The city of Magadan is located in the north of the Far East. The settlement is considered a cultural, logistics and industrial hub, but this was not always the case. The gloomy description of historical events associated with the time of political repression of the USSR scared off tourists for a long time. The period of Soviet industrialization is long gone. Today, any traveler can see the sights of Magadan and admire the unusual nature of the region.
Historical reference
The Magadan region belongs to a region of Russia where a harsh climate prevails, so the territory has been developed much longer than others. The emergence of a workers' settlement in 1929 was associated with the need to increase industrial production in the country.
Gold mining enterprises were built in the Kolyma expanses. It was here that the North-Eastern labor correctional camp Sevvostlag was located, where victims of repression worked.
Determining the coordinates of Magadan, we can say that this is the extreme northern point of Russia . The distance between the city and the capital of the country is 5910 km in a straight line only. Magadan is the administrative center and the largest seaport located on the shores of the Sea of Okhotsk.
Holy Trinity Cathedral
The Holy Trinity Cathedral, which was built in 2008, is the newest, and at the same time the largest Orthodox church in the city. Like the Mask of Sorrow, this cathedral was erected in memory of the victims of political repression before and after the war. The huge white building with five gilded domes creates a striking contrast with the surrounding residential buildings.
Location: Cathedral Square - 1.
The most popular places in the city
The cultural component is widely represented in Magadan. Today, not only in this city, but also in other settlements of the region, monuments dedicated to various historical events have been erected. It’s better to start your trip by visiting the most popular places:
- Construction "Time". The monument is in the form of a life-size mammoth figure. The monument appeared recently, but has already become one of the main attractions of the city. The structure is made from scrap metal. Under the influence of precipitation, the metal became corroded and acquired a brown color, reflecting the natural color of the animal’s fur. The mammoth figure reaches a height of almost 4 m, is 6 m long and weighs just under 6 tons. The idea of creating the monument belonged to a local sculptor, in whose thoughts there was a desire to testify to the fact that the imperial mammoth was once found in these parts.
- Nagaevsky lighthouse. The spotlight is considered one of the symbols of the city. The building is located in the vicinity of the picturesque Nagaev Bay. Once upon a time, a lighthouse showed the way to the harbor for ship captains. Now the octagonal tower, at the base of which is a massive quadrangular support, serves as a landmark. The old structure has lost its navigation functions; it is being replaced by another lighthouse installed at the entrance to the bay, from where a good view of the Sea of Okhotsk opens.
- A chapel erected in honor of St. George the Victorious. This architectural object was opened in 1996 at the request of citizens who wanted a monument in honor of WWII soldiers to appear in the city. The chapel is considered one of the iconic landmarks of Magadan. Its opening took place during the celebration of the 51st anniversary of Victory Day. The building has become a cultural and spiritual heritage. People come here to pay tribute to the defenders of the Fatherland and appreciate the beauty of the structure.
- TV station. At the highest point of the city is the Magadan TV tower. The construction of the structure took place in 1957. The height of the iron structure is quite a bit higher than a five-story building. Such an elevation allows for continuous and high-quality transmission of the signal to every district of the city. At night, the structure is illuminated and looks very beautiful, reminiscent of the Eiffel Tower.
Mammoth sculpture
The Mammoth sculpture in the city of Magadan has its own special symbolic meaning, which is expressed in its name - “Time”. This is the name of the sculpture by its author, who chose scrap metal from what used to be a bunch of watches as the building material. The entire body of the mammoth is covered with small and large gears and wheels, which used to make up the clock mechanism.
Location: Port Highway.
Monuments of Magadan
Active development of the city began in the late 50s, which greatly affected the exterior of the buildings. The architecture was not particularly sophisticated, but the sculptural structures were impressive in their scale and imagination of the artists. Outstanding monuments:
- Monument "Memory Knot". In 1991, a sculptural composition dedicated to the residents of Magadan, who brought victory closer in the Great Patriotic War, was installed on the Walk of Fame. In the center of the monument stands the figure of the Motherland holding a child in her arms. On the sides are the silhouettes of a prisoner, a soldier and a geologist. In front of the monument there is a memorial wall with bronze images of people who performed feats at the front during the Second World War.
- Monument "Mask of Sorrow". The structure is located on the Krutaya hill, it was here that the Sevvostlag NKVD transit point was located, through which hundreds of thousands of people passed. The monument was erected in 1966 as a tribute to the memory of fallen political prisoners. The concrete structure reaches 15 meters and is shaped like a human head, one of whose eye sockets is closed by prison bars, and tears flow from the other in the form of human masks. These faces symbolize the souls of ruined people. Inside the monument there is a chamber that recreates the surroundings of a prison.
- Composition “Deer”. The coat of arms of Magadan includes the figure of a deer. Relatively recently, in 2006, a composition of three deer was installed before the entrance to the city. It is noteworthy that initially the monument contained sculptures of only two animals - a mother deer and a cub. At the request of residents, in 2014 the composition was supplemented with a third animal. Now the monument represents a deer family, against which you should definitely take a photo.
- Monument dedicated to Vysotsky. Vladimir Semyonovich visited the city in 1968. During the trip, the village made an indelible impression on the poet and performer of the original song. Because of this, he wrote two songs in his honor. Residents of the city still revere the artist’s work; the monument to Vysotsky in Magadan was erected in 2014. The opening took place on the territory of the observation deck of Nagaevskaya Bay during the 75th anniversary of the city day.
- Monument to the Pioneers. Residents of Magadan are especially fond of the monument erected in honor of the city’s founders. The monument is located in Nagaevskaya Bay, in the place where surveyors and builders landed in 1929, laying the foundation for a workers’ settlement. In the central part of the monument, a three-sided sculptural image of geologists, installers, workers and other people who contributed to the formation of the settlement was created. In the lower part there is a granite slab with a geographical map of the Far East, which shows part of Chukotka and the Magadan region.
Mask of Sorrow
This monument is dedicated to the victims of political repression. The sculpture is made in the best traditions of Cubism and represents a huge face. One eye of the face is represented in the form of prison bars. A tear in the form of theatrical masks flows down from the second eye. If you go around the monument on the other side, in that place you can see the figure of a woman kneeling in prayer in front of the crucifix. This monument is a sad reminder of the events of pre- and post-war reality.
Location: Krutaya Hill.
Museums and theaters
There are no problems with cultural and educational recreation in Magadan.
The development of tourism has led to the fact that any traveler can not only visit interesting theaters and museums, but also relax in a cinema or take a walk in the park.
Popular places:
- Museum of Local History. The building was built in 1934. The museum contains a rich collection of archaeological exhibits and artifacts dating back to the Iron and Stone Ages. Most of the exhibits in the Magadan Local History Museum tell about the culture and life of the indigenous peoples of Kolyma (Yakuts, Koryaks, Chukchi and Eskimos). Visitors can admire paintings, appreciate decorative and applied arts and coin collections.
- Museum of Natural History. In the building you can get acquainted with historical information about the natural deposits of the Far East, study the flora and fauna of the region. The museum displays over 4 thousand artifacts. There is a collection of precious stones here - jasper, tourmalines, amethysts. There are exhibitions of ritual objects of shamans, hunting weapons, and fishing equipment of the ancient peoples of the North.
- Museum of V. A. Kozin. A memorial sculpture to the composer, poet and performer V. A. Kozin was erected in Magadan. An outstanding man lived and died in this city. The monument represents the figure of a figure sitting on a bench and holding a kitten in his arms.
- Theater of Music and Drama. The repertoire of the city theater, founded in 1933, offers guests of the city classical and modern productions of plays. Honored and People's Artists of the Russian Federation perform on stage. The actors are not shy about improvising on stage, which delights the viewer. Performances often sell out.
- Museum of Geology. The institution will appeal not only to adults, but also to children. The building houses a collection of fossils dating back to the Jurassic period. In the museum you can admire a collection of gold and silver nuggets from the Kolyma deposits. The museum's fund contains about 5.5 thousand exhibits.
- Puppet show. Children will especially enjoy visiting a performance with the participation of puppets made by artists of the puppet theater troupe. Colorful and picturesque figures are involved in productions of Russian folk tales, performances based on Yakut and Chukchi legends.
- Cinema Nagaevsky in Magadan. Another place where you can have a good time. The shopping and entertainment center also offers other entertainment for children: rides, slot machines. Adults can visit bowling bars or play Russian billiards.
Nagaeva Bay
Since ancient times, Nagaev Bay has established itself as an excellent place for ships to shelter in the Sea of Okhotsk. It is a strip of sea that cuts deeply into the coastline, thus forming a corner protected on three sides by land, and only on one side open to the sea.
Today the bay is a stopping place for numerous fishing, cargo and passenger ships.
Natural objects
The Magadan region impresses with natural objects that captivate the spirit. There are mineral springs, nature reserves, and lakes here, but this is not a complete list of the local beauties for which the region is famous:
- Reserve. The area of the protected area is over 880 thousand hectares. The territory occupies four plots located at a remote distance. The main part is located in the south of the region. The extensive coverage of the area allows for the preservation of a large number of rare species of vegetation and animals. The territory of the reserve is protected, there is also a scientific laboratory, and research and educational work is carried out.
- A lake named after the writer Jack London. The area of the reservoir is almost 1.5 thousand hectares, the deepest point is 50 m. It is part of the natural park of the same name. The lake is divided into two parts by a small island. There are two versions of the origin of the name of the lake. The first is explained by the fact that the American was the favorite writer of many geologists, and the second tells about the book “Martin Eden” by Jack London that was found near the lake.
- In Shelekhov Bay you can see a picturesque panorama: the sheer cliffs of the Yamsky Islands are located near the pebble beach. Large colonies of birds nest on the archipelago. There is relatively little vegetation here, but the waters are enriched with phytoplankton. The Yamsky Islands (there are only six of them) are part of the Magadan Nature Reserve.
- Motyklei mineral springs. Healing waters are located in the bay of the same name. The springs do not freeze even in the most severe frosts, since the water temperature rarely drops below +25 degrees. In winter you can get here by snowstorms, and in summer by boats. There is information that in the middle of the 20th century there was a sanatorium here where liver and gastrointestinal diseases were treated. The springs are represented by three groups; waters of varying degrees of mineralization and temperature flow here.
The edge of permafrost can surprise even the most experienced travelers.
Don't put off your trip to Magadan. Here you can see monuments, visit museums and theaters, visit the seafood market, and then bring home a souvenir that will always remind you of this picturesque region.
Memorial to fallen aviators
A memorial to the fallen aviators was erected on the city embankment. This is practically an open-air museum, which featured several planes, tanks and other military equipment displayed simply in the middle of the sky. Children especially enjoyed walking near the memorial. However, due to the flood, which was caused by the overflow of the banks of the Magadanka River in 2014, the memorial was partially destroyed.
Dneprovsky mine
The Dneprovsky mine, also known as Berlag, is a notorious concentration camp under Joseph Stalin’s regime, and before that, a refuge for numerous geological parties that dug up serious deposits of gold, tin, and polymetals in the local spurs. Repressed political prisoners lived in barracks around the excavations and removed ore. The aforementioned Demanti and Pepelyaev, the poets Charon and Weinart, served their sentences here. The barbed wire collapsed in 1953, the remaining prisoners were distributed among the zones, and the bulk were rehabilitated. At the mine, it makes sense to look at the old ore processing equipment and pay tribute to the unmarked graves of the innocently convicted.
Parks
If you are tired of sightseeing and churches and don’t know what to see in Magadan, you can take a walk through the Gorky Park on Lenin Avenue. It not only has picturesque landscapes, but also many attractions, playgrounds, and restaurants. There is a summer theater.
Among the attractions is the TV tower in the city center, on Komsomolskaya Square. It was installed in just a day. To make the TV tower look more presentable and be called an art object, the city administration decorated it with illumination.
Author: tourism manager Alena Katskaya
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