Krasnodar Krai (, ) is a

federal subject The federal subjects of Russia, also referred to as the subjects of the Russian Federation () or simply as the subjects of the federation (), are the administrative division, constituent entities of Russia, its top-level political division ...

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

krai A krai or kray (; , , ''kraya'') is one of the types of federal subjects of modern Russia, and was a type of geographical administrative division in the Russian Empire and the Russian SFSR. Etymologically, the word is related to the verb "" ...

), located in the

North Caucasus The North Caucasus, or Ciscaucasia, is a subregion in Eastern Europe governed by Russia. It constitutes the northern part of the wider Caucasus region, which separates Europe and Asia. The North Caucasus is bordered by the Sea of Azov and the B ...

region in

Southern Russia Southern Russia or the South of Russia ( rus, Юг России, p=juk rɐˈsʲiɪ) is a Colloquialism, colloquial term for the southernmost geographic portion of European Russia. The term is generally used to refer to the region of Russia's So ...

and is administratively a part of the

Southern Federal District The Southern Federal District ( rus, Южный федеральный округ, p=ˈjuʐnɨj fʲɪdʲɪˈralʲnɨj ˈokrʊk) is one of the eight federal districts of Russia. Its territory lies mostly on the Pontic–Caspian steppe of Sou ...

. Its

administrative center An administrative centre is a seat of regional administration or local government, or a county town, or the place where the central administration of a commune, is located. In countries with French as the administrative language, such as Belgiu ...

is the

city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...

Krasnodar Krasnodar, formerly Yekaterinodar (until 1920), is the largest city and the administrative centre of Krasnodar Krai, Russia. The city stands on the Kuban River in southern Russia, with a population of 1,154,885 residents, and up to 1.263 millio ...

. The third most populous federal subject in Russia, it had a population of 5,838,273 as of the 2021 Census. Krasnodar Krai is formally and informally referred to as Kuban (), a term denoting the historical region of

Kuban Kuban ( Russian and Ukrainian: Кубань; ) is a historical and geographical region in the North Caucasus region of southern Russia surrounding the Kuban River, on the Black Sea between the Don Steppe, the Volga Delta and separated fr ...

situated between the

Sea of Azov The Sea of Azov is an inland Continental shelf#Shelf seas, shelf sea in Eastern Europe connected to the Black Sea by the narrow (about ) Strait of Kerch, and sometimes regarded as a northern extension of the Black Sea. The sea is bounded by Ru ...

and the

Kuban River The Kuban is a river in Russia that flows through the Western Caucasus and drains into the Sea of Azov. The Kuban runs mostly through Krasnodar Krai for , but also in the Karachay–Cherkess Republic, Stavropol Krai and the Republic of Adygea. ...

which is predominantly within the krai. It is bordered by

Rostov Oblast Rostov Oblast ( rus, Росто́вская о́бласть, r=Rostovskaya oblastʹ, p=rɐˈstofskəjə ˈobləsʲtʲ) is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (an oblast), located in the Southern Federal District. The oblast ...

to the north, Stavropol Krai to the east,

Karachay-Cherkessia Karachay-Cherkessia (), officially the Karachay-Cherkess Republic, is a republic of Russia located in the North Caucasus. It is administratively part of the North Caucasian Federal District. As of the 2021 census, Karachay-Cherkessia has a popul ...

to the south-east.

Adygea Adygea ( ), officially the Republic of Adygea or the Adygean Republic, is a republics of Russia, republic of Russia. It is situated in the North Caucasus of Eastern Europe. The republic is a part of the Southern Federal District, and covers an a ...

is an

enclave An enclave is a territory that is entirely surrounded by the territory of only one other state or entity. An enclave can be an independent territory or part of a larger one. Enclaves may also exist within territorial waters. ''Enclave'' is so ...

entirely within the krai. Krasnodar Krai shares an international border with

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

and the partially-recognized republic of

Abkhazia Abkhazia, officially the Republic of Abkhazia, is a List of states with limited recognition, partially recognised state in the South Caucasus, on the eastern coast of the Black Sea, at the intersection of Eastern Europe and West Asia. It cover ...

to the south, and borders

annexed Annexation, in international law, is the forcible acquisition and assertion of legal title over one state's territory by another state, usually following military occupation of the territory. In current international law, it is generally held to ...

Crimea Crimea ( ) is a peninsula in Eastern Europe, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, almost entirely surrounded by the Black Sea and the smaller Sea of Azov. The Isthmus of Perekop connects the peninsula to Kherson Oblast in mainland Ukrain ...

to the west, across the

Kerch Strait The Kerch Strait is a strait in Eastern Europe. It connects the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, separating the Kerch Peninsula of Crimea in the west from the Taman Peninsula of Russia's Krasnodar Krai in the east. The strait is to wide and up ...

. The northern part of the krai takes in a part of the Don Steppe, while the southern part has a distinctive

Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate ( ), also called a dry summer climate, described by Köppen and Trewartha as ''Cs'', is a temperate climate type that occurs in the lower mid-latitudes (normally 30 to 44 north and south latitude). Such climates typic ...

which has made it a popular tourist location.

Novorossiysk Novorossiysk (, ; ) is a city in Krasnodar Krai, Russia. It is one of the largest ports on the Black Sea. It is one of the few cities designated by the Soviet Union as a Hero City. The population was History In antiquity, the shores of the ...

is Russia's main port on the

Black Sea The Black Sea is a marginal sea, marginal Mediterranean sea (oceanography), mediterranean sea lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bound ...

, one of the few cities awarded the title of the Hero City, and

Sochi Sochi ( rus, Сочи, p=ˈsotɕɪ, a=Ru-Сочи.ogg, from – ''seaside'') is the largest Resort town, resort city in Russia. The city is situated on the Sochi (river), Sochi River, along the Black Sea in the North Caucasus of Souther ...

was the host of the XXII Olympic Winter Games in 2014. Krasnodar Krai is home to significant infrastructure of the

Russian Navy The Russian Navy is the Navy, naval arm of the Russian Armed Forces. It has existed in various forms since 1696. Its present iteration was formed in January 1992 when it succeeded the Navy of the Commonwealth of Independent States (which had i ...

Black Sea Fleet The Black Sea Fleet () is the Naval fleet, fleet of the Russian Navy in the Black Sea, the Sea of Azov and the Mediterranean Sea. The Black Sea Fleet, along with other Russian ground and air forces on the Crimea, Crimean Peninsula, are subordin ...

Geography

Krasnodar Krai is located in the southwestern part of the

and borders

in the northeast, Stavropol Krai and

in the east, and with the

region (internationally recognized as part of

) in the south.Official website of Krasnodar Krai
General Information About the Region
The

Republic of Adygea Adygea ( ), officially the Republic of Adygea or the Adygean Republic, is a republic of Russia. It is situated in the North Caucasus of Eastern Europe. The republic is a part of the Southern Federal District, and covers an area of , with a popu ...

is completely encircled by the krai territory. The krai's Taman Peninsula is situated between the

in the north and the

in the south.Gorshenyov In the west, the

separates the krai from the contested

Crimean Peninsula Crimea ( ) is a peninsula in Eastern Europe, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, almost entirely surrounded by the Black Sea and the smaller Sea of Azov. The Isthmus of Perekop connects the peninsula to Kherson Oblast in mainland Ukrai ...

, internationally recognised as

part Part, parts or PART may refer to: People *Part (surname) *Parts (surname) Arts, entertainment, and media *Part (music), a single strand or melody or harmony of music within a larger ensemble or a polyphonic musical composition *Part (bibliograph ...

Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...

but under '' de facto''

n control. At its widest extent, the krai stretches for from north to south and for from east to west. The krai is split into two distinct parts by the

, which gave its name to this entire geographic region. The southern, seaward part is the western extremity of the

Caucasus The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region spanning Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is situated between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, comprising parts of Southern Russia, Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. The Caucasus Mountains, i ...

range, lying within the Crimean Submediterranean forest complex ecoregion; WWF
Central Asia: Southwest Russia and the Crimean Peninsula on the Black Sea coast
/ref> the climate is

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern ...

or, in the southeast,

subtropical The subtropical zones or subtropics are geographical zone, geographical and Köppen climate classification, climate zones immediately to the Northern Hemisphere, north and Southern Hemisphere, south of the tropics. Geographically part of the Ge ...

. Historically it is known as

Circassia Circassia ( ), also known as Zichia, was a country and a historical region in . It spanned the western coastal portions of the North Caucasus, along the northeastern shore of the Black Sea. Circassia was conquered by the Russian Empire during ...

. The northern part is a steppe zone which shares

continental climate Continental climates often have a significant annual variation in temperature (warm to hot summers and cold winters). They tend to occur in central and eastern parts of the three northern-tier continents (North America, Europe, and Asia), typi ...

patterns. It is also known as

region. The height of the mountains exceeds , with Mount Tsakhvoa being the highest at ,with

Mount Fisht Mount Fisht ( rus, Фишт, p=ˈfʲiʂt; ) is a peak located in the western Caucasus Mountains, in the Republic of Adygea, southwestern Russia. Description Fisht forms together with the peaks of Oshten and Pshekhu-Su the so-called Fisht-Oshte ...

, at , being the Great Caucasus' westernmost peak with a

glacier A glacier (; or ) is a persistent body of dense ice, a form of rock, that is constantly moving downhill under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. It acquires ...

. The Black Sea coast stretches from the Kerch Strait to Adler and is shielded by the

Caucasus Mountains The Caucasus Mountains * * Azerbaijani: , * * * * * * * * * * * is a mountain range at the intersection of Asia and Europe. Stretching between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, they are surrounded by the Caucasus region ...

from the cold northern winds. Numerous small mountain rivers flow in the coastal areas, often creating picturesque waterfalls. Lake Abrau, located in the wine-making region of Abrau-Dyurso, is the largest lake in the northeastern Caucasus region. File:Goryachiy Kluch.jpg,

A hilly landscape near Goryachy Klyuch

File:Tsakhvoa mount 2008.jpg,

Mount Tsakhvoa is the highest peak in Krasnodar Krai

File:Водопад пшада.jpeg,

Pshadskiye Waterfalls

File:Abrau.jpg,

Lake Abrau

File:RIAN archive 499451 On a beach in Sochi.jpg,

On a beach in

File:Apsheronsk.jpg,

Apsheronsky District

History

The region's earliest known inhabitants are referred to, generally, as the ''Maiōtai'', who are the ancestors of the modern-day

Circassians The Circassians or Circassian people, also called Cherkess or Adyghe (Adyghe language, Adyghe and ), are a Northwest Caucasian languages, Northwest Caucasian ethnic group and nation who originated in Circassia, a region and former country in t ...

Abkhazians The Abkhazians or Abkhazes are a Northwest Caucasian languages, Northwest Caucasian ethnic group, mainly living in Abkhazia, a disputed region on the northeastern coast of the Black Sea. A large Abkhaz diaspora population resides in Turkey, th ...

and

Abazins The Abazin, Abazinians or Abaza ( Abaza and Abkhaz: Абаза; Circassian: Абазэхэр; ; ; ) are an ethnic group of the Northwest Caucasus, closely related to the Abkhaz and Circassian peoples. Today, as a result of atrocities committ ...

(after the Greek name for the

). During the 6th century BC,

Pontic Greeks The Pontic Greeks (; or ; , , ), also Pontian Greeks or simply Pontians, are an ethnically Greek group indigenous to the region of Pontus, in northeastern Anatolia (modern-day Turkey). They share a common Pontic Greek culture that is di ...

founded the area's first cities, such as '' Phanagoria'' (near modern Sennoy) and '' Hermonassa'' (on the Taman Peninsula), who traded with nomadic tribes including the ''Skuthai'' (Scythians) and ''Sindi''. In the 7th century, Phanagoria served as the capital of

Old Great Bulgaria Old Great Bulgaria (Medieval Greek: Παλαιά Μεγάλη Βουλγαρία, ''Palaiá Megálē Voulgaría''), also often known by the Latin names ''Magna Bulgaria'' and ''Patria Onoguria'' (" Onogur land"), was a 7th-century Turkic noma ...

. From the 8th to the 10th centuries, the area was dominated by the

Khazars The Khazars ; 突厥可薩 ''Tūjué Kěsà'', () were a nomadic Turkic people who, in the late 6th century CE, established a major commercial empire covering the southeastern section of modern European Russia, southern Ukraine, Crimea, a ...

, a

Turkic people Turkic peoples are a collection of diverse ethnic groups of West Asia, West, Central Asia, Central, East Asia, East, and North Asia as well as parts of Europe, who speak Turkic languages.. "Turkic peoples, any of various peoples whose members ...

who had earlier migrated from the east onto the Pontic-Caspian Steppe, where a hypothesis claims that they converted to

Judaism Judaism () is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic, Monotheism, monotheistic, ethnic religion that comprises the collective spiritual, cultural, and legal traditions of the Jews, Jewish people. Religious Jews regard Judaism as their means of o ...

. After the defeat of the Khazar Khanate in 965 Kievan Prince Svyatoslav conquered the area, it came under the rule of

Kievan Rus' Kievan Rus', also known as Kyivan Rus,. * was the first East Slavs, East Slavic state and later an amalgam of principalities in Eastern Europe from the late 9th to the mid-13th century.John Channon & Robert Hudson, ''Penguin Historical At ...

, and it then formed the

Tmutarakan Tmutarakan (, ; ) was a medieval principality of Kievan Rus' and trading town that controlled the Cimmerian Bosporus, the passage from the Black Sea to the Sea of Azov, between the late 10th and 11th centuries. Its site was the ancient Greek col ...

principality. Later, due to the increasing claims of the

Eastern Roman Empire The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived the events that caused the fall of the Western Roman E ...

at the end of the 11th century, the Tmutarakan principality came under the authority of the Eastern Roman Emperors (until 1204). In that period of history, the

were first mentioned, under the ethnonym '' Kassogs''. For example, the Kassog Prince

Rededya Rededya, also Ridada or Rededey (; died 1022), was a prince of Kassogia, a Circassian tribe from the North Caucasus. History The Laurentian Codex provides the following information. In 1022, Prince Mstislav the Brave, who at the time was th ...

was mentioned in ''

The Tale of Igor's Campaign ''The Tale of Igor's Campaign'' or ''The Tale of Ihor's Campaign'' () is an anonymous epic poem written in the Old East Slavic language. The title is occasionally translated as ''The Tale of the Campaign of Igor'', ''The Song of Igor's Campaign'' ...

''. In 1243–1438, the current territory of the Kuban was part of the

Golden Horde The Golden Horde, self-designated as ''Ulug Ulus'' ( in Turkic) was originally a Mongols, Mongol and later Turkicized khanate established in the 13th century and originating as the northwestern sector of the Mongol Empire. With the division of ...

. After the latter's collapse, parts of Kuban were held under the

Crimean Khanate The Crimean Khanate, self-defined as the Throne of Crimea and Desht-i Kipchak, and in old European historiography and geography known as Little Tartary, was a Crimean Tatars, Crimean Tatar state existing from 1441 to 1783, the longest-lived of th ...

, and the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

, which dominated the region. The

Tsardom of Russia The Tsardom of Russia, also known as the Tsardom of Moscow, was the centralized Russian state from the assumption of the title of tsar by Ivan the Terrible, Ivan IV in 1547 until the foundation of the Russian Empire by Peter the Great in 1721. ...

began to challenge the protectorate of the Ottoman Empire in the area during the

Russo-Turkish wars The Russo-Turkish wars ( ), or the Russo-Ottoman wars (), began in 1568 and continued intermittently until 1918. They consisted of twelve conflicts in total, making them one of the longest series of wars in the history of Europe. All but four of ...

In April 1783, after the liquidation of the

, right-bank Kuban and Taman Peninsula were annexed to the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

by decree of

Catherine II Catherine II. (born Princess Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst; 2 May 172917 November 1796), most commonly known as Catherine the Great, was the reigning empress of Russia from 1762 to 1796. She came to power after overthrowing her husband, Peter III ...

. In 1792–1794, the

Cossacks The Cossacks are a predominantly East Slavic languages, East Slavic Eastern Christian people originating in the Pontic–Caspian steppe of eastern Ukraine and southern Russia. Cossacks played an important role in defending the southern borde ...

moved there from

Zaporizhzhia Zaporizhzhia, formerly known as Aleksandrovsk or Oleksandrivsk until 1921, is a city in southeast Ukraine, situated on the banks of the Dnieper, Dnieper River. It is the Capital city, administrative centre of Zaporizhzhia Oblast. Zaporizhzhia ...

, now located in Ukraine, and formed the Black Sea Area troops, with the creation of a solid cordon line for the

and the marginalization of the neighboring

. The administrative region was accorded the status of "Land of Black Sea Cossack Army", with its center in the city of

Yekaterinodar Krasnodar, formerly Yekaterinodar (until 1920), is the largest city and the administrative centre of Krasnodar Krai, Russia. The city stands on the Kuban River in southern Russia, with a population of 1,154,885 residents, and up to 1.263 millio ...

(renamed Krasnodar by the Bolsheviks in 1920). In 1900, the region's population numbered around two million people. In 1913, the gross grain harvest Kuban region entered second place in Russia, for the production of marketable grain – in first place. During the

Russian Civil War The Russian Civil War () was a multi-party civil war in the former Russian Empire sparked by the 1917 overthrowing of the Russian Provisional Government in the October Revolution, as many factions vied to determine Russia's political future. I ...

, the anti-communist

Kuban People's Republic The Kuban People's Republic or Kuban National Republic (; , abbreviated as KPR or KNR, Cyrillic: КНР) was an anti-Bolshevik state during the Russian Civil War, comprising the territory of the Kuban region in Russia. The republic was proclaim ...

was established on 28 January 1918. It sought union with the

Ukrainian People's Republic The Ukrainian People's Republic (UPR) was a short-lived state in Eastern Europe. Prior to its proclamation, the Central Council of Ukraine was elected in March 1917 Ukraine after the Russian Revolution, as a result of the February Revolution, ...

during its brief independence until Soviet forces occupied the latter in May 1920. Krasnodar Krai was founded on 13 September 1937, when

Azov-Black Sea Krai Azov-Black Sea Krai () was an early ''krai'' of the Russian SFSR of the Soviet Union. Its capital was Rostov-on-Don. It was formed on 10 January 1934 out of the North Caucasus Krai. According to the 1937 All-Union Census, it had population of 5,6 ...

of the

Russian SFSR The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (Russian SFSR or RSFSR), previously known as the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic and the Russian Soviet Republic, and unofficially as Soviet Russia,Declaration of Rights of the labo ...

was split up in Krasnodar Krai and

. The

Greek Autonomous District Greek Autonomous District (, ) was a national district created according to the policy national delimitation in the Soviet Union. It was established on 27 February 1930 by the decree of the ro .... It was established on 27 February 1930 by the de ...

and

Shapsug national district The Shapsug national district or Shapsug national raion ( ''Šapsyġe Nacionalne Rajon'', ''Šapsugskij nacional′nyj rajon'') was a district that was established in 1924 as a national district ''(raion)'' for the Circassian Shapsugs tribe of t ...

were located within the Krai. On 30 January 1996 Krasnodar Krai signed a power-sharing agreement with the federal government, granting it autonomy. This agreement would be abolished on 12 April 2002.

2012 floods

On July 7, 2012, at least 171 people died in Krasnodar Krai, after torrential rains overnight caused the worst flooding and landslides in more than seventy years. Over of rain – the typical amount for a four- or five-month period – was reported to have fallen within forty-eight hours. A local police spokesman stated that most of the dead were in

Krymsky District Krymsky District () is an administrative district (raion), one of the thirty-eight in Krasnodar Krai, Russia.Reference Information #34.01-707/13-03 As a municipal division, it is incorporated as Krymsky Municipal District.Law #766-KZ It is locat ...

, where at least 159 died when a wave of water high swept through the town of

Krymsk Krymsk (; Adyghe: Хьэтуехьэблэ, Ḥătueḥăblă; ) is a town in Krasnodar Krai, Russia. Population: 57,927 (2020), History It was founded in 1858 as the fortress and ''stanitsa'' of Krymskaya (), named after the Crimean Cossack R ...

in the middle of the night. Ten more deaths occurred in

Gelendzhik Gelendzhik (; Adyghe: Хъулъыжъий, Ḣułəžij) is a resort town in Krasnodar Krai, Russia, located on the Gelendzhik Bay of the Black Sea, between Novorossiysk ( to the northwest) and Tuapse ( to the southeast). Greater Gelendzhik sp ...

, including five electrocuted when a

transformer In electrical engineering, a transformer is a passive component that transfers electrical energy from one electrical circuit to another circuit, or multiple Electrical network, circuits. A varying current in any coil of the transformer produces ...

fell into the floodwater, and two in

. Authorities stated that 17 people had been officially reported missing, and there were fears the death toll would rise further, while medics had hospitalized 210 people, including 16 children. The regional government claimed that over 24,000 people were affected by the floods, with more than 3,000 evacuated, and that more than 10,000 rescuers and 140 helicopters were searching for victims and evacuating survivors. In

, 14 temporary shelters were set up to house around 2,000 evacuees. The transport system in the region was said to have collapsed, while oil shipments from Novorossiysk were halted when the port, located in the lower part of the city, was threatened by landslides. Russia's President

Vladimir Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who has served as President of Russia since 2012, having previously served from 2000 to 2008. Putin also served as Prime Minister of Ru ...

flew to the area to hold emergency talks with officials in Krymsk, while authorities in

Perm Krai Perm Krai (, ; ) is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (a Krais of Russia, krai), located in Eastern Europe. Its administrative center is Perm, Russia, Perm. The population of the krai was 2,532,405 (2021 Russian census, 2021 ...

dispatched a rescue team to evacuate dozens of children from the region, who had been staying at summer camps on the

coast. Residents of Krymsk claimed the wave of water that hit the town resulted from the

sluice gates A sluice ( ) is a water channel containing a sluice gate, a type of lock to manage the water flow and water level. There are various types of sluice gates, including flap sluice gates and fan gates. Different depths are calculated when design s ...

of a nearby reservoir being opened, although the prosecutor general's investigative committee denied this. Local prosecutors had earlier confirmed that the gates were opened, but stated that it was too early to determine whether this was the cause of the flooding.

Politics

During the

Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

period, the high authority in the krai was shared between three persons: the first secretary of the Krasnodar CPSU Committee (who in reality had the greatest authority), the chairman of the Krai Soviet (legislative power), and the chairman of the Krai Executive Committee (executive power). In 1991, the CPSU lost power, and the head of the krai administration, and eventually the governor have been since appointed/elected alongside elected regional parliament. The Charter of Krasnodar Krai is the fundamental law of the region. The

Legislative Assembly of Krasnodar Krai The Legislative Assembly of Krasnodar Krai () is the regional parliaments of Russia, regional parliament of Krasnodar Krai, a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia. The assembly exercises its authority by passing laws, resolutio ...

is the province's standing legislative (representative) body. The assembly exercises its authority by passing laws, resolutions, and other legal acts and by supervising the implementation and observance of the laws and other legal acts passed by it. The highest executive body is the krai government, which includes territorial executive bodies such as district administrations, committees, and commissions that facilitate development and run the day-to-day matters of the province. The krai administration supports the governor's activities, who is the highest official and acts as the guarantor of the observance of the Krai Charter in accordance with the

Constitution of Russia The Constitution of the Russian Federation () was adopted by national referendum on 12 December 1993 and enacted on 25 December 1993. The latest significant reform occurred in 2020, marked by extensive amendments that altered various sections ...

Administrative divisions

Krasnodar Krai is administratively divided into thirty-eight

districts A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions ...

(''raions'') and fifteen cities of district equivalence. The districts and cities are further subdivided into eleven

towns A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

, plus

urban-type settlements Urban-type settlement, abbreviated: ; , abbreviated: ; ; ; ; . is an official designation for lesser urbanized settlements, used in several Central and Eastern European countries. The term was primarily used in the Soviet Union and later also f ...

, and rural okrugs and stanitsa okrugs.

Economy

As a result of

2014 Winter Olympics The 2014 Winter Olympics, officially called the XXII Olympic Winter Games () and commonly known as Sochi 2014 (), were an international winter multi-sport event that was held from 7 to 23 February 2014 in Sochi, Russia. Opening ro ...

, Krasnodar Krai has seen significant infrastructure spending. Over $50 billion has been spent on various infrastructure projects including a bullet train. Large companies in the region include Tander, Novorossmetal, Autonomous Heat Energy Company, Gazprom gas distribution Krasnodar, and Evrokhim Chemical Fertilizers.

Transportation

Several lines of

Russian Railways Russian Railways or RZD () is a Russian fully state-owned vertically integrated railway company, both managing infrastructure and operating freight and passenger train services and has a near-monopoly on long-distance train travel in Russia. ...

cross the region and link it with

, and neighboring Russian regions. There are direct trains from resort cities like

and

Anapa Anapa (, , ) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, town in Krasnodar Krai, Russia, located on the northern coast of the Black Sea near the Sea of Azov. As of the 2021 Russian census, it had a population of 81,863. It is one of the largest ...

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

, via

, which become very popular during the summer vacation season. There are also suburb train connections. The Apsheronsk narrow-gauge railway, the longest

mountain A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually higher t ...

narrow-gauge railway A narrow-gauge railway (narrow-gauge railroad in the US) is a railway with a track gauge (distance between the rails) narrower than . Most narrow-gauge railways are between and . Since narrow-gauge railways are usually built with tighter cur ...

in Russia, runs through Krasnodar Krai. There are several airports in the region, including

Krasnodar International Airport Krasnodar International Airport (), also known as Pashkovsky Airport (), (IATA: KRR, ICAO: URKK) is the main airport serving the southern Russian city of Krasnodar. It is an international airport, and is located 12 km east of the centre of K ...

Sochi International Airport Sochi International Airport (; ) is an international airport located in the Adler District of the resort city of Sochi, on the coast of the Black Sea in the federal subject of Krasnodar Krai, Russia. Sochi International Airport is among the ten ...

Anapa Airport Anapa Airport () , also known as Vityazevo Airport () is an international airport located near Vityazevo, Krasnodar Krai, Vityazevo village in Anapa, Russia. It serves the resort town of Anapa, as well as Novorossiysk and Temryuk with a total p ...

, and Gelendzhik Airport. The biggest ports are

and

Tuapse Tuapse (; , Ṫuapsă ) is a town in Krasnodar Krai, Russia, situated on the northeast shore of the Black Sea, south of Gelendzhik and north of Sochi. Population: Tuapse is a sea port and the northern center of a resort zone which extends sou ...

. Others are

Eisk Yeysk () is a port and a resort town in Krasnodar Krai, Russia, situated on the shore of the Taganrog Gulf of the Sea of Azov. The town is built primarily on the Yeysk Spit, which separates the Yeya River from the Sea of Azov. Population: ...

and

Temryuk Temryuk ( rus, Темрю́к, p=tʲɪmˈrʲʉk) is a town and the administrative center of Temryuksky District in Krasnodar Krai, Russia, located on the Taman Peninsula on the right bank of the Kuban River not far from its entry into the T ...

on the

Azov Sea The Sea of Azov is an inland shelf sea in Eastern Europe connected to the Black Sea by the narrow (about ) Strait of Kerch, and sometimes regarded as a northern extension of the Black Sea. The sea is bounded by Russia on the east, and by Ukr ...

, and

Port Kavkaz Port Kavkaz () is a small harbour on the Chushka Spit in Krasnodar Krai, Russia, on the eastern side of Kerch Strait. It is adjacent to the village of Chushka (rural locality), Chushka, which is now largely deserted due to the toxic effects of the ...

Taman Taman may refer to: Places Africa * Taman, Togo, a town in Bassar Prefecture Asia *Taman, Nepal * Taman, Pemalang, a district in Pemalang Regency, Central Java *Taman, a district in Madiun, East Java, Indonesia *Taman, a district in Sidoarjo Re ...

, and

on the

. The

Crimean Bridge The Crimean Bridge (, ; ), also called Kerch Strait Bridge or Kerch Bridge, is a pair of parallel bridges, one for a four-lane road and one for a double-track railway, spanning the Kerch Strait between the Taman Peninsula of Krasnodar Krai in ...

connects Krasnodar Krai and

. File:Railroad snow blower SO750 (left-front view).jpg,

Apsheronsk narrow-gauge railway

File:E-train Lastochka on station Sochi.jpg,

EMU train Lastotschka,

File:Novo-2010-08-27-043.jpg,

The

port A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Hamburg, Manch ...

Demographics

Population

Vital statistics for 2024: *Births: 51,509 (8.8 per 1,000) *Deaths: 73,705 (12.7 per 1,000) Total fertility rate (2024):
1.51 children per woman Life expectancy (2021):
Total — 70.53 years (male — 66.08, female — 74.90) File:Life expectancy in Russian subject -Krasnodar Krai.png, Life expectancy at birth in Krasnodar Krai File:Life expectancy in Russian subject -Krasnodar Krai -diff.png, Life expectancy with calculated differences File:Life expectancy in Russia -Krasnodar Krai.png, Life expectancy in Krasnodar Krai and neighboring regions File:Life expectancy in Russia -Krasnodar Krai (after 2014).png, Zoomed version of the chart since 2014

Settlements

The population of Krasnodar Krai is concentrated in the

drainage basin, which was traditionally

Cossack The Cossacks are a predominantly East Slavic Eastern Christian people originating in the Pontic–Caspian steppe of eastern Ukraine and southern Russia. Cossacks played an important role in defending the southern borders of Ukraine and Rus ...

land (see''

History of Cossacks The history of the Cossacks spans several centuries. Early history Several theories speculate about the origins of the Cossacks. According to one theory, Cossacks have Slavic origins, while another theory states that the Constitution of Pyly ...

''). The

Kuban Cossacks Kuban Cossacks (; ), or Kubanians (, ''kubantsy''; , ''kubantsi''), are Cossacks who live in the Kuban region of Russia. Most of the Kuban Cossacks are descendants of different major groups of Cossacks who were re-settled to the western Norther ...

are now generally considered to be ethnic Russians, even though they are still an important minority in their own right in the area.

Historically History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some theorists categ ...

, they were considered to be ethnic Ukrainian, and reported their language as Ukrainian in censuses well into the 20th century (see ''National Identity of Kuban Cossacks''). This change in identity is due to assimilation and historical persecution of the Kuban Cossacks, which was particularly prominent due to questions of their loyalty to Moscow and the Communist state during the Russian Revolution and First World War. Other notable ethnic groups include the Adyghe, who are the region's indigenous population and were nearly completely annihilated following the

Circassian genocide The Circassian genocide, or Tsitsekun, was the systematic mass killing, ethnic cleansing, and forced displacement of between 95% and 97% of the Circassian people during the final stages of the Russian invasion of Circassia in the 19th centur ...

, and the

Armenians Armenians (, ) are an ethnic group indigenous to the Armenian highlands of West Asia.Robert Hewsen, Hewsen, Robert H. "The Geography of Armenia" in ''The Armenian People From Ancient to Modern Times Volume I: The Dynastic Periods: From Antiq ...

(including Christian Hamsheni and

Cherkesogai Cherkesogai (), or Circassian Armenians ( ''cherk'ezahayer''; Circassian language, Circassian: Адыгэ-ермэлы, ''Adyge-ermely''; ); sometimes referred to as Ermeli (Circassian language, Circassian: Ермэлы), Mountainous Armenians ( ...

), who have lived in the region since at least the 18th century.

Ethnic groups

The 2021 Census identified ethnic groups, as shown in the following table:

Russian Federal State Statistics Service The Federal State Statistics Service (, abbreviated as Rosstat) is the governmental statistics agency in Russia. Since 2017, it is again part of the Ministry of Economic Development, having switched several times in the previous decades betw ...

Religion

According to a 2012 survey 52.2% of the population of Krasnodar Krai adheres to the

Russian Orthodox Church The Russian Orthodox Church (ROC; ;), also officially known as the Moscow Patriarchate (), is an autocephaly, autocephalous Eastern Orthodox Church, Eastern Orthodox Christian church. It has 194 dioceses inside Russia. The Primate (bishop), p ...

, 3% are unaffiliated generic

Christians A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the world. The words '' Christ'' and ''C ...

, 1% are either Orthodox Christian believers who do not belong to church or members of non-Russian Orthodox churches, and 1% are

Muslim Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...

s. In addition, 22% of the population declares to be "spiritual but not religious", 13% is

atheist Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there no ...

, and 7.8% follows other religions or did not give an answer to the question.

References

Notes

Sources

* * * *

External links

Official website of Krasnodar Krai
{{Authority control Historical regions Southern Federal District Kuban Krais of Russia North Caucasus Countries and territories where Russian is an official language