PRIMORYE TERRITORY
Primorsky Krai, known to its residents as Primorye, is a world unto itself often described as Russia’s “Gateway to the Asian Pacific”. It’s a vast territory in the south of the Far East of Russia. In Russian Primorye means a piece of land near the sea, or seaside, the Maritime Province. It’s a place where North and South, Asia and Europe, huge continent and the greatest ocean meet. Primorye is a unique part of the world. Yes, it’s the truth. Primorye is one of the few places where the forests are still pristine, comparable in terms of passability to a tropical jungle. The matter is that the drama of the earth, great glaciation, avoided Primorye. That’s why you can find here many kinds of plants and animals that disappeared in other parts of the world. Primorye is just like an island lost in time.
Picturesque mountains and plains, dissected with rivers and lakes, covered with taiga where Ussurian Tiger reigns. Unspoiled seacoast with sand beach, marine preserves and inimitable underwater world. Bubbling springs growing into crystal-clear trout-and-salmon-filled brooks cutting down toward river and sea, bays and inlets matchless in their dense concentrations of kelp, gamefish, scallops and other treasures of the sea. That is all Primorye.
The singular enchantment of Primorye is just in that the beauty here is closely surrounding us. You’ll see and feel the plain but incredibly attractive splendor of the Ussuri Taiga, the majestic composure of the Pacific Ocean, as well as the true hospitality of Russians.
Highlands dominate the territory of Primorye. The average height is about 500 m. The highest peak of Primorye is
Oblachnaya Mountain (1854 m). Sikhote-Alin is a mountainous formation, extending for the most part of the Territory. There are many carst caves in the South of Primorye (we recommend tha relatively accessible the
Sleeping Beauty Cave or in Russian “Spyaschaya Krasavitsa” in the Ussuriysky Nature Preserve). There are comparatively well-preserved fragments of the ancient volcanoes in the area. The ranges are cut by the picturesque narrow and deep valleys of the rivers and by large brooks, such as Zerkalnaya, Cheryomukhovaya, Yedinka, Samarga, Bikin and Bolshaya Ussurka. Most rivers in Primorye have rocky bottoms and limpid water. The largest of them is the Ussuri, with a length of 903 km. The head of the
Ussuri River originates 20 km to the East of the Oblachnaya Mountain. The vast
Prikhankayskaya Lowland extends into the west and south-west of Primorye, carpeted by coniferous-deciduous forests. A part of the Lowland surrounding the largest lake in the Far East,
Khanka Lake, is occupied by a forest-steppe.
The geographic location of Primorye accounts for the variety of its flora – there are the mountainous-tundra areas, conifers and coniferous-deciduous forests, forest-steppe which is called sometimes – the
Far – Eastern Prarie where the ancient plant species have been preserved. They are the Ferns, the Lotus, the Chozenia Willow, etc. The fauna of Primorye is also diverse. The following animals inhabit Primorye: the Ussuri Black Bear (Ursus Tribetanis), the Amur Tiger, the Leopard, the Lynx, the Wild Boar, the Manchurian Deer, the Roe, the Musk Deer, Nemorhaedus Goral, the Sika Deer, the Sable, the Mandarinka-Duck (Aix Galericulata), the Black Stork (Ciconia Nigra), the Scaly Goosander (Mergus squamatus), the Japanese Starling (Sturnia philippensis), the Black Griffon (Aegypius monachus), the Large-Winged Cuckoo (Cuculidae family) and others.
If you love bird watching then you can’t miss the Primorye. The path of bird migration crosses the majority part of Primorye.
Prikhankayskaya Lowland has become a refuge for many birds. Some of them stay here for nesting, the others just stop here for a while and fly further to the north. We can offer you a tour to observe such rare species as the Daursky crane and the black stork. You’ll visit the sites where the mandarin duck and eagles nest. You’ll go to the magnificent islands and peninsulas of the region including its biggest lake - Lake Khanka, a Mecca for ornithologists.
Before admiring a beauty of a pearl one has to get it from the bottom of the sea. Before realizing how beautiful the Primorye Territory is, one has to come over here and see with one’s own eyes the rare treasure nature has so generously endowed this land with.
There are lands exciting people’s passion for travel and adventure. Primorye is one of such fascinating lands. The natural scenery enchants even local residents with its beauty. Sheer cliffs are reflected in the mirror of a calm sea with the hills and mountains of Sikhote-Alin looming above.
During the warm season the fragrances of endless deep forests of the Taiga with its vines and exotic flowers, ferns and maples, cork oak and walnut, larch and cedar pines permeate the picturesque valleys and are carried afar by a warm and gentle sea breeze. Winter has its own attractions.
Nine hours from Moscow by plane or a week by train. Boarded by China on the west, by Khabarovsk Krai of Russia on the north, by Sea of Japan on the east and south. The main cities of Primorye are Vladivostok, Nakhodka, Ussuriysk, Arsenyev, Dalnegorsk.
The climate of Primorye is generally monsoon and damp caused by the proximity of the sea. The climate of coastal regions differs from that on inlands (e.g. the warmest month is July in continental Primorye and August on the coast). From November through March the territory is affected by the Asian anticyclone, arid and cold weather with Northern and North-Western winds prevails. The coastline of the Pacific Ocean is only partially protected by the mountain ranges running parallel to it. Winters are colder than in the regions of the European Russia located at the same latitude, to say nothing of the West-European regions. The average monthly temperature in January falls as low as -20˚C in the inland , and on the Southern coast the temperatures range from -10˚ to -13˚C. The absolute minimum temperatures are -31˚C in Vladivostok , - 46˚C in Ussuriysk, reaching -54˚C mark registered in the North of the territory. However, even in the most severe winters thaws may occur on the coast lasting 3-4 days. In January through February in the thaw period the temperature may rise up to +8˚C. During November through March the average rainfall on the coast is over 100mm, in other areas – no more than 50mm. By late March the average positive temperatures are settled on most of the territory. In April-May the average temperature ranges from +2˚ + 6˚ to + 6˚ + 12˚C accordingly. Precipitation is rather rare. There can be days in May when the temperature rises up to +24˚C, and even + 30˚C.
In June –July the weather is cool, dull and drizzling on the coast, and much drier and warmer in the central regions of the territory. The Southern and South-Eastern winds prevail. The temperatures in July average +14˚C to 21˚C in various regions. A cold current flows along the coast accounting for the lasting fogs at this time of the year.
The main feature of the second half of summer is typhoons – three fourths of them fall in August through September. August is traditionally the time of typhoons or so called tropical cyclones coming mostly from Asian countries. Heavy precipitation, high humidity (80-90%) and air temperature (often above + 25˚C) are the peculiarities of this period. August is the warmest summer month on the coast and in the southern part of the Prikhankaiskaya plain. The average daily temperature is 24˚C, with the maximum of 35˚C.
It’s much warmer in autumn than in spring in Primorye that is why autumn is considered to be the best season and the most beautiful time of the year. It’s time from August till late October. Rain is rare, the sea is warm, beaches are bathed by mild Asian breezes. In various regions the September temperature averages + 12˚ + 16˚C, the October temperature ranges from + 8˚ to + 10˚C in fine weather and light wind. The swimming season in Vladivostok area lasts until late September.
The man inhabited the territory of modern Primorye about 5-6 thousand years ago. People lived in small communities on fishing and hunting. Those ancient inhabitants had contacts with neighboring cultures in North-East Asia. The first state formed by Tungus tribes appeared on the territory of modern Primorye (including also a part of North-East China and Korean peninsula) in 7th century AD. This state was called Bohai and existed till 10th century. Later the next more powerful state called Golden Empire was formed by chzhurchzhens and existed from 1115 till 1234. It was also controlling adjacent regions of Northern China and part of Korea. But this state was totally destroyed by Chenghis Khan army. From that time till the middle of 19th century the territory of Primorye remained unpopulated and wild, untouched by civilization. And only in 1860 this territory was officially proclaimed part of the Russian Empire (according the Beijing’s treaty). Active exploration of Primorye began.
Primorye, the Maritime Province of Russian Far East, is famous for its six unique national nature reserves, so called protected natural territories. They are
Sikhote Alin Biosphere Sanctuary, Lazo
Preserve, Ussuri Preserve, Kedrovaya Pad’
Preserve, Khanka Preserve
and
Far East Marine Sanctuary.
If you come to Primotye you’ll see that that is incredibly exiting land for tourists, the land where even the pickiest tourist who has an eye for beauty will find his private quite corner allowing him to interact with taiga stow, a multy-color steppe landscape, a rapid river glaring in the sunlight, a cozy bay with glorious beach and mysterious underwater world.
The Russian Far East is a vast sparsely populated area in Northeast Asia whose pristine beauty and natural recreational resources have remained largely untapped. Its endemic wildlife and plants, natural landmarks and eventful history attract travelers with diverse interests.
We invite you to see the pristine beauty of Far East in common and Primorye in particular cause what ever we say it’s better to see by your own eyes! And having visited Primorye once you will never forget this unique land of cedar, ginseng root, Lotus and Tiger Tracks.
You are welcome to the Primorye Territory! |
