The Tomsk ostrog (fortress) is on Voskresenskaya hill rising above the river Ushayka and Lenin Square. In 1604 in this place there appeared a fortress significantly extending the Siberian possessions of Russia. It was built by the order of the Russian tsar Boris Godunov.
By the beginning of the 17 century the Russian possessions stretched up to the river Ob, with Tobolsk being the main town of all Siberian lands. However, the embassy of a small Tatar tribe led by prince Toyan came to Moscow on January, 20 1604. They asked the Russian tsar to include their land in the Russian state and build a fortress near the river Tom to defend them from the aggressive neighbors.
And this implied a significant extension of the territory of the Russian state. Serving only a defensive purpose during the first years of its existence eventually the Tomsk ostrog became the center of the settlement of Siberia. And so the functions of the main town of Siberia were transferred from Tobolsk to Tomsk.
The Tomsk ostrog is similar to the medieval «kremlin». It was in the center of the settlement dominating the surrounding area. The Tomsk ostrog was built during the summer and autumn of 1604. About 50 Tyumen Cossacks headed by their ataman (chieftain) Druzhina Yuryev and at least 100 service class men from Tobolsk, Surgut and Pelym took part in the construction. After the Tomsk ostrog had been finished the settlers and the convicts began to come there from the European Russia.
Unfortunately, there remained no original buildings of the Tomsk ostrog dating back to the 17 century. All of them were made of wood and for several centuries a lot of big fires happened in Tomsk.
Today on Voskresenskaya hill one can see the reconstruction of the original Tomsk fortress, as well as the Tomsk history museum occupying the building of the fire station. The latter houses the exposition «The First Centuries of Tomsk» as well as the interiors of the 19-century houses. By all means should you ascend to the top of the fire tower to have a wonderful view of the historic center of Tomsk.
