Barnaul is the largest industrial city located in the south of Western Siberia. The capital of Altai got its name from the Barnaulka River flowing there. In the place where this river flows into the Ob, there is a city rich in sights. Barnaul is known for its historical sites, including settlements of ancient people and barrows. But at first glance, not everyone will like the capital of Altai. It is a city where heavy industry flourishes. Those who travel around Altai mostly visit its capital only by passing through, without staying for a long time. Arriving by plane, they will be able to get to the city center only through industrial zones, which will please not everyone. Those who arrived by train were more fortunate - they will be immediately in the city center.
Legends of the origin of the name of the city
There are several versions regarding the etymology of the city's name. It used to be that the word "Barnaul" is translated from Kazakh as "a good camp". But this version is rather doubtful, since the Kazakhs never wandered in the place where the capital of Altai is located. There is another version of the origin of the word "Barnaul", which has already been mentioned: it occursfrom the river flowing in this area, previously called "Boronoul" and "Boronour" on the maps.
A bit of history
The capital of Altai - Barnaul - appeared after the reforms of Peter I, which resulted in a big leap forward in the development of Russia. Before the emergence of the city, rich copper ore deposits were discovered in the foothills of Altai, and the first Russian copper smelter was built in these places.
Already in 1730, the well-known breeder A. N. Demidov sent people to find a convenient place to build a large plant. The choice of the latter fell on the mouth of the Barnaulka River. This choice was based on the need for the production of water and forest resources. There was only one problem - the place for the construction of the plant was significantly removed from the source of raw materials, namely copper ore, but this disadvantage had to be put up with. Moreover, the choice of Akinfiy Demidov regarding the location of the plant was also influenced by the fact that silver ore was found in Altai. The territories of Western Siberia were recognized by the decree of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna as the territory of the royal estate. Since 1771, Barnaul began to bear the status of a "mountain city", later it was part of the Tomsk province, and then the Tomka region. Only since 1937 Barnaul became the administrative center of the newly formed Altai Territory. The Great Patriotic War did not bypass this city either - during it, most of the industrial enterprises that were previously located in the western part of the country were evacuated here. Now the capital of Altai is nothing butas a major cultural and industrial center of Siberia.
Famous urban legends
Mark Yudalevich in his play "The Blue Lady" described the ghost of a woman who allegedly appears in the current city administration building. At the same time, the legend testifies that the young wife of the general was walled up alive by him within these walls. The next legend says that A. Demidov illegally smelted silver at his factories, so these enterprises were transferred to the treasury. Because of this, before his death, Demidov cursed these factories. As a result, disasters allegedly occur in the places where they were located in May (there was a flood in 1793, a fire in 1917, etc.).
Attractions
Many sights of Barnaul, photos of which can be seen below, attract tourists with their stories, accessibility and beauty. Urban legends alone excite the imagination and generate interest among researchers. The capital of Gorny Altai is famous for its mining. In honor of the centenary of this field of activity, the Demidov Pillar was erected, which is located on Demidovskaya Square. Construction began back in 1825 and ended 14 years later. Since then, the obelisk has been supplemented with a bas-relief depicting the founder of the city, Demidov, which, unfortunately, was removed in the post-revolutionary period. The height of the pillar is 14 meters, the supports were erected from cast iron. Today, the pillar is a monument of federal significance. Often Demidovskythe pillar is compared to an Egyptian obelisk in Paris.
Interesting for history buffs Square of fallen fighters for socialism. The square is a memorial complex located between the city administration and the Rodina cinema. This is a whole composition, which includes mass graves, steles and a monument with an eternal flame. The first stone of the monument was laid in 1920, the construction of the entire complex was completed by the 50th anniversary of the October Revolution.
Heroes of their time
The monument to Vasily Shukshin, writer, director and actor, is located on V. Makarovich Street and has a rather interesting history. The only monument to an outstanding personality was created by Nikolai Zvonkov, a milling machine, who studied sculpture on his own. The idea was supported by the chief, who assisted in the creation of the sculpture. When the head of the city administration became aware that such a monument was being made by a non-professional, he forbade further continuation of work, but this did not stop Zvonkov. The striking similarity between the work and a living person was appreciated: by July 25, 1989, the monument was erected.
Continuous development of the city
The youngest museum in the city can be considered a museum with an interesting name "City". It was opened in September 2007. The main idea and concept of the museum is to show the history of the capital, illustrating the fate of various people who have made a significant contribution to the development of the city. Here and AkinfiyDemidov, and V. M. Shukshin, and F. Gebler, and N. M. Yadrintsev. The museum is engaged not only in exhibition activities (the projects “Faith: the Era of Formation”, an exhibition in honor of the 80th anniversary of the birth of V. M. Shukshin were held), but also in research: museum employees are developing thematic lecture materials on the history of the city, including various districts of the Republic of Altai.
