Surgut is also one of the oldest cities in the KhMAO. It was founded in 1594 by the decree of Tsar Fyodor Ioannovich on the bank of the great Siberian river Ob. almost from the very beginning, this city has become a business city, so people often come here for just one or two days.

But even if you have only a few free hours left, this will be enough to explore Surgut, its rich history and attractions. The walk offered by us begins with one of the most interesting and colorful places.

Historical and Cultural Center "Old Surgut"

We recommend starting sightseeing from the historical and cultural center "Old Surgut". It is located in a picturesque location in the central part of the city on the banks of the Saimaa River. In this place, you will see the reconstruction of buildings that were once located in various parts of the city. They were assembled into a single architectural ensemble. It is here that you can see what Surgut looked like at the turn of the XIX-XX centuries.

In the "Old Surgut" there are constantly various expositions, excursions, master classes, festive celebrations, traditional evenings and even meetings with old-timers.

after a fascinating tour, you can buy a memorable gift-on the territory of "old surgut" there is a souvenir shop. here are the works of masters that reflect the peculiarities of the culture of our region– - products made of beads, leather, wood, souvenirs with the symbols of the city, amulets and national souvenirs of the khanty and mansi peoples.

the historical and cultural center is open from wednesday to sunday from 10: 00 to 18:00.

Monument to the black Fox

at the entrance to the historical and cultural center, be sure to pay attention to the monument to the black fox. this monument is an almost exact copy of the animal depicted on the city's coat of arms.

The sculpture was created based on the myth of the noble sky rider, who in the form of a fox descended from heaven to the inhabitants of the Surgut land and became its patron.

There is an urban belief: if you rub the paw of a black fox and at the same time make a wish, it will definitely come true. Even if you do not believe in omens, do not leave the black fox without a memorable picture.

Monument to Cyril and Methodius

This is the next point of the route and the main symbol of all students and graduates of Surgut University. the monument is made in the form of a gate located in front of the main entrance to surga. if you look closely, you can see that the columns form an "aerial cross" – this is the main feature of the composition. Immediately after entering as a rite, students pass through these gates to the university, and already being certified specialists, they go out of them into the big life.

on the columns are bronze sculptures of two orthodox saints cyril and methodius-the creators of the slavic alphabet.

Monument to internationalist soldiers

It is located in the square "Old residents of Surgut" and is dedicated to soldiers who died heroically in the line of duty.

This is a sculptural image of a wounded soldier who tries to get up, but firmly holds his machine gun in his hand. Behind the bronze sculpture is a wall in the form of a mountain. on both sides of the semicircle are granite plinths with marble boards, which are marked with the names, initials and years of life of the fallen soldiers.

the monument was created with funds donated by businesses and citizens. To this day, soldiers-fellow soldiers, as well as caring residents of Surgut independently support it in a presentable form.

Monument to the gasman

further along the route, one of the most unusual monuments is the monument to the gas worker. it is located on the territory of the administrative building of gazprom transgaz surgut llc. You will immediately notice this monument, as it has an impressive size-5 meters in height.

A man in a work uniform standing on the site of the main gas pipeline and holding on to a crane is a collective image of employees of such enterprises. Interestingly, the crane itself and the pipe fragment have a natural scale.

Monument to the founders of Surgut

Monument to the founders of Surgut is located on the square of the 400th anniversary of the city. It took 40 tons of bronze to make it, and a capsule with a message to posterity is immured at the base.

On the pedestal you will see 4 figures. Two of them depict very specific people-Prince Fyodor Boryatinsky and Voivode Vladimir Onichkov, who, according to the tsar's decree, were the first to arrive in the heart of Western Siberia to build a city here.

The next two figures are collective images. The Cossack carpenter represents the first builders of Surgut, and the priest without a name embodies the ideas of Orthodoxy, which was born in Ugra together with the arrival of statesmen.

Surgut Big Ben

A piece of England in northern Surgut. In fact, this is the building of the School of foreign Languages, which was built in 2004. Almost immediately, it became a new city landmark.

The uniqueness of the local Big Ben is that the tower is decorated with real clocks made in the UK. In addition, they are covered with real gold leaf. They are three times smaller than the original ones, but they look exactly the same.

In addition to the main tower, the outer wall of the building is lined with smaller pointed turrets. It is especially beautiful here in the dark, when the building is illuminated.

Oil Workers ' Square

The next stop is a monument dedicated to the labor feat of generations of employees of Surgutneftegaz on Neftyanikov Square. It has the shape of an oil fountain that beats near a drilling rig. In the center there are 11 bronze figures. These are representatives of various professions that are usually involved in the fields: geologist, surveyor, electrician, driller, engineer, builder, driver, cook, oil and gas production operator, as well as welder.

Granite and metal – such an interesting combination of materials was used in the creation of the monument, which lasted 3 years.

Memorial of Glory Square

There is a memorial dedicated to the citizens who died during the Second World War in every city. Surgut is no exception. It is a multi-faceted memorial signs, structures and objects that reflect the history of Surgut.

The T-54 tank installed at the entrance is your reference point. Previously, it was a wooden obelisk, then it was replaced by a marble monument. in 2004, the composition was supplemented. Now it is a large stele with memorial plaques, where the names of more than a thousand victims are engraved. the eternal flame burns in the center.

All together is a square with a chapel, the busts of Heroes of the Soviet Union Ivan V. Korolkova and Tolebay Azimova.

Here is such an interesting day you can spend in Surgut.& nbsp; take this route, you will not regret it!

Large-scale celebrations are a characteristic feature of the Ob Ugrians, because they are used to celebrating all important events vividly. For example, the bear festival is an important and favorite among the peoples of the North. The bear is not only the owner of the taiga and the personification of Supreme justice, it is also the son of the Supreme God Torum and the female progenitor, the brother of her children. This is the significance of the holiday. The hunts and Mansi perceived the bear as a close relative.

The periodic holiday was held for 7 consecutive years, followed by a 7-year break. The celebration began on the day of the winter solstice in December, and ended during the spring equinox – in March. After hunting, the bear was worshipped for 5 days, and the bear for 4 days-according to the number of lives of the beast. The hunts and Mansi believed that a female gives one life to her child. To imagine how the celebration took place, just look at the installation "Bear holiday" in the Museum of "Nature and man" in Khanty-Mansiysk.

"Vurna Hatl" or crow's day is the most long-awaited holiday of the Ob Ugrians. Because the beginning of the year falls in the spring. When these birds arrive first and begin to build their nests, and nature wakes up. Crow's day is celebrated on the second Saturday of April. The spectacle is so beautiful that it has long been loved by many Ugra residents.

Usually on the day of the holiday, Khanty and Mansi prepare food on a fire, turn to the spirits and bow to the birch tree. On its branches hang bundles of rolls and rams, scraps of cloth with coins tied in them, while wishing your loved ones all the best in life. And in the end, everyone bows goodbye to the sacred tree, turning three times around their own axis in the course of the Sun.

Fisherman's day is one of the favorite traditional competitions. It is held annually in all settlements of the Berezovsky district on the second Sunday of July. Fishermen compete not only in the amount of catch, but also find out who cooks fish soup or smokes fish better. Everyone can participate in them.

Rowing competitions on kaldenbach "man Hap". This sports event is held regularly, and it is dedicated to the Day of indigenous peoples of the North. By the way, in 2019, the event acquired an inter-municipal character. "AI hop" in Khanty and "man hap" in Mansi languages – this is the name of the traditional boat. Only the bottom is hollowed out, and the sides are made of wide boards. The boat is made without nails: it is sewn with cedar root and tarred seams. To manage such a boat, Khanty and Mansi learn almost before walking, so they have no equal in rowing. It is a pleasure to watch such competitions.

also in the spring, the national holiday of the indigenous peoples of the North "day of the reindeer herder"is held. The variety of racing on deer here is huge: at a trot, swoop, standing on sleds, on skis behind the reindeer and on reindeer skin. Participants can also show themselves in sled jumping, running on hunting skis, throwing an axe at a distance, throwing tynzyan on a horey.

the rowing race on the Oblas for the Governor's Cup is the business card of Ugra. Such competitions consist of mass starts, individual swims in different age categories and relays. Oblas-a dugout boat made from a single piece of cedar, aspen or poplar with a length of 4 meters or more. This is a traditional water transport for the Northern peoples.

small peoples have lived in the multinational Ugra since ancient times. You can get acquainted with the culture of Khanty and Mansi, their traditions, and way of life not only in the modern museums of Khanty-Mansiysk, Nizhnevartovsk, and Surgut district, but also in real colorful ethnic cemeteries. Here you can learn how to harness a deer and manage a sled, taste traditional cuisine of the Northern peoples.

In the camp "Luk-Yaun", which is located in the Surgut district, 10 km from the village of Fedorovsky, you will see how the Khanty families lived, study the dwelling, outbuildings and even the hunter's house. You will learn what a real hunting trail looks like, which is used by fishermen. In another way, it is also called putak. In addition, you will be shown where the hunters went for the winter. You will see how national rites are conducted. Will be able to play traditional games. Prepare lunch in the Khanty style, even ride a deer or snowmobile.

You can also immerse yourself in the culture and life of indigenous peoples in the camp "Amputinskoe". It is located 27 kilometers from the national village of Variogan in Nizhnevartovsk district.

For the reception of tourists, regardless of the season, all conditions are created: there are summer, off-season and winter camps. In this place, certain elements of traditional rituals are recreated, which can really impress the guest. From the very beginning of your stay here, you will feel the national atmosphere. After all, you will be greeted with the rite of fumigation, because before visiting this land of Khanty, you need to go through the procedure of"purification". After that, you can take part in master classes in reindeer husbandry and reindeer sledding. Then the guests are gathered for a sightseeing tour of the camp, where you can see the lab, corral, traps for animals.

Another camp, which will plunge into an incredible atmosphere – "Karimchinski" in the Nizhnevartovsk region. It is located two hours from Nizhnevartovsk, near the village of Agan. On a small territory on the river Bank there is a chum, a laboratory, an off-season camp, a glacier, a corral and other outbuildings. The warm, carefully recreated atmosphere of this place will help you feel the traditional life of the Ob Ugrians.

It is interesting to come here for a day or stay for a weekend. For guests there are comfortable houses, a gazebo and even a sauna. The river is equipped with a pier and stoppers for fishing, and around the camp you can collect berries and mushrooms. In winter, there is also a lot of entertainment. You can ride on reindeer sleds, snowmobiles, ATVs, tubing, or feed the deer with your hands and arrange a photo shoot in national clothes. And here you will learn how to cut up fish and cook some dishes of indigenous cuisine from it. In addition, guests will be treated to ready-made national food, fragrant tea made from chaga and herbs and fish cooked over a fire. Sometimes guests are offered bear meat as an exotic dish.

And this is only a small part of the places where you can learn the history of the Ugric peoples. In short, Ugra is not only delicious, but also very spectacular. Come to feel this atmosphere from the inside!