It’s deep night for residents of central Russia, and residents of Khabarovsk are already rushing to work. The city is located 30 kilometers from the border with China, a different time zone, by which one can judge how far the administrative center of the Far Eastern District and Khabarovsk Territory is located from the capital of the Russian Federation - 8 thousand kilometers. If you are ready to spend more than eight hours in the air and the same number of days traveling by rail, enjoy your acquaintance with the large Far Eastern center!
History of the city of Khabarovsk
The name of the city Khabarovsk is associated with the name of the explorer Khabarov, a former peasant. Erofey Khabarov heard rumors about the wealth of Daurova land (Amur region), and he set off to look for untold riches following the expedition of Vasily Poyarkov. Desperate explorers discovered a short route to the Amur, gathered a small detachment and set off along the Urka River, down to the Amur. Nowadays the Erofey Pavlovich railway station is located here.
Their deserted cities were greeted by appanage princes who, having heard about the campaign of the conquerors, hastily left the inhabited areas. The expedition continued for several years, many died in battles with Manchu troops. Khabarov himself, although he settled Dauria with Russian people, fell into disgrace with the tsar and was placed in the Yakut prison. But the border post on the banks of the conquered Amur, near the Chinese border, received the name Khabarovka a century later.
At the end of the 19th century, the city of Khabarovsk became the center of the Primorsky region. In Soviet times, it received the status of the capital of the Far Eastern Territory, and then of Khabarovsk. The population of the city at that time barely exceeded 50 thousand people.
The real flourishing of the region occurred in the middle of the last century: industry was created, trams appeared on the city streets, institutes, a theater, and the first museums began to operate.
In new history, the city is experiencing a rebirth in connection with the Russia-EU summit. Today Khabarovsk is the largest industrial, scientific and cultural center in the Far East, closely connected by sister cities with Japan, China, Korea, and Canada.
Monument to Khabarov
- Erofey Khabarov.
There is a legend that initially the monument was located so that Erofei’s back was facing the station, but the authorities considered this unsightly for visitors, so they turned it around. Actually this is not true. The monument always faced the station.
- A cap
Khabarovsk residents love to ask tourists the question of in which hand Erofei Khabarov, whose monument is erected next to the station, holds his hat. In fact, the question is tricky, because the hat is on his head. This is how Khabarovsk residents like to confuse tourists.
Climate and ecology of Khabarovsk
Considering the proximity of the sea and several waterways in the city itself, the climate of Khabarovsk is sharply continental, somewhat similar to Siberian. In winter, the air is dry, the temperature stays between 20-25 degrees. Precipitation is rare, as in summer. But disasters happen: a flood in the summer of 2013 and unimaginable snowstorms in the winter of 2015. In winter there are rare days with temperatures of at least 40 degrees. But this is rather an exception; usually stable temperatures remain around minus 20.
Summer is moderately warm 20-25 degrees. The heat in the seaside city lasts no more than 3 weeks. The thermometer then shows 30-35 degrees. Townspeople rush to the sea, just like during the velvet season, which begins in late August and early September. Sea water warms up to 25 degrees.
Pleasant weather and relaxation are disrupted by the invasion of ticks and midges. This period in the Far East lasts from May to September.
The ecology does not cause any particular distress to the townspeople: the wind from the Amur does a grateful job of dispersing the smog. Only when there is no wind do citizens sometimes feel that the air in Khabarovsk is polluted. However, emissions from vehicles do not significantly exceed permissible MPC standards.
A constant source of air pollution is the city's thermal energy sources; three thermal power plants operate in the surrounding area. Residential areas located in close proximity to them are among the cheapest. But this is for the time being: Khabarovsk has adopted a municipal program for the environmental safety of nearby territories. It is hoped that powerful air purification filters will be installed to minimize the release of hazardous substances.
Khabarovsk Regional Musical Theater
The first such establishment in the city was opened in 1926. At first, the troupe gave performances no more than 2-3 months a year. Then the Khabarovsk regional musical theater began to work constantly, since the interest of the townspeople in creativity was great. For the first time the group performed on stage with the operetta “Silva”. The townspeople liked it so much that the establishment was called the Theater of Joy. The establishment did not stop operating even during the Great Patriotic War.
What to see in Khabarovsk? Experienced tourists recommend visiting one of the colorful modern musicals or listening to an operetta. In both the first and second cases, pleasant impressions are guaranteed. Talented artists will not leave anyone indifferent; the theater has a large number of regular visitors.
Population and labor market in Khabarovsk
At the beginning of 2015, the city's population was just over 600 thousand people. Over the last decade it has increased by 20 thousand citizens. The city fathers believe that the positive dynamics in the demographic situation of the city was achieved due to:
- the city's attractiveness for young families;
- construction of housing, kindergartens, schools and clinics;
- increasing the birth rate;
- reduction in mortality;
- high salaries and standard of living;
- increasing the flow of migrants.
Khabarovsk has a low unemployment rate. At the beginning of 2015, official data was 0.41 percent. Only 1,300 city residents are registered as unemployed, and the number of vacant jobs is approaching 10 thousand. Industrial enterprises require machine operators, turners, and mechanics. The employer is ready to pay highly skilled workers and engineers a salary that is significantly higher than the average for the regional center.
The employment center offers a large number of vacancies. Among them:
- tower crane operators;
- masons;
- finishers;
- foremen;
- drivers of heavy vehicles;
- bulldozer drivers;
- gas-electric welders;
- teachers;
- a kindergarten teacher;
- doctors;
- nurses;
- nurses;
- accountants;
- sellers.
The average salary in Khabarovsk is considered one of the highest in the region, over 35 thousand rubles. The fixed cost of the minimum basket is about 12 thousand rubles. As you can see, the standard of living in the capital of the region is quite high.
City ponds
If tourists are interested in beautiful places in Khabarovsk, then they should definitely find time for a leisurely walk. Both locals and travelers enjoy relaxing on the city ponds. The attraction was built for the 125th anniversary of the city of Khabarovsk in 1983. There are 3 ponds in total; near them there are many pedestrian alleys intended for recreation for citizens and visitors.
Here you can not just take a walk, but also admire the beautiful fountains. There is also a great place for photo sessions near the ponds. Children will especially like it here. Tourists will be able to take home beautiful photographs with cartoon characters and a good mood.
If tourists decide to visit Khabarovsk in the summer, then skillful LED shows will be a bonus for them. Many people take their breath away when they see the projected pictures and colorful fountains. The show is absolutely free, and anyone can attend it.
Industry, investments, budget of Khabarovsk
The capital of the region is a large industrial center. The entire Far East supplies fuels and lubricants (gasoline, motor fuel), and oil refineries export them abroad. In the structure of the regional gross product, the energy complex occupies a dominant place; a third of the gross output falls on its share.
There are several shipbuilding factories in the city, united into a corporation. Military and civilian vessels, including submarines, are produced here. The factories successfully survived the crisis in 2010-2011 and received large government orders. Today there are several job vacancies open here. Branches of the shipbuilding college have been opened at the Kirov plant and the Khabarovsk shipyard, where additional training programs for blue-collar jobs have been opened.
Wood processing occupies third place in the structure of industrial enterprises. The city is home to the headquarters of the largest logging holding company.
Khabarovsk enterprises also produce:
- machine equipment;
- metal constructions;
- cables and conductors;
- heating equipment;
- diesel engines;
- cash registers;
- water meters;
- reinforced concrete wall panels;
- brick;
- clothes;
- candies;
- medications;
- dressings;
- fish delicacies;
- liquor products.
There are artels for the extraction of minerals, non-metallic materials, gold and platinum.
Defense orders from aircraft manufacturing enterprises more than doubled in 2014. In the shipbuilding industry one and a half times.
Due to its geographical location, the city attracts a large amount of foreign investment. Primarily from China. The largest Russian companies are investing in the development of logging and wood processing. An investment program for the construction of housing, other capital construction projects, and commercial real estate has been in effect for more than ten years.
Investments in fixed capital of the region's industrial complex in 2014 increased one and a half times and exceeded 2.5 billion rubles.
Budget revenues in 2015 are planned in the amount of 12.6 billion rubles. The third part of the city treasury income is the personal income tax. Two-thirds of budget expenditures go to the implementation of social programs to improve the quality of life of citizens. As an anti-crisis measure, officials' salaries will be reduced by 10 percent in 2015.
Housing market and new buildings
The housing issue for city residents does not lose its urgency: little is being built, and the price per square meter is truly golden. In the Russian ranking of cities in terms of housing costs, Khabarovsk occupies an honorable third place, behind only two capitals, the average price per square meter is over 72 thousand rubles. Real estate here is more expensive than in Sochi and the Leningrad region. This is explained by the following factors:
- slowdown in construction rates;
- lack of vacant land plots;
- expensive building materials produced in the region;
- high cost of technological connections (electricity, gas, water).
The government of the regional capital has developed a number of targeted programs aimed at increasing construction volumes, reducing the cost of housing for developers, and the availability of utility networks. By 2022, officials promised to reduce prices by 20 percent and increase the volume of housing commissioning to 1.3 million square meters, three times more than in 2014. The authorities will annually allocate 250 hectares of land for these purposes.
In the meantime, the situation on the housing market is very tense. Half of the city's population needs improved housing conditions. But 80 percent of new housing is in the elite category. Less than 10 percent of Khabarovsk residents are able to purchase such expensive housing.
In the Central district of the city, the cost per square meter in a brick high-rise building is in the range of 115-125 thousand rubles. This area cannot be classified as densely populated, with just over 90 thousand people living there.
But in the Industrial district of the regional capital, the population exceeds 200 thousand people, taking into account the adjacent satellites Ilyinka, Krasnorechenskoye, Sosnovka, Ussuriysky. The area stretches along the Amur Channel, is very picturesque, including dozens of microdistricts and residential complexes:
- Southern;
- Red River;
- Builder;
- Crown;
- Flegontova;
- Coastal;
- Fifth platform.
Here you can buy housing from 75 thousand rubles per square meter in a new building. The infrastructure is well developed, transport links include trams, trolleybuses, and buses.
On the border of the Central and Industrial districts, the Golden Keys residential complex was built with 360 new open-plan apartments, with underground parking for 100 cars. The cost per square meter is from 73 to 90 thousand rubles per square.
The Zheleznodorozhny district, located in the eastern part of the city, is also densely populated; more than 150 thousand people live in the following microdistricts:
- New;
- Manor;
- Air City;
- Sunny Polyana;
- Big Dipper;
- Vyborg.
In the area there is the tallest building in the city, the New Quarter, 107 meters, 32 floors. But the hotel building being built nearby is planned to consist of high-rise buildings above 150 meters and 53 floors.
The area is built up with high-rise buildings from 10 to 26 floors. Dozens of the largest shopping centers are concentrated here, and the largest market in the Far East, Vyborg, is located. By the way, the city has a large number of small markets where you can cheaply buy Chinese goods and fish delicacies that you will not find anywhere else except Khabarovsk.
In the Zheleznodorozhny district you can find housing from 55 thousand rubles per square meter in the old housing stock. Such apartments belong to economy class. The construction of the Sozvezdie housing complex has begun - two 25-storey buildings with 300 apartments. At the construction stage, you can conclude an agreement to purchase apartments for 72-84 thousand rubles per square meter. The complex is being built using Korean technologies.
The Krasnoflotsky district of the Capital is an administrative, cultural, commercial and historical center. You can buy a two-room apartment with a view of the Amur for 2.7 million rubles (50 square meters). Nearby they offer to buy a 14-meter room in a communal apartment for 1.45 million rubles. Housing in this area is the cheapest in the city, located in old housing stock.
Only 50 thousand people live in the Kirovsky district, the right bank part of the city. There is an oil refinery, a river port, and a thermal power plant here. The ecology of this part of the city leaves much to be desired. Apartments even in Brezhnevka are expensive: from 80 thousand rubles per square meter.
Low-rise construction is underway in the outskirts of the city. Noteworthy is the well-maintained Sunny City complex, a 10-minute drive from the center. There is a large park area on its territory. The territory is guarded around the clock, entry is through a checkpoint. There are shops, a kindergarten, convenient parking, and sports grounds. Round price per square meter: 100 thousand rubles.
The Aurora cottage community is located in picturesque surroundings, in a forested area, a kilometer from the airport. Apartments from 140 to 170 square meters, with a land plot of 4 acres. The houses are under construction. At this stage, you can purchase housing from the developer for 48 thousand rubles per square meter. This is the best offer on the city housing market.
Reasonable prices and comfortable living conditions can be found in other cottage villages:
- Everest;
- Aviacity;
- Matveevka;
- Estate.
They are located in environmentally friendly places, away from city noise.
Sights and culture
The architecture of the city on the Amur combines ancient low buildings and new buildings reaching into the sky. This can already be seen on the main street of the city of Muravyov Amursky, which bears the name of the Governor-General of Eastern Siberia. Along it you can walk to the central Lenin Square, second in size only to Red Square. In summer it is surrounded by greenery, flowers, and decorated with fountains.
The youngest square in the city is named after Victory. On the high bank of the Amur, pylons with the names of heroes were installed, and the Eternal Flame was lit.
A river bus along the Amur leaves from the central park, from which a magnificent view of the city opens. The park also has an observation deck on a cliff, from which you can admire the majestic river and go down to it along the steps of the embankment.
We recommend taking a walk along the new bridge, which is called the Amur Miracle: the length is more than 2.5 kilometers, the height is 64 meters. On the lower tier there are railway tracks, above there is a two-lane highway, and there are pedestrian paths. The Amur Bridge has its own museum, which is interesting to visit.
The city has many park areas, public gardens, and green spaces. In the center there is an arboretum, where plants of the Ussuri taiga, Tien Shan, and Himalayas are presented on 11 hectares. Exotic species of birch grow here:
- stone;
- iron;
- black;
- flat-leaved.
Orthodox shrines are represented by the Church of St. Innocent of Irkutsk and the Holy Transfiguration Cathedral, which in size is second only to St. Isaac's Cathedral and the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. Its height is 95 meters.
At the Far Eastern Art Museum you can admire the masterpieces of Russian Itinerant artists and get acquainted with modern art.
The history of the city will come to life before your eyes in the N. Grodekov Local Lore Museum and the History Museum. Children will be interested in visiting the aquarium museum, where about a hundred species of fish living in the Amur and its basin are presented.
The Drama Theatre, the Musical Comedy Theater and the Triad Pantomime Theater are popular among city residents. If you stay in the city on the Amur for several days, you can visit numerous cinemas, exhibition halls, cultural entertainment and sports centers.
Museum-aquarium
The famous attraction was opened in 2005. What to see in Khabarovsk for tourists with children? Experienced travelers recommend viewing the “Fish of the Amur” exhibition at the aquarium museum. It is known that the river that gave birth to Khabarovsk is home to up to 125 species of aquatic inhabitants. The museum's exhibition, according to various sources, includes from 75 to 95 different fish.
If tourists are busy looking for a beautiful place in Khabarovsk for a photo shoot, then the aquarium museum is ideal for this. Here you can not only get a pleasant experience, but also learn a lot of new things. You can bring home your own photographs from a trip to Khabarovsk, taken against the backdrop of aquariums with aquatic inhabitants.
The museum's exposition even includes those species of fish that local residents know almost nothing about. Visitors will be able to see here little-known species of the river’s inhabitants: spined whales, tiny killer whales, and eleotris. You can immerse yourself in the exotic water world at the address: Amursky Boulevard, building 13.
Educational establishments
In the regional center there are hundreds of secondary schools, colleges, schools, and universities.
More than 40 educational institutions train specialists with primary and secondary vocational education. The higher school is represented by three dozen universities and institutes, and a developed branch network.
Prestigious universities include:
- Far Eastern Medical University;
- Pacific State University;
- Amur Humanitarian and Pedagogical University;
- Khabarovsk Border Institute of the FSB of Russia;
- Far Eastern Institute of Foreign Languages;
- Far Eastern Institute of International Relations.
Medicine
There are 36 municipal healthcare institutions in the city:
- clinics;
- hospitals;
- maternity;
- diagnostic center;
- ambulance station;
- emergency service;
- children's home;
- sanatoriums.
In addition, a network of medical institutions has been developed to provide high-tech assistance to the population. There are family clinics and traditional Chinese medicine centers.
Medical care for Khabarovsk residents is provided at a high level, so the birth rate in the city is increasing and natural population decline is decreasing.
As you can see, the quality of life in the Far Eastern capital is at the proper level. In the city on the banks of the Amur there are many places for good rest, study and work. Housing is expensive, but recently a number of government programs have been implemented here, and real estate prices are gradually beginning to recover.
Lake Amut
What can you see in Khabarovsk? Local residents recommend that you be sure to mark the high-altitude Lake Amut. The depth of the natural reservoir reaches 70 meters. The water attraction is located at an altitude of more than 761 meters above sea level. The river of the same name originates from Lake Amut.
On the banks of a natural reservoir, centuries-old spruce trees grow, which practically reach the water. There are always a lot of tourists here who want to improve their health or just relax. Some residents claim that Lake Amut has magical healing powers. The natural reservoir is part of the Dzherginsky Nature Reserve.
