Krasnaya

Krasnaya is a toponym used in the Russian language and in several other post-Soviet states. It is the feminine form of krasny, meaning red in modern Russian, though historically krasny also carried the sense of beautiful. As a place name element, Krasnaya commonly conveys color or aesthetic associations tied to the landscape or to a historical attribute.

The name appears both as a standalone locality and as the first element in longer compound names. Examples of compound names include Krasnaya Polyana (Red Meadow) and Krasnaya Gora (Red Mountain). Because many places share this element, Krasnaya by itself often requires additional qualifiers to identify a specific location, such as the accompanying district, oblast, or the rest of the place name.

In addition to villages or settlements, Krasnaya can appear in river names, street names, and other geographic features. The term is widely recognized in Russia and in neighboring countries where Russian language influence or historical ties exist, and it is commonly encountered in maps and local administrative records. Notable uses include Krasnaya Polyana, a resort district near Sochi, which exemplifies how Krasnaya appears in well-known toponymy. The broader Krasnaya name—whether as a standalone locality or part of a longer compound—is characterized by its emphasis on color and heritage in geographic naming.