According to the ancient Chinese sources, the coast near present location of Vladivostok, have been densely occupied. On cards of the epoch of a dynasty the Yuan 
(1271—1368) in the place approximately corresponding Vladivostok, was the city of Junminchen ( 永明城 [Yungmíngchéng], that it is possible to translate as «city of eternal light»). It proves to be true many archeological finds. According to ancient Chinese annals, this territory has become deserted because of wars between China and Korea. The territory became russian in 1858 after concluding Aygun contract.
Peter the Great bay at which coast there is now Vladivostok, became known in the Europe only in 1852 owing to French whaler, casually made wintering in bay Pos'et. Under some data, the same whaler in 1851 has visited also Gold Horn bay. In 1856 vessel «Winchester» from structure of the Anglo-French squadron searched the Russian squadron during the Crimean war, has visited Gold Horn bay. At that time the bay had only Chinese name, meant «a bay of a trepang».
In 1859 general-governor of Eastern Siberia Nikolay Nikolaevich Muravyov-Amursky, bypassing by the ship coasts of Peter the Great bay, has paid special attention on well covered bay. It reminded Gold Horn bay in Constantinople, and the general-governor has suggested to name it, and on coasts of the bay has ordered to base a military post which has called Vladivostok. The name is generated on model of XVIII century which have appeared in the end of the name of a fortress Vladikavkaz from words «to own» and «East». 20 June (on July, 2nd on new style) 1860 military transport «Manchurian» under command captain-lieutenant Alexey Karlovich Shefner has based a military post which already has officially been named by Vladivostok. In the logbook of «Manchura» following record has been made about this event: «This date it was sent on the coast — one subaltern officer, 2 corporals and 37 person of private soldiers of 4-th linear battalion for employment of a post». Soldiers and sailors under command of ensign Komarov have started construction of a post. In a month after the first landing to the bank the screw coervette «Griden» under command the captain-lieutenant H. Egersheldain has come in Gold Horn bay. There was a task in view to bear protection of a post.
The first child was born in Vladivostok in 1863. In 1871 the main base of the Siberian military flotilla has been translated to Vladivostok (from Nikolaevsk-on-Amur), a residence of the military governor and other sea establishments. The same year the underwater cable has connected Vladivostok with Shanghai and Nagasaki. The constant steamship line has connected Vladivostok with St.-Petersburg and Odessa in 1879. In 1880 special «military governor» has been allocated in Vladivostok (with peninsula Murav'ev-Amurskiy and island Russian) and has gotten the status of city.
On March, 16th, 1883 Alexander III has approved the 
first emblem of city. In 1888 Vladivostok becomes the center of Primor'e region. In 1893 the railway traffic between Vladivostok and Nikolsky (Ussuriisk) has opened, in 1897 the railway Khabarovsk — Vladivostok has been constructed, and in 1903 the direct railway communication with Moscow on the Transsiberian highway has opened. In 1890 Vladivostok gradually turned to the place of a concentration of Russian culture in the Far East. Vladivostok was the organizational center of expeditions of the Russian travellers and scientists N. M. Przhevalskij, S. O. Makarov, V. K. Arsenyev, V. L. Komarov (subsequently the president of the Academy of sciences of the USSR), etc. In 1899 in Vladivostok East institute is opened. After the establishment of the Soviet authority in 1917 the governments repeatedly varied in city, military landings of the Japanese, British, French and American interventionists landed..
In 1920—1922 Vladivostok is in structure of Far East Republic, from 1922 is in structure of RSFSR. From 1938 it is the center of Primor'e region.
For years of the Soviet authority Vladivostok was visited repeatedly by heads of the country: city was visited by Nikita Sergeevich Khruschev twice: in 1954, after a trip to China on celebrating of the 10 anniversary of the Peoples Republic of China, in 1959, after visiting America and China. Then in 1959 Khruschev has put forward the slogan to make Vladivostok city better than San Francisco. A result of this visit became the rough housing construction of 60's known among people as «the Big Vladivostok». Three visits were put also by Leonid Ilich Brezhnev in 1966, for presentation of Lenin award to Primor'e region, in 1974 — for a meeting with the president of USA Jerald Ford, in 1978 in connection with a trip along cities of Siberia and the Far East. The visage of Vladivostok and knob of rostral column established on entrance to the city on a face sheet of banknote of the sample of 1995 of the Central Bank of Russia which has been deduced from the reference on January, 1st 1998 in connection with denomination. Becoming in 1958 the sea base of the Soviet fleet, Vladivostok within 30 years has been closed for foreigners, unique exception was visit of American president Jerald Ford and persons accompanied it.
On September, 20th, 1991 the president of RSFSR Boris Yeltsin had been signed the decree N 123 «
About opening Vladivostok for visiting by foreign citizens» with introduction of that by virtue of from January, 1st 1992 Vladivostok has ceased to be the closed city. On March, 30th 2005 at session of legislative assembly of Primorye region the bill «About the status of Vladivostok city — an administrative centre of Primor'e region» was approved. The governor of Primorye region Sergey Darkin, however, has rejected the bill.
The bill provided financial indemnification of expenses of Vladivostok on performance of functions of an administrative centre of region (charges on carrying out of regional and federal actions, protection of monuments, the maintenance, construction of roads and other capital functions). First of all it was planned to update facades of old houses in city centre, and also to repair roads and quays which now are in an emergency condition.
Vladivostok is an administrative city of Primor'e region. However it has never had the status of Primor'e capital, though city administration always longed to it.
