Khanty-Mansiysk: Discover Nature and Culture

Khanty-Mansiysk combines nature with a wide range of cultural discoveries. Samarsky Chugas Nature Park highlights the landscapes where the Ob and Irtysh rivers meet, as well as forests and rare plants and animals. Museums, theatres and sculptures offer further perspectives on art, history and the traditions of the Khanty and Mansi peoples. When planning your trip, you can first decide whether to focus more on nature, culture or a mix of both.

Nature Between Rivers, Forests and Biodiversity

Samarsky Chugas Nature Park protects valuable natural areas, rare plants and animals, pristine forests and landscapes where the Ob and Irtysh rivers meet. Nature itself is therefore a distinct focus of your stay. At the Shapshinskoye Urochishche environmental education centre, you can visit an animal enclosure complex with 15 species. Check the current details of the facility before your visit.

The nature park’s greenhouse and nursery complex is home to a collection of around 300 plant species. The animals in the enclosures and the plants in the collection offer different points of interest: if you are interested in nature, you can consider which appeals to you most. The park’s protected landscapes complement these animal and plant themes with views of forests and the river landscape.

Sculptures and Cultural Traditions

The Samarovskiy Ostanets Archaeopark cultural and tourism complex features eleven bronze mammoth sculptures. At the foot of the Samarovskiy Ostanets rock is also a sculpture park depicting Pleistocene animals and people from the Palaeolithic era. The mammoth figures and other sculptures offer different perspectives on prehistoric themes.

At the centre of Victory Park stands the Slavy Memorial ensemble, made of marble and granite. The open-air Torum Maa Museum’s exhibitions offer insight into the traditional way of life of the Khanty and Mansi peoples, also known as Ob-Ugric peoples. The Okhotnichya Tropa trail offers insights into the hunting culture of the Khanty and Mansi. The range therefore extends from public art and archaeology-inspired sculptures to cultural interpretation.

Museums, Stages and Striking Buildings

The Museum of Nature and Man was founded in 1932 and is notable for its unusual architecture. The tourist information centre is located in the same museum. It provides visitors with a city map, a guidebook, a special guest discount card, and information about the city’s attractions and tourist services. Information services are free; if you want to use a specific service, check its availability in advance.

The State Art Museum displays works of Russian art, icons from the 15th to 19th centuries, and works by emerging artists. The Museum of Geology, Oil and Gas presents minerals and meteorites. The main stage of the Solnze Theatre of the Ob-Ugric Peoples is located in the House of Friendship of Peoples. Its performances present the culture, mythology, customs and beliefs of the Khanty, Mansi and Ob-Ugric peoples.

The Vo imya Voskreseniya Khristova cathedral complex was planned and built in honour of the 2,000th anniversary of the birth of Christ. The complex includes a series of fountains and an Orthodox park. The hill on which the complex stands offers a view over central Khanty-Mansiysk. The Yugra-Classic Concert and Theatre Centre has a large organ with a unique keyboard clad in mammoth bone.

In Boris Losev Park, the small bronze angel figure Lyubit - ne lyubit sits on a bronze sphere and plucks the petals of a daisy, as if asking, “He loves me, he loves me not?”

Find a Holiday Apartment That Fits Your Plans

Make a note of the places that matter to you during your stay and compare their locations with those of the accommodation options you are considering. This way, you can tailor your search to your own travel plans without having to commit to a single focus.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Nyagan, Mezhdurechensky, Raduzhny, Beloyarsky, Uray, Kogalym, Nizhnesortymsky, Nizhnevartovsk.

Back to the regional travel overview: Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug.