Komsomolsk-on-Amur is a city on the Amur River in the Russian Far East. The region has changed hands throughout history, and since 1858 it has been part of Russia. In the new Russian land, peasants from Perm founded the village of Permskoye in 1860 on the site of Komsomolsk-on-Amur today. The government of the Russian Soviet Republic decided to build a shipyard along the Amur in 1931, and in 1932 the construction of the new city started.

The construction took place, among other things, with the help of many volunteers from the communist youth organization Komsomol, which gave the city its name. In the late 1940s, shipyards and industries were built in the city, which has become known for extensive aircraft production. At the end of the 20th century, the Baikal-Amur Magistral railway was opened, and Komsomolsk-on-Amur became a station town. The development has meant that the city’s population has increased from 291 in 1915 to approximately 240,000 today.

With Komsomolsk-on-Amur’s relatively late foundation, you can experience a city from the 20th century to the present day. In the center is Ploshad Lenina square, where you can see the city’s Lenin statue. Behind Lenin is the Komsomolsk-on-Amur Palace of Culture, and on the southwest corner of Ploshad Lenina is the House with the Spire, built in 1955 in a period architecture from the Stalin era. The house acts as the city’s landmark. South-east of the square you can walk in the large Park Stroitel, a lovely forest-like urban park. In the same direction, you can visit the city’s regional museum, which gives an impression of the history and culture of Komsomolsk-na-Amur.

From Lenin Square, one can take a walk along Prospekt Lenina and continue along Prospekt Pervostroiteley, which connects the railway station of Komsomolsk-on-Amur with the areas along the Amur River. Here is Our Lady of Kazan Cathedral and the modern drama theater that opened in 1982. From here you can walk towards the river, passing Victory Park on the way. In the park there is a memorial to those who fell during the Second World War, which in the Soviet Union lasted from 1941 to 1945. The monument consists of an eternal flame, stelae and a sculptural composition of faces carved in stone. Next to Victory Park is the city’s river terminal and a long promenade with a fantastic view of the Amur.