Past century and desire for a new, permanent variability and loyalty to the traditions had created a unique look of Tomsk - Siberian Athens. Tomsk is popular among Russians and foreigners for its special aura and culture.
In 1860 Tomsk transformed into an educational and cultural center of Siberia with opening of new schools and publishing newspapers.
In 1900 the Tomsk Technological Institute was opened and the city has become a real fount of staff. Since that time it is called Siberian Athens.
Nowadays there are six universities, Tomsk Economics and Law, and Agricultural institutes and different branches of metropolitan universities. Tomsk State University and Tomsk Polytechnic University, had received the status of a particularly valuable objects of Russian people’s cultural heritage. Every fifth resident of the city is a student or a teacher. The concentration of the highest qualification workers in Tomsk is the biggest in Russia. For all who had studied in Tomsk, city is associated with unique time of youth. City beckons back to the merry mess student’s years, to wander through the familiar streets and to look through old folios in libraries. Actually, streets of our ancient city are fool of modern high-tech enterprises advertising, computer firms and banks advertising, combined with facades of old buildings. A new look of the city creates affiliation of Tomsk universities, research institutes and enterprises to the most advanced international researches and technologies. Two Universities from Tomsk (of 17 Russian) were the first, who got grants as innovative universities. Also special economic zone opens to the citizens and residents of Tomsk new bright and great future.