Khanty-Mansiysk in 3 Russian words
The administrative center of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug is a young city, founded in as recently as 1931. It’s known as the biathlon capital of Russia. Here are three more of its main symbols.
1. МОСТ «КРАСНЫЙ ДРАКОН» (The Red Dragon Bridge)
Built in 2004, the Red Dragon Bridge is considered one of the most beautiful bridges in Russia. Its design really does resemble the arched back of a mythical creature. The bridge is, naturally, considered one of the city's main calling cards.
2. СТЕЛА «ПЕРВООТКРЫВАТЕЛЯМ ЗЕМЛИ ЮГОРСКОЙ» (‘To the Discoverers of the Yugra Land’ stele)
This 60-meter stele is the tallest structure in Khanty-Mansiysk and is visible from anywhere in the city. The ‘Yugra Land’, or ‘Yugra’, was previously the name for the lands beyond the Northern Urals. Today, it’s used to refer to the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug. The pyramid-shaped stele simultaneously resembles a ‘chum’ (‘tent’), a typical dwelling of the local Khanty people, an observation tower used by the Cossacks who developed the region and an oil rig.
3. «АРХЕОПАРК» (‘Archeopark’)
‘Archeopark’ is Russia's largest open-air reconstruction of prehistoric times. It’s located at the foot of the so-called Samarovsky Ostanets (Samarov Outlier), a hill of exposed ancient rocks. There, you can see bronze sculptures of mammoths, prehistoric bison, cave bears, woolly rhinoceroses and, of course, prehistoric humans.
