I Think I’ll Just Skip Over Novosibirsk and Get Right to Irkutsk

The World is Your Pelmeni in Novosibirsk 

There is much to see in the very Soviet city of Novosibirsk (my guidebook even says so) but a twenty-four-hour stopover and a bit of travel fatigue made me miss much of it. Or, an alternative theory, there is very little to see and do in Novosibirsk no matter how hard I look for fun. Either way, my stay in Novosibirsk was short and semi-sweet. I arrived early in the morning at a very impressive looking train station. I thought I’d find my usual McDonalds near the train station and collet my thoughts over a cup of coffee. The only problem was, there was no McDonalds near the train station and Icould find nowhere that was open at the moment to get Internet directions. So, I did my usual walking around, endlessly, until I finally settled on a place. Once I had  breakfast in me, I made my way to the hotel for some rest. Finally, it was time to see the city…I should have stayed in bed. 

Nice way to enter Novosibirsk

From what I could gather reforms are reaching Novosibirsk even more slowly than Yekaterinburg. The place had an undeniable Soviet feel at least from an architectural point of view. There was the inevitable ‘modernized’ Intourist hotel near the train station, the square, steel buildings that
approximated some sort of style, and the same squat apartment complexes so reminiscent of the Khrushchev/Brezhnev eras. I think the highlight for me was the enormous Lenin statue surrounded by dynamic representations of the modern Soviet man and woman. I guess in some sort of irony, the statues are mainly used as a meeting place for teenagers as well as a skateboarders’/bikers’ haven. That Soviet realist art style really has some sharp angles, good for a variety of complicated skateboarding maneuvers. I was also impressed by the audacity, or the laziness, of the main park to have an announcements board that literally pays tribute to prominent Soviet citizens. Okay.

The Old and the New(er)

Beyond the bygone Soviet architecture, Novosibirsk was the first time I felt let down on this trip. I had expected a bit more from the ‘capital of Siberia’. Perhaps, if I spent another night or two I might have found some good restaurants and bars to patronize. I also could have checked out the local museums and learned a bit more about the area. I also think Novosibirsk would be an interesting place for excursions outside of the city; there is lots of nature and adventure beyond the city bounds. But the only real regret I had was not going to a restaurant that served bear. For some reason, I totally missed this opportunity to nibble on a Winnie the Pooh steak. Perhaps next time. After a restful sleep at a nice hotel, it was up early for the trip to Irkutsk and Lake Baikal.

Beautiful Soviet Design

Irkutsk has been described as a transit point to Lake Baikal and the wilds beyond. I totally agree with this description. I arrived late in the evening so I didn’t really have time to hang out and see what was happening. Once again, McDonalds has not made it this far, so I found a faux Irish pub, grabbed a beer and ordered a taxi. When I got to my hotel, I found that it was hidden in a back alley, not always a good thing. While it was clean, it had a bit of a funky, moldy odor to it. I could already tell that I made a wise choice to spend only one night. When I was shown my room, the handle broke off and the woman was unable to fix it. But, she said, there was another room down the hall for a bit more money. The old ‘bait and switch’? Probably, but the room was better and I needed sleep. After a dinner and drinks around the corner, it was off to sleep and to get ready for the next day at Lake Baikal.

Lenin and Friends

One Man Against the World!