Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky
Video: Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky
Basic moments
In the seaside town of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, the tourism and resort industry is actively developing. The main travel destinations are the picturesque national parks and reserves of Kamchatka. From here start expeditions of climbers conquering volcanic mountains, and teams of desperate extreme sports enthusiasts going rafting down wild rivers.
Guests of the city can expect hotels, restaurants and entertainment centers, interesting museums, and exciting excursions to the surrounding natural attractions. Thermal resorts have been built near Petropavlovsk, and extensive sandy beaches stretch along the ocean coast.
The difficult terrain and climatic conditions do not make it possible to build a highway that would connect Kamchatka with continental Siberia. Passenger sea communication between the peninsula and the cities of the Far East is not developed. You can only get to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky by air. An airport has been built here, receiving tens of thousands of tourists every year.
History of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky
The first Cossack detachment, sent from the distant kingdom of Moscow, reached the Kamchatka Peninsula in 1697. On the shore of Avachinskaya Bay, near the village of local residents from the Itelmen people, the Cossacks erected a fortified fort. It was not difficult to conquer and impose tribute on the natives who did not know firearms.
In October 1740, two sailing ships of the expedition of Commander Vitus Bering arrived here - “St. Apostle Peter" and "St. Apostle Paul." Both two-masted brigs with a displacement of 200 tons were built at the Okhotsk shipyard. On the long and dangerous journey from the North Atlantic to the Pacific, the small ships experienced hurricanes and weathered many storms. Captain Bering named the fortress the Peter and Paul fortress, in honor of his reliable ships. But the founder of the city is considered to be midshipman Ivan Elagin, who visited here on reconnaissance on the tiny boat “St. Archangel Gabriel" a few months earlier. His team set up a base here to receive the Bering expedition. Pioneer sailors explored the waters and shores of the bay, built log barracks and barns for food supplies.
In subsequent years, the harbor hospitably provided shelter for round-the-world expeditions of foreign sailors. In 1779, the British sailing ships "Discovery" and "Resolution" of the deceased captain James Cook visited here, and in 1787, frigates of the famous French navigator Count Jean-Francois de La Perouse moored at the piers of Avacha Bay.
Since 1812, the expanded village acquired the status of a city called “Peter and Paul Harbor” with the functions of the administrative center of Kamchatka. In August 1854, when the Crimean War was going on in the Black Sea region, the port of Petropavlovsk tried to capture troops landing from warships of Britain and France, which were then at war with Russia. The bay was defended by the frigate "Aurora" and the brig "Dvina", guns of coastal artillery batteries. The enemy marine assault was repulsed by a bayonet attack by the city's defenders. The decisive battle took place on the slopes of Nikolskaya Sopka. This campaign, which glorified Russian weapons, was called the “Peter and Paul Defense”.
The beginning of the last century was marked by intensive development of Petropavlovsk. New public and residential buildings appeared, the embankment was improved. In 1914, a drama theater opened in the city. The first film screenings in Kamchatka were also held in its hall. After the collapse of the Russian Empire in 1917, fighting continued for several years in Kamchatka between Red partisans and detachments of White Guards. Soviet power was established here in November 1922. In 1924, Petropavlovsk received the geographical clarification “Kamchatsky”.
The city expanded significantly in the 30-60s. Industrial enterprises and educational institutions appeared here, and large shipyards were built in the port. The borders of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky included villages of shipbuilders, sailors of the fishing fleet, and factory workers involved in processing the catch into gourmet pickles, smoked meats and canned food. In 1945, Peter and Paul Harbor served as a supporting port for Soviet Navy ships that cleared the Kuril Islands of Japanese militarists in the final months of World War II.
In the harbor of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky there is a large military base of the Pacific Fleet. Due to secrecy requirements during the Cold War, the city was closed to travelers for many decades. In the 2000s, they decided to lift strict restrictions, and Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky opened its doors to tourists. New monuments appeared on the streets, shopping centers and hotels were built. In 2022, the city embankment was reconstructed. But even today, special permission is required for walks in certain parts of Avachinskaya Bay and on the slopes of the coastal hills: military installations are located there. It is better to make excursions with local guides who will handle all the formalities.
Geography
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky is located on the southeastern coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula, in the Russian Far East. The regional center is separated from Moscow by 11,900 km. The port city was built on the hilly coast of the Avachinskaya Bay of the Pacific Ocean, the difference in the relief of the street buildings reaches 513 m.
Three volcanic hills rise above the city: Koryakskaya (3456 m), Avachinskaya (2741 m) and Kozelskaya (2189 m). The silhouettes of the smoking cones of these volcanoes are depicted on the coat of arms of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.
The Kamchatka Peninsula is located in an extremely seismically active zone, part of the Pacific Ring of Fire. Volcanic eruptions accompanied by earthquakes often occur here. So, at the beginning of 2022, the Klyuchevskoy volcano woke up. Ash and gases ejected from its mouth reached a height of 6 kilometers. Air traffic in the region was interrupted for some time.
There are hundreds of geothermal springs on the volcanic peninsula. In the Kronotsky Biosphere Reserve, 180 km northeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, there is a miracle of nature - the Valley of Geysers, included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. This location is difficult to access; tourists are taken there by helicopter.
Thermal springs are active in the mountainous surroundings of the regional capital. Wellness pools with warm mineral water are located, for example, at the Solnechnaya tourist center, which is 10 km from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Many more health centers and rest houses have been built near the thermal water outlets in the area. The Paratunka thermal resort is located 60 km from the regional center. There are hotel buildings with treatment rooms, a dining room, a mud bath, and three swimming pools with healing sodium sulfate water. The baths are fed by natural springs with temperatures ranging from +37 °C to +42.5 °C. The sanatorium has two publicly accessible warm swimming pools for everyone; local residents come here to swim in summer and winter. There are greenhouses built nearby where vegetables and herbs are grown all year round.
Boiling water from wells heats houses in local villages. In 2006, to the south of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, on the slopes of the Mutnovskaya volcanic hill, the buildings of the most powerful geothermal power plant in Russia were erected, using steam from 12 deep wells drilled into boiling underground aquifers.
Flora and fauna
Mixed forests grow on the slopes of the mountains surrounding Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. The undergrowth is densely covered with dwarf cedar and berry bushes. It is interesting that Kamchatka berries, for example cranberries or lingonberries, differ in taste from fruits growing in continental forests. This is facilitated by the volcanic soil, rich in minerals. In the floodplains of the rivers, alder groves rustle, willows and poplars grow. Above are alpine meadows. In spring they are covered with marvelous carpets of poppies, lilies, irises, fireweed and dozens of types of other flowers. Beyond the meadows, rocky mountain tundra stretches to the tops of the hills, where only mosses and lichens survive.
Brown bears and reindeer, foxes and wolverines, wolves and lynxes are found in the forests; Kamchatka sable and ermine are preserved. Unfortunately, river otters have almost been exterminated, and hunting them is now prohibited. Bighorn sheep live on the rocky slopes.
Climate
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky is located in a zone of humid oceanic climate, close to monsoon. The weather in the city, built at the foot of the mountains on the ocean shore, is extremely changeable. Strong winds often blow from the sea, and real hurricanes occur.
Winters here are noticeably milder than in neighboring Siberia, and there is a lot of snow. Mountains protect Petropavlovsk from the breath of the Arctic. The average temperature in January is –7 °C. But it’s not hot here either in July: +18…+20 °C. The short and rainy summer comes to the city late, in July, and at the beginning of September it becomes autumn-like. The first frosts are observed in early November, but unexpected warming up to +10 °C can please city residents in December.
The temperature of ocean water off the coast in July-September is +12…+16 °C. Swimming here is uncomfortable, but you can sunbathe, breathe the sea breeze, admiring the expanses of the Pacific Ocean and the mountainous landscapes of Kamchatka. By the way, tourists say that the local tan lasts longer than the Sochi or Crimean one.
Sights of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky
At the entrance to the capital of Kamchatka from the airport, guests are greeted by a stele with images of the famous Bering ships, which gave the name to Petropavlovsk. The road leads to the Central Square, where flagpoles stand around the stele in honor of the awarding of the title “City of Military Glory” to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky (2016). Not far from the main square of the city, on the narrow Ozernovskaya spit separating Kultuchnoye Lake from the ocean, a monument to the apostles Peter and Paul was erected in 2005. Bronze figures of saints support a 6-meter Orthodox cross. This expressive sculptural composition has become the hallmark of the capital of Kamchatka. An Orthodox church, built in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky in 1992, was consecrated in honor of the apostles.
A stone's throw from the monument to the apostles there is an elegant city embankment, laid along Avachinskaya Bay. Here you can see a sculpture of an overweight seal, as if crawling out of the ocean to bask in the sun. You can admire the expanses of water and the surf of the salty wave from the observation deck, where the wind rose is indicated. From here stairs lead to one of the city beaches. Another popular observation deck is located nearby, on the top of Mishennaya Sopka, rising 382 m above the bay. Here you will get impressive panoramic photos.
On the slopes of Nikolskaya Sopka there are memorial signs in honor of the Peter and Paul Defense of 1854, when the garrison repelled the attack of the Anglo-French fleet. Ancient cannons are placed on the parapets of the artillery battery.
Sailors and travelers honor the heavenly patron of wanderers, St. Nicholas. In the park on Krasintsev Street, near the chapel in honor of the defenders of the harbor, since 2008 there has been a bronze sculpture of the saint, dressed in the vestments of the Bishop of Myra.
The streets of the city are decorated with monuments to outstanding navigators whose destinies were connected with Kamchatka. In the park on central Leninskaya Street in 1827, a monument to Vitus Bering was erected. The composition is a cast-iron column resembling the barrel of a ship's gun; the base is framed with cast laurel wreaths. On the same street in the 19th century, a memorial sign was erected in honor of the French navigator de La Perouse. On a stone pyramid with an image of a sailboat lies a block of stone entwined with a black cast-iron chain with a massive anchor. The inscription: “In memory of La Perouse,” as well as the date: “1787,” is carved on the boulder. Both monuments were moved here from the coast of Avacha Bay in the 1930s. Nearby stands a granite obelisk in honor of Captain Charles Clarke, a member of Cook's expedition who took command after the death of the commander. The sailor died of scurvy on board the brig Discovery off the coast of Kamchatka; he was buried in Petropavlovsk.
A variety of museums await travelers in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. You should start getting acquainted with the history and cultural heritage of the peninsula by visiting the Museum of Local Lore (Leninskaya St., 20). The collection was founded in 1911; today the collections contain about 100,000 exhibits. The history of the city is presented here; a prominent place is occupied by authentic items, navigation instruments and maps that belonged to members of Vitus Bering's expedition. Archaeological artifacts, ethnographic collections, and materials about the flora and fauna of Kamchatka are collected in separate rooms. There is a souvenir kiosk. The museum is open from 11:00 to 18:00, the entrance ticket costs 170 rubles. You can join a group excursion for 250 rubles.
The Kamchatka Art Museum is located nearby. The gallery presents works of local artists, sculptors, and original objects of applied art. The exhibition is open from 10:00 to 18:00, the entrance ticket costs 100 rubles.
The military history of the navy is reflected in the exhibits of the Military History Museum of the Kamchatka Flotilla (Radio Communications Street, 69). Collections of weapons, military awards, and ship models attract attention on display. The museum invites visitors from 10:00 to 17:00; entry costs 100 rubles.
Those wishing to learn more about the treasures hidden in the rocks of the peninsula can visit the Geological Museum (117 Bering St.). Gold and silver deposits, deposits of valuable metals and minerals have been explored in Kamchatka. The rarest black diamonds, carbonados, were discovered in frozen magma flows on the slopes of volcanoes. Tours are conducted by professional geologists. Cost – 150 rubles per person.
On Klyuchevskaya Street, 34, the multimedia museum “Vulcanarium” is located. Interactive exhibitions tell about the fire-breathing mountains of Kamchatka and the famous volcanoes of planet Earth. Here are collections of rocks erupted from the depths, samples of plants adapted to life on volcanic hills. Films about eruptions are shown in the cinema hall. The cost of an adult ticket is 1000 rubles, a child ticket is 600 rubles. Guide services are offered for 3,500 rubles. You can pick up an audio guide at the ticket office (800 rubles). The museum has a café and a souvenir kiosk. As souvenirs, you can buy a candle imitating a volcanic eruption, bracelets and earrings made from pieces of polished magma, T-shirts with prints, and magnets. The museum doors are open from 10:00 to 20:00 daily.
Beaches
The most popular beach among city residents is located in Malaya Lagernaya Bay, south of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, near the suburban village of Zavoiko, in the lighthouse area. The shore of the bay is sandy, the descent into the water is convenient. Here you can go fishing, catch crabs, and have a picnic. There are several similar beaches in the vicinity of the city, but all of them are not equipped.
14 km north-west of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, on a smooth bend of Avachinsky Bay, begins the extensive Khalaktyrsky beach, stretching along the ocean for 43 km. The coast, 800-1000 m wide, is strewn with crystals of fine black sand. This miracle of nature appeared tens of thousands of years ago as a result of a volcanic eruption. Geologists have found that the sand consists of igneous rocks containing titanium, vanadium, iron and other minerals.
A small part of the coast is equipped with wooden decks, benches, and dry closets. Vacationers take everything they need with them, including snacks and drinks. There are no rental points for beach and sports equipment here. Khalaktyrsky Beach often experiences strong surf, making it an excellent place for surfing. The surrounding area of the beach is extremely picturesque. In the tundra, running up to the foothills of the hills, there are entire fields of evergreen creeping shrubs ciksha (bear berry), climbing honeysuckle, and lingonberries. A dirt road leads here, but there is no public transport to the beach. The nearest commuter bus stop is in the village of Dolinovka, from where you have to walk for at least 45 minutes. You can get from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky to Khalaktyrsky Beach by car (there is parking) or by taxi (1000-1500 rubles).
Several beaches are located on the freshwater Paratunka lakes. In summer, there is a boat station on the reservoirs, there are sports grounds, and solariums with sun loungers.
Entertainment in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky is the starting point for fishing and hunting tours, extreme rafting on mountain rivers, and mountaineering expeditions. In the summer, local travel agencies organize boat trips along Avacha Bay on motor ships and private boats. Tourists are offered one-day hikes to the slopes of the Kozelsky and Avachinsky volcanoes. Difficult ascents to the steep rocks of the Koryak Hill are accessible only to trained climbers with the appropriate equipment. Mountaineering camps operate in the mountains all year round, and ski resorts operate in winter.
Fishermen are captivated by the exciting Kamchatka fishing. The coastal ocean waters and freshwater bodies of the peninsula are home to up to 500 species of fish, including salmon, perch, cod, herring, grayling, and halibut.
On Khalaktyrsky Beach, 15 km from the city, in the summer the culinary competition “Golden Cauldron” is held, surfing competitions and music festivals are held. In 2022, the Pacific Ocean Jazz Fest was organized here for the first time, attracting thousands of spectators. The musicians present original jazz compositions with motifs from the ethnic music of the indigenous peoples of Kamchatka.
In Mokhovaya Bay, south of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, there is a protected sea lion rookery. You can observe marine animals as part of a group excursion.
The Miracle Island water park is open at the Paratunka thermal resort. There are 5 swimming pools, slides, attractions, a sauna and hammam. There is a café-bar by the pool, serving drinks and hot dishes. An adult ticket costs 1000 rubles, for a child you need to pay 600 rubles. After 19:00 tickets are sold at half the price.
One-day excursions to the Koryak ethno-village Kainyran, built 40 km from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, are popular among travelers. The bus ride takes about an hour. The camp is located on the shore of the lake, at the foot of a picturesque volcanic hill. Here tourists can expect a colorful show with songs and dances, horseback riding (in winter - on a sleigh with dog sleds), and walks around the surrounding area. For lunch, a table with treats is set in the leader's yaranga. As a souvenir of your visit to the Bear House (this is how the name of the camp is translated), the local shop offers souvenirs, national costumes, and fish delicacies.
One of the evenings can be devoted to visiting a performance at the Kamchatka Drama and Comedy Theater. The building was completely reconstructed in 2010, modern stage equipment was installed here, and the interiors were updated. The city website “Afisha” regularly reports on the troupe’s repertoire and events in theatrical life.
The latest world cinema is shown in multiplex cinemas occupying the upper floors of the Pyramid and Shamsa shopping centers. While waiting for the show, you can have a snack, look for souvenirs, and keep your children busy with games in the entertainment centers.
Purchases
There are several food markets in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. The indoor fish market is located near Komsomolskaya Square. You will be surprised by the variety of gifts from the Pacific Ocean and Kamchatka rivers laid out on the shelves. As delicious Kamchatka souvenirs, tourists buy here smoked and salted fish and canned food - such products will not spoil on the long journey home. The most popular delicacies are crab meat (1,600 rubles/kg), dried flounder caviar, smoked chinook salmon, lightly salted sockeye salmon and halibut fillet, salted coho salmon caviar, yukola (dried chum salmon). From fresh fish and shrimp on the stove in the hotel kitchenette, you can prepare your own dishes for a gourmet dinner. You will find other necessary products in the nearby shopping mall. The market is open daily from 09:00 to 17:00.
In the city's souvenir shops, the products of the indigenous peoples of the peninsula attract attention. The choice is especially wide in the Shaman salon on Leningradskaya Street, 49. It offers carved items made of wood, stone and bone, idol figurines, amulets, boxes, jewelry, and deer antlers. Good women's bags and accessories made of finely crafted leather. Decorative shamanic tambourines, sets of warm fur national clothing are sold, and winter bear coats and hats can protect against the most severe frosts.
Cafes and restaurants
There are about a hundred restaurants, cafes and snack bars open in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. The atmospheric ethnic restaurant “Kelylan” (Telmana St., 42/1) invites you to taste dishes of the national cuisine of the indigenous people of Kamchatka. In the evenings, ethnographic shows are held here, and national music and songs of the Kamchadals are played. Artists dressed in exotic costumes engage guests in dancing, teach them how to play musical instruments, and take part in photo sessions with pleasure. A visit to the restaurant will leave a lasting impression. The average bill for a hearty feast is 6,000 rubles per person.
In the restaurants of the city on the shores of the Pacific Ocean, of course, you should enjoy seafood dishes. Among the best establishments with fish cuisine are the Boulevard restaurants (67 Pobedy Ave.), Pastrami Kamchatka (23 Karl Marx Ave.). The check for lunch will be at least 2500 rubles per person. You can taste the delights of Japanese cuisine at the Kyoto sushi restaurant on Leninskaya Street, 32. The cost of main courses is 110-700 rubles. Korean cuisine is represented at the Korea House restaurant, located next door in a historical building on the same street.
Italian cuisine is excellently prepared by the chefs of the restaurants “Da Vinci” (50 Let Oktyabrya Ave., 16/1) and “San Marino” (Karl Marx Ave., 29/1). The price range in these establishments is 380-1450 rubles.
Thrifty tourists will be quite satisfied with the prices in the cafe at the Geyser Hotel, located on Toporkova Street, 10. Three-course set lunches cost 370 rubles. The McCam Burger fast food restaurant, located on Leningradskaya Street, 74, is also popular. Hamburgers with meat and fish cutlets, bacon, cheese and vegetables are popular here (105-490 rubles). The menu includes soups and broths, Italian pizza, Japanese rolls and sushi, Ossetian pies, Adjarian khachapuri with cheese, Russian pancakes, salads - about 100 dishes in total. For dessert, milkshakes, berry fruit drinks, juices, ice cream, and cheesecakes are offered. You can also order packaged food with disposable picnic tableware here. The establishment is open daily from 11:00 to 22:00.
Not far from Makkam, you can have a very inexpensive, satisfying and tasty lunch in the student cafe “Stolovka” (Leningradskaya St., 102), located in the building of the medical college. Cafe-confectionery "Penguin" on Sovetskaya Street, 38, is a favorite place for those with a sweet tooth. The assortment includes several types of ice cream; cakes, pastries, various desserts, preserves and jams are offered for tea and coffee.
Where to stay
There are few hotels in the regional center, but enterprising townspeople rent out equipped apartments and apartments. Resort sanatoriums, guest houses, and tourist centers have been built in the nearby suburbs.
The most luxurious hotel in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky is Hotel Dolce Vita, on Toporkova Street, 5/1. Visiting celebrities and foreign guests stay here. The hotel's elegant interiors are decorated in Art Deco style. Breakfast includes a variety of dishes, excellent coffee, sandwiches with red caviar and crab meat. There is a conference room in the building. The price range for daily accommodation is 5687-8239 rubles.
You can rent a room with all amenities cheaper at the Geyser Hotel, located next door (Toporkova St., 10). Cost of accommodation – from 4495 rubles, breakfast included.
The Petropavlovsk 3* hotel, located in the northern part of the city, on Karl Marx Avenue, 31-A, is popular. The business center of the regional capital is located in this area, large shopping complexes have been built, and it is not far from here to the fish market. Hotel guests have at their disposal a restaurant, a beauty salon, and massage rooms. In the lobby there is a souvenir shop and a travel agency that offers excursions throughout Kamchatka. The hotel building has 70 rooms, the cost of living is from 4,000 to 7,499 rubles per day.
In the center of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky there is the Brusnika hostel (50 Let Oktyabrya Ave., 28). An overnight stay in a 6-bed room will cost 1823-2625 rubles. Guests prepare meals in a shared kitchen; there is a dining room nearby. A few blocks away, on Wojcieszka Street 3-A, there is Friends Hostel. There is a bar and a shared TV lounge, and breakfast is available. There are shared and double rooms with private bathrooms. The cost of living is from 2800 rubles.
Even cheaper, you can rent a room in the Tenisty hostel, built on the slopes of the hill (Pervomaiskaya St., 4). The city center is 15 minutes on foot. The rooms are equipped with kitchenettes, TVs, coffee makers, and safes. Bathroom and shower room for common use. It offers views of the harbor and city. In winter, skis and sleds are available for rent. The cost of living is from 1150 rubles. Orders for breakfast are accepted (450 rubles).
On the picturesque Khalaktyrsky beach, right on the ocean coast, there is a Kam Relax camping site, where you can stay for a couple of days in a 2-4-bed bungalow with a bedroom and a living room. The campsite has secure parking, a tent with a TV, a sauna, a shared kitchen, and barbecues. A light breakfast is served every morning. Romantic couples and groups of surf lovers come here. The cost of renting a house is from 14,000 rubles per day. A little closer to the city (14 km) is the GlampStory Kamchatka tent camping site. Here you can have a picnic near the surf line and spend the night in a double tent for 13,000 rubles.
There are also several hotels near the airport in the city of Elizovo. Before an overnight flight, it is convenient to stay at the 3* Aerohotel, built just 2 km from the departure terminal. The rooms have refrigerators and TVs. Bathrooms and toilets are equipped with necessary hygiene items and bathrobes. The cost of daily accommodation in a standard room is from 4,500 rubles, in a suite – 9,100 rubles. Breakfast in a restaurant will cost 550 rubles.
On Vinokurova Street, 1-A, there is the guest house “Heart of the Volcano”. The rooms have showers and toilets. The hotel has a sauna, and there is a Chaikhona restaurant next to the building. You can rent a double room for 6,000 rubles, a room for 4 beds will cost 10,000 rubles.
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Transport
Urban transport in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky is represented by buses, minibuses, and taxis. Buses go to nearby cities and towns. Due to the mountainous landscape of the peninsula, the network of highways is poorly developed. There are no more than 300 km of paved highways; other regional roads are gravel and are in poor condition. Tours to remote protected areas are carried out by off-road vehicles and helicopters. There is no railway transport in Kamchatka.
How to get there
Aeroflot planes fly from Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. The flight lasts 8 hours 25 minutes, the ticket price starts from 14,300 rubles. Planes arrive at Yelizovo Airport named after Vitus Bering, also known as Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Airport. It is located 32 km northwest of the regional capital. The air harbor is connected by air to Krasnoyarsk, Vladivostok, Irkutsk, Novosibirsk, Blagoveshchensk and other Far Eastern cities of the country. Buses No. 102 and 104 run from the airport, and you can also get to the city by taxi.
Calendar of low prices for air tickets
Infrastructure condition
If you imagine Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky as a big dog, and the city infrastructure as a dog’s paws, then the dog will turn out to be lame. The city has terrible roads. Nobody wants to lay more durable concrete, preferring asphalt to it. Light seismic tremors are common in this area. As a result, the asphalt is always cracked. Where there are cracks, holes eventually appear. Nobody patches holes for a long time. They collect taxes from residents regularly, but do not use them for their intended purpose. Maybe they are building an underground bunker with these funds? Where were all the townspeople able to escape after the end of the world? Unknown.
All utilities in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky are very expensive. Electricity costs 3.47 rubles per kilowatt. Hot water - 18 rubles per cubic meter, cold water - 6 rubles. Such prices are explained by the fact that no one wants to receive energy from wind in Kamchatka. The energy of sea tides is also not used in any way. Only thermal power plants remain. City boiler houses cannot cover the entire city. Many microdistricts have their own stokers, where people who did not do well at school work. Stokers create a lot of smoke in the sky and, in unfavorable winds, can blow into someone’s apartment.
The main type of transport in the city is a bus, and a small bus. The bus traffic pattern resembles the sun. All routes depart from the city center, and two more run along the perimeter of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. In fact, for a small city located on a large territory it is very difficult to come up with something more convenient. The grooves, by the way, are very old and often break down, and sometimes they can’t handle the climb uphill.
There are enough kindergartens, as well as schools. At the end of the eighties, there were a hundred thousand more people living in the city and the entire infrastructure was built for them. Now there are even empty kindergartens. This is not Moscow, the vacant premises here are of no interest to anyone. If you walk around the city, you can count several dozen empty buildings.
The sheets used to decorate houses rust over time.
Despite this, real estate in the city is quite expensive. Rent an apartment daily on Khreshchatyk, in Kyiv, costs the same as in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Kamchatka does not yet reach Moscow prices, but there will be more. A one-room apartment without any frills costs an average of two million rubles in the city. A two-room apartment costs five hundred thousand more, a three-room apartment costs a million.
Mountain ranges and hills
An amazing and picturesque place near the city of Petropavlovsk (about 80 km) is the Vachkazhets mountain range. It belongs to the Yuzhno-Bystrinsky ridge and is included in the “List of specially protected natural areas of regional and local significance of the Kamchatka Territory.”
Its name comes from the ancient Ietelmen word “Vachkagach”, which means “Flowing from a stone ridge”.
After the volcanic eruption, the massif was divided into three peaks: Letnyaya Poperechnaya and Vachkazhtsy. At the moment, the volcano is considered inactive. Many species of plants and animals living in this place are listed in the Red Book. In the circuses of the massif there are glacial lakes - Takhkoloch and Nikolskoye. There are many tourist routes along Vachkazhets.
On the map of Russia, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky is washed by Pacific waters on one side, and bordered by many hills and active volcanoes on the other. The hills are located about 30 km. from Petropavlovsk, local residents call them “Home Volcanoes”. Their peaks are visible from anywhere in the city. This group of volcanoes includes: Avachinskaya Sopka, Koryakskaya and Vilyuchinskaya.
Avachinskaya Sopka rises to 2741 m, the diameter of its crater is 400 m. It belongs to the group of active volcanoes of Kamchatka, its formation took place over 30 thousand years. The base of the volcano consists of basalt and andesite rocks, and its top is covered with an ice cap. Since 1700, the volcano has erupted 15 times, the last eruption being in January 1991.
Avachinskaya Sopka
Koryakskaya Sopka is one of the active volcanoes of Russia, its height is 3456 m, it is the highest volcano on the map of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky in the Avacha group. Its ancient crater is completely filled with glacier. The modern crater has a diameter of 200 m and a depth of 20–30 m.
The hill consists of basalt-andesitic rocks and has a conical shape; it belongs to the stratovolcanic group.
In the 17th century the hill was called Strelochnaya. In the area, local residents collected volcanic glass for household use. Later, in the 19th century, an ancient people settled at the foot of the volcano - the Koryaks and the hill began to be called Koryak. Scientists have found that over 7000 years the volcano erupted about 7 times. The last activity was in 2008, but lava did not reach the surface.
The Koryak hill was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1996.
KORYAK SOPKA
Vilyuchinskaya Sopka is located southwest of the city on the territory of the South Kamchatka Natural Park. Its height is 2173 m, the hill is considered an extinct stratovolcano, and gas-vapor clouds often appear above its top. On the northern side, among the cones of the hill, there are lakes – Topolovoe and Zelenoe. In the eastern part there are hot springs and Vilyuchinsky waterfall.
Vilyuchinskaya Sopka is a popular place among tourists; in winter you can go snowboarding, snow scootering or skiing here.
Physiographic characteristics
A feature of the relief is constant ascents and descents, due to the large number of hills. The height difference from the lowest point to the highest is 513.6 m from sea level.
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky on the map of Russia is a zone of seismic activity of volcanoes, so small earthquakes are not uncommon here. Also frequent phenomena on the peninsula are: mudflows, snow avalanches, rising river levels, and heavy rains.
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky is a mountainous area surrounded by volcanoes
The time zone according to the international standard, called Kamchatka time, differs from Moscow time by a difference of +9 hours.
History of the city and etymology of the name
The first Russian settlement appeared in the 17th century. On the shore of the bay, the Tsar's Cossacks founded buildings in which they stored furs collected as a tax from the local population. The founder of the city is considered to be officer I.F. Elagin. With his soldiers, he arrived on the coast of the peninsula in order to find suitable places for the wintering of large sea vessels.
On October 17, 1740, the ships of the Russian fleet officer V. Bering sailed to the shores of Kamchatka. They decided to name the founded fort Petropavlovsky, in honor of the ships of the Bereng expedition - “St. Apostle Peter” and “St. Apostle Paul”.
Almost 40 years later, English and French ships of famous sailors and travelers stopped off the shores of the fort. The main growth and development of the city began after Catherine the Great issued a decree on strengthening the distant borders of Russia. In 1812 the fort was renamed Peter and Paul Harbor.
In 1849, the Kamchatka region was formed, and Peter and Paul Harbor became the regional center. In 1851 the number of residents began to increase and after a few years there were 1,600 people. In 1924, the city began to bear the name Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.
Lava caves
The famous lava caves of Gorely volcano are located 75 km away. from the city, in the northern part of the volcano, their age is 2,000 years. The longest cave has a length of 140 m, and the shortest is 16 m; there are currently 14 caves in total.
They appeared as a result of frequent volcanic eruptions. Lava flowed down the slopes in a rapid stream and, as the upper layer cooled, peculiar grottoes formed. The caves most visited by tourists are called “Dark” and “Grotto”.
There are lava caves in the area of the Tolbachik volcano; there are a little more than 10 caves there. The last of them were opened after the 2013 eruption. Not all caves are accessible for visiting, since in some the air temperature reaches -20–30 °C.
The highest cave is called “Kholodnaya”, the height of the vault is more than 10 m. The “Beautiful” cave got its name for the many multi-colored stalactites on the ceiling. You can get to the volcanoes by car or helicopter. The ascent will take from 3 to 6 hours and is suitable even for tourists who do not have special training.
Spring springs and geysers
There are about 150 large springs on the territory of Kamchatka, the closest to Petropavlovsk are Malkinskie and Paratunka.
Paratunka springs are located 60 km away. from Petropavlovsk - Kamchatsky, they are divided into several groups: Upper - Paratunka, Middle - Paratunka and Nizhne - Paratunka. The water in the springs contains a large amount of silicic acid. Helps in the treatment of diseases of the skin, musculoskeletal system and nervous system.
Malkinsky springs
Malkinsky springs are located near the village of Malki, 130 km. from the city, in the valley of the Klyuchevka River. In a small valley 0.5 km wide. There are thermal springs with hydrocarbonate-chloride-sulfate water, the temperature in them reaches 80 ° C. Visitors here are treated for diseases of the cardiovascular system, musculoskeletal system, nervous system and ENT organs.
You can get to the place by bus or car, and stay at a recreation center or in a tent camp.
120 km from the city, in the area of the Mutnovsky volcano, there is the Small Valley of Geysers. A fumoral field is located in a small area; it consists of natural holes in the ground through which hot steam and air pass. Near the valley are the Dachnye thermal springs and the Mutnovskaya geothermal power plant.
Small Valley of Geysers.
Despite the name, there are no real gushing geysers here; you can see them in the Kronnotsky Nature Reserve, and you can get there by helicopter.
Interesting facts about the city
- The main construction began in 1960 during Soviet industrialization.
- All buildings in the city are no higher than 5 floors, due to frequent earthquakes.
- The city produces about 80% of the industry of the Kamchatka Territory.
- Included in the list of cities of historical value.
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky is one of the most ancient cities on the map of Russia. Over the course of several decades, the city has turned into a cultural and historical center of the Far East, with developed infrastructure and industry.
Article design: Vladimir the Great
