Omsk Time

Omsk Time (OMST) is the time zone seven hours ahead of UTC (UTC+07:00) and 3 hours ahead of Moscow Time (MSK+3). It is the official time in Omsk Oblast and, as of 2006, most other West Siberian regions in Russia (although there, it is interchangeably referred to as "Novosibirsk Time", see Use below). During the northern winter, the time zone is also used in central and eastern Kazakhstan and all of Kyrgyzstan.

History

Until 1991, Omsk Time was one of the two time zones used in Soviet Central Asia. In addition to Omsk Oblast in the Russian SFSR, it covered the eastern two thirds of Kazakh SSR, all of Kyrgyz and Tajik SSRs, and eastern Uzbek SSR. This included the city of Omsk and the capitals Alma-Ata, Frunze (Bishkek), Dushanbe and Tashkent.

For two years after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Omsk oblast remained the only region in Russia in this time zone. The newly independent Central Asian states ceased to observe daylight saving time, while Uzbekistan and Tajikistan in addition "moved west" by adjusting the clocks one hour back.

In 1990s-2010s, Russia experienced a countrywide wave of clock shifts towards Moscow. By 2010, all Western Siberia's Moscow+4 regions moved to Moscow+3, merging into Omsk Time.

In 2011, Russia moved to year-round daylight saving time. Instead of switching between UTC+6 in winter and UTC+7 in summer, Omsk time was permanently set to UTC+7.

Changes in area observing Omsk Time
Date region(s) Type of change tzid
Eastern 2/3 Kazakhstan leave Asia/Almaty
East Uzbekistan leave Asia/Tashkent
Kyrgyzstan leave Asia/Bishkek
Tajikistan leave Asia/Dushanbe
1993-05-23 Novosibirsk Oblast [1] join Asia/Novosibirsk
1995-05-28 Altai Krai and Altai Republic [2] join Asia/Omsk
2002-05-01 Tomsk Oblast [3][4] join Asia/Novosibirsk
2010-03-28 Kemerovo Oblast [5] [6] join Asia/Novokuznetsk

Use

Although the standard Omsk and Novosibirsk time zones are currently identical, each name is still in use depending on context, which is sometimes confusing or even contradictory. The term "Omsk Time" is mostly used in Omsk or when emphasizing the traditional Moscow+3 zone, as in "Tomsk followed Novosibirsk into the Omsk Time Zone". The term "Novosibirsk Time" is more widely used in the remainder of West Siberia, enforced by the common Moscow+4 past. Outdated and incorrect information is still rampant, including one-hour-early New Year's broadcast on national TV channels for Barnaul and Tomsk.

Major cities in the Omsk Time Zone:

References

  1. ^ Новосибирская область переводится из шестого часового пояса в пятый 23 мая в 00 часов 00 минут. (№ 21, 22.05.1993) http://vedomosti.sfo.ru/articles/?article=20345
  2. ^ Государственное Собрание — Эл Курултай Республики Алтай. Постановление №8-11 от 6 апреля 1995 г. «О переводе Республики Алтай в пятый часовой пояс». Опубликован: "Сборник Ведомости Государственного Собрания - Эл Курултай Республики Алтай", №8, 12 декабря 1995 г. (State Assembly—El Kurultai of the Altai Republic. Resolution #8-11 of 6 April 1995 On Transferring the Altai Republic to the Fifth Time Zone. ).
  3. ^ http://newsru.com/russia/01may2002/clock.html
  4. ^ Правительство Российской Федерации. Постановление №246 от 17 апреля 2002 г. «О применении на территории Томской области времени пятого часового пояса». Опубликован: "Российская газета", 24 апреля 2002 г. (Government of the Russian Federation. Resolution #246 of 17 April 2002 On Using the Time of the Fifth Time Zone on the Territory of Tomsk Oblast. ).
  5. ^ http://government.ru/gov/results/7752/
  6. ^ Правительство Российской Федерации. Постановление №740 от 14 сентября 2009 г. «О применении на территории Кемеровской области времени пятого часового пояса». (Government of the Russian Federation. Resolution #740 of September 14, 2009 On Using the Time of the Fifth Time Zone on the Territory of Kemerovo Oblast. ).