Feb/17

Blagoveshchensk – the view from above

No comments · Posted by Sergei Rzhevsky in Cities, Photos, Travel

Blagoveshchensk is the fifth largest city in the Russian Far East, the capital of the Amur region.

This city, located on the left bank of the Amur River, is the only administrative center in Russia standing on the state border. Chinese city of Heihe is located on the right bank of the Amur, at a distance of half a kilometer. Photos by: Slava Stepanov.

Triumphal Arch. It was built in honor of the arrival of Crown Prince Nikolai Alexandrovich (the future Emperor of Russia Nicholas II) in 1891. Destroyed by a flood in 1936, the arch was restored in 2003.

50 let Oktyabrya Street – one of the main streets of Blagoveshchensk.

Administration of the Amur Region.

The center of Blagoveshchensk.

Snow town on Lenin Square.

Embankment.

Lenina Street.

Socio-cultural center (the locals call it “Bastille”).

Public garden.

Monument in honor of awarding the Order of Lenin to the Amur region.

Gavriil Archangel Monastery.

On the other bank of the Amur River – China.

In order to cross the state border between Russia and China (from Blagoveshchensk to Heihe), only an international passport is required.

In May-October, there is a ship running between these cities. In January-March, there is a pontoon ferry and you can go by bus. In other months (November, December, April), during freeze-up, hovercrafts are used. Dates may vary slightly depending on the weather.

On holidays and weekends, the inflow of tourists from Russia may amount to more than 4 thousand people a day. Heihe is the most northern city of China.