Tomsk was founded in 1604 and was already a densely populated city at the end of the 19th century. Since the advent of the first university, this typical city of commerce has become the cultural center of Siberia, and has kept its status as a center of education, research and culture in Siberia until now. The QS international agency (QS Best Student Cities 2018) rated Tomsk the third-best student city in Russia after Moscow and Saint-Petersburg.