General Information

Krasnoyarsk is an administrative centre of the Krasnoyarsk Krai (or region), which is one of the biggest industrial and cultural centres as well as an important transport hub in East Siberia. The city lies on the banks of the Yenisei River — one of the biggest Eurasian rivers. The population of the city is 875.5 thousand people. The area of the city, when divided into 7 city districts, is about 37 thousand hectares.

History

It was founded in 1624 as a fortress and received a city status in 1690. At that time, about 2000 people lived there. In 1822, thanks to the city’s strategic location (not the size!), it became the centre of the Eniseisk Province. It also grew because of the discovery of gold in XIX century. The reason behind the rapid development of the city was the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway. On December 6, 1895 the first train came to the city. From that moment the provincial city started developing into a large industrial and trade centre. According to Soviet statistics, by the end of 1934 the total number of people working on the industrial enterprises reached 38824. After World War II the industrial capacity of Krasnoyarsk progressed even further and it became the biggest industrial centre in East Siberia.

Culture

In the city, one can see the opera and ballet, visit drama, musical and puppet theatres, and enjoy listening to the symphonic orchestra, visiting the Organ Hall, Krasnoyarsk Regional Museum and Surikov Museum. Many famous Russian sportsmen, actors, singers and scientists were born in Krasnoyarsk.

Krasnoyarsk Regional Museum is called in Russian the ‘Kraevedchesky Muzei’. It is located on the Dubrovinskogo str., 84 Phone 27 69 70. Open 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday. The Surikov Museum-Estate dedicated to the XIX century leading Russian painter Vasily Surikov is located on the Lenina str., 98. Phone 231507. The museum is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday –Saturday.
If you want to see more Surikov’s works, visit Surikov Art Museum (Parizhskoy Kommunny str, 20, open 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. Phone 652881.)

To call Krasnoyarsk hotels, dial +7 3912 (country and city code) and the telephone number.
The highlight of a visit to Krasnoyask is visiting the Stolby Nature Reserve with the strange volcanic-rock pillars. It is located 25 km from the centre of the city, on it’s south-western edge.
Now the city has also become the centre of the international child adoption.

Economy

Presently there are more than 17,000 enterprises, organizations and companies in Krasnoyarsk, including 124 industrial enterprises. The non-ferrous metallurgy is a leading industry in the city. Chemical, petrochemical, microbiology and medical plants can be also found in the city. There are also many scientific centres.

Transportation

All Trans-Siberian trains and trains to China stop at Krasnoyarsk. There is an airport and river station.
The Yenisei splits the city into the north and south banks. There are two main East-West streets in the city. They are Karla Marksa str. and Prospect Mira.
Inkombank, prospect Mira, 108, gives cash advances on Visa, American Express and Eurocard. It is open from 9.30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Friday.
The main post office is on Lenin street, 49, and the long-distance telephone office at prospect Mira, 102. Internet Café Port is at Surikova str., 2. If you need to register you passport, go to the Passport and Visa Service at Prospect Mira, 16.

Hotels

The best hotels in Krasnoyarsk are Krasnoyarsk Hotel (Uritskogo str, 94, phone 273754, fax 270236, hotelkrs@ktk.ru) and Oktyabrskaya Hotel (Prospect Mira, 15, phone 271916, 270581, october@krsk.ru). The cheaper ones are Hotel Sever (Lenina str, 21, phone 224114) and Mayak (Dubrovskogo str, phone 290481). The prices range from USD 3 to USD 40 for a single room.
To call Krasnoyarsk hotels, dial +7 3912 (country and city code) and the telephone number.

Evgeniya Stroganova