About Syktyvkar

Syktyvkar is the capital of the Komi Republic, that is located in the north-west of Russia. The city’s current name comes from Syktyv, the Komi name for the Sysola River, plus kar, meaning “city“. The distance to Moscow is about 1,300 km.

Syktyvkar is a public, business and an industrial center of the Komi Republic. In total, the city has about 40 large industrial enterprises. The total area of the city is 152 sq. km., and the number of population comprises 243 926 of people. Syktyvkar is a multinational city. Representatives of more than 70 nationalities live here. According to the 2010 census, 66% of the population were Russians, 25.9% were Komi, 2.8 were Ukrainians. The City Day of Syktyvkar is celebrated on June 12.

Climate

The climate of Syktyvkar is moderately continental, with short, cool summers and long, rather cold winters. The average temperature: in summer it usually reaches +18°C, and in winter -6°C. Frosts are possible even in July, autumn and spring are cold and long. The hottest month with the longest sunshine hours is July (+20°C). The coldest and the snowiest is January (-15°C), sometimes the temperature drops to minus 35 degrees Celsius and even lower. The wettest months are October and November (+2-4°C).

Transport

The city has an international airport “Syktyvkar” and is served by Syktyvkar Southwest airfield, from which regular flights are carried out to Moscow, St. Petersburg, Arkhangelsk, Vorkuta, Samara, Yekaterinburg, and a number of other destinations. The flight time from Moscow to Syktyvkar is about 2 hours, the train journey takes about 24 hours.

The city has a railway station as well. Syktyvkar has got all types of transport. They are: trains, planes, ferries, buses, trolleybuses and taxis. The leading external means of transport is a railway, and buses are mostly used inside the city.

Education

Nowadays, Syktyvkar is one of the largest scientific centers in the the European North of Russia. The city counts about 30 specialized institutions, which provide higher education and carry out research and development work. The leading scientific and researching establishments of the Komi Republic are united in the association of Komi Scientific Center of Ural District of Russian Sciences Academy.

Syktyvkar Higher Educational Institutes:

•  ♦ Pitirim Sorokin Syktyvkar State University
•  ♦ Syktyvkar Forest Institute
•  ♦ Komi State Academy of Public Administration and Management
•  ♦ Syktyvkar “SYNERGIA” University
•  ♦ Affiliate of St Petersburg State University of Service and Economics
•  ♦ Affiliate of Russian University of Cooperation
•  ♦ Affiliate of Modern Humanitarian Academy
•  ♦ Agency of Vyatsk State Humanitarian University

Culture

Syktyvkar is the center of the cultural life in the Komi Republic, as well. It has got a plenty of museums and galleries, dozens of theatres, cinemas, churches and libraries. The major part of the city is covered by taiga and mostly pine forests, so while walking down the streets, you can enjoy unbelievable fir scent, spilled in the air.

Of the city’s attractions, it is worth mentioning first of all:

•  ● the Stephen’s Cathedral (the main Orthodox church in the Komi Republic dedicated to Saint Stephen of Perm, who converted local pagans to Christianity in the 14th century);
•  ● the Fire-Tower (an unofficial symbol of Syktyvkar, is located in the old part of the city; the main excursion routes lead to it);
•  ● the National Gallery (the largest collection of works of art of the 17th-21st centuries in the Komi Republic);
•  ● the National Museum of the Komi Republic (its expositions are concerned with the unique nature of Komi, traditions, way of life and customs of the Komi-Zyryans, eventful history of the region);
•  ● Chernov Geological Museum of the Komi Geological Institute, Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences (the museum bears the name of the discoverer of the Pechora coal basin);
•  ● Church of Christ the Savior(1995) (a majestic three-story red brick building, one of about a dozen religious sites in the Komi Republic belonging to the Evangelical denomination);
•  ● Finno-Ugric Ethnocultural Park (a multifunctional tourist complex dealing with the cultural heritage of Finno-Ugric and Samoyedic peoples. Here you can learn more about the culture and traditions of the Finno-Ugric peoples);
•  ● M. Kirov Park of Culture and Rest (the largest recreational area of Syktyvkar located on the bank of the Sysola River);

You can try active or passive pastime according to your taste. If you are fond of activities, you can try football, basketball, tennis and rollerblading or such winter sports as skiing and ice-skating. In case you like spending your time in calm and peace, you can drink a cup of hot chocolate in the cafe or restaurant, go with friends to the cinema or theatre, etc.