Khabarovsk - the capital of the Amur River region

Many people consider a pioneer Yerofey Khabarov as the founder of Khabarovsk, although this is not so. Khabarov traveled extensively in Siberia, but he did not reach the place of the present Khabarovsk. The military post named Khabarovka was founded in May 1858 by the order of the Governor-General of Eastern Siberia Nikolay Muravyov. For his services in the development of the Far East he was awarded the title of Count Amursky. Now in Khabarovsk there is Muravyov-Amursky Street and a monument to him.

The settlement Khabarovka was growing rapidly. Already in 1893 it was transformed into the city of Khabarovsk. By this time the city had already been visited by members of the imperial family, including the future Emperor Nicholas II as well as the writer Anton Chekhov. The events of the Russo-Japanese War showed the government the need to develop the Far East. And in 1913 the construction of a bridge across the Amur River began under Khabarovsk. The flying bridge, which became a part of the Trans-Siberian Railway, was called the «Amur miracle»: it was the longest bridge in the Old World. Now it is depicted on a Russian monetary denomination worth five thousand rubles.

Khabarovsk grew and became the capital of the Far Eastern Military District, called to withstand Japan, the most possible enemy of Russia of that time. Already after the defeat of Japan in World War II the last Emperor of Manchuria Puyi was kept near Khabarovsk, on Khabarovsk Zaimka (a separate private mansion), the life story of which is depicted in the famous film «The Last Emperor» by Bernardo Bertolucci. The house in which he was kept is now called the «Imperial Palace». In the second half of the twentieth century Khabarovsk developed as a cultural and industrial center of the Far East. It was here at the local shipyard that Raketa high speed hydrofoils were produced. They were famous for the entire Soviet Union.

Khabarovsk is a border town. And this is felt everywhere. The territory of China is visible from the Amur cliff — an observation platform on the Amur embankment, and Chinese TV channels are freely accepted in the city. On the streets of Khabarovsk one can often meet citizens of neighboring China. Due to the proximity of China and Korea there are many Chinese restaurants in Khabarovsk as well as cafes with Korean cuisine. Here one can taste taksa — fish pate, which is often served on a plate with berries. Another popular local dish is byansi — fish dumplings. They are served with broth or sour cream. Among the delicacies of Khabarovsk cuisine is the Far Eastern salad. It is similar in ingredients to the traditional salad «Olivier», beloved throughout Russia, but instead of sausage or meat keta salmon fillets are used here.

May is the best time for visiting Khabarovsk. Sakura blossoms in the park on the bank of the Amur at this time, and fountains begin to work in city parks and squares. The city hosts the Far East CrossFit Games when representatives of different sports compete in strength and dexterity. The Day of the city is noisily celebrated on the last Sunday of the last spring month. Festively decorated Khabarovsk will remain in your memory for a long time. They also like to celebrate here the days associated with professional army holidays, as the city is the center of the Far Eastern Military District.

Khabarovsk was repeatedly recognized as the most comfortable city of Russia! And of course it is important to bear in mind that the city is good in the warm season from May to August because winter is quite severe here and the temperature can drop to minus 40 degrees.

Get directions

Khabarovsk International Airport is the largest in the Far East. Therefore it is best to get to Khabarovsk from the central part of Russia by plane. Flights of two airlines — Aeroflot and VIM Airlines are regularly sent from Moscow. The flight time is about 8 hours. The airline S7 carries out flights to Khabarovsk from Novosibirsk and Irkutsk. There are also flights from Beijing, Seoul, Bangkok and Tokyo to Khabarovsk. One can go to Khabarovsk by train as well. Traveling from Moscow by train will take 5-6 days depending on the train, its comfort and timetable.