Barnaul is the largest city and administrative centre of Altai Krai, a federal subject of Russia. It is situated in the West Siberian Plain at the confluence of the Barnaulka and Ob rivers.
As of the 2021 census, the city had a population of 630,877 residents. This population size ranks Barnaul as the 20th-largest city in Russia and the fourth-largest city within the Siberian Federal District.