Vladivostok

Often compared to San Francisco due to the many hills and ocean views, Vladivostok ("Ruler of the East" from the Russian words vladet and vostok) is one of the most beautiful cities in Russia. As one of only four major seaports, with extensive fishing rights, it also has tremendous potential for economic growth. Vladivostok is Russia's window to Asia, as it is located less than 100km east of the Chinese border, and just across the Sea of Japan from the main Japanese island of Honshu. Home base to the Russian Pacific Fleet, the city was closed to all non-Soviets from 1958 until 1991.

Vladivostok's history began in 1860 when the military transport "Manchuria" with Ensign Komarov and 40 soldiers dropped anchor in the beautiful and friendly bay with its overlooking hills. The first barracks and church were quickly built, giving Russia a voice to claim new territories known today as the Russian Far East or Dalnii Vostok Rossii. Between its founding and the closing to foreigners in 1958, Vladivostok was a fairly international city. In the early part of the 20th century, Russians were actually outnumbered by Chinese in Vladivostok, and during the years following the revolution, there were large Japanese and American populations.

Modern Vladivostok has been compared to the American West during the Gold Rush years. Businesses from all over the world have flooded in to take advantage of the city's position as a crossroads of Northeast Asia. Vladivostok's ideal geographical location is of great interest to developers of international and domestic trade. The heavy foreign investment and influence help to fuel Vladivostok resistance to the economic and political grip of Moscow, which is in many ways expressed through the strong military presence, controlled from Moscow.

The tremendous distance from Moscow, as well as the lack of a strong military budget has tipped the balance perhaps a bit in the direction of market economics. Strong forces lobby for a Free Economic Zone, hoping that the city might eventually be another Hong Kong or Singapore. Japan and Korea have invested heavily, and Vladivostok generally believes that the city's economic future is much more tied to Asia than to the West. In many ways, Vladivostok is also representative of the conflicts and struggles for wealth and power that plague Russia during this period of transition.