Award of Excellence
Vincent Yu
Associated Press
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"VLADIVOSTOK-DAILY LIFE"
Once a mysterious closed city during Soviet times, Vladivostok, the home of the once mighty Pacific Fleet, and was a closed city until after the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. Since then it has fallen into decline, and residents today complain of low wages and a lack of decent housing. Many have left for Moscow or other more prosperous Russian cities. Russia has splashed out $20 billion preparing for the APEC summit in Vladivostok, its largest but long-neglected Pacific port, as part of a grand plan to become a bigger player in Asian markets. The spending included building the city's first sewage treatment system. The eastern regions of the country also have rich deposits of coal and metals, vast forests and plenty of undeveloped land where grain could be grown to meet rising demand in China. High on Russia's agenda during the APEC meetings is an ambitious plan to turn Vladivostok into a transportation hub to link Asia to Europe by sea and rail. The main line of the Trans-Siberian Railroad runs between Vladivostok and Moscow, nearly 6,500 kilometers (4,000 miles) to the west.
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A police officer poses for a photo at the central square in the eastern Russian city of Vladivostok, where the APEC summit is taking place Thursday, Sept. 6, 2012. Russia's agenda during the APEC meetings is an ambitious plan to turn Vladivostok into a transportation hub to link Asia to Europe by sea and rail. The main line of the Trans-Siberian Railroad runs between Vladivostok and Moscow, nearly 6,500 kilometers (4,000 miles) to the west.
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