I had never been to Asia and had never flown more than four hours, and finally, it happened—I was flying to the other end of the continent.
8.5 hours of flight over the Northern Urals, Siberia, and the Far East. Watching on the monitor places I’ve never been and probably will never visit.
The first thing that strikes you about Vladivostok is the right-hand traffic, while cars are Japanese, meaning with steering wheels on the right. This is, you could say, a hallmark of the Far East as a whole. In addition to the severe jet lag, when for the first few days you don’t understand what time of day it is and you lie awake at night with open eyes, you have to get used to the fact that you must sit on the driving side of the road when getting into a car, and the driver might ask you about the situation ahead on the left side and whether overtaking is possible.
The proximity to Asia is also felt in stores, where half of the shelves are filled with Japanese, Chinese, and Korean goods.
Japanese minimarket.
I knew that there were many cars in Vladivostok and the terrain was challenging. But I didn’t imagine just how many cars there were and how steep the terrain was!
At some point, something went wrong, and cars took over all of the city’s space. In the photos, you won’t see any sidewalks at all. And what can be called a sidewalk is parked in several layers. Find the stop.
Hellish highways run through the center, which can only be crossed via such overpasses. Not only is this inconvenient and completely inaccessible for those with limited mobility, but the approaches to them will always be parked with cars. It’s scary to imagine what happens here in winter. And most interestingly, none of this relieves the city of traffic jams. There is neither a priority for public transport nor any alternative ways to get somewhere other than by car.
Milkis ice cream!
One of Vladivostok’s features is the fogs. You can’t see anything, but you’re thoroughly wet. Amazing!
The main advantage of the fog is that it obscures the unattractive humanoid structures.
Here’s me coming to look at a bridge, but, of course, I saw nothing)
Sometimes an overpass immediately transitions to an underpass, giving people no chance to walk on the ground at all.
You can descend to the waterfront via a charming Soviet funicular.
A residential building has an entrance on the first floor on one side and on the third floor on the other.
Two bridges, the Russian and the Golden, built in 2012 for the APEC Summit, have become not only crucial connecting elements of the city but also some of its symbols. They look stunning in any weather and from any angle.
I came to see the Golden Bridge.
The view is spoiled by the industrial zone and chaotic parking around. Can you walk across the bridge? Of course not! Buy a car and drive.
Below is the historical part of the city. Only here can you see close-knit low-rise buildings and familiar streets with pedestrian crossings and sidewalks.
There could be a pedestrian street or boulevard here, but parking is much more important.
There is Asian food everywhere.
This is the only adult cyclist I saw in Vladivostok the entire time.
This crossing appeared here recently. Before that, people simply ran across the four-lane road at their own risk. Instead of a sidewalk, of course, there’s parking, and you have to walk on the road. And this is next to a fairly large bus hub and a big shopping center.
View of the Russian Bridge.
Tokarevsky Lighthouse. The main feature is that you have to walk along a narrow isthmus to reach it, where waves crash against each other, splashing you from head to toe.
Vladivostok is a port city. Including military, as military ships are stationed in the harbor.
On the waterfront, there’s a ramp where kids practice various tricks.
Girls are offered a variety of crabs.
Crabs are great, but have you ever tried scallops? Or sea urchins? Couldn’t understand oysters.
Right in the city center is Tiger Hill, where you can climb and see breathtaking night views. It’s even cooler than climbing rooftops.
Golden Bridge.
Russian Bridge.
Vladivostok has its basalt column exposures like in Northern Ireland, formed by an ancient underwater volcano eruption… Oh no, wait, it’s just tiles.
The courtyards in the center are somewhat similar to those in St. Petersburg.
The pedestrian infrastructure in residential areas is definitely nightmarish. Besides sidewalks, there’s no logical path, so you have to go around cars, dash across driveways, or navigate around bushes along the curb.
You’re walking on the sidewalk, and suddenly there’s a staircase. On the side, you can see a people’s trail.
Chinese electric bike.
We ascend Eagle Hill to view the city from above. The street passes at the height of the fifth floor!
In the gap, you can see Amur Bay and residential buildings below the relief.
View from above.
Here, at the very top, is probably one of the coolest views of the Golden Bridge. In the background is the Russian Bridge.
Downtown Vladivostok.
We descend lower, make our way along the cliff, climb over a construction fence, and then find another great view of the bridge.
This is the only convenient sidewalk in Vladivostok, and it appeared along with a new shopping center, which quite wisely noted that to attract people to the mall, a comfortable environment had to be created around it.
And right after the shopping center area, it’s back to the usual Vladivostok.
Why is the right lane so wide and the sidewalk so narrow?
Bike parking at the entrance. Honestly, I can’t imagine how you could get here by bike. There are only highways and overpasses around.
Japanese cars.
Vladivostok also has a tram, but it is in very poor condition. The city once had many branches, but now only one remains. Why invest in public transport when people can simply buy their own cars?
By the way, these trams were brought from Moscow on trucks. Maybe you once rode this beauty from Ostankino to Medvedkovo.
Another Vladivostok specialty: an overpass connected to a shopping center. You can’t take this without suffering. First, you have to enter a scary door that’s like an entrance to a public restroom.
Then go through a market where you can buy gold, choose a shirt, and repair your phone.
Long and winding corridors.
Then we descend the stairs and end up on the street.
But that’s not all. If you want to cross the next street, you have to climb another overpass. This is complete madness and an entirely unfair infrastructure for the city’s residents. The overpasses need to be demolished, and ground-level crossings with traffic lights should be built.
I came here to see the excellent landscaping that an auto company’s office has done for itself. Another example that good environments in Vladivostok are possible if approached with understanding.
Concrete looks beautiful with the greenery.
Look at how perfectly the wooden planks fit!
We climb Monastery Hill. From here, you can see Russian Island and the Russian Bridge.
On the summit stands an abandoned air defense sphere.
The main reason why Vladivostok isn’t San Francisco is that Vladivostok is predominantly built with panel buildings across its entire relief. From above, it looks like worms.
In real life, it looks a bit dreary.
Also, broken tram tracks.
A bus stop on the fifth-floor level right on the roadway and steps.
You pay for the fare upon exit, which is through the front door. Naturally, this process is not quick, so buses are constantly delayed at stops.
The buses themselves were bought from Korea.
A bar on the embankment near Tiger Hill.
From a neglected area, it became a cozy embankment.
With minimal means, it was possible to create an attractive place where it’s pleasant to watch the sunset and look at the water.
Vladivostok is like Chelyabinsk, only with a landscape. It beautifully combines Asian chaos with Russian neglect. I genuinely hope that one day urbanism will come here, and finally, the city will have a development strategy and transform into something that even remotely resembles a city for living.
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