Pictures of Tomsk

Upon arriving in Tomsk we had a little free time before our classes began so we took the opportunity to walk around Tomsk and see some of the sights. To the left is a picture of the WWII memorial and park at the southern end of town. If you ever travel to Russia you will quickly learn that WWII is a huge part of their history. As important as WWII was for our country it is significantly more important to the Russian people. In every town and village there are memorials and reminders about the "Great Patriotic War" to defend Mother Russia from the Nazi invaders. The German-Russian theatre of the war was by far the most deadly and it put a lasting mark on the Russian people.

Upon reaching the memorial you are quickly rewarded with an incredible view of the Tom River and the Siberian countryside (Picture Below). Russia is the largest country on earth containing 1/8th the world's land area. On our bus ride from Novosibirsk to Tomsk we drove for hours without seeing anything but forrests and rolling hills. Driving through the midwest can seem sparse but it has nothing on Siberia. The pictures really do not due justice to the vastness and beauty of the Siberian Countryside.