There is no reliable information on the origin of the city's name. Tatar legends say that 'tumen' means 'ten thousand'. Some scientists believe that the city was originally called 'chemgen' that meant 'the city on the way'. Others say, the name of Tyumen consists of two words: 'tu' and 'myana', which means 'my property'. Yet, there's still no official version that could explain the origin of the city's name.

Tyumen was to defend Russian settlements from frequent attacks of nomads. Later, Tyumen became an important transfer point on the trading way to Middle Asia, Persia, and China.

Modern Tyumen is an important industrial, scientific and cultural center of Russia. The city's main attraction is a unique combination of traits of a modern city and an ancient capital of Siberia.