俄罗斯　冬日风华

　　The Trans—Siberian's first major stop inAsianRussiaisthemaiorindustrial city and transport hub of Ekaterinburg．The town was founded in 1721 by Catherine the Great as a fort and metallurgical factory,its position having been chosen for its slrategic proximity to the great mining operations of the Urals and Siberia．Although there are few tourist sites here other than the 18th—century cathedral，the city，is nonetheless of great historical interest．It was here．in a house that once stood on Liebkneeht ulitsa,that Tsar Nicholas II and his family were executed on the morning of July 17，1918．Although the house no longer exists，its siteis marked by a plain wooden cross．The Imperial family，like most tourists，was brought to Ekaterinburg on the Trans．Siberian．Ekaterinburg is alsO notable for being the hometown of Botis Yeltsin．
　　
　　Krasnoyarsk
　　One of the older towns in Siberia．Krasnoyarsk was founded in 1628 as a trading post along the Yenisei River．It grew rapidly when gold was discovered in the region，and eventually became a major river port and industrial center Outside the city is the Stol by Reserve，an attractive preserve notable for the odd．columnar cliffs that rise from the rive's edge inside its area．After one passes over the Yenesei，another of the Trans—Siberian's most signincant border crossings takes place—one leaves the steppe and plunges into the taiga，the great forest that extends over most of Russia．The vast Siberian taiga is the largest remaining forest in the world．
　　
　　Irkutsk
　　Irkutsk became a wealthy trading center soon after its founding in the 1660s，benefiting from its position along overland trade routes between China and Westem Russia．Since then it has maintained it Sposition as the regions most important city,though today its attraction for visitors is supplemented by its proximty to Lake Baikal．Trans Siberian Railway enthusiasts should try to make for a visit in 1998,when the city has planned a celebrationcommemorating the inanguration of therail line．
　　
　　Ulan Ude
　　Like most Sibefian cities．Ulan Ude was founded during the 17th century．However,as the center of the Buddhist Buryat culture．it is unlike any of the other stops along the Trans-Sibefian railway．Although the city's Buddhist tradition，like all other religons，suffered a sharp decline under Stalin．there has been a noticeable revival in recent years．Visilors to Ulan Ude today should not miss the opportunity to visit nearby Ivolginsk Datsan，a restored Tibetan Buddhist monastery which now serves as the center of Buddhism in Russia．
　　
　　Khabarovsk
　　Strategically located on the hills overlooking the Amur RiveL Khabarovsk was founded as a military outpost in 1651．during the first wave of Russian colonization．The town gained importance during the nineteenth century as a trading outpost，and today it is one of the most important and promising cities of the Russian Far East．Khabarovsk is a pleasant