Question

Vladivostok, a thriving city situated at the end of the Trans-Siberian Railway, was once closed to

foreigners and most Russians because of its strategic military importance. Its navy was based
there. It was opened by Mikhail Gorbachev near the end of the Cold War and during his period of
"Glasnost". Now people from different countries may visit Vladivostok freely.
Situated on Golden Horn Bay, which empties into the Sea of Japan and the Pacific Ocean, it is
still the headquarters of Russian Pacific naval operations.
According to the passage above, why was Vladivostok once closed to
foreign countries?

Answer 1

Vladivostok was once closed because of its military importance, for it was the location of the Russian navy base.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the given passage about Vladivostok, the speaker explicitly mentions why the place had been previously closed to outsiders and even Russians. Even though it had now been opened for the public, the same has not been the case during the period of the Cold War.

Opened by Mikhail Gorbachev, Vladivostok was a "strategic military" location for the Russian Navy and thus, closed for easy access, especially during the Cold War. But more lately, though still the "headquarters of the Russian Pacific naval operations", the base is now open for everyone to visit.