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Overview
Congratulations! You have been admitted to an IFMSA exchange in Omsk. Omsk (Russian: Омск) is a Russian city located in southwestern Siberia, it is the administrative center of Omsk Oblast. It is Russia's second-largest city east of the Ural Mountains, and 8th by size nationally. Omsk is 1,389 miles (2,235 km) distant from Moscow.
During the Imperial era, Omsk was the seat of the Governor General of Western Siberia, and later of the Governor General of the Steppes. For a brief period during the Russian Civil War in 1918–1920, it served as the capital of the anti-Bolshevik Russian State and held the imperial gold reserves. Omsk is the administrative centre of the Siberian Cossack Host. It also serves as the see of the bishop of Omsk and Tara, as well as the administrative seat of the Imam of Siberia. Omsk stretches along on the banks of the north-flowing Irtysh at its confluence with the smaller Om River. The city has an elevation of 87 metres (285 ft) above sea level at its highest point.
Omsk is an important railroad hub, and is the junction point for the northern and southern branches of the Trans-Siberian Railway. The city also serves as a major hub for the regional highway network. River-port facilities handle both passengers and freight, giving the city access to the extensive navigable waterways of the Irtysh and Ob rivers. The waterways connect Omsk with the coal and mineral-mining towns further up the river in Kazakhstan, as well as with the oil, natural gas and lumber operations of northern Siberia. Omsk is served by the Tsentralny Airport, which offers access to domestic and international (primarily, German and Kazakh) destinations, making the city an important aviation hub for Siberia and the Russian Far East.
Climate
The climate is dry and continental, characterized by dramatic swings of weather. The average daily temperatures, taken over the past three decades, are 20 °C (68 °F) for July and −19 °C (−2.2 °F) for January, although temperatures can reach 45 °C (113 °F) in the summer and drop to −45 °C (−49 °F) in the winter. On average Omsk sees over 300 sunny days in any given year. Average annual rainfall is 315 millimetres (12.4 in).
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. In the late eighteenth century, stronger works of brick were erected on the right bank of the Om; of these, the original Tobolsk and the restored Tara gates still stand, along with the original German Lutheran Church, an armoury, a military jail, and commandant's house.
Krestovozdvizhensky Сathedral In the nineteenth and early twentieth century, Omsk became the administrative center of Western Siberia and the Steppes (Kazakhstan), acquiring a few churches and cathedrals of various denominations, mosques, a synagogue, the governor-general's mansion, a military academy. Because of the complexity of the bureaucratic institutions in the city, ink was joked to have been sold by the bucketful. As the frontier receded and its military importance diminished, the town fell into lethargy; it was during the mid-nineteenth century that Dostoevsky lived and wrote in exile here. The new boom began with the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway in 1890s, which caused merchants to flock to the city in order to take advantage of the rail/river junction. Many trade companies established stores and offices in Omsk, resulting in the construction of the picturesque old district of the city, and contributing to the rapid development of Omsk into a major city. British, Dutch and German consulates were established at about the same time in order to represent their commercial interests. The pinnacle of development for pre-revolutionary Omsk came with the lavish Siberian Exposition of Agriculture and Industry in 1910, for which a complex of buildings and fountains was constructed. In line with the popularity of World Fairs of the day, the exposition influenced observers to foretell the wonders of the "Chicago of Siberia". In the 1950s, following the development of oil and natural gas field in Siberia, an oil-refining complex was built, along with an entire "town of oilworkers", expanding Omsk northward along the Irtysh. It is currently the largest such complex in Russia. Gazprom Neft, the parent company, is the largest employer in the city, wielding its tax address as leverage in negotiations with municipal and regional authorities.
The Omsk State Medical Academy
The Omsk State Medical Academy (OSMA) was founded as the Medical Faculty in The Siberian Institute of Veterinary and Zoology in 1920; the faculty was reorganized into the West-Siberian State Medical Institute in 1921. It was renamed into the Omsk State Medical Institute in 1925 and into the Omsk State Medical Academy in 1994.
There are more than 40.000 graduates of OmSMA in our country and abroad. At the moment there are more than 4500 students studying in 5 faculties: • Faculty of medicine, • Pediatrics, • Preventive Medicine, • Stomatology • Pharmaceutical. The Medicine Faculty, the oldest one, was founded in 1920. The Maternity and Child Protection Faculty was established in 1931, which was reorganized into the Pediatric Faculty in 1934. The Sanitary-and-Hygienic Faculty was founded in 1938, which was renamed into the Preventive Medicine Faculty in 1989. The Dentistry Faculty was formed in 1957. The Pharmaceutical Faculty was organized in 2002. Since 1997 the Omsk State Medical Academy has been headed by Alexander I. Novikov, MD, PhD, Professor, Academician of the International Academy of Sciences of Higher School.
The famous and outstanding scientists such as Raymond Achrem-Achremovich, Valentine Bisyarina, Peter Gorizontov, Vladimir Eliseev, Vladimir Pulkis, Leonid Maslov, Constantine Romodanovsky, Olga Sokolova-Ponomareva worked for the Omsk State Medical Academy. Our Academy is actively cooperating with educational institutions of Western Europe, United States, Japan and other countries. 59 Departments have provided the tuition process in the Academy. 73% of the staff has an academic degree. Over 100 MD, PhD Full Professors and 300 MD, PhD Professor Associates are working for the Academy. Honored Scientific Workers of the Russian Federation, Honored Staff Workers of the Higher School of the Russian Federation, Honored Physicians of the Russian Federation and Honorary Professors are among the Academy's staff. The Academy is located at six buildings and has three dormitories providing accommodation for all out-of-town students.
The Departments of the Academy are based at the largest municipal hospitals equipped with modern diagnostic equipment. Clinics are headed by the leading scholars of the Academy. Tuition process is constantly improved exploiting up-to-date information technologies. The Academy has a united electronic educational net integrated into the Internet. The net has 350 computer terminals and 12 computer classes. Students Scientific Society is the pride of the Academy. Integrating about 800 members it provides basis for future physicians training. The Academy's library is the largest one among the medical institutions of Russia . It has over 600 000 volumes in its collection and many unique publications among them. The library has a fully equipped computer hall with the Internet access. Physical training is an integral part of the educational and tutorial activity of the Academy. Well-equipped gym-halls, ski-centre, sport and recreation centre are available for the students. Official web-site: www. omsk-osma.ru.
Hospitals
Omsk Regional Clinical Hospital Omsk Regional Hospital is a leading medical institution of the Omsk region. Hospital was built in1920 year. Hospital complex in the Berezovaya street works since 1974. Currently, the hospital becomes the face of modern clinics European level. Every year introduced dozens of modern methods of diagnosis and treatment, and on materials clinic almost every year are protected to the 10 theses. Hospital team in the Omsk region maintains its lead in the development of new organizational forms of activities, such as the automation of jobs using electronic medical records and telemedicine technologies. Hospital bed capacity of 1,203 hospital beds around the clock and 55 day care places.
It includes 29 inpatient units, 21 medical-diagnostic services consulting polyclinic for 750 visits per shift modern regional Perinatal Center, Department of Emergency and planning advice. Inpatient care is provided to 42 medical specialties, counseling techniques are organized in 47 areas.
Omsk Cancer Clinic - one of the biggest medical institutions of the Omsk region, providing highly specialized care to patients with malignant tumors of virtually all locations, except for tumors of the central nervous system and vision. Clinic is located in 2 medical building, in its composition - 12 clinical departments for 600 beds, of which 330 - surgical, 150 beds for radiotherapy, 100 - for chemotherapy and 20 - for the provision of palliative care. The structure consists of clinic department of anesthesiology and resuscitation, beam diagnostics, clinical diagnostic laboratory, department of procurement and transfusion of blood, autopsy department with modern medical equipment, an operating unit of 8 operating tables. Consultative clinic is designed for 350 visits per shift, operates a day hospital with 30 seats. Outpatient care provided in 12 areas of oncology.
In the oncology clinic employs over 1000 people including 180 physicians and 400 specialists with secondary medical education. 85.6% of physicians and 89.0% of specialists with secondary medical education are qualifying category. Among the doctors working 1 doctor and 16 candidates of medical sciences, 4 doctors hold the title Honorary Doctor of the Russian Federation; Head of Urology, EI Kopyltsov was voted Best Doctor Omsk Region-2005. In 2010, the 4 doctors of Clinical Oncology Center have won the contest “The Best Doctor of the Omsk region”. Doctors on probation at the leading university hospitals in Germany, France, Luxembourg and Belgium. Now doctors are able to undergo long-term training at the University of them. Louis Pasteur, Strasbourg (France). In Oncology Center introduced the advanced therapeutic and diagnostic technologies developed are used in everyday practice in university hospitals in France. In addition to the practical therapeutic activity, clinic staff had received 50 patents and 55 licenses for rationalization proposals to improve ways to treat patients with various cancers. Omsk Cancer Center is the regional leader in providing surgical care to patients with thyroid gland, larynx, hypopharynx, upper and lower jaws, oral cavity, pancreas, colorectal intestine, kidney, bladder, breast, lung, esophagus, mediastinal organs. On the basis of oncological clinic employs three inter-regional center: • Surgery of the esophagus; • Surgery pankreatuodenalnoy zone; • oncourology. In June 2010, at a meeting of the Government of the Omsk region, approved the long-term targeted program of the Regional Project “Oncology” for 2011-2015.. The purpose of the program demonstrated a decrease in mortality and disability in the population of Omsk region, including those of working age due to cancer by increasing the effectiveness of prevention, early diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of this category of diseases. In August 2010, oncological dispensaries obtained a license for the provision of high-tech cancer care. This makes it possible to provide high-technology medical care of the Omsk region and other regions directly to the Cancer Clinic. In 2011 Oncological Clinic defined state assignment to treatment 400 patients with high-tech medical care.
Social Program
Mikhail Vrubel Museum of Fine Arts The architectural centrepiece of the city is an ensemble of buildings along Lyubinsky Avenue/Lenin Street, anchored by the former Gostiny Dvor, and flanked by two chapels. The area is an eclectic mix of architectural styles, dominated by Art-Nouveau, Neoclassical and Second Empire. The Drama Theatre gives a good example of the latter. Soviet Era additions run the gamut from Constructivist, to Stalinist to Brutalist.
Closer to the confluence of the Om' and the Irtysh are the few surviving sombre buildings of the 18th-century fortress. The largest and most opulent church in the city is the Dormition Cathedral, a five-domed edifice in the Russian Revival style, consecrated in 1896, demolished by the Soviets, and restored in the early first decade of the 21st century. Another area of interest is Nikolsky Prospekt/Krasnykh Zor Street, where a line of merchants' wooden houses still stands. The street leads to the Neoclassical cathedral of St Nicholas, which was commissioned by the Cossacks, designed by Vasily Stasov and consecrated in 1840. It contains various relics of the Siberian Cossacks.
Among Omsk's museums, the most notable are: State Museum of Regional History Dostoyevsky Museum of Literature Vrubel Museum of Fine Arts Military Museum Complex Kondraty Belov Art Museum Liberov Center for Art Demographics The population in Omsk rose from 31,000 in 1881 to 53,050 in 1900 and to 1,148,418 in 1989 Census. The 2002 Census recorded that the population declined to 1,134,016.
Sports Avangard Omsk is an ice hockey team, 2004 National champion, based in Omsk, playing in the Kontinental Hockey League. The team acquired former New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins two time Stanley cup winner Jaromir Jagr. Now Karri Ramo is a goalkeeper - Finnish Champion in 2006; Continental Cup Winner 2011.
Notable citizens Fyodor Dostoyevsky, writer and essayist, in exile 1849-1854. Mikhail Vrubel, painter, born 1856. Admiral Kolchak, anti-bolshevik "Supreme Ruler of Russia", headed resistance from Omsk 1918-1919. Vlada Roslyakova, model. Vikenti Trofimov, painter, Vrubel Art School painting section headmaster 1924-1932. Mikhail Ulyanov, actor, studied at Drama Theater 1944-1946.
Yegor Letov, punk rocker, born 1964. Aleksei Kazannik, politician (yielded elected Supreme Soviet office to Boris Yeltsin), taught at OmSU 1980s and 90s German Gref, politician and economist, attended OmSU 1985-1990. Eduard Kunz, pianist. Athlete Irek Gimayev was a member of the Soviet national hockey team who won the Challenge Cup and the 1981 Canada Cup. Nastja Ryjikh-Reiberger, 1999 pole vault indoor world champion.
Yuri Shatalov, was a member of the Soviet national hockey team who played in the Summit Series. Svetlana Karpeeva, 400m and 200m Individual Medley Olympic Swimmer winning several FINA world cup titles. Dmitri Sychev, football player. Irina Tchachina, rhythmic gymnast. Evgeniya Kanaeva, rhythmic gymnast. Galima Shugurova, rhythmic gymnast.
Aleksei Tishchenko, boxer. Dennis Siver, Mixed Martial Arts Fighter. Roman Sludnov, swimming first male who break the "magic" one minute barrier for the 100 m breaststroke, clocking at 59.97.
Prices in Omsk
1 eur = aprox. 40 rub
Foreign currency exchange is possible in banks, exchange offices. Credit cards: Most hotels, restaurants and shops accept credit cards (Eurocard/Mastercard, Visa). Below you can find approximate prices for some articles: Dinners at snack bars (3 - 5 EUR) Dinners at pizzerias (5 -10 EUR) Bread (0,5 EUR) Beer (0,5 - 3 EUR)
Things to bring
-passport and visa (if necessary) -an insurance document -indoor shoes (and a stethoscope, if you're doing a professional exchange) Remember to confirm your arrival and send us information about your arrival at least a month before the beginning of your exchange You're warmly welcome and we are anxious to meet you!