Khabarovsk
Khabarovsk is the administrative center and the largest city of
Khabarovsk Krai,
Russia. It is located some 30 km from the
Chinese border, at . It is the second largest city in the
Russian Far East, after
Vladivostok. The city became the administrative center of the
Far Eastern Federal District of Russia in 2002. According to the 2002 Census, the population of the city was 583,072.
Encyclopedia
Khabarovsk is the administrative center and the largest city of
Khabarovsk Krai,
Russia. It is located some 30 km from the
Chinese border, at . It is the second largest city in the
Russian Far East, after
Vladivostok. The city became the administrative center of the
Far Eastern Federal District of Russia in 2002. According to the 2002 Census, the population of the city was 583,072.
History
Khabarovsk, named after a Russian explorer Yerofey Khabarov, was founded in 1858 as a military observation post and later became an important industrial center for the region. The city lies at the confluence of the rivers
Amur and Ussuri, and about 800 km north of
Vladivostok and is accessible from there by an overnight train running along the
Trans-Siberian railway; rail distance from
Moscow is 8,523 km.
In 1894, a department of
Russian Geographical Society was formed in Khabarovsk and began initiating the foundation of libraries, theaters, and museums in the city. Since then, Khabarovsk's cultural life has flourished. Much of the local indigenous history has been well-preserved in the Regional Lore Museum and Natural History Museum and in places like near the
Nanai settlement of Sikhachi-Alyan, where cliff drawings from more 1,300 years ago can be found. The Khabarovsk Art Museum exhibits a rare collection of old Russian icons.
Tourism
Visitors to the picturesque city of Khabarovsk are likely to enjoy walking the broad Amursky Boulevard with its many vibrant shops and perhaps visit the local market. The city's five districts stretch for 45 km along the Amur River.
Recently, there have been many renovations in the city's downtown, rebuilding with historical perspective. A popular attraction for visitors is a walking tour from
Lenin Square to
Utes via Muravieva-Amurskii St., where visitors can find traditional Russian cuisine restaurants and shops with souvenirs. There are many night clubs and pubs in this area.
Unlike
Vladivostok, the city has never been closed to foreigners and retains its historically international flavor. Once the capital of the
Soviet Far East , since the demise of the
Soviet Union it has experienced an increased Asian presence. It is estimated that over one million
Chinese travel to and through Khabarovsk yearly, and foreign investment by
Japanese and
Korean corporations has grown in recent years.
Khabarovsk is served by Khabarovsk Novy Airport with international flights to
China,
Japan,
Southeast Asia,
Europe, and
Central AsiaThe city of Khabarovsk was also the site of the Khabarovsk War Crime Trials, in which 12 former members of the Japanese Kwantung Army were put on trial for the manufacture and use of
biological weapons during
World War II. See
Unit 731.
External links
