Astrakhan - city in the south of Russia

Astrakhan (Russian: А́страхань AH-struh-khun) is a city in Russia.

Understand

Astrakhan is in the south-east of European Russia, in the Caspian Lowland, in the lower reaches of the Volga river. The region is a part of the Southern Federal District and is a border region: by land it borders on Kazakhstan, and on Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan by sea. The Volgograd region and the Republic of Kalmykia are the Astrakhan region’s neighbours within the Russian Federation. The area of the region is 49,000 m². The region consists of 11 rural areas, 442 villages and settlements. Besides the regional center there are 5 towns in the region – Akhtubinsk, Kamyzyak, Znamensk, Kharabali, and Narimanov.

Over 1 million people live in the Astrakhan region. Half of them live in the regional center, Astrakhan City.

Astrakhan is famous for its cultural traditions, dating back to the remote past. Representatives of over 140 nations and nationalities live here. All world religions have found here their adherents. A native, poet Velimir Khlebnikov called Astrakhan the triangle of Christ, Mohammed and Buddha.

In spite of its multinational structure, Astrakhan has always been and still remains one of the most politically stable regions of Russia.

Get in

By plane

• Narimanovo airport (IATA: ASF Международный аэропорт Астрахань), Aeroportovskiy proyezd (Аэропортовский проезд), 1 (take a trolley #1 to/from Central Stadium, microbus #5с, 80c, 86c), 46.283333°, 48.006278°, +7 8512 393317. This is class III international airport with capacity of 400 passengers per hour. Air carriers “Siberia”, “UTair”, “Airflot”, “Avianova”, “AZAL”, “SKAT” perform regular flights to Moscow, Baku, Aktau, Yerevan. There are international and charter flights to Turkmenistan (Turkmenbashi), Ukraine, Kazakhstan (Alma-Aty) and other CIS and foreign countries. It is planned to organize domestic flights to Saint-Petersburg and Voronezh.

By bus

• Astrakhan Bus Station (Avtovokzal Astrakhan), Ulitsa Anri Barbyusa (улица Анри Барбюса), 29в (right north to train station), 46.3618°, 48.0572°, +7 851 2214444, it@av30.ru.

By train

• Train Station (Astrakhan' 1, zheleznodorozhnyy vokzal, Астрахань 1), Ulitsa Vokzalnaya, 1, 46.36052°, 48.05890°. from May to September Direct trains run from Moscow via Volgograd to Astrakhan every other day. Linked by rail to the east (Atyrau and Kazakhstan) and the south (Makhachkala and Baku). There are more direct trains to Saint Petersburg, Baku, Kiev, Brest.

By boat

• Port of Astrakhan. in the summer, a lot of domestic Russian cruise ships operate lines from Moscow to Astrakhan. The journey takes approximately 10 days along the Volga, but this is an unforgettable, once-in-a-lifetime experience.

By car

Transport network of the region is constituted by over 7,000 km of automobile roads, 65 active ferries and 275 bridges. International transport corridor E-40 “West-East” crosses Astrakhan region. It links Western and Eastern Europe with Kazakhstan, Central Asia and China through the south of Russia (Rostov-on-Don, Volgograd, Astrakhan). Besides, roads M-6 “Kaspiy” Moscow (Kashira) – Astrakhan, Astrakhan – Elista – Stavropol, Astrakhan – Atyrau (Kazakhstan) play an important role in the transport infrastructure of the Astrakhan region.

Get around

Public local transport is only provided by minibuses (marshrutki).

Astrakhan districts

1. Kirovskiy (Кировский)

2. Sovetskiy (Советский)

3. Leninskiy (Ленинский)

4. Trusovskiy (Трусовский)

Bridges

• New Bridge (Novyy most, Новый мост), 46.3639°, 48.0366°. Taking E40/P22 Road over the Volga River.
• Northern Bridge (Severnaya most, Северная мост), 46.3831°, 48.0666°. Taking E40 Road over the Volga River.
• Old Bridge (Старый мост), 46.3353°, 47.9945°. Taking A154 Road over the Volga River.
• Magnitogorskaya Bridge, Ul. Magnitogorskaya, 46.34026°, 48.06101°. Bridge over Kutum.
• Ivanovskiy Bridge (Ивановский мост). Over the First of May canal.

See

Astrakhan tourism has a clearly defined trend – fishing and hunting. Our region occupies 25-30% of Russian market for fishing and hunting, which have already become the brand of the Astrakhan region. At the same time other kinds of tourism are developing, such as cultural and educational tourism, eco-tourism, cruises, business travelling and event tourism.

Kremlin

• Astrakhan Kremlin (Астраханский кремль), Ulitsa Tredyakovskovo (ул. Тредиаковского), 2, 46.34883°, 48.03192°, astmusei@yandex.ru.
  • Artillery Tower (Artilleriyskaya bashnya, Артиллерийская башня), 46.35121°, 48.03385°.
  • Assumption Cathedral (Uspenskiy sobor, Успенский собор с колокольней Пречистенских ворот.), 46.34940°, 48.03302°, +7 8512 444647, +7 8512 443947, mail@astrsobor.ru.
  • Cathedral Trinity (Троицкий собор), 46.35024°, 48.03189°.
  • House of Archbishop (Arkhiyeereyskiy dom, Архиеерейский дом), 46.34895°, 48.03274°.
  • Guardhouse (Гауптвахта, Трапезные палаты), 46.34899°, 48.03124°.
  • Cyril Chapel (Кирилловская часовня.), 46.35000°, 48.03158°.
  • Crimean Tower, 46.34812°, 48.02663°.
  • Zhitnyaya tower (Житная башня), 46.34811°, 48.03010°.
  • Nikolaj Gate Tower (Башня Никольские ворота).

Museums

• Astrakhan Regional Museum (Астраханский краеведческий музей), Ul. Sovetskaya (ул. Советская), 15 (east of Kremlin), 46.34965°, 48.04176°, +8 512 525062, ped.muzei@yandex.ru. - Exhibitions: "Nature of the Astrakhan region", "Fishes of the Volga- Caspian basin", "Living history of the earth", a unique archaeological exhibition "Gold of Nomads ", "Astrakhan in the XIX.-early.XX centuries", "Astrakhan in the XX century", "Astrakhan governor" and an ethnographic exhibition "History and Culture of the Astrakhan region ". Armory Hall extra cost! Full foreigner price: $15 (2013)
• Picture Gallery of Dogadin (Астраханская картинная галерея имени П. М. Догадина), Ul. Sverdlova (ул. Свердлова), 81, 46.34789°, 48.05352°.

Others

• Armenian House (Армянское подворье), Ul. Sovietskaya (ул. Советская), 9, 46.34943°, 48.04004°. This building is the council of the Astrakhan Region.
• Indian House (Индийское торговое подворье), 46.349908°, 46.349908°.
• Novodevichy Monastery (Новодевичий монастырь), Ul. Sovietskaya (ул. Советская), 29, 46.34905°, 48.04796°.
• Black Mosque (Черная мечеть), Ul. Z. Kosmodemyanskoy (З. Космодемьянской улица) 48, Ul. Musy Dzhalilya 22 (south of Canal May 1st), 46.34288°, 48.0334°.
• Red Mosque (Красная мечеть), Ul. Spartakovskaya (Спартаковская), 62.
• White Mosque (Белая мечеть), Ulitsa Bera (улица Бера), 15 (south of Canal May 1st), 46.34287°, 48.03053°. 1809-1810.
• Our Lady of Assumption (Храм Успения Пресвятой Богородицы), Ulitsa Babushkina, 81, 46.3459°, 48.0510°. Roman Catholic church (1778).
• Monument to Peter the Great (Pamyatnik Petru I, Памятник Петру Великому), Prospekt Gubernatora Anatoliya Guzhvina (On the Volga Riverbank), 46.34713°, 48.01600°.
• Cathedral Prince Vladimir (Собор Равноапостольного князя Владимира.).
• Church of St. John (Церковь Иоанна Златоуста).
• Ribnii Rinok Selenskie Isady (Fish Market), Intercession Square,3a. Close to the train station and bus terminal. Here you can find every sort of smoked, dried (vyalenaya) and other fish at very affordable prices. In particular, such Astrakhan delicacies: smoked sturgeon, Balyk from the beluga, etc.

Do

• State Opera and Ballet Theatre (Астраханский государственный театр оперы и балета), Ul. Maksakovoy (ул.М. Максаковой), 2, 46.35978°, 48.04396°, info@astoperahouse.ru.

Buy

Eat

Drink

• • Akademia Piva (Beer Academy), 7 Lenin St., +7 851 222-7750. 11:00–24:00. Cozy beer restaurant in the city centre with its own brewed beer. Offers bottled and about a dozen draught beers. Russian and European cuisine.

Sleep

• Azimut Hotel Astrakhan, Kremlevskaya str., 4, Astrakhan (city center, 15 minutes drive from the airport, 10 minutes walk from the railway station), +7 851 232-68-39. 242 rooms, 3 stars. Free wi-fi, 24/7 reception desk and other facilities. Credit cards accepted (including American Express).
• Park Inn by Radisson, Ulitsa Anri Barbusa 29 (adjacent to the Astrakhan railway station and bus terminal), +7 851 229 0120, info.astrakhan@parkinn.com. 2020-09-21

Connect

Consulates

• Iran, Zhelyabova street, 3, +7 851 239-5602, +7 851 239-5603.

• 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan, Akvarelnaya street, 2B, +7 851 225-1885, consulrk@astranet.ru.

Go next

River cruises down the Volga operate during the summer months (early May to end of September). Dozens of boats operated by different companies run from Moscow to Astrakhan. One way or return cruises may be reserved to/from practically any city along the Volga. Turflot.ru and infoflot.ru are several sites that offer tours.

Sample price for cruise: Moscow to Astrakhan (one-way) with three daily meals is approximately US$500.