Krasnodar Krai Located on the World Map

Krasnodar- Krai stretches along the west-southwest part of Russia, embracing the seashore territory of Black Sea, and the folds of the Caucasus Mountains. It is one of the leading agricultural and economically heavy regions of the country. Good climatic conditions together with fertile soils have long made it a trade, tourist destination and agricultural output centre. There is the added advantage of two big water bodies namely Black Sea and Sea of Azov. Krasnodar is a multi-functional regional center, the administrative, commercial, and cultural importance of which can be attributed only to a couple of other Russian nodes. In contrast, Sochi, located as a resort city and a venue of the 2014 Winter Olympics, is a focal point in the area. The geographic layout of the latter itself provides an ample set of attractions, among them, massive coastal frontiers, mountainous vineyards, and ski resorts, as well as economically desirable mineral deposits.

History

Archaeological findings represent Krasnodar as a place that was constantly populated since the Paleolithic age. By the 6th century BCE Greek colonists had begun trading settlements along the Black Sea shore, including Phanagoria and Gorgippia (today Anapa). Such settlements were later annexed into the Bosporan Kingdom and they passed into Roman and Byzantine territory. Within, nomads such as the Scythians, Sarmatians and eventually the Huns and Khazars continued to dominate the steppe across the centuries.

The region became exposed to Khazar Khaganate and Kievan Rus rule during the medieval times and afterward went under Cuman and Mongol rule. During the 15th it was under the Crimean Khanate and especially the Ottoman Empire who established fortresses and trading points on the Black Sea coast. This influence grew till the late 18th century.

Contemporary history began in the late 18th century when the Russian Empire began an expansionist process. Russia incorporated the territory slowly through military victories in the Ottoman Empire. In 1792 a turning point was reached when Catherine the Great gave land to the Black Sea Cossacks - several coming by resettlement from the Zaporizhian Sich in modern Ukraine. These Cossacks were instrumental in the defence of the new southern frontier of the empire as well as in colonizing the area.

The region became subdued in the 19th century with the repetitive military interventions against native Circassians and other inhabitants of the North Caucasus. The results of these struggles were forced migration and expelling of many indigenous people especially during the period of Caucasian war (1817 1864). The process resulted in major demographic change and opened a vast amount of land to the Russian and Cossack colonizers.

The Russian Revolution and the following Civil War were the main characteristics of a deep instability in the North Caucasus of the early twentieth century. Even though Krasnodar acted as a stronghold of anti-Bolshevists, the Soviet authority eventually engulfed the rule. The North Caucasus under Soviet control became a strategic focus of agricultural and industrial production especially of grain, wine and oil production.

World War II brought in even greater disturbance; the land was used as an operating field of much heavy fighting on the continent, above all when particular districts were occupied by Germans throughout the period 1942-1943. Cities, such as Novorossiysk and Tuapse, suffered massive physical and strategic destruction and partisan opposition was common.

After the war years, rigorous reconstruction and development programs, turned the region to a tourist destination and a hub of economic activities. Specifically, Sochi became a health and leisure resort. Recently, the North Caucasus has remained central in the Russian Federation since the fall of the Soviet Union in the year 1991.

Culture

It is the dynamic Cossack history of Krasnodar which makes the local cultural landscape stand out. The Cossacks came to the region in the eighteenth century and their arrival determined how the region identified itself. They are respected in music, dances, dresses and festivity. Cossack choirs and horseriding shows are a common feature on the festive calendar, and a tradition of autonomy, soldierly activity, and all-purpose strength.

Strong folk practices remain in rural places. The special occasions and religious activities around the agricultural season form an important landmark in the calendar such as harvest festivals, weddings, and embroidery, hand-painted pottery, and wood carvings. The locals are proud to uphold these traditions and in most cases many have incorporated these lifestyles in modern ways of life.

There is blossoming of the arts in the form of municipal theaters, museums, and music schools. Cities such as Krasnodar and Sochi offer a vast choice of artistic expression, that is, everything in the arts, such as classical music and ballet to modern art displays and film fairs. Live theatres and concerts in summer in the sea area are attended by locals and visitors.

Cultural life follows the influence of religion too, there are dozens of historic Orthodox churches and monasteries, and places connected with other religions. There are very wide observances of the religious holidays especially the Easter and the Christmas holidays, where there may be some conspicuous celebration and usually involving music, traditional foods and special clothes.

Food is another major act of regional culture. Plentiful farm produce is supplied by the fertile soils and moderate climate and many of the local meals are based on this produce. Food mostly includes grilled meats and fish, vegetables and herbs as well as homemade dairy products. The old fashioned stews, flat breads and sweet pastries are commonly offered both at family occasions and public feasts.

The element of hospitality is dominant in social life. Guests are treated fondly and celebratory events often feature large feasts, drinking and story-telling. The sense of community and friendliness is very strong even when people congregate in a city cafe or in a village dwelling.

Language

Russian has been the most popular and official language in the course of everyday communication, schooling, state, and mass media. However, there are several citizens who speak both minority languages at the same time, which reflect their ethnic origins.

A significant number of the population is constituted by ethnic Russians; however, there are also large groups of Armenians, Ukrainians, Adyghe and Greek and so on. Kurdish, Armenian, Ukrainian and other Caucasian languages are therefore used in the home and in the community, especially in rural areas or in ethnic communities. These languages are taught in some of the schools and cultural institutions to preserve the cultural heritage and identity.

Special attention should be paid to the existence of Adyghe people as the indigenous inhabitants of northwest Caucasus. Northwest Caucasian Adyghe has official status in the Republic of Adygea, an autonomous enclave, within the region in general. Even though today fluency of the Adyghe is not so widespread, attempts to promote revitalisation are being carried out in the sphere of education and media.

Multilingualism has become common and most young generations are used to seeing two or more languages in the homestead. In tourist cities and resorts like Sochi, the English language and other foreign languages gain all the more utilization in the sector of hospitable services, MOs and trade.

Geography

Krasnodar lies in the south-western region of Russia that is bounded to the west of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov to the northwest. It covers the territory of the Kuban River basin, the south of the foothills of the Caucasus Mountains and is characterized by high geological diversity, natural resources, and resources.

Geographically, it has three main regions being coastal lowlands, fertile plains of the Kuban steppe and south-southeast mountainous regions. The coastal strip that faces the Black Sea has subtropical weather, warm summer and mild winter, which supports tourism and agriculture. Here are resort towns of Sochi, Anapa, and Gelendzhik, with which greenery and beautiful coastlines accompany.

Kuban River and its numerous tributaries take up the center stage with the area serving as one of the richest agricultural regions in Russia. There are a lot of grains, fruits, vegetables and vineyards cultivated within the area and the river network itself is usable within irrigation, transportation, and hydroelectric production of electric energy.

Towards the south the landscape is progressively more mountainous as it is joined with the foothills of the Great Caucasus range. This region is characterized by deep valleys, forests, and sloping areas as well as alpine landscapes, and the main mountain in this region is Mount Fisht, which is located in the Caucasus Mountains. Biodiversity is extremely high in these mountainous regions and includes the preserved areas like the Caucasus Biosphere Reserve that preserves a number of rare and endangered species.

In addition, there also are a lot of lakes(lake Abrau), mineral springs, and natural caves in the region that are visited as recreational destinations of health tourism. The climate is continental on the north and subtropical on the south, providing a rich diversity of plants and animals.

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