The history and development of Khabarovsk is in great part owed to
General-Governor Murav'ev-Amursky of East Siberia. He became known as
the "father" of Khabarovsk after he ordered the establishment
of a new military outpost on the Amur River.
Big changes came to Khabarovka in April 28, 1880. At this time the Governor
and his team realizes that the port Nikolaevsk-na-Amure, long considered
a "gate into the southern part of the Russian Far East" was
a failure. The Governor changed the status of Khabarovka from a settlement
to a city and moved his residency from Nikolaevsk to Khabarovka and in
1893 changed the name of the city from Khabarovka to Khabarovsk.
Since that time Khabarovsk has had the status of an administrative city.
It is one of the largest cities in the Russian Far East with a population
of close to 1.58 million. Compared to many other cities of the RFE, Khabarovsk
is quite a "lucky" city in terms of its geographical location,
political, economical and military status. It avoided destruction in the
war with Japan in 1905, the Revolution and Foreign Intervention in Vladivostok,
and also WWII. During the Soviet period Khabarovsk was never a closed
city to visitors or tourists. This allowed the city to save the architecture,
and build Khabarovsk with undisturbed planning, creating a friendly culture
with many museums and theatres, a strong educational base with many universities
and colleges, and a large center for industry and transportation.
It is also important to point out that much of the history and culture
of the area is strongly tied to its many indigenous peoples. The history
of these peoples is well preserved both in local museums and in the settlements
of the region and around Khabarovsk. Outside of the city, and near the
Nanaian settlement of Sikhachi-Alyan, you can see cliff drawings of more
than 13 centuries ago.
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