Russian settlements or forts to collect fur tribute and control fur export appeared mainly on the crossroads of transportation routes. In this way such settlements as Berezov, Surgut and later Obdorsk were founded on the Ob river in the 16th century. According to written testimony Obdorsk settlement foundation was connected with the suppression of Khanty and Nenets tribes’ rebellion. The tribespeople laid a siege to Berezov in 1595. A unit of Cossacks under the command of Petr Gorchakov crushed the rebellion, dropped down the river and conquered the disobedient Obdorsk principality. Obdorsk prince Tayshin was sent to Moscow, baptized under the name of Vasiliy and sent back as a dependant of the Russian Tsar.
However, most probably, there was no separate Russian settlement called Obdorsk until the beginning of the 18th century. During the large scale excavations of 2004-2005 many things were found – remains of housing and buildings, items made of metal, birch bark, antlers and bones, bronze castings, jewellery, pieces of clothes and so on. But according to scientists, those things belonged to indigenous people and most probably the place where they were founded was Tayshin’s residence. So, according to the scientists, this territory was managed by the Obdorsk prince; the Russian administration only collected fur tribute during winter and was responsible for customs control when the river route was in function. Fur tribute collectors and customs controllers were not very numerous and could have been accommodated in the Obdorsk prince’s residence or other places provided by Tayshin. With more certainty we can speak about Russian Obdorsk settlement starting with the beginning of the 18th century. It was the time when a fort was founded by the Cossacks on the place where old Nenets settlement was located and when regular units of Cossacks started to arrive here in shifts.
Obdorsk fort was recreated by doctor of architecture Alaxander Opolovnikov and opened in 2006. The replica of the wooden fort was made without a single nail using old techniques. Just the roofing is modern. The fort consists of several traditional buildings – the province governor’s and the priest’s houses, a passing tower, a bell tower and a church. Today it’s a museum under the open sky. On the territory of the fort there is a café, the headquarters of Ob-and-Irtysh Cossacks and a church in the middle. Inside the church there is an exhibition of Mikhail Kanev called From century to century. The territory of the fort is surrounded by a row of stakes.
In September 2008 a monument honoring the founders of the city was opened on the territory of Obdorsk fort.
