Savoy Petit

The lifeline of the town: the river Kuban

by Pavlik_NL

Winding it's way from the Caucasus mountains to the swamps along the Azov Sea, the river Kuban meets half way the city of Krasnodar. Just before it is kpet in it's free running, by the long barrage dam, behind which is the huge artificial lake that is said to even influence the climat in this region. Krasnodar is completely on the Northern banks of the river, simply because the Southern banks belong to the Autonome Republic within Russia: Adygea. Few bridges cross the river, that is suprisingly hardly used for transport or recreation (swimming, sailing or any other watersports). Anyway, if it wasn't for this river, a natural border in the 18th century, the city of Jekatorinodar (the old name of Krasnodar) never would have appeared here. Kozaks built a fortress and this became ... Krasnodar. Fresh wind along the river, giving some breath in the heat of Krasnodar summer.

Athletics in the sports stadion on Krasnaja Ulitsa

by Pavlik_NL

Along Krasnaya Ulitsa, hidden behind a long row of small shops, is the athletic oval of Krasnodar. The building needs some attention, but looks quite beautiful and in true Olympic styles (Greek, that is). White and light blue colours, columns and a wide field surrounded by the redish running track.

Still to come, a monument for Jekatarina

by Pavlik_NL

Finally, Jekatarina, that founded this city, gets her place in Krasnodar. The city started out as a Kozak fortress that fell to the grace of tsarina Jekatarina. The town that came to be around the fortress and along the river Kuban was named Jekatarinodar (Gift of Jekatarina) at first and only in Sowyet times changed to Krasnodar (beautiful gift). After the communistic times, this city desided to maintain this name, which did not have any refernce to Sowyet leaders or statesmen. However, Jekatarina now gets her monument near the new church and the Krasnodar Kray Duma. In 2005 only the sockel was ready, the statue is being prepared somewhere else and will be raised in 2006.

Krasnodar, capitol of Kuban is a beautiful "gift"

by Pavlik_NL

"Setllement of Kozaks grows out to a millions-city"

Krasnodar (means something like "Beautiful Gift") used to be called Ekaterinodar, as it was given by tsarina Kathrin the Great to the Kozaks that conquered the Kuban-region in the name of Russia (against the Osmanic Turks that roamed the lands here). Since then Krasnodar has grown to be a city of almost a million inhabitants and one of the agricultural capitols of the whole of Russia as for the furtile (black) soil and climatological prosporous environment in the Kuban lowlands.

"Connecting point of various cultures"

The town borders on the Kuban river and (on the other riverbank) the autonome province of Adegia. This is actually the first of somewhat foreign influences within the Russian culture. Many Adegyans work in Krasnodar and add their specific flavour. More noticable recently is the growing group of Caucasus people, adding more colours too. Georgians, Abchasians, Armenians, Ossethians, Azeri etc. etc. come to the biggest town in this region for work and a "better life". It makes Krasnodar - especially for Russian standards - a very multicultural society.

"A stranger among Russians"

For visitors the town and surroundings have many surprises that are presented in the most hospitable way by the Russian people. Reason can be that you will be one of the few foreign visitors to come here and intrested (and intreged) as the Russian are, you might become the middelpoint of their warm attention.