Chelyabinsk

The capital and largest city of Chelyabinsk Oblast in Russia is Chelyabinsk (Russian: Чeля́бинск, IPA: [tɕɪˈlʲæbʲɪnsk]; Bashkir: Силəбе, romanized: Siläbe). With a population of more than 1.1 million, it ranks seventh in size among all Russian cities and is the second-biggest in the Ural Federal District, behind Yekaterinburg. Chelyabinsk is located south of the Ural Mountains and beside the Miass River. It is situated on the continent of Europe.

The ancient Sintashta culture settlement of Arkaim was located in the Chelyabinsk region. A Bashkir village was the location of the construction of the Chelyaba fortress in 1736. By 1787, Chelyabinsk was made a town. By the early 20th century, Chelyabinsk was expanding quickly due to the building of railway connections, such as the Trans-Siberian Railway, between the Russian core and Siberia. By 1917, its population had grown to 70,000. In the 1930s, Chelyabinsk emerged as a significant industrial hub under the Soviet Union. In 1933, the Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant was constructed. The city made a significant contribution to the production of ammunition and tanks during World War II.

In the 1990s and 2000s, a number of industries in the city ceased to exist due to the difficult economic situation, which led to the fact that as of the 2020s, Chelyabinsk is experiencing difficulties in the areas of ecology, in economic and economic spheres, in urban improvement.

The industrial sector, particularly heavy industries like metallurgy and military manufacturing, accounts for nearly 40% of the gross municipal product in Chelyabinsk, one of the biggest industrial centers in the Urals. South Ural State University and Chelyabinsk State University are the two main educational institutions that call it home.

## History

### Ancient Sintashta civilization

In the area surrounding Chelyabinsk, archaeologists have found the remains of the ancient town of Arkaim. A relatively advanced civilization of proto-Indo-Iranian origin has existed in the region since the second millennium BC, as evidenced by the artifacts and ruins found at Arkaim and other nearby sites.

The Arkaim site, located in the Sintashta-Petrovka cultural area, was known by Russian archaeologists for at least 70 years, however, it was mostly ignored by non-Russian anthropological circles. The borders of the Sintashta-Petrovka cultural area run along the eastern Urals of the Eurasian steppe to about 400 km (249 mi) south of Chelyabinsk and to the east for about 200 km (124 mi). 23 archaeological sites are recognized as being part of this area.

The locations, which are arranged in square, circular, or oval forms, resemble towns. Only two of the sites—Arkaim and Sintashta—have undergone extensive excavation, despite the fact that the majority have been found via aerial photography. These sites are distinguished by their extensive evidence of metallurgy, connected houses, and fortification.

The people of the Sintashta culture are thought to have spoken Proto-Indo-Iranian, the ancestor of the Indo-Iranian language family. This identification is based primarily on similarities between their language in comparison to sections of the Rigveda, and based on funerary rituals of the Sintashta culture, as revealed by archaeological studies in the area.

### Modern Russian history

Colonel Alexey (Kutlu-Muhammed) Tevkelev established the fortress of Chelyaba, which bears the name of the city, in 1736 at the site of the Bashkir village of Chelyaby (Bashkir: Силəбe, Siläbe), in order to defend the nearby trade routes from potential attacks by Bashkir outlaws. The fortress resisted a siege by the rebel forces in 1774 during Pugachev's Rebellion, but it was ultimately taken for several months in 1775. Chelyabinsk was made a seat of the Ufa Viceroyalty in 1782, and it later underwent reform to become the Orenburg Governorate. The government of Chelyabinsk granted town status in 1787.

Until the late 19th century, Chelyabinsk was a small provincial town. In 1892, the Samara-Zlatoust Railway was completed, which connected it with Moscow and the rest of European Russia. Also in 1892, construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway started from Chelyabinsk, and in 1896, the city was linked to Ekaterinburg. Chelyabinsk then became the main hub for travel to Siberia. For fifteen years, more than fifteen million people - a tenth of Russia's population at the time - passed through Chelyabinsk. Some of them remained in Chelyabinsk, which contributed to its rapid growth. In addition, a so-called “customs fracture” was created in Chelyabinsk, which imposed duties on the shipment of goods between the European and the Siberian parts of Russia, which led to the emergence of mills and notably, a tea-packing factory. As a result, Chelyabinsk became a major trade center. Its population reached 20,000 inhabitants by 1897, 45,000 by 1913, and 70,000 by 1917. Because of its rapid growth at the turn of the 20th century, similar to that of midwestern American cities, Chelyabinsk was sometimes called "the Chicago of the Urals".

Chelyabinsk's industrial sector expanded rapidly during the first five-year plans of the 1930s. During this period, a number of significant factories were constructed, including the Chelyabinsk Metallurgical Plant and the Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant. Joseph Stalin made the decision to relocate a sizable portion of Soviet manufacturing to areas removed from the reach of the advancing German military as part of a general exodus from western occupied areas. This brought new industries and thousands of workers to Chelyabinsk, including facilities for the production of T-34 tanks and Katyusha rocket launchers. During World War II, the city's industries produced 18,000 tanks and 48,500 tank diesel engines as well as over 17 million units of ammunition. During that time Chelyabinsk was informally called “Tankograd” (English: “Tank City”). During World War II, the S.M. Kirov Factory no. 185 or “OKMO” was moved to Chelyabinsk from Leningrad to produce heavy tanks, although it was transferred to Omsk after 1962.

## Chelyabinsk meteor

On February 15, 2013, just after sunrise, a superbolide meteor passed over the Ural Mountains at a speed of over 55,000 km/h (34,000 mph), and it burst at a height of 25–30 km (16–19 mi).
The meteor created a momentary flash as bright as the sun and generated a shock wave that injured over a thousand people. Fragments fell in and around Chelyabinsk. Interior Ministry spokesman Vadim Kolesnikov said 1,100 people had called for medical assistance following the incident, mostly for treatment of injuries from broken glass by the explosions
The meteor's shallow entry angle caused the explosion to occur at a relatively high altitude and spread its energy over a larger area, sparing the city from greater casualties and destruction.

## Administrative and municipal status

The Chelyabinsk Oblast Legislative Assembly building serves as the oblast's administrative hub. It is incorporated as the City of Chelyabinsk, an administrative unit with the same status as the districts of the oblast, within the framework of administrative divisions. The City of Chelyabinsk is incorporated as Chelyabinsk Urban Okrug, a municipal division. The seven city districts of Chelyabinsk were given civil status in June 2014.

## Geography

Chelyabinsk is located south and still west of the Ural Mountains 200 kilometers (124 mi) south of Yekaterinburg.

## Urban layout

Chelyabinsk became a fortress over time. As early as September 1736, following the building of the fortress on the right (southern) bank of the Miass River, the first streets appeared. There were no dwellings constructed inside the fortress itself; instead, residents lived in the nearby settlement, which was encircled by a protective wall. Between the Miass River and the fortress's northern wall, the first street was created. A portion of it is already visible in the Chelyabinsk Fortress's foreground, having been appended to Colonel A.I. Tevkelev's report to V.N. Tatishchev on September 10, 1736. Soon it received the name Sibirskaya (now Truda Street), since outside Chelyabinsk it crossed into the Siberian tract leading to Tobolsk. Apparently, there were also other names: in a number of sources it is called Bolshaya Beregovaya, as mentioned in a document dated March 10, 1753[28] The western end of the street in the last years of the 18th century acquired an independent name - on the pasture near the outskirts of the Ivanovo fair appeared. Apparently, according to it, this part of the street began to be called Sibirskaya-Ivanovskaya (as it is called in the list of 1795). Then, already in the 19th century, it was a little later upstream and downstream of the Miass (that is, west and east of the fortress). Perpendicular to the river, several more streets were planned. At first, there were four of them - two each on the western and eastern sides. The first street to the east got its name from the first Chelyabinsk church, consecrated in 1739 in honor of Nicholas the Wonderworker - Nikolaevskaya street (nowadays Sovetskaya).It headed west toward the fortress and the church and was one-sided. The construction of administrative buildings started here after the Chelyabinsk fortress was designated as the provincial center of Isetskaya in1743. Another street was created between Nikolaevskaya Street and the church square, ending in the south with the Orenburg Gate and continuing beyond the then-city limit by the Orenburgskaya road (now Tsvillinga Street) to Orenburg. In 1787, there were only four courtyards counted on Orenburgskaya Street. By 1795, the street was referred to as Khristorozhdestvenskaya and had eleven courtyards. In the 18th and first half of the 19th century, Khristorozhdestvenskaya Street was the main street in the city, it was the place where its social and business life was concentrated. The urban planning on the territory of the historical center of Chelyabinsk almost without changes coincides with the plan of Chelyabinsk in 1838. The Chelyabinsk fortress was built in the center of this territory in 1736.[30] The plan of 1784 was supposed to streamline not only the layout of the city but the development and maintenance of quarters. Along with the city center, a district center and a second city square are being laid in the riverside part. The plans of 1768 and 1784 were not carried out, though the existing Troitskaya Square, Truda Street, and Tsvilinga Street are historical traces remained of them.The land surveyor Sidorov created a new layout for the city in 1838. It served as the catalyst for the city's subsequent growth in many respects.By 1934, during the Soviet period and the mass industrialization, about 250 thousand people lived in the city. Large-scale urban planning tasks necessitated the development of the first master plan of the city, executed under the guidance of the architect N. G. Eismont in 1936 (Leningrad branch of Giprogor, architects N. G. Berlinerblau, S. M. Gotlib, N. V. Gromov, K. M. Zaichenko and A. M. Suborov). The estimated population according to the general plan of 1936 was to reach 550 thousand people. The city developed around the historical core, including by cutting down the island birch forest, in the planning of the central part, a rectangular grid of streets was preserved, but with the enlargement of quarters. The Metallurgichesky, Traktorozavodsky, and Leninsky districts were built and developed with heavy industry. Along with the city center, the centers of 5 administrative districts were planned, and interconnected by a system of transport highways. The main street - Spartak Street (now Lenin Avenue) - appears as a link between the Traktorozavodsky district, Revolution Square, and the future ensemble of the pre-park square.The main square of the city was connected to the Zarechye square system by the historically constructed streets of Kirov and Zwilling. For the first time, the idea of building a sizable reservoir on the Miass River (Shershnevskoye Reservoir) was brought up in the 1936 master plan, which called for the development of urban recreation areas based on Shershnevsky Bor and Lake Smolino.The war prevented the implementation of the master plan in full. The Chelyabinsk industrial complex has become a deep rear defense base of the country. The relocation of 60 industrial enterprises from the center of the country, and the evacuation of the population were accompanied by mass construction of isolated villages from barracks and dugouts in free territories. At the same time, the urban area has grown significantly. The need to streamline the development of the post-war city is one of the driving reasons for the development of a new master plan, carried out in 1947 under the leadership of D. D. Bagarin (Lengiprogor, architects A. Slonimsky, L. Vertousov, engineers J. Rotenberg, I. Benevich and others). The second general plan is designed for a city with a population of more than 700 thousand people (in 1946, 450 thousand people lived in the city). Chelyabinsk was considered a center of energy-intensive production, so the main attention was paid to the formation of 4 industrial hubs based on the capacities of existing enterprises.[32] The main architectural and planning idea was the unification of disparate parts of the city into a single organism - was transferred from the general plan of the pre-war period. Along with the territory of the districts that had reserves for development (Traktorozavodsky - towards Lake First, Metallurgical - with partial use of the territory of Kashtaksky Bor, Leninsky - to Lake Smolino), new sites for promising construction were envisaged (North-West and Churilovo). The issues of transport construction were actively resolved: the creation of a bypass ring highway connecting the city districts, the routing of the main highways from east to west (Pobedy Avenue, Khudyakov - Dzerzhinsky) and from north to south ("Meridian" and Tchaikovsky Street) with access to the main roads beyond outside the city. In 1951, the master plan was adjusted in terms of the number of floors of the building: the share of multi-story (up to 5 floors) buildings increased by reducing the share of 2-story and estate buildings to 25%.The third master plan of the city (1967) was developed by a team of authors from the Chelyabinskgrazhdanproekt Institute. The city had a population of 857,000. The main architectural and planning idea was the active inclusion in the composition of the city of Shershnevsky and Kashtak forests, the Shershnevsky reservoir, and the Miass River. Building on the free territories of the northwestern residential area, designed for a population of up to 300 thousand people, as a new direction for the development of the city, proposed by the master plan, has been carried out since the late 60s. The existing historically polycentric system of the center was enriched by the creation of new complexes: at the turn of the river near Garden Island, along Tchaikovsky Street, and the three-beam center of the northwest. In order to relieve transit traffic from the city center, the 1967 master plan called for the construction of bridges and overpasses, as well as the development of new main streets and a ring road. A new city plan was approved in 1990 and once more in 2021.

## Temperature

Despite being farther north, the city enjoys a humid continental climate (Köppen: Dfb) akin to the Canadian prairies. January's average temperature is −14.9 °C, or 5.2 °F, which is well below the freezing point. The annual average is 3 °C, or 37.4 °F, a few degrees above the freezing point, suggesting some moderation. July has a comparatively cool average of 19 °C, or 66.2 °F. According to claims, the range of extremes reaches 70 °C, or 130 °F, which is representative of a mid-latitude climate on a big continent. The majority of precipitation occurs in the summer, with less in the winter. The month of July experiences the most, with an average 87 millimeters or 3.43 inches of precipitation, while January, the driest month, experiences 15 millimetres or 0.59 inches. Total precipitation reaches an average of 429 millimeters or 16.89 inches annually, consistent with the city's semi-arid influence. On average, 119 days of the year experience precipitation.

## Population

The ethnic composition of the city's known population (1,082,269) at the time of the official 2020 Census was

 Tatars | 54,400
 Bashkirs | 33,716
 Ukrainians | 15,638
 Others

## Design

Chelyabinsk's architecture has been influenced by the passage of Russian historical eras throughout its history. The city was a commercial hub prior to the Russian Revolution of 1917. Many merchant buildings in the eclectic and modern styles with elements of Russian Revival architecture can still be found in the city, some of which are located on Kirovka Street, which is only open to pedestrian traffic. Chelyabinsk began to industrialize in the late 1920s. Alongside the construction of the massive plants came the new constructivist-styled residential and public buildings (such as the city's main post office). The Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant neighborhood contains entire constructivist neighborhoods.

In the late 1930s, a new era began in the city, with large-scale construction of Stalinist architecture. Many of the buildings in and around the city center and central avenue are constructed in this style.

Over the course of the next sixty years, as the city's population increased to approximately one million, a large residential area known as "Severo-Zapad" (English: North-West) saw the construction of numerous residential high-rise buildings. The 1990s market reforms led to a surge in the design and construction of large office buildings and high-end retail centers in postmodern and high-tech styles.

## Parks and gardens

There are seventeen public parks in Chelyabinsk. The biggest is the Park Gagarin Central. Large tracts of rocky and wooded terrain, bordered by a number of now-flooded, abandoned quarries, make up its territory.

## Education

University of South Ural

Chelyabinsk is home to more than a dozen universities. The Chelyabinsk State Pedagogical University was established in 1934, succeeding the oldest, the Chelyabinsk State Agroengineering Academy, which was established in 1930. Chelyabinsk State University, South Ural State University of Arts, South Ural State University, and Chelyabinsk Medical Academy are a few of the major universities. Following World War II, Chelyabinsk emerged as the region's principal hub for vocational training throughout the Ural.

## Economy

One of Russia's principal industrial hubs is Chelyabinsk. The region is dominated by heavy industries, particularly metallurgy and military manufacturing. One such industry is the Chelyabinsk Metallurgical Combinate (CMK, ChMK), which is owned by the mining company Mechel. Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant (CTZ, ChTZ), Chelyabinsk Electrode Plant (ChEZ), Chelyabinsk Forge-and-Press Plant (ChKPZ), which manufactures machine parts, Chelyabinsk Mechanical Plant (ChMZ), which produces cranes, and Chelyabinsk Tube Rolling Plant (ChTPZ), which is one of Russia's "Big Eight" pipe producers and produces large-diameter pipes for pipelines, are additional significant industries. The Ural Mining and Metallurgical Company owns the Chelyabinsk Zinc Plant, which provides more than 60% of Russia's zinc supply and roughly 2% of the global supply. . Kolyuschenko Road Machinery Plant produces construction machinery and dump trucks for the American manufacturer Terex. Molnija Watch Factory produces pocket watches, as well as technical watches for use in aircraft and ships. In 1980, Molnija watches were given as gifts to participants of the Moscow Olympic Games. The agro-industrial company Makfa, the largest producer of pasta in Russia, and one of the five largest producers in the world, is based in Chelyabinsk. The largest manufacturer of footwear in Russia, Unichel Footwear Firm, owns a factory in Chelyabinsk. Chelyabinsk is also home to the agricultural firm Ariant, which leads in the production of beverages and meat products in the Urals Federal District of Russia. The American corporation Emerson Electric owns part of the local company Metran, as well as a factory for the production of industrial equipment.

Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Chelyabinsk has had a significant role in other sectors of the Russian economy, hosting insurance firms, logistics centers, tourism, And important regional banking firms, such as Chelindbank and Chelyabinvestbank.

There are several large shopping malls. The largest of them are Gorky (English: Hills), built in 2007 with an area of 55,000 square metres (590,000 sq ft), and Rodnik (English: Spring) built in 2011 with an area 135,000 square metres (1,450,000 sq ft)). At least two more are under construction: Almaz (English: Diamond), and Cloud, beginning construction in 2015 and 2018, with planned areas of 220,000 and 350,000 square metres (2,400,000 and 3,800,000 sq ft), respectively.

## Transportation

In Chelyabinsk, there are private marshrutka (routed taxi) services in addition to the bus, tram, and trolleybus networks, which have been operating since 1925, 1932, and 1942, respectively. Numerous taxi companies operate in the city.

Electric buses, or trolleybuses equipped with electricity, started operating in Chelyabinsk in 2014.

A deal to offer free internet to passengers was signed in 2011 by Beeline, a telecom company, and Chelyabinsk City Transport. In certain Chelyabinsk public trolleybuses and trams, Wi-Fi is currently available.

Chelyabinsk started the construction of a three-line subway network in 1992.

The city is served by the Chelyabinsk Airport.

## Sports

Chelyabinsk has played host to a number of significant athletic events in the recent past, particularly in the martial arts. The World Taekwondo Championship in 2015, the European Judo Championship in 2012, and the World Judo Championship in 2014 are some of these competitions. Additionally, the European Speed Skating Championships were held in Chelyabinsk in 2015. The 2018 IIHF World U18 Championship was held in Chelyabinsk and the neighboring city of Magnitogorsk.

## Culture

The largest public library in the Chelyabinsk Oblast is the Chelyabinsk Regional Universal Scientific Library, one of the city's many libraries. More than 2 million books, including over 12,000 rare volumes from the 17th to the 19th centuries, are housed in the library.

Chelyabinsk is home to several theatres. The Chelyabinsk Opera and Ballet Theatre, also known as the Glinka State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre, was built in 1936–55 on the site of the former Nativity Cathedral, which existed from 1748 to 1932. The opening of the theatre eventually took place on September 29, 1956, with a production of Alexander Borodin's "Prince Igor".[47] Others include the Nahum Orlov State Academic Drama Theatre, Chelyabinsk State Chamber Theater, Chelyabinsk State Puppet Theater, Chelyabinsk State Youth Theatre, Mannequin Theater, Chelyabinsk New Arts Theatre, and Chelyabinsk Contemporary Dance Theatre.

Chelyabinsk boasts nine museums. Established in 1913, the Chelyabinsk Regional Museum is home to approximately 300,000 exhibits. Important exhibits include the "Land of Cities" display, which explores the settlement of Arkaim in the second and third millennia BCE; the largest fragment of the Chelyabinsk meteor, weighing 570 kg (1,260 lb); elaborate blades from the Zlatoust arms factory from the 19th and 20th centuries; displays of Kasli artistic cast iron, and much more. The collection of the Chelyabinsk Regional Picture Gallery exceeds 11,000 pieces. The museum features collections of international, European, and Russian art from the Middle Ages to the present. The museum houses early printed books and manuscripts as well as sizable collections of religious icons spanning the 16th to the 20th centuries. Hosted by the Southern Ural Railway Museum of History more than 30 exhibits of equipment used on the railway after its opening in Chelyabinsk in 1892.

The Museum of Military Equipment in the Garden of Victory was founded in 2007. It has 16 exhibits, including models of T-34 and IS-3 tanks, along with Katyusha rocket launchers produced in Chelyabinsk during World War II.

In addition, the city is home to the Chelyabinsk Regional Geological Museum, the Malgobekskii Museum of Military and Labor Glory, the Chelyabinsk Postal Service Museum, and the Entertaining Sciences Museum Eksperimentus.

The center of Chelyabinsk is home to the Chelyabinsk Zoo. More than 110 animal species call this 30-hectare (75-acre) area home, more than 80 of which are included in the Russian Federation's Red Data Book. The zoo is involved in international conservation initiatives for threatened species, such as polar bears, amur (Siberian) tigers, and far-eastern leopards. Regular events hosted by the zoo include celebrations, lectures, exhibitions, and sightseeing tours.

Other cultural attractions include the Chelyabinsk State Circus, the Chelyabinsk State Philharmonic Concert Hall named after Sergei Prokofiev, and Organ and Chamber Music Hall Rodina.

Chelyabinsk is home to several churches built from the 19th to 21st centuries.