Krasnoyarsk

Krasnoyarsk is a wonderful Russian city in the center of Siberia. It is the centre of the vast Krasnoyarsk region, the second biggest city in Siberia after Novosibirsk and a powerful industrial center. There are about 950,000 inhabitants. Krasnoyarsk is located 4065 kilometers from Moscow along the Trans-Siberian railway. It takes about 2 days and 10 hours to get there from Moscow by train or alternatively about four hours by plane. Krasnoyarsk lies along the Yenisey River — one of the most beautiful and powerful Russian rivers. It is surrounded by mountains, giving a very interesting flavour to the city views.

HISTORY

The history of Krasnoyarsk counts back to the year 1628 when it was founded as a Russian border fort by the cossack Andrey Dubensky. The fort had been named «Krasny Yar» (Красный Яр) after the local Turkic name of the place, meaning «Red Cliff» or «Krasny Yar» in Old Russian. The name «Krasnoyarsk» was later given when the village of Krasny Yar had received town status.

At that time it used to be a local centre and was an important transport hub for river transport (the Yenisey River goes up to the North Ocean). The Trans-Siberian motorway going through Krasnoyarsk gave a boost to industrial development of the city, especially metal production, oil, and construction industries.

CULTURE & EDUCATION

Krasnoyarsk is the hometown of many famous people, some of whom are well-known throughout the world. The most prominent culture figures are the world-famous historic painter Vasily Surikov, the classic writer Viktor Astafyev, the world-class opera singers Pyotr Slovtsov, and musicians Alexander Porochine and Dmitri Khvorostovsky. The other honourable artists are the painters Andrey Pozdeyev, Valery Kudrinsky, and Toivo R?nnel, sculptors Boris Musat and Yury Zlotya, writers Roman Solntsev and Nikolay Gayduk. 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.

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:

• Krasnoyarsk State Pedagogical University named after Victor Astafyev (Russian abbreviation is KGPU), founded in 1932
• Siberian Federal University that has recently united three higher education institutes:
  1. Krasnoyarsk State University (Russian abbreviation is KGU), founded in 1963 as a division of Novosibirsk State University, became a standalone university in 1969
  2. Krasnoyarsk State Technical University (Russian abbreviation is KGTU), founded in 1956.
  3. Krasnoyarsk State Academy of Non-Ferrous Metals and Gold.
• Siberian State Technological University (Russian abbreviation is SibGTU), the oldest in the city, founded in 1930 as the Siberian Institute of Forest
• Siberian State Aerospace University (Russian abbreviation is SibGAU), founded in 1960
• Krasnoyarsk State Medical Academy (Russian abbreviation is KrasGMA), founded in 1942
• Sukachev Institute of Forest, founded in 1944

GOING OUT & SIGHTSEEING

Perhaps, the best thing to do in Krasnoyarsk is to just walk around — the city itself is very pleasant and nice for walks.

Most of the restaurants and cafes are located on the central Mira, Karla Marxa and Lenina streets. There's also the Central Park and 350-Year Krasnoyarsk square (located in front of Krasnoyarsk Hotel) with lots of open-air cafes in summer and the famous Krasnoyarsk attraction — the local «big ben» — a «singing clock tower». And of course we should mention about fountains which are of great amount and variety. The mayor of the city has decided to beat Saint-Petersburg in their number. Now there are more than 130 fountains in the streets of the city.

Stolby National Park

Coming to Krasnoyarsk is like visiting Tibet. These people have something that nobody else has in the world. Just 20 minutes by car from the Krasnoyarsk center there's Stolby National Park [Rock Pillars] — an area with great natural variety, popular place for weekends out among local people, and a local center of cliff-hiking. Most of the cliffs with strange curved forms have names due to their resemblance to people's faces and animal shapes. People call it «a land of fantastical rocks» or «a land of forest giants» .

Stolby are rocks, a multitude of rocks. The rocks that keep a multitude of secrets. It takes you two hours to walk uphill to see these rocks. The road goes through the forest, at first it's asphalt, then — stones and roots. During two hours you get the crash psychotherapy course. During two hours people tell you a pile of stories about stolbists, men who live for climbing. During these two hours you forget your problems and understand that the main person on this planet is you. And on high you see them. The rocks among the sea of taiga which keep the secrets of human perseverance, patience, and fear. You just need to climb up one of the rocks to understand it. And then in the distance you will see Krasnoyarsk with the noise of its avenues, shops, cafes and universities, so lively and calm at the same time.

Krasnoyarsk Regional Studies Museum

The exposition of Krasnoyarsk Regional Studies museum focuses on the history of Siberian region: from ancient times till present day. The museum is one of the best of this kind in Siberia and is definitely worth a visit.

Bobrovy Log

This modern top-class leisure center whose construction was completed only in winter offers a wide range of entertaining. In winter it is snowboarding and mountain skiing and in other seasons: restaurant, sauna, Jacuzzi, SPA. A comfortable place to spend your weekend.

Shushenskoe

This small town about 500 km from Krasnoyarsk is famous for such historical figure as Lenin who was exiled there. There is still an open-air museum which features the life of the past century. Furthermore, this cozy town is a safe place with open-hearted and hospitable citizens. You could have a great rest not being worried about everyday troubles.

Mira Street

This is the main street of the city and a nice place to walk around. There are many restaurants, cafes and shops in the area. There are even palm trees (which are taken out in summer) in little squares along Mira street — nice places to sit and watch beautiful fountains and people passing by.

EATING OUT

• Surikov, Russian cuisine restaurant, Prospekt Mira, #129, (3912) 54-57-52
• Kalinka-Malinka Café. Russian cuisine, full meal about $10-20, Prospekt Mira, #91а, (3912) 65-03-23, Opened 12.00 to 24.00. Fast food, café: Prospekt Mira, #85, (3912) 22-23-02. Opened 11.00 to 23.00
• Subway, fast food café, full meal about $10. Address: Bograda st., #134, (3912) 52-92-84. Opened 12.00 to 02.00
• Mama Roma, restaurant, pizzeria. Italian, European cuisine, full meal about $30-50, English-speaking stuff. Address: Prospekt Mira, #50a, (3912) 66-10-72. Opened 11.00 to 01.00 www.mamroma.ru
• Ciao! Café, cocktail bar. +Internet access, wireless connection. Live music: jazz, pop-rock, ethnic. Address: Prospekt Mira, #100, telephone: (3912) 52-95-95. Opened 09.00 to 01.00
• Che Guevara, restaurant, pub, night club. European, Cuban, Mexican cuisine. Full meal about $30-50. Address: Profsoyuzov st., building 1/35, telephone: (3912) 59-58-57 Opened: 12:00 to 04:00
• Laplandia, a «family» restaurant specializing on ice-creams, but also service well-made food. Full meal about $15. Address: Krasnoy Armii st., #28, telephone: (3912) 21-70-74 Opened 11.30 to 22.00
• Balkan Grill, a restaurant that caters for top-class public. European, Serbian cuisine. Meal about $40-50. Address: Perensona st., #9, (3912) 23-45-49.

There are also many other cafes, restaurants and places of interest.

INTERNET RESOURCES & WEB ACCESS

Here's a list of some of the central internet cafes in Krasnoyarsk:

• Paradox. A wide range of services: internet access, CD-R recording, scanning, copying services, printing services, network games, snack and drinks bar. One hour: 25R ($1), additional traffic is 4R ($0.10) per 1 Mb. Opened 24 hours.
  Address: Prospekt Mira, #96, telephone: (3912) 23-97-95, e-mail: parnet@rambler.ru
• Ciao. Internet access One hour: 3-3.5R.+ wireless connection, Skype, snack and drinks bar (english menu). Opened from 9 am to 1 am. Address: Prospekt Mira, #100, telephone: (3912) 52-95-96.
• Dixis, wireless internet + Skype. Address: Prospekt Mira, #108
• Vanil, wireless connection + Skype, snack and drinks bar. Opened 24 hours. Address: Karla Marksa st., #149 (in the building of the movie theatre Lutch), telephone: (3912) 23-27-83, www.kinoluch.ru
• Polosaty slon. internet access, CD-R recording, scanning, copying services, printing services, network games, snack and drinks bar. Address: Lenina st., #123, telephone: (3912) 78-21-33.
• Etc.

AVERAGE PRICES

This is to give you an idea of average prices in Krasnoyarsk.

• 1 loaf of bread — $0.4
• 10 eggs — $1
• 1 pack of 25 tea bags — $1.5
• 1 kilo of meat — $6.5
• 1 kilo of potatoes — $0.9
• 1 chicken — $3.8
• 1 litre of fruit juice — $1.9
• 1 litre of milk — $1
• 1 can of Coke — $0.35
• 1 bottle of vodka — $5.7
• 1 pack of Marlboro — $1.15
• 1 meal at pizzeria — $10-15
• 1 bus pass — $0.3
• 1 pair of Levi's jeans — from $96
• 1 pair of Puma trainers — $112
• 1 ticket to the Krasnoyarsk Pushkin Drama Theatre — $6
• Night club entrance fee — $20
• a half-hour taxi ride around Krasnoyarsk — $8