Tara, Russia
Encyclopedia
Tara is a town in Omsk Oblast
, Russia, located about 300 kilometres (186.4 mi) north of Omsk
, at the confluence
of the Tara
and Irtysh Rivers at a point where the forested country merges into the steppe. It serves as the administrative center of Tarsky District
, although it is not administratively a part of it. Population:
's incursions into Siberia
, and as such is one of the oldest towns in the region.
Tara pre-dates many of Siberia's larger cities and for many years served as a gateway for further eastward settlement. Omsk, which subsequently eclipsed Tara in importance, was founded at the request of Tara's military commanders.
Tara's historical churches recall a time when it was one of only two cities in Tobolsk
Eparchy
and Tara served as the first administrative division of the Russian Orthodox Church
in Siberia. In the 18th–19th centuries, Tara was also the administrative center of Tarsky Uyezd of Tobolsk Governorate, with jurisdiction over Omsk.
Its early prominence notwithstanding, major developments in later history, including the 18th-century Great Siberian Road" and the late 19th-century Trans-Siberian Railway
, bypassed the town while spurring growth in other areas of Siberia.
In the 1930s, Tara was the administrative center of Tarsky Okrug, part of Omsk Oblast
, which at that time stretched from the Kazakh steppes in the south to the Arctic Ocean in the north.
In 1943, Tara was designated the administrative center of Tarsky District of redefined Omsk Oblast
. It is still mentioned in the title of Archbishop of Omsk
and Tara, whose authority is now limited to the oblast. Tara has been dropping in regional population rankings, slipping behind the towns of Isilkul
, Kalachinsk
, and Nazyvayevsk
, all of which are located on the Trans-Siberian Railway
.
In the early 2000s, Tara has somewhat revived economically after the general collapse of the 1990s. The construction of an automobile bridge across the Irtysh
completed the Tomsk
–Tara–Tobolsk highway, a northern parallel to the railway. It has made Tara much more accessible, while the exploration and exploitation of the Krapivinskoye Oilfield in the north of the oblast have led to increased tanker traffic to Omsk, as well as a construction of a small refinery.
Omsk Oblast
Omsk Oblast is a federal subject of Russia , located in southwestern Siberia. The oblast has an area of and a population of with the majority, 1.15 million, living in Omsk, the administrative center....
, Russia, located about 300 kilometres (186.4 mi) north of Omsk
Omsk
-History:The wooden fort of Omsk was erected in 1716 to protect the expanding Russian frontier along the Ishim and the Irtysh rivers against the Kyrgyz nomads of the Steppes...
, at the confluence
Confluence
Confluence, in geography, describes the meeting of two or more bodies of water.Confluence may also refer to:* Confluence , a property of term rewriting systems...
of the Tara
Tara River (Russia)
Tara River is a river in the Novosibirsk and Omsk Oblasts in Russia. It is a right tributary of the Irtysh River of the Ob basin. The length of the river is 806 km. The area of its basin 18,300 km². The Tara River freezes up in late October - November and stays under the ice until late April -...
and Irtysh Rivers at a point where the forested country merges into the steppe. It serves as the administrative center of Tarsky District
Tarsky District
Tarsky District is an administrative and municipal district , one of the 32 in Omsk Oblast, Russia....
, although it is not administratively a part of it. Population:
History
It was founded as a fort around 1594 as a direct result of YermakYermak Timofeyevich
Yermak Timofeyevich , Cossack leader, Russian folk hero and explorer of Siberia. His exploration of Siberia marked the beginning of the expansion of Russia towards this region and its colonization...
's incursions into Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
, and as such is one of the oldest towns in the region.
Tara pre-dates many of Siberia's larger cities and for many years served as a gateway for further eastward settlement. Omsk, which subsequently eclipsed Tara in importance, was founded at the request of Tara's military commanders.
Tara's historical churches recall a time when it was one of only two cities in Tobolsk
Tobolsk
Tobolsk is a town in Tyumen Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Tobol and Irtysh Rivers. It is a historic capital of Siberia. Population: -History:...
Eparchy
Eparchy
Eparchy is an anglicized Greek word , authentically Latinized as eparchia and loosely translating as 'rule over something,' like province, prefecture, or territory, to have the jurisdiction over, it has specific meanings both in politics, history and in the hierarchy of the Eastern Christian...
and Tara served as the first administrative division of the Russian Orthodox Church
Russian Orthodox Church
The Russian Orthodox Church or, alternatively, the Moscow Patriarchate The ROC is often said to be the largest of the Eastern Orthodox churches in the world; including all the autocephalous churches under its umbrella, its adherents number over 150 million worldwide—about half of the 300 million...
in Siberia. In the 18th–19th centuries, Tara was also the administrative center of Tarsky Uyezd of Tobolsk Governorate, with jurisdiction over Omsk.
Its early prominence notwithstanding, major developments in later history, including the 18th-century Great Siberian Road" and the late 19th-century Trans-Siberian Railway
Trans-Siberian Railway
The Trans-Siberian Railway is a network of railways connecting Moscow with the Russian Far East and the Sea of Japan. It is the longest railway in the world...
, bypassed the town while spurring growth in other areas of Siberia.
In the 1930s, Tara was the administrative center of Tarsky Okrug, part of Omsk Oblast
Omsk Oblast
Omsk Oblast is a federal subject of Russia , located in southwestern Siberia. The oblast has an area of and a population of with the majority, 1.15 million, living in Omsk, the administrative center....
, which at that time stretched from the Kazakh steppes in the south to the Arctic Ocean in the north.
In 1943, Tara was designated the administrative center of Tarsky District of redefined Omsk Oblast
Omsk Oblast
Omsk Oblast is a federal subject of Russia , located in southwestern Siberia. The oblast has an area of and a population of with the majority, 1.15 million, living in Omsk, the administrative center....
. It is still mentioned in the title of Archbishop of Omsk
Omsk
-History:The wooden fort of Omsk was erected in 1716 to protect the expanding Russian frontier along the Ishim and the Irtysh rivers against the Kyrgyz nomads of the Steppes...
and Tara, whose authority is now limited to the oblast. Tara has been dropping in regional population rankings, slipping behind the towns of Isilkul
Isilkul
Isilkul is a town in Omsk Oblast, Russia, located west of Omsk. Population: It is a transfer point on the southern branch of the Trans-Siberian Railway between the Western Siberian and Sverdlovsk railroads....
, Kalachinsk
Kalachinsk
Kalachinsk is a town in Omsk Oblast, Russia, located located east of Omsk on the Om River along the busiest segment of the Trans-Siberian Railway, after its southern and northern branches meet in Omsk. Population:...
, and Nazyvayevsk
Nazyvayevsk
Nazyvayevsk is a town in Omsk Oblast, Russia, located west of Omsk. Population: It is a transfer point on the northern branch of the Trans-Siberian Railway between the Western Siberian and Sverdlovsk railroads....
, all of which are located on the Trans-Siberian Railway
Trans-Siberian Railway
The Trans-Siberian Railway is a network of railways connecting Moscow with the Russian Far East and the Sea of Japan. It is the longest railway in the world...
.
In the early 2000s, Tara has somewhat revived economically after the general collapse of the 1990s. The construction of an automobile bridge across the Irtysh
Irtysh
The Irtysh River is a river in Siberia and is the chief tributary of the Ob River. Its name means White River. Irtysh's main affluent is the Tobol River...
completed the Tomsk
Tomsk
Tomsk is a city and the administrative center of Tomsk Oblast, Russia, located on the Tom River. One of the oldest towns in Siberia, Tomsk celebrated its 400th anniversary in 2004...
–Tara–Tobolsk highway, a northern parallel to the railway. It has made Tara much more accessible, while the exploration and exploitation of the Krapivinskoye Oilfield in the north of the oblast have led to increased tanker traffic to Omsk, as well as a construction of a small refinery.