Surgut is one of the oldest Siberian cities. It was founded in 1594 by order of Tsar Feodor I. The name of the city originates from the Khanty words "sur" (fish) and "gut" (hole, pit). The urbanization of Surgut took place in the 1960s, when it became a center of oil and gas and due to the favourable geographical position and convenient waterways.
At present Surgut is the largest industrial and cultural centre of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug, the second town regarding the population number in the Tyumen Region.
