Barnaul is one Russia’s modernization capitals, boasting some of the country’s most vibrant and productive industries. Below are some interesting facts you may not know about this city:
1. General information: Barnaul is located near the Altai Mountains in the Southwestern district of Siberia and sits along the Ob River. With a population just over 600,000, the city is also the administrative center for the Altai region and was modeled after St. Petersburg. The Turkestan-Siberia Railway passes through the city giving it regional and global access.
2. History: Barnaul is one of the oldest cities in Siberia, founded in in the 1730s by the wealthy Demidov family, who capitalized on the region’s rich copper deposits by building its first copper-melting plant. Silver was later discovered near Mt. Zmeinaya, making the region Russia’s largest silver reservoir.
3. Ammunition factory: Barnaul hosts one of the world’s leading ammunition and industrial goods factories, the "Barnaul Machine-Tool Plant." The factory produces mostly military, sporting and hunting cartridges.
4. Industrial center: There are more than 100 industrial enterprises in Barnaul, employing approximately 120,000 people. Leading industries include diesel and carbon processing, heavy machinery and tire, furniture and footwear production. Barnaul is also the site of the burgeoning diamond faceting industry, which is unique within Russia.
5. Foreign investment in Barnaul: Rusanton-Invest, a joint Russian-Swedish enterprise, recently announced plans to build a “multifunctional center” in Barnaul, which will include trade, exhibition, hotel and office complexes.
6. Internal infrastructure developments: St. Petersburg developer ROST-Retail also announced plans to invest more than $1.6 billion in large infrastructure development projects in Barnaul, including a 2 million-square-meter residential complex on the Ob River’s right shore. The firm also reportedly plans to build 100,000-square-meter business center and 100,000-square-meter mall by 2015. In 2009, the Barnaul branch of Kuzbassenergo invested $30 million in construction, upgrades and restorations to its facilities.
7. Higher education and culture: Barnaul is home to five universities, I.I Polzunov, Altai State Technical University, Barnaul State Pedagogical University, Altai State Medical University and Altai State University. The city also has 35 libraries, five theaters and three museums. One of the city’s newest museums, the City Museum, opened in 2007 and tells the history of the city through the lives and stories of its influential citizens.
8. Shopping: The main business street of the city, Leninsky Prospect, runs southwest from the Ob River through the center of the city. In recent years, a number of new high-end shopping centers have appeared to meet increased demand for high-end products. Such projects include Concern CV’s plans to build the Yelochka shopping and entertainment center and ROSS Consulting’s plan to construct the region’s largest shopping and entertainment center. Leading international retailors such as Puma have recognized the consumer potential in Barnaul, setting up multiple stores in the city.
9. Dining and nightlife: Another industry quickly changing the face of Barnaul's downtown area is the restaurant industry, which has experienced rapid growth coinciding with an overall upturn in the region's economy. Café culture is also prevalent in Barnaul and on summer nights, with many citizens enjoy outdoor dining. The city also has a vibrant young nightlife culture, with many several-story nightclubs playing a variety of the latest house and hip hop music.
10. Cheese Please: The Altai region is famous for its cheese, housing more than 60 cheese-making facilities. In Barnaul, there is even an institute devoted to cheese manufacturing. At a 2007 cheese festival, a cheese formation nicknamed “The Giant” weighed in at more than 600 kilograms, and at 16.61 meters in length, making it the longest cheese in the world.
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