Stavropol

Stravropol (Ставрополь) is a city in Russia. == Understand == The city was founded in 1777. It was first a fortress to defend the Southern borders of Russia. The city's name is of Greek origin and translated as "the city of a cross". Stavropol is the capital of the Stavropol Krai (one of Russia's territorial districts). Its population as of 2021 is around 350,000 people. It is a geographically and economically strategic city, an also a place where people from the nearby distressed Caucasus areas come to relax. == Get in == === By plane === 1 Stavropol Shpakovskoye Airport (STW IATA) (15 km away from Stavropol). Small airport. Several airlines fly to Moscow, and Turkish Airlines to Istanbul. Fares from Moscow start around €35, with multiple airlines. You can also fly from Saint Petersburg or Moscow to Mineralnye Vody and then take a bus/minivan to Stavropol. Or to Krasnodar with various low-cost airlines like UTair or Nordwind. Krasnodar is about 300 km from Stavropol, and it takes on average 5 hours to drive from there by bus or a minivan. === By train === From Moscow there are three weekly departures, travel time 1 day and 9 hours. One-way prices start around 1500 руб 'Platzkart' and 2000 руб 'Kupé'. Tickets are available at the website of RZD (in English). == Get around == == See == 1 Park Pobedy, Shpakovskaya ulitsa, 111. Has interesting statues and kitsch like dinos, jets, tanks, and a rubik cube. Then also has a zoo and botanic garden. (updated Feb 2021) 2 Triumphal Arch "Tiflis Gate", Prospekt Karla Marksa, 13. Arch marking beginning of Tiflis Highway (aka Karl Marx Ave) built in 1841. (updated Feb 2021) 3 Stavropol Regional Museum of Fine Arts (Ставропольский краевой музей изобразительных искусств), Ulitsa Dzerzhinskogo, 115-119, ☏ +7 865 226-54-85. W-Su 10:00-18:00. Small regional art museum but not without some appreciable works like by Ivan Aivazovsky that Russian Romance artist from Crimea. (updated Feb 2021) 4 Soldat and Fortress Mountain, Intendantskiy Pereulok, 5. Soldat is a patriotic monument to the soldiers who gave their lives to defend the mother country with a backdrop of certain vantage points of the city. Adjacent, Fortress Mountain commemorates the original barracks and settlement of Stavropol, by Cossacks, Kazakhs, and Russian imperialists. Also find here one of those musical lighted fountain shows seasonally. (updated Feb 2021) 5 Kafedral'nyy Sobor Kazanskoy Ikony Bozhiyey Materi (end of Ulitsa Suvorova), ☏ +7 865 229 65 30. The iconic cathedral of Stavropol. (updated Feb 2021) 6 Memory, Museum of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945, Ulitsa Shaumyana, 45, ☏ +7 865 226 01 15. WWII museum. The highlight here may be the Eternal Flame Monument to Victory Day that sits out in front. (updated Feb 2021) 7 Stavropol State Museum-Reserve, Ulitsa Dzerzhinskogo, 135, Stavropol, ☏ +7 865 226 27 29. W-Su 10:00-17:00. Here is your regional archaeological and natural history museum. And don't miss the Alexander Area, a plaza extending north to the Eurohotel Stavropol, that is centered with the 25m guardian angel Monument Angel-Khranitel and often full of flowers and fountains (or maybe just shops and people in winter). (updated Feb 2021) 8 Art Gallery "Parshin", General Ermolova Boulevard, 1, ☏ +7 865 245 07 17. daily 11ː00-20ː00. A little foo-foo gallery for the art enthusiast. Featured are Sergey Parshin's works, but also some reproductions of Monet and Renoir. 250 RUB. (updated Feb 2021) == Do == 1 Central Park of Culture and Leisure of the city of Stavropol, Prospekt Oktyabr'skoy Revolyutsii, 22. daily 06ː00-01ː00. Another park, this one featuring a Ferris wheel and other rides. (updated Feb 2021) 2 Theater Square (Teatral'nyy Skver), Ploshchad' Lenina, 1а, ☏ +7 865 271 19 20. This square is a nice pedestrian zone with statues (don't miss the big one to Lermontov) and Christmas trees, etc but also features the Stavropol Academic Drama Theater for those interested in live productions. (updated Feb 2021) == Buy == There is the Galereya next to the Alexander Area. Or there is: 1 Yevropeyskiy, Prospekt Karla Marksa, 47, Stavropol. daily 08:00-22:00 (maybe more like 08:45 opening on Su). Modern shopping mall and cinema. The Lower Market (a giant open food marketplace is just behind it). (updated Feb 2021) == Eat == "Akropol" — a mainly Greek cuisine restaurant; 1 Theater Cafe ("Teatral'noye"), Ulitsa Mikhaila Morozova, 1 (just opposite the Stavropol Drama Theatre), ☏ +7 865 271 22 10. daily 08:00-23:00. a cafe where prices are in the upper medium range, a rather pleasant environment (updated Feb 2021) == Drink == 1 BAR XXXX STAVROPOL, Ulitsa Goleneva, 37, ☏ +7 865 290 27 87. W-Su 18ː00-08ː00. Lively place. (updated Feb 2021) === Night clubs and discos === Molinari 2 FIRST Karaoke Bar, Ulitsa Pirogova, 31-А, ☏ +7 865 291 21 11. F-Sa 19ː00-06ː00, Su-Th 19ː00-03ː00. Food and fun. (updated Feb 2021) == Sleep == === Budget === 1 Hotel Admiralskaya (Гостиница Адмиральская), Proyezd Ushakova, 36, ☏ +7 962 450-60-36. Kind of like a country inn only in a neighborhood and features an indoor pool/hot tub, sauna, and breakfast. 1193 руб. (updated Feb 2021) 2 Hotel Good Lac Central (Otel' Gud Lak Tsentral'nyy), Ulitsa Lenina, 392, ☏ +7 928 005-85-24. Cheery hostel/hotel with wifi. 1193 руб. (updated Feb 2021) 3 Dostoyevskiy, Ulitsa Rozy Lyuksemburg, 26, ☏ +7 962 407-13-37. Another hostel that is supposed to in some ways resemble Dostoyevsky's former estate. (updated Feb 2021) === Mid-Range === 4 Miniotel Spokoynyy Otdykh, Ulitsa 45-Ya Parallel', 5/3, ☏ +7 865 255-34-01. Features a restaurant/bar, hookah, billiards, massages. 1565 руб. (updated Feb 2021) 5 July Hotel, Ulitsa Bulkina, 11, ☏ +7 865 261-00-47. This hotel has pretty sleek and modern looking embellishments and amenities, like the pillows for instance. 1640 руб. (updated Feb 2021) 6 Inn Nicole, ul. L'va Tolstogo, 84, ☏ +7 962 454-35-38. This one is kind of minimalist but with nice wood interiors. Has a restaurant. 1715 руб. (updated Feb 2021) === Splurge === 7 Panorama Loft, пер. Макарова, 21. This place offers spacious rooms with private baths, morning breakfast, a bbq restaurant, and some city views. It has a very sleek look. 2609 руб. (updated Feb 2021) 8 Kontinent (Бизнес-Отель "КОНТИНЕНТ"), Ulitsa Dzerzhinskogo, 114, ☏ +7 962 455-88-88. Hotel tower with sauna, bowling alley, cafe, and 2 bars. Breakfast buffet included. 2684 руб. (updated Feb 2021) 9 Park Hotel, Ulitsa Dovatortsev, 47Б, ☏ +7 865 255-21-22. Real glassy hotel with a cafe and bar featuring a sunroof and also a gym. 2833 руб. (updated Feb 2021) 10 Eurotel Stavropol (Yevrootel' Stavropol), Ulitsa Marshala Zhukova, 1, ☏ +7 865 220-65-14. It's a big monolithic building with a gym and massage parlor, and they'll fix you up good with some pancakes in the morning. 2833 руб. (updated Feb 2021) == Connect == == Wireless internet == There was the WiFi-Anet commercial network in Stavropol. == Go next ==