Key facts

• Name: Birobidzhan, Jewish Autonomous Oblast, Russia
• Diplomatic relation: MOU on Friendship City
• Date of establishment: November 2, 2010
• Population: 77,500
• Area : 150 ㎢
• Coat of arms:
• Mayor: Evgeny Korostelev
• Foundation of the city: Founded by Jewish defectors fleeing from the oppression of Stalin in the 1930s, the city was nicknamed “Forgotten Israel.” It was elevated to a city on May 2, 1937, coinciding with the birth date of Birobidzhan.
• Religion: Russian orthodox cathedral and Judaism
• Language: Russian (98%), Hebrew
• Race: Jewish Russian (72%)
• Climate: 20.8-21.4℃
• No. of schools: 18 kindergartens, 4 middle schools, 3 vocational schools, 14 general educational schools
• Key physical exercise and cultural facilities: Museum of History, Museum of Modern Arts, Library of Literature, Sports Complex, Gymnasium, Civic Swimming Pool

Geographic information

• Surrounded by one of the most beautiful and thickest oak trees and birch woods in Fareast Russia, Birobidzhan has many small parks and boasts the clean Bira River.
• Due to its geographic environment, most of the residents are working in the agricultural industry, selling farm animals and agricultural products.
• The city is a key transport point of the Russian Fareast transportation system that meets TSR (Trans-Siberian Railway) and the Chita-Nakhodka Russian transcontinental highway.

Characteristics

• Birobidzhan is an educational city, with some 2,000 teachers teaching 8,000 students and 3,000 pre-schoolers.
• Most of the students are enjoying free education.
• The local Museum of History, Museum of Modern Arts, and Library of Literature own some 500,000 books and contemporary artworks. Its concert hall, which can accommodate 700 people, is popular among many internationally renowned performing artists.
• There are some 50 art organizations, including a puppet theater, a violin ensemble, and children’s dance ensembles, such as [Mazutov][Surfreeze].
• The key industries are the light, construction, trade, and furniture manufacturing industries.
• Currently, the major Fareast Russian ring development project is in progress, connecting Khabarovsk with its surrounding cities.
• The city boasts Russian, Jewish, Korean, Armenian, and Chinese restaurants.
• There are 25 tourist agencies, and every year, hundreds of tourists from several countries visit the city.

Exchange projects (for the last three years)

Twinning agreement