Russia is rich in unique places. One of them is the capital of the Kamchatka Territory. Both the history and location, and the surrounding nature of this city are unusual and interesting, which makes this place a subject of pride of the population and an object of desire among tourists. Let's talk about the features of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, its climate, structure and attractions.
The geographical position of the city
In the north-east of Russia is one of the most amazing regions of the country - Kamchatka. The capital of the Kamchatka Territory is located in the Avacha Bay of the Pacific Ocean, which is connected to it by a narrow strait. The city covers an area of 360 square meters. km Its relief is complex, with large elevations. The lowest point is Avacha Bay (0-5 m above sea level), and the highest is Mount Rakovaya (513 m above sea level).
The whole city is located on the hills, so the roads consist of ups and downs. Several streams flow on the territory, the Krutoberega and Taenka rivers, there are lakes. Therefore, there are no difficulties with providing residents with water. The city is located in one of the most earthquake-prone areas of the earth. Small earthquakes happen here very often. Major, devastating disasters rarely occur, but the population is always ready for them.
The city is located at a distance of almost 12 thousand kilometers from Moscow, so all the inhabitants of the European part of the country are always interested in the question, how much time is in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, when, for example, 9 am in the capital? The time difference with Moscow is 9 hours. Therefore, when it’s 9 a.m. in the capital, it’s already 18 p.m. in Kamchatka.
Climate and ecology
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky is located in close proximity to the Pacific Ocean. This fact forms the climate of the village: it is temperate marine, monsoon. The specificity of the local weather is determined by the location: it has cool and rather dry summers, mild, long winters. The region is characterized by a large amount of precipitation - about 1200 mm per year. The wettest months are October and November; the least rainfall occurs in June.
In the region, there is year-round weather instability, exposure to the strong influence of cyclones. Summer begins in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky in June and lasts until the end of August. But the capital and cities of the Kamchatka Territory feel an acute shortage of heat. Despite the fact that the region is on the same latitude as Moscow and Tambov, the air temperature here rarely rises above 17 degrees in the summer. True, there is little rain during this period. And it makes the summer comfortable.
Winter begins in the region in November and ends in April. At this time, the greatest amount of precipitation falls. 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 the year in the city is autumn. In September, dry sunny weather is usually set without winds. But in the region, everything is relatively safe from an environmental point of view. There is no malicious industry. The main source of pollution is a person and a car. But since there is not much of either one or the other, the air and water in Kamchatka are quite clean.
Settlement history
The capital of the Kamchatka Territory was created by the discoverers of the region in the early 18th century. Prior to this, the local population lived here - Kamchatka and Chukchi. In the middle of the 17th century, Russian Cossacks got here and announced the annexation of lands to the Russian Empire. But for four more decades only small jails were built here. This continued until Ivan Yelagin went to these places to study these territories. He, still preparing for the expedition, looked after the bay as the most convenient place for the parking of ships. Yelagin took depth measurements off the coast and confirmed its navigability.
In 1740, an expedition arrived here under the leadership of V. Bering and A. Chirkov on the ships that gave the name to the new settlement. At first it was called Peter and Paul. But, except for a small prison and name, nothing appeared in this place for another 70 years. Several expeditions arrived here over the years, but there were no more inhabitants. 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 village begins.
The British and French pretended to new lands. Local Cossacks had to hold a stern defense. Later, the city once again had to defend its independence, fighting off the Japanese during World War II. Since the 30s of the 20th century, the region has been actively developing. The city is growing, shipyards and the necessary infrastructure for life appear in it. But the living conditions here have always remained harsh. In Soviet times, several educational institutions were opened here, mainly of a marine profile.
City features
The main specific feature of the settlement is its remoteness from the "mainland". Despite the fact that the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky airport and the highway connect the city with other regions of the country, the cost of tickets for the flight makes this settlement inaccessible to many. This leads to the fact that there are few visitors to the village, most often from tourists here are representatives of Japan and China. Therefore, the city is poorly prepared to receive an influx of guests.
The first question that visitors ask: how much time is in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky compared with Moscow, Novosibirsk, etc.? Then they begin to look for the usual tourist service. And they are surprised to find that they can find almost nothing traveling. 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 town did not have any division into districts. But in Soviet times, they tried to artificially divide the settlement into three districts. This innovation did not take root, and later the division was canceled. Today the city consists of microdistricts, according to which people navigate in space.
The main streets of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky are Sovetskaya and Karl Marx Avenue. Around them are grouped many significant objects of the city. But in general, the settlement has a large length, which sometimes is a problem for residents who need to get to some remote places. The population density is 500 people per square. km
Population
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky today has 180 thousand people. After perestroika, the city is going through hard times. If in 1991 273,000 people lived here, today today the number of citizens is reduced by at least 1 thousand. Despite a moderate increase in the birth rate and a decrease in mortality, it is not possible to stop the decline in the number of inhabitants. People are leaving the city due to poor quality of life and lower economic performance. The indigenous population of the region - Kamchadals - is also gradually decreasing. Today in the city there are a little more than 100 people.
Economy
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky is the economic center of the Kamchatka Territory. The administrative power is concentrated here, several educational institutions work. The main income to the city comes from fish processing enterprises. But with the advent of modern fishing and processing companies in other settlements of the region, the importance of this industry in the capital is declining.
The authorities are betting on the mining industry. In Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, gold, nickel, silver and platinum mining companies are opening. 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 in the city is a man of 37 years with a higher education. And the main vacancies are related to seasonal fishing and processing activities.
sights
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 sheets of iron, with which residents insulate the facades of their houses. The 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, the ocean. The landscape is presented almost untouched. Tourists are invited to national parks and reserves to see salmon spawning and bear hunting, rosemary bloom, the tranquility of autumn landscapes. Guests are also offered skiing: there are several good tracks in the city.
City infrastructure
The city gives the impression of a slightly abandoned and abandoned settlement. And the reason for this is the aging infrastructure of the Soviet era, poor roads. The only modernized place is the airport. Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky is under repair and under construction. Residents are constantly waiting for the earthquake. Therefore, private construction is very small, and the state does not have enough funds to subsidize the city. In Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky there is an acute shortage of good hotels. The best places to stay are outside the city.