Online Encyclopedia
Krasnoyarsk
Krasnoyarsk (Russian: Красноярск), administrative center of Krasnoyarsk Krai, is the third largest city in Siberia. It lies on the Yenisei River and is an important station on the Trans-Siberian railway. The city population is estimated at 911,000 in 2002.
The city was founded in 1628, as a fort on the frontier. Its growth was stimulated by the arrival of the Siberian Post Road, and later by the discovery of gold and by the railroad. It has been the administrative center of the region since 1934, and is also an industrial and cultural center. The major industries include aluminum production, hydroelectric power station, and ship yard.
A metro system is being constructed.
The Soviet Union built a radar here that violated the ABM Treaty because the radar faced inward across the Soviet Union rather than towards the international border.
Views of Krasnoyarsk are pictured on a 10 ruble bill.