FOUNDATION AND GROWTH OF THE CITY OF VLADIVOSTOK

Europe came to know about the land, where the port of Vladivostok was to emerge, after a French whaleboat visited the place in 1851.
The Russian government made a decision to build up a military outpost, which was to grow into the city, mainly thanks to the far-sighted military who sought out the best place to shelter a navy flotilla and to stay for the winter.
The first Russians were sent to construct outpost landed the Golden Horn coast on June 20, I860.
On June 8, 1861, a wooden church foundation was laid downhill to the east of the first constructions.
In 1880, Vladivostok got the official status of the city and was sep rated from Primorskaya Oblast as a military governorship.
The city territory was thoroughly planned in 1876-1879. Bridges we constructed across the ravines that used to cross what is today Svetlaskava Street.
The city started to grow rapidly from 1880, which was necessitated by its strengthening as a military outpost. A regular boat traffic Odessa-Vladivostok was launched. The decision to make Vladivostok a Trans-Siberian railroad terminus was promulgated. The city's population inмcreased greatly.
In 1883 the construction of a machine plant began on the northern shore of Golden Horn Inlet; later this plant turned into the largest enterprise in the Russian Far East.
The military governorship was abolished, the city being included into Primorskaya Oblast again as its administrative center. The governor's residence was transferred here from Khabarovsk.
In August 1889. Vladivostok was proclaimed a fortress, which increased its significance in the Far East.
In 1891, Russian Tsar Nikolai arrived in Vladivostok. That visit of the would-be emperor Nicholas II was marked by laying the foundation of the dry dock named for Nikolai (this dock is still in operaмtion) and the eastern part of the Trans-Siberian railroad, which intensiмfied the strategic
importance of the city.
The railroad construction the city launched into in May 1H91 became one of the landmarks in the late 19''' century, some other landmarks including the opening of a new commercial port and the beginning of regular freight and passenger traffic by the Ussury railroad up to Khaмbarovsk in 1897.
Since the main shipment of construction materials was by sea. Vladivostok rapidly built up its port capacities, However, the situation changed drastically in the end of the century.
Russia got a long-term lease of the Liaodong Peninsula. The State Treasury allocated money for constructing southern ice-free ports. Vladivostok's development came to a standstill.
Great changes happened after the 19()4-19()5 Russo-Japanese War, which resulted in Russia's loss of Port Arthur and Dalniy (Dalian), Vladivostok's main competitor cities. Gradually the city was turning into a large European type cultural, trade and industrial center of the Russian
Far Fast.
After the shock, caused by Russia's defeat in the war against Japan and the revolutionary uprisings being put down, the city intensified the construction work. Building the naval fortress - forts, coastal batteries munitions depots, fortress roads - became most intensive. It was at tha
period that the Vladivostok fortress was generally finished.
In the early 20th century, along with residential areas, there appeared a first summer cottage (dacha) countryside in the vicinity of Okeanskay Station and the Liangchihe River, which conformed to the newly developed idea - to live in harmony with nature. In 1916, the summer village of Sadgorod was founded at Okeanskaya Station. 26 km to the north of Vladivostok.
After the standstill caused by the civil war, a new phase of the cit development was given renewed impetus by the 19)1 resolution of to Russian Communist Party Central Committee on the reconstruction of twelve major Soviet cities, including Vladivostok.
In 1932. by breaking the 1922 agreement, Japan occupied Manchuria. This stimulated the decision of establishing the Pacific Navy 1932 thus turning Vladivostok into the major Navy base in the Russian Far East. The Vladivostok fortress constructions, which had been given up got to be employed anew. Piers to moor men-of-war and coastal install tions were built. A ship-repairing and ship-building base grew at Gold* Horn Inlet, Diomede and Ulysses Bays.

In 1930-1940s, the country authorities began struggling against region. In Vladivostok, there were two churches barbarously destroyed the Assumption of the Mother of God Cathedral and the Holy Virgin Intercession Church that were pivotal elements of the downtown arc tectural composition. In addition to those outstanding buildings, the ё was deprived of many other churches that used to decorate the city, New areas of the city were planned in accordance with the first ёcomplex master plan "Great Vladivostok" drawn under the direction of architect-engineer E.A. Vasilyev. However, many interesting ideas were not implemented because of World War.
In October 1959. Nikita Khruschcv, Chairperson of the USSR Com of Ministers, visited Vladivostok and estimated the city's role in a n wav. He ordered to turn Vladivostok into a new San Francisco. On the instruction of the country's leader, a commission headed by V. Kucheren-ko, the USSR Gosstroy (State Construction) Chairperson, was sent to Vladiмvostok to outline the major lines of city development in the near future (up to 1965). The commercial port, which is of great significance in the Pacific, has got back its international status. The city has become the Soviet gateway to the eastern seas.
In 1970-1980s, Vladivostok saw a large-scale civic construction, spreading its territory.
In the early 1990s, Vladivostok functioned as a real capital city, being an administrative center, a marine commercial port, one of the largest transportation junctions, center of fishing, ship repairing; cultural and educational hub, holding service to the entire Russian Far East, a tourism center, and a unique resort zone. Simultaneously the city retains its main historical function of staying a national navy base.

VLADIVOSTOK ARCHITECTURE

The historical center of Vladivostok, is located on the southernmost end of the Muravyov-Amurskiy Peninsula, washed by Amurskiy and Ussuriyskiy Bays, on the territory with a unique natural landscape, from which the city history is inseparable. Until the 1980s, Vldivostok's archiмtecture did not dominate over the landscape. They coalesced, emphasizing beauty. The city architecture took advantage of the landscape, when either raised due to the configuration of terrain or suddenly opening above, behind the turn of a steep street. Although today many landscape dominants arc hidden among the city constructions, the skyline of the historical downtown remains unchanged.
The original nature, scenery, sea panoramas surrounded by constructions is the most precious property of Vladivostok environment. Genмerally, all buildings, blocks and architectural complexes can be seen not only from their street fronts but also from the mountain peaks and upper slopes. And, finally, one of the superb features of Vladivostok is the possibility to view, just from Golden Horn Inlet and the Goldobin and Shkot Peninsulas, the city buildings amidst the hills that make up gigantic rhythm of natural dominants.
The downtown planning has not been changed so far. Historical ward size has been preserved, with buildings of an appropriate size, ham nixed with the landscape. The system of gardens and squares, design before 1920 and completed in 1950s, has determined the spatial composition of the unique historical downtown.
Svetlanskaya Street is the main street of the city. It stretches from Amurskiy Bay along Golden Horn Inlet till its western end.
By 1922 the architectural complex of Svetlanskaya Street up to the place where it crossed Kluchevaya Street had been formed mainly major buildings.
The Assumption of the Mother of God Cathedral, pull down in 1938, was the center of the street volume and space composition. There were gardens along the street. The planned sites were allocated to squares decorated with monuments commemorating peoples who played a significant role in the history of the city and the Russian Far East.
The building complex of Svetlanskaya Street blende in with the space of Pushkinskaya Street. While speaking about architectural .space composition of downtown, we cannot consider these two streets separately. Pushkinskaya
Street used to begin with the Assumption Cathedral, rising over the square.
Nowadays an art school is located in this place (the building was constructed as a residential house designed by architect A. Porctskov. The Salesmen Assembly House with pinnacles and hipped roof, with architectural emphasis placed on roof, attracts attention on Pushkinskaya Street.
Opposite it is Oriental Institute, and the street opens the vista of the Lutheran Church spire, dominating over great parts of Svetlanskaya and Pushkinskaya Sreets. Farther on, across the street is a complex of business and residential houses that used to belong to Vladivostok entrepreneurs Senkevich and Fikhman.
Up the hill is Pushkin People's House, closing the perspective of Pushkin Street. The Catholic Church completes the composition, inseparable from the
landscape. The Assumption Cathedral (in the past), Lutheran Church, and Catholic Church are the dominants that contribute to the open space of both streets and the slope descending to Golden ═юЄ Inlet. The complex manifests the art of architects, who succeeded in implanting their works into the naмture's environment, locating them effectively in the planned street system.
The historical downtown of Vladivostok reveals all architectural styles that were used by the city architects, ranging from neoclassicism of the late 19th century to modernist styles and neoclassicism of the 1930-50s.
Many outstanding architects, well-known in Russia and abroad, worked in Vladivostok. S. Vensan, A. Gvozdziovskiy. ╧. Junghendel. Shebalin, History, town-planning composition, and architects' names... we ё speak
about all these things quite a lot. But how can we describe timpression of the city - the excitement we feel when, being surround by stone constructions, in the midst of noisy cars and hectic rush, we s a wild .scenery of the sea just in front of us? When we come to Water front, the
marine scenery opens through tree branches - a black lace winter, green wilderness in summer, pink and white fragrance in sprit Ordinary streets and squares of the city incorporate romanticized marine ships and naval boats with their funnels, masts, Rags, horns and rasping chains.
Now the sun is setting just along Pushkinskaya Street axis, and spike domes and hipped roofs of old buildings are delicately silhouetted against the sunset colors. And the rising sun brightens, church crosses, first a foremost, notifying about day coming from behind the hilly skyline.
The sea is everywhere. Slope streets descend to it. Port cranes "floe near it. Vladivostokians' business, ideas and dreams are focused on it.
And there is another sea- sea of roofs, which flows down from mountain tops and slopes as a replica of dominating natural forms, sometime broken by rocky ridges and Steep Mountain spurs. In the distance, you can see a strait, ships lying out, and islands. The powerful energy of L environment, complemented by the creative energy of the previous generations, will
always be helping this city and its residents.