Челябинск

Chelyabinsk is the administrative center and largest city of Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia. It is the seventh-largest city in Russia, with a population of over 1.1 million people, and the second-largest city in the Ural Federal District, after Yekaterinburg. Chelyabinsk is located to the east behind the south part of the Ural Mountains and runs along the Miass River. The area of Chelyabinsk contained the ancient settlement of Arkaim, which belonged to the Sintashta culture. In 1736, a fortress by the name of Chelyaba was founded on the site of a Bashkir village. Chelyabinsk was granted town status by 1787. Chelyabinsk began to grow rapidly by the early 20th century as a result of the construction of railway links from the Russian core to Siberia, including the Trans-Siberian Railway. Its population reached 70,000 by 1917. Under the Soviet Union, Chelyabinsk became a major industrial centre during the 1930s. The Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant was built in 1933. During World War II, the city was a major contributor to the manufacture of tanks and ammunition. In the 1990s and 2000s, a number of industries in Chelyabinsk ceased to exist due to the difficult economic situation, 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 as metallurgy and military production. It is home to several educational institutions, mainly South Ural State University and Chelyabinsk State University.