Sochi Central District - Distretto centrale di Soči

Sochi Central District
(Sochi)
Sochi Central Station
Location
Sochi Central District - Location
State
Territory

Sochi Central District is a district of the city of Sochi.

To know

The central district is one of the four districts that make up the city of Sochi. Here, in particular, there is the renowned promenade, the park Riviera, the seaport and everything that is usually associated with the city of Sochi.

Background

The central district is the nucleus from which Sochi developed, although its oldest monument is currently located in another part of the city. After the Russo-Turkish War of 1828-1829, the Russian Empire built a number of fortresses including Fort Alexandria (Форт Александрия) at the mouth of the Sochi river. There is no certain information about the etymology of the river or that of the fort. Already in 1839 the strong Alexandria was renamed Fort Navaginsky in honor of the Navaginsky regiment which distinguished itself during military operations. The fort stood on the elevated part of the seashore, slightly further south than the mouth of the river, right where today stands the High City (Верхний город). When Russia lost the war against Crimea in 1854, only one wall remained of the fort which is still visible in the center of Sochi. The Russian army returned to Sochi in 1864 and the fortress was rebuilt and dedicated to Dahovsky (again in honor of an army regiment), only no longer on the upper part, but right at the mouth of the river. In that place today is the Lower town (Нижний город). This fort was called Sochi settlement in 1896 and finally in 1917 it earned city status. At that time the Russians drove the Turkish invaders out of the Sochi territory but due to the swamps spread all around Sochi and the inhospitable nature, it was not a tourist city at least until the beginning of the 20th century. practically impossible and even normal docking was difficult. Only small boats could travel by river and for this reason engaging in river trade represented a real adventure. It goes without saying that if it was already little sought after as a commercial destination, much less Sochi could attract as a tourist destination.

The situation changed in 1896 due to the construction of the road connecting Sochi to Novorossijsk. From that moment, Sochi (and in particular the upper town) immediately became a tourist destination, especially for the Russian aristocracy. A consequence of this interest was the construction of villas that had nothing to envy to the luxurious Moscow residences. On the right bank of the river the first seaside resort was built, la Caucasian Riviera (Кавказская Ривьера) today destroyed. The right side of the bank, on the other hand, remained the poorest part of the city at least until the 1930s, when the Soviet government launched plans for a general reconstruction of the city. The Soviet reconstruction affected the shore in a particular way, although not a little was built in the center of Sochi. In fact, the hospital, the hotels, the theaters, the railway station and the maritime station date back to this period.

After the war and especially after the Stalin era, the city was dotted with prefabricated houses due to the growing population. A new impetus in the construction field came in the 2000s on the eve of the Olympics. In terms of harmony, all these construction phases give the impression of chaos due to the overlapping, often in the same neighborhood, of ancient aristocratic villas, Stalinist prefabricated buildings and new five-storey high-tech style buildings.

How to orient yourself

Neighborhoods

  • Lower town - is the real center of this district and extends roughly between the railway station and the banks of the Sochi River. To the south-west of this part is the Kurortnij prospekt, the main street of the city on which stand the most important monuments and places of interest
  • High City - After the intersection of Gorky and Vojkov streets, the main street (the Kurortnij prospekt) proceeds to a terrace. Here begins the so-called Upper Town.
  • Khosta - The Upper City continues for about two km after which you leave the central district to enter the Khosta district, which stands out in the Greater Sochi for being the place where the natural parks present on the upper course of the Sochi river are concentrated

Proceeding towards the North-West you leave the urban area to walk in an area characterized almost exclusively by centers for thermal treatments.

How to get

For more information on the transport network see Sochi

  • 1 Central Station, via Gor'kogo (Горького), 56, 7 8622 60-90-09. It is advisable to carefully observe the magnificent building of the railway station.
  • 2 Bus Station, via Gor'kogo (Горького), 56a, 7 8622 62 03 30, 7 8622 64 64 35. Simple icon time.svg24h. Next to the train station.
  • 3 Maritime station, via Vojkova (Войкова), 1, 7 8622 60-96-03.


How to get around

With buses it is easy to reach Adler, Dagomys, Macesta, Monomajka is Khosta. Line taxis travel more frequently than buses but only until 11.00 pm while the bus service continues 24 hours a day.

What see

Cathedral of S. Michele Arcangelo

High City

  • 1 Lighthouse, via Moskvina (Москвина), 10 (On the seafront, in front of the concert hall). The ancient lighthouse of Sochi, with its characteristic green light, was built in 1890, when the city was only accessible by sea. Unfortunately it is not allowed to visit it from the inside.
  • 2 Cathedral of S. Michele Arcangelo, via Moskvina (Москвина), 12 (not far from the lighthouse, near the port). It is considered the first important Orthodox church on the Black Sea, even if, probably, temporary churches already existed before. It was built in the late 19th century in remembrance of the end of the Caucasus War. The construction works lasted more than 20 years due to continuous interruptions due to the simultaneous war with Turkey. The building, while not a masterpiece of religious architecture, still has elements typical of the Russian South. The style recalls European classicism, except for the bell tower, in typical Russian Orthodox style. Next to the cathedral you can admire a small baptistery dedicated to the Mother of God and dating back to 1995. Don't forget to pay attention, on the same street at number 8, to the beautiful summer house of Voronov in pure Art-Nouveau style.
  • 3 Wall of the fort, via Moskvina (Москвина), 7 (in the backyard). The first fortress of the city, the Fort Alexandria it was built on the upper part of the terrace near the sea, where the lighthouse and the cathedral are now. Although the fort was razed in 1854, something of this construction has remained. The part, still visible today, is a wall with arched openings next to the building of the former hospital № 1. It is a single-storey villa built in a neo-Gothic style. The villa is now abandoned and the entrance to the courtyard is almost always closed. The fate of this building is uncertain today. You can walk the ancient (and unsafe) stone staircase and admire around you what remains of the ancient fortress of Sochi.
Villa Vera
  • 4 Villa Vera (Вера), Kurortnyj avenue (Курортный пр.), 32. The villa and the small park belonged to the Mamontov family, once owners of most of the land in the center of Sochi. In 1870, Mamontov created a garden full of exotic plants here, which later became the current one Riviera Park. The family also built a wooden villa which was popularly called Vera. The villa is, in fact, the oldest dacha in Soci, the first evidence of a tourist interest in this city. Seeing it from afar, the villa recalls the appearance of an Armenian church. Approaching, on the contrary, one can recognize the most disparate architectural elements and as a whole it resembles a kind of northern Art-Nouveau. During the revolution, the local executive committee of the revolutionary government took office in this villa and on May 20, 1920, the surrender of the tsarist white army was signed in these rooms. Before the Second World War, it became a rehabilitation center known as Zjuruly and after the war it became a hospital for the war wounded.
Pushkin Library
  • 5 Pushkin Library, Primorskaya street (Приморская) 1. A small neo-Gothic villa on two floors. Note the arched windows similar to large drops and the revival of the laces of medieval castles.
  • 6 The Anchor and the Cannon (Якорь и пушка), Puškinskij Square (Пушкинский сквер) (in front of the library). Monument of 1913, dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the founding of the city. The cannon was cast in 1807, the anchor in 1779. The style is that of the Tsarist era. The original epigraph has been deleted: now the monument is dedicated to the victory in the Russo-Turkish War.
  • 7 Gordon's house, Primorskaya street (Приморская) 4. Doctor A. Gordon was one of the prominent personalities of the city of Sochi. At the beginning of the twentieth century he was assiduously committed to fighting malaria and before the revolution he built this house for himself. This is a nice Art-Nouveau style building. As you approach this building, you can't help but notice the huge Olympic University structure, built for the Olympics, which has engulfed an entire neighborhood crammed with historic buildings, including Gordon's hospital itself. The university is the most original of the buildings built for the Olympics (we leave it to you to imagine what the others might be) and extends imposingly with its 16-story towers surrounding the conference hall.
Uspensky's house
  • 8 Uspensky's house (Дом Успенского), via del Teatro (Театральная ул.), 6. This villa was built in 1884 by the Tsarist nobleman Grigorij Uspensky. It is perhaps the only example of Sochi's indigenous architecture before it became a tourist destination. Typical of this style is the lack of any complicated detail or purely aesthetic purpose; the construction materials are simple wood or brick and there are no balconies and verandas.
  • 9 Winter theater (Зимний театр), P.za del Teatro (Театральная), 2. The theater, a perfect example of Stalinist architecture, was built in 1934-1937 almost exactly resembles the colonnade of the Parthenon. It is thought that the portico should have surrounded the entire perimeter of the building with the aim of giving a triumphal view of the theater from two angles at the same time: from the Piazza del Teatro and from the sea. The project subsequently underwent several simplifications and the portico was built only in correspondence with the main facade. This theater became the model for hundreds of other theaters built in the post-war period throughout the USSR.
  • 10 Venčagov Garden (Сад Венчагова), P.za del Teatro (Театральная) (on the southwestern side of the Winter Theater). Simple icon time.svg09:00 - 18:00. The garden was built in the early 90s by the urban planner Sergej Venčagov who had to embellish the city with his flowers in every season of the year. It was necessary to import different types of soil and numerous plant species from all over the world. Currently, almost 500 different types of plants grow here, including floral and non-floral plants.

Lower town

Bounded to the east by Gorky Street and to the west by the Sochi River, the lower town was, at the beginning of the 20th century, a kind of craft village, home to numerous shops. This part of the central district changed completely with the beginning of the reconstruction and enlargement works of the Kurortnyj prospekt in the late 1930s. Today this part has nothing special except the spectacular maritime station.

Maritime station
  • Central railway station (Железнодорожный вокзал), via Gor'kogo (ул. Горького). The station was built in 1952 to a design by Duskin, who was also the author of one of the Soviet skyscrapers in Moscow. Today the station is a real palace complete with a clock tower. Surely, the central station is among the most interesting buildings in Sochi: in the center of the building there is an atrium which, like the whole building, is dotted with columns, arches and arcades.
  • Maritime station (Морской вокзал), via Vojkov (ул. Войкова), 1. This is also another important example of Stalinist art. It was built in 1955 to a design by Alabjan and slightly resembles the Moscow North River Station although smaller in size but more decorated: here we find four sculptures representing the female personification of the four seasons and the male personification of the four cardinal points together with a group of dolphins. The decorations are also very interesting: the ceilings are all frescoed and the columns are decorated with bas-reliefs as well as huge shells that protrude from the ceiling. The architect has fully managed to give the building the unrepeatable southern Russian style.
  • 11 Singing fountains (Поющие фонтаны), Kurortnyj avenue (Курортный проспект). It is a fountain designed to create plays of light and to transmit music. The construction dates back to 1970 and the last restoration was in 2009.

Right bank

Vladimir I church
Elegant building opposite the Zinov'eva dacha

Before the October Revolution, the right bank of the Sochi River was called Chludov village from the name of the entrepreneur Vasilij Chludov who in 1883 had bought many lands in this area. Chludov tried to make this area productive by planting wheat, tobacco and grapes but his efforts proved futile and at the end of the century Chludov, desperate, sold these lands to the Russian government. Here the Riviera park and the spa center were built Caucasian Riviera, the first of many spas in Sochi. There were also buildings from the Tsarist era in an eclectic style that unfortunately did not survive the advent of the new Russian capitalism in the 90s of the twentieth century.Today it is known as the new part of the city, home to clubs and place of entertainment.

  • 12 Chludov's Dacha (Дача Хлудова), Riviera Park (парк «Ривьера). Villa built in 1896 in the pseudo-Russian style to a design by the Moscow architect Kekušev. It is a typical and sadly sad example of the restorations carried out with the method of total destruction and complete reconstruction of a new building. What you can see today looks quite gaudy due to the juxtapositions between the orange walls and the blue and gold roof. It is difficult to believe that such a building can give an idea of ​​the old architectural style related to Sochi. It is planned to open a museum dedicated entirely to Chludov.
  • 13 Trapeznikov's Dacha (Дача Трапезникова), via Pirogov (ул. Пирогова), 10 (wing n. 2 of the Zapoljar'e thermal center). It is a beautiful Saracen style villa. The reconstruction dates back to 2010-2012 when the building was restored to its ancient appearance. Today it is a fantastic building, especially when immersed in the typical vegetation of the place. Noteworthy are the colonnaded terrace and a very elegant turret.
  • 14 Dacia Zinov'eva (Дача Зиновьевой), via Vinogradnaja (ул. Виноградная), 22. This dacha is a particular building from the beginning of the 20th century, built with local stone. Although Art-Nouveau influences can be traced, the rectangular shapes and tall, narrow windows seem to come from another era. At first the building resembled a medieval castle but now it is perceived as an avant-garde product. The luxurious post office building opposite the villa, on the other hand, resembles a small post-war palace.
  • 15 Vladimir I church in Kiev (Церковь Владимира Равноапостольного), via Vinogradnaja (ул. Виноградная), 18. This church is of recent construction (finished in 2009). To see it it seems to observe a gingerbread house. The decorations are quite unusual although it is difficult to define them as beautiful.
  • 16 Monument to Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin (Черчилль, Рузвельт и Сталин), via Vinogradnaja (ул. Виноградная), 14 (near the Charmaševskij hotel (Хармашевский)). Perhaps the only monument in Russia dedicated to the anti-Hitler coalition. It was erected in 2008 by the Israeli sculptor Frank Meisler. A copy of the same monument is in England and yet another in the USA. Nearby is also the museum dedicated to the Second World War
  • 17 Kirov Thermal Center (Санаторий имени Кирова). A large part of the right bank is occupied by spas that could have been fine examples of Soviet architecture had they not been recently refurbished. The best you can see is the Kirov
  • 18 Riviera Park (Парк Ривьера), via Egorov (ул. Егорова), 1, 7 8622 643377, 7 8622 643370. Simple icon time.svg24h a day. This park covers an area of ​​14.7 ha and was founded at the end of the 19th century by Mamontov, who on his estate Razdol'noe he had planted a garden with many rare plants. Chludov bought the estate in 1883 and built a dacha with surrounding woods. In 1901 the park was sold to the municipality of Sochi and currently 250 plant species grow here. The park also features a go-kart track, a range of children's attractions, an art gallery, tennis courts and an exhibition of handcrafted dolls. Among the most important elements we can remember the avenue of tears and the avenue of astronauts on which 45 astronauts between Soviet and American plants planted magnolias.
  • 19 Heroism for life (Подвиг во имя жизни), at the corner of Prospekt Riv'ersky and Kurortnyj (угол пер. Ривьерского и Курортного) (at the entrance of the Riviera park). Under this name we mean a series of buildings dedicated to the medical staff of Sochi, who, during the Second World War, treated half a million wounded. The monument placed in front of this row of buildings is a steel arch decorated with marble statues of doctors and nurses.

What to do

  • 1 Acquapark il Faro (Аквапарк Маяк), Primorskaya street (ул. Приморская), 3/7 (near the Festival'nyj concert hall. Bus stop Stereo), 7 8622 620508. Simple icon time.svgMay-October 10 am-7pm.
  • aquarium (Сочинский океанариум в парке Ривьера), via Egorova (ул. Егорова), 1 (in the Riviera park), 7 8622 644343. Ecb copyright.svg300 rubles, (child: 200 rubles). Simple icon time.svgsummer 10:00 - 24:00, winter 10:00 - 21:00 every day.
  • 2 Motorboat excursion (Прогулочный теплоход), via Vojkov (ул. Войкова), 1 (departure at the port), 7 8622 609603. Ecb copyright.svg300 rubles. Simple icon time.svg11:00-21:00. Excursion service on a motor ship. The service is active from May to October

Museums

Museum of art
  • 3 Local history museum (Музей истории города-курорта Сочи), 7 8622 642326. Ecb copyright.svg100 rubles (2014). Simple icon time.svgTue-Sun 09: 00-18: 00. Local history museum, possibly one of the best in the area. You can also admire exhibits on astronauts. The Sports Glory Museum created for the Olympics.
  • 4 Museum of art (Художественный музей), Prospekt Kurortnyj (Курортный пр.). 51, 7 8622 622947. Ecb copyright.svg100 rubles (2014). Simple icon time.svgTue-Sun 10: 00-17: 30.
  • 5 Nicolaj Ostrovskij Museum (Литературно-мемориальный музей Николая Островского), Korčagin street (ул. Корчагина), 4, 7 8622 622015, 7 8622 625270. Ecb copyright.svg50 30 rubles (2014). Simple icon time.svgJune-October 10: 00-19: 00, October-May 10: 00-17: 30, except Wednesdays. Literary museum dedicated to Ostrovsky, a Soviet writer who lived in Sochi since 1932. The building next door houses the exhibition on the literary history of Sochi.
  • 6 Sports Glory Museum (Музей спортивной Славы Сочи), Sovetskaya street (ул. Советская), 26a, 7 8622 642326, 7 9284489085. Ecb copyright.svg80 rubles. Simple icon time.svg11:00-21:00. Museum opened in 2010, it hosts the history of the Olympics and in particular the role of Members in the history of the Olympics.


Shopping

  • 1 Shopping center (Торговая галерея), via Navaginskaya (Навагинская ул). On the same street you can find several shops of all kinds
  • 2 Aleksandrija (Александрия), via Moskovskaja (ул. Московская), 22. Shopping center on five floors, right in the center of Sochi
  • 3 More Moll, (ул. Новая Заря). Regional shopping center. Here you will find more than 30 different restaurants as well as multiplex cinemas


How to have fun

Winter theater
  • 1 Winter theater (Зимний театр), via del Teatro (ул. Театральная), 2, 7 8622 622006.
  • 2 Concert hall known as Festival'nyj (Концертный зал "Фестивальный"), via Ordžonikidze (ул. Орджоникидзе), 5. The most modern and capacious concert hall in Sochi. It can hold up to 2500 people.
  • Tasting room (Дегустационный зал "Аркадия") (at Parco Riviera). Here you can participate in the tasting of the best southern Russian wine. In summer it is open regularly while in winter by reservation only.
  • 3 Bar London, via Nesebrskaja (Несебрская ул), 6, 7 8622 60 82 00. Ecb copyright.svg500 - 1500 rubles per person. Simple icon time.svgalways open. Trendy restaurant and bar, offering European and Japanese cuisine as well as a wide choice of cocktails and spirits in general. Events or concerts are organized every week.
  • 4 Club Šum (Шум), via Navaginskaya (ул. Навагинская), 9, 7 9882 37 54 20. Simple icon time.svgalways open. 09: 00-18: 00: restaurant service, 19: 00-7: 00 karaoke. It is a refined club with the possibility to participate in karaoke evenings / nights every day. There is also an excellent cuisine and a wide choice of cocktails.


Where to eat

Moderate prices

  • 1 Art-Pizza (Арт-Пицца), via del Teatro (ул. Театральная), 9, 7 (8622) 62-26-66. Ecb copyright.svgapproximately 500 rubles per capita. Simple icon time.svg10:00 – 24:00. Great pizza at reasonable prices. The location is also excellent, right next to the Winter Theater
  • 2 Belye Nochi coffee (Белые ночи), Morskoj alley (Морской пер.), 7. Ecb copyright.svg150 rubles. A cult café where you can also eat a little something including excellent spit-roasted meat (the typical shashlyk, шашлык from southern Russia)
  • 3 McDonalds, Kurortnyj prospekt (Курортный пр.), 17/1, 7 (8622) 64-87-79, 7 (8622) 64-86-74. Simple icon time.svg8:00 – 24:00.
  • 4 Bon Appetit canteen, via Vorovsky (ул. Воровского), 19. A good canteen next to which there is a café where you can have coffee with a cake.
  • 5 Jaroslavna Tavern (Ярославна), 7 (8622) 64-37-60. Simple icon time.svg10:00 – 20:00. Mid-range trattoria located in the central station district. Wi-fi available

Average prices

  • 6 Puzataja hata (Пузатая хата), via Navaginskaya (ул. Навагинская), 9/1, 7 (988) 501-61-60. Ecb copyright.svg200-350 rubles. Copied from the Ukrainian Puzatuju hatu, it serves ordinary Russian-Ukrainian food here.
  • 7 Saint Mark, via Navaginskaya (ул. Навагинская), 3. Simple icon time.svg8:00 – 6:00. Cafeteria-snacks open practically all day
  • 8 Mama Roza (Мама Роза), via Moskovskaja (ул. Московская), 19A, 7 (8622) 64-28-72. Ecb copyright.svgabout 500 rubles each. Simple icon time.svg11:00 – 23:00. A good pizzeria, comfortable place. Wi-fi available
  • 9 Nippon House, via Vorovskogo (ул. Воровского), 36, 7 (8622) 64-08-56. Ecb copyright.svg250-350 rubles. Simple icon time.svg11:00 – 24:00. Typical Japanese restaurant
  • 10 Frau Marta (Фрау Марта), via Sovetskaya (ул. Советская), 2, 7 (8622) 33-72-72. Ecb copyright.svg500-1500 rubles per person. Simple icon time.svg11:00 – 23:00. German restaurant near the port. It is a nice place with a wide choice of beers and tasty Wurstel

High prices

  • 11 Genacvale (Генацвале), via Krasnoarmejskaja, 1 (on the right bank of the river), 7 (8622) 33-08-88. Simple icon time.svg12:00 – 24:00. Really great Georgian restaurant.
  • 12 Kalipso, via Moskvina, 2 (near the port), 7 8622 62-40-33. Ecb copyright.svg2500 rubles. Simple icon time.svg12:00-24:00.
  • 13 The terrace, Kurortnyj prospekt, 105B, 7 8622 965858. Ecb copyright.svg2500 rubles a year. Simple icon time.svg12:00-24:00. Typical Italian cuisine
  • 14 Vorovskogo street, 3, 7 8622 643867. Ecb copyright.svgstarting from 500 rubles. Luxury restaurant; Something Mediterranean is perceived in the décor, however the cuisine is not among the best that Sochi has to offer.
  • 15 Sinee More (Синее Море), via Černomorskaja, 11, 7 8622 662121, @. Ecb copyright.svg2500-5000 rubles per person. The most expensive restaurant in Sochi; the cuisine is typically Mediterranean


Where stay

Moderate prices

  • 1 Još Hostel (Ёж), via Čajkovskogo (ул. Чайковского) (on the right bank of the river), 7 (8622) 34-03-15. Ecb copyright.svg1000 rubles per person; single room for 1800 rubles. Comfortable and cheap hostel, even if with a careful furnishing and the layout of the rooms, it looks more like a hotel than a hostel. Next door is the study center for the English language. Wi-fi will also be available soon
  • 2 Very Hostel, via Pervomajskaja (ул. Первомайская), 19, 7 (988) 187-87-00, 7 (918) 107-52-29. Ecb copyright.svg800 rubles, double room: 2000 rubles.

Average prices

  • 3 Primorskaya hotel, via Sokolova ( ул. Соколова), 1, 7 (8622) 62-26-02 (administration), 7 (8622) 62-26-16 (reservation), @. Ecb copyright.svgdoubles from 2300 rubles per person. Gigantic hotel with stunning sea views. The building that houses it dates back to the pre-war period and if you want to believe the customers, it is better to stay and look at the sea or the building than enter it. Few of the hotel rooms can tell modern.
  • 4 Roza Vetrov Hotel (Роза ветров), via Pirogova (ул. Пирогова), 40В, 7 (8622) 53-29-39. Ecb copyright.svgdoubles starting from 3200 rubles. Nice, medium quality hotel not far from the sea. You can walk to the sea to go or swim or use the hotel pool. Wi-fi available

High prices

  • 5 Grand-Hotel and Spa Rodina (Родина), via Vinogradnaja (ул. Виноградная), 33 (on the right bank of the Sochi River), 7 (8622) 53-90-00. Ecb copyright.svgdoubles from 13 000 rubles. This hotel, which can be translated into Italian as Hotel Patria, is the most expensive but also the best (5 stars) in Sochi. It is located where a spa center once stood and is equipped with all comforts: swimming pool, wellness center, a huge park, some luxury restaurants and in short, everything you could want from a hotel. Visitors unanimously define it as "the best hotel in Russia" but also the prices are among the highest in all of Russia: in winter they are simply high while in summer the cheapest room costs around € 400 per night. .
  • 6 Hotel Čebotarev ' (Чеботаревъ), via Vinogradnaja (ул. Виноградная), 12/1 (on the right bank of the river), 7 (8622) 53-26-80, 7 (8622) 53-26-89. Ecb copyright.svgdoubles starting from 5000 rubles. The hotel is housed in a building that greatly emphasizes the outward appearance, starting from the entrance where a sculptural group depicting the founder of the hotel and his family dominates. The quality, however, does not seem to live up to its promises, starting with the much advertised Wi-fi that most of the time doesn't work.


How to keep in touch


Other projects

  • Collaborate on CommonsCommons contains images or other files on Sochi Central District
4-4 star.svgShop window : the article respects the characteristics of a guide and its sections are extremely complete.