KRASNOYARSK, a town of eastern Siberia, capital of the extensive
province of Yeniseisk, which stretches as a long strip from the
Chinese frontier formed by the Sayan mountains to the shores of
the Arctic Ocean. It is situated on the left bank of Yenisei
river, at its confluence with the Kateha, and on the highway
from Moscow to Irkutsk, 66'2 miles west-north-west from the
latter. It was founded by Cossacks in 1628, and during the early
years of its existence it was more than once besieged by the
Tartars and Kirghiz. It became the capital of the province in
1822, and is now the seat of the provincial administration. Its
commercial importance depends entirely upon the gold•washings of
the Yeniseisk district, supplies for which are sent from
Krasnoyarsk. The climate is very cold, but dry, so that in the
steppe which surrounds the town there is but little snow, even
in mid-winter. The Yenisei river is frozen for one hundred and
sixty days at Krasnoyarsk. Population, 13,000.