|
NAKHODKA AND THE RUSSIAN FAR EAST Nakhodka (pop. 165,000) is located in the Primorskii Krai, the southern region of the Russian Far East (RFE). The word "nakhodka" means "a find" in Russian, and refers to the favorable location of the city along the vast Bay of America. It lies south-east of Vladivostok, the capital city of the territory. As the crow flies, the city is 5,150 miles west of its American sister city of Oakland, California. Nakhodka is a new city, located in an area largely uninhabited until the twentieth century. The region remained essentially undeveloped until 1936, when the Soviet Union added a rail link connecting Nakhodka to the Trans-Siberian Railroad. This link is still a vital lifeline for the area and forms a basis for the local economy. In the 1940's and 1950's, the ports of Nakhodka developed into one of the major transportation hubs for the entire country. A large percentage of all cargo passing through the ports of the RFE goes through one of the Nakhodka area ports. The industrial base of the city is also closely linked to its location on the Pacific coast, with a large percentage of the total output coming from the fish processing industry. In a geographic sense, Nakhodka has unsurpassed riches. There are seven rivers which flow through the hilly area around Nakhodka. The local region is one of the very few places in Russia with a moderate climate, taiga (a vast subarctic forest), abundant natural resources, and close proximity to the major nearby markets of China, Japan, and Korea. Visitors to Nakhodka are impressed with beauty of the city's location as well as its mild climate. Sport boating and yachting are favorite pastimes of the city residents. The importance of music and the arts in the educational system is also readily apparent and has formed a focal point for several of the exchanges between Oakland and Nakhodka, as well as between Nakhodka and its second American sister city of Bellingham, Washington. At the outskirts of the city, one finds a vast network of "dachas," summer cottages and family garden plots. On weekends, the streets are clogged with city residents heading to their special private gardens. While the long-term future seems to hold great promise for Nakhodka, there are major obstacles facing the city and the region as a whole as they enter the 21st century. Relations with the central government in post-Soviet Moscow have been strained in both the economic and political sense. Complicating the situation is a continuing outflow of population. Some people believe that one major bright spot lies with the recently designated "Free Economic Zone" for the area of Nakhodka and its immediate surroundings. This was the first such "zone" proclaimed in post-Soviet Russia. It is hoped that major fiscal and tax incentives will help create the economic infrastructure that is needed if Nakhodka is to be competitive in the rapidly emerging Pacific Rim market. In the meantime, Nakhodka continues to struggle with the slow and painful transition to a full market economy.
|
|
|
|
