-generated answer is going to be much more precise. You can specify opening times, vibes, accessibility features, items on a menu, or whatever you like.

Do bear in mind that the answers you get will be based on whatever information is available on the web: ChatGPT has never visited New York, Venice, or anywhere else. You’re going to get more comprehensive answers about larger, busier, and more popular places, as more will have been written about them.

In the queries I’ve run about local spots, the bots have been mostly spot on about the types of places that are worth a trip, and they do a capable job at filtering through them (“what’s cheap?” for example, or “what’s kid-friendly?”). If you need something more detailed than ‘top 10 tourist spots’ in a location, AI can be really useful.

Do use AI chatbots for inspiration

You’ll find chatbots helpful for getting answers to questions you would ask of a person—what’s the place like at night? What are the best times of year to go? What’s a landmark that could be visited in the space of an afternoon? You’re not necessarily going to get good responses to these types of queries from a search engine.

That extends to follow-up questions too. You can ask for places that are similar to other places, or ask about the facilities at a particular location, or ask about places that are less popular with tourists. The chatbots I tested did well at recommended spots that wouldn’t normally be mentioned in travel round-ups.

These AI interfaces are also useful if you’re not sure where to begin with your plans—you can ask about cities or beaches to see within a particular distance from where you are, for example, or about new destinations that are like other destinations you’ve previously been to. What’s more, these chabots have an almost inexhaustible bank of suggestions to draw upon.

Don’t trust everything you read

The Large Language Models (LLMs) that generative AI chatbots are based on aren’t copying machines. They’re designed to create new text from the text they’ve been trained on, and while that means a lot of impressive creative output, that also means inaccuracies called hallucinations . These hallucinations crop up in travel advice responses as much as they do in any other AI task.

It’s also clear that when LLMs don’t have any information to draw on, they’ll use generic language as filler. You’ll find an awful lot of hotels are “comfortable” and “cozy”, and an awful lot of pubs have a “traditional atmosphere”—even if they don’t. I was told one of the most insalubrious drinking holes in my town had a “warm, inviting atmosphere” (and of course it’s also “cozy” too, apparently). I wouldn’t recommend a visit.

These errors don’t happen very often, but they do happen. Another slip-up was when I was shown a picture of a local joinery shop instead of the museum I was actually asking about. Just be a little wary about what you’re reading, especially when it comes to definitive facts or language that sounds like it could apply to anywhere.

Don’t leave without making checks

You should definitely only use AI chatbots as one of several tools for trip planning: Be sure to also visit listings on portals like Google Maps and TripAdvisor, as well as checking with venues directly, before you set off. Of course these resources aren’t always 100 percent accurate either, but they’re more likely to be up to date and feature first-hand knowledge.

In my trip planning around my local area, I was told a particular park had a children’s play area and tennis courts, when it had neither—and you don’t want to be turning up in sports gear with your kids or racquets only to be disappointed. This is the sort of information a quick browse of Google Maps or Apple Maps would help you verify. It’s the same with hotel and flight prices : Use AI as a guide rather than a definitive source.

There were plenty of times the AI bots got it right, too—with the opening days for a local market, for example—but you should always double-check. In general, the rules around AI and travel advice are the same as they are everywhere else: Generative AI can be an impressively helpful tool, but it’s not something to rely on entirely.

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Novosibirsk city, Russia

The capital city of Novosibirsk oblast .

Novosibirsk - Overview

Novosibirsk is the third most populous city in Russia, the administrative center of the Siberian Federal District and Novosibirsk Oblast. It is the largest business, cultural, transport, educational, and scientific center of Siberia. Novosibirsk is often called the “Capital of Siberia”.

The population of Novosibirsk is about 1,621,000 (2022), the area - 503 sq. km.

The phone code - +7 383, the postal codes - 630000-630901.

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Novosibirsk city latest news and posts from our blog:.

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History of Novosibirsk

Foundation of novosibirsk.

Novosibirsk is a city with a very interesting history. Unlike many other cities in Russia, it does not have a specific founder. Since the 18th century, on the left bank of the Ob, one of the largest rivers in the world, there was the village of Krivoshchekovo, where migrants from the European provinces of the Russian Empire lived. However, it did not become the basis of Novosibirsk. The city was born on the other, right, bank of the Ob, when the Trans-Siberian Railway approached it in 1893.

Originally it was just a village for the builders of a railway bridge across the Ob. It could turn out to be temporary and disappear after the completion of construction, if not for the combination of several factors that contributed to the development of trade - a large river, a railway, a flat relief convenient for building. At first, the village was named Alexandrovsky, in honor of Emperor Alexander III. For the third anniversary, it received a new name and became Novonikolaevsky, in honor of the Emperor Nicholas II.

In 1897, the first trains went across the bridge. The settlement was quickly growing. By 1898, there were already 7.8 thousand people in the village. In 1903, when the village acquired the status of a town with the name Novonikolaevsk, its population was 26 thousand people. In the 1910s, Novonikolaevsk experienced a construction boom. By 1913, the population of the city was 86 thousand people.

Novonikolaevsk, was the center of the major lines of communication, in which the navigable Ob River crossed with the Great Siberian Way and the Altai Railway. The First World War turned the city into the largest center for training troops beyond the Urals.

More Historical Facts…

Novosibirsk - the Siberian Chicago

In 1921, Novonikolaevsk received the status of the administrative center of the Novonikolaevsk Governorate. In 1925, it became the administrative center of the huge Siberian Krai - practically all the regions of Trans-Ural Russia.

The capital of the new huge region needed a new name. Here are just some of the proposed names: Krasnograd, Sibleninsk, Krasnoobsk, Sibkraisk, Sibkraigrad, Leningrad-on-Ob. On February 12, 1926, Novonikolaevsk (“a new city of Nicholas”) was renamed Novosibirsk (“a new city in Siberia”. In 1926, at the Regional Scientific Congress, it was decided to turn Novosibirsk into a “promsad” (“industrial garden”) or “city-garden”. About 120 thousand people lived in the city at that time. The city got the nickname “Siberian Chicago”.

The main elements of the renovated Siberian capital were supposed to be “social towns” - complex residential areas at factories and plants. New cadres were needed to build a new society. Novosibirsk quickly became a city of students. In the 1930s, 8 universities and 10 technical schools were opened here. The city became the Trans-Ural capital of such an architectural style as constructivism.

On July 30, 1930, due to the division of the Siberian Krai, Novosibirsk became the center of the West Siberian Krai. In 1934, a new railway bridge was built across the Ob River and the population grew to 294 thousand people. By 1939, it increased up to 406 thousand people. On September 28, 1937, the West Siberian Krai was divided into Novosibirsk Oblast with the capital in Novosibirsk and Altai Krai.

During the Second World War, the enlistment offices of Novosibirsk Oblast sent more than half a million soldiers to the front. There were 115 evacuation hospitals in the region. Almost 27% of all shells fired by the Red Army during the war were produced in Novosibirsk. Despite the fact that not a single bomb fell on the territory of Novosibirsk, the pre-war city disappeared forever. Instead of the planned residential areas/parks, industrial zones of evacuated factories appeared, a lot of buildings changed their civilian purpose to military-industrial (some of them - forever).

The evacuation radically changed the demography of Novosibirsk - people evacuated from Moscow and Leningrad brought with them a new way of life, new artistic tastes. A lot of them stayed in Novosibirsk after the war. During the war years, Novosibirsk also became the center of the musical culture of Siberia. The Novosibirsk Opera and Ballet Theater, one of the main attractions of Novosibirsk, was opened on May 12, 1945.

Novosibirsk after the Second World War

The demographic inertia of the evacuation turned the pre-war Novosibirsk into a metropolis. By 1956, its population increased to 750 thousand people. On September 2, 1962, a millionth resident of the city was born. It took Novosibirsk only 70 years to achieve this status from the moment of its foundation, which made it the youngest of all million cities.

In 1950, the construction of the Novosibirsk hydroelectric power station began; a large reservoir was created, the so-called Ob Sea. The idea of creating a Siberian branch of the USSR Academy of Sciences in Novosibirsk was implemented in 1957. About 20 kilometers south of the center of Novosibirsk, in the middle of the forest, Akademgorodok was built - a town of scientists. In 1959, Novosibirsk State University was opened.

In 1979, construction of the metro began in Novosibirsk. Opened in 1985, it became the first one in the Trans-Ural part of Russia. Today, the Novosibirsk metro has 13 stations and annually carries about 70 million passengers.

In 1990, the bridge that had given rise to the city was reconstructed. To preserve the memory of the first builders, one of its span structures was installed on the embankment of the Ob in the park “Gorodskoye Nachalo”.

The transition to a market economy led to a sharp drop in production. High-tech industries, such as radioelectronics, microelectronics, instrument making, and aircraft construction suffered especially heavy losses. In 1991-1998, industrial production in Novosibirsk decreased by more than 3 times.

In the 1990s, the economic structure of the Novosibirsk region and Novosibirsk underwent fundamental changes. The main structural change was that the production of services in the city began to exceed the production of goods, the role of industry decreased, the share of transport, trade, communications, agriculture, and a lot of branches of market services increased.

Thus, the potential points of growth of Novosibirsk reproduced on a new historical, technological, and institutional basis the initial system of its development priorities: a large transport hub in the system of transnational transport corridors, a trade, intermediary, and financial center - the center of Siberia, a large business, scientific, educational, and cultural center.

In the 21st century, Novosibirsk became the first Russian city (after Moscow and St. Petersburg) to exceed the population of 1.5 million.

Architecture of Novosibirsk

The building of the West-Siberian Railway in Novosibirsk

Author: Vytautas Podlesaitis

Old building in Novosibirsk

Author: Andrey Osokin

On the street in Novosibirsk

Author: Serge Klimenko

Novosibirsk - Features

Novosibirsk is the most populous city in the Asian part of Russia. It is located in the southeastern part of the West Siberian Plain on both banks of the Ob River next to the Novosibirsk reservoir. The width of the Ob River within the city is 750-850 meters. The City Day of Novosibirsk is celebrated on the last Sunday of June.

The city is located in the continental climatic zone. The flatness of the territory allows both cold waves from the north and heat waves from the southwest to freely spread. That’s why both severe frosts and short-term thaws can be observed in winter. The duration of winter is 120-130 days, summer - about 90 days. The average air temperature in January is minus 16.5 degrees Celsius, in July - plus 19.4 degrees Celsius.

On the coat of arms of Novosibirsk you can see a schematic image of the Ob River and the bridge across it, part of the Trans-Siberian Railway, which gave rise to the city.

The economy of Novosibirsk is based on industry, trade, transport, science, and scientific services. The city is successfully developing in the absence of large resource-extracting enterprises in the region, which distinguishes it from most large cities in Siberia.

The main activities of industrial production are: production of food, computers, electronic and optical products, chemicals, vehicles and equipment, metallurgy, beverage production. Novosibirsk is one of the leading suppliers of nuclear fuel for nuclear power plants and research reactors in Russia and abroad.

Novosibirsk is the largest scientific center in the Asian part of Russia. More than 100 organizations carry out research and development in this city. There are about three dozen higher educational institutions here.

It is the largest transport hub in Siberia connecting Siberia, the Far East, Central Asia with the European regions of Russia. Novosibirsk is also a river port. The city is served by Tolmachevo International Airport, the largest in terms of passenger traffic in the Asian part of Russia. The airport is located at the intersection of a large number of flights from Southeast Asia to Europe and from North America to India and Asia.

Novosibirsk was the only city in Russia located in two time zones. Since its foundation, it was growing in two parts along different banks of the Ob. And since the meridian of the hour passed right along the Ob River, there were two time zones in one city. On the left bank, the difference with Moscow was 3 hours, and on the right bank - 4 hours. At first, this did not cause much inconvenience as each half lived quite apart. In 1955, when the first road bridge across the Ob was built, the city became more connected. In 1958, Novosibirsk switched to a single time zone.

Despite its young age, Novosibirsk has 145 monuments of architecture, history, monumental art and archeology taken under state protection. 47 monuments of wooden architecture of the late 19th - early 20th centuries are of particular value. There are also over a dozen different museums in Novosibirsk.

Main Attractions of Novosibirsk

Novosibirsk Zoo - one of the largest and best zoos in Russia, where about 11,000 animals, birds, and reptiles of 770 species are kept on an area of 63 hectares in a pristine pine forest. More than 350 species are listed in the International Red Book. This zoo is visited by about one million people every year. It also hosts ecological events and festivals. Timiryazeva Street, 71/1.

Novosibirsk Theater of Opera and Ballet . Founded in 1945, it is one of the leading theaters in Russia. It occupies the largest theater building in Russia constructed in the constructivist style in 1931-1941. This unique architectural complex has the status of a cultural heritage of the Russian Federation. It is one of the symbols of Novosibirsk and probably its most recognizable building.

The main feature of the building is its huge dome with a diameter of 60 meters and a height of 35 meters. The large hall of the theater can accommodate 1,449 spectators. The theater is located on Lenin Square - the main square of Novosibirsk, where you can also find a number of interesting monuments. This theater is also known as the “Siberian Colosseum”. Krasnyy Prospekt, 36.

Novosibirsk Museum of Local Lore - one of the main museums in Novosibirsk. The historical department of the museum is located in a picturesque building of the former City Trade House (a monument of history and architecture of federal significance built in 1910).

This museum has a number of unique exhibits: a complete mammoth skeleton, collections of household and religious items of Siberian peoples collected by expeditions in the 1920s-1930s. There are also collections of numismatics, woodwork, glass, porcelain and faience, an archaeological collection, etc. Krasnyy Prospekt, 23.

Novosibirsk Art Museum . The permanent exhibition presents the following sections: icons (old Russian art), foreign art (works of Italian, French, Flemish, Dutch, Belgian, German masters), Russian art of the 18th-19th centuries (works by I. Shishkin, A. Kuindzhi, I. Repin , V. Surikov, and others), Russian art of the early 20th century, art of the Soviet period, Russian art of the late 20th century. There is a separate section devoted to the works of N. Roerich. Krasnyy Prospekt, 5.

Novosibirsk Museum of Railway Technology . This museum has a large collection of steam, diesel, and electric locomotives, carriages, which mainly operated on the railways of Western Siberia. In addition, you can see such Soviet cars as GAZ, Moskvich, ZAZ of different years of production, as well as several trucks, tractors, and all-terrain vehicles. The total length of the exhibition grounds is about 3 kilometers. It is the largest museum of this subject beyond the Urals with over 100 exhibits. Razyezdnaya Street, 54/1.

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral (1897-1899). Built of red brick in the neo-Byzantine style, this is one of the first stone buildings on the territory of Novosibirsk and the most beautiful church in the city. Krasnyy Prospekt, 1A.

Monument to the Laboratory Mouse . This unusual monument is located in a public garden near the Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences on the territory of Akademgorodok. The mouse with glasses holds the knitting needles in its paws and knits a double helix of DNA.

The monument symbolizes gratitude to this animal for the fact that mankind has the opportunity to use mice to study animal genes, molecular and physical mechanisms of diseases, and the development of new drugs. Akademika Lavrent’yeva Prospekt, 10/2.

Zaeltsovsky Park - one of the oldest parks in Novosibirsk that celebrated its 85th anniversary in 2017. The park has all the conditions for a comfortable and cultural pastime: walking paved paths, rides, summer verandas and gazebos, a paintball club, an ice rink, a rope park, etc.

For history buffs, the ethnopark “Territory of Siberia” has been created, where everyone can get acquainted in detail with the culture of the indigenous peoples who lived in these places several hundred years ago. In winter, it is a great place to go skiing. There is also a children’s railway with a length of 5.3 km here. At the terminal station, you will be offered to go to the Novosibirsk Zoo, which is located nearby.

Novosibirsk Central Park - a large park in the center of Novosibirsk and the oldest park in the city. On an area of 10.5 hectares, there are summer cafes and ice cream kiosks, dozens of rides and sports equipment rental points. There is an open-air skating rink in winter. The park often hosts festivals, concerts, and tournaments. The Novosibirsk Theater of Musical Comedy is also located here. Michurina Street, 8.

The Ob River and “the Ob Sea” . The Ob is one of the world’s largest rivers, its length is more than 3,600 km. This river flows through a lot of Siberian cities. Within Novosibirsk, the river is transformed into a large reservoir, which bears the unofficial name “the Ob Sea”. The main purpose of the water reservoir is to generate electricity. Also, the shores of the “sea” are a popular recreation area for locals and city visitors.

Novosibirsk city of Russia photos

Novosibirsk views.

Novosibirsk Thermal Power Plant #5

Author: Grigory Filippov

Novosibirsk Zoo

Author: Artemov Ruslan

Pre-revolutionary building in Novosibirsk

Soviet monuments on Lenin Square in Novosibirsk

Monument to Revolutionaries in Novosibirsk

Author: Pascal Winkler

Monument to Peasants in Novosibirsk

Lenin Monument in Novosibirsk

Pictures of Novosibirsk

Saint Nicholas Chapel in Novosibirsk

Author: Vladimir Kharitonov

Pavilion Globe in Novosibirsk

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