formerly (18951925) Novonikolayevsky
City (pop., 2001 est.: 1,393,200), south-central Russia, in Asia.
The capital of Novosibirsk province, it is the chief city of western Siberia and lies on the Ob River where the latter is crossed by the Trans-Siberian Railroad . The city began in 1893 and was named for Tsar Nicholas II in 1895. During World War II many Russian factories from the west were moved there. It is renowned for industry and scientific research. As Siberia's cultural and educational centre, it developed the satellite town Akademgorodok with research institutes and a university.