The history of Tyumen (the first Russian city in Siberia) began in the late 16th century, though the area has been inhabited since ancient times. Before the Russian settlement, the site was the location of Chingi-Tura, the capital of the Tyumen Khanate.

Historiography The history of Tyumen has been studied by numerous scholars. Early history was reflected in the works of the first professional historian of Siberia, Gerhard Friedrich Müller, in his "Description of the Siberian Kingdom" (1750).Д. И. Копылов, В. Ф. Ретунский. Введение // 400 лет Тюмени: Сборник документов и материалов. — Тюмень, 1986.

In 1858, local historian N. A. Abramov published a historical sketch of the city up to the mid-19th century. Before the Russian Revolution, a significant contribution was made by P. M. Golovachev, who published the collection "Tyumen in the 17th Century" (1903).

Soviet scholars, including Sergey Bakhrushin and V. I. Shchunkov, researched the city's role in the development of Siberia. The establishment of Soviet power was studied by P. I. Roshchevsky. Further research by M. M. Gromyko, N. Kurilov, V. A. Skubnevsky, and G. Kh. Rabinovich focused on Tyumen as a commercial center. Architectural monuments were documented by V. I. Kochedamov, A. M. Pribytkova, and S. V. Kopylova.

In the post-Soviet period, a key contribution was made by V. M. Kruzhinov, whose works cover political and socio-economic processes from the city's foundation to the 21st century.Кружинов В. М. Тюмень: вехи истории. — Екатеринбург: Сред.-Урал. кн. изд-во, 1994.

Predecessors The earliest traces of human presence in the territory of modern Tyumen are found on the shores of Andreevskoye Lake (Kozlovskaya and Koshkinskaya archaeological cultures of the Neolithic era) and on the left bank of the Tura River (Sargat culture of the early Iron Age).

From the 13th to the 16th centuries, the capital of the Tyumen Khanate, Chingi-Tura (also known as Chimgi-Tura), was located on the banks of the Tyumenka River. The name "Tyumen" was first mentioned in 1406 in the Arkhangelogorod Chronicle (Ustyug Chronicle Collection):Архангелогородский летописец // Полное собрание русских летописей / Отв. ред. Б. А. Рыбаков. — Л.: Наука, 1982. — Т. 37. Устюжские и вологодские летописи XVI—XVIII вв. — С. 82.

On the map by Anton Wied (compiled between 1537 and 1544), the settlement is indicated as Tvmen Wilky (Tyumen the Great).Michow H. Das erste Jahrhundert russischer Kartographie 1525-1631 und die Originalkarte des Anton Wied von 1542 (нем.). — Hamburg: L. Friederichsen, 1906. — P. 66.Кудрявцев О. Ф. Карта Московской Руси Антона Вида и Ивана Ляцкого // Древняя Русь. Вопросы медиевистики : журнал. — 2017. — Июнь (№ 2 (68)). — С. 46, 54. In 1549, the Austrian diplomat Sigismund von Herberstein also mentioned the fortress in his book Notes on Muscovite Affairs.Указатель пути к Печоре, Югре и к реке Оби // Барон Сигизмунд Герберштейн. Записки о московитских делах; Павел Иовий Новокомский. Книга о московитском посольстве / Пер. А. И. Малеина. — 1-е изд. — СПб.: Издание А. С. Суворина, 1908. — С. 130. By the time of the Russian conquest of Siberia, Chingi-Tura had lost its former influence, and on August 1, 1581, it was taken by storm by the Cossacks.Миллер Г. Ф. Описание Сибирского царства и всех произошедших в нём дел от начала, а особливо от покорения его Российской державой по сии времена.

Tyumen Fortress

Russian Tyumen was first mentioned around February 1586 in an order regarding the meeting of the Polish ambassador M. B. Garaburda:Преображенский А. А. Русские дипломатические документы второй половины XVI в. о присоединении Сибири // Отв. ред. Носов Н. Е. Исследования по отечественному источниковедению : сборник. — М.—Л.: Наука, 1964. — Вып. 7. — С. 387—388.

The construction of the Tyumen ostrog (fortress) began on July 29 (August 8), 1586, near Chingi-Tura, by decree of Tsar Fyodor Ivanovich. The founding was also attended by Maitmas Achekmatov, the head of the Tyumen service Tatars:Бахрушин С. В. Научные труды: Избранные работы по истории Сибири XVI-XVII вв. — 1955. — Т. 2. — С. 164.

Initially, the city was settled by migrants from Perm, Solvychegodsk, and Veliky Ustyug.Долгоруков В. А. Путеводитель по всей Сибири и Средне-Азиатским владениям России. Год третий. — Томск: Паровая типолитография П. И. Маркушина, 1896. According to the 1624 census, more than half of the households belonged to service people (sluzhashchie lyudi). In 1618, the Holy Trinity Monastery was founded.Тюмень – административный центр Тюменской области. Город Тюмень. Администрация города Тюмени. Between 1640 and 1642, the central part of the city was reinforced with walls.

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