A bit of history

Despite the fact that Pavlodar acquired city status in 1861, its history of formation began long before that. 

Back in the Middle Ages, the capital of the Kimak Kaganate, the city of Imakia (Kimakia), which existed until the twelfth century, was located near the territory of the present Pavlodar.

The history of the formation of the modern city of Pavlodar begins in the XVIII century, during the colonization of Kazakhstan by the Russian Empire and the construction of defensive fortresses. In the second half of the XVIII century, construction of the Irtysh Line of fortifications began on the right bank of the Irtysh River, which included the Koryakovsky outpost (now Pavlodar). The Koryakovsky outpost was built to defend against Dzungarian raids. With the advance of colonization of the region further to the south, the Irtysh military fortification was losing its strategic function and turned into an ordinary population center. This is why in 1838 the Koryakovsky outpost was transformed into Koryakovskaya stanitsa. Later the stanitsa became one of the merchant centers of the region. 

Finally, in 1861, by order of Emperor Alexander II, stanitsa Koryakovskaya was given the out-of-town status and named Pavlodar. This name was given to the city in honor of the Emperor's son, Prince Pavel Alexandrovich, who was born the year before. Since then, the city has never changed its name.

Transportation

To receive and send citizens and tourists to/from Pavlodar, the city has an international airport and a railway station. Pavlodar International Airport is located 14 kilometers from the city center and has regular flights to Almaty, Nur-Sultan, Moscow, Novosibirsk, as well as seasonal flights to Minsk and Antalya.  

Upon arrival, at the airport building, you can see a large sign “Әuyezhay”, which means “airport” in Kazakh. 

Pavlodar railway station is located on Privokzalnaya square and has regular rail connections within the country and with some cities in Russia. Among the cities in Kazakhstan, there are Nur-Sultan, Karaganda, Semey, Shymkent, Almaty, Kyzylorda, Ekibastuz, and other small cities along the railroad route. Also, from Pavlodar in the direction of Kurkamys station on certain days and times, there is an electric train. From Pavlodar, there are regular trains to Russian cities such as Barnaul, Novosibirsk, Moscow, Tomsk, Chelyabinsk. 

Transportation within the city 

As mentioned earlier, Pavlodar is quite a compact city. For example, you can get from one end of the city to the other by car in about 40 minutes. Another plus of the city is that traffic jams on the roads here are an extremely rare phenomenon. To navigate in the city, use the 2GIS application, it will help you build a convenient route to any point of the city. Within the city, you can also use public transport such as buses and streetcars, or cabs for convenience. 

A ride on public transport (bus and streetcar) costs 80 tenge (13.5 ₽ / $0.18). You can use the Go2bus app to track public transport in Pavlodar.

It is interesting that Pavlodar remains one of the few cities in Kazakhstan, where streetcars still operate. By the way, the streetcar branch in the city is quite branched out, so almost anywhere in the city can be reached by streetcar. 

Cabs in the city are inexpensive compared to many other cities in Kazakhstan. The average cost of a ride through the city is 400-700 tenge (68-118₽ or $0.95-1.63). Catching a cab “by hand/voice” in Pavlodar is unacceptable; everyone hails a cab using special smartphone apps, such as Yandex Go, inDriver, or order directly by making a call to the cab service. 

Climate and weather

Pavlodar has a sharply continental, temperate climate. Pavlodar, like many other northern Kazakhstani cities, is characterized by long and snowy winters and winds, so cold weather and precipitation in the form of snow here begins around the end of October and lasts until early April. In this regard, Pavlodar receives a significant amount of precipitation during the year. But there is a big plus in this — not too hot and comfortable summer (average temperature of July 21.5°C/70,7°F).  

 

Important to know before you go to Pavlodar!

If you are going to go to the city of Pavlodar, you need to know a couple of things that will help you to spend your holidays as comfortably as possible: 

Wind. The city is fairly well ventilated, so it is windy even on hot summer days, try to always carry a windbreaker and avoid drafts.

Insects in the summer. The city of Pavlodar is on the river, so in summer (especially in June) there are numerous insects such as mosquitoes and midges. On this basis, be sure to take insect repellent and antihistamines, in case you are allergic to insect bites.

Where to eat in Pavlodar?

In Pavlodar, there are many cafes, restaurants, and fast-food outlets. We have prepared for you the TOP 3 places where you can have a delicious meal.

1. The restaurant “Alpenhof” is a restaurant of mainly German, Italian and Central European cuisine, with a variety of bar menus. Here you can try a variety of meat, poultry and fish dishes. There is also a wide choice of Italian cuisine: 13 kinds of pizza and 6 kinds of pasta. Prices here are higher than average among restaurants in Pavlodar, but guests note the excellent taste of dishes, pleasant atmosphere, and quality service. The restaurant is open daily from 12:00 to 22:00, located at Suraganov Street, 19.

2. “Krendel” Coffee House is a local coffee house, a hot favorite of the townspeople. “Krendel” serves European cuisine, a large variety of fresh cakes and desserts, as well as good coffee. It is suitable for a meal in a cozy atmosphere and for a family visit. Especially people with sweet tooth will appreciate this place. Prices in the venue are average. In Pavlodar, “Krendel” has 2 outlets: on Abay Street, 115 (working hours: 09:00 to 23:00, daily) and on Satpaev Street, 130 (working hours: 08:00 to 23:00, daily).

3. Cafe “Winter Cherry” is a quiet and very cozy cafe, where you can come for any type of meal. It serves European and home-style cuisine. “Winter Cherry” has a long history and is fervently loved by the citizens, people come here for a delicious meal and a quiet chat, to meet with business partners, or to spend time with the family. “Winter Cherry” offers average prices and cordial service. The venue is open every day from 08:30 to 22:00.