Call for papers

Important Dates

Registration

Accommodation

Paper submission

Committee

Venue

Visa Information

A Free Tour

Contact us

Vladivostok, Russia

An Introduction and History Roles Play by Vladivostok, Russia The naval outpost was founded in 1859 by Count Nikolay Muravyov-Amursky, who named it after the model of Vladikavkaz, a Russian fortress in the Caucasus. An elaborate system of fortifications was erected between the 1870s and 1890s. A telegraph line from Vladivostok to Shanghai and Nagasaki was opened in 1871, the year when a commercial port was relocated to this town from Nikolayevsk-on-Amur. The municipal coat of arms, representing the Siberian tiger, was adopted in March 1883. The city's economy was given a boost in 1903, with the completion of the Trans-Siberian Railway which connected Vladivostok to Moscow and Europe. The first high school was opened in 1899. In the wake of the Bolshevik Revolution, Vladivostok was of great military importance for the Far Eastern Republic, the Provisional Priamurye Government, and the Allied intervention, consisting of foreign troops from Japan, the United States, Canada, Czechoslovakia, and other lands. The taking of the city by Ieronim Uborevich's Red Army on 25 October 1922 marked the end of the Russian Civil War. As the main naval base of the Soviet Pacific Fleet, the city was closed to foreigners during the Soviet years. Nevertheless, it was at Vladivostok that Leonid Brezhnev and Gerald Ford conducted the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks in 1974. At the time, the two countries decided quantitative limits on various nuclear weapons systems and banned the construction of new land-based ICBM launchers.

Outline and History The city of Vladivostok, the capital of Primorsky province, the largest port in Russia and the economic centre of the Russian Far East, spreads over the southernmost Muravyov -Amursky Peninsula, the beautiful shores of Golden Horn, Diomedes, Ulyses, and Patrocles Bays and the eastern part of the Amursky Gulf coast of the Sea of Japan. Founded on July 2, 1860, the city is located on the same latitude with Sukhumi, Makhachkala, Alma-Aty, Nice, New York, Madrid, Rome, Marseilles, and Sapporo.

Population The city covers the area of 56 154 ha, population being 850 000, or 30% of the entire Primorsky province population. The population density is 1183 persons per square kilometer. The city boundaries' length is 132 km, and the overall forest area is 39500 ha. The chain of islands: Russian, Popov, Reynike, Ricord and others, as well as Peschanyi peninsula are included in the city borders.

Sea and Climate Vladivostok is unimaginable without sea. This is true for the whole marine environment of the peninsula - bays, islands and straits. The sea determines the local, clearly monsoon climate, provides food, serves as a transportation and provides excellent recreation. The climate of the city is mild enough, with warm spring, rainy summer, dry and sunny fall and windy snowless winter. The hottest month of the entire coast is August, but it is the time when the typhoons descend on the city. The average temperature in January is 12-14 degrees centigrade below zero (13.4 - 5.8°F), and the average temperature in July is 18 degrees above zero (64.4°F). It is not uncommon to encounter rain during the summer. The best time to visit Vladivostok is from July to October.

City' Economy The city's economy, as well as the territorial one, is typically based on industry. 32% of the Primorye's capital assets is accumulated here and 30% of the industrial manpower. The city houses more than 16.5 thousand enterprises of various ownership form, and 55% of them work in the marine-related sectors of the economy, fishing, fish-processing, and ship-building. Vladivostok' industries include ship-repairing, woodworking, construction, chemical industry, energy production, food and others.

City Policy The opening of the city in 1992 emphasized its role of the active political player in the APR. Vladivostok has traditionally developed its image as more inclined towards the infrastructural business complex with banks, exchanges, investment companies, agencies, hotels, tourism bureaus, information communications, etc. Thanks to its geographic and geopolitical location Vladivostok is turning into an international centre for trade, science, culture and tourism.

Science and Culture Vladivostok is the major scientific centre of the Russian Far East. The Russian Academy of Sciences Far Eastern Branch, including 15 research institutes, is situated here. There are also 10 other higher education establishments and 13 colleges. The culture sphere of Primorye is represented in Vladivostok by three theatres, an opera studio, Pacific Symphony Orchestra, the Pacific Navy Song and Dance Ensemble and the Navy Band, the Branches of the Unions of Artists, Writers, Composers, and Theatre workers, publishing houses as well as the Regional Booklovers Society. Vladivostok has a Circus, Primorsky province Philharmonic Society, Art Galleries, 13 cinemas, 125 libraries, numerous museums and places of culture. Art connoisseurs will enjoy a visit to the Vladivostok State Picture Gallery, the Children's Picture Gallery, a number of private galleries and various city museums.

Tourism and Recreation For the last 5 years the number of visitors has increased greatly mostly because of tourists from China. In Vladivostok, tourist season begins in May and in October it is over. The middle of the season is July-August. One of the most interesting times to visit Vladivostok is during holidays or events. During these visits, one can enjoy military parades, cheerful youth processions, concerts, salutes, and fireworks. Among these holidays are Great Victory Day (May 9), City Day (July 2), Biennial of Visual Arts (July), Fisherman Day (second Sunday in July), Navy Day (last Sunday in July), Tiger Day (second Sunday in October). Vladivostok boasts unique tourist resources. There are a lot of islands with beautiful nature in the limits of the city. Sea, mountains and woods give the opportunity to go in for water sports and ecology tourism. Vladivostok is available for tourists from Asian countries and quite attractive for business because of its position on the crossing of inner and international sea, railway, motor and air routes. Vladivostok has plenty of the hotels to fit any guests' preferences and budget: Hyundai Hotel, Acfes-Seiyo Hotel, Gavan Hotel, Versailles Hotel, Vlad Motor Inn, Primorye Hotel, Vladivostok Hotel, and Amursky Bay Hotel. International airport of Vladivostok offers direct regular flights to Seoul, Busan (Republic of Korea), Niigata, Toyama, Osaka (Japan), Harbin, Shanghai (China), and also charter flights to the countries of North-Eastern and South-Eastern Asia. In the Vladivostok airport there are inner passenger routes connecting Vladivostok and the whole Primorye with different cities of Russia. Due to its nature resources and good position, Vladivostok is of great interest for foreigners both in economic and political spheres. Vladivostok is open for everything new and progressive that civilizations of Asia and Europe bring. (extracted from Wikipedia) Dr David Tien Chair / IEEE NSW Section Australia