Like everywhere in Siberia, the region is under-populated with only 1.2 people per square kilometer. Out of 2.3-million people in the Krai, close to one million live in the city of Krasnoyarsk, the administrative capital of the region.
Krasnoyarsk is a modern city with a well-developed infrastructure. City residents claim that none other than Anton Chekhov himself said Krasnoyarsk was Siberia’s most beautiful city.
Well, the famous writer was probably fascinated by the old Paraskeva Pyatnitsa Chapel displayed on the 10-ruble note.
The chapel hasn’t always been as beautiful as it is today. Before the arrival of the Cossacks, a pagan temple was situated on the hill where the chapel currently stands. When the Cossacks came to the area, they turned the temple into a watchtower to notify Krasnoyarsk residents about possible raids on the city.
The chapel was reconstructed during Soviet times and became one of the symbols of Krasnoyarsk. Today, tourists and newly married couples make sure to visit the Paraskeva Pyatnitsa Chapel.
Another cool thing in the city is its Eiffel Tower. Well, of course, it isn’t the actual Eiffel Tower, but an exact copy of it, albeit 20-times smaller than the original one. The 15-meter high Krasnoyarsk Eiffel Tower, just like its bigger sister, is illuminated at night.
Similar to Novosibirsk, Krasnoyarsk has its own educational district known as the Akademgorodok, where most of the city’s scientific and educational institutions are located. The Akademgorodok is perceived as a more green and privileged place where academics and intellectuals live, far from the city’s dirtier industrial parts.
Well, not everyone agreed with Chekhov that Krasnoyarsk was a beautiful city. A nephew of famous Russian poet Aleksandr Pushkin, for example, hated the city so much that he shot himself in the head. The young man came to Krasnoyarsk to work as an attorney, but he didn’t last long and in his state of depression he ended his life.
I think Pushkin’s nephew’s decision was a bit too radical, especially considering Krasnoyarsk is a pretty nice, developing city. The only major negative thing about Krasnoyarsk is the city’s poor environmental record.
As one of Russia’s largest aluminum producers, Krasnoyarsk has high emissions of air pollutants. When our team was in the city, a thick haze surrounded the city. According to locals, it’s a “normal thing” when it isn’t windy.
That’s definitely not cool; but apparently city authorities are working toward fixing the problem, trying to find a healthy balance between protecting the environment and economic development.
The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official position of Sputnik.
