This article is about a major city in Russia. For the town previously known as Chelyabinsk-40 and Chelyabinsk-65, seeOzyorsk, Chelyabinsk Oblast. For the town previously known as Chelyabinsk-50 and Chelyabinsk-70, seeSnezhinsk. For the meteor that exploded over the Chelyabinsk Oblast in 2013, seeChelyabinsk Meteor.
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The area of Chelyabinsk contained the ancient settlement ofArkaim, which belonged to theSintashta culture. In 1736, a fortress by the name of Chelyaba was founded on the site of aBashkir village. Chelyabinsk was granted town status by 1787. Chelyabinsk began to grow rapidly by the early 20th century as a result of the construction ofrailway links from theRussian core toSiberia, including theTrans-Siberian Railway. Its population reached 70,000 by 1917. Under theSoviet Union, Chelyabinsk became a major industrial centre during the 1930s. TheChelyabinsk Tractor Plant was built in 1933. DuringWorld War II, the city was a major contributor to the manufacture oftanks and ammunition.
In the 1990s and 2000s, a number of industries in Chelyabinsk ceased to exist due to the difficult economic situation,[10][11] As of the 2020s, it continues to experience difficulties in the areas of ecology, economic spheres, and urban improvement. Nevertheless, it is one of the largest industrial centers of the Urals, where industry accounts for almost 40% of the gross municipal product, especially heavy industries such asmetallurgy and military production. It is home to several educational institutions, mainlySouth Ural State University andChelyabinsk State University.[12]
Archaeologists have discovered ruins of the ancient town ofArkaim in the vicinity of the city of Chelyabinsk. Ruins and artifacts in Arkaim and other sites in the region indicate a relatively advanced civilization existing in the area since the 2nd millennium BC, which was ofproto-Indo-Iranian origin.[13]
The Arkaim site, located in theSintashta-Petrovka cultural area, was known by Russian archaeologists for at least 70 years, but it was mostly ignored by non-Russian anthropological circles. The borders of theSintashta-Petrovka cultural area run along the eastern Urals of theEurasian steppe to about 400 km (249 mi) south of Chelyabinsk and to the east for about 200 km (124 mi). Twenty-three archaeological sites are recognized as being part of this area.
The sites resemble towns, laid out in round, square, or oval shapes. Although most of the sites have been discovered by aerial photography, only two, Arkaim and Sintashta, have been thoroughly excavated. These sites are characterized by their fortification, connected houses, and extensive evidence of metallurgy.[14]
The people of the Sintashta culture are thought to have spokenProto-Indo-Iranian, the ancestor of theIndo-Iranian language family. This identification is based primarily on similarities between their language in comparison to sections of theRigveda, and based on funerary rituals of the Sintashta culture, as revealed by archaeological studies in the area.[14][15]
The fortress of Chelyaba, from which the city takes its name, was founded at the location of theBashkir village of Chelyaby (Bashkir:Силәбе,romanized: Siläbe) by Colonel Alexey (Kutlu-Muhammed) Tevkelev in 1736[2] to protect the surrounding trade routes from possible attacks byBashkir outlaws. DuringPugachev's Rebellion, the fortress withstood a siege by the rebel forces in 1774, but was eventually captured for several months in 1775. In 1782, Chelyabinsk became a seat of theuyezd ofUfa Viceroyalty, which was later reformed intoOrenburg Governorate. In 1787, Chelyabinsk was granted town status by the government.
Kuznetsov's tea-packing factory (1898)Valeyev's trading house (1911)
Until the late 19th century, Chelyabinsk was a small provincial town. In 1892, theSamara-Zlatoust Railway was completed, which connected it with Moscow and the rest of European Russia. Also in 1892, construction of theTrans-Siberian Railway started from Chelyabinsk, and in 1896, the city was linked toEkaterinburg. Chelyabinsk then became the main hub for travel to Siberia. For 15 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 Asian 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 "theChicago of the Urals".[16]
During the firstfive-year plans of the 1930s, Chelyabinsk experienced rapid industrial growth. Several important factories, including theChelyabinsk Tractor Plant and the Chelyabinsk Metallurgical Plant, were built at this time. DuringWorld War II,Joseph Stalin decided to move a large part of Soviet manufacturing to areas removed from the reach of the advancing German military as part of ageneral exodus from western occupied areas. This brought new industries and thousands of workers to Chelyabinsk, including facilities for the production ofT-34 tanks andKatyusha 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" ("Tank City"). During World War II, theS.M. Kirov Factory no. 185 or "OKMO" was moved to Chelyabinsk fromLeningrad to produce heavy tanks, although it was transferred toOmsk after 1962.[citation needed]
Shortly after dawn on 15 February 2013, asuperbolidemeteor descended at over 55,000 kilometers per hour (34,000 mph) over theUral Mountains, exploding at an altitude of 25–30 kilometers (16–19 mi).[17]
The meteor created a momentary flash brighter than the sun and generated a shock wave that injured over a thousand people. Fragments fell in and around Chelyabinsk. Interior Ministry spokesmanVadim Kolesnikov said 1,100 people had called for medical assistance following the incident, mostly for treatment of injuries from broken glass by the explosions. One woman suffered a broken spine.[citation needed] Kolesnikov also said about 600 square meters (6,000 sq ft) of a roof at azinc factory had collapsed. A spokeswoman for the Emergency Ministry told theAssociated Press that there was ameteor shower; however, another ministry spokeswoman was quoted by theInterfax news agency as saying it was a single meteor.[18][19][20] The size has been estimated at 17 meters (56 ft) diameter with a mass of 10,000 to 11,000 metric tons (22–24 million lb).[21][22][23] The power of the explosion was about 500 kilotons ofTNT (about 1.8 PJ), which is 20–30 times more energy than was released from theatomic bomb detonated inHiroshima. The city avoided larger casualties and destruction due to the shallow entry angle of the meteor, which caused a relatively high altitude for the explosion and distributed its energy over a larger area.
Chelyabinsk is located east behind the south part of theUral Mountains, 200 kilometres (124 mi) south ofYekaterinburg. It is elevated 200–250 metres (656–820 ft) above sea level.
The city is bisected by theMiass River, which is regarded as the border between the Urals andSiberia. This is reflected in the geology of the area, with thegranite foothills of the Ural Mountains to the west and the lowersedimentary rock of theWest Siberian Plain to the east.
The Leningrad Bridge crosses the river, due to this it is known as "the bridge between the Urals and Siberia". Chelyabinsk itself is also known as "the gateway to Siberia".[26]
The city of Chelyabinsk developed as a fortress. The first streets began to appear soon after the construction of the fortress on the right (southern) bank of the Miass River - already in September 1736. No residential buildings were built directly in the fortress itself; the houses of the inhabitants were located in the adjoining settlement, which was surrounded by a defensive wall. The very first street was formed between the northern wall of the fortress and the Miass River. A fragment of it is shown already in the foreground of the Chelyabinsk Fortress, attached by Colonel A.I. Tevkelev to his report to V.N. Tatishchev on 10 September 1736. Soon it received the name Sibirskaya (now Truda Street), since outside Chelyabinsk it crossed into the Siberian tract leading toTobolsk. Apparently, there were also other names: in a number of sources it is called Bolshaya Beregovaya, as mentioned in a document dated 10 March 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.[29] 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 ofNicholas the Wonderworker – Nikolayevskaya street (nowadays Sovetskaya). It was one-sided and went west towards the church and the fortress. After the Chelyabinsk fortress was assigned the status of the center of the Isetskaya province in 1743, the construction of administrative buildings began here, and another street was formed between Nikolaevskaya Street and the square with the church, ending in the south with the Orenburg Gate and continuing further after the then city limit by the road to Orenburg - Orenburgskaya (now Tsvillinga Street). On Orenburgskaya Street, in 1787 only four courtyards were counted, and in the list of 1795 it was already called Khristorozhdestvenskaya, and there were eleven courtyards on it. 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. In 1838, the land surveyor Sidorov drew up a new plan to streamline the city. In many ways, it was the starting point for the further development of the city.
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-basedRussian State Research and Design Institute of Urbanism, 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. Historically developed streets of Kirov and Zwilling connected the main square of the city with the system of squares in Zarechye. The master plan of 1936 provided for the creation of urban recreation areas on the basis of Shershnevsky Bor and Lake Smolino, for the first time the issue of creating a large reservoir on the Miass River (Shershnevskoye Reservoir) was raised.[31]
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 four industrial hubs based on the capacities of existing enterprises.[31] 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-storey (up to five floors) buildings increased by reducing the share of 2-storey and estate buildings to 25%.
The third master plan of the city in 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 1960s. 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. The master plan of 1967 provided for the creation of new main streets and a ring road, and the construction of bridges and overpasses, which were planned to free the city center from transit traffic. In 1990 a new city plan was approved and again in 2021.[32]
The city has ahumid continental climate (Köppen:Dfb) similar to that of theCanadian prairies, despite being located slightly further north. The average temperature in January is well below the freezing point at −14.9 °C or 5.2 °F. July has a relatively warm average of 19 °C or 66.2 °F, and the annual average is a few degrees above the freezing point at 3 °C or 37.4 °F, indicating some moderation. The range of extremes allegedly reaches 70 °C or 130 °F, claimed to be typical of a mid-latitude climate on a large continent such asEurasia.[33]
The majority of precipitation occurs in the summer, with less in the winter. The month of July experiences the most, with an average 87 millimetres 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 millimetres or 16.89 inches annually, consistent with the city'ssemi-arid influence. On average, 119 days of the year experience precipitation.[33]
Chelyabinsk main post office (Glavpochtamt) built in constructivist style (1936)
Historical residential building on Revolution Square built in socialist classicism style (1938)
ChelyabEnergo HQ building (1955)
Aloye Pole Park
Chelyabinsk Drama Theater
The architecture of Chelyabinsk has been shaped through its history by the progression of historical eras inRussia. Before the1917 Russian Revolution, the city was a trading center, with numerous merchant buildings in theeclectic andmodern styles with elements ofRussian Revival architecture, some of which are preserved on the pedestrian-only Kirovka Street.Industrialization in Chelyabinsk started in the late 1920s. The construction of large plants was accompanied by the construction of new residential and public buildings (like the city's main post office) in theconstructivist style. Entire constructivist neighborhoods can be seen in the area of theChelyabinsk Tractor Plant.[37]
In the late 1930s, a new era began in the city, with large-scale construction ofStalinist architecture. Many of the buildings in and around the city center and central avenue are constructed in this style.[38]
The next 60 years saw extensive construction of residentialhigh-rise buildings as the city's population rose to about one million, notably within the large residential area called "Severo-Zapad" ("North-West").
With the market reforms of the 1990s, there was an increase in the construction of office buildings and major shopping malls inpostmodern andhigh-tech styles.
Chelyabinsk has 17 public parks. The largest isGagarin Central Park.[39] Its territory includes large areas of rocky and forested terrain, located around several now-flooded abandoned quarries.
Chelyabinsk-City Office Center, the tallest building in Chelyabinsk.Radisson Blu Hotel
Chelyabinsk is one of the major industrial centers of Russia. Heavy industries, especiallymetallurgy and military production are predominant in the area, notably theChelyabinsk Metallurgical Combinate (CMK, ChMK), owned by the mining corporationMechel. Other important industries includeChelyabinsk Tractor Plant (CTZ, ChTZ), Chelyabinsk Electrode Plant (ChEZ), the machine part-producingChelyabinsk Forge-and-Press Plant (ChKPZ), thecrane-producing Chelyabinsk Mechanical Plant (ChMZ), andChelyabinsk Tube Rolling Plant (ChTPZ), which is included in the "Big Eight" of pipe producers in Russia, and produces large-diameter pipes for use in pipelines. Chelyabinsk Zinc Plant, owned by theUral Mining and Metallurgical Company, produces about 2% of the world'szinc supply and over 60% of the Russian supply. Kolyuschenko Road Machinery Plant produces construction machinery and dump trucks for the American manufacturerTerex.[41]
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 theMoscow Olympic Games.[42]
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 theUrals Federal District of Russia. The American corporationEmerson Electric owns part of the local company Metran, as well as a factory for the production of industrial equipment.[43]
Sinegorye shopping mall
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 ('Hills'), built in 2007 with an area of 55,000 square metres (590,000 sq ft), and Rodnik ('Spring') built in 2011 with an area 135,000 square metres (1,450,000 sq ft)). At least two more are under construction: Almaz ('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.
Public transport in Chelyabinsk consists of bus (since 1925),tram (since 1932) andtrolleybus (since 1942) networks, as well as privatemarshrutka (routed cab) services. The city has several taxi companies.
In 2014 in Chelyabinsk it began to runelectric buses and trolleybuses fitted to run electrically.[44]
In 2011 the telecommunications companyBeeline and Chelyabinsk City Transport signed an agreement to provide passengers with free internet on some public trams and trolleybuses in Chelyabinsk.
Chelyabinsk started the construction of a three-linesubway network in 1992, but it has never been finished, and part of the extant line is now in disrepair.[45]
The city has several libraries, notably Chelyabinsk Regional Universal Scientific Library, the largest public library in theChelyabinsk Oblast. The library has more than 2 million books, over 12,000 of which are rare, originating from the 17th to 19th centuries.
Nahum Orlov State Academic Drama Theater
Chelyabinsk is home to several theatres. TheChelyabinsk Opera and Ballet Theatre, also known as the Glinka State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre, was built from 1936 to 1955 on the site of the formerNativity Cathedral, which existed from 1748 to 1932. The opening of the theatre eventually took place on 29 September 1956, with a production ofAlexander Borodin's "Prince Igor".[46] 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.
Concert Hall of the Glinka State Academic Opera and Ballet TheatreChelyabinsk regional museum
There are nine museums in Chelyabinsk. Chelyabinsk Regional Museum was founded in 1913 and holds about 300,000 exhibits. Important expositions include the "Land of Cities" exhibit relating to the 2nd and 3rd millennium BCE settlement ofArkaim, the 570 kg (1,260 lb) largest fragment of theChelyabinsk meteor, ornate 19th- and 20th-century blades made byZlatoust arms factory, exhibits ofKasli artistic cast iron, and more.
Chelyabinsk Regional Picture Gallery has more than 11,000 works. The museum displays collections of Russian, European, and international works originating from the Middle Ages to modern times. The museum has significant collections of religiousicons from the 16th to 20th centuries, along with early printed books and manuscripts.
The Museum of History of theSouthern Ural Railway hosts more than 30 exhibits of equipment used on the railway after its opening in Chelyabinsk in 1892.
Museum of Military Equipment in the Garden of VictorySika deer in the Chelyabinsk ZooHoly Trinity Church (1914)
The Museum of Military Equipment in the Garden of Victory was founded in 2007. It has 16 exhibits, including models ofT-34 andIS-3 tanks, along withKatyusha 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.
Chelyabinsk Zoo is located in the central region of Chelyabinsk. It has an area of 30 hectares (75 acres) with more than 110 species of animals, of which more than 80 are listed in theRed Data Book of the Russian Federation. The zoo participates in international programs for the conservation of endangered species, includingamur (siberian) tigers,far eastern leopards andpolar bears. The zoo holds regular sightseeing tours, lectures, exhibitions and celebrations.
Other cultural attractions include the Chelyabinsk State Circus, the Chelyabinsk State Philharmonic Concert Hall named afterSergei Prokofiev, and Organ and Chamber Music Hall Rodina.
Chelyabinsk is home to several churches built from the 19th to 21st
Chelyabinsk makes an appearance in Family Guy as Season 21, Episode 19,"From Russia with Love" aired on April 30, 2023. The episode's storyline focuses on Brian, Stewie, and Meg traveling to Chelyabinsk to meet a hacker hijacking Brian's social media accounts. The characterization of Chelyabinsk is somewhat exaggerated through stereotypes—it's a terrible, radiation-infused city with men in track suits and women in fur coats, all partaking in copious amounts of vodka. However, it's important to note that Stewie is very excited that they're going to the Kuznetsov Tea Factory and even calls Chelyabinsk the "Chicago of the Urals." According to the response to the episode by Deputy Yana Lantratova of the State Duma, she reprimanded Family Guy for promoting a "deliberately offensive artistic image" of Chelyabinsk.[47]
A brief reference to Chelyabinsk also appears in the episode "Spies Reminiscent of Us" (season 8, episode 3), which involves a subplot where characters uncover and follow Russian spies. While the storyline includes a trip to Russia, direct references to Chelyabinsk are limited.
Законодательное Собрание Челябинской области. Постановление №161 от 25 мая 2006 г. «Об утверждении перечня муниципальных образований (административно-территориальных единиц) Челябинской области и населённых пунктов, входящих в их состав», в ред. Постановления №2255 от 23 октября 2014 г. «О внесении изменений в перечень муниципальных образований (административно-территориальных единиц) Челябинской области и населённых пунктов, входящих в их состав». Вступил в силу со дня официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Южноуральская панорама", №111–112, 14 июня 2006 г. (Legislative Assembly of Chelyabinsk Oblast. Resolution #161 of November 25, 2006On Adoption of the Registry of the Municipal Formations (Administrative-Territorial Units) of Chelyabinsk Oblast and of the Inhabited Localities They Comprise, as amended by the Resolution #2255 of October 23, 2014On Amending the Registry of the Municipal Formations (Administrative-Territorial Units) of Chelyabinsk Oblast and of the Inhabited Localities They Comprise. Effective as of the official publication date.).
Законодательное Собрание Челябинской области. Закон №706-ЗО от 10 июня 2014 г. «О статусе и границах Челябинского городского округа и внутригородских районов в его составе». Вступил в силу со дня официального опубликования. Опубликован: "Южноуральская панорама", №87 (спецвыпуск №24), 14 июня 2014 г. (Legislative Assembly of Chelyabinsk Oblast. Law #706-ZO of 10 June 2014On the Status and Borders of Chelyabinsky Urban Okrug and the City Districts It Comprises. Effective as of the day of the official publication.).
Anne Garrels,Putin Country: A Journey Into The Real Russia (New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2016).
Lennart Samuelson,Tankograd: The Formation of a Soviet Company Town: Cheliabinsk, 1900s–1950s (Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan, 2011).
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