Tomsk, situated in the east of Western Siberia along the banks of the Tom River, is a prominent city in Russia, serving as the administrative center for both the region and district bearing the same name.
Renowned as the oldest and most extensive educational, scientific, and innovation hub in Siberia, Tomsk hosts nine universities, 15 research institutes, a special economic zone of technology-innovation, and six business incubators. The city is an active member of the Association of Siberian and Far Eastern Cities and the Network of Main Asian Cities association.
Tomsk boasts a wealth of historical architecture, featuring monuments crafted from wood and stone dating back to the 18th-20th centuries. With a population of 551,505 people as of 2023, it ranks as the seventh most populous city in Siberia and the twenty-ninth in all of Russia. When considering its satellite city Seversk and the surrounding suburbs, Tomsk forms the Tomsk urban agglomeration, totaling around 786 thousand people as of 2019.
In recognition of its contributions, Tomsk was bestowed with the title “City of Labor Valor” by the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation on July 2, 2020.