In general, it is worth noting that this is a characteristic feature of the outline of the Russian cities to name streets and squares after famous personalities in history.

Now we are getting down to the Ussurisky Boulevard. There are two boulevards in Khabarovsk - Ussurisky and Amursky boulevards named in honor of the Ussuri and the Amur rivers. They run through the low ground between the three hills of Khabarovsk.

The main decoration of the Ussuri Boulevard are city ponds (launched in 1983) - a popular place for walks and recreation of residents and visitors alike. There are three ponds all together, here one can see a singing fountain show, a laser show, take a ride by boat or catamaran.

From the city ponds you can see a modern building of multi-sports and entertainment complex "Platinum Arena" (built in 2002), which is designed for hockey and volleyball matches, exhibitions, fairs, concerts and other entertainment events. The stage of Platinum Arena hosted the world famous rock groups from Great Britain, the USA and Germany – Deep Purple, Smokie, Uriah Heep, the Scorpions and many others. This building can seat about 7 thousand people. It is one of the largest Sport’s Complexes in Russia. For residents and visitors of the city there is a skating rink in the entertainment complex. In addition, the European cuisine restaurant "Overtime" located in the facility attracts its visitors by offering them to combine food tasting and hockey game viewing.

Now we are going up along Pushkin Street towards Lenin str., which in the initial development of the military post Khabarovka was located on one of the three hills and bore the name - Artillery Hill. But in 1913 it was renamed into Baranovskaya Street, in honor of the military governor of the Primorye region Joseph Baranov. After the establishment of the Soviet power in the Russian Far East in 1923, the street changed its name one more time and was renamed in honor of the organizer of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union - Vladimir Ilyich Lenin.

По дороге рассказывается о зданиях, расположенных на улице: Краевой театр кукол, театр «Триада», Дальневосточное метеорологическое управление, здание датского дома, жилой дом купца В.Ф. Плюснина.(бывший геологический музей).

Our next stop is the Square of Glory, the youngest square of ​​our city. It was founded in 1975 and its opening ceremony was timed to the 30th anniversary of the Soviet people's victory over Nazi Germany in World War II (1941 – 1945).

In the center you can see Radio House, where radio and television studios are located, a 30-meter obelisk, consisting of three staring at the sky pylons. The architectural ensemble of the square also includes a 70-meter high stele with Orders, located on both sides of the square.

The main decoration of the square is a symbol of the city which was built in 2004, the third largest in the Russian Orthodox Church - Holy Transfiguration Cathedral. Its height from the ground to the top of the golden dome of the altar of the cathedral is 95 m. Its weight is 80 tons. The weight of its bells is 3 tons.

Our next point of destination is the so-called Glory Square or Square of Glory which is actually the most recent one, the newest among all of the city’s squares. It was constructed in 1975; the grand opening was supposed to coincide with a very momentous occasion, that is – to commemorate the 30^th anniversary of the victory of the Russian – at that moment Soviet – people over Nazi Germany in World War II.

Right in the centre of the Square there is the so-called House of Radio (which accommodates) – the headquarters of radio and television studios; in close proximity there we can see a Cenotaph – a tri partite monument (comprising three pylons) 30 meters high. The architectural ensemble of Glory Square can also boast having a colossal wall of the War Memorial 70 meters in length with commemorative plaques |плакс \ on either side of the square.

Let us proceed and behold the second part of the square. This part – the one housing the War Memorial proper – has been erected in memory of those citizens of Khabarovsk and our region who had perished during the Second World War. Whilst officially the first part of the square was unveiled on May, 9^th in 1985, the second one opened to the public 10 years later in 1995 in commemoration of the 40^th anniversary of Victory Day. The search for the names of those who lost their lives during the war defending our land has actually never stopped. (It’s still unfolding, this process.)

If you will, if you please look at the magnificent panorama of the Amur delta which is truly remarkable a sight – especially from where we stand. This particular hillside happens to be a favourite location among the citizens of Khabarovsk, the newly-weds and the like since it allows a fantastic view of the fireworks in the sky at holidays and it is perfect for photo-taking.

The main attraction of the square as well as something that defines our city’s identity, our city’s face, as it were, is doubtless Holy Transfiguration Cathedral. The cathedral constructed in 2004 is in fact the third largest Orthodox Church in Russia. It is 95 meters high – from the foundation to the top – that of the golden dome. The bells alone weigh more than three thousand tons.

Now seems like a good time to abstract ourselves a bit, as it were, and focus may be on some of the peculiarities of the Orthodox faith. It would appear that the gradual resurrection of the Christian Orthodox faith in Russia after the icy-cold – metaphorically speaking – spiritually-vacant epoch of the communist regime has led many of the Russian people back into the bosom of the church.

There is a large segment of the population – people who attend the sermons on a regular basis now. It would seem that a significant number of the younger generation are happy to embrace old Orthodox traditions such as Baptizing, or the Wedding Ceremony. It could probably be accounted for by a certain spiritual void, a vacuum of sorts they feel in their lives.

Right there in the cathedral itself you can (will be able to) observe a spectacular view – that of the inimitable gigantic dome filled with sunlight and the invisible chorus of the choir when a service is in progress. And the icons of the Saints, of course. You can (will) probably smell, inhale the perfume, the scent of incense, frankincense that would be, that is one of the landmarks, if I may put it this way, of a Russian Orthodox Church and its special aura.

Naturally, the most significant among Russian Orthodox holidays are those which somewhat mirror all the major Christian holidays per se: Easter, Ash Wednesday, Palm Sunday and Christmas for sure. You are probably aware of the fact that they are being observed in accordance with a different calendar – not Gregorian, the one accepted everywhere in the Western world but an older one, Julian, which accounts for a fact that in Russia Christmas, for one, falls on the 7^th of January not on the 25^th of December.

We also tend to celebrate a somewhat unique Russian holiday around Christmas – entitled The Old New Year, which is observed on the 13^th of January (the New Year does fall on January, 13 according to the Julian calendar). This is a kind of paradox and oxymoron – The Old New Year – that they say can exist only on the Russian soil; it is supposedly somehow embedded in the Russian mentality, this duality and love of the opposites which naturally attract each other.

There are some other fascinating nuances, some holidays which date back to the times when Russia was still a heathen country, idolizing, worshipping pagan gods in the form of natural phenomena, the most significant among those being the Sun, naturally. Thus we have relics of a by-gone era in the form of Shrovetide or Maslenitsa or the feast before Great Lent which traditionally lasts for a week and involves many fun occupations like wrestling or burning of effigies made of straw – the symbols of the passing winter which are to burn to make way to new life, new spring – all that embodied in the Easter holiday, and the most indulging and delicious of all pastimes – pancake eating, eating lots of pancakes – with sour cream and caviar and Russian vodka of course!

or Midsummer celebrations which fall around Summer Solstice – in Russia it took the form of Ivan Kupala’s Night which is believed to be filled with magic since, as the old legend goes, on this particular night if you are lucky enough to find the blossoming plant of fern which lasts – the blooming, I mean – actually a mere second, the latter – the mystical flower – will unlock you all the hidden treasures in the world. The air is absolutely filled with enchantment on this most auspicious of nights. Young people would gather around a big fire in open fields, they would be wearing bouquets of flowers, wreaths of wild flowers in their hair and around their necks and jump over the fire on a dare. A dangerous occupation, no doubt, but the one that was supposed to bring good luck eventually, like happy marriage among other things.