Barnaul is a city and the administrative center of Altai Krai, Russia. Barnaul is situated in the southwest of the Siberian Federal District on the Ob River, and is the closest major city to the Altai Mountains to the south. Barnaul is also situated relatively close to the border with the countries of Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and China.

Barnaul is one of the oldest cities in Siberia. Originally chosen for its proximity to the mineral-rich Altai Mountains and its location on a major river, the site was founded by the wealthy Demidov family in the 1730s. In addition to the copper which had originally attracted the Demidovs, substantial deposits of silver were soon found as well. In 1747, the Demidovs' factories were taken over by the Crown, and soon became the major silver center of Russia.

By the 18th and early 19th centuries, 90% of Russian silver was produced in the Altai region. Barnaul was the site of the largest silver-smelting factory, and as production expanded, so did the population. In 1771, the once-small settlement acquired the status of a mining town that was one of the largest in Siberia.

By the 1900s, Barnaul had grown into a major center for trade and culture of the region, especially after the construction of the Turkestan-Siberia Railway.

Despite the fact that Barnaul was thousands of miles away from the actual fighting, hundreds of thousands of citizens from Altai Krai were killed on the front during World War II. As there are in many Russian cities, a large Soviet memorial dedicated to those who died can be found in the city center.

Economically speaking, Barnaul benefited during the World War II period as a result of the relocation of major Soviet factories from the west of Russia and Ukraine to areas less likely to be overrun by enemy forces in Siberia.

As a legacy of this period, today Barnaul continues to be home to one of the largest ammunition factories in Russia.

The city lies approximately 220 kilometers (136.7 mi) south of Novosibirsk, the largest city in Siberia and the third-largest in Russia. It is at a junction of the Novosibirsk–Almaty and Biysk train lines. There are also frequent buses to nearby cities Biysk and Gorno-Altaysk. It takes about four hours to reach the Altai Mountains in the south by car along the Chuysky highway.

Barnaul airport is distant about an hour from the center of the city, which offers daily flights to and from Moscow and Saint Petersburg among other more local flights. Barnaul is approximately four hours by plane to Moscow, and slightly longer to Saint Petersburg. It also takes approximately four hours by plane to reach Vladivostok on the Pacific coast of Russia.

Any part of the city can be reached using public transport, whether one decides to use the city's many buses, trolleys, or taxis.

When one takes Russia's difficult economic climate into consideration, business is thriving in remote Barnaul. As a result of local entrepreneurship initiatives, the city is making progress towards a more open economic climate and as a result is now home to two Rotary clubs, chartered in 1997 and 2005 respectively.

The main business street of the city is Lenin Avenue. New malls with stores and prices geared towards the more wealthy residents of Barnaul were open.

There are also various sprawling Soviet-style bazaars off of the main streets, where anything from fresh meat to CDs and clothing can be purchased in stalls and from vendors on the streets.

Barnaul is known as a Siberian scientific center. Five universities, including I. I. Polzunov Altai State Technical University, Barnaul State Pedagogical University, and Altai State University, as well as 35 libraries are located there. It also has five theatres and three museums. The city's Museum of Local Lore was founded in 1823 and is one of the oldest museums in Siberia, displaying local artists' work as well as unique artifacts from the nearby Altai region and more.