The capital of the Kamchatka Territory is Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Description of the city, climate, time

Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky is one of the oldest cities Far East, it was founded in 1740. Located in the southeastern part of the peninsula on the shores of Avacha Bay and the Pacific Ocean. I read that the city was named after the ships that were the first to come to the bay - “St. Apostle Peter” and “St. Apostle Paul”.

It seems to me that Kamchatka is, of course, exactly the place where it is worth visiting: incredibly beautiful nature, smoking volcanoes, exploding geysers, black volcanic sand of the Pacific Ocean, hot thermal springs. There is something for everyone here: for those who like to relax their souls and for those who adore extreme sports. This region will surprise you as soon as you step off the plane, because the first to meet and greet you on the peninsula are the beautiful volcanoes. But not everyone is so lucky; the weather in Kamchatka is very unpredictable, and more often than not the most important attraction is hidden behind clouds or fog.

The city is located on hills, which means it is not the most suitable for walking; it is much more convenient to move around the city by car or bus.

How to get there

There are only two ways to get to Kamchatka:

• by sea,
• by air.

I can’t say anything about the first point, but I know that this option exists. Obviously, such a trip will take you more than one day, so this is not the most common form of transport to the peninsula for tourists. More often, ships deliver various types of cargo: food, goods for stores, fish, etc.

Therefore, the most popular transport that will take you to is an airplane.

Those. even if you decide to first travel for a week by train to Vladivostok, which I do not recommend, you will still have to transfer to a plane. There is no railway in Kamchatka and there cannot be one due to the fact that the peninsula is located in a seismically active zone; earthquakes occur here.

There is, however, another option... Once I read in the news that brave souls from Magadan decided to conduct an expedition and went to the peninsula in specially converted SUVs. But keep in mind that people prepared for this trip for a year, driving in temperatures of -50 on the road. And this is not the most comfortable trip. As you understand, there are no roads to Kamchatka either.

By plane

Passenger planes are served by Yelizovo Airport (about 30 km from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky). This is the main international airport of the peninsula.

You can fly directly to Kamchatka from Moscow, Vladivostok and Khabarovsk.

• Flight time from Moscow to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky takes approximately 8–9 hours. Flight 1731 is operated by Aeroflot airline daily, departing from Sheremetyevo Airport. I warn you that the flight may be delayed due to weather conditions, this often happens. Ticket prices depend on the season. The most expensive tickets in summer period and if you don’t manage to buy it on time, tickets can cost up to 100,000 rubles. Usually during the tourist season, tickets are purchased in advance, a month or even two before departure. It’s best to keep an eye on the cost on the airline’s website; sometimes they offer various promotions and discounts. So, if you took care of purchasing tickets in advance, then on average they will cost you 20,000 rubles one way. During the non-tourist period, buy for 24,000 rubles. you can purchase a round trip ticket (round trip). Such prices are mainly in the fall, when the summer tourist season has ended and the winter has not yet begun. More accurate ticket prices can be found here.
• But a direct flight from Saint-Petersburg, unfortunately no.
• From Vladivostok flights are also regular, they are operated by two airlines at once: S7 and Aurora, the travel time is approximately 3–3.5 hours. Ticket prices also depend on the season and range from 13,000 rubles. up to 90,000 rubles if it is Aurora airline. But S7 airline offers to purchase tickets from 8,200 to 21,000 rubles.
• From Khabarovsk Aurora Airlines plane flies to Kamchatka, travel time is 2 hours 50 minutes. Ticket prices start from 12,000 rubles. up to 85,000 rubles (Aurora airline).

All these flights operate daily.

The main air carriers are Aeroflot, S7 and Aurora. In the summer of 2016, Rossiya Airlines operated additional flights. The schedule of all flights can be viewed.

How to get from the airport to the city center

Upon arrival, you can get to the city by taxi, the time will be approximately 30 minutes, the cost will be about 1000 rubles. You can also get there by bus or minibus (so-called mikriki) No. 104. They run regularly at intervals of no more than twenty minutes. Time from the airport to the center is 40 minutes, cost is 50 rubles.

It is important to know! An interesting feature of Kamchatka cars is that the steering wheel is on the right side. This is due to the fact that cars are mainly supplied from Japan. This difference causes discomfort upon arrival; you constantly want to sit in the driver’s seat. By the way, this way you can identify visitors :).

By train

By bus

Yelizovo Airport operates only during the day; at night the airport does not accept planes. This is basically a guarantee that upon arrival you will be able to get to the city by public transport. The bus stop is located on the station square. Attention: buses going to Yelizovo stop at the platform farthest from the airport, buses going to Yelizovo stop at the nearest stop. It is also worth noting that the names of the stops in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky are very similar: 21 kilometer, 38 kilometer, bus station. What does it have to do with the bus station, of course, there are a lot of stops, because there is a bus station in Elizovo, and in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, and in other villages at the entrances to the city.

By train

There is no railway service in Kamchatka.

By bus

The bus station in Kamchatka is called a bus station, and in fact it is just a large bus stop where the routes of most buses end. You can get to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky by bus only from nearby settlements.

Districts. Where is the best place to live?

Do you want to know how big Petropavlovsk is and what districts of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky exist? The city accommodates less than 200 thousand people. This is a very small town. Houses in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky are built no higher than 4 floors, which is due to the seismic danger of the region. Nearby villages are administratively subordinate to the city. In fact, in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky there is not even an official division into districts. You can only highlight the city center, also known as Avachinskaya Bay. You will also probably come across the names Rakovaya Bay and Mokhovaya Bay. Around the city there are a large number of boarding houses. They are also a kind of landmarks. It is better to stay in a boarding house. There are no good hotels in the city, there are no city entertainment either, except for one theater and one night club. Boarding houses are usually located at hot springs. Ideally, there is some lake nearby, plus a good boarding house should be in the forest. The main entertainment in such places is barbecue, hot springs, and a lake. It is possible to rent snowmobiles in winter, as well as ice-hole swimming and dog sledding. Such places, as a rule, have the most decent rooms and decent service. You can also book an active tour here. Since the most interesting thing in Kamchatka is nature and trips to volcanoes, living outside the city center, you will not encounter any transport difficulties or loss of time getting to attractions.

Relatively inexpensive accommodation options in the city are highlighted in red: apartments (11 accommodation options, prices can be viewed) and 2 hotels - “Dolce Vita” (7 thousand rubles) and “Avacha” (from 6500 rubles). You can book hotels on, and you can compare prices from different sites.

Suburban housing options are highlighted in green: the Paratunka recreation center (from 5,000 rubles) and the Vilyuchinsky Guest House.

What are the prices for holidays?

Housing

Living in Kamchatka is good, but expensive. I and other local residents were convinced of this. And vacationing in Kamchatka is even more expensive. The minimum cost of staying in a hotel will be 6,000 rubles, and you can spend the night in a hostel for 750 rubles per night.

In addition to hotels and hostels, Kamchatka offers a huge selection of recreation centers. They exist in different directions, but they have one thing in common - thermal pools. I myself really love going there, especially in winter, when you can swim in the hot pool under the snow. But that's not what I'm talking about now. I want to tell you that in the territories of such recreation centers there are hotels or rooms for rent, the minimum price is 1,000 rubles per night, the price includes free access to such a pool. In addition, on the territory of such bases there are a lot of other entertainments, for example: tennis courts, small slopes for skiing or sledding, billiards, gazebos, but this is all for a fee. They can also offer you various kinds of excursions that are typical of Kamchatka, for example, fishing, boating on the river or riding an ATV.

My friends and I go to such bases mainly to swim in the pool, we rarely can rent a gazebo, and we can say that we do not rent rooms and houses that such establishments also offer.

Rest

Excursions are different and their prices are different. I strongly do not recommend taking a city tour; there is nothing special to see in the city itself, but there are several attractions, which you can visit on your own if you wish. Yes, some viewpoints or beaches are not accessible by buses, but you can easily take a taxi to take you wherever you want.

The price, as usual, depends on the distance and difficulty of access. So, for example, if you want to go to the Pacific Ocean, it will cost you a pretty penny, and they may refuse you altogether, because the road to the beach, to put it mildly, is not the best, not every car can pass there. But don’t be upset, thank God, there is more than one taxi service in Kamchatka, someone will still give you a ride, and you can negotiate with the locals, perhaps you will have friends or acquaintances of acquaintances there, they will not refuse and will take you where you need to go.

I noticed that this distinguishing feature Kamchatka residents are like this: everyone who has a car will always get a ride, even if it’s not on the way or it’s late or your area is inconvenient, they’ll still give you a ride, they won’t leave you in the lurch.

Food

When I arrived in Kamchatka, I immediately noticed that the products here are expensive, the prices are practically Moscow. Let's take vegetables, for example: the cost of normal cucumber-flavored cucumbers is approximately 600 rubles per kilogram, and, for example, Chinese tasteless hybrid cucumbers will cost you approximately 150–200 rubles/kg. Why did I take vegetables as an example, you ask? Because for most cities in Russia and beyond, fresh vegetables are commonplace, but in Kamchatka try to find a quality product. There are, of course, local greenhouses, but their production is not enough for all the inhabitants of the peninsula. Local products sell out very quickly. Therefore, vegetables and other products are purchased from the mainland, and keep in mind that while this cucumber or orange will travel all the way to Kamchatka, and earlier I wrote that the products are delivered by ship, it will take a lot of time and it will be quite expensive to get to the shelves of local stores. Therefore, I still recommend catching locally produced food, it is both cheaper and tastier. This applies not only to vegetables, but also to baked goods, dairy products, and even semi-finished products. If it’s local, it means it’s at least several times fresher.

Clue:

What are the prices for holidays?

Kamchatka is an expensive pleasure. Those working in Kamchatka have a regional coefficient of 2.0, the northern bonus reaches 60% of wages. The local concept of money differs from the ideas of residents of the European part of the country. 500-ruble and 1000-ruble bills sell out easily here. Let's say a dorm room here costs from 1,500 to 5,000 thousand rubles. A night in a 3-star hotel costs from 3 thousand to 22 thousand rubles. Moreover, Kamchatka hotels do not meet European standards. A day of fishing in Kamchatka costs from 12 thousand rubles; rafting, climbing, horseback riding excursions - from 5,000 rubles for half a day. There is, however, an opportunity to save money. For example, you can stay not in a hotel, but in a campsite on Khalaktyrsky beach. Public catering in Petropavlovsk is no more expensive than in Moscow, only fruits and some vegetables are expensive. If you sign up for excursions in advance, you are more likely to be part of a larger group (in most cases, the cost of excursions depends on the size of the group). Some entertainment does not require significant investment, for example, hot springs within the city or a meeting with sea lions living near a fish factory, or the national holiday of the Itelmen - the Alhalalalai festival.

Clue:

Cost of food, accommodation, transportation and other things

Currency: Rubles, rub. Dollars, $ Euro, €

Of course, in a city that is located on the coast, there is an embankment, and Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky is no exception. From the embankment you can walk along the shore, go to the observation deck, where along the way you will come across several monuments dedicated to one or another event. Also throughout the city you can find other monuments of various types: the gopher, the fox, the bear and, of course, Lenin.

Top 5

Beaches. Which ones are better

In Kamchatka there is a unique beach called "Khalaktyrsky". It is unique because of its color - black! Yes, yes, I was also extremely surprised when I first saw it, the sand is black. And it's black because it's volcanic. If you want, this phenomenon can be called volcanic dust. Another feature of the beach is that it is on the Pacific Ocean. My friends and I often like to go “to the ocean.” This is truly a magical place.

The beach is not suitable for swimming, it is always very windy there, and the ocean is cold! But here is a paradise for surf lovers - wave heights can reach up to 15 meters. In general, it is easy to get to, signs will point you in the right direction. I'm not a driver myself, so I usually leave it to those who drive me. In winter, unfortunately, the passage is often closed, as the roads are swept away and they do not always have time to clear them. It may seem like there is nothing to do there in winter, but in fact it has its own beauty: there is snow all around, the shore is washed by an ice-free ocean, and pieces of ice are scattered across the sand. I've only been to the ocean once in winter. It’s not very hot there in the summer, and even less so in the winter. But still, this did not stop my friends and I from having a nice picnic :).

The road to the beach takes about an hour, if you decide to take a taxi, the price will vary within 1,000 rubles. You can also take a bus to the closest village to the beach, but I highly do not recommend this option: you will have to walk for about 45 minutes, which means that you risk getting lost, freezing in the cold season, and meeting the owners of the forest in the warm season. Therefore, I won’t even tell you the bus number and the name of the village.

But the beach itself is beautiful. Not long ago, a tourist information center began operating on the beach, where you can watch and buy films about Kamchatka, see photographs, choose souvenirs, etc. There is also a small cafe nearby, but I recommend taking food with you, it’s cheaper and tastier. The center is open only in summer; in winter the beach is completely empty. There are no other entertainment options on Khalaktyrsky Beach, because, first of all, it is a place of solitude: some people want to be left alone with their thoughts, others want to catch a wave, take a walk or spend time with a close circle of friends. Occasionally, various kinds of flash mobs or competitions may be held, but no one bothers each other, the beach is very large, there is enough space for everyone.

Churches and temples. Which ones are worth visiting?

Monument-chapel. Address: st. Leninskaya. There is a chapel near the mass grave of those killed during the defense of the city during the Russian-Japanese War.

Museums. Which ones are worth visiting?

What to see in 1 day

If we talk purely about the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, then I can tell you that in one day you can explore the city up and down. Because there are no beautiful tourist streets here in our usual sense, there are lonely monuments and so on. But, in truth, there is nothing to do in the city itself. If you fly to Kamchatka, it will not be for the sake of the regional capital. All the most interesting things are located beyond its borders, and here even a week is not enough to fully experience what the tourist side of the peninsula is capable of.

But, if you only have one day, I can advise you:

• 10:00-14:00. First of all, go to the embankment. There you can enjoy a beautiful sunset, stroll along the bay, a small square located nearby. You can take beautiful photos as a souvenir, as for me, this is the most beautiful part of the city! Nearby there is a theater, here is the building of the government of the Kamchatka Territory, and the main Christmas tree of the peninsula is installed on this square in winter. There is also a monument to the holy apostles Peter and Paul and a stele called “City military glory". In general, everything is best traditions average Russian cities... oh, yes, and the monument to V.I. Lenin is also located nearby. But I come there not for the monuments, but for the sunsets, the most beautiful ones I have ever seen.

• 14:00-18:00. To get an overview of the entire city, I recommend climbing Mishennaya Sopka, you can get there by car or on foot. From there you can enjoy the most wonderful panoramic views of the city. In the summer I was there almost every weekend, and not only because it is very beautiful there, but also because the weather changes often, even in the summer, it happens that all the beauty is not visible.

Naturally, during your entire walk around Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky you will be accompanied by volcanoes, which are visible from anywhere in the city, unless, of course, you turn your back to them.

What to see in the area

Nearby Islands

Kamchatka itself is a peninsula and there are other islands located not far from it. Most famous - Commander Islands. I haven’t been there myself, but I know that tourists go there to see life wildlife closer than anywhere else. Most people live here rare species animals: killer whales, seals, sea lions and other inhabitants of the island. The price of a 10-day tour starts from 125,000 rubles.

Main attractions. What to see

• Embankment

In Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, the amount of entertainment is very limited. If fate does not allow you to escape from the city, you can take a walk to the embankment. It is located opposite the central square - Lenin Square, next to the Drama and Comedy Theater, and here are monuments to the apostles Peter and Paul - the patrons of the city. All this entertainment will take you 30-40 minutes. The embankment is of very modest size. On the left is a small hill, on the right is the port. There are always ships in the bay: military and civilian.

• Sea lions

From October to April, sea lions come to Kamchatka. There are a lot of fish processing factories in the city that throw fish waste directly into the sea. This attracts sea lions. They establish seasonal rookeries near factories. Steller sea lions are not aggressive, but they should not be disturbed; they are still wild animals. In addition, the city administration took the animals under protection. If previously it was possible to go down very close to the sea lion camp and take a photo, now the rookeries are fenced off. You can still admire sea lions from afar in Mokhovaya Bay. The city authorities plan to build observation decks for tourists here.

• Thermal springs

It's definitely worth a trip to the hot spring. There are a lot of springs around the city and this is a budget entertainment (from 200 rubles/hour). 25 km from Elizovo there are Paratuna thermal springs. On the banks of the Paratunka River there are a large number of recreation centers, where there are baths and pools with thermal water, changing rooms, showers with fresh water. The waters of Paratunka are rich in silicic acid, which helps people with diseases of the musculoskeletal system and skin diseases. Hot water, however, is contraindicated for people suffering from cardiovascular diseases.

20 kilometers from Elizovo are radon sources- Zelenovskie Ozerki base. Outdoor thermal water pools have different temperatures, depending on your desire and endurance. There is a lake with cold water next to the pool area. The water of radon springs is saturated with hydrogen sulfide, which gives it a specific smell of rotten eggs. The skin also acquires a similar smell after visiting the bath. It is better to wear an old swimsuit. After radon baths, the fabric deteriorates and changes color.

These are the sights in the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Which of them to visit is up to you to decide, but you can be sure that you will definitely like any of them.

Beaches. Which ones are better

The most popular beach in the vicinity of the city of Khalaktyrsky. You can get there by car, taxi or ride. The journey from the city center by car takes about half an hour. Khalaktyrsky Beach is a favorite place for surfers. The beach is very large (50 kilometers long), washed by the waters of the Pacific Ocean. There is no civilization on the beach, as such. I mean, there are no public toilets, changing cabins, sun loungers, cafes, umbrellas and other beach paraphernalia. But there are gorgeous waves, a beautiful wide strip of sand, beautiful nature unspoiled by man, magnificent views, a charming sunset and campsites for surfers who burn fires until late, sing songs with a guitar, fry meat and share the victories of the past day. Locals also often come to the beach to take a walk, breathe in the sea air, and admire the ocean. Sunbathing here is not very comfortable due to the cold, biting wind. The beach is more suitable for walking and active recreation.

What to see in the area

Volcanoes

You can get to the foot of some volcanoes on your own using a rented SUV (rent an SUV - from 3,000 rubles/day, you can book in advance). However, it is recommended to take a guide or book a tour with a travel agency. In Kamchatka there are no tourist trails to volcanoes as such. All ascents take place on slopes uninhabited by people, where there are crevices, sulfur emissions, cliffs, landslides, and increased seismic activity. Travel companies organize transfers to the volcanoes and provide safe accompaniment by experienced guides. The cost of the climb depends on the size of the group (from 5,000 rubles for a one-day climb). To save money on climbing, we recommend booking excursions in advance, as this strategy increases the chances of being part of a large group. In case of cancellation of excursions, almost everyone gets a refund. Good reviews about the company: Kamchatka-Tour, Vision of Kamchatka. Bad reviews: Continent. The advantage is that due to the weather, the travel agency itself can offer a replacement. There are also many individual guides working in Kamchatka . The phones of such people are passed from hand to hand.

• Avachinsky

Avachinsky volcano is the most active of the volcanoes, which can be reached by car from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Climbing the volcano on your own is not recommended. This is a technically challenging climb that requires special equipment, volcano climbing experience and knowledge of the trail. The height of the volcano is more than 2700 meters. From the top you have views of the ocean and the city. The crater of the volcano is almost completely filled with solidified lava. Active fumaroles continue to operate in some areas of the lava, especially in the summit part of the volcano.

• Mutnovsky

This is the most spectacular volcano in the vicinity of Petropavlovsk. The fact is that it is on Mutnovsky that you can see a real volcano crater with seething lava. Mutnovsky volcano is not shy about showing itself from the inside: active fumaroles, steam emissions, mud pots, formations of minerals, volcanic sulfur, a fantastic volcanic landscape. That is, everything that people go to Kamchatka for can be seen here! The Vulkannaya River cuts through the bottom of the northern crater and at the exit forms an 80-meter waterfall, and below it forms a deep canyon - Ravine Opasny. Mutnovsky volcano is accessible for climbing only in August. The excursion to the volcano takes 1 day. Its height is 2300 meters. The car will take tourists to the very foot of the volcano. The climb is not physically too difficult, quite doable for those who do not have tourist experience.

• Burnt

The volcano is unique in that it has a large number of craters. In total, Gorely has 11 of them. The eastern crater of Gorely is filled with water, which, due to the admixtures of volcanic rocks, has an azure-blue color. There are geysers on the slopes of the volcano. Thermal water has a specific smell of hydrogen sulfide. Climbing the volcano takes 1 day and is possible from July to September.

• Avacha pass

Avachinsky Pass is a hill between Avachinsky and Mutnovsky volcanoes. From here you can see the peaks of both volcanoes. It is possible to climb Avacha Sopka on your own. This requires no equipment other than good boots. You can get to the foot by hitching a ride. However, you should not go on this journey alone and it is important to be careful while moving. There are hidden crevices on the pass that go several meters deep. Be sure to take some treats for the eurasians. Eurasians are local ground squirrels. They are not at all afraid of people and happily eat nuts from their hands. If you leave a backpack with food unattended, they will also happily help themselves from the backpack.

• Tolbachik

A trip to Tolbachik Volcano is a unique opportunity to see tectonic processes, occurring in the bowels of the Earth here and now. This young volcano arose just in 1975 on the site of Klyuchevskaya Sopka. Its birth was incredibly frightening - the black rocks parted with a roar and made way for spitting hot lava and flaming whirlwinds of ash. The height of Tolbachik is 3085 meters. The top of the volcano is covered with a glacier. Tolbachik constantly smokes and adds adrenaline to the residents of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. The fact is that the Tolbachik crater is active. By the way, this is the only place in Kamchatka where you can see “Pele’s hair” - thin lava filaments carried by the wind. Hot ash covers the slopes of the volcano. The foothills of Tolbachik are called the Dead Forest. This is a natural area that was destroyed as a result of the first eruption of Tolbachik. The charred tops of dead trees peek out from under a 7-meter layer of slag. The landscape of Tolbachik is more reminiscent of the moon than of the earth: a gray lifeless surface, dotted with craters and faults. In Soviet times, tests of the lunar rover were carried out here. But life is beginning to emerge in the black desert today. Alpine flowers hatch directly from the lava and colonize this fertile niche.

These are the volcanoes in the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.

Nearby Islands

Starichkov Island is a natural monument of regional significance. It is located 12 km from Avacha Bay. The area of ​​the island is 93 hectares. Around the island, coastal reefs are exposed at low tide. But the island is unique for its fauna. A huge number of species listed in the Red Book live here. First of all, these are seabirds. If you're lucky, you might also spot seals, killer whales and dolphins on your way to the island.

Valley of Geysers

Who hasn't heard of the Valley of Geysers? Most of the locals haven't actually been there, but everyone dreams of it, and you will definitely be invited. In the Valley of Geysers you can observe all known modern forms of hydrothermal activity:

permanent and pulsating boiling springs

hot lakes

mud volcanoes, mud pots

steam jets

heated sites

You can only get to the valley by helicopter. The helicopter accommodates a group of 18 to 22 people. The cost of the excursion is from 33,000 rubles per person. Some excursions are organized all year round.

Food. What to try

In general, in Kamchatka they eat the same as in other regions of the country. But with one correction: they REALLY love seafood here. When I flew to Kamchatka for the first time in many years and was invited to a festive table, I discovered that with such an abundance of food, I had nothing to even try - the table was laden with seafood dishes, which I do not like and practically do not eat. But over time I got involved. Of course, I didn’t become a gourmet, but at the same time I began to be more loyal.

Of course, the first thing that any resident of the peninsula, including myself, will recommend to you is red caviar. If anyone didn’t know, there are many varieties of them. I prefer “five-minute” caviar of chum fish! What is a "five minute"? This is lightly salted red caviar, it is called that for two reasons: first, it is the freshest, the fish was just caught five minutes ago; and second, because of this it deteriorates very quickly. For the same reason, such caviar is not exported; it simply will not survive on the shelves. Caviar that has undergone special processing is sent for export, but because of this its taste is lost. For example, I never liked caviar, I didn’t like the taste, and then I tried “five minutes” and realized that I had never eaten anything tastier in my life. Therefore, if you want such caviar, you will need to fly to Kamchatka in the fall.

I also tried real crab here for the first time, but I’m not a cook, I can’t describe the taste of crab... but I can say it’s delicious!

If you are a lover of exotic food, we will find something to give you a try. After all, the indigenous population of Kamchatka lives here - Koryaks, Itelmens, Evens, etc. They probably have several recipes that are atypical for an ordinary person. But I honestly admit that I myself have not tried anything from their cuisine.

Budget

• cafe "Teremok"
• You can also write down here all the “kebabs” that you come across in the city and beyond, tasty and not expensive.

Mid-level

• cafe "Good food"
• Cafe "Boulevard"
• cafe/bar "Hans"

Expensive

• restaurant "San Marino"
• restaurant "Korea house"

Food. What to try

Of course, you need to try caviar and fish in Kamchatka. In truth, there are 3 fish processing niches in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Firstly, state enterprises are engaged in catching and processing fish. It is the fruits of their labors that we taste in the cities of Russia. However, it is no secret that poaching is uncontrollably widespread in Kamchatka. Poachers bring the case to professional level. The local population is happy to buy fish from them, because it is much cheaper “from hand” than on the market. There is a third stage in this food chain - artisanal production. These are people who buy fish from poachers and prepare canned food, pickles and caviar from it. They usually cook for themselves and sell the surplus. Homemade caviar is tastier than factory-made caviar - it contains less salt and no preservatives. Because of this, it doesn’t last long, but they don’t do much at home. In Kamchatka, caviar is eaten in tablespoons. It is believed that caviar should be washed down with sweet black tea and eaten with sandwiches with bread and butter. By the way, local catering also does not spare caviar. Caviar is served for breakfast, lunch and dinner: caviar with egg with mayonnaise, a sandwich with caviar, baked goods with caviar, and so on. It is best to buy coho salmon or chum salmon - this is large red caviar. Sockeye salmon appears earlier, but it is small and in the case of sockeye salmon it is easy to get caught on processed old caviar.

Kamchatka beer goes well with dried smelt. A variety of red fish pleasantly decorates the table.

Unfortunately, non-fish products in Kamchatka are very expensive. Especially fruits and vegetables. Tomatoes - 770-850 rubles as of September 2015, cherries - 900 rubles/kg, tea - 600 rubles/kg; True, potatoes and cabbage - about 40 rubles/kg, beef - 430 rubles/kg, eggs - 90 rubles/10 pieces, milk - 90 rubles/liter. In general, bring a kilogram of cherries or watermelon to Kamchatka and feel free to exchange it for a kilogram of caviar. Moreover, fruits other than apples are difficult to find here.

Holidays

I won’t talk about national holidays. I'll tell you a few words about local events that attract a lot of attention.

• The most popular and perhaps the largest event on the peninsula is Sled dog race "Beringia". This is an annual competition that takes place in late February - early March. And such races last about a month. The official start of the race is preceded by several events, so to speak, to warm up - a short-distance race and a competition of small mushers from 6 to 14 years old (a musher is a dog sled driver). This is followed by the official opening, which is held on the territory of the sports complex, where a demonstration performance and public festivities usually take place.

• Also throughout the winter, various competitions/festivals are held that are dedicated to skiing. You can find out about their dates on websites dedicated to Kamchatka, because the dates may change.
• The next event, which is highly revered especially among the indigenous population, takes place in the summer - Day of the Kamchatka Territory and the first fish(in 2017, June 12). The meaning of the holiday is: magically lure fish into rivers to ensure their production throughout the fishing season. In simple words - dancing with tambourines, singing, singing.
• In August, always on different dates, another of the favorite holidays is celebrated - Volcano Day. To be honest, I myself have never celebrated it, since it is celebrated in a special way, not everyone can handle it. The main idea is a mass ascent to the volcano. Which one? The choice is yours. Near the volcanoes that are closest to the city, special concert and entertainment venues are set up, a tent city is set up, and for these few days people stay to live near the volcanoes. From the outside it looks like some kind of rock festival, only with a sports twist. I also climbed the volcano, but it was just a few days before the holiday.

• And the last event, in my opinion one of the most interesting and fun - ritual Alhalalalai holiday. No one knows for sure exactly how many of these “la-la-la” there are, and everyone pronounces it as it suits him. This holiday begins with rituals of thanksgiving to nature for a fruitful summer and so on (the holiday takes place in September). All this action takes place in an ethnographic village, so the atmosphere is suitable. But all those gathered are waiting for the evening to come, because as soon as the sun sets over the horizon... no, no night rituals, no horror stories, fortune telling, hunting and other things... the evening begins dance marathon! Yes! The brightest event of the holiday is the annual Open Russian Championship in Indigenous Dances small peoples Kamchatka region. This marathon lasts until the last dancer, so each participant annually gets the opportunity to set a record for the duration of the dance. So, today it is 16 hours 35 minutes. That’s how long a person danced non-stop (almost) a ritual dance!

Holidays

“Alhalalalai” is an ancient Kamchatka holiday that takes place on the last Sunday of September. “Alhalalalai” is a ritual festival held annually by the indigenous population of the Kamchatka region - the Itelmens. It's a harvest festival. On this day, Itelmens thank nature and the gods for their gifts and make sacrifices to the fish god Hantai. Every year during the festival, the Itelmens recreate the history of the creation of the world (according to their religious beliefs), and also perform rituals that, according to their beliefs, allow them to get rid of ailments, problems and bad thoughts.

Entrance to the festival is open to everyone. Moreover, a show is organized for spectators, which sometimes lasts for 2 days. Every year, as part of the festival, a dance marathon is held with the participation of the indigenous peoples of Kamchatka. The marathon record is 16 hours 35 minutes.

The holiday attracts large audiences from Russia and Japan.

In Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, festive events are concentrated in the ethnic tract Pimchakh, which can be reached from the city by bus.

Safety. What to watch out for

Kamchatka is still a wild land. Bears have become frequent guests at city dumps, vegetable gardens, and highways around Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. People feed wild animals in their own way. If you are driving and see a bear near the city, this, of course, is surprising and you want a photo, but the bear may have other plans for the day, and perhaps he considers himself unphotogenic. Do not stop or get out of the car, do not open the windows. Despite their external clumsiness, bears are very agile, dexterous and strong. If you encounter a bear while climbing, try not to invade its territory and leave quietly. It is better to move with guides who always have a gun with them to scare off the beast. Cases where a bear killed a person in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, unfortunately, are not science fiction or stories.

When planning your vacation in Kamchatka, it is worth highlighting the budget column for safety, which will include safe ascents to volcanoes as part of a group, organized hunting and fishing.

Things to do

Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky will not surprise you with its bars and clubs. Shopping is also not widespread in the city. But active entertainment is always welcome.

Shopping and shops

Bars. Where to go

Bear hunting - 8100 euros.

Clubs and nightlife

Extreme Sports

Kamchatka is a paradise for extreme sports lovers. Some travelers prefer to come here twice a year: in summer and winter. First, I'll tell you a little about winter activities.

• The first thing I will tell you about, of course, is ski holidays. There are several ski resorts within the city and beyond, where you can rent equipment for a small amount (from 300 rubles per hour), and get there by almost any bus (it all depends on where you are going to go). There will be more about this in the following sections.
• If skiing on regular slopes isn’t enough for you, they organize Heli-skiing for you in Kamchatka! I think true connoisseurs don’t need to explain what we’re talking about. And for those who don’t know, I’ll explain briefly. This is a descent on skis and snowboards along untouched snow slopes. The helicopter takes tourists far into the mountains, where they descend. I've never skied like this because I can barely get down the beginner slopes. Therefore, I cannot share my impressions. I should also note that such entertainment is not cheap, the cost is from 40,000 rubles per person for one day.

• In addition, descents from nearby volcanoes are organized. Such trips are usually one-day, their cost is from 5,000 rubles.
• Another old dream of mine is to ride a snowmobile. Formally, I had already ridden it, but then I was little and did not appreciate this entertainment. The duration of this tour is one day. You can ride with an instructor, or try to drive such a vehicle yourself. An organized group will take you to the foot of the same volcanoes or to any other snow-covered areas with beautiful scenery. The cost of such a tour ranges from 7,000 to 15,000 rubles, it all depends on the distance, the number of people in the group and whether you drive yourself or prefer to ride with an instructor.
• Dog sleds! You are given the chance to become a real dog sled driver. The cost of such entertainment is on average 4-5 thousand rubles. As soon as the snow falls, many nurseries begin selling these day tours. This entertainment is suitable for both adults and children. Once I was lucky enough to go on such a tour. I had enormous pleasure, and even now I am happy to tell my friends and acquaintances about this little adventure.
• All year round, surfers can conquer the waves of the Pacific Ocean.

But in the summer there are many more varieties of extreme sports. It’s impossible to list them all: river rafting, horseback riding, rock climbing, fishing, quad biking, volcano climbing...

• So, for example, to ride an ATV, you will need to pay from 7,000 rubles. You can go on an ATV trip for one or several days. I guarantee that a sea of ​​sensations awaits you. Where I was riding there was absolutely no road, we got stuck in the mud, swam across a river, and in July got buried in the snow (yes, we got to places where there was still snow). Plus, the nerves are tickled by the fact that in places so remote from the city, especially in summer, there is a high probability of meeting a bear! I've never seen him before, only at the zoo.

• Weekend tours also include climbing the volcano. I climbed to the top of two volcanoes; the climb itself took 1 day: there in the morning, back in the evening. It was a real test of my willpower, but I did it. The cost of such ascents also depends on the distance of the volcano, the number of people and days, on average from 6,000 rubles. maybe even cheaper.

In addition to T-shirts and other standard symbols that we bring from one trip or another, when leaving Kamchatka you can take with you amazing gifts for your friends. They have different levels of usefulness, it can be a gift to keep in the closet, or it can be used every day.

So, I like flash drives for storing information. They can be different: with images of volcanoes or other attractions, or maybe with a real bear claw! Such a flash drive costs quite a lot, from 3,000 rubles, with a claw, accordingly, it is several times more expensive, and the price tag can reach about 10,000 rubles. I don’t know about anyone, but such a gift would greatly please and surprise me, may the conservationists forgive me!

ANDBy the way, bear hunting in Kamchatka is prohibited if it is a bear less than one year old or a female with cubs.

Things to do

Want to know what to do in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky? This city can hardly boast of nightlife or bars with a pleasant atmosphere, live music and delicious beer; in fact, shopping is definitely not worth doing here. Leave these ideas at home, grab some quality shoes and go on an adventure!

Fishing

A day of fishing in Kamchatka in travel agencies costs from 12 thousand rubles. Guides also offer multi-day tours. The tour price includes transportation, equipment, license, food, and guide services. In addition, the tour may include meeting at the airport, transfer to the river by helicopter, and accommodation at a camp site. In the Kamchatka rivers, fishermen catch coho salmon, pink salmon, chum salmon, sockeye salmon, kunja, char, halibut, flounder, perch, mykiss, and grayling.

Hunting

Hunting is far from last on the list of Kamchatka entertainments. Amateur, sport, commercial and trophy hunting of animals and wild birds is permitted in Kamchatka. Local travel companies organize elite hunts for brown bear, elk, bighorn sheep, fox, lynx, arctic fox, hare, duck, goose, wood grouse, sandpiper, wolverine, and sable. The company provides skis and a snowmobile (if necessary). All-terrain vehicles, ATVs and motor boats are also used to move around the land.

Bear hunting - 8100 euros.

Accompanying person - non-hunter 2300 euros.

Cost of additional trophy: bear - 3500 euros.

Refund if the trophy is not shot - 2800 euros.

The price includes: huntsman service, initial processing and packaging of the trophy, provision of all necessary documents for the trophy, accommodation and three meals a day in the camp.

Ski holiday

There is such a sign: if you are walking along Petropavlovsk and every 200 meters you meet a person with an overweight snowboard, it means the ski season has begun. In fact, in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky the sports season never stops - there is a year-round ski season. In 2012, the Russian alpine skiing team held summer competitions on the Kamchatka volcanoes. The coaches noted that this experience gave their athletes a lot: firstly, they rode at altitude, and secondly, they stood on real snow in the summer. Athletes traveled to the competition site by car and then by snowcat. Even an ordinary mortal can climb the volcano in winter by snowcat or even by helicopter. The snowcat rises to a height of 2000 meters, but can take you up the mountain several times a day. The helicopter will make the transfer once, and it will cost more. It is advisable to sign up for a snowcat or helicopter in advance. The cost of the climb will depend on the number of people in the group. Groups of ski tourists do not come to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky every day, so this issue must be discussed before the trip. A flight on an MI-8 helicopter will cost an average of 32 thousand rubles, and on an MI-2 - 15 thousand rubles per group. Near Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky there are volcanoes Vilyuchinsky, Kozelsky, Zhupanovsky, Koryaksky, Avachinsky. All these volcanoes offer lifts for skiers and snowboarders.

There is also an extreme option for climbing the volcano - on foot. This option, however, requires special equipment and training.

What about the slopes and lifts? This issue is being actively studied in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Ski resorts and lifts are being built within the city, but their quality does not yet live up to expectations.

Extreme Sports

• Kaya To

You can kayak in Kamchatka all year round. You can rent a kayak, an instructor, and plan a tour if necessary by contacting a kayaking school. Experienced and professional instructors will make the trip interesting and safe. In summer, combined tours are organized, including sailing catamarans and kayaks. A short rafting trip for one day costs from 4,800 rubles and involves a walk along Avachinskaya and Tikhaya bays. The rafting includes the work of a guide and an accompanying boat. The total length of the route is 24 kilometers. The kayaking school also organizes extreme rafting trips for experienced kayakers. You can sign up or plan a route by contacting the Kamchatka kayaking club, which is located in the center of Petrovavlovsk-Kamchatsky.

• Surfing

Theoretically, you can surf in Kamchatka all year round. But in winter the weather conditions are quite harsh and the waves are very large, so classes are not held. The ideal time for surfing in Kamchatka is mid-summer. The weather is warm enough and you can ride in a thin wetsuit. You can rent equipment and take surfing lessons at the Surf School in Kamchatka. One lesson (2.5 - 3 hours) costs 2,500 rubles. Board rental - 1200 rubles/day. Photographer/videographer services - 4,000 rubles per person. Accommodation on the shore in a tent camp - 500 rubles. “Surfing School in Kamchatka” is one of the oldest in Russia. Here you will be taught not only to stand on the board, but also to respect the ocean. Surfing in Kamchatka is considered the best in Russia and in the world.

• ATVs

An ATV is a fairly adequate means of transportation in the Kamchatka region. Participants of ATV tours will have to overcome many obstacles in the form of water obstacles, thickets, marshy areas, long picturesque fields, and small sandstones. A driver's license is required to operate an ATV. Renting a small ATV costs 3,500 rubles per person, a large ATV costs 5,000 rubles per person. or 7400 rub./for two.

The cost includes a guide and rental, as well as food and insurance.

• Horses

Horseback riding is organized by travel companies from June to September. The cost of the walk depends on the number of people in the group. Therefore, you need to make an appointment in advance or travel with your large group. For those who are riding a horse for the first time, before leaving there is an instruction and a pilot ride around the stable. Horses go along some hiking routes, including to the foot of volcanoes. Gathering of participants near the stables. Start immediately on horseback. The minimum cost of a walk is 4400 rubles.

• Dog sled

Dog walking is offered by some boarding houses and travel companies in winter time of the year. The walk lasts about half an hour, during which you will experience a lot positive emotions, adrenaline and make friends with furry four-legged animals.

Souvenirs. What to bring as a gift

Friends and relatives will thank you if you bring them caviar or smoked fish in jars from Kamchatka. By law, you can transport no more than 5 kilograms of caviar in retail packaging. Otherwise, customs may suspect you of smuggling. At the airport, customs actually weighs and scans luggage, and is also interested in suspicious large banks.

How to get around the city

The only transport here is buses, often packed to capacity, slow and creaky, and you have to wait quite a long time for them, at least 20 minutes, with the exception if you need to get there from Pobeda Avenue ( the main road, so to speak) to KP (Komsomolskaya Square, city center). These buses run frequently, but if you need another direction, wait.

As I said above, the only public transport you can use to get around the city is the bus. Although not entirely true, there are still minibuses, but they travel even less often than buses, but you can get to your destination faster. Unfortunately, there is no other transport here: the metro is out of the question, after all seismically active zone, for the same reason there are no trams.

Bus fare costs 25 rubles, payment at the entrance, it is also worth remembering that you need to enter through the front door and exit through the back.

I honestly admit that I have never heard anything about tourist bus routes and have never seen such a bus. I met quite a lot of tour groups, but they were mostly foreigners who were brought to the shopping center.

It so happens that it is not customary here to order a taxi for a certain time or in advance (perhaps this is only possible as an exception). A car is usually ordered “for now”. But you should be prepared for the fact that you will need to wait for the car, usually about half an hour, no more.

So one day I tried to order a car to the airport, the flight was late, according to the schedule the plane was supposed to arrive at 12 at night. I called the taxi company in the afternoon, to which they answered that they do not accept such orders, a maximum of half an hour before the trip. Night, I call half an hour before I was supposed to be at the airport, and then bad luck, the girl on the phone answered me that I need to wait for the car from minutes to... AN HOUR! Perhaps I’m just unlucky, but from my own experience I can say that it’s better to call a car just for “now”, and there you can stay for 10 minutes, the counter doesn’t tick, and the amount for the trip is announced immediately when ordering a car. Of course, I’m only talking about those taxis that I use myself. A trip from the city center to the airport costs about 750 rubles.

When calling a car, it is better to immediately prepare the exact amount in cash, since cards are not accepted, and you may not have change.

It's cheaper to order a taxi through the service, but if you don't have time to wait, there are several parking lots where several cars are sure to be parked. I know two such sites:

the first is located at the bus station at 10 km (at the entrance to the city), directly next to the buses, and you can also take a taxi across the road from the bus station;

the second parking lot is also located at the bus station, only this one is located in the city center (they call it “bus station at KP”, KP - Komsomolskaya Square).

Transport rental

I have no experience renting a car, but I suggest searching online or asking locals.

Most of the cars in Kamchatka are Japanese, so all the buttons located in the car are in Japanese, but this is quite easy to figure out. Another nuance, which is also associated with car manufacturers, is that the steering wheel here is on the right side; upon arrival on the peninsula, this causes the greatest inconvenience, since in fact you are always trying to take the driver’s seat rather than the passenger’s seat.

An even bigger problem for motorists is parking spaces, of which there are not many, and there are actually more cars; on average, there are 2 cars per family. Also, during rush hour there are traffic jams that are not three hours long, but still take up time.

There are probably no other special features regarding cars. Traffic rules and stuff like everywhere else :).

How to get around the city

There are only two types of transport in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky: minibuses and buses. There are no trolleybuses, trams, and especially no metro here. Payment for travel is made in buses at the entrance to the driver or conductor, in minibuses at the entrance to the conductor. Student and school discounts do not apply.

Taxi. What features exist

A taxi in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky costs from 25 rubles/km plus landing - 150 rubles.

Roads in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky are in poor condition. In some places these are well-worn tracks or broken paths. Kamchatka motorists unanimously choose SUVs for moving around the city and beyond. By the way, the Chinese and Japanese auto industry prevails in Kamchatka.

Renting an SUV costs from 3,000 rubles/day, as mentioned above - options and prices.

Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky - holidays with children

You can go here with children if they are interested active recreation: walks to volcanoes, extreme recreation, which I described above.

Ski holiday

Here I will try to describe in more detail the ski resorts that exist in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and beyond.

In total, I know of 8 ski resorts: Bricks, Krasnaya Sopka, Snezhnaya Dolina, Moroznaya, Lesnaya, Alpina and Edelweiss.

The ski season lasts from December to May.

Trails

I'll tell you about several bases that are worth paying attention to.

"Alpina"

I myself ride ski resort "Alpina", which is popularly called “Zaozerka”, because this base is located in the village of Zaozerny. You can get there from the bus station on Komsomolskaya Square by bus No. 24. The slopes at this base are small, it is ideal for family holidays and for beginner skiers and snowboarders. Here you can rent equipment, the cost is 300 rubles, you need to leave your passport as deposit. There is also a service of classes with instructors at the base, if I’m not mistaken, it costs 1,000 rubles / hour. There are two ski slopes and, accordingly, two drag lifts. The cost of the lift is 300 rubles/hour, but if you rent equipment, the lift is free.

Height is about 100 m; track 600 m long; height difference – 137 m.

Also on the territory of the base there is a small skating rink for ice skating enthusiasts.

Base operating hours: Mon - from 13.00 to 18.00; Tue, Thu, Fri - from 13.00 to 21.00; Sat, Sun - from 11.00 to 19.00.

"Mount Moroznaya"

The largest ski resort in Kamchatka "Mount Moroznaya" is located in the vicinity of the neighboring town of Elizovo. This base is suitable for professional athletes. "Moroznaya" is a certified base for holding international alpine skiing competitions. There are 5 tracks here varying degrees difficulties. There are also trails for children and beginners. And for extreme sports enthusiasts, there are slopes for free skiing on the territory of the complex. Also, “Moroznaya” is the only base with a chair lift, there is only one there, but it still exists. You can also rent equipment at the base (when I was there in last time, it cost 300 rubles), professional trainers, etc.

The length of the largest route is 2,050 meters, the height difference is 523 m.

The ski resort is located an hour's drive from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. The most budget-friendly and optimal option is to take regular bus No. 104 from Petropavlovsk to the city of Elizovo, and from there you can take a taxi, the price will hardly exceed 200 rubles, because the base is located a 15-minute drive from the city center. But if you still decide to stay near this base, the cheapest option is to rent an apartment in Yelizovo. In addition, you can stay in a hotel located on the territory of the base or rent a room in one of the recreation centers, the so-called Paratunka resort area.

Ski resort "Lesnaya"

This base is intended for cross-country skiing enthusiasts and has a 42 km long track. It is located within the city and is accessible to citizens. The most popular base, because in addition to winter recreation, you can find activities there in the summer - cycling paths, athletics, golf, etc. The base can be reached by bus routes No. 107 and No. 105. And during mass events There are special bus routes going there.

Mountain sports base "Snow Valley"

Located far outside the city. Getting to the base takes about 2 hours, almost off-road. Therefore, they go there either in an organized group or in off-road vehicles. Is it worth it, I will say that yes, it is worth it. Because this is a full-fledged complex, which includes not only a ski resort, but also a health resort. On the territory there is a hotel complex, thermal pools, baths, camping and, of course, ski slopes. At the base there are several freeride areas for skiing, they are chosen by guides who are also at the base. There is equipment rental.

Photo from panoramio.com

A city in Russia, the administrative center of the Kamchatka Territory. Located in the Far East of Russia, in the southeastern part of the Kamchatka Peninsula, on the shores of Avacha Bay of the Pacific Ocean. Near the city rise active volcanoes Koryak and Avacha hills.

Founded in 1740 by the Second Kamchatka Expedition, named after the ships of the expedition “St. Peter” and “St. Paul”. During the Crimean War in 1854, the garrison of Petropavlovsk repelled the attack of the Anglo-French fleet. Is the most eastern city the entire northern hemisphere with a population of more than 100 thousand people.

Story

Foundation of the city

One of the oldest cities in the Far East. The Cossacks were the first to arrive here from the Russian kingdom in 1697. Cossacks in Avacha Bay, near the Kamchadal village of Aushin, on the shores of the Avacha Bay of the Pacific Ocean, laid out warehouses for storing yasak and founded a fort. Forty-three years later, according to previously compiled maps of the Kamchatka land, the Second Kamchatka Expedition of 1733-1743 arrived here on two packet boats on October 17, 1740. under the leadership of Vitus Bering and Alexey Chirikov. Name Petropavlovsky prison received from the names of the packet boat ships “St. Apostle Peter” and “St. Apostle Paul”.

The founder of the city is navigator of midshipman rank Elagin Ivan Fomich. On September 29, 1739, by order of the leader of the 2nd Kamchatka expedition, Vitus Bering, Ivan Elagin set off from Okhotsk to Kamchatka on the boat “Holy Archangel Gabriel”. He was instructed to describe Coast from the mouth of the Bolshoi River to Avacha Bay, continue researching Avacha Bay, compile its map, build warehouses and living quarters to stop the expedition, and also carry out measurements to determine the possibility of entry of large sea ​​vessels, since “at this bay there should be a building for housing, as well as for storing provisions for stores, and from the Big River to the said bay the seashore has not yet been described.” Bering discovered Avacha Bay in 1729 during the return of the First Kamchatka Expedition to Okhotsk.

On May 16, 1740, I. Elagin set off from the mouth of the Bolshoy River (Bolsheretsky fort) along the southwestern coast of Kamchatka and, rounding its cape, arrived at Avachinskaya Bay on June 10. The boat "St. Gabriel" was the first sea vessel in history to land on the shore in Avachinskaya Bay. Having examined the bay, Elagin began to describe the bay and chose a place for the construction of warehouses and living quarters on the northern shore of the Niakina harbor near the Itelmen camp of Aushina. The construction of the first houses of the Russian settlement began in June 1740 from pre-prepared timber and was completed by the autumn of the same year. On September 20, 1740, I. Elagin drew up a report in the Niakina harbor and said that servicemen and local residents had built in the harbor “five living quarters in one connection, three barracks, and three hangars with two apartments.” Elagin also reported on the completion of soundings of the depths of Avachinskaya Bay and the compilation of maps of the western and eastern shores of Kamchatka along the expected route of the expedition.

On October 6 (October 17 according to the present day), 1740, the packet boats “St. Apostle Paul,” led by Alexei Chirikov, and “St. Apostle Peter,” with commander Vitus Bering, arrived in Avacha Bay. This day is considered to be the city's birthday.

Stepan Krasheninnikov, traveling around Kamchatka at that time, wrote in his book:

Niakina Bay, which is now called Peter and Paul Harbor because of the two packet boats Peter and Paul that spent the winter in it, lies to the north and is so narrow that ships can be anchored on the banks, but it is so deep that ships that have more packet boats can stand in it: for it is from 14 to 18 feet deep. Officers' quarters, barracks, shops and other buildings for the naval command were built near this bay. After my departure, a new Russian prison was opened there, to which residents were transferred from other prisons.

Center of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Kultuchnoye Lake. Target Hill	View of the city, Koryaksky volcano in the background

Historical dates

• 1779 - Peter and Paul Harbor was visited by two English warships “Discovery” and “Resolution” of J. Cook’s Third Around the World Expedition. C. Clark, who took over leadership of the expedition after the death of J. Cook, was buried in the harbor in August.
• 1787 - Petropavlovsk was visited by the ships "Bussol" and "Astrolabe" of La Perouse's round-the-world expedition.
• 1812 - city status and name received Peter and Paul Harbor. A “New Regulation on Kamchatka” was also issued, according to which the management of Kamchatka was entrusted special boss. The place of residence of the chief was “designated” as Peter and Paul Harbor, which became the capital of Kamchatka.

• Districts of the city December 2, 1849 - the Kamchatka region was formed, headed by Governor V.S. Zavoiko, with the center - Petropavlovsk port.
• From August 18 to August 24 (from August 30 to September 5), 1854, the Peter and Paul defense continued. In memory of this event, monuments were erected in the city: the Monument of Glory and the Monument to the 3rd Battery of Alexander Maksutov, there is a memorial complex - Mass grave and a chapel. All monuments are geographically located on the slopes of Nikolskaya Sopka in historical center cities.
• 1913 - the city’s coat of arms was established, which in its main features repeated the regional coat of arms, but had a three-tower crown of the regional city at the top of the coat of arms, and two anchors intertwined with the Alexander ribbon at the bottom. In 1993, on the initiative of the city administration, the city's coat of arms was restored.
• In 1924, by a resolution of the Presidium of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee, it was renamed to, where the definition was included to distinguish it from the name of the city of Petropavlovsk in Kazakhstan.
• June 15, 1932 - The Kamchatka branch of the Pacific Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography was organized.
• April 21, 1933 - the first professional theater began its work in the city.
• November 6, 1936 - construction of the first stage of the shipyard was completed: “The first-born of heavy industry in Kamchatka is in service.”
• In 1942, the Morrybtechnikum (Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Marine Fishery College of the People's Commissariat of the Fishing Industry of the USSR) was opened in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.
• In 1946, the technical school received a new name - Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Marine Fishery Technical School of the Ministry of Fishing Industry of the Eastern Regions of the USSR.
• In 1952, the fishing technical school was transformed into the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatka Nautical School (PKMU).
• In 1957, the UCC (Training and Consulting Center) was created. Far Eastern Institute fishing industry.
• August 31, 1958 - the official opening of the first higher educational institution in Kamchatka - the Kamchatka Pedagogical Institute.
• In 1959, the urban settlement Industrialny was included within the boundaries of Petropavlovsk.
• In 1970, a branch of Dalrybvtuz was organized.
• October 31, 1972 - the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labor.
• December 27, 1973 - Leninsky and Oktyabrsky districts in the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky
• In June 1976, the school of the Mikoyan Fish Processing Plant moved from the Okhotsk coast to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. From that time on, it became known as GPTU No. 2. The full history of the school is on the website.
• In 1987, PKVIMU (Petropavlovsk-Kamchatka Higher Marine Engineering School) was created on the basis of UKK.
• In 1991, the merger of PKMU and PKVIMU took place, and the school became known as PKVMU (Petropavlovsk-Kamchatka Higher Maritime School).
• In 1991, the Kamchatka Fishery College was renamed the Kamchatka Polytechnic College.
• In 1997 - PKVMU was renamed into KGARF (Kamchatka state academy fishing fleet).
• In 2000, KSARF was renamed KamchatSTU (Kamchatka State Technical University).
• October 31, 2000 - by order of the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation No. 3149, “Kamchatka State Pedagogical Institute” was renamed into “Kamchatka State Pedagogical University”.
• July 15, 2005 - by order of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation No. 686, “Kamchatka State Pedagogical University” was renamed into a state university educational institution higher vocational education"Kamchatka State University".
• March 6, 2006 - by order of the Federal Education Agency No. 120, the state educational institution of higher professional education "Kamchatka State University" was renamed into the state educational institution of higher professional education "Kamchatsky State University named after Vitus Bering."
• July 1, 2007 - according to the results of the referendum, it became the administrative center of the Kamchatka Territory.
• November 3, 2011 - the city was awarded the honorary title “City of Military Glory.”

There is currently no official division of the city into districts. On December 19, 1973, the city was divided into Leninsky and Oktyabrsky districts; in 1988, this division was abolished. The following villages are administratively subordinate to the city: Dolinovka, Radygino (the village of Radygina - presumably named after one of the first commanders of the unit stationed there; on modern maps and documents it is unreasonably called Radygino) [source not specified 1182 days] , Chapaevka, Dalniy, Zaozerny, Khalaktyrka, Avacha, Mokhovaya, Nagorny, Zavoiko [source not specified 1363 days] .

View of the city center	Building on Leninskaya Street in the historical center

Soviet street

Economy and industry

Fish extraction and processing

Still the main sector of the economy of Petropavlovsk. Among the largest fishing and fish processing enterprises are Akros CJSC, fishing collective farm them. Lenin, PJSC "Okeanrybflot" and a number of others. In general, the industry is mainly represented by small companies working seasonally on salmon fish. While in a number of villages on the eastern and western coasts of Kamchatka in recent years, due to the construction of new factories, fish processing has received a “second wind,” in Petropavlovsk itself the industry has lost its former importance.

Mining industry

In recent years, the mining industry has also been gaining strength. The city has offices of mining companies extracting gold (Asachinskoye, Aginskoye, Rodnikovoe and other deposits), nickel (Shanuch), platinum (the deposits are located in the north of the region, in Koryakia), as well as silver.

Tourism

Tourism is beginning to play one of the critical roles In the city's economy, numerous travel companies offer many routes to hot springs, volcanoes, helicopter excursions to the famous Valley of Geysers and the caldera of the Uzon volcano, horseback riding, as well as boat trips, river rafting and fishing. Unfortunately, high airfare and the lack of developed infrastructure, especially high-quality and inexpensive hotels, hinder the development of the industry; only a few tens of thousands of tourists visit Kamchatka every year, despite the fact that neighboring Alaska is visited by a million people every year.

The volcanoes closest to the city, called homemade, lined up in one ridge. There are three of them: Kozelsky Volcano (2189 m), Avachinskaya Sopka (2741 m) and Koryakskaya Sopka (3456 m). On the slopes of the Kozelsky volcano there are two bases - mountaineering and skiing, operating almost year-round. To climb it, as well as Avacha, no preparation or equipment is required, unlike the Koryak Hill.

Night city	View of the city from Avachinskaya Bay, with the Koryakskaya Sopka volcano in the background

Energy

The city has two large thermal power plants - CHPP-1 and CHPP-2, which fully meet the city's electricity needs. Currently, work on the construction of the Sobolevo - Petropavlovsk gas pipeline has been completed, as a result of which CHPP-2 partially operates on natural gas (2 boilers out of three). Thus, the city’s dependence on imported fuel has slightly, but decreased. In addition, the city's electrical networks are connected to the Mutnovskaya GeoPP, which is capable of providing up to 62 MW of electricity for the central Kamchatka energy hub.

Russia is rich in unique places. One of them is the capital of the Kamchatka Territory. And history, and location, and surrounding nature This city is unusual and interesting, which makes this place a source of pride for the population and an object of desire for tourists. We will tell you about the features of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, its climate, structure and attractions.

Geographical location of the city

In the northeast of Russia there is one of the most amazing regions of the country - Kamchatka. The capital of the Kamchatka Territory is located in the Pacific Ocean, which is connected to it by a narrow strait. The city covers an area of ​​360 square meters. km. Its terrain is complex, with large differences in elevation. The most low point- Avacha Bay (0-5 m above sea level), and the highest is Mount Rakovaya (513 m above sea level).

The entire city is located on hills, so the roads consist of only ups and downs. Several streams flow through the territory, the Krutoberega and Taenka rivers, and there are lakes. Therefore, there are no difficulties in providing residents with water. The city is located in one of the most earthquake-prone zones on earth. Small earthquakes happen here very often. Large, destructive disasters occur rarely, but the population is always prepared for them.

The city is located at a distance of almost 12 thousand kilometers from Moscow, so all residents of the European part of the country are always interested in the question, what time is it in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky when, say, 9 am in the capital? The time difference with Moscow is 9 hours. Therefore, when it is 9 am in the capital, in Kamchatka it is already 6 pm.

Climate and ecology

Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky is located in close proximity from the Pacific Ocean. This fact shapes the climate of the settlement: it is temperate maritime, monsoonal. The location determines the specifics of the local weather: there are cool and fairly dry summers, mild, long winters. The region is characterized by high rainfall - about 1200 mm per year. The wettest months are October and November, with the least rainfall in June.

The region experiences year-round weather instability and is subject to the strong influence of cyclones. Summer begins in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky in June and lasts until the end of August. But the capital and regions are experiencing an acute shortage of heat. Despite the fact that the region is located at the same latitude as Moscow and Tambov, the air temperature here in summer rarely rises above 17 degrees. True, there is little rain during this period. And this makes summer comfortable.

Winter begins in the region in November and ends in April. This is the time when the most precipitation occurs. The average temperature in January is minus 7 degrees. But snow and rain and piercing winds make this weather very unpleasant. The best time of year in the city is autumn. In September there is usually dry, sunny weather without winds. But in the region everything is relatively safe from an environmental point of view. There is no harmful industry here. The main source of pollution is people and cars. But since there is not much of both here, the air and water in Kamchatka are quite clean.

History of the settlement

The capital of the Kamchatka Territory was created by the pioneers of the region at the beginning of the 18th century. Previously lived here local population- Kamchadals and Chukchi. In the mid-17th century, Russian Cossacks arrived here and announced the annexation of the lands to the Russian Empire. But for another four decades, only small forts were built here. This continued until Ivan Elagin went to these places to explore these territories. While still preparing for the expedition, he looked at the bay as the most convenient place for ships to anchor. Elagin measured the depth off the coast and confirmed its navigability.

In 1740, an expedition led by A. Chirkov arrived here on ships, which gave the name to the new settlement. At first it was called Petropavlovsk. But, apart from a small fort and a name, nothing appeared in this place for another 70 years. Over the years, several expeditions arrived here, but no more inhabitants were added. At the beginning of the 19th century, Catherine the Great issued a decree on the development of local lands and the creation of a city called Peter and Paul Harbor. From this moment the development of the settlement begins.

The British and French laid claim to the new lands. The local Cossacks had to maintain a tough defense. The city later had to once again defend its independence by fighting off the Japanese during World War II. Since the 30s of the 20th century, the region has been actively developed. The city is growing, shipyards and the necessary infrastructure for life appear in it. But living conditions here have always remained harsh. During Soviet times, several educational institutions were opened here, mainly in the maritime field.

Features of the city

The main specific feature of the settlement is its remoteness from the “mainland”. Despite the fact that the city is connected to other regions of the country by the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky airport and a highway, the cost of flight tickets makes this settlement inaccessible for many. This leads to the fact that there are few visitors to the locality; most often tourists here come from Japan and China. Therefore, the city is poorly prepared to receive an influx of guests.

The first question that visitors ask is: how long is it in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky compared to Moscow, Novosibirsk, etc.? Then they start looking for the usual travel service. And they are surprised to discover that they can find almost nothing to guide them. Another feature of life in the capital of Kamchatka is the rather high prices in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. All products are delivered here from afar. This explains their high cost.

Administrative division

Initially, the small city did not have any division into districts. But during Soviet times, they tried to artificially divide the settlement into three districts. This innovation did not take root, and later the division was cancelled. Today the city consists of microdistricts through which people navigate in space.

The main streets of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky are Sovetskaya and Karl Marx Avenue. Many significant objects of the city are grouped around them. But in general, the settlement is very long, which sometimes poses a problem for residents who need to get to some remote places. The population density is 500 people per square meter. km.

Population

Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky today has 180 thousand people. After perestroika, the city is going through hard times. If in 1991 there were 273,000 people living here, today the number of city residents is decreasing by at least 1 thousand every year. Despite a moderate increase in the birth rate and a decrease in mortality, it is not possible to stop the decline in the population. People are leaving the city because of Low quality life and decline economic indicators. The indigenous population of the region - the Kamchadals - is also gradually declining. Today there are just over 100 of them in the city.

Economy

Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky is the economic center of the Kamchatka Territory. Administrative power is concentrated here and several educational institutions operate. The city's main income comes from fish processing enterprises. But with the advent of modern fishing and processing companies in other localities of the region, the importance of this industry in the capital is declining.

The authorities are betting on the mining industry. Gold, nickel, silver, and platinum mining companies are opening in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. However, the city has a high unemployment rate. Despite the fact that the official figure does not exceed 2%, in reality there are much more unemployed people. The average unemployed person in the city is a 37-year-old man with higher education. And the main vacancies are related to seasonal activities in fishing and processing of fish.

Attractions

The capital of the Kamchatka Territory cannot boast of any special architectural and historical sights. The main monuments are associated with the discoverers of Kamchatka. In general, the city is not very beautiful. It is further disfigured by the sheets of iron that residents use to insulate the facades of their houses. Metal rusts and creates a feeling of abandonment and dying.

The main attraction of the region is nature. These are active volcanoes, geysers, beautiful landscapes, and the ocean. The landscape is presented almost untouched. Tourists are invited to national parks and nature reserves to see salmon spawning and bears hunting for them, wild rosemary blooming, and the tranquility of autumn landscapes. Guests are also offered skiing: there are several good slopes within the city.

City infrastructure

The city gives the impression of a slightly abandoned and abandoned settlement. And the reason for this is the aging Soviet-era infrastructure and poor roads. The only modernized place is the airport. Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky undergoes little renovation and construction. Residents are constantly waiting for an earthquake. Therefore, there is very little private construction here, and the state does not have enough funds to subsidize the city. There is an acute shortage of good hotels in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. The best places to stay are outside the city.

First post-war years the state had no time for the Kamchatka Peninsula. All funds were spent on the restoration of war-ravaged villages, towns and national economies. Kamchatka lived on weak resources, which were only enough to maintain existing production structures and a minimum of social facilities created almost a dozen years ago.

The war years left their mark on Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Landscaping was in disrepair, and the construction industry and social sphere were not developing. Even in the city center, most streets were unsuitable not only for cars, but also for horse-drawn vehicles. Leninskaya and Mikoyanovskaya streets were more or less decent. Only Leninskaya Street had a gravel surface, while the rest had a dirt surface. All construction was carried out at a slow pace, spontaneously and unplanned. Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky was built mainly with private houses: small frame-fill boxes, as well as barracks, which became the main housing. These buildings arose wherever the terrain allowed: on the slopes of Petrovskaya and Mishennaya hills, along the road to Vietnam, on the shores of Lake Kultuchnoye. They added a rustic look to the city best option. Within the city boundaries of those years there were just over a hundred streets. I had to seize this time.

The location of the Kamchatka region as part of the Khabarovsk Territory had a negative impact on the development of the distant outskirts of Russia. Many socio-economic issues were not resolved in its favor. This situation seriously affected the well-being of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, but even in these conditions, in the first years of the second half of the 20th century, the city, despite everything, became the industrial and cultural center of the region, and its role in the economy of Kamchatka increased.

In the late 1940s and early 1950s, new enterprises and organizations began to be created in the city. In August 1946, the former mechanical workshops of the Joint-Stock Kamchatka Company (AKO) on the Ozernovskaya Spit were transformed into a mechanical plant, which in July 1954 became the Petropavlovsk Ship Repair and Mechanical Plant (PSRMZ). In 1946, Kamchatrybvod was created, which controlled the fishing of fish and sea animals in the waters washing not only Kamchatka, but also Chukotka and the Kuril Islands. Since 1948, bread for Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky began to be baked by bakery plant No. 1. Before that, several bakeries produced bread. In one of them, on Klyuchevskaya Street, after the opening of the plant, a city food processing plant was organized, which began to produce confectionery, wine, vodka and soft drinks, and beer. On May 17, 1949, in accordance with the resolution of the Council of Ministers of the USSR, the Kamchatka-Chukotka State Shipping Company was organized. In October 1949, the Council of Ministers of the USSR decided to reconstruct the Petropavlovsk seaport and organize a special construction trust for this, which was created in December - construction and installation trust No. 6 of Glavmorstroy. In 1954, the trust was renamed the construction and installation trust Kamchatmorstroy. In the same year, the construction trust Kamchatmorgidrostroy was organized.

The separation of the Sakhalin Region from the Khabarovsk Territory in 1947, and the Amur Region in 1948, which allowed them to more successfully develop their economy and culture, prompted the Kamchatka Regional Committee of the CPSU and the Kamchatka Regional Executive Committee in 1955 to enter with a petition to the Government of the RSFSR to separate the Kamchatka Region from the Khabarovsk Region the edges .

On January 23, 1956, the Kamchatka region left the subordination of the Khabarovsk Territory and became independent, which had a positive impact on the development of Kamchatka and Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Industry began to develop intensively, housing construction intensified, and amenities began to improve. Petropavlovsk has felt this twice already - in 1849–1855 and 1909–1916, when Kamchatka became independent. The "golden age" of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky began. It can be conditionally defined within the framework of 1956–1991. During this period, a new city was formed and its modern borders were determined.

The “Golden Age” of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky can be divided into three stages. First: 1956–1966; the second - 1967–1977; the third - 1978–1991.

The first stage of the “golden age” of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky was 1956–1966. During this period, old and new socio-economic plans for the development of the regional center were intensively implemented. New enterprises and organizations were created, their material and technical base was strengthened. Industrial buildings, labor, and housing were in demand. Signs appeared in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky big construction: new buildings of industrial workshops, schools and hospitals, administrative buildings and residential buildings were laid. Work was actively carried out to open educational and cultural institutions.

The construction industry began to develop most noticeably. The appearance of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky was rapidly changing, which was especially striking and memorable. Especially its historical center, in which old wooden houses were demolished and high-rise buildings were erected. Housing construction began in many neighborhoods of the city.

Briefly about individual buildings of this period. In 1956, No. 52 was built in the city center, closer to Lake Kultuchny. The cinema opened on November 5, 1956. There were two cinema halls: “Blue” and “Pink”. and the cinema were continued by a number of stone high-rise buildings on the main street, where the Vostok hotel (Leninskaya, 40), (Leninskaya, 34), a grocery store (Leninskaya, 32) and others were located, built in 1950 and 1954–1955. In 1957–1960, construction was underway on the GUM (opened in April 1962), the Communications House, and the administrative building of the UTRF. With their completion in the early 1960s, Leninskaya Street began to take on almost the appearance that now opens to everyone. Likewise, the face of Sovetskaya Street changed during these years.

In the southern part of the city in 1958, the construction of a group of residential buildings for port workers, shipping company workers and ship repairmen was completed on Krasnaya Sopka, Okeanskaya and Industrialnaya streets. This area, previously isolated from the city center, was gradually connected with it. This was also facilitated by the development public transport. In 1958, passengers in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky were transported by 56 buses and 23 taxis. Since 1959, bus service has been extended to the village of Industrialny - "5th kilometer - SRV". Until 1967, the bus route increased almost every year or two in a northern direction along the Elizovskoye Highway to 6, 7 and 10 kilometers. It is worth noting that in the first years, citizens stood in line at bus stops and boarded the bus accordingly. To the ZhBF there was route No. 1, to the sawmill - No. 2 and to SRV - No. 3. These routes had their own numbers for decades. Then there were routes towards Khalaktyrsky airport, Seroglazka, Mokhovaya, Avacha and other villages in the suburbs of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.

Until the fall of 1957, the city ended at the 5th kilometer. Next was the territory of the Elizovsky district. By a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR dated October 30, 1957, the territory located on the 6th–10th kilometers of the Elizovskoye Highway was included within the city limits. These were mostly vacant lots with occasional islands of private houses.

By this time, the construction trusts Kamchatmorgidrostroy, Kamchatrybstroy and Kamchatstroy were striving to develop industrial housing construction, which made it possible not only to build individual objects, but also to conduct complex construction of residential microdistricts. So, in the vacant lots at the 5th kilometer, the construction of multi-storey residential buildings for fishermen began in 1958. Following the example of Moscow, this microdistrict was called Cheryomushki.

Individual figures indicate serious progress in housing construction in those years in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. If in 1954–1958 the line was put into operation in the regional center local council about 60 houses, and 350 by private individuals, then in 1959–1960 and 6 months of 1961, 204 houses were built by the state and 278 by individual owners.

In 1961, there were 5,650 residential buildings in the city, but only 393 of them were built from concrete blocks and 968 from timber beams. The remaining 4,289 were frame-fill barracks and houses.

Until the second half of the 1950s, the city was insufficiently developed. Thus, in the village of Industrialny, in the Krasnaya Sopka area, on the 4th kilometer and 75th section (Pogranichnaya Street area), the roads were broken, did not have ditches or storm drains, and on most city streets there were no sidewalks. Such main streets of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky as Sovetskaya, Partizanskaya, Larinskaya (Chirikova), Beringa and Stroitelnaya did not have a gravel surface, not to mention the rest of the streets. In 1957, a meeting of the bureau of the Kamchatka Regional Committee of the CPSU was devoted to the issue of improvement of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. The Bureau obliged the Petropavlovsk City Executive Committee to begin construction of gravel roads by October 1 and complete the construction of sidewalks on Sovetskaya, Mikoyanovskaya (Leningradskaya), Ozernovskaya, Klyuchevskaya, Industrialnaya and Ryabikovskaya streets.

It should be noted that by 1960, most of the city’s streets had been put in order, and 14.3 kilometers of the city’s central road were paved, and this road reached the 5th kilometer. In 1960, the city already had 190 streets within its current borders.

The separation of the Kamchatka region from the Khabarovsk Territory had a positive impact on the development of industry not only in the region, but also in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Additional provisions have been made for this purpose. Particularly large investments were made in the development of production in the fishing and fish processing industries, in which a new stage began in the second half of the 1950s. Fishing vessels operated in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk and the Bering Sea, in Pacific Ocean. The trawl fleet based in the city had this opportunity. With the receipt of 29 new medium-sized fishing trawlers (SPT) in 1953–1958, there were 60 fishing vessels, and the trawl fleet turned into a powerful fishing organization in the region. On April 2, 1957, the trawl fleet, Kamchatrybflot, and fishing port merged into one organization - the Administration of Marine Active Fisheries (UMAR). In the same year, cooperage production in the villages of Malaya Lagernaya and Bolshaya Lagernaya was transferred to management. Already in 1958, new transformations took place. , Kamchatrybflot again became independent enterprises in the Kamchatrybprom system, and the fishing fleet with many auxiliary production facilities in May 1959 received the name Trawling and Refrigerated Fleet Administration (UTRF).

UTRF became the main city-forming enterprise in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, and the fishing industry became the main sector of the city's economy. By 1965, the trawl fleet consisted of more than 130 vessels, including 7 large freezer fishing trawlers, 5 mother ships, 74 medium-sized fishing trawlers and many other vessels. Thousands of people worked in the UTRF team, including famous captains: P. E. Aleshkin, A. A. Kuznetsov, G. V. Meshcheryakov, A. F. Merdov, K. A. Chislov. Heads of the trawl fleet and UTRF in different time were: P. A. Demidov, P. I. Anoda, I. P. Chernigovsky, V. P. Potapenko.

Back in 1960, out of three fishing collective farms located on the banks of Avachinskaya Bay, they named after. S. M. Kirov, named after. I.V. Stalin and the “Red Connection” - a fishing collective farm named after was organized in the village of Seroglazka. V. I. Lenin. The first chairman of the collective farm was M.K. Staritsyn. After him, the chairmen of a large collective farm were: S. I. Novoselov, V. V. Svatkovsky. Famous fishing captains worked on the collective farm: I. I. Malyakin, A. A. Ponomarev, N. I. Hort.

The fishing fleet was strengthened, and the ship repair base continued to develop. The Freza ship repair base was added to the ship repair yard and the ship repair and mechanical plant. Its basis was the floating dock and floating workshop "Freza", delivered to the Petropavlovsk fishing port in September 1958. In 1960, the base was transformed into the Freza plant.

The creation of new industrial enterprises, the development of the fishing fleet, and rapid housing construction ensured the growth of the population of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. In 1959, 85.6 thousand people lived there, which accounted for 38.8 percent of the population of Kamchatka. The city accounted for 44 percent of the region's gross industrial output.

In 1958, in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky there were 242 retail outlets, including kiosks. By 1963, there were already 301 of them. Public catering enterprises were developing. The townspeople used 97 canteens and snack bars in 1958, and in 1963 there were already 119 of them. In 1960, the city had 40 department stores, 21 grocery stores, 5 dairy stores and 2 vegetable stores. Citizens could wash themselves in five city baths.

By 1959, residents had three cinemas, a drama theater, local history museum, 11 clubs, 60 film installations, 12 public libraries with 222 thousand books. To the only one in the city, two were added in 1958: “Mayak” and the widescreen “October”. The favorite and only recreational place for Petropavlovsk residents remained Nikolskaya Sopka with its park of culture and recreation. Most of the city's festive events took place there.

On the initiative of the commander of the Kamchatka military flotilla G.I. Shchedrin, the Museum of Military Glory was built, which opened on the Day navy in 1959. On August 11 of the same year, many Petropavlovsk residents attended the grand opening, and in the fall - at the opening of the memorial on Nikolskaya Sopka.

Since the mid-1950s, a circle of creative writing people appeared in the city, uniting around the regional newspaper Kamchatskaya Pravda. A book editorial office was created at the newspaper in 1957, which in 1964 became the Kamchatka branch of the Far Eastern Book Publishing House. The first books on the history of Kamchatka, collections of poetry and prose by local authors began to be published. Since 1963 Kamchatka department Geographical Society periodically began to publish the collection "Questions of the Geography of Kamchatka".

On July 27, 1958, in the village of Zavoiko, an opening took place to the hero of the Soviet Union, who died during the assault on Japanese fortifications on Shumshu Island, covering the embrasure of an enemy bunker with his chest. On July 30, 1963, in the park of the Museum of Military Glory, a man who died on October 11, 1942 in the Pacific Ocean from a torpedo attack by an unknown submarine was opened.

The end of the 1950s was characterized by the opening of many educational institutions in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, which Kamchatka had previously been deprived of. Because of this, most young people left the peninsula after finishing school to continue their education and never returned here. On August 31, 1958, the first higher educational institution in Kamchatka was officially opened. The rector of the institute became an associate professor of the Leningrad Pedagogical Institute. A. I. Herzen Candidate of Historical Sciences Yu. E. Novikov. Over the years, well-known people in Kamchatka taught at the institute: L. P. Lelchuk, M. P. Stelnykh, B. V. Busheleva, G. G. Kravchenko. Kamchatka writers and historians graduated from KSPI: E. V. Gropyanov, V. P. Pustovit, S. I. Vakhrin.

In 1958–1963, four more were added to the existing secondary specialized educational institutions in the city: Petropavlovsk-Kamchatka Naval and Petropavlovsk Medical Schools. The following were opened: September 1, 1958 - Petropavlovsk Trade and Cooperative College; August 1, 1959 - Marine Fishery College; May 13, 1963 - Petropavlovsk Music School and September 1, 1963 - Petropavlovsk Pedagogical School.

Twenty years after the first (1940) celebration of City Day, this date was remembered. An excerpt from the memoirs of V.I. Alekseev is appropriate here: “In October 1960, the 220th anniversary of the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky was celebrated. On the day of celebration (October 17, new style. - A.P.) on the city square, which at that time was called Teatralnaya, and now bears the name of V.I. Lenin, a city meeting of workers took place (the weather was clear, frosty and windy. - A.P.). And so a large column of cars with slogans and banners began to approach this square. The cars were loaded with potatoes and cabbage. Several vehicles were loaded with cattle, pigs and poultry. This was a gift to the townspeople from the workers of the Elizovsky district for their participation in the rise Agriculture. There were 220 cars, that is, the same number as the regional center.

In 1965, its 225th anniversary was widely and festively celebrated in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. During the celebrations, one of the first chairmen of the Petropavlovsk City Executive Committee, an active participant in the establishment of Soviet power in Kamchatka, became the first.

In the center of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky on Nikolskaya Sopka, on October 17, 1961, a television center with a 112-meter television tower began operating; in 1963, new buildings opened their doors and... In the first half of the 1960s, new enterprises and organizations came into operation. On October 5, 1962, the Institute of Volcanology of the Siberian Branch of the USSR Academy of Sciences was created on the basis of the Kamchatka Geological and Physical Observatory and the Laboratory of Volcanology. The first director was the famous volcanologist Boris Ivanovich Piip. Scientists S.I. Naboko, E.F. Maleev, S.A. Fedotov worked at the institute for many years.

In 1964, several organizations and industrial enterprises began work at once: February 14 - , July 10 - Kamchatgrazhdanproekt Institute, October 31 - Southern Electric Networks; December 4 - confectionery factory. On May 30, 1965, the first stage of CHPP-1 came into operation. In 1966, two motor transport enterprises were organized: motorcades 1958 and 1400.

It continued actively in 1962–1965. Thus, at the 6th kilometer a large residential area with a developed social sphere: a school (No. 7), a canteen, a bookstore ("House of Books"), a pharmacy (No. 44), an industrial goods store ("Sputnik"), two kindergartens. During these years, high-rise buildings began to appear in the area of ​​school No. 9 on Kutuzov Street. With the commissioning of the Petropavlovsk house-building plant on February 8, 1966, the capabilities of builders increased several times.

In 1965, in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky there were 44 daytime secondary schools and three vocational schools. Experienced teachers and educators worked in the schools: K. A. Barantseva, E. A. Golovin, E. V. Diordienko, I. P. Oleinikov, L. P. Mamontova, T. D. Zelenova, I. A. Platonova.

During the period of significant changes that transformed the city, Vladimir Zakharovich Melnikov was the chairman of the Petropavlovsk City Executive Committee in 1953–1960. He, like none of the chairmen of the city executive committee, had to difficult period the growth of the city to solve many urban planning, social and other problems, which he successfully dealt with.

In 1960–1967, the chairman of the Petropavlovsk City Executive Committee was Fedor Konstantinovich Belopotapov. Former party worker. In 1947–1950 he was the first secretary of the Ust-Kamchatka district committee of the CPSU (b), and in 1952–1955 of the Sobolevsky RK CPSU.

The second stage of the “golden age” of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky was 1967–1977. Construction during this period covered the entire city. In 1967, several dozen houses were built in the 7th kilometer area. Bokhniak, Voitseshek, Davydov, Tushkanov and Lukashevsky streets appeared in the previously empty place. They were named in accordance with the decision of the executive committee of the Petropavlovsk City Council of Workers' Deputies, adopted in the fall of 1967. With the opening of the Silhouette industrial goods store there, this area has retained this name to this day. Pogranichnaya, Okeanskaya, and Zelenaya Roshcha streets changed their appearance.

From spot development in old areas of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, builders moved to mass industrial construction in new free territories. In 1967–1970, selective construction was also carried out in certain areas of the city. Houses were still being built along the “red” line. They were erected on Okeanskaya and Pogranichnaya streets, in the Silhouette area. Construction continued in the future Dachny microdistrict. Private houses built in the early 1950s were demolished for it. By the 1970s, the city center was connected with the southern and northern areas that had previously been separated from it. The concepts Near State Farm, Mangruppa, Shanghai began to disappear in everyday speech. The city began to be perceived as a single whole. It stretches along the shore of Avachinskaya Bay for more than 20 kilometers.

During these years, a meat processing plant, a flour mill, an intercity, bus (February 1, 1967) and gas station, a new regional printing house building, a swimming pool near the bakery, and a Fishermen's House of Culture at the 5th kilometer appeared in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.

Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky from a small provincial town, quickly passing through the middle stage, began to turn into one of the large cities of the Far East. In 1970, 153.9 thousand people lived there, or 53.5 percent of the residents of the Kamchatka region. On December 28, 1973, two districts were formed within the city: Leninsky and Oktyabrsky (the districts were liquidated in 1988).

The chairman of the Petropavlovsk City Executive Committee in 1967–1968 was Pyotr Illarionovich Zagoruy; in 1968–1973 - Ivan Gavrilovich Kovalenko.

Multi-storey buildings in the area of ​​the former Petropavlovsk state farm (Kronotskaya and Botanicheskiy proezd streets), 8–10 kilometers away, began to appear in 1970. After the main development, the city entered the free spaces of the former fields of the Peter and Paul State Farm, moving away from traditional construction along the “red” line. This is how the Zazerkalny microdistrict began to be built up in 1974–1975.

Housing construction led to the emergence of new streets. In 1973, there were 260 streets in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. They began to more often receive names related to the history of the city and its people. So, in 1971 Molchanova Street appeared, in 1972 - Shturman Elagin, in 1973 - Chubarova, in 1976 - Piipa Boulevard.

By the end of the 1970s, the Horizon and Horizon-Yug microdistricts emerged. In the first half of the 1970s, buildings with distinctive and noticeable architecture were built in the city: the Avacha Hotel and the House of Public Services on Komsomolskaya Square, on 50 Let Oktyabrya Avenue, the House of Public Services "Chaika" on Leninskaya Street, the Palace of Pioneers, and in the second half - administrative buildings for the regional executive committee and the city executive committee.

On October 31, 1972, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky for success in economic and cultural construction and for services in the formation and strengthening of Soviet power in Kamchatka was awarded the order Red Banner of Labor. In the same year, construction began on a bypass road from the bakery to the fork of Lukashevsky Street and Karl Marx Avenue.

The cultural life of the city has revived. Since 1968, “Notes of Local Lore” have been added to the published collection “Questions of Geography of Kamchatka”, and since 1976 the literary and artistic collection “Kamchatka” has been published. The Kamchatka Writers' Organization dates back to 1974, and the Kamchatka branch of the Union of Artists dates back to 1976. Local writers and poets are well known on the peninsula: E.V. Gropyanov, G.G. Porotov, V.V. Koyanto (Kosygin), N.V. Saneev, V.P. Kudlin, M.Ya. Zhilin; artists: A. F. Vinokurov, K. V. Kilpalin, V. A. Shokhin, F. G. Dyakov, V. I. Voroshilov, V. A. Belykh, V. P. Sokolov-Shirshov.

Since 1967, the city has had Kamchatskaya choir chapel, the organizer and leader of which is permanently the Honored Artist of Russia, Honorary Citizen of the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky; since 1972 - Kamchatka Chamber Orchestra, whose organizer and chief conductor in 1972–1997 was Honored Artist of Russia G. A. Avvakumov.

In 1968, to the only higher educational institution in Kamchatka, the Kamchatka State Pedagogical Institute, another one was added - the Kamchatka branch of the Dalrybvtuz with a full-time department in the specialties: "Industrial Fisheries" and "Technology of Fish Products".

The production structure of the regional center also changed. In January 1977, the territorial production department of Glavkamchatrybprom was reorganized into the production association Kamchatrybprom. It included the majority of fishing and fish processing enterprises in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Including those that received a new name: UTRF - Trawling Fleet Base (BTF), Ocean Fisheries Department - Ocean Fisheries Base (BOR), Kamchatrybflot - Rybkholodflot base. In addition to them, the association included a tin can factory, the Freza ship repair plant, a fishing gear factory, a radio center, the Petropavlovsk fish cannery and 11 more coastal fish canneries and fish factories in the region. Together they produced 80 percent of the region's gross industrial output, and the share of Kamchatka fishermen was 12 percent of the all-Union fish catch.

In 1978, the Fishing Fleet Administration (UPF) of the inter-collective farm production association was organized and a cement grinding plant came into operation.

In 1975, events were solemnly held in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky in honor of the 30th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War. On May 7, 1975, a monument was unveiled on Komsomolskaya Square in honor of Kamchatka residents who worked in the rear. On - Memorial plaque: "The T-34 tank was installed in honor of the 30th anniversary of the Victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945." It was opened on May 8th. On the pedestal on which the torpedo boat stands there is a memorial plaque: “To the sacred memory of the courage and heroism of Pacific sailors in the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945 from the working people of the city. May 8, 1975.”

And 1978 was marked by another event in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. On the filled-in part of Kultuchnoye Lake, next to administrative building Kamchatka Regional Executive Committee, was opened on November 6, 1978. Teatralnaya Square was renamed into Square named after. V.I. Lenin, although retained in colloquial speech and former name.

From 1970 to 1979, the number of residents in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky increased by 61 thousand people and in 1979 amounted to 214.9 thousand.

The third stage of the “golden age” of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky is 1978–1991. In the 1980s, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky continued to change the appearance, especially of its surroundings. It is difficult to list the buildings built over the years, but it is impossible to do without indicating the very noticeable ones that determined the face of the city. The regional scientific library named after. moved to new modern buildings made of glass and concrete. S.P. Krasheninnikova, pedagogical school, children's clinic No. 1. House builders received the Avangard sports and cultural complex at their disposal. A swimming pool opened on Pobeda Avenue; in the city center there is the Kholkam store and the Bodrost water and health complex. In 1985–1987, the buildings of the regional Department of Internal Affairs were built. On December 22, 1985, CHPP-2 generated its first current. In the last days of 1986, the Geyser hotel complex came into operation. Since April 1988, the city air terminal and the Petropavlovsk hotel began operating. In 1987, the city fountain began operating opposite.

During these years, fishing, ship repair, construction and energy enterprises operated stably. Together with auxiliary and accompanying organizations, they determined the economy of the city and region. With the development of socio-cultural infrastructure, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky has become attractive to people from the mainland. By this period, it began to form resident population regional center, although the city was crowded with temporary workers.

In 1986, more than 20 research and design institutions and institutes operated in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. They employed 8 doctors, 200 candidates of science, about 450 researchers. Among the scientific institutions, the Kamchatka branch of TINRO and the Far Eastern Scientific Center of the USSR Academy of Sciences stood out. Kamchatka State pedagogical institute and a branch of Dalrybvtuz, which in January 1987 became an independent technical university - the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatka Higher Marine Engineering School (PKVIMU).

On cultural life The city was greatly influenced by the regional drama theatre, music schools and college, two museums, an art gallery (opened in 1985), a society of book lovers, the Knowledge Society, the regional scientific library. S.P. Krasheninnikov, where the Uykoal local history club has worked since 1982. The Kamchatka branch of the Far Eastern Book Publishing House regularly published the literary and artistic collection "Kamchatka" and the local history collection "Nord-Ost", and published books by local poets and prose writers. Regional newspapers and television provided positive information about life in Kamchatka, its past and present. 128 public and special libraries, cultural centers and cinemas operated for city residents: , "Mir", "Ocean", "October", "Parus", "Victory", "Russia" and "Horizon".

Back in 1973, the first memorial plaque appeared in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky indicating in whose honor the street was named. It was dedicated to a participant in the struggle for the establishment of Soviet power in Kamchatka. In the 1980s, memorial plaques began to be installed in the city again - not only informing about who the city street was named after, but also dedicated to noble people Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. In total, from 1973 to 1990, 12 such boards were installed: V. P. Andrianov, G. G. Porotov, B. I. Piip, N. P. Frolov, S. P. Belyaev, Ya. M. Drabkin, L. S. Molchanov, .

During the years of stable development of the city, the following worked as chairmen of the Petropavlovsk City Executive Committee: in 1973–1984 - Ivan Pavlovich Chernigovsky; in 1984–1987 - Lev Nikolaevich Egorov; in 1987–1989 - Vyacheslav Ivanovich Shuvaev; in 1989–1990 - Nikolai Rodionovich Zadorozhny.

By the beginning of the 1990s, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky reached the borders in which it remains to this day. The changes that occurred in the state and social structure in the country in 1991–1992 pushed back plans to implement good ideas for improving the city’s architecture for an indefinite future. However, back in 1989, the issue of building a second house-building plant in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky was seriously discussed and grandiose project cultural complex in the historical center of the city. It was then that the definition of “historical center”, covering the area from the square to them. G.I. Shchedrin to Kultuchnoye Lake became known to the general public, and not just specialists.

In February 1987, Larina, Toporkova and Vitaly Kruchina streets appeared, in September 1988 - Oborona 1854 and Staritsyn streets, in June 1989 - Frolov Street and Zavaritsky Lane. In 1991, the list of streets was supplemented by Flotskaya and Yakornaya.

The perestroika that began in the country in 1985 awakened people's political and social activity. In March 1989, a meeting of thousands of city residents on issues of democracy and power was held near the geological department building in the village of Geologists. Then several rallies took place on the square. V. I. Lenin. They were also crowded, but then the rally democracy soon ceased. On the wave of liberalization political life arose public organizations"Initiative", "Memorial" and "Comrade". Regional newspapers were published in unprecedentedly large circulations. In 1990, the newspaper "Kamchatskaya Pravda" printed 83,700 copies, and "Kamchatsky Komsomolets" - 68,165.

In 1989, 242.5 thousand people lived in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky (without closed territorial entities- Petropavlovsk-50, -53, etc.), which accounted for 52.8 percent of the region’s population.

By this time, the economy of socialism began to falter, which was reflected in the reduction in the volume of industrial production in the country, including food and industrial goods for the population. Difficult times were approaching Kamchatka, but this did not prevent the 250th anniversary of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky from being widely celebrated in 1990.

In 1991, the countdown to a new era began: the USSR collapsed. Russia became a sovereign federal state. The country has begun to redistribute property. State-owned enterprises were taken over joint stock companies, became private property. In Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, almost all industrial enterprises and organizations were corporatized. Many old businesses have ceased to exist. A different era has arrived.

Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky began to experience not its best times. There have already been such periods in its past: the desolation of the settlement after the completion of the Second Kamchatka Expedition in the 18th century, with the transfer of the naval base in 1855 from Petropavlovsk to the mouth of the Amur, and oblivion during the post-October revolution of 1917. However, history preserves past periods rapid development cities that made it possible not only to preserve it, but also to build it. The period of the “golden age” of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky also left the most noticeable mark on it.

Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, 1998. - 624 p.

9. Kamchatka in the second half of the 20th century: (memoirs of contemporaries). - M., 2005. - 494 p.

11. Lyutikov V. R. With the brand "Freza" // "It is necessary to sail on the sea..." . - Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, 1998. - 624 p.

12. Martynenko V. P., Zakharova N. I. Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Brief chronicle events (1917–1988) // Kamchatka: collection. - Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, 1990. - 182 p.

13. National economy of the Kamchatka region: stat. Sat. - Khabarovsk, 1966. - 150 p.

15. Ostroukhov S. Builders of the sea gates of Kamchatka // Kamchatskaya Pravda. - 1979. - December 21.

16. Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, 1740–1990: history of the city in document. and remember - Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, 1994. - 504 p.

21. Soviets of the North-East of the USSR (1962–1982): collection. doc. and materials. - Magadan, 1986. - 360 p.

Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky,
April 2015.
Published for the first time.

The city received its name in honor of the ships "St. Peter" and "St. Paul", which took part in the Kamchatka expedition.

It is interesting that the base of the Russian Pacific Fleet is located in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. There are also 2 universities in the city, as well as the Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.

Tourists should visit Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky to admire the unique nature of the region and see the world-famous volcanoes with their own eyes. Despite the apparent distance from civilization, the tourism infrastructure of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky is quite well developed: city guests can stay in modern hotels and visit excellent restaurants in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.

Climate

The climate of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky is very harsh, but winter in the city is warmer than in Siberia at the same latitudes. The average air temperature per year in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky is +1.9 °C.

Story

The history of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky began in the 18th century, when a navigator named Elagin entered a previously unknown bay on his sailboat. Elagin decided that the base of the expedition would be located here. In 1740, a house for officers, a church, barracks and warehouses were built here.

In 1740, Bering gave the harbor the name Petropavlovskaya.

In 1779, the bay was first visited by foreign ships, commanded by Charles Clarke, deputy of the great James Cook.

It is interesting that the history of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky was not always the history of a big city: for example, only 14 ladies, local residents, attended the city ball in 1787.

In 1822, the harbor began to be called the Port of Petropavlovsk, and in 1924 the history of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky began.

Today Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky is a large industrial and Cultural Center Kamchatka region. The history of the city is reflected in the names of its streets; numerous monuments in the city tell visitors about it.

Attractions

Main attractions of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky: theatre square, former Lenin Square (with a statue of the leader and a monument in memory of the tragically interrupted circumnavigation of the 18th century under the leadership of Jean-François de La Perouse), monuments to Vitus Bering (it was from here that the expedition to the shores of America started) and another “circumnavigator” Charles Clarke, memorial complex "Maksutov Battery" in honor heroic defense Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky from the Anglo-French troops during the Crimean War of 1854.

The Orthodox monuments of the city are the Church of the Holy Life-Giving Trinity, the main cathedral of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, and the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.

The State Museum of Kamchatka is worth a visit - it displays exhibits telling about the ancient history of the Kamchatka region: dioramas of primitive settlements, ancient cannonballs and flags, materials about the largest eruption of the Tolbachik volcano and maps of the development of Alaska. You can learn more about volcanic Kamchatka at the Institute of Volcanology, where educational, but not at all boring lectures are held.

Natural beauties of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky: Avachinskaya Bay and Petrovskaya Sopka, Mishennaya Sopka with fantastic views from its top of three “home” volcanoes - Avachinsky, Koryaksky and Kozelsky. You should definitely visit Zavoiko beach with volcanic black sand - admire the sea distances and the picturesque coastline and watch the colony of funny hatchet birds. Boat trips along Avachinskaya Bay with observation of the natural monument - the Three Brothers rocks and swimming in the open ocean to Starichkov Island are also popular.

Excursions

Excursions in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky include visits to hot springs, volcanoes, helicopter excursions to the world-famous Valley of Geysers, as well as a visit to the caldera of the Uzon volcano.

In addition, horseback riding and boat trips in the surrounding area are popular among tourists.

It is also interesting to go on a sightseeing tour of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky with a visit to numerous museums in the city.

Sports and active recreation

Active recreation in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky includes various types of sports tourism, boat trips, rafting along the rivers of the region and, of course, fishing.

It is noteworthy that there are ski and mountaineering bases on the slopes of the Kozelsky volcano. Tourists can climb the slopes of this volcano, and travelers do not need special equipment for this.

In addition, there are several ski resorts within the city - Edelweiss, Central, Krasnaya Sopka, etc. There are also biathlon tracks, and international level biathlon competitions are held in the city every April.

The Zvezdny sports and health complex also operates in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.

Kitchen

Fish and seafood are the basis of local cuisine. Everything here is fresh from the abyss - fresh, simply prepared, but very tasty. Another “trick” of the gastronomic Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky is the abundance of establishments friendly to Japanese and Korean cuisine. The sushi here is simply excellent - a particularly striking contrast with the assortment of Moscow's pompous sushi restaurants. At the same time, the prices are more than reasonable - 200-300 rubles for a fixed sushi lunch. One of the most popular restaurants is “Yamato” in the “Planet” shopping center on Lukashevsky Street. You can taste Korean dishes at the Korea House restaurant on Leninskaya Street - in addition, it is located in a stunningly beautiful historical building with panoramic view to the bay. For great seafood cuisine, go to the San Marino restaurant on Karl Marx Street - by the way, in addition to delicious fish dishes, you can try elk and reindeer meat here.

Accommodation

Hotels in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky are modern hotels that provide tourists with excellent conditions for recreation.

Hotels in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky for tourists with limited funds - “Albatross”, “Geyser”, “Rus”, etc.

Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky hotels of a higher category - 3* - "Avacha" and "Petropavlovsk", cost of living per day - from 3.5 thousand rubles.

Shopping

From Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky it is worth bringing carved wood and bone products (mammoth tusk, walrus tusk, whalebone, bighorn sheep and elk horns), fur and leather items of clothing - from cute covers for mobile phones to “coachman’s” bear coats, in which The most severe frost is not scary. Interesting things can be found among the national attributes of the aboriginal population - all kinds of images of totem animals, amulets and amulets, hats, costumes, tambourines and home decoration items, as well as jew's harps. In addition, it is worth paying attention to hunting trophies - animal skins, antlers and stuffed animals.

You can purchase the above in the souvenir section of the good old GUM - the main department store of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, in art salons and private souvenir shops in the historical center of the city.

In Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky it is very profitable to purchase equipment for hiking, climbing, etc. active species sports: the brands presented here are the same as in the capital's stores, but the prices differ for the better.

Transport

The main attractions of the city are conveniently located in its tourist center, and at the same time very compact - so it’s quite possible to get an idea in general terms during a walking tour.

In addition, you can get around Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky by buses, minibuses, affectionately called “mikriki” here, or taxis. "Mikriki" ply along all the more or less significant streets of the city; boarding is carried out according to the “all-Russian” type: wave to an approaching car with the desired number on the windshield, climb inside and hand over money to the driver for the journey (20 rubles for any distance) and announce the desired disembarkation point in advance and loudly. Buses move mainly along the central streets of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, but there are also suburban ones. A bus ride within the city limits will cost 16 rubles; the fare must be paid to the driver upon exit. A taxi trip around Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky will cost between 60-180 rubles.

How to get there

The fastest and, without exaggeration, irreplaceable way (given our domestic distances!) is to arrive in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky by plane. Regular flights from Moscow are operated by Aeroflot, Transaero and Vim-Avia. Travel time is from 8 to 8.5 hours. Transaero also flies from St. Petersburg. S7 and Vladivostok Air fly to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky from Novosibirsk, Vladivostok, Khabarovsk and Krasnodar, and Ural Airlines fly from Yekaterinburg.

Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Yelizovo Airport is located 30 km from the city center. You can cover this distance by municipal buses No. 102 and No. 104 for 25 RUR (travel time is about 45 minutes) or by taxi - such a trip will cost 400-500 rubles.