Novosibirsk in 2016: Flashbacks, a Different Mayor, and Unchanged Snow

Millions of social media users have participated in a global flashmob by posting their photos from 2016. And although it seems like it was just yesterday, from these pictures, we often see slightly different people: they are younger, more optimistic, and generally seem to live in some other world. An NGS observer decided to support the collective impulse, but on behalf of the entire city, by gathering several shots of Novosibirsk from 2016.

Of course, there are different opinions about flashmobs. Cybersecurity experts believe that in this way, malicious actors can obtain your old photos to later use them against you. At best, it might be about training artificial intelligence to recognize patterns that change over time. But if the whole city participates in this venture, it«s safe — let AI struggle to understand what exactly has changed on the collective face of Novosibirsk.

Ten years ago (more precisely, in early March), Novosibirsk also had snowdrifts on the streets. Garin-Mikhailovsky Square particularly stood out, greeting city guests with snow mountains as tall as a person.

Novosibirsk residents, it seems, didn«t have enough snow mountains in winter, and during the City Day celebration at the end of June, a slope made of artificial snow was built near the Globus Theater, where snowboarders demonstrated their skills.

In general, that year in Novosibirsk, there were many unexpected solutions for organizing leisure. Already in November, the Pobeda Cinema placed burning iron barrels in the square in front of the entrance to make the premiere of the film «The Queen of Spades» by director Pavel Lungin visually brighter. One could approach, warm hands, and feel like a homeless person from films about American life.

In 2016, no one had heard of any quadrobears (by the way, where are they?), but the desire to feel oneself in an animal«s skin already existed. True, back then, fans of this fashion managed without getting on all fours. In an April photo, it appears to be a flashmob of so-called furries (people who like to dress in furry animal costumes). This movement didn»t gain much traction here. Possibly because a selfless furry on our streets is too easily confused with a promoter.

Restaurateurs have always complained about difficulties, but today their life looks like some kind of holiday. Perhaps that«s why they came up with all sorts of strange things to attract public attention. In the GastroClub bar that opened in 2016 at the intersection of Sovetskaya and Lenina streets, for example, beer was served in an ordinary half-liter jar, which was also sealed with a lid.

The celebration of City Day in 2016 was decorated in the style of the 1920s. It turned out bright and cheerful, although otherwise people were doing roughly the same thing: walking along Red Prospect, closed to traffic, watching all sorts of competitions (and some even participated themselves), and then enjoying the fireworks.

Of course, city life wasn«t only about holidays. Actually, people were just as busy with work as they are now. Here, for example, the then mayor Anatoly Lokot checks the progress of work on the laying of Georgy Kolonda Street, which was supposed to bring residents of Rodniki and Snegiri closer to the center. The route turned out beautiful and wide. It, however, still ends in a narrow street in a private sector, but you have to start somewhere.

The main industry of Novosibirsk — construction — was experiencing a real boom. Just in those years, towers of a new residential complex rose above Oktyabrskaya Magistral and Ippodromskaya Street, which today impresses tourists.

In 2016, it was still hard to imagine that you could just take and demolish an almost finished object to build a new one. But one of the first experiences of this kind was undertaken back then.

Residents of two five-story buildings on Marx Prospect achieved through the court the demolition of a two-story pavilion built between them for a fast-food chain. Now, there is a not very well-kept lawn in that place.

It was in 2016 that the city authorities decided to make the Belarusian fair permanent. Since then (with a break for the pandemic), rows of trucks regularly line up on Lenin Square, and Novosibirsk residents line up in queues for food and light industry products. Of course, there are always skeptics, but even bad weather cannot deter lovers of all things Belarusian.

Amid the hustle and bustle of shopping and investments, there was still room for beauty. At the traditional «Miss NSU» contest, girls tried to impress the jury with a variety of talents and skills. Even playing the violin.

Public life ten years ago wasn«t exactly boiling, but it was more diverse. Patriotic citizens, for example, could meet with like-minded people and walk through the streets in the »Russian March« (a nationalist demonstration). The event was not only picturesque but also full of additional activities: choral singing, fist fights, and talks about the fate of the Motherland.

Supporters of communist ideas didn«t lag behind. Then they had their own person in the mayor»s office, and communists were allowed to hold their marches on city streets, rather than squeezing onto sidewalks as they do today. Participants in the celebration of October Revolution Day came with their own instruments.

The future seemed, of course, not cloudless, but full of hopes and possibilities. Almost like the orange elephant that was inflated in December near the circus building to advertise a touring show with elephants.

For those interested in recalling events of the city«s recent history, material about the openings of shopping centers, large stores, and fashionable eateries might seem interesting. They gathered crowds, but not all survived until 2026.