Interesting facts about Krasnoyarsk

 Here are some interesting facts about Krasnoyarsk:

St. Paraskeva Chapel situated on the top of the Karaulnaya Hill is visible from any place in Krasnoyarsk. The chapel is displayed on the 10-ruble note and is one of the iconic images of the city. Three centuries ago guards stood on this highest hill of the city, then called Kum-Tigei and later Karaulnaya Hill, and protected it from enemy attacks. The belfry bell was rung to warn people from danger at night and in the daytime – smoke signals were sent. Not everyone could see the fire but everyone could hear blank shots from cannons mounted on the Kum Tigei hill. Later, when the people of Krasnoyarsk were no longer threatened by attackers, blank shots were fired on the Karaulnaya Hill at noon every day. At the end of the 17th century, after a great fire, the tradition of signal shots was interrupted only to be restored in 2001. The people of Krasnoyarsk once again can her shots coming from the Karaulnaya Hill.

The funniest monuments of Krasnoyarsk - "Uncle Yasha and intern" in the street of the Paris Commune and the "Uncle Vasya - drunk" in the Decembrists street. This place is also called the Square of Love; in its centre a steam clock can be found, and it is a sand clock as well! Wise aphorisms are written on the walls of the clock. Directly from the street you can read: "In life, we regret not what we have done but what we have not". The inscription on the right side of the clock says: "Every minute we get closer to what we will become with time" and on the left - "Time is not measured with hours, it is measured with heartbeats." And finally, a saying on the administration building next to the clocks: "Do not put off until tomorrow, what you can enjoy today."

One of the major monuments of Krasnoyarsk is the rotunda "Alexander Pushkin and Natalia Goncharova" in the square at the crossing of Prospect Mira and Kirov Street. In the centre of the rotunda there is a fountain. Three wings of the area on which the Rotunda "Pushkin and Goncharova" stands symbolize Faith, Hope and Love, and 4 columns – 4 seasons of the year. The dome is supported by 12 pillars symbolizing 12 months of the year.

One of the main temples of the city is the Intercession Cathedral (St. Surikov, 26). It was founded in 1785. It is a stone edifice in the style of Siberian Baroque - the temple, the altar, refectory and bell tower are located on the same axis. Another major temple of Krasnoyarsk is Baroque Blagoveshchenskaya cathedral in Lenin Street.

The Stolby natural reserve can be found just a few kilometers away from Krasnoyarsk. It stretches for 34 kilometers along the bank of the Yenisei River. The reserve was named Stolby because it includes a lot of giant granite rocks created by wind and rain. Their names reflect their appearance - Golden Eagle, an Old Man, Sparrows, Monk and others. In total there are 80 groups of rocks. Regulars of the Stolby park say that Communists inscribed the word "freedom" on the biggest mountain of the reserve before the revolution in an inaccessible place. It is hard to determine whether the story is true as enthusiasts regularly update the inscription.

Legends

A White Horse monument on the Strelka is devoted to Russian conqueror of Siberia. The legend says that the Cossacks under the leadership of Andrey Dubensky first came here in the 17th century. The commander left his horse near the Yenisei, threw his sword on the ground and said that a new city would be founded there.

The city is divided into two parts by the river Yenisei. The left bank of Krasnoyarsk is notable for its buildings. There are some historical buildings of late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Krasnoyarsk is famous for its fountains.
There are about 150 of them:  large and small, simple and complex, with music and highlights. The most spectacular ones are, of course, the fountains in the Theatre Square: an unbelievably beautiful «City fountain» and the cascade fountain «Region Rivers» were opened to commemorate the city's 377th anniversary. Both of these fountains are unique. The first one amazes by the variety of water jets, and the second one by the power of cascades. According to the idea of Areg Demirhanov, an architect and the author of the project «Region Rivers», the fountain combined such rivers as Yenisey, Birjusa, Mana, Angara, Kahn, Kacha, Bazaikha.

Carnival
In the year of the 375th anniversary of Krasnoyarsk, another tradition was born - the Carnival, which has become one of the main events of the City Day. The main part of every carnival – is the parade through the high streets of the city. Thousands of citizens take part in the parade. Also there are about 100 thousand viewers.

Palm trees and green sculptures
Many Krasnoyarsk visitors are surprised to see palm trees and green sculptures in the squares and streets of Krasnoyarsk. It has become a showcase of our Siberian city.

"Roev Ruchey" zoo
Flora and fauna park "Roev Ruchey" - one of the largest zoos in Russia, situated on a hillside overlooking the Yenisey. The total area of the park is 31 hectares, 11 hectares of land is utilized and the park continues to evolve. The zoo is home to 2125 animals of 505 different species; the "Roev Ruchey" has the collection of exotic mammals from Africa: giraffes, zebras, oryxes, wildebeests, kudus, meerkats and chimpanzees. This collection is unique in Siberia. "Roev Ruchey" has one of the largest collections of felidae in the world.