Birobidzhan, Administrative center in Russian Far East
Birobidzhan is an administrative center in the Jewish Autonomous Oblast located on both banks of the Bira River near the Chinese border. The Trans-Siberian Railway runs through the city and connects it via bridges that link the left and right riverbanks.
The settlement started in 1915 as Tikhonkaya station along the Trans-Siberian Railway and grew rapidly afterward. In 1934 the settlement was made capital of the newly created Jewish Autonomous Oblast.
Public signs appear in both Russian and Yiddish, while the central library holds a large collection of Jewish literature and historical documents. Busts, monuments and murals across the city center reference Jewish writers, composers and traditions that visitors discover as they walk.
Travelers reach the city by train from Moscow, Vladivostok and Khabarovsk via the Trans-Siberian network. For walks, the bridges and riverbanks offer the best overview of how the city is organized.
The city is the center of the only territory outside Israel where Yiddish is officially recognized alongside Russian. Menorahs, Hebrew letters and motifs from Jewish culture appear on building facades, bus stops and park benches across the urban area.
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