The History of Khabarovsk

The history and development of Khabarovsk is closely connected with the name of Governor - General of Eastern Siberia Сount Muravyov-Amursky. He became known as the "father" of Khabarovsk because this city was founded on his order as one of the first military outposts on the Amur River.

On May 19, 1858, Commander of the 13^th Siberian battalion, Captain Yakov Dyachenko and his soldiers built the first winter quarters of the future Khabarovsk.
Muravyov-Amursky named a new military post Khabarovka in honor of a great pioneer of the Amur land Yerofey Pavlovich Khabarov.

For quite a long time it remained a small settlement serving as a port on the Amur River and a transportation hub on the long way from the Far East to the west of Russia.

Like many other cities in Siberia and the Far East, Khabarovka grew slowly during the governorship of N. N. Muravyov-Amursky in 1847-1861. In 1864, a surveyor M. Lubensky made up a topographical plan of Khabarovka to transform it from a military post to a city.

Natural landscape defined the «face» of the future city: a high bank of the Amur River, three long hills and small rivers Byri and Uri, flowing between them, became key elements in the organization of the city territory.

In 1865 Khabarovka had one church, 59 state-owned and 140 private houses, and 14 shops. Its population consisted of 943 military and 351 civil residents.

Big changes came to Khabarovka on April 28, 1880 after the Governor- General of Eastern Siberia D. G. Anuchin changed the status of Khabarovka from a military post to a town and moved there his residency from Nikolaevsk. In 1893 Khabarovka was renamed to Khabarovsk.

In 1894, the department of the Russian Geographical Society was formed in Khabarovsk. It initiated the foundation of libraries, theaters, and museums in the city. Since then, the cultural life of Khabarovsk is thriving.

Soon in 1900 there appeared telephone service, and in 1907 outdoor electric lighting.

The first wooden church was built in Khabarovsk in 1868. It was named in honor of St. Innocent, the first Bishop of Irkutsk, and the patron of Siberia and the Far East of Russia, who was canonized after his death. Later there appeared four Orthodox temples. The largest one was Uspensky Cathedral.

Late 19^th and early 20^th centuries is the period of transformation of Khabarovsk from a provincial town to a major administrative, military, industrial and cultural center of the Far East. At the beginning of the 20^th century there started rapidly develop the system of national education. In 1915, in Khabarovsk there were two secondary schools: a technical school and technical railway school as well as 8 secondary schools, military school, seminary, teacher's college and business school.

Every year a great number of initiative and enterprising people came here to do commerce and open small industrial enterprises.

Compared to many other cities of the RFE, Khabarovsk is quite a "lucky" city in terms of its geographical location, political, economical and military status. The city avoided destruction in the war with Japan in 1905, the Revolution in 1917, Foreign Intervention in 1922, and also the WWII.

During the Soviet period Khabarovsk was never closed to visitors or tourists. This allowed the city to save the architecture and develop according to the original plan made by M. Lubensky. There was created a unique culture with many museums and theatres, strong educational base with many universities, institutes, and colleges, and good conditions for industry and transport development.

NowKhabarovsk is the administrative center and the largest city of Khabarovsk Territory. It is located some 30 km from the Chinese border. The city lies at the confluence of the Amur and Ussuri Rivers, about 800 kilometers north of Vladivostok. Rail distance from Khabarovsk to Moscow is 9,289 kilometers.

It is the second largest city in the Russian Far East, after Vladivostok. Its population is 578, 6 persons (2009).

Khabarovsk is located in the center of the Far East where most federal and regional organisations are located (headquarters of the Far East military district, Far Eastern Railway Administration, such associations as the Head Department for Construction in the Far East, Dallesprom, Dallestroy, etc.).

In 2002 the city became the administrative center of the Seventh Far Eastern Federal District of Russia.

Khabarovsk is twinned with the following sister cities:

• Bucheon, South Korea
• Niigata, Japan
• Harbin, China
• Villeurbanne, France
• Anchorage, Alaska, United States
• Portland, Oregon, United States
• Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

2. Answer the following questions:

•Who was the “father” of Khabarovsk?

•When was Khabarovka founded?

•What are the peculiarities of Khabarovsk landscape?

•What kind of people prevailed in the city at the end of the 19^th century?

•Which event took place in Khabarovka in 1880?

• When did Khabarovka become Khabarovsk?

•What was the system of education in Khabarovsk?

•Why can we name this city a “lucky” one?

3. Complete the sentences:

•The first administrator of Khabarovka was ___________________________________

a) Muravyov-Amursky b) Nevelskoy c) Dayachenko

•The outlook of modern Khabarovsk was predetermined by____________________