|
Krasnoyarsk (English) Красноярск (Russian) |
|
|---|---|
| — Inhabited locality — | |
 View of Krasnoyarsk from the Yenisei River |
|
 Krasnoyarsk on the 2008 map of Russia |
|
| Coordinates: 56°1′N 93°4′E / 56.017°N 93.067°ECoordinates: 56°1′N 93°4′E / 56.017°N 93.067°E | |
 Coat of arms |
 Flag |
| Holiday | Second Sunday of June[1] |
| Administrative status | |
| Country | Russia |
| Federal subject | Krasnoyarsk Krai |
| In administrative jurisdiction of | Krasnoyarsk Krai[2] |
| Administrative center of | Krasnoyarsk Krai[3] |
| Municipal status | |
| Municipal Status | Urban okrug |
| Head | Pyotr Pimashkov[4] |
| Representative body | Krasnoyarsk City Council[5] |
| Statistics | |
| Area | 348 km2 (134.4 sq mi) |
| Population (2002 Census) | 909,341 inhabitants[6] |
| - Rank | 14th |
| - Density | 2,613 /km2 (6,800/sq mi)[7] |
| Time zone | KRAT/KRAST (UTC+7/+8) |
| Founded | August 19, 1628 |
| Postal code(s) | 660xxx |
| Dialing code(s) | +7 391 |
| Official website | http://www.admkrsk.ru |
Krasnoyarsk (Russian: Красноярск, IPA [krəsnɐˈjarsk]) a city on the Yenisei River in central Russia. It is the capital (administrative center) of Krasnoyarsk Krai and the third largest city in Siberia with population of 948,500 (2009 est)[8]. Krasnoyarsk is an important junction of the Trans-Siberian Railway and one of the Russia's largest producers of aluminium.
Contents |
The city was founded in July of 1628 as a Russian border fort. The group of service class people from Yeniseysk led by Andrey Dubenskoy arrived at the confluence of the Kacha River with the Yenisei River and constructed fortifications intended to protect the frontier from attacks of native peoples who lived along Yenisei and its tributaries. Along with Kansk to the east, it represented the southern limit of Russian expansion in the Yenisei basin during the seventeenth century. In the letter to Tsar the Cossacks reported:
The fort had been named "Krasny Yar" (Кра́сный Яр) after the Yarin (a dialect of Khakas) name of the place it was built by: Khyzyl Char (Red Steep Riverbank)[9] translated as "Krasny Yar" to Old Russian. The name "Krasnoyarsk" was later given when the village of Krasnyy Yar had received town status.
An intensive growth of Krasnoyarsk began with the arrival of the Siberian Route (the road M53 nowadays) in 1735 to 1741 which connected the nearby towns of Achinsk and Kansk with Krasnoyarsk and with the rest of Russia. Growth continued with the discovery of gold and the arrival of a railroad in 1895.
In 1749, a meteorite with a mass of about 700 kg was found 145 miles south of Krasnoyarsk. It was excavated by Peter Simon Pallas in 1772 and transported to Krasnojarsk and subsequently to St Petersburg. The Krasnojarsk meteorite is important because it was the first pallasite ever studied and the first meteorite ever etched.
In the 19th century Krasnoyarsk was the center of the Siberian Cossack movement. In 1822 it had gained the status of town and had become the capital of the Yenisei Guberniya. By the end of the 19th century Krasnoyarsk had several manufacturing facilities, railroad workshops and an engine-house.
In the Russian Empire, Krasnoyarsk was one of the places to which political exiles were banished. For example, eight Decembrists were deported from St. Petersburg to Krasnoyarsk after the failure of the revolt.
After the Russian Revolution of 1917 during the periods of centralized planning (pyatiletkas) numerous large plants and factories were constructed in Krasnoyarsk: Sibtyazhmash, the dock yard, the paper factory, the hydroelectric power station (now the fifth largest in the world and the second in Russia), and the river port.
In 1934, the second largest Russian administrative division, Krasnoyarsk Krai, was formed. Krasnoyarsk was established as the administrative center.
During the epoch of Stalinism, Krasnoyarsk was a major center of the Gulag system. The most important labor camp was the Kraslag or Krasnoyarsky ITL (1938-c.1960) with the two units located in Kansk and Reshyoty. In the city of Krasnoyarsk itself, the Yeniseylag or Yeniseysky ITL labor camp was prominent as well during World War II (c.1940-41).
During World War II dozens of factories were evacuated from Ukraine and Western Russia to Krasnoyarsk and nearby towns, stimulating the industrial growth of the city. After the war additional large plants were constructed: the aluminum plant, the metallurgic plant, the plant of base metals and many others.
In the late 1970s, the Soviet Union began constructing a phased array radar station at Abalakova, near Krasnoyarsk, which allegedly violated the ABM Treaty. Beginning in 1983, the United States demanded its removal, until the Soviet Union admitted the radar station was a violation in 1989. Equipment was slowly removed from the site and by 1992 it was officially declared to be dismantled, though the equipment from the site was likely relocated to a new site near Komsomolsk-na-Amure.[10] Krasnoyarsk was also a home to Krasnoyarsk Northeast air base, which was turned into living blocks after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union and beginning of the privatization many large plants and factories, such as the Krasnoyarsk Aluminum Plant, many became owned by alleged criminal authorities and oligarchs while others were declared bankrupt. The economic transition resulted in a dramatic raise in unemployment and numerous strikes.
The best known financial scandal of the second half of 1990s happened when ownership of the Krasnoyarsk Aluminum Plant by a known Krasnoyarsk businessman Anatoliy Bykov had been cancelled after he was accused of murdering his partner, Vilor Struganov. The accusation eventually turned out to be false.
The Krasnoyarsk plants ownership problems continue through the early 21st century since nearly all of them are owned either by monopolistic financial groups or by oligarchs.
Since the election of Pyotr Pimashkov as the mayor of Krasnoyarsk in 1996, the city's appearance has slowly improved. Old historical buildings have been restored, asphalt walkways have been replaced with paving-stone, and numerous squares with fountains have been constructed. Now the majority of the city bears only a few traces of its drab constructivist Soviet look.
The first version of the Krasnoyarsk coat of arms was approved on March 12, 1804. The coat of arms was divided horizontally into two parts, the upper part containing the coat of arms of the Tomsk Guberniya, and the lower part picturing the Krasny Yar cliff on a silver background.
A revised coat of arms, approved on November 23, 1851, had the golden figure of a lion placed on a red heraldic shield with a spade in the right fore paw and a sickle in the left fore paw, both made of the same metal. The shield was topped with the golden crown of the Russian Empire.
The current coat of arms (see above) approved on November 28,
2004 contains the same red shield with a slightly changed figure of
the lion topped with the golden five-tower status crown of a federal subject center. In
2005, a 16 meters (52 ft) tall pillar with a bronze
statue of the Krasnoyarsk heraldic lion upon its top was erected at
the Krasnoyarsk Railway Station square.
The total area of the city, including suburbs and the river, is 348 square kilometers (134.4 sq mi)[11]. The average air temperature in January is −15.6 °C (3.9 °F); in July, 18.5 °C (65.3 °F). The lowest temperature ever recorded was −52.8 °C (−63 °F) in January 1931; the highest, 36.2 °C (97.2 °F) in July 2002.
The Yenisei River flows from west to east through the city. Due to the Krasnoyarsk hydroelectric dam 32 kilometers (20 mi) upstream, the Yenisei never freezes in winter and never exceeds 14 °C (57.2 °F) in summer through the city. Near the city center, its altitude is 136 meters (446 ft) above sea level. There are several islands in the river, the largest of which are Tatyshev and Otdyha Isles, used mainly for recreation.
To the south and west, Krasnoyarsk is surrounded by forested hills averaging 410 meters (1,345 ft) in height above river level. Further south are the gigantic rock cliffs of the Stolby Nature Reserve rising from the surrounding hills. The western hills form the Gremyachinskaya Griva crest, starting from the Nikolayevskaya Sopka hill (notable for its ski jumping tracks) and extending westwards up to the Sobakina River. The terrain north of town is rather plain, with forests to the northwest and agricultural fields to the north and east.
| Weather data for Krasnoyarsk | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) |
6.5 (44) |
8.5 (47) |
17.5 (64) |
31.4 (89) |
33.4 (92) |
34.8 (95) |
36.2 (97) |
35.1 (95) |
31.3 (88) |
24.5 (76) |
13.6 (56) |
8.6 (47) |
36.2 (97) |
| Average high °C (°F) |
-11.3 (12) |
-8.7 (16) |
-1.1 (30) |
7.8 (46) |
16.3 (61) |
22.3 (72) |
24.8 (77) |
21.5 (71) |
14.5 (58) |
5.9 (43) |
-3.4 (26) |
-8.7 (16) |
6.7 (44) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) |
-15.6 (4) |
-13.8 (7) |
-6.5 (20) |
1.9 (35) |
9.5 (49) |
15.7 (60) |
18.5 (65) |
15.5 (60) |
8.8 (48) |
1.4 (35) |
-7.3 (19) |
-12.8 (9) |
1.3 (34) |
| Average low °C (°F) |
-19.4 (-3) |
-18.0 (-0) |
-11.0 (12) |
-2.8 (27) |
4.0 (39) |
9.9 (50) |
13.1 (56) |
10.7 (51) |
4.5 (40) |
-2.3 (28) |
-10.8 (13) |
-16.3 (3) |
-3.1 (26) |
| Record low °C (°F) |
-52.8 (-63) |
-40.8 (-41) |
-38.7 (-38) |
-25.7 (-14) |
-10.6 (13) |
-3.6 (26) |
3.3 (38) |
-1.2 (30) |
-9.6 (15) |
-25.1 (-13) |
-42.3 (-44) |
-47.0 (-53) |
-52.8 (-63) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) |
15 (0.59) |
13 (0.51) |
15 (0.59) |
26 (1.02) |
47 (1.85) |
58 (2.28) |
80 (3.15) |
68 (2.68) |
41 (1.61) |
41 (1.61) |
37 (1.46) |
26 (1.02) |
467 (18.39) |
| Source: Pogoda.ru.net[12] 6.10.2009 | |||||||||||||
The most prominent hills in the Krasnoyarsk area are:
The major rivers of the Krasnoyarsk city area are:
Due to the specifics of the relief, few natural lakes exist in the Krasnoyarsk neighborhood.
The nearby towns are (with distances from Krasnoyarsk and directions):
Krasnoyarsk is divided into seven administrative districts:
The population count by year[2][8]:
| 1897 | 26,600 | 1962 | 465,000 | 1982 | 833,000 | 2000 | 875,500 |
| 1923 | 60,400 | 1967 | 576,000 | 1986 | 885,000 | 2001 | 875,900 |
| 1926 | 69,300 | 1970 | 648,100 | 1989 | 912,600 | 2003 | 909,300 |
| 1939 | 186,100 | 1973 | 707,000 | 1992 | 925,000 | 2005 | 917,200 |
| 1956 | 328,000 | 1976 | 758,000 | 1996 | 871,100 | 2008 | 936,400 |
| 1959 | 412,000 | 1979 | 796,300 | 1998 | 875,300 | 2009 | 948,500 |
Population count by districts (2008 census)[2]:
The population of Krasnoyarsk includes a number of peoples, the most numerous are Russians, Ukrainians, Tatars, Germans, and Belarusians. Lately the number of Tajiks, Uzbeks and other Central Asian and Caucasian peoples has grown extensively because of the vast, often illegal immigration in search for work.
Another populous immigrant group is the Chinese who, unlike other foreign workers, are employed in much more lucrative areas and often form business partnerships with local companies. Many Chinese trade at the bazaars, and a special large Chinese bazaar named Sodruzhestvo (Russian for fellowship), and the Chinese Trading Town (known in Russian as Китайский торговый город) or colloquially Kitai-gorod on Strelka.
There are a number of historical buildings in Krasnoyarsk, the oldest of them is the Intercession Cathedral (Покровский собор, 1785 to 1795, restored in 1977 to 1978). Other locally significant samples of Russian Orthodox architecture are the Annunciation Cathedral (Благовещенский собор, 1802-12), the St. Trinity Cathedral (Свято-Троицкий собор, 1802-12), John the Baptist Church (Церковь Иоанна Предтечи, 1899, former episcopal residence), and the new Michael the Archangel Church (Церковь Архистратига Михаила, 1998 to 2003).
On the top of the Karaulnaya hill, originally a pagan shrine, later occupied by the Krasnoyarsk fort watchtower, the St. Paraskeba Chapel (Часовня Параскевы Пятницы, 1804, rebuilt in 1854 to 1855) still stands. The chapel, displayed on the 10-ruble note, is one of iconic images of the city. The chapel was abandoned and fell into disrepair during the Soviet era and only when the Perestroyka came it had been regained by the Yenisei bishopric.
Another unofficial symbol of Krasnoyarsk is the incomplete 24 storey tower located at Strelka. Construction of the tower had been started just before Perestroyka and then frozen due to the administrative crisis. The outline of the tower is clearly seen from many places in the city.
A bridge near Krasnoyarsk carries the Trans-Siberian Railway across the Yenisei. This structure, one of the longest at the time, was constructed between 1893 and 1896 to an award-winning design by Lavr Proskuryakov. When approved for the inscription on the World Heritage List in 2003, the bridge was described by the UNESCO as "an early representation of a typical parabolic polygonal truss bridge in Russia" which became "a testing ground for the application of engineering theories and the development of new innovative solutions, which had numerous successors" ([1]).
Among other notable buildings are the mansions of the merchant Nikolay Gadalov (beginning of the 20th century), the Roman Catholic Transfiguration Chapel (Преображенский собор, 1911, also known as the Krasnoyarsk Organ Hall), the Krasnoyarsk Krai Museum stylized as an Ancient Egyptian temple, the Krasnoyarsk Cultural/Historical Center and the triumphal arch at the Spit (2003), the regional administration building flanked with two towers known as the "Donkey Ears".
There are a number of 2-storey wooden houses in the city built
mostly in the middle of the 20th century as temporary habitations.
Many urbanized villages located inside the city keep the remnants
of the traditional Russian village architecture: wooden houses with
backyards, many somewhat dilapidated now but still inhabited.
There are a number of local holidays celebrated annually in Krasnoyarsk. The most significant holiday is the Day of the City celebrated in June, usually with the carnival. Other holidays and cultural events are: the Mana Festival (Манский фестиваль) usually held on last weekend in June with the traditional bard contest, the International Museum Biennale traditionally held in the Krasnoyarsk Cultural/Historical Center, the avant-garde Museum Night festival dedicated to the International Museum Day (May 18), the Jazz on Yenisey festival, the Stolbist Day held many times a year celebrating the traditions of mountain climbing in the Stolby national reserve, the Bikers' Rally.
Krasnoyarsk has a number of local television companies and the highly-developed telecommunications, many districts of the city have LAN-based broadband Internet access.
The city is also home to the Krasnoyarsk Children's Choir a world-renowned choir that tours in many countries as The Little Eagles of Siberia.
Next to Novosibirsk, Krasnoyarsk is a very prominent scientific and educational center of Siberia, with over 30 higher education facilities, many of which are the branches of the Russian Academy of Science, and about 200 high schools. The most notable higher education institutes are:
Like Novosibirsk, Krasnoyarsk has a special city district called Akademgorodok (Academic Town in Russian) where several educational institutes are located. Krasnoyarsk's Institute of Biophysics is known for a 1973–1985 experiment on ecological isolation of human beings (the "Bios Experiment").
There are several museums in Krasnoyarsk. Krasnoyarsk zoo is a
major attraction for residents and tourists.
An underground system (three lines) has been in planning and
construction phases in Krasnoyarsk for decades. The first three
stations have not been opened yet, but several construction sites
around the city are visible. The system is expected to be finally
opened in 2010-2012.
Krasnoyarsk lies on the Yenisei River and historically has been
an important junction on the Trans-Siberian Railway.
Krasnoyarsk is served by Yemelyanovo Airport, located 37 km northwest of the city.
The most popular place of attraction for tourists visiting Krasnoyarsk is the huge national nature reserve Stolby (Pillars in Russian) or the Rock Pillars. Stolby covers an area of 470 km² (181 mile²) with numerous giant granite rocks formations up to 100 meters high, many of very extraordinary shapes. Stolby is also a major rock climbing location, many local climbers intentionally do not use any belaying equipment and call their extreme sport "stolbizm", which is known around the world as solo climbing.
Other popular showplaces include the Krasnoyarsk Hydroelectric Power Station dam, the Karaulnaya Gora hill with the Paraskeva Pyatnitsa Chapel, museums, theaters, etc.
Krasnoyarsk is considered a stronghold of rugby union in Russia. Two Krasnoyarsk clubs, Krasny Yar and Enisei-STM, participate in the national Professional Rugby League. Matches are covered by local media, and the intra-city derby match between Krasny Yar and Enisei-STM can attract large crowds. Many players of the Russian national rugby team hail from the area.
Krasnoyarsk is the former home of the Rugby Union of Russia, which has since relocated to Moscow. Some of Russia's international rugby matches are played at Central Stadium, in Krasnoyarsk.
Enisey Krasnoyarsk will play in the Russian Basketball Super League in the 2007–2008 season.
FC Metallurg Krasnoyarsk compete in the Russian Second Division, the third tier of professional football in Russia.
Yenisey plays in the highest division of Russian Bandy League. In the 1980:s they became Soviet champions every year. Sergey Lomanov, often considered the best bandy player of all time, played in the club and has later been the coach.[13]
Krasnoyarsk is twinned with:
|
||||||||||||||
Krasnoyarsk (Красноярск) is a city in Eastern Siberia, Russia. It's located on both banks of the Yenisey River.
There are few direct flights to Krasnoyarsk from abroad, mostly from Asia, so one is advised to get to Moscow, Novosibirsk or Irkutsk first.
There are several flights every day from and to Moscow (airp. Domodedovo) to the local airport Emelyanovo (Емельяново). There is also airline connection with major Russian cities, and a few regular flights from abroad: Beijing, Tianjin, Harbin, the cities of the ex-USSR countries (Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan). The major local airline company is Krasair (Красноярские авиалинии), you can check its web-site www.krasair.ru for currently available flights. In 2006 KrasAir suffered from financial difficulties but since then the situation has stabilized. In Moscow you can also choose the Aeroflot[1] company(airp. Sheryemetyevo).
A smaller airport Cheremshanka (Черемшанка) serves regional flights only, usually between Krasnoyarsk and the northern parts of the Krasnoyarsk Krai.
Krasnoyarsk is located on the Trans-Siberian Railway, so every day dozens of trains pass the Krasnoyarsk central railway station. It takes about 12-14 hours to get to Krasnoyarsk from Novosibirsk or Irkutsk and minimum 60 hours from Moscow or Vladivostok.
The road connecting Vladivostok and Moscow, semi-officially called Moskovskyy Trakt (Московский тракт, Russian for the Moscow Way) passes through Krasnoyarsk. However, Russian automobile roads are not very suitable for long-distance travel: motels and road cafes are very rare there, though you can find a dirty hotel and cafeteria in every town.
Buses are available only from the cities in the region and from the neighbouring Khakassia region. They arrive to the main bus station, located in the northern part of the city known as Vzlyetka (Взлётка, short for Airstrip, called so because the main airport was located there until the end of the 1980's). A slightly outdated schedule is available online: [2]. A usual price for a trip up to 400 km is about 200-300 rubles (8-12 USD).
There is a good network of public buses, which are indeed very cheap (11 roubles since September 2008, per trip, regardless the distance). In large buses the conductor walks among the passengers and gets paid once he (or, more often, she) comes by a recently entered passenger. In a minibus (marshrutka, маршрутка, means the route bus) the conductor sits near the driver and gets paid before passengers exit (because of this the hind door is rarely opened). In a large bus the conductor can be determined by a roll of tickets in a hand, a belt purse and, if a bus is crowded, loud demands for payment. However, without a local consultant it's rather difficult to plan a way because route maps are not usually available at bus stops, though there is a very comprehensive software map of Krasnoyarsk (in Russian) which is able to plan a complex route automatically.
The taxi companies are numerous and phone booking is very easy but the chance of that your English will be understood is very small. It is a very common case in Russia that a driver who wants to earn some money stops near your holdout hand, but in Krasnoyarsk you're strongly advised to use only authorized carriers, it is a very safe city but there is no need to risk without necessity, there are very many licensed drivers available. The licensed cars always have a yellow lamp on the roof with the chessboard-like ornament and advertisements with phone numbers on the sides.
Usually taxis are rather cheap (even if not using a meter) and rather honest, however, seeing that you're a foreigner, some drivers may try to make you pay through the nose. Half-a-city drive should not be more than 300 rubles (11 USD), if you suspect too dirty cheating, you may demonstrate your intent to complain to the driver's boss.
Krasnoyarsk is a very old beautiful city, established by Russian Cossacks (military servants) in 1628. It's name consists of two words — Krasnyi (red, because of clay reddish soil) and Yar (steep bank). Views of Yenisey River and the nearby Sayan Mountains covered by taiga forest are quite picturesque.
There is also a cable car that travels to the Reserve. Check the web-site[3] for more details.
Next to Novosibirsk and Tomsk, Krasnoyarsk is the most prominent scientific and educational center of Siberia with more than 30 higher education facilities, many of which are the branches of the Russian Academy of Science, and about 200 high schools. The most notable higher education institutes are:
Similarly to Novosibirsk and Tomsk, Krasnoyarsk has a special city district called Akademgorodok (Academic Town in Russian) where many of the institutes are located. There, in the Institute of Biophysics, the experiment on ecological isolation of human beings called "Bios", similar to the US experiment Biosphere 2, has been successfully held in 1973-1985.
Like any industrial center, Krasnoyarsk has a large number of employment opportunities. However, salaries are low (up to 500 USD/month is 'good', 1000+USD/month is 'very good'; higher salaries are availble for top-managers or business owners only).
If you want to buy Siberian souvenirs or paintings of the Krasnoyarsk artists you can visit the Diana (Диана) art salon at Mira St. (ул. Мира) 51. You may try to speak English with merchants here. Another place to look for paintings of the local artists is the Khingan (Хинган) galleries at Mira St. (ул. Мира) 3, Vzlyotnaya St. (ул. Взлётная) 2 and Totmina St. (ул. Тотмина) 6. Siberian souvenirs are also sold in the Sibir-Etno (Сибирь-этно) galleries, the first of them is in the Krasnoyarsk railway station, the second is at Aviatorov St. (ул. Авиаторов) 19.
The one unique thing you're advised to buy is cedar nuts, because the Siberian region is the only region where the authentic variety of this delicacy can be purchased. Throughout the rest of the world cedar nuts are extremely expensive.
Other goods are the same as all over Russia. Chinese clothes could be slightly cheaper on the Chinese market.
Well, it's difficult to stay hungry in Krasnoyarsk. There's no McDonald's, but KFC/Rosticks is now available in several locations.
The only places you're strongly adviced NOT to visit - any restaurants near the Railroad Station, and the local Market-Place ('Колхозный рынок', which is located at the end of Diktatury Диктатуры street), because they are traditionally occupied by local and visiting criminals — that is unless, of course, you yourself are a criminal looking to socialize.
A number of cheap bars serving sandwiches are spread all over the city. Just stop in any one and you'll find hospitable people (you will, however, need to understand some Russian to get very far in these venues).
Also there are a number of excellent Chinese restaurants on Mira street near the Theater of Musical Comedy, where real Northern Chinese Cuisine can be found.
Numerous nightclubs can be found in all parts of Krasnoyarsk, but it's better to avoid those located in suburbs (the clientele can be unpleasant), or very expensive luxury clubs and restaurants (frequented by local criminals). The prominent nightclubs are:
Most cinemas have night clubs as well. Actually, it quite difficult to find several adjacent blocks without at least one night club or disco.
NOTE: if you get in any night club, either luxury or inferior, watch out for drug traffickers! They can be found in ALL night clubs, but usually don't disturb those who don't want to contact them.
Generally speaking, the closer to the center, the safer. Although Krasnoyarsk is a very safe place, you're not advised to look for accommodation in the suburbs; local lumpens won't make your stay pleasant. The right (southern) bank is mostly "lumpenized" except for the Predmostnaya Ploshchad' (Bridge Square, or Предмостная площадь); on the contrary, the left (northern) bank is nice except for the most distant districts.
You're strongly advised to book your accommodation beforehand (better by phone, and don't expect to find any English-speaking staff), because there are not many hotels in Krasnoyarsk, most with no on-line booking service and no English-speaking personnel. Don't expect to find Internet and hair-dryers, but be ready to meet insects and to go without hot water, unless you choose the most expensive hotels.
There is no budget accommodation in the city. The cheapest hotels are from 50USD per night, which is hardly a budget level. On the Railway station, some elderly women can suggest rooms in their own flats for ~10USD per night—accept at your own risk (elderly women may have young sons). They will not be able to register your visa for you - for that you will need a hotel.
Krasnoyarsk's two luxury hotels cost from 130 USD per night, which is hardly worth it. However, you're safe from insects, and their location is quite convenient.
The international code for Russia is +7, the code for Krasnoyarsk is 391 (since 6 Sept. 2008). On September the 6th 2008 all Krasnoyarsk numbers had a 2 added to the beginning.
Public phones are not very common. International phones can be found in the post offices, where you prepay your talk to a cashier (English is very unlikely to be understood).
Mobile phones are carried by almost everyone, including children. Prepaid SIM cards with Russian federal number are sold for many national and local telecommunication providers: BeeLine (Билайн), MTS (МТС), YeniseyTelecom (Енисей Телеком), Megafon-Krasnoyarsk (Мегафон-Красноярск), all around the city. The mobile standard is GSM 900/1800, however some operators still provide the DAMPS service. SMS usually costs around 1 rouble (~5 US cents), one minute of talk is around 5 roubles (~20 US cents). Since July 2006 you cannot be charged for incoming calls (unless you're using the roaming), but sometimes you need to pay a fixed price of 50 US cents for a call. For the beginning of 2008 there was a pretty good coverage from all of the major cellular providers in the city neighborhood, though do not expect the phone to work in deep uninhabited valleys as well as far from relatively large towns.
Internet cafes are not common, but Mobile GPRS in Russia is usually very cheap, 5-10 roubles (20-50 US cents) per 1 MB. There are many local ISP's who offer high-speed Internet connection via ADSL, Ethernet, Wi-Fi and Wellcom (IMT-MC 450) but they all require signing an end-user agreement and very unlikely accept foreign passports and understand English as well. Modem access (usually 40-56 kbps) are much easier to buy: Internet cards can be bought in any post office and some supermarkets, they contain login, password and the ISP modem phone number. At the beginning of 2009 there were several free Wi-Fi Internet access points available in the public places:
Though generally safe for the experienced traveler, Krasnoyarsk can be a tricky destination for someone not familiar with the region and culture. The downtown areas are pretty much safe all night, but in the suburbs it's highly recommended not to walk alone after dark. If you are 15-30 years old, the neighborhood of student dormitories (living blocks without balconies, usually 9-story), the inside of living districts and street cafes can be dangerous for you even at the day time due to the chances to meet drunk bullies who can be easily provoked, for example, by your unusual or not athletic look. Other places of higher risk are large market places and the railway station: be sure to keep your cash out of view and out of pickpockets' reach.
Avoid asking the police for help unless it is really necessary. If possible, communicate with the hotel staff and security first, because communication with local policemen may be unpleasant due to both the language barrier and their usual rudeness, or even dangerous, especially for non-European-looking foreigners (although police in Krasnoyarsk is far from being as dangerous as in Moscow and Saint Petersburg. Sadly, this is a national problem in Russia: there is not much difference between police and criminals.
The easiest way to travel from the city is to fly to Moscow first, and then to wherever necessary. However, there are some flights from the local airport Emelianovo to China and the nearest ex-USSR countries, or through Novosibirsk and Irkutsk which can be easily reached by train.
The neighboring region of Khakassia with its major city Abakan is 400km West, reachable by car (M-54 road) and everyday train from the railway station.
The next stops of note on the Trans-Siberian Railway are Achinsk to the west towards Novosibirsk and Kansk to the east towards Irkutsk
During the summer there are 1-2 week cruises to the Northern part of the Krasnoyarsk Krai to the mouth of the Yenisey. Everyday connections exist only for the city of Divnogorsk, located 40km west, near the Krasnoyarsk Hydroelectric Power Station.
| Routes through Krasnoyarsk |
| Yekaterinburg ← Achinsk ← | W  E |
→ Kansk → Khabarovsk |
| This is a usable article. It gives a good overview of the region, its sights, and how to get in, as well as links to the main destinations, whose articles are similarly well developed. An adventurous person could use this article, but please plunge forward and help it grow! |
Category: Usable articles
KRASNOYARSK, a town of Eastern Siberia, capital of the government of Yeniseisk, on the left bank of the Yenisei River, at its confluence with the Kacha, and on the highway from Moscow to Irkutsk, 670 m. by rail N.W. from the latter. Pop. (1900), 33,337. It has a municipal museum and a railway technical school. It was founded by Cossacks in 1628, and during the early years of its existence it was more than once besieged by the Tatars and the Kirghiz. Its commercial importance depends entirely upon the gold-washings of the Yeniseisk district. Brick-making, soap-boiling, tanning and iron-founding are carried on. The climate is very cold, but dry. The Yenisei River is frozen here for 160 days in the year.
|
<< Krasnovodsk |
Categories: KNA-KRA
|
Singular |
Plural |
Krasnoyarsk
|
|
   | Siberian Tour Guide - SibTourGuide.com - Krasnoyarsk, Siberia, Russia guided tours, accommodation |
| | Krasnoyarsk today's news - Siberian News Online / Know more about Siberia |
| | Municipality website - Krasnoyarsk, administration of the city |
|
|
Top topics
Wikis
Quiz
Map
Misc
Search
