Kansk is rich in hot (and burning) news and unusual cultural objects. We visited a small but quite well-known town outside the region as part of a summer special project with, the previous editions of which were dedicated to Achinsk and Nazarovo.
Our guide to the “Siberian Cannes” was a native of Kansk, journalist Yulia Astafieva. And photographer Sergei Filinin showed us Kansk through the eyes of signalmen - from the heights of cellular masts. 4G mobile internet helped us navigate the city.
Face of the city
The face of the city is called either its center, or train stations, or something else. Kansk is the case when there is no difference at all. The face doesn't look particularly presentable. No matter what angle you look at it from, you get the feeling that its owner recently came out of a drinking binge, or maybe he didn’t.
The “center” in Kansk is usually called Korostelev Square and nearby streets. The area is a special conversation...
Bridge Square. Yes, yes, not only in Krasnoyarsk there is one. Kansk settled tightly on the bank (and subsequently the banks) of the Kan River back in 1636, then it was built as a fortress against the raids of the Yenisei Kyrgyz."Royal Doors"
Photo: traveler Dewa43 (Oct 2022)
The second most recognizable landmark in Kansk (immediately after the burned square) is the Arc de Triomphe. It’s hard not to notice, it is located directly opposite the exit from the central bridge. By the way, it looks quite good, therefore, if you find yourself nearby on Friday, you shouldn’t be surprised why it is so crowded with newlyweds; the arch is the main location for wedding photos of everyone.
The Bridge Square itself, of which the arch is a part, is only called a square; from the traditional understanding of the word, one can hardly find anything here: bus stops and several pavilions, including those with beer and shawarma.
Korostelev Square and surroundings
It is better to start a walk around Kansk from the central Korostelev Square. It looks very cultural - neat paths, lawn, flowers and fountains. And on the square and in its surroundings you can see many architectural and historical monuments - Kansk is still one of the oldest cities in Siberia. Not all of them, unfortunately, are pleasing to the eye: the printing house building recently burned down, but untouched by the flames, examples of ancient architecture still remain in Kansk.
This is the snow-white Trinity Cathedral, and the treasury building near the former tobacco factory - one of the first stone buildings in the city. During the war, the factory itself produced the famous Kan shag, on the packs of which they wrote “Death to the German occupiers.” Nearby are the Gadalovsky shopping arcades, however, this is a reconstruction, the original buildings burned down back in the 80s... If you have time, you can walk along Moskovskaya Street to the former Kansky Distillery - the darkened red brick building is now closed, but still worthy of admiration .
A little further is the State House of Culture, the city's cultural center; behind it there used to be the Trud stadium, popularly nicknamed the "Corpse" because of its location on the site of a cemetery. In the 2000s, city Christmas trees were held here, and locals whispered about accidents, complaining about the poor choice of place for celebrations. By the way, the city Christmas tree was then returned to Central Square. But some especially memorable Kansans still remember how in Soviet times, when laying communications to old buildings on the street. Revolutions brought coffins and bones out of the ground, and idle wandering around those places is not recommended, you never know. So let's move on.
Is there anything in this city that hasn't burned yet?
I would like to close the top of recognizable places with another fire victim. The art object of the Kansky Video Festival “Bell Tower” is a real sufferer. It was installed back in 2010 not far from the Port Arthur shopping center and at first it even actually made bells ring. This did not last long - at first the ringing disappeared, and in 2014 it was completely set on fire. And if they still tried to do something about the ringing (they repaired it several times), then they decided to pass off the burnt top as a “trick” and leave it as is.
For five years, the “bell tower” has hardly changed in appearance
Culture, medicine, education
In 1899 in Kansk there were 3 schools (female parish, mixed, 2-year city), an almshouse, and a public reading room. At the beginning of the 20th century. 2 hospitals, men's and women's schools, and a library appeared. In 1912, inspector of the city school D.S. Kargopolov founded a local history museum. In 1920, a drama theater appeared - one of the oldest in the Krasnoyarsk Territory. A pedagogical school was opened in 1927, and a nursing school was opened in 1937. In modern Kansk there are: a branch of the Krasnoyarsk State Pedagogical University, pedagogical and polytechnic colleges, library and technological colleges, a medical school, 4 vocational schools, 2 music and art schools, an exhibition hall, a local history museum, and a drama theater. The newspapers “Kansky Vestnik” and “Kanskaya Gazeta” are published. The Cannes Film Festival of Short Video Films is being held. There are 14 archaeological sites near Kansk. In the 1920s The following writers lived and worked in Kansk: V.Ya. Zazubrin, V.A. Itin, P.P. Petrov. Ethnographer and researcher of Tuva V.P. was born here. Ermolaev.
No luck for either the city or its residents
There have always been problems in Kansk: from a careless mayor, who could not be “kicked out” from his post for several years, and severe fires to floods and mosquito infestations.
And if those responsible for the same fires and minor urban problems can be found, then, recently, it seems that even nature has turned to the city. So, for example, after the July flood, which washed away most of the dacha lands from the city map , mosquitoes took up arms against the residents of Kansk. It got to the point that in the first weeks after the flood, it was impossible to find anti-blood-sucking remedies in stores, and local public pages on social networks were filled with thematic memes. And I’m not even talking about ordinary problems such as terrible roads that no one even intends to repair, devastation on the streets and other disgrace.
Museum of Local Lore
st. Moskovskaya, 51
The museum occupies the beautiful old building of the first cinema in Kansk, “Furor”. Next to him is a huge head of a gloomy bearded Cossack on a pedestal - this is a monument to Ermak, who, however, has never been to Kansk.
The museum is small, but very interesting - it has more than 35 thousand exhibits, a rich ethnographic collection, which, by the way, is still being replenished. Ancient sites are often found on the territory of the Kansky district - and this summer, a local resident, walking with a metal detector, discovered a burial from the 17th century. There, archaeologists unearthed glass beads and a stone ax - rare and very valuable finds, which will now also end up in the museum.
Having been filled with spiritual food, it’s time to partake of earthly food.
Where to stay in Kansk?
For the query “Hotel Kansk”, Google returns as many as 7 (I was surprised myself) hotels of different levels of comfort and cost, respectively.
Natives
- Askarov, Yuri - Russian showman, TV presenter.
- Ermolaev, Vladimir Petrovich - Russian ethnographer, researcher of Tuva.
- Taymazov, Vladimir Aleksandrovich - rector of the St. Petersburg State University of Physical Culture named after P. F. Lesgaft.
- Permyakov, Vladimir Sergeevich (born December 2, 1952) is a Russian actor who became famous thanks to the role of Lenya Golubkov in an MMM advertisement.
- Stelmakh, Valery Pavlovich (1943-2010) - Soviet and Russian chemist, translator, poet.
- Shelegov, Valery Nikolaevich - member of the Union of Writers of Russia, born December 13, 1953.
Dear brave people, or where to go for a walk in Kansk?
To say that the streets of Caen are not particularly suitable for walking tourists is an understatement; just look at what the pedestrian part of the descent from the central bridge looks like. By the way, she’s been in this state for 5 years now:
However, one can come to terms with this (which is what local residents have been doing for many years), and ordinary sidewalks are still in place. We're walking.
The city, by the way, in comparison with Krasnoyarsk, is very small; you can cover the distance from one end to the other by bus, for example, in 30 minutes, on foot - in 2 hours. The most accessible places in Kansk are, surprisingly, the same “ Pigeon Square Korostelev, and the largest (and almost the only) shopping mall in the city. It is difficult to imagine a place through which more people pass every day than through it.
By the way, next to the shopping center is that same unlucky bell tower along with a pigeon haven in the form of a small alley. The path to this location, like it itself, lies through the street “40 Let Oktyabrya” - the longest (3.5 km) and therefore legendary in the city. If you suddenly doubt its legendary status, listen to the track, which is entirely dedicated to this street:
Rocks! No wonder every dog here knows him.
In general, while walking around the “forty-year-old street” you can come across a lot of interesting things, and if you’re lucky, you may not come across them.
Temple architecture of the city of Kansk
Temples and churches of Kansk are diverse and sometimes surprising. These buildings will attract the attention of tourists from afar and can tell a lot about the history of the city.
Holy Trinity Cathedral
- Address: Moskovskaya st., 68.
The Holy Trinity Cathedral is the first stone building in Kansk. It was built in the mid-18th century in the Siberian Baroque style. The basis of the composition is a high quadrangle, topped with a dome with a belvedere. The roof is decorated with small domes at four corners. Adjacent to the temple from the west is a refectory and a six-sided octagonal domed bell tower.
After the cathedral was closed in 1930, a flying club settled in the building, which was visited by Hero of the Soviet Union Anelia Krzywoń. Later there was a drama theater here, and then a museum. The cathedral was restored and re-lit in 1992. Currently, this is the main religious center of Kansk, in which the episcopal see of the Kansk and Bogouchan diocese is located.
Church of St. Andrew the First-Called
- Address: st. Herzen, 9.
The Church of St. Andrew the First-Called was erected in 2000 in honor of the sailors of the Russian Navy who died in the battles of the Second World War. The brick building is a quadrangle with an altar and an apse, above which a belfry with a golden dome is erected.
The inscription of dedication on the arched vault at the main entrance, as well as sculptures of anchors near the fence posts and the image of a steering wheel in the center of the forged lattice, remind us of the sailors.
At the base of the temple there are capsules with soil taken from the mass graves of sailors. The land was brought from St. Petersburg, Rostov-on-Don, Kaliningrad and other port cities of the Russian Federation.
Temple of the All-Merciful Savior
- Address: st. Krasnaya Ilanka, 100.
In 1964, a wooden Spassky Church was erected on the ruins of the Trinity-Perevozinskaya Church. In the 1990s the temple was expanded. A superstructure with two domes on solid drums and a hipped bell tower were added to the rectangular volume.
Car-temple of Princess Olga
- Address: st. Newspapers Power of the Soviets, 2.
The unusual temple was created in 2009. A typical carriage was decorated with a golden kokoshnik, bells at the entrance and an icon of Princess Olga. For several years the carriage ran as part of the “Health Train”. Services and prayer services were held there.
Soon the operational life of the car came to an end, and the Krasnoyarsk diocese decided to transfer it to stationary mode. Today the temple-car stands at the Kansk-Yeniseisky station and is open to visitors.
The center of Kansk is the center of the universe
The city center is rich in interesting locations, including, for example, the once functioning (there was even a Ferris wheel there), but now under renovation, Central Park, the alley behind the church on Korostelev Square, adjacent to the memorial to those killed in the Great Patriotic War, which is now under reconstruction. By the way, there was a place for a monument to the heroes of Chernobyl and a bench for lovers - a strange symbiosis, don’t you think?
There are also areas that are better not to visit at all - for example, “Gavan” and “Stroiteley Village” - this is something like Krasnoyarsk Cheryomushki and Shchorsa Street. I won’t explain - just take my word for it, there’s nothing for you to do there.
Dangerous Areas: Criminal Honor
The criminal structure of Kansk districts until 2022 was the subject of fierce debate among some city residents. The fact is that some commentators “defended” the criminal honor of their area in local forums and communities. Question: “Which area of Kansk, in your opinion, is the most dangerous?” Here are some answers, spelling preserved. Diana Lisina writes:
“My opinion about the Gavan Street area was solidified after our relative was killed there.”
Kirill Aksinenko finds all of Kansk dangerous:
“The entire Kansky district, where you don’t show up, is fucked up everywhere...”
“Kan-per” probably means the Kan-Perevoz cemetery. "Harbor" is especially often mentioned. On weekends, according to residents, the Ostrovok cafe is dangerous. The "Shanghai" area used to be mentioned for its drug dens, but it has recently been cleared out and is less dangerous. In general, everyone agrees that being in the wrong area is bad and fraught with danger. Reader, if you live in this city, avoid these areas. At a minimum, keep in mind that the level of crime in them is a source of pride for some of its inhabitants.
You've been walking, you're tired, and where to relax and have a snack?
The most obvious advice for tourists in Kansk is to look for well-known franchises: Dodo Pizza, Percini and Green House. Tested by time, you can eat them.
And if you happen to be a visiting prince, businessman or just an official, then urgently explore local restaurants with a slight touch of provincial elitism. The first thing that comes to mind is a restaurant-hotel-beauty salon-possibly something else called “Cannes” with a terrace, a view of the river and majestic lions at the entrance. Elite luxury! No wonder five stars were drawn all night.
For extreme sports enthusiasts, there is the most famous establishment among Kans - the Ostrovok cafe. By the way, it’s better not to go there, but in the evening you should also walk around it for a kilometer. To find out the reason, just Google “Cafe Ostrovok Kansk”. If you're too lazy to Google, in short: darkness, horror, fights, murders and all other relics of the 90s.No comments
Karaoke bar "Balcony" and restaurant "Perchini"
There are not a lot of bars in the city, so the owners of “Balcony” (Sovetskaya Street, 2, 3rd floor) decided to collect all the best at once. There are burgers, rolls, cocktails, hookahs, and authentic karaoke, where the most popular song is still “A glass of vodka on the table.” And this bar also has a summer terrace - with such a stunning view of the city that it will compensate for any Leps.
There is one way to satisfy both your hunger and thirst for new pleasant experiences at once - go to the Italian restaurant “Perchini”, which is on the first floor of the Siberia Hotel (Kaitymskaya, 65). A unique case: a large federal chain, represented in Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg, Tyumen, Tomsk, is now also in small Kansk - they say it was not easy for the owners to bring a franchise here. But now in the city there is a place of a completely Krasnoyarsk level, with a varied menu, excellent thin-crust pizza and a cozy summer veranda.
Cultural life (and death) of Kansk
Perhaps you are a club lover? Then you've definitely come to the right place; nightlife in Kansk is truly a city treasure. You can be welcomed with open arms by such establishments as the night club “GOROD” and the night…oh, know, Night Club “Paris” (you definitely need to burp “R”, well, for the ambience).
To understand why you shouldn’t go there either, just look at these photos:
Story
The Moscow Highway passes through Kansk. From 1628 - a winter hut, from 1636 - a prison, from 1640 - on the modern site, the center of the yasak volost of the Kansk volost of the Krasnoyarsk district, later became the center of the Kansk commissariat and the machine tool (1724-82), from 1782 - the volost center of the Nizhneudinsky district of the Irkutsk governorship (from 1798 - Irkutsk province), from 1822 - a city, district (from 1897 - district) center of the Yenisei province, in 1925-30 - Kansky district of the Siberian Territory. Since 1924 - a regional center, since 1940 - a city of regional subordination. Population (thousand people): 1724 - 0.3; 1782 - 0.6; 1823 - 1.1; 1842 - 1.6; 1863 - 2.5; 1897 -7.5; 1917 - 15.0; 1926 - 19.0; 1939 - 42.2; 1959 - 72.1; 1970 - 94.7; 1979 - 100.7; 1989 - 110.2; 1998 - 107.5; 2002 - 103.0; 2006 - 101.6.
The first winter hut near the Komarovsky rapids on the Kan River, 43 km below modern Kansk, was set up in 1628 by the Krasnoyarsk ataman E. Ostafyev (now the village of Komarovka). In 1636, Ataman M. Koltsov with 50 Cossacks set up a new fort below the Bratsk Transport. In 1640 the Kansky fort was moved to its current location; in 1646 the construction was completed by the Cossack foreman P. Volkhovitsky. This fort was burned by the Buryats, rebuilt, and burned down by the Tuvans in 1677. At the end of the 17th century. this is a settlement surrounded by a palisade with a tower and a church in the middle. In the 1650s. About 15 Cossacks were sent to the prison annually. The first permanent Russian population of 22 families of white Cossacks appeared in 1717. In 1736, the fort had 40 peasant households, a wooden Spasskaya Church, an office, a clerk's yard and tribute barns. The fort included 6 Russian villages along the Kan River. The initial function of the fort was to collect yasak. It also acted as a base in the advance of Russian explorers to the southeast. Agricultural development began in the 2nd decade of the 18th century. In the XIX - early XX centuries. Kansk served as a place of exile: Decembrist A.E. lived in the settlement. Mozalevsky, there were Decembrists V.N. Soloviev, D.A. Shchepin-Rostovsky, K.G. Igelstrom, P.N. Falenberg, comrade-in-arms of N.G. Chernyshevsky N.A. Serno-Solovyevich. Participants of the Polish uprising N.N. served their exile in Kansk and its district. Oswald, N.A. Benevolensky, V. Levandovsky; member of the Northern Union of Russian Workers P.A. Moiseenko, (1880-83), member of N.A. Blaeev’s group. Gerasimov (1889-92), Marxists V.P. Artsybushev (1891-94), M.A. Silvin, F.V. Lengnik (1900-02), F.E. Dzerzhinsky (1909), E.D. Stasova (since 1914), S.S. Spandaryan (1913), N.N. and E.A. Panin (1903-04), I.I. Schwartz (since 1914); active participants in the revolution 1905-1907 I.B. Take the oath, N.I. Korostelev (1913-18) and others. By the beginning of the First Russian Revolution, the Kansko-Ilan group of the RSDLP existed. In April-May 1917, power in Kansk passed into the hands of the united Council of Workers', Peasants' and Soldiers' Deputies headed by N.I. Korostelev. During the Civil War, Kansk turned into one of the centers for leading the mass partisan movement: after it was captured by the Czechoslovak Corps on May 29, 1918, an underground headquarters for preparing an armed uprising was created there. The uprising, which began on the night of December 27, 1918, was soon suppressed by Kolchak’s troops. In January 1920 Kansk fell to the Bolsheviks.
From the middle of the 18th century. Kansk became a transit point on the Moscow Highway on the Krasnoyarsk-Irkutsk section. Fertile lands, the beginning of gold mining, and the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway led to the gradual growth of the city.
And what about that same international Kansk video festival?
Nothing, it has been held consistently every year (since 2002) and has never known any trouble.
Although not so long ago the cities wanted to deprive them of such pleasure, but, it seems, everything worked out. The money was found. It can hardly be said that it is wildly popular among the townspeople - yes, by word of mouth, everyone knows it and proudly mentions it at any opportunity, the halls are filled, but no more. As part of the festival, by the way, in 2008, near the same shopping mall, there was an art object that initially looked creepy, but with the passage of time and the loss of its original appearance, it turned into God knows what.
This year the festival took place from August 25 to 31, we were there too and we can honestly say that we liked it! Read our special report for impressions of the festival, the audience and the general atmosphere.
Embankment WPP
st. Kobrina, 26
The main city embankment is located on the left bank - not far from the office of Eastern Electric Networks. You are not allowed to swim here, as the high fences clearly hint at, but they, of course, do not stop the local children.
During the day, you can take a quiet walk along the embankment with your family, but from dusk to dawn, a completely different life is in full swing here. In the wooden gazebos that line the shore, birthdays are celebrated, lovers hug, yesterday's schoolchildren make noise. Music is blaring from almost every parked car, and girls are dancing on the sidewalks. There is also a hotel there, impressively named “Cannes” and generously awarded five stars to itself on the façade. If you watch the nightlife of the embankment from its terrace, decorated with a white colonnade, you are guaranteed an unforgettable surreal experience.
