Krasnodar is the capital of Krasnodar Krai.

Understand

The city is one the most important historical and cultural centers of Southern Russian and Northern Caucasus region. Krasnodar was founded in 1794 by the Black Sea Cossacks, under the guidance of Catherine the Great, to guard the southern border of the Russian Empire. It is located to the east of the Black Sea. The city has a population of 713,426 people, according to 2010 census, and it is more ethnically diverse than the Russian North, with many Georgians, Armenians, Chechens and Ossetians settling in the area over the years of political turmoil.

Get in

To fly directly to Krasnodar from abroad, you can use Austrian Airlines (from Vienna) or Pegasus Airlines (from Istanbul) with flights landing in Krasnodar International Airport (KRR  ^IATA) [1] and thus bypassing the Moscow hub in Sheremetyevo International Airport. This option is usually more expensive and most travelers opt for cheaper flights with Moscow layovers, the cheapest of which are Skyexpress or Aeroflot. When flying through Moscow, you have to change between international and domestic terminals of Sheremetyevo Airport.

Get around

By public transportation

Krasnodar has a dense network of trams, trolleybuses, city buses, taxis, the boat across the Kuban river and, a uniquely Eastern European road feature of “marshrutkas”, which is a hybrid between a taxi and a minibus. Hitchhiking is also common. Trams, buses, and trolleys are more popular modes of travel because they are public and relatively cheap with a single pass costing 20 rubles (~$0.40 USD) and a monthly pass for 400 rubles (~$13 USD) as per single type of transportation. Some people choose to opt out of using trams, buses and trolleys because they have a tendency to be packed during rush hours of morning and evening as well as not sticking to schedule during times of heavy rain or snow. For times like these, taxis and marshrutkas are always available at a higher fee. One in three native Krasnodarians own a personal vehicle.

See

• “Krasnaya St.” - main street of the city, along which many of the interesting spots are located.
• Twelve theatres, the oldest of which are the Drama Theatre, Children’s Puppet Theatre, the regional Philharmonic Hall and the Operetta Theatre, all located along Krasnaya St.
• Ten museums. Two of the most well-known:

• Krasnodar Regional Fine Arts Museum (13 Krasnaya St., (861)262-6633)
• Krasnodar Regional Exhibit Hall (32 Rashpilevskaya St., (861)268-6763)

have many famous works of Kuban and Russian and European artists from as early as 16th century.

• The Splash Fountain
• Several parks and arboretums, four zoos and two water parks (“Equator” and “Aqualand”) for those visiting in summer months.
• Eleven movie theaters. “Aurora” movie theatre (169 Krasnaya St.) is one of the oldest and historically preserved movie theatres in the city built in 1967. For night time entertainment, around twenty entertainment complexes are opened 24 hours and usually include bowling alleys, shopping centers, video arcades, casinos and restaurants in one place.

Eat

Krasnodar has many restaurants, pubs, eateries, sushi bars, hookah bars, pizzerias, coffee/tea houses and fast food places. The predominant Krasnodar cuisine is a mix of south Russian, Georgian, Armenian and Greek flavors with emphasis on fresh local grown produce minimally spiced and mostly flavored by parsley, dill and cilantro.

Fastfood

• Subway
• McDonald's (100 Dzerzhinsky St., (861)210-4192)
• KFC (104 Uralskaya St., (861)210-9333)
• “Lubo-Dorogo” is a popular Krasnodar fast-food chain which specializes in a mix of Russian cuisine with appetizers (90-280 rubles), main courses (150-350 rubles) and desserts (70-110 rubles).

Sleep

• 1 Greek House Hotel, Ryleeva Str.165 (10-minute walk from Krasnodar city centre). Check-in: 12:00, check-out: 12:00. Free WiFi and simply furnished accommodation. Each room is air conditioned and offers a flat-screen cable TV. Free private parking for guests. 24/7 reception. Refreshing drinks and snacks are served at the Greek House's bar. 

Connect

Consulates

• Italy (Honourary Consulate), Stavropolskaya street 134, 1 floor, ☏ +7 861 267-6496, fax: +7 (861) 239-6659, consolatoSR@investa.ru. 

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