Novorossiysk is a port city in Krasnodar Krai with population 230,000.

Understand

Aerial view of Novorossiysk

History

In the times of the Ancient Greeks, here was the site of Bata of the Bosporan Kingdom, a colony that specialized in the grain trade. It was settled by Adyghe tribes and later conquered by the Mongols. From 1722 to the Russo-Turkish war in 1829, the area was controlled by the Ottomans. In 1855, English and French fleets unsuccessfully besieged the fort during the Crimean war. In late 1942, the area was occupied by the Germans.

A naval base is under construction and is scheduled to be completed by 2020.

Geography

The city is situated on a 25km bay and is formed as an amphitheater by surrounding mountains protecting it from the cold air coming from the continent. The river Tsemes runs through the city.

Climate

Novorossiysk has a humid subtropical climate. In winter, the air masses from the north take hold of the city while in the summer the air is of tropical origin. The cold weather lasts from November to March and three-day storms with severe wind are pretty common. The clouds of cold air rolling over the mountains look like giant candyfloss and temperatures drop 10-15 degrees in a few hours.

The average temperature of July is 23.7C and is 2.3C in January. The bay is prone to tornadoes and storms in August.

Get in

By plane

Anapa Airport (AAQ ^IATA) is 63km northwest of the city. The airport serves regular flights to Moscow, Sochi, and Simferopol as has seasonal flights to most major cities in Russia.

Krasnodar International Airport (KRR ^IATA) is 165km km east of the city and offers additional flight options.

By train

A train departs Moskva Kazansky terminal in Moscow every day at 2:18PM arriving in Novorossiysk at 12:55 the next day (22.5 hours, From 2500 руб). There are 2 other daily trains from Moscow, but they are much slower, taking up to 37 hours. From Saint Petersburg, there are departures every second day during summer (41.5 hours, From 3200 руб).

Other Russian cities with rail connections include Kazan (45 hours), Nizhny Novgorod (42½ hours), Perm (59 hours), Yekaterinburg (60 hours), and Arkhangelsk (52 hours, From 2600 руб).

From Krasnodar, there are four daily commuter trains leaving for Novorossiysk taking 3-4 hours.

The train station is one of the oldest in Russia, built in 1898.

By bus

Buses operate approximately every 3 hours between Novorossiysk and Krasnodar (350 руб, 3.5 hours). Daily buses also operate to/from Sochi (8 hours, 400 руб).

By sea

Hydrofoils offer service to/from Sochi (3-5 hours, 1800 руб) in the summer.

Get around

There is a network of trolleybus, bus, and marshrutka services.

See

Museums

• Cruiser Mikhail Kutuzov Museum, Emb. Im. Admirala Serebryakova 2A. A huge former battleship, now a museum. 
• Ruins of the Palace of Culture
• Novorossiysk Historical Museum Reserve
• Cement Industry Museum
• Gagarin Planetarium
• Novorossiysk Dolphinarium Sea Life
• Novorossiysk State Historical Museum Reserve
• Prima-Yug Art Gallery

Monuments

• Malaya Zemlja V Novorossijske Memorial Complex - The site of a historical World War II battle.
• Monument Ensemble Line of Defense
• Monument to Sailors of Revolution
• Exodus Monument
• Monument to the Wives of Sailors
• Monument to the Unknown Sailor
• Torpedo Boat Memorial
• Monument to the Founders of Novorossiysk
• Monument to the Fallen in the Undeclared War
• Monument to the Fishermen
• Brezhnev Statue
• Lenin Statue

Do

• Beach activities including sunbathing, diving, and yachting.

Parks

• Vladamir Lenin Park of Culture and Leisure. 

Sleep

Budget

• Prival Hostel (Хостел Привал), Mefodiyevskaya ul. 1, ☏ +7 861 770 8236. 

Mid-range

• Brigantina (Бригантина), 18 Anapskoye shosse, ☏ +7 861 721 6373, +7 861 7611743, fax: +7 861 721 6446, brigantina@nvrsk.ru. 
• Okean Hotel (Океан), 29 Geroyev Disantnikov st, ☏ +7 861 7234926, +7 861 723 3603, fax: +7 861 7230040. 

Splurge

• Novorossiysk (Новороссийск), 2 Isayeva st, ☏ +7 861 7606505, +7 861 7631584, fax: +7 861 7631559, reserve@hotel-novoros.ru. from 3100 руб. 

Cope

Consulates

• Greece, Isaeva street, 2, ☏ +7 8617 239501, +7 8617 201313, +7 8617 201541, +7 861 7201358, fax: +7 861 723 9508. M-F 9AM-3:30PM. 

Go next

• Krasnodar
• Anapa