About Krasnoyarsk

Krasnoyarsk is a city in Russia, the largest cultural, economic, industrial, and educational center of Central and Eastern Siberia, the capital of Krasnoyarsk krai (the second largest region in Russia). It is the largest of the ancient cities of Siberia.

The population of Krasnoyarsk is about 1,052,000 (2015), the area – 386 sq. km.

The phone code – +7 391, the postal codes – 660000-660133.

Krasnoyarsk was founded by the Cossacks headed by Andrey Dubensky in 1628 as a military settlement in the place of the confluence of the Kacha and Yenisei rivers. Originally the settlement was called “Krasny Yar”. Krasnoyarsk became a town in 1690, when Siberia was finally annexed to Russia.

In 1708, the town population was about 800 people. In 1713, the population reached 2500 people. It began to grow rapidly after the Siberian Road was constructed in 1735. The road connected Krasnoyarsk with Achinsk and the rest of European Russia.

In 1773, after a major fire, only thirty houses remained in Krasnoyarsk. The new linear layout of the town of St. Petersburg type was developed. This was the beginning of present Krasnoyarsk.

Krasnoyarsk is the place of the 29th World Winter Universiade-2019.

There are dozens of hotels of different levels of service. “Hilton Garden Inn Krasnoyarsk” and “Novotel Krasnoyarsk Center” have the official status of four-star hotels. “Ibis Krasnoyarsk Center”, “Krasnoyarsk”, “Amaks City Hotel” and “Oktyabrskaya” have the status of three-star hotels.

Krasnoyarsk is the easternmost Russian city with population of over one million people. It is a pretty compact city. From west to east the city length is about 41 km, from north to south – about 37 km. Krasnoyarsk is divided into two parts by the Yenisei River; its left-bank part is located in Western Siberia, the right bank part – in Eastern Siberia.

The climate is sharply continental. The average temperature in January is minus 15.5 degrees Celsius, in July – plus 19.1 degrees Celsius.

Krasnoyarsk is a large scientific, educational and sports center of Russia. The Siberian Federal University has more than forty thousand students. In general, more than 150 thousand students live and study here.

Krasnoyarsk is known for a large number of fountains (over two hundred) and sculptures.

The main attractions of Krasnoyarsk:

  • State Nature Reserve “Stolby” – the hallmark of the city;
  • Paraskeva Pyatnitsa Chapel – a monument of architecture and history. It is one of the symbols of Krasnoyarsk shown on a ten rubles banknote;
  • Krasnoyarsk Bridge – a railway bridge over the Yenisei River. In 1900, this bridge, along with the Eiffel Tower, was awarded the Grand Prix and Gold Medal of the World Exhibition in Paris – “For the architectural excellence and superior workmanship”;
  • Krasnoyarsk hydroelectric power station – the most powerful hydroelectric station in Russia, located in Divnogorsk, the suburb of Krasnoyarsk;
  • Communal Bridge over the Yenisei River (1961) shown on a ten rubles banknote;
  • Krasnoyarsk Central Stadium (1967) – one of the best works of Soviet architecture.

Krasnoyarsk museums

  • Krasnoyarsk Museum of Local Lore, opened in 1889, is one of the largest natural history museums in Russia (Dubrovinsky Street, 84);
  • Krasnoyarsk State Art Museum named after V.I. Surikov (Paris Commune Street, 20, Mira Avenue, 12);
  • Estate-Museum of V.I. Surikov (Lenin Street, 98);
  • Krasnoyarsk Museum Center (Mira Square, 1);
  • Krasnoyarsk City Exhibition Hall (Vavilov Street, 23, Metallurgists Avenue, 13a);
  • Art Gallery “Modern Art of Krasnoyariye” (Yunosty Street, 19);
  • Victory Memorial, Krasnoyarsk Historical Museum (Dudinskaya Street, 2a);
  • Steamboat Museum “St. Nicholas” (Mira Square, 1);
  • Literary Museum (Lenin Street, 66);
  • Museum of History and Development of Navigation in the Yenisei basin (Bograda Street, 15);
  • History Museum of the Krasnoyarsk Railway (Robespierre Street, 26);
  • Necropolis – culture and history museum (Dudinskaya Street, 2).