Tomsk Oblast: Bogs, Culture and Discoveries

Tomsk Oblast combines striking natural landscapes with insights into different cultures and their history. The Vasyugan Swamp is located in the oblast and is described as the largest swamp in the world. The river system also shapes the region: it is part of the Ob River basin, and the Ob crosses the oblast from southeast to northwest, dividing it into two roughly equal parts. When planning a trip, you can choose nature experiences or museum visits as different areas of focus.

Bog landscape and a long route

The 27-kilometre bog vehicle and hiking route «Zov bolotnoy tishiny» runs through Bakcharsky District in Tomsk Oblast. It is intended for visitors aged 12 to 70. The stated length gives you a concrete reference point for planning. Confirm current arrangements with the protected area before travelling.

Excursions in the Vasyugansky State Nature Reserve are subject to a clear access requirement: all visits take place only with prior registration and accompanied by reserve staff. If you are considering a visit, check the arrangements in advance. This helps distinguish this kind of nature experience from the region’s other offerings, without treating it as a spontaneous excursion.

Selkup life and Kulai culture

At Lake Oskino in Parabelsky District, the «Chumel Chvech» museum introduces visitors to the culture and everyday life of the southern Selkup group who live there. Visits must be arranged in advance. The museum’s earliest buildings include residential and everyday structures: a semi-dugout with a pyramidal roof that was used until the 17th century, the log house «chulmat», a clay oven, raised granaries and a Russian log house with a vegetable garden. The collection brings together different types of buildings and makes everyday life a tangible subject.

Opened in 2017, «Tropa okhotnika» at the same museum displays traditional traps for animals and birds. These include a sable trap, a bear trap, a snare for partridges and a trap for capercaillies. The exhibition also features a hunter’s shelter, a pine-cone gatherer’s shelter and the temporary semi-dugout «karamo». Confirm current visiting arrangements directly with the museum.

In Podgornoye, an exhibition at the Kulai Culture Museum focuses on an ancient cultural and historical community. Its artefacts were first found near Mount Kulaika; the community existed from the 5th century BCE to the 5th century CE. A guided tour of the permanent exhibition explores Kulai culture and the world of the Kulai people, who lived in what is now Tomsk Oblast. Tours are available for groups of two to 25 people during opening hours; arrange a time with the museum. The cultural context also includes bronze casting characteristic of the Kulai culture, using flat openwork, flat solid and hollow forms.

Crafts, traditions and regional collections

At «Okolitsa» park, you can view the work of artisans year-round. Special event spaces showcase regional traditions shaped by Russian, Tatar, Chinese, Uzbek, Selkup and other cultures. The rural park is also a traditional venue for the International Folk Art and Crafts Festival «Prazdnik Topora». Held in Tomsk Oblast since 2008, the festival includes four competitions for artisans, a large fair of decorative and applied arts, and a concert programme. It attracts hundreds of participants and thousands of spectators from across the country and neighbouring countries. Specific dates and the programme vary from year to year.

The «Bratina» Park of Cossack Culture and Everyday Life in the village of Krivosheino offers further cultural perspectives. It focuses on the distinctive culture, customs and everyday life of Siberian Cossacks. The main collection of the Kolpashevo Local History Museum is reported to contain more than 17,000 items. It documents the material and spiritual culture of the population in the north of the oblast, including Selkup, Khanty, Evenk and Russian old-settler communities. The regional government also lists the Bakchar Nursery as a visitor attraction in Bakcharsky District.

Find a holiday rental to suit your travel plans

These destinations offer different points of interest: a bog and a long route, Selkup life and historic building types, archaeological and cultural history, or crafts and traditions. So first consider which themes you want to shape your stay. Search for a holiday rental in Tomsk Oblast based on the places and experiences that matter to your planned itinerary. This way, your search starts with the character of your trip, not just with an accommodation category.

Discover more destinations: Kaftanchikovo, Tomsk, Tomsky District, Svetlyy, Assino, Strezhevoy, Semiluzhki, Bogashevo, Rodionovo, Seversk, Barabinka, Tomsky District, Tomsk, Kargasoksky District, Asinovsky District and Alexandrovsky District.

Go to the overview of destinations: Russia.