The history of Kuybyshev is reflected in several clearly distinct ways: in its preserved historic city center, museum buildings, and monuments. The view of the city is complemented by the “Tri ozera” (“Three Lakes”) hiking trail, which passes three lakes and runs along the boundary between Kuybyshevskiy District and Barabinskiy District. For your trip, you can therefore choose between urban cultural attractions and a route focused on nature.
Cityscape and Sacred Architecture
The historic city center of Kuybyshev, formerly Kainsk, has preserved its historic urban layout. A virtual exhibition features historical and architectural monuments from the late 19th and early 20th centuries on Kraskoma and Papsheva Streets. It pairs postcards from 1903 to 1911 with photographs showing what these buildings look like today. Comparing the images draws attention to the architecture and its historical context. The online exhibition’s content may change.
The Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist is the only architectural monument of sacred architecture in Kuybyshev to have survived since the beginning of the 20th century. Its composition and decoration exemplify eclecticism, combining influences from Russian-Byzantine architecture with classical elements. Here, the term eclecticism refers to the combination of different stylistic influences. If you would like to see the interior, check access in advance.
Museum Complex and Exhibitions
The Kuybyshev City Museum Complex was established in 2004 on the basis of the local history museum. It includes the local history museum, an exhibition and event hall, and the V. V. Kuybyshev Memorial House Museum. The institutions are housed in buildings that exemplify urban architecture of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This brings together several types of institutions in buildings from the same historical period. Check current visitor information in advance of your visit.
The exhibitions include “Konyushnya kuptsa I.A. Levako” (“Merchant I. A. Levako’s Stable”) and the open-air exhibition “Dvorovoe kupecheskoe khozyaystvo kontsa XIX – nach. XXvv.” (“A Merchant’s Courtyard from the Late 19th to the Early 20th Century”). The titles highlight different subjects: one names a merchant’s stable, while the other refers to a merchant’s courtyard and its historical period.
Monuments in the Cityscape
At the roundabout at the entrance to Kuybyshev stands the 23-meter-high “Slava sovetskomu narodu” (“Glory to the Soviet People”) stele. It weighs more than 20 tons and was erected in the fall of 1983 to mark the 60th anniversary of the founding of the USSR. Its dedication and the occasion connect the monument to a specific Soviet anniversary.
The central square is home to the regionally significant historical monument “Bortsam za vlast Sovetov” (“To the Fighters for Soviet Power”). It is associated with the names of people who died during the Civil War and collectivization. The square thus offers a distinct historical point of reference alongside the stele’s anniversary dedication.
An open-air exhibition in a square in Kuybyshev includes a T-34 tank that took part in the Battle of the Kursk Bulge. It also features a 2S9 Nona self-propelled mortar and a 76 mm ZiS-3 divisional gun. As the exhibition may change, check what is currently on display before visiting.
The “Three Lakes” Hiking Trail
The “Tri ozera” (“Three Lakes”) hiking trail runs along the boundary between Kuybyshevskiy District and Barabinskiy District, parallel to the route of the old Moscow Trakt. Along the way, the trail passes three lakes with flora and fauna typical of the area. The trail is intended for use from spring through fall; check trail conditions before setting out. The hiking trail therefore offers a different focus from Kuybyshev’s historic buildings and exhibitions: here, the emphasis is on lakes, scenery, and the area’s characteristic wildlife and plant life.
Discover more destinations: Kuybyshevsky District, Kochenevskiy District, Ordynskiy District, Krasnozerskiy District, City of Tatarsk, Novosibirskiy District, Kyshtovskiy District, Tatarskiy District.
For the overview of the wider region: Novosibirsk Oblast.
