Novokuznetsk is a big coal city in the south of Kemerovo Oblast. As the oldest city in the region by far (1617), Novokuznetsk has seen its fair share of different names. It was known simply as Kuznetsk (Blacksmith City) until the 1930s when massive coal deposits were found, sparking the industrialization of the city under the name Stalinsk. In the Khruschev era, the city was reborn as Novokuznetsk (New Kuznetsk). Novokuznetsk's age and proximity to the Kemerovo Oblast's beautiful southern region makes it the top destination in the region for tourism.