PRIMORYE

General Information

Primorye is a vast territory in the south of Russia's Far East. In Russian «Pimorye» means «A Piece of land near the sea», Seaside, or the MaritimeProvince. There are lands which excite people's passion for travel and adventure. Primorye is one of such fascinating lands. The natural scenery enchants even local residents with its beauty. Visitors from other regions find themselves making one fascinating discovery after another. 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. Having visited Primorye once you will never forget this unique land of cedar, Lotus and Tiger Tracks.

Click here to see: Primorye Map.

Total Area: 165.9 thous. sq.km (bigger than the area of Belgium, Holland, Denmark and Switzerland taken together).

Population: about 2 286 900

Borders on: China (in the west), North Korea (in the south), Japan and South Korea (through the Sea of Japan), Khabarovsky Region on the North.

Nature resources: coal; ferrous metals (ferrum), non-ferrous and precious metals (tin, lead, zinc, wolframium, gold, silver), some rare metals (tantalum, niobium, zirconium); raw materials (boracium, fluorite, limestones, clays, etc.); forests (coniferous – cedar, spruce, Silver fir, larch; deciduous – birch, aspen, lime, oak, ash-tree, etc.)

Main cities: Vladivostok (capital city), Nakhodka, Ussuriisk, Arsenyev, Dalnegorsk

History

The man inhabited the territory of modern Primorye about 5-6 thousand years ago. Those people lived on hunting and fishing, by small communities. Even then the ancient inhabitants of Primorye had contacts with neighboring cultures in North-East Asia.

The first state, formed by Tungus tribes, appeared on the territory of modern Primorye (comprising also part of North-East China and Korean peninsula) in VII century AD. This state was called “Bohai” and existed till X century. Another, more powerful state called “Golden Empire” was formed by chzhurchzhens. This state existed in 1115-1234 and it was controlling also adjacent regions of Northern China and part of Korea. But this state was totally destroyed by Genghis Khan army. The remnants of Chzhurchzhens fled to wild uninhabited territories, hiding from the Mongols in the forests and river valleys. The descendants of those peoples still live there and in other regions of the Russian Far East. From that time till the middle of XIX 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 to the Pekin’s treaty) and active exploration of Primorye began. Not only Slavs (Russians, Ukrainians, Byelorussians) took part in Primorye development but also people from the neighboring Asian countries (Chinese, Koreans, Japanese) as well as from the USA and Europe. This added to the character of this faraway region of Russia, making different cultures mix and interact with each other.

Climate

The climate of Primorye is generally monsoon and damp, influenced by the sea proximity. But the climate of coastal regions differs from that of inlands (e.g. the warmest month is July in continental Primorye and august on the coast). August is traditionally the time of typhoons (tropical cyclones) coming mostly from Asian countries.

Winters in Primorye are rather long and cold – sometimes it snows for the first time in October! On the coasts there are quite strong winds (8-18 m per sec), which make the temperature even lower. There is not much snow – e.g. snowless Christmas is quite common for Vladivostok. On the contrary, in the continental parts of Primorye you may see the typical “Russian Winter” with crispy snow banks and frosts up to -30°C. Blizzards are not characteristic of Primorye winters (only 5-25 days per winter). In spring the snow is melting quickly and first flowers appear in the forests in March. Prymorye summer is warm (in continental parts even hot) but rather humid. Fogs turning into drizzle are common for June and the first part of July. Beach season begins in mid July and lasts till early September. Temperatures get as high as 25-30°C, sea warms up to 20-22°C. Autumn is nearly the best and most beautiful season in Primorye - it is warm, dry and sunny till about mid October (when active leaf drop begins). Sometimes it is called “The Golden Far Eastern Autumn” – it is especially true for coastal Primorye. In November the first frosts occur and winter slowly sets in.

The flora and fauna

The legend says: while distributing treasures among different lands, God forgot about Primorye. When he remembered, he threw it the leftovers out of his sack. And it is particularly true of the Ussuri taiga, the dense forest of Primorye: species of flora and fauna live there in great variety and profusion. As in a fairy tale, the coniferous and deciduous trees of the North are bound up with lianas of the South.

Primorye's most important geographical distinctions are that it lies on the Pacific coast and it is mountainous. The forested Sikhote Alin range covers 77% of the region. It stretches along the coastal line of the Sea of Japan. Khanka valley, the "food basket" of the region, the largest plain in Primorye, covers the South Western fifth of the territory and abounds in fertile soil. The largest and the only navigable river of Primorye is the Ussuri (it is a combination of two words denoting "water" in Chinese and Tungusic). Primorye's rivers are of great economic significance: it is to these rivers that the salmon goes spawning, other rivers are used for logging.

The Ussuri taiga is unique in its beauty. Nature was generous here: almost 2,000 plants including 250 tree and shrub species call it their home. The Ussuri taiga is a veritable botanical garden serving the Dauria larch, the Ayan spruce, the pine, the silver fir, different kinds of maples and birches, the Manchurian nut-tree, the Amur cork-tree, the ash, the oak, the white Amur lilac, the lime, the choke cherry tree, rhododendron and many others. There are some rare species. For example, locally known as cedar, the Korean pine, one of the most valuable species, is called "red pine" for its beautiful pink wood. "Cedar" nuts contain more oil than walnuts and it is better in quality even than olive oil. Its top quality lumber is used for deck planking and house construction. Further more, over 30 varieties of birch grow in Primorye and also have special qualities. For example, the rare Schmidt birch is stronger than the cast iron and sinks in water. The Ussuri taiga is also home to the legendary world-famous "root of life" - ginseng; the eleutherococcus, used in preparing both medicines and foodstuffs; Schizandra Chinensis, an arboreal climbing liana called so because the liana and the roots smell of lemon, a true store of vitamin C, is known to instantly relieve pain or tiredness. On Khanka lake, which is the largest body of water in Primorye and borders the People's Republic of China, grows the aquatic plant, the lotus which is covered with eastern legends.

The fauna of Primorye is also unique. The Ussuri taiga provides an excellent habitat for species such as the tiger, the Amur leopard, the Himalayan bear and many others. Inhabitants of Primorye worshiped the tiger, believing that "amba," as they called it, was a human being with whom one could reason. The stripes on the head of the Siberian tiger (known to biologist as the Ussuri tiger) form a sign which in Chinese means "Lord." The Lord of the Ussuri taiga is larger than its Indian counterpart. It grows to a length of 3 meters (10ft.), a height of 1.5 meters (5ft.), and a weight of 250-300 kilos (551-661lb.). The Ussuri tiger can withstand the coldest weather: -40 degrees C (-40 degrees F), which gives it a roaming range covering the whole of Primorye. Primorye is home to a multitude of hoofed animals, from the Manchurian deer, the reindeer, the musk deer, and the spotted deer (also called the "flower deer") to the roe, the wild boar, and others.

Primorye, the Maritime Province of Russian Far East, is famous for its six unique national nature reserves, protected natural territories which are withdrawn forever from any economic exploitation. The purpose is to protect flora and fauna found in their territory. They are Sikhote Alin Biosphere Sanctuary, Lazo Preserve, Ussuri Preserve, Kedrovaya Padj Preserve, Hanka Preserve and Far East Marine Sanctuary. For more information please see our tours.