Khabarovsk

Named after the Russian explorer Yerofey Khabarov, this city was founded in 1858 as a military observation post and later, became an important industrial center for the region. The city lies at the confluence of the rivers Amur and Ussuri, and about 500 miles north of Vladivostok. It is accessible from there, by an overnight train running along the Trans-Siberian railway and the rail distance from Moscow is 8,523 km.
A department of Russian Geographical Society was formed in Khabarovsk and began initiating the foundation of libraries, theaters, and museums in the city in 1894. Since then, Khabarovsk's cultural life has flourished. Much of the local history has been well-preserved in the Regional Lore Museum and Natural History Museum, and in places like near the Nanai settlement of Sikhachi-Alyan, where cliff drawings from more 1,300 years ago can be found. The Khabarovsk Art Museum exhibits a rare collection of old Russian icons.