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Krasnodar (English) Краснода́р (Russian)
Tram in Krasnodar
Krasnodar krai on the map of Russia
Coordinates 45°01′N 38°58′E / 45.017, 38.967Coordinates: 45°01′N 38°58′E / 45.017, 38.967
Coat of Arms
City Day: May 1
Administrative status
Federal subject In jurisdiction of Administrative center of	Krasnodar Krai Krasnodar Krai —
Local self-government
Charter	Charter of Krasnodar
Municipal status	Urban okrug
Head	Alexander Nikolajevitch Tkatschev
Legislative body	City Assembly
Area
Area	4,500 km² (1,737.5 sq mi)
Population (as of the 2002 Census)
Population - Rank - Density	646,175 inhabitants 143.6/km² (371.9/sq mi)
Events
Founded	1793
Town status	1867
Other information
Postal code	350000 — 350090
Dialing code	+7 861
Official website
http://www.krasnodaradm.ru/

Krasnodar (Russian: Краснода́р) is a city in Southern Russia on the Kuban River. It is the administrative center of Krasnodar Krai (also known as Kuban). Geographical location 45°02′N, 38°58′E Population: 646,175 (2002 Census).

Contents 1 Name 2 History 3 Coat of arms 4 Travel information 5 Sister cities 6 Famous people 7 External links

Founded in 1793 as Yekaterinodar or Ekaterinodar (Екатеринодар), the original name meant "Catherine's Gift" simultaneously in recognition of Catherine the Great's grant of land in the Kuban region to the Black Sea Cossacks (later the Kuban Cossacks) and in recognition of Saint Catherine, the Martyr, who is considered to be the patron of the city. After the October Revolution, Yekaterinodar was renamed Krasnodar (December, 1920). There are two potential meanings for the new name of the city: Krasno- (Красно-), meaning either 'beautiful' (an older root) or 'red' (especially relevant considering the political atmosphere of the time); and -dar (-дар), meaning 'gift'. Thus, the city's name means either beautiful gift or red gift (i.e. 'gift of the reds').

The origin of the city starts with a fortress built by Cossacks in order to defend imperial borders and claim Russian ownership over Circassia, which was contested by Ottoman Turkey. In the first half of the 19th century Krasnodar (then Yekaterinodar) grew into a busy center of the Kuban Cossacks. By 1888 about 45,000 people lived in the city and it became a vital trade center of southern Russia. In 1897 an obelisk commemorating 200 year old history of Kuban Cossack Host was built in Yekaterinodar.

During the Russian Civil War the city changed hands several times between the Red Army and Volunteer Army, many Kuban Cossacks were committed anti-Bolsheviks who supported the White Movement. During the Great Patriotic War (World War II), Krasnodar was occupied by the German Army between August 12, 1942 and February 12, 1943. The city sustained heavy damage in the fighting but was rebuilt and renovated after the war.

Famous Russian soprano Anna Netrebko, cosmonaut Gennady Padalka, counterrevolutionary Andrei Shkuro and rhythmic gymnast Inna Zhukova were born in Krasnodar.

The Coat of Arms of Yekaterinodar was introduced in 1841 by the Cossack yesaul Ivan Chernik. The royal letter "E" in the middle is for Ekaterina II (Russian for Catherine II). It also depicts the date city was founded, the Imperial double headed eagle (symbolizing Czar patronage of Black Sea Cossacks), a bulava of a Cossack ataman, Yekaterinodar fortress, and flags with letters "E", "P","A" and "N" standing for Catherine II, Paul I, Alexander I and Nicholas I. Yellow stars around the shield symbolized 59 Black Sea stanitsas around the city.

The main airline is Kuban Airlines (at Krasnodar Pashkovsky Airport), and the largest hotels in the city include the Intourist, Hotel Moskva, Hotel Platan. Krasnodar uses a 220 V/50 Hz power supply with two round-pin like most European countries.

The major tourist attractions include St. Catherine's Cathedral, the State Arts Museum, a park and theatre named after Maxim Gorky, the beautiful concert hall of the Krasnodar Philharmonic Society, which is considered to have some of the best acoustics in southern Russia, State Cossack Choir and the Krasnodar circus.

Public transportation within Krasnodar consists of city buses, trolleybuses, trams, and marshrutkas. Trolleybuses and trams, both powered by overhead electric wires, are the main form of transportation in Krasnodar. Unlike Moscow and Saint Petersburg, Krasnodar does not have a metro system.

Krasnodar has four sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International, Inc. (SCI):

• Tallahassee, Florida, USA
• Karlsruhe, Germany
• Burgas, Bulgaria
• Harbin, China

• Anna Netrebko, (* 1971) opera singer
• Alexander Tamanian, (*1878-1936) Armenian neoclassical architect
• Gennady Padalka , (*1958) cosmonaut
• Sergei Tiviakov, (* 1973) chess Grandmaster
• Eduard Kokcharov, (* 1975) handball player
• Alexandre Bondar, (* 1972) writer and novelist
• Lazaros Papadopoulos, (* 1980) Greek basketball player

• Krasnodar city administration
• (English) News and events of Krasnodar Krai
• Krasnodar city photographs
• Inside Krasnodar Blog

	Cities and towns in Krasnodar Krai
	Administrative center: Krasnodar Abinsk | Anapa | Apsheronsk | Armavir | Belorechensk | Gelendzhik | Goryachy Klyuch | Gulkevichi | Khadyzhensk | Korenovsk | Kropotkin | Krymsk | Kurganinsk | Labinsk | Novokubansk | Novorossiysk | Primorsko-Akhtarsk | Slavyansk-na-Kubani | Sochi | Temryuk | Tikhoretsk | Timashyovsk | Tuapse | Ust-Labinsk | Yeysk