Chelyabinsk (Челябинск), Russia

Chelyabinsk (Russian: Челябинск) is the administrative capital of Chelyabinsk Oblast, to the east of the Ural Mountains in central Russia. The city covers 837 sq km (323 sq mi) and has a population of 1.13 million people (2011 estimate). It observes the Yekaterinburg Time (UTC+6).

Alexander Nevsky Church, Chelyabinsk
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chelyabinsk_Alexander_Nevsky_Church_(The_Organ_Hall)_from_the_south.jpg
Author: Kirill Hryapin


Chelyabinsk was named after the Chelyaba Fortress that was erected in 1736. The city itself was founded in 1781. It remained a small, desolate outpost until the Second World War, when Stalin moved many Soviet factories there, to make them out of reach of the advancing Nazis. The city became the base for the manufacture of military hardware such as tanks and rockets. A booming city was created overnight.

Today Chelyabinsk serves as an industrial hub for central Russia. Its economy is still based on heavy industries such as metallurgy, military machinery and agriculture machinery.

St Simeon of Verkhoturye Cathedral, Chelyabinsk
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chelyabinsk._Church.jpg
Author: Valery Ivanov

Visiting Chelyabinsk

Chelyabinsk Airport (CEK) gets flights from Moscow, Düsseldorf and Yerevan. From the airport, you can take Bus 1, 41 and 45 to various parts of Chelyabinsk. The fare is approximately US$0.40. There are also Minibus 82 that will stop anywhere on demand. The fare is approximately US$0.80. Taxi to downtown Chelyabinsk will cost you around US$10-15; it is recommendable to call a taxi, to avoid being fleeced.

Chelyabinsk is constructing a three-line subway network. Although construction began in the early 1980s, it has been on-going at a snail's pace, as and when funding is available, with the first section expected to be ready only in 2017. Until then, the main form of transportation in Chelyabinsk comprises the trolleybuses and streetcars/trams.

Chelyabinsk Railway Station
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:ChelyabinskRailwayStationBuilding.jpg
Author: Валерий Иванов

Sights & Attractions in Chelyabinsk

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