Krasnodar was founded as Yekaterinodar (“Catherine’s Gift”) as a gift to the Kuban Cossacks, having previously been part of Circassian lands. After the Revolution it was renamed Krasnodar (“Red Gift”) to get rid of the imperial connotations. Today the city is still considered the centre of the Kuban Cossacks and is proud of this link, with many related sights. 

It is a major economic and cultural centre in the region and as such has good transport links with other Russian cities. From Krasnodar it is easy to visit the Republic of Adygea and its capital Maikop which is located inside the Krasnodar Territory.