Biysk

Biysk (Бийск) is the second largest city in Altai Krai with population of 202,000 people (2018) and featured as naukograd, i.e., a science city.

Understand

Biysk is a starting point for tourists trekking to the Altay Mountains, 'the gateway to Mountainous Altai'.

Geography

Biysk is located 163 km south of Barnaul and 356 km away from Novosibirsk. The Mongolian border is farther 617 km south. The terrain around is a hilly plain. Separated by the river Biya both banks of the city are connected by three bridges. The city is situated on the Chuysky Highway, a tarmac road, which goes from Novosibirsk to Mongolia.

History

The city appeared in 1709 as a part of the 'Biyskaya krepost', fortification line built from Ust'-Kamenogorsk. Its name is derived from hydronym 'bi', a Samodian word for 'water, river'.

Climate

Continental climate. The average temperature of January is -18 °C, in July it is +18.9 °C.

Get in

There are no flights to Biysk airport because of reconstruction (as of 2011).

By train

The direct trains are coming from Novosibirsk, Moscow, Tomsk, Chita, Omsk, Surgut, Krasnoyarsk, Novokuznetsk, Kemerovo, Alma-Ata. Barnaul is the most probable place to arrive from.

By bus

Bus station is serving routes from Gorno-Altaysk (hourly), Ongudai (that one is from Ongudai to Barnaul passing Biysk), Tomsk, Belokurikha, Kemerovo, Novokuznetsk and Barnaul. Tickets are available via the internet. The bus station is within 5 min walk from the railway station.

Get around

The tram network is present with 8 routes. Public buses and taxis are numerous.

See

Historic part of the city is the most curious place to give a look to where the architecture tells about the past epoch. Go on to the right bank of the river to enjoy 19th-century houses of merchants, Passages and an Orthodox Temple, all in compact area.

Museum of regional studies, 134, Lenina st. W-Su 10:00-17:00. Archeological artefacts from paleolith era. Numismatic and mineral collections. Mammoth cranium. Chinese pottery. The museum's co-founder was Vitaly Bianki, whose memory is honoured in the museum's name. The museum's expositions are accommodated in two old buildings
Museum of Chuysky Highway, 10, Tsentralny pereoulok. M-F 10:00-17:00. Museum's location is the left bank and rather far off from the city's center. This is the only museum in Russia dedicated to the history of road.
Your collection of Lenin's statues would be incomplete if you haven't taken a picture of one from Biysk. Thanks to cold weather Lenin was put a hat on here.
There is a monument to the city's founder Peter the Great on the horseback.
If the weather permits one can see rockets being launched from the Baikonur cosmodrome, Kazakhstan. At nights rockets remind of comets.

Do

Visit the Drama theater.
Go to the Bowling club.
Musical theater Echo.

Buy

Trade-center 'Maria-Ra' has a small souvenir shop inside.

Eat

Bowling club, 4, Chaikovskogo st, +7 3854 34-70-07.
Grill house, 59, Merlina st, +7 3854 32-23-24.
Kalina Krasnaya (Калина красная), 164, Lva Tolstogo st, +7 3854 33-77-92.
Praga (Прага), 65, Moprovsky pereoulok, +7 3854 35-67-41, +7 3854 35-62-35.

Drink

Sleep

Business class

Hotel Tsentralnaya (Центральная), 256, Lenina st, +7 385 433-83-07. Pretty comfortable hotel in the city's center which offers luxurious and economy class rooms. ATM and wi-fi.
Hotel Biya (Бия), 144, Tolstogo st, +7 3854 22-7451.
Hotel Gostevoy Dvor (Гостевой Двор), 228, Lenina st., +7 3854 32-72-00.
Hotel Gvozdika (Гвоздика), gvozdikabiysk@mail.ru. 16 single and double rooms.

Economy class

Hotel Vostok (Восток), 20/1 Radischeva st, +7 385-4 31-01-80.

Connect

The central post-office is located at 34, Sovetskaya st.

Biysk - city in southeastern Russia