Krasnodar Krai.

History

In the 6th century BC Greek colonists founded Phanagoria and Hermonassa on the Taman Peninsula, and Gorgippia appeared later. In the 10th century Prince Svyatoslav took the area and the principality of Tmutarakan appeared on Taman; chronicles of the 11th–12th centuries first mention the Circassians as Kassogs. The Kuban joined the Russian Empire in 1783, and in 1792–1794 Black Sea Cossacks were resettled here. In 1793 they founded Yekaterinodar, renamed Krasnodar in 1920, and the krai took its present shape on 13 September 1937.

Culture & traditions

Much of the krai's character comes from the Kuban Cossacks and their songs. The Kuban Cossack Choir traces its history to 1811, when the singing choir of the Black Sea Host was formed, and today performs Kuban Cossack songs, dances and folklore. The land's indigenous people are the Adyghe (Circassians), and besides Russians the population includes a sizeable Armenian community. Krasnodar has St Catherine's Cathedral and Krasnaya Street, its main avenue with a triumphal arch.

Nature

The Kuban River splits the krai into flat northern plains and a mountainous south. The highest summit is Mount Tsakhvoa at about 3,345 m, while Fisht is the westernmost Caucasus peak with a glacier. The Caucasus Biosphere Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and Sochi National Park protect the mountain forests. Taman has mud volcanoes, Lake Abrau lies near Novorossiysk, and the hills hide the Pshada waterfalls. The climate ranges from steppe in the north to Mediterranean and subtropical on the coast.

Sport

In 2014 Sochi hosted the Winter Olympics and Paralympics, with ice venues in the Olympic Park and the alpine and Nordic events at Rosa Khutor in Krasnaya Polyana. Fisht Stadium went on to host matches of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, and Sochi staged the Formula 1 Russian Grand Prix from 2014 to 2021. Krasnodar is home to FC Krasnodar, which plays at its own stadium, and to the basketball club Lokomotiv Kuban. Sochi has its own football and ice hockey clubs.

Food & drink

Kuban Cossack cooking means borscht, vareniki filled with potato or berries, pancakes, shashlik, okroshka and oven-baked meat, served with round palyanytsia bread. The krai is Russia's top grain producer and produces more than a third of Russia's grapes. Abrau-Dyurso near Novorossiysk, founded in 1870 as an imperial winery, is famous for its sparkling wine. And the hills around Sochi grow tea on Russia's northernmost plantations.

Practical information

There are airports in Krasnodar (Pashkovsky), Sochi, Anapa and Gelendzhik, and rail lines run down to the coast. The krai is on Moscow time. The coast is subtropical: Sochi averages about 11 °C by day in winter and 24 °C in summer. Summer and the mild September 'velvet season' are best for beaches, winter for skiing at Krasnaya Polyana, and spring or autumn for Krasnodar and mountain walks.

What to see

• Krasnaya Polyana — the Olympic ski slopes of Rosa Khutor above Sochi.
• Sochi Olympic Park — the 2014 Games arenas and Fisht Stadium.
• Abrau-Dyurso — historic sparkling-wine cellars on the shore of Lake Abrau.
• Taman Peninsula — mud volcanoes and the traces of ancient Greek cities.
• Sochi Arboretum — a seaside garden full of tropical trees.
• Krasnodar — Krasnaya Street, St Catherine's Cathedral and Galitsky Park.

Cities on the map

• Krasnodar 1,154,885
• Sochi 444,989