According to Vaultedwatches, Magadan is a major port on the coast of the Sea of Okhotsk and the administrative center of the Magadan Region. It is the northernmost ice-free port of the Far East region of Russia. It is located on a narrow isthmus between two bays – Nagaev Bay and Gertner Bay.
In 1929, during the course of geological exploration expeditions, a settlement was founded on the site of the modern city. In the 1930s, gold deposits were discovered in the region, which increased interest in these places. Gold mines began to be created, which were mostly worked by exiled political prisoners who were serving their sentences in Kolyma. In 1939, the village received the status of a city, and since 1953 it has become the center of the Magadan Region.
Of the sights of Magadan, one can single out Nagaev Bay, where the sea trading port is located, and the picturesque Gertner Bay, where you can not only admire nature, but also go fishing, perch and flounder are caught here in summer, smelt, saffron cod and crabs are caught in winter. On the city hill “Krutaya” in 1996, a 15-meter sculpture Mask of Sorrow was installed. The monument is dedicated to the victims of mass political repressions who served their sentences in Kolyma. The monument represents the face of a person. Tears are flowing from his left eye in the form of small masks. The right eye is depicted in the form of a window with a lattice, a staircase leads to it, because behind the lattice inside the monument there is a copy of the prison cell. On the reverse side of the monument you can see crying women and a decapitated man on a cross.
In 1991, in the city center on Karl Marx Square, a monument to Magadans – heroes of the front and rear of the Great Patriotic War. Of interest is the Magadan Regional Museum of Local Lore, which was opened in 1934. The museum houses natural science, archaeological and ethnographic collections, as well as collections of numismatics, arts and crafts and fine arts. Also in Magadan there is a memorial museum-apartment of Vadim Alekseevich Kozin. The museum was housed in the former music salon Kozin in 1995. It tells about the life and work of the famous singer of the first half of the 20th century. The museum exhibits materials about his life – documents, photo documents, letters from the singer and his fans, the singer’s diaries, his musical works and works of fine art. Be sure to visit the geological museum “Golden Room”, which presents minerals, ores, gold nuggets and alluvial gold, and the geological and mineralogical museum with a copy of the mammoth Dima and the largest collection of meteorites.
In the vicinity of Magadan there are opportunities for skiing. Several tracks are located both in Magadan itself and near the village of Sokol (north of Magadan), and in the Sun Valley. The infrastructure here is poorly developed, but recently reconstructions have been carried out at the bases with the laying of new lifts. The construction of the Marchekan sports and entertainment complex, which will become one of the largest in Russia, is proceeding at a rapid pace in Magadan. It is planned to open 12 ski slopes, snowboarding, freeride and snowtubing tracks, an entertainment complex, a park, and a dive school. South of Magadan is the mountainous Staritsky Peninsula.
Its length from west to east is 30 km, and from north to south – 12 km. The peninsula was named after the famous traveler of the 19th century – Konstantin Stepanovich Staritsky. 2 mountain ranges stretch along the peninsula, which are covered with elfin cedar. Its highest point is the Marchekanskaya Sopka, 705 m high. In its western part, Cape Chirikov is located. It goes deep into Nagaev Bay. The famous Russian navigator Alexei Ilyich Chirikov participated in expeditions to Kamchatka together with Bering, and it was in his honor that the cape was named. On Cape Chirikov there is a lighthouse with a bell from the beginning of the 20th century. Also on the Staritsky Peninsula there is a natural monument “Stone Crown”. It is a pile of stones, which is located on a rocky mountain. Here you can see valuable ornamental stones and historical rock inscriptions from the early 20th century. The Staritsky peninsula is a great place to relax. In the summer, a lot of Magadans come here.
20 km west of Magadan, just 3 km from the coast, is the island of Misunderstanding with steep rocky shores. It got its unusual name due to the mistake of one of the expeditions, which did not notice the island, as it visually merges with the mainland. The island is 3.5 km long and about 2 km wide. Its highest point has a height of 291 m. In 1961, a Neolithic site with rare stone products was discovered on the island of Misunderstanding.