garcia exploration 52 catamaran

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Garcia Exploration 52 test: The sailing equivalent of a 4×4 off-roader

• Toby Hodges
• October 3, 2019

Toby Hodges test sails the Garcia Exploration 52 – a bluewater adventure cruiser that is made of stern stuff

Product Overview

Manufacturer:, price as reviewed:.

If you were to take your partner or family to some of the world’s most remote waters, exploring the oceans from the tropics to the polar regions, which yachts would you shortlist for the job? Be honest.

For true peace of mind, for something that will look after you in all conditions, including shallow anchorages and drying harbours, you would probably relegate performance, speed and response on the helm to the back of your mind and focus on finding the sailing equivalent of a 4×4 off-road vehicle.

The Garcia Exploration 52 ticks all the boxes. It’s a rugged, aluminium bluewater cruiser with a shallow keel, lifting centreboard and twin rudders that enable it to dry out. But it is not simply a bare metal battleship; it also includes a deck saloon with an internal steering position, and premium accommodation.

The Garcia Exploration 52’s bright, comfortable deck saloon

It is a yacht that seamlessly blends the world of luxury cruising with out-and-out expedition yachting. It invites you to go off the beaten path, but in substantial comfort.

The Exploration 52 is in every sense the larger sister of the original Exploration 45, which was conceived by bluewater cruising guru Jimmy Cornell and designed to be a go-anywhere yacht. Cornell, the founder of the ARC , has logged over 200,000 cruising miles. His brief for Garcia, and designers Berret-Racoupeau, was to create both the ideal bluewater cruiser and a yacht rugged enough to take on the North West Passage .

“I wanted a strong, fast, comfortable, functional and easily handled boat perfectly suited for both high latitude and tropical sailing,” said Cornell, declaring the resulting Exploration 45: “as close as can be to my ideal long-distance cruising boat.”

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The Exploration 52 shares the angular, robust look of the 45, including the bare alloy hull and the reverse angled, ship’s bridge-style coachroof windows, but offers more space, stowage and comfort.

The build quality is also the 45’s equal, incorporating watertight fore and aft bulkheads. The bow/forefoot section is reinforced for ice breaking and includes a towing eye so that the yacht can be dragged ashore with a tractor, if necessary. Yet within the alloy hull and its welded stringers, you’ll find a wonderfully warming, high-quality finish, a forward facing navstation and a deck saloon offering 270° views.

Aquarius , the yacht we tested, was the first Garcia Exploration 52 to launch and was highly customised for its owners, who were setting off for the Canaries the following day on the first leg of a five-year world tour. The family/utility cabin was being used for loading a cargo of medical supplies bound for Senegal.

Like Cornell’s boat, which was designed to sleep a number of friends and family, the interior of Aquarius has a flexible layout that can accommodate up to ten at a time. Yet on the 52, unlike the 45, the interior feels neither cramped nor short of stowage.

The view aft from the navstation. Note the watertight companionway doors and fiddles on all furniture

We sailed the Garcia Exploration 52 in fine conditions from La Rochelle, with a Force 3 to 4 and only a slight sea. Under genoa and main we achieved 6 to 6.5 knots pointing at 45° to 50° to the apparent wind. She certainly felt like a sturdy 20 plus tonne yacht.

Aquarius was laden with a few tonnes of extra payload (she can carry 6.5 tonnes over her lightweight displacement) and the resultant helm sensation was more neutral and purposeful than particularly rewarding.

But once we footed off to reach at 100° to the apparent wind, and hoisted the A-sail, we were averaging a respectable 9 knots in 12 to 15 knots of wind. Once under way, she keeps a consistent speed, our maximum on the day was 9.5 knots.

Thedavitsandtender launching system are incorporated in the stern arch

But heat the Garcia Exploration 52 up too much and you can lose grip on the rudders. I found this a little surprising for an ocean cruiser with twin rudders, but bear in mind the blades are deliberately short for beaching purposes.

Indeed, designer Olivier Racoupeau confirmed that the blades are 1.15m deep compared to 1.45m on a more conventional non-centreboard design, but says that the shallow draught of the Garcia Exploration 52’s rudders is by no means extreme.

I enjoyed the sail, but only when there was enough apparent wind in the sails. Aquarius has the optional cutter rig with genoa and a self-tacking staysail, which is an ideal way to adapt the sailplan to suit conditions. The staysail is used in 25 knots plus, according to Garcia, hence we sailed under full genoa.

Hull no 1 Aquarius features a cutter rig and is fully loaded for offshore cruising

Once the wind was down to eight knots we were wallowing at 4.5 knots under white sails. Any negative thoughts about the Exploration 52 being sluggish, however, need to be balanced by the fact that she was fully laden for world cruising. Two pallets of medical equipment filled the starboard cabin and her full tanks added an extra two tonnes.

Admittedly the rig looks short, confirmed by her conservative sail area/displacement ratio, but this is all in keeping with the go-anywhere, dependable nature of this boat. The centreboard obviously reduces the amount of ballast beneath the water, but Garcia and designers Berret-Racoupeau address this with smart weight allocation.

The fresh water can be pumped from side to side for ballast, the tanks are low and central, and even the chainlocker and windlass are located well abaft the bow, near the mast foot.

The hard-top that overhangs the coachroof on Aquarius is customised to the owner’s height. The area beneath this overhang can be sealed off with a canopy, trapping the heat coming up from the interior. I cannot recall a better cockpit position from which to stand a watch, no matter what the weather.

Of course, the navstation down below would provide even greater shelter, but it gives me shivers just thinking about how bad the conditions would need to be for me to need more shelter than the forward end of this cockpit!

The cockpit is set up for the crew to sail the boat without needing to leave its protection. The inboard primaries are just in front of the twin helms – a practical and safe position to work – and all control lines are brought aft under the coachroof where they can be easily managed.

The forward slant of the deck saloon windows protects the interior from the sun’s glare

There are useful cubby holes in the coamings to keep rope tails tidy. I particularly like the Marine Deck cork decks and cockpit surfaces, which the owner specified. This material is cheaper and more sustainable than teak, yet it’s grippy, comfortable for bare feet and can be washed with soap and water.

Aesthetically, the stern arch will attract and repel buyers in equal measure. Aboard the Garcia Exploration 52 it is a practical solution for mounting an array of aerials, solar panels, a wind generator and even the davits, although when sailing offshore, the tender can be hoisted on to the foredeck using the genoa pole.

Aquarius is also fitted with a hydrogenerator. “At over six knots running speed, the Watt&Sea hydrogenerator should cover all our power needs,” says the owner.

The large, practical cockpit is comfortable, deep and superbly protected at the forward part, with well laid-out sailing systems that can be managed easily from the wheels

Step through a pair of heavy-duty doors and you move from sheltered cockpit into a haven of comfort. The deck saloon has 270° sightlines out of the slanted coachroof windows. You can see the horizon while standing in the galley and adjust the autopilot or operate the throttle from the forward-facing navstation.

It is a relaxing and settling interior, finished in either teak or oak. There is a step down to reach the accommodation forward or abaft the saloon, as with any deck saloon, but the benefits include light, space and views plus the central stowage and tankage beneath the floorboards. There is even space to increase the standard 1,000lt fuel capacity by an extra 400lt.

“One of my requests was to be able to sleep up to ten at a time,” said Aquarius ’s owner. To this end, the starboard midships cabin can be used for stowage or sleeping, and the port aft cabin has a second fold-down bunk. The deck saloon table also lowers to form a large bed.

The berth in the forward master cabin is positioned just forward of the mast. Note the radiator on the bulkhead. Aquarius has a central heating system

The comfortable forward cabin contains an offset double berth directly in front of the main bulkhead, so the owners won’t feel like they are in the bows of the boat. Instead the heads and shower are situated forward, with two watertight bulkheads further forward.

The engine room is abaft the companionway, and is well insulated with access both sides. The 660Ah battery bank is located centrally. In addition to the solar, wind and hydropower, generators, there is a diesel genset and second alternator.

Watertight hatches in the aft cabins provide access to the stern compartments and all through-hull fittings are welded in aluminium with valves above the waterline. There are separate wet and dry hanging areas in the aft heads compartment.

The Garcia Exploration 52 combines a belt-and-braces expedition vessel with a silver-plated luxury cruiser. Owners may not set any speed records or spend too long at the wheel, but they will cruise off the beaten track in exceptional comfort, whether in the cockpit or down below. Where Jimmy Cornell squeezed stowage and accommodation slightly on his 45 so he could have eight berths for friends and family, the 52 has the extra length to provide all the space and stowage you could wish for. For those with the ambition, the Garcia Exploration 52 is the ultimate go-anywhere yacht that also caters for the crew that has no wish to rough it. If there is another new yacht on the market that offers such peace of mind for remote cruising combined with this level of comfort, do let us know.

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Garcia Explocat 52

If you have your heart set on long voyages, you will be looking for a cat that is capable of knocking out high miles-per-day averages. And if you want to go off the beaten track into higher latitudes, you will need a yacht that is rugged and capable of taking knocks.

Aluminium yachts are nothing new in the monohull world, so I guess it was just a matter of time before someone launched an aluminium catamaran capable of exploring most corners of the planet safely and comfortably. Lucky for us, that someone is Garcia Yachts from Cherbourg, France and Pierre Delion who are the team behind the Explocat 52 . This yacht is competing with the likes of the Windelo 54 , but it promises safety in higher latitudes.

Garcia (part of Grand Large Yachting Group who also own Outremer and Gunboat) developed the Exploration 45 with Jimmy Cornell. The Explocat is their follow up on 2 hulls to this successful monohull.

The idea? A comfortable, safe long-distance catamaran that can be handled by a couple and that cruises at above average speed. And all that with a finish that you might expect on something out of the Privilege catamarans range.

Photos: Garcia Yachts and Jermoe Houyvet.

Construction

Let’s talk about how the Garcia Explocat 52 is built as this is one of her key USPs.

She’s built in aluminium of course. This material gives you better strength/weight ratios at this length – she comes in at 18.9 tonnes light displacement – slightly heavier than a Fountaine Pajot 51, for example, but you end up with a stiffer, more robust boat with a more powerful sail plan: the Explocat prioritises seaworthiness over flybridges.

You will squeeze more performance out of an Outremer 51, but the Garcia 52 is the more robust yacht. We are talking fibreglass versus aluminium, remember? The Garcia Explocat will always be heavier than a comparable fibreglass or carbon catamaran (read our Balance 482 review as an example). that is your trade off for strength, durability, sustainability and resale value.

The thinnest plating of the Explocat 52 is 5mm, which builds to 8, 10 and 12mm, reaching 14mm at the bottom of the hulls.

Fixed keels are welded to the bottom of the hulls (another safety feature for when you are off the beaten track). They are deeper and protect the rudders, allowing you to dry the boat out at low tide like a Prout.

Other safety features include fore and aft watertight bulkheads and skegs in front of the saildrives.

• Aluminum structural bulkheads
• Aluminum forward beam, composite forward longitudinal beam
• Chain plates and reinforcement plates welded directly onto the hull and deck structure
• Watertight forward and aft bulkheads welded directly onto the hull and deck structure

The aim on the Explocat 52 is to average 250 nm a day in decent conditions and with a steady breeze you should be hitting double figures with her powerful sail plan.

Even in lighter airs, the Explocat will get going quickly with a Code 0 or gennaker up. You won’t be matching TWS like you would in a Marsaudon, you’ll be around 2 knots slower, but this is still a nippy yacht.

Options of the rig include:

• Carbon mast with kevlar rigging
• Furling boom
• Lighting in spreaders

This means the lines are shorter and there is less friction from being routed around blocks. Simpler is better in this case. There is also an option to run these back to the helms if you prefer.

There are options on the helm position. One owner has gone for twin aft helms, while the standard set up is a swivel (pendulum) helm at the main bulkhead- a configuration that first came to market on Balance catamarans.

The Mainsheet and traveller are handled on the aft crossbeam, while the genoa, solent and gennaker/code 0 sheets, plus furling lines, are managed with electric Lewmar 65 winches on either side of the cockpit.

Garcia have done a great job of helping you to keep the working areas tidy with big bags for your ropes to keep the yacht ship-shape. Reefing lines come back safely to the helm, (there is an option to manage these at the mast if you prefer shorter lines).

The rig has two headstays, with an overlapping furling jib on the main forestay, and a self-tacking furling solent.

Add the furling spinnakers and lighter wind sails, and you have a flexible package that will optimise your sail plan in most conditions with minimum fuss. There is a safety fuse on one of the mainsheet blocks to the boom. When this blows, the mainsail is depowered.

The forward cockpit is a safe area to work when working on your halyards, topping lift and lighter wind sails (gennaker, Code 0 etc), and it offers great visibility for ice or reef spotting, and for working the anchor windlass.

And just like a Gunboat, if you throw the door open in warmer climes when you are on the hook, the breeze flows nicely through the boat. It also makes a great spot for a sundowner.

Living Space

This catamaran has a lovely finish inside and down below thanks to Darnet Design. This is the same team that is behind the interiors of the Privilege Signature 580 and there are a lot of similarities in the look. It’s warm in the winter and cool in the summer.

If you are heading into the higher latitudes, you will appreciate the air extraction system that cycles air from the living area without having to open hatches.

The forward saloon windows have demisters, and there are lockers for your wet weather gear with ventilation and heating.

Up in the the saloon, the visibility is impressive and the whole area is bright. It’s a comfortable design with a sofa tucked in starboard forward and a galley with plenty of storage aft port of the saloon.

In pride of place is an ample forward facing nav station- this is a sailing boat after all.

Down below, various option are available on this semi-custom cat that boasts 2m headroom throughout.

There is space for one master cabin and two guest cabins in the standard version. Or go for the four cabin version.

Another option is to convert one of the forward cabins into a skippers cabin.

The aft cabins are soaked in natural light thanks to two hull windows, plus a wide aft window and opening ports aft and overhead.

Standard Specification

• Aluminium hull and deck
• Forefoot chain plates for towing, also works a a bumper and ice breaker
• High bridge deck clearance for heavy seas
• Forward and aft watertight aluminium bulkheads
• Seacock valves above waterline
• Rudders have sacrificial end-fittings
• GRP coachroof and hardtop bimini gives you thermic and acoustic insulation
• Thermic and acoustic insulation thanks to foam panels above waterline, and insulated floor
• Swing helm with 2 steering positions : a high position for the marina and fair weather,  a low cockpit for rough weather
• Optional inside steering, within the saloon
• All sheets controlled from the aft cockpit for safety
• Sail handling area (halyyards, reefing lines) in forward cockpit
• Solid watertight door gives you access the forward cockpit

This is a robust catamaran designed for sailing and living onboard in both higher latitudes and tropical waters.

With it’s powerful sail plan and safety features, she’s been designed for sailing safely with a high degree of comfort in the roughest sea conditions. This is a catamaran that sits on its own in the market- there’s not much competition.

Is this the best aluminium catamaran on the market? Probably.

How much does a Garcia 52 Explocat cost? What is the price of this catamaran? With our usual disclaimer that it depends on your options, you will be starting the conversation off at around €1.3 m. Add more budget for a carbon mast with kevlar rigging, furling boom, light wind sails plus fittings, hydranet mainsail, tempered glass, joystick on nav station, updrade to 75HP engines, genset, hydrogenerator, solar panels, lithium batteries, water maker, and so on. There are a lot of options to choose from. Fire up your spreadsheets!

Technical Specification

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Garcia Explocat 52 Catamaran

The ultimate exploration catamaran.

The brainchild of Garcia Yachts the Explocat 52 takes all the elements which Garcia is famous for and put them into a 52 foot catamaran which can sail anywhere from polar exploration to the tropics. Built light and strong from aluminium with a shallow draft the Explocat 52 is designed to go anywhere in the most extreme weather conditions safely and comfortably.

Safety, Autonomy and Performance

Designed to be safely sailed by a crew to two anywhere in the world. The Explocat has superior storage, load carrying capacity, large fuel and water tanks, as well as updated energy sources allowing you to go further and stay longer.

The helm can be equipped with a pendulum helm system, giving you the option of steering either in the protection of the cockpit in bad weather or up high for sailing in good conditions.

Exacting Standards

The Explocat comes with a popular forward cockpit with a table and plenty of seating allowing guests an amazing view of the world passing by. Both the forward and aft cockpit doors lead to the spacious light saloon with panoramic views through her many window. The internal helm and navigation station allows crew to stay out of the weather in the safety of boat while keeping watch and maintaining course.

Many Possibilities

There are many different layout possibilities with 2 options for the port hull and three on the starboard hull, allowing for different family or guest configurations. The U-shaped galley up has plenty of workspace, storage and easy access to interior saloon and after seating.

Boat Description

A two-hulled version of the Garcia Yachts “Exploration” concept, the Explocat 52 combines all the benefits of multihulls for an unequalled result: space, safety, comfort, autonomy and performance.

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Garcia Explocat 52

Garcia, the aluminum boat builder with a global reputation, could manage no longer without a multihull in their range. They needed to expand on their selection of monohulls, whose name “Exploration” sums up the program in just one word. The Explocat 52 is therefore an adventurer of the same temperament. The ambition is to widen the options beyond production GRP catamarans: it offers the possibility of venturing further north and/or south. In addition to the safety provided by the mechanical qualities of aluminum, the Explocat 52 benefits from a design and from options that allow it to venture just about anywhere.

Practical info

• Builder : Garcia Yachts
• Finance your Garcia Explocat 52
• Articles about the Garcia Explocat 52
• Available in issue # 203

Boat Test price 5.00 € Inc. tax

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Test location: Cherbourg, France Weather conditions: sea state slight; wind 15 knots

 In the 1970s, in the heart of the Normandy countryside, far from the sea, the Garcia brothers began building aluminum boats. Talented metalworkers, their beautifully shaped hulls quickly left behind the amateur constructions that had done so much damage to the material’s reputation. Fervent supporters of the monohull, and more precisely of the centerboarder, their short and fruitless industrial adventure with Yapluka catamarans wasn’t going to make them switch allegiance. That said, the brand became part of the Grand Large Yachting group in 2010, and nevertheless put its name to hull #2 of the SC 48, initially produced by Alumarine. Exhibited at the International Multihull Show at La Grande Motte, France, in 2015, it met more with critical success than commercial success. The appeal of the concept and the program were there, but the answer wasn’t completely seductive just yet.

 52 feet, just the right balance for adventure Five years later, the trident ...

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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.

Novosibirsk city flag

Novosibirsk city coat of arms.

Novosibirsk city map, Russia

Novosibirsk city latest news and posts from our blog:.

29 November, 2020 / Novosibirsk Akademgorodok - the scientific center of Siberia .

25 December, 2018 / Chuya Highway - the Most Picturesque Road in Russia .

18 September, 2018 / Novosibirsk - the view from above .

10 December, 2014 / The night views of Novosibirsk .

17 July, 2014 / Novosibirsk hit by a heavy hailstorm .

More posts..

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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