Hot ticket: Tyumen relies on thermal springs
It seems that just recently the snobs were saying through their teeth: "Tyumen is the capital of villages." And now this city consistently ranks high in the ratings of the best places to live, travel, find employment, take care of your health, etc. Tyumen has also become the capital — since 2020 it has been considered the thermal center of Russia, and its resorts are called the sea substitute. The Izvestia correspondent plunged into hot springs, visited a harsh Siberian prison and learned how to cut stroganina together with the Tutu project.<url>"Mediarazvedka".
Sea Substitute
A warm sea was lapping on the territory of Western Siberia 38-55 million years ago. Over time, it went underground and was forgotten until the systematic exploration of minerals began in the middle of the last century. The oilmen drilled a well to a design depth of 2000 m, but instead of black gold, a fountain of mineral water struck.
Russians will not be surprised by the unique groundwater — there are hot springs in the Minvod region, Kamchatka, and the Krasnodar Territory. But it was in Tyumen that more than 150 specialists from all over the country recently gathered for the first Thermal Congress. Isn't it a shame for other regions that the Siberian city was recognized as the thermal capital?
—No, it's not a shame," Andrey Panteleev, Deputy Governor of the Tyumen Region, assured the Izvestia correspondent. — It was a marketing ploy, relevant not only for us, but also for other regions. The decision was made jointly with Rostourism. The goal was to draw the attention of a new target audience to thermal springs in the country as a whole. And, of course, an unexpected region was needed — a surprise region.
As a result, the thermal capital thing really played into the hands of the entire tourism business. Now pensioners, active youth, and staid family people are willing to go to such resorts.
According to the deputy governor, the fact that the region already had a functioning high-quality infrastructure, in particular a sanatorium, also played a role. Tyumen also has the advantage of accessibility for Siberians themselves and residents of the central part of Russia. For example, you can fly from Moscow to the Roshchino air harbor in 2 hours and 40 minutes.
The water is like in Hungary
The temperature of the ancient sea ranges from 36 to 48 degrees on average. Maria Trofimova, director of the Department of Consumer Market and Tourism of the Tyumen region, a participant in the congress, stressed that in 2024 a new complex with thermal water was opened in the Tobolsk region, the temperature of which was even higher than 50 degrees — they had to purchase equipment for its cooling. Representatives of the tourism industry are willing to invest in thermal baths.
Anyone who has been to Pyatigorsk knows that in the vicinity of Mount Mashuk, you can immerse yourself in shameless baths — simply, affordably and for free. But in Tyumen, according to Panteleev, there is no opportunity to splash in a wild spring. All the existing wells have been put into operation.
Hot hydrogen sulfide spring in Pyatigorsk
Tyumen residents are not afraid of the influx of tourists — the infrastructure of resorts is constantly expanding and modernizing.
— Today, there are about 22 thermal complexes in the Tyumen region, which contain a total of 25 outdoor pools with thermal mineral water, — said Maria Trofimova. — In the last five years alone, eight such complexes have been renovated and opened from scratch.
Demand determines supply. For example, the Taiga Ecopark used to work only on weekends, but now, in order to stay here for a week or two, tourists sign up six months in advance. In addition to the thermal zone with an outdoor and indoor swimming pool, there is a sauna complex, children's rooms, and a spa. The territory of the Taiga justifies its name — there are century-old pine trees, silence and a complete illusion of isolation from the hustle and bustle.
According to Trofimova, all thermal complexes must specify the composition of the water, contraindications and treatment requirements. By the way, experts have studied almost all the thermal springs and came to the conclusion that Tyumen water is similar in composition to Hungarian water, such as in Budapest and in the resort of Sharvar.
— Our water is sodium chloride, iodine-bromine is salt water, sea water. It's about the same in Hungarian resorts. The basis of our water is sodium chloride," comments Maria Trofimova.
For beauty and health
The water really smells like the sea. The Izvestia correspondent was convinced of this by visiting two thermal complexes. A special pleasure is to plunge into the thermal baths in winter. The contrast of hot water and frosty air is one of the main advantages of Siberian thermal resorts. It is believed that such a rest rejuvenates. This secret of beauty and health is encoded in the "Humpbacked Skate" by Peter Ershov, also a Siberian. In order to regain their youth and look prettier, the characters of the work needed, in particular, to dive from a cauldron with "cold water" into a cauldron with "boiled water".
"This is a very good workout, stimulating our superficial vessels when we go from cold to heat, and from heat to cold," Yulia Reshetnikova, chief physician of the Health Management Center at the Mayer Martial Resort, commented to Izvestia. — But keep in mind that it is recommended to stay in hot thermal water for no longer than 15 minutes — only then will there be a therapeutic effect.
There is a cult of wellness tourism in Tyumen. The most modern medical technologies are combined with the Siberian gifts of nature, which are used to the maximum in care cosmetics and healthy nutrition. The same Mayer therapy is based on cleansing and restoring the body, strengthening the immune system.
— We have adopted this approach because it is integrated into the concept of proper nutrition, treatment, wellness and the use of thermal water. In addition, it meets the requirements of classical medicine in accordance with the law," explains Yulia Reshetnikova.
Stroganina, dumplings, pine nuts
While the women of the resort calculate calories and order eco-desserts, Tyumen merchants threaten them from the depths of time with chubby fists. In the old days, skinny young ladies were not held in high esteem in these places, but fullness was considered a sign of beauty. The corpulence of local brides was checked as follows: the girl was put on a nut and if the shell cracked under the weight of the beauty, then everything was in order — it was time to marry. Otherwise, the merchant's daughter was laid on feather beds and fattened until she gained the right weight.
The tour guide Lyubov Vitkovskaya, meticulously looked at the group of journalists, said: "In the press tour you have to gain 3 kg each." I must say right away that it was successful — they feed us to the brim in Siberia. One of the main advantages of the local table is the fish, which is called tails here.
"Siberian fish — muksun, nelma, Siberian sturgeon — do not have small bones, only large ones. And a sterlet has no bones at all — it only has cartilage, which is also eaten," says Lyubov Vitkovskaya.
Siberians feast on raw frozen stroganina fish. In this form, the "tails" are omega 3 in their pure form. Peter the Great's wife, Ekaterina, knew about the miraculous properties of fish. Once, the Empress wished for fresh Siberian fish to be delivered to her. According to Lyubov Vitkovskaya, a three-meter sturgeon was caught for Ekaterina near Tobolsk. The fish was doused with cold water for a long time in the cold to form an ice cocoon for safety. The craftsmen put together three carts, and this "train" went from Tobolsk to St. Petersburg. They carried the sturgeon for a month, and when the fish was thawed, it even wagged its tail, almost hitting the Empress on the cheek.
"Ekaterina not only ate stroganina, but also applied pieces of fresh Siberian fish to her eyelids, cheeks, neck and chest," Vitkovskaya said.
Stroganina is the main dish of the Tyumen table also because it is very satisfying. Local housewives believe that without her, guests will go hungry. Lyubov Vitkovskaya told how stroganina has been prepared since ancient times: "Frozen fish is taken, the head is chopped off with an axe. The fish is placed on a stable wooden surface, then the fins on the sides are cut off. An incision is made in the middle of the carcass with a sharp knife, literally to the thickness of the scales with the skin. Then, with pliers, one half of the skin with scales is removed from the frozen raw fish, and then the other. The frozen flesh is planed into thin transparent pieces from top to bottom, from tail to head."
The opportunity to taste the Siberian delicacy and even make up a treat yourself was presented in the Chum museum restaurant, stylized as a parking lot for a geological exploration expedition. We dipped thin pieces of stroganina into makalo, a mixture of salt and pepper. The delicacy does not smell like fish, so you can and should take the delicacy with your hands. Stroganina literally melts in your mouth, so you should eat it right away. Local cranberry and lingonberry tinctures are perfectly combined with stroganina. In the "Plague" I also had a chance to taste an amazing dessert — pine nuts with lingonberries and condensed milk. This is the last trick of Siberian chefs.
And at the SibirSibir restaurant, we were surprised with the Mammoth dessert. The cedar milk figurine is the highlight of the restaurant. Before serving, the waiter ignites liquid nitrogen, and the baby mammoth seems to float on an ice floe made of meringue. The menu includes a variety of fish, moose, beef, and venison dishes. Local products, such as cloudberries and pine nuts, give the delicacies a special taste. The real hit is duck breast with lingonberry sauce and apple donuts. And talented designers worked hard on the decoration of the institution. For example, in one area the ceiling is inlaid with spoons, which required 28,000 pieces; in the other, wooden platbands with unique carvings are displayed.
As for the panoramic restaurant "Remezov", we are very lucky that it is located in the hotel of the same name. The food here is on a merchant's scale — after such a feast, I didn't want to go anywhere anymore — it's good that the room is nearby. Pears with new potatoes, a plate of Siberian fish, duck pate with onion and lingonberry jam and toasts, salmon, pike, and moonshine dumplings - after a hearty dinner, the Izvestia correspondent felt like the very merchant who could crack a nut, and not just one. By the way, the rooms in this hotel are stylized as merchant mansions.
Shackles and "women"
But who is this Remezov, after whom the hotel and restaurant in Tyumen are named? The native of Tobolsk is so multifaceted that when the guides talk about him, it seems that we are talking about several different people. Judge for yourself: Semyon Ulianovich Remezov is a cartographer, chronicler, architect, artist, writer. Thanks to him, the only stone kremlin in Siberia was built in his hometown. Remezov compiled atlases and maps, participated in the population census. According to his drawings, the main buildings of Tobolsk were built: the Prikaznaya Chamber and Gostiny Dvor. And this is not a complete list of Semyon Ulianovich's achievements.
We went to Tobolsk to pay our respects to the great Siberian. If anything, take note of the Mirros Hotel — from here you can easily reach the historical part of the city, where the Kremlin stands in amazing beauty. The observation deck offers stunning views of the Nizhny Posad of Tobolsk and the Irtysh River, the last refuge of the conqueror of Siberia Ermak Timofeevich.
Tobolsk was founded in 1587, it is called the Gateway of Asia and the father of Siberian cities. Since 1708, this city has been the center of a vast Siberian province stretching from the Urals to the Pacific Ocean.
An important point. You can get to Tobolsk by plane — there is an airport here and it is called, of course, Remezov. People rush from Tyumen to the ancient city by train or travel along the R-404 highway — this is the famous Siberian highway that remembers the "shackle bell" of convicts under criminal and political articles.
Even the famous bell from Uglich, which announced the death of Tsarevich Dmitry, served exile in Tobolsk. For this sad news, the bell's tongue was torn out and exiled to Siberia. We heard about this from the guide on the territory of the Kremlin, at the entrance to the St. Sophia Assumption Cathedral, built in 1686.
Some of the prisoners ended up in the Tobolsk prison castle, while others went to the harsh lands further east. He spent 10 days in this prison on the way to the main place of detention (penal servitude in Omsk) Fyodor Dostoevsky.
In the old days, the conditions of detention in the prison castle were harsh, which was only worth a hunchbacked punishment cell, where it was impossible to stand tall, but it was forbidden to sit during the day.
The prison operated in Soviet times, and was closed in 1989. Today it is a center of attraction for travelers. The prison castle houses the Museum of Siberian Penal Servitude and Exile, and the Prisoner Hostel, stylized as a prison, operates on its territory for thrill seekers.
To be honest, towers, cameras, and the checkered sky are less terrifying to tourists than, say, the Peter and Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg. Much more painful impressions remain after visiting the Museum of the Family of Emperor Nicholas II, located in the memorial building of the Governor's House. Here the last Russian tsar, with his family and servants, spent eight months (since August 1917) in agonizing expectation of the decision of his fate, actually on the threshold of eternity. The museum contains unique personal belongings of the Romanov family: furniture, interior items, their photographs and other relics.
In the Museum of the History of the administration of Siberia, the Palace of the Governor, we were also told about how the destinies of the most famous residents of Tobolsk were wonderfully intertwined. For example, Pyotr Yershov moved here from his native village of Yershovo as a child. In the Tobolsk gymnasium, the boy was taught, in particular, by its director, Dmitry Mendeleev's father. The families of these two clans communicated with each other. And when Yershov himself became a teacher and inspector of the Tobolsk Gymnasium, Dmitry Mendeleev entered here. The brilliant chemist's first wife was the stepdaughter of the author of The Hunchback Horse.
Now the creativity of one and the discoveries of the other have become a real brand of Tobolsk. The museum's souvenir department has many interesting items related to both Yershov and Mendeleev. For example, a T-shirt with a print in the form of a periodic system of elements and a catchy inscription "I wear this T-shirt periodically" can be brought as a gift to a teenager.
And if the traveler prefers edible souvenirs, then you should go to the restaurant of Old Siberian cuisine "Povarnya" with the author's menu of the brand chef David Khachatryan. Here, after a hearty lunch, you can buy rum baba "Tobol", made according to the recipe of the XVIII century. Elena, the wife of the brand chef, worked hard to restore this unique dessert. The "woman" will be packed, and she will arrive in her luggage as she was immediately after baking, fresh and rosy. We remember that Western Siberia is just around the corner.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
