Tyumen is the oldest (first) Russian settlement in Siberia. Founded in 1586 to support Russia's eastward expansion, the city has remained one of the most important industrial and economic centers east of the Ural Mountains. Located at the junction of several important trade routes and with easy access to navigable waterways, Tyumen rapidly developed from a small military settlement to a large commercial and industrial city. The central part of Old Tyumen retains many historic buildings from throughout the city's history.
Today Tyumen is one of Russia's most important business centers and is prominent in the political and cultural life of Russia.
Tyumen is the transport hub and industrial center of Tyumen Oblast�a vast oil-rich region stretching from the Kazakh border to the Arctic Ocean�as well as the home of many companies active in Russia's oil and gas industry
