Chelyabinsk
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Chelyabinsk (Template:Lang-ru) is a Russian city just to the east of the Ural Mountains, on Miass River, at 55°03′N 61°08′E / 55.050°N 61.133°E to 55°19′N 61°17′E / 55.317°N 61.283°E. It is the administrative center of Chelyabinsk Oblast. Population: 1,077,174 (2002 Census).
History
Fortress Chelyaba, from which the city takes its name, was constructed on the site in 1736; the city was incorporated in 1781. Around 1900, it served as a center for the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway.
During the Soviet industrialization of the 1930s, Chelyabinsk experienced a fast growth. Several industrial establishments, including the Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant and the Chelyabinsk Metallurgical Plant, were built at this time. During World War II, Joseph Stalin decided to move a large part of Soviet factory production to places out of the way of the advancing German armies. This brought new industries and thousands of workers to Chelyabinsk - still essentially a small city. Several enormous facilities for the production of T-34 tanks and Katyusha rocket launchers existed in Chelyabinsk, which became known as "Tankograd" (Tank City). Chelyabinsk was built essentially from scratch at this time. A small town existed before this, signs of which can be found in the centre of the city.
A serious nuclear accident in 1957 at the Mayak nuclear fuel reprocessing plant, 150 km north-west of the city, caused deaths in Chelyabinsk Oblast but not in the city.
Education
There are over a dozen universities in Chelyabinsk. The main ones are South Ural State University, Chelyabinsk State University and Chelyabinsk Medical Academy. The oldest one is Chelyabinsk Pedagogy State University, which was founded in 1934.
Industry
As of 2006, Chelyabinsk is one of major industrial centers of Russia. Heavy industry predominates, especially metallurgy and military machinery, notably the Chelyabinsk Metallurgy Combinate (CMK, ChMK), Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant (CTZ, ChTZ) and the Chelyabinsk Tube Rolling Plant (CHTPZ).
Chelyabinsk also has several electronics plants, including "Metran", "Polet" and "Zavod Electromashina", that serve both military and civil needs.
Metro
The city has started to build a subway network. Three lines are planned, but even the opening of the first line is not certain.
External links
- Chelyabinsk's website
- A map of Chelyabinsk's location at MultiMap.com
- A satellite image of Chelyabinsk. Note the polluted areas in the northern part (from a steel factory) and in the southern part (from the Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant and a power station).