Krasnoyarsk

Understand

Krasnoyarsk has a population of over 1 million people. The Kacha River flows through the city before joining the Yenisey at the Strelka - the historical center of the city. The Krasnoyarsk hydroelectric dam, 20 km upstream, significantly influences the local climate; normally the river would freeze over in the bitterly-cold Siberian winter, but because the dam releases unfrozen water year-round, the river never freezes in the 200 km (120 mi) to 300 km (190 mi) stretch of river immediately downstream. The city was founded in 1628 as a fort on the confluence of the two rivers. It was founded as Krasny Yar, meaning "Red Steep Bank". Many political exiles, including 8 Decembrists, were banished to Krasnoyarsk. The city was also an administrative center for the gulags. Krasnoyarsk grew significantly during World War II, since industrial facilities were moved eastward to escape the war. After the fall of the Soviet Union, ownership of these facilities was transferred to oligarchs, and unemployment rose significantly. The economy of the city is dependent upon its aluminum production facilities. The famous 2005 Russian war film The 9th Company, directed by Fedor Bondarchuk and set during the Soviet War in Afghanistan, reputedly a favorite of president Vladimir Putin, has its story beginning at Krasnoyarsk.

Getting there

By plane 1 Krasnoyarsk International Airport (KJA IATA Yemelyanovo (Емельяново) Airport) (27 km northwest of the city center), ☏ +7 391 228-61-99. The airport serves approximately 2 million passengers per year. There are regular flights from many major Russian cities including Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Vladivostok, Irkutsk, Manzhouli, Samara, Novosibirsk, Ulan-Ude, and Yekaterinburg as well as international flights from Dushanbe, Bangkok, Baku, Tashkent, Beijing, Bishkek, and Osh.Taxis should cost 800 руб if negotiated in advance, and the journey to the city center by taxi takes approximately 40 minutes. 2 Cheremshanka Airport (Черемшанка, ICAO:UNKM), ☏ +7 391 252-65-57. Is 23 km northwest of the city center. The airport is small and only 2 carriers operate flights to it:Krasavia, with flights from Abakan, Barnaul, Bratsk, Gorno-Altaysk, Kodinsk, Kyzyl, Motygino, Novokuznetsk, Podkamennaya Tunguska AirportTurukhan Avia Airlines, with flights from Surgut, Svetlogorsk, Tomsk, and Turukhansk.

By train

All Trans-Siberian trains stop at Krasnoyarsk. Train timetables and fares can be found on the RZD website; enter "KRASNOIARSK, KRASNOYARSKAYA, [2038000]" as the station for Krasnoyarsk. There are several daily trains from Moscow (61 hours, 3300-10000 руб), Irkutsk (18 hours, 1200-6400 руб), Omsk (20 hours, 1400-6600 руб), Novosibirsk (12 hours, 1000-6000 руб), Ulan-Ude (12 hours, 1500-8400 руб), Yekaterinburg (34 hours, 2000-5800 руб), Perm (41 hours, 2400-6600 руб), and Vladivostok (86 hours, 4000-20000 руб). The main station is 3 Krasnoyarsk-Passazhirskiy, west of city center. There are left luggage services at the train station, but beware of long "breaks" taken by the operator. The service costs 100 руб per item per day. There are plenty of buses making the 10-minute ride between the train station and the city centre. The journey costs 25 руб. A taxi should cost 130 руб if negotiated in advance.

By bus Kransoyarsk Avtovokzal is the inter city bus station. Buses operate from nearby cities, including those in the Khakassia region. Buses from most nearby cities cost under 300 руб. You may even go as far as Kyzyl in the Tuvanese Republic.

By car The road connecting Vladivostok and Moscow, semi-officially called Moskovskyy Trakt (Московский тракт, Russian for the Moscow Way), passes through Krasnoyarsk. However, decent accommodation and eating establishments are hard to find along this road.

Getting around

Google maps can be used to plan trips around the city.

By public transport There are many public buses, costing 36 руб per trip. You may use the 2GIS app in order to know which bus to take, or simply ask a local. In large buses, the conductor walks among the passengers and asks for money from the new passengers. In a minibus, the conductor sits near the driver and gets paid before passengers exit (because of this the rear door is rarely opened). In a large bus, the conductor walks around with a roll of tickets in a hand, a belt purse and demands payment. PayWave contactless cards are accepted.

By taxi Taxis are plentiful but drivers rarely speak English. Negotiate prices in advance.

See

Views of the Yenisey River and the nearby Sayan Mountains covered by taiga forest are quite picturesque. 1 Krasnoyarsk Dam (Divnogorsk Dam). 124 m tall, 40 km southwest of Krasnoyarsk includes a power station and an aluminum smelting plant that benefits from the cheap electricity. The waterfall created by the dam is worth seeing. Reachable by taxi, elektrichka train or bus 106 to Divnogorsk (Дивногорск, "The Town of Wondrous Mountains") or, in the summer, by jet boat or hydrofoil.

Museums

2 Muzey-Usad'ba Surikova and 3 Surikov Art Museum are the museums of one of the greatest Russian painters who was born and lived in Krasnoyarsk until he moved to Moscow to become a member of the National Academy of Arts. The first is a two-story wooden house built in 1830 by the painter's father, Vasiliy Surikov was born and lived for many years in that house, the second is a later-built one-story house holding many of his works. 4 Krasnoyarsk Regional Museum, Dubrovinskogo Str. 84. A restored monumental building in an ancient Egyptian style. It holds a lot of good exhibitions on the history of the Krasnoyarsk Krai as well as many archeological artifacts. It also has a souvenir shop. 5 Culture and History Center (former Lenin Museum). Constantly presents various local and international exhibitions and events, all open to the public and sometimes free: fine art and photography by modern artists, art-house and independent movie festivals, museum nights with performances by young local artists, wax figure exhibitions, moving exhibitions from other cities, etc. The building is an incredibly interesting place to visit due to its original and atmospheric inside architecture.

Religious Buildings 6 Karaulnaya Gora (Караульная гора, Russian for 'The Watch Hill'), Karaulnaya street (Bus #32, #64, #74 and #88 to Ploschad Pobyedy (Площадь Победы, Russian for The Victory Plaza), from there walk the Stepana Razina Str. until you see the chapel). A large hill with the Paraskeva Pyatnitsa Chapel (Часовня Параскевы Пятницы) on its top is a symbol of the city depicted on the 10-ruble banknote. (updated Jul 2018)

Monuments 7 Andrey Dubensky Monument, located at the top of the Krasnyy Yar hill, near Partizana Zheleznyaka Str. 1. A monument to the Cossack leader Andrey Dubensky who founded the stockaded fort of Krasnyy Yar in 1628 by the order of Michael I. The monument was erected in 2003 to honor the 375th anniversary of the city. (updated Jul 2018) Flower monuments are to be found all over the city. Large figures (2–5m) made of flowers can be seen only in summer. The first f

Do

There are many hiking opportunities in the nearby forests, many of which offer nice viewpoints. It is recommended to have a guide for such an excursion as the trails are not well laid-out and there are plenty of dangers, including animals.

1 Stolby Nature Reserve (Заповедник Столбы, literally: Pillars) (take a bus to Hotel Snezhnaya Dolina (15 km southwest of the city center) and then walk up the 7-km trail or take the chairlift of the ski-resort (Фуникулёр; 250 руб)), ☏ +7 391 261-51-61. Stolby covers 470 km² in area, with many extraordinarily-shaped volcanic rock formations up to 100 m high. There are marked trails and an online map in Russian. All information on signs is in Russian. The chairlift trail is officially closed in 2020; others from the main entrance are open. (updated Sep 2023) 2 Roev Ruchey Zoo (Роев ручей, Russian: Royev's Brook) (1 bus stop west from the entrance to the Stolby Nature Reserve). Large animal collection, where animals live in a good environment. The most famous inhabitant is a polar bear called Sedov.

Festivals and events The City Day is celebrated every year in June, it is a spectacular show with a street carnival of different topics each year and evening fireworks. Lawnmower Racing Festival occurs in July and features races on lawnmowers, motorcycles, ATVs, jet skis, gliders, hang gliders, and helicopters. Also includes music concerts. APFest (Krasnoyarsk International Music Festival of the Asia-Pacific region). Last week of June. Theatre, ballet, concerts, street art, and other unique events. The Night of Ad Eaters, Opera and Ballet Theater (Perensona Str. 2). Annually in June. A collection of advertisement trailers by Jean Marie Boursicot is presented to the local elite starting at midnight. Over US$100. Krasnoyarsk Jazz-bike festival, 5 to 8 August . The first two days of this Program is jazz. Third day Program includes a lot of contests and music groups. Prepared interesting prizes. Special guest DJ "Elephant". Competitive program 7 August starting at 23:00. Walking rechargeable, Arm-wrestling, fight on Balance beam, Enduro, Swim on Rubber Women. Music program on August 7, launching at 19:00. Columns of bikers will gather at the sports complex on the island at 16:00 on 6 August.

Buy

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.

Entertainment centers and shopping malls Krasnoyarsk has a lot of huge trade-and-entertainment centers, similar to shopping malls, where you can find cinema theaters, restaurants, cafeterias and numerous large and small shops. The major centers are: Torgovyy Kvartal (Торговый Квартал, Russian for Trade Block) at Televizornaya Str. 1, Planeta (Планета, Russian for Planet) at Dyevyatogo Maya Str. 77 and Luch (Луч, Russian for Ray) at Karla Marksa Str. 149. Other large trading centers are Kvant (Квант, Russian for Quant) at Krasnoy Armii Str. 10, Yevraziya (Евразия, Russian for Eurasia) at Karla Marksa Str. 95-1 and Krasnoyarye (Красноярье, Russian for Places of Krasnoyarsk) at Krasnoyarskiy Rabochiy Str. 120.

Eat

There are plenty of restaurants in Krasnoyarsk. While there is no McDonald's, there are locations of KFC. There are many excellent Chinese restaurants on Mira street near the Theater of Musical Comedy.

Budget Syem Slona (Съем слона), Several locations. Chain of canteen-style cafeterias. All items are under 100 руб.

Mid-range Franky Woo Restaurant & Bar, Vzletnaya st., 57. On the 15th floor of an office building. Unique aviation theme. Mama Roma, Prospect Mira 50A, ☏ +7 391 266-10-72. 09:00-01:00. Italian food. Locations in 5 Russian cities. Shkvarok, Mira Ave., 102A. Ukrainian restaurant with a lot of character. Yakitoriya (Якитория), Oktyabrskaya, 7A, ☏ +7 391 2904060. Japanese food. 350 руб. Urartu Restaurant (Ресторан Урарту), Karla Marksa St., 14A, ☏ +7 391 291-80-13, fax: +7 391 291-80-14, [email protected]. Country-style wood tables with comfortable couches. Unique cuisine including rare local cheeses.

Splurge Balkan Grill (Балкан Гриль), Perensona 9 (Behind Krasnoyarsk Opera theater). Balkan food. Nice atmosphere, although the steaks are not top-notch. Baran i Biser (баран и бисер, Literally: Sheep and Beads), Mira #19, ☏ +7 391 290-40-40. Fantastic food and atmosphere. Central European, Georgian cuisine. Bakes bread in wood-fired oven. Svinya i Biser (Literally: Pig and Beads), Krasnoy Armii St., 16A. Great atmosphere and service. Shelf, 78 Dobrovolcheskoy Brigady St.#15; 2nd floor, Pervaya Bashnya Business Center, ☏ +7 (391 291-19-19. Mains: 500-1500 руб. Trattoria Formaggi @ Oktyabrskaya Hotel, Mira Ave., #15, ☏ +7 391 290-40-40. An excellent Italian restaurant, with English speaking waiters, excellent food and service. Menus with mouth-watering pictures. Try the Mediterranean Olives as starter!

Drink & nightlife

Cafes Yurta Teahouse, Sibirskaya, 92/4, ☏ +7 391 286 86 09. A really cool tea house in a large yurt! Pot of tea: 150 руб; Flame roasted and skewered chicken, meat and potatoes: 340 руб.

Bars Soho Bar, Mira #45, ☏ +7 391 227 75 06.

Nightclubs There are many nightclubs all over 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). Most cinemas have nightclubs as well. Beware of drug traffickers, which are present in most nightclubs; however, they usually don't disturb others unless approached.

Havana Club, ul. Bograda, 134. Includes 3 dance floors. Koloradsky Papa (Колорадский Папа), Krasnoyarsky Rabochy #160E, ☏ +7 391 269-55-96. Music Bar Loft, ul. Uritskogo, 94, ☏ +7 391 282-87-78. Harley's Bar (Бар Харлей), Molokova 56, ☏ +7 391 275-99-99. Free entrance before 23:00; afterwards 300 руб for girls and 500 руб for guys. Sterling Club (Стерлинг), Vzletnaja ul., d. 12, ☏ +7 391 228-01-01.

Sleep

Some hotels do not have English-speaking staff and may be in bad condition. Read reviews online and book in advance. It is also better to book accommodation in the city centre since certain outlying areas can be a bit dodgy. Most hotels and hostels offer free WiFi and many have computer terminals. Almost all accept credit cards. Hotels and hostels will usually provide a visa invitation and registration for an additional fee.

Budget

Hostels Hovel Hostel, ul. Lenina, 52, ☏ +7 929 309-40-20. 12-bed dorm: 525 руб; 8-bed dorm: 560 руб; 4-bed dorm: 600 руб; Double: 1350 руб. InDaHouse, st. Mihaila Godenko home 1, ☏ +7-950-305-05-05. 420 руб - 560 руб. (updated Mar 2017) Kiwi Hostel, Partizana Zheleznyaka 9g-17 (4th floor) (North of the city centre; Bus# 20, 30, 51, 60, 65, 77, 83, 85, 87, 91 or Trolleybus #7, 8, 11), ☏ +7 983 294 2626, [email protected]. 8-bed dorm: 450 руб; 6-bed dorm: 500 руб. Kvartira 55 (Квартира 55), Respubliki 42, ☏ +7 902 924-41-67. 6-bed dorm: 590 руб. Like Hostel, pr. Krasnoyarsky Rabochy 165G, ☏ +7 902 912-73-39. 6-bed dorm: 400 руб; 4-bed dorm: 450 руб. SibTourGuide Hostel, Mira street, building 85, apartment 72, ☏ +7 950 985 86 08. Check-in: 13:00, check-out: 12:00. Nice hostel. The owner will arrange tours to local villages, the Stolby Nature Reserve, the Tunguska explosion site, the Hydroelectric Power Station, and boat trips on the Yenisey river. Dorm bed: 700 руб; Single: 1000 руб; 300 руб fee for check-in after 9PM. Titmouse House, Mira street #120-35A; Staircase #5, 4th floor, ☏ +7 913 527-22-83. Check-in: 13:00, check-out: 12:00. 8-bed dorm: 500 руб; 6-bed dorm: 650 руб; Twin: 1600 руб.

Mid-range Amaks City Hotel, ул. Александра Матросова, 2 (Directly across the Kommunally Bridge), ☏ +7 391 276-19-00, toll-free: 8-800-555-5225 (in country only). Terrace with a nice view of the river. 295 rooms. From 3600 руб, breakfast included. Dom Hotel, ul. Krasnoy Armii, 16A (near the bus station), ☏ +7 391 290-6666, fax: +7 391 291-19-44, [email protected]. Good pub and café on site. From 3000 руб. Ogni Eniseya Hotel (гостиница Огни Енисея), ul. Dubrovinskogo, 80 (on the embankment of the Yenisey River, near the Regional Museum), ☏ +7 391 227-52-62. Single: From 2530 руб; Double: From 4000 руб. Sibirskiy Safari Klub (Сибирский Сафари Клуб), ул. Судостроительная, 117-А (On the south side of the river), ☏ +7 391 261-33-35, [email protected]. Scenic setting. Hotel includes a sauna, game room, and outdoor gazebos. Sky Hotel, Марковского, 45/1 (on the embankment of the Yenisey River, near the Reg

Go next

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 400 km South, 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 40 km west, near the Krasnoyarsk Hydroelectric Power Station.