Chita Travel Guide, Russia

Chita, Russia – Overview

Chita oblast is a region in the eastern part of Siberia. Along with being the largest city Chita is also the capital of the region. Chita also performs the administrative functions of the region and therefore it can be said to be one of the most important cities of eastern Siberia in Russia. The location of Chita is quite good as the confluence of both the rivers-Ingoda and Chita adds to the beauty of the place. The trans-Siberian railway is also placed in Chita.

Emergence of Chita into a trading portal:

Chita is a small city with an average population if around 316, 643 people. Chita has been known primarily as a centre for the exiles. Starting from the earlier part of the 19th century many Decembrist rebels have been exiled to Chita throughout the 19th century. The exiled rebels included many intellectuals and middle class people and therefore the arrival of these exiles to Chita had a positive and constructive effect. The citizens of Chita were educated about trade by these exiles and soon the city became the foremost trading portal for Siberia, dealing in timber, uranium and gold.

The Communist Era:

During the communist era the city was closed for foreigners as well as many Russians. The region had high military installation. This fact along with its close proximity to China was the primary reason for the prohibition. Being placed in the Siberian plane Chita has a chilly and cold weather throughout the year.

Architecture:

Talking about the architecture of Chita one can find wooden house found predominantly in the mountainous regions as well as five-storey concrete buildings made during the communist era. Japanese construction can also be seen in the central part of Chita where Japanese were imprisoned during the Second World War.

Chita’s neighbors:

The main street in Chita is named after Lenin and the town square is still dominated by Lenin’s statue. Being very close to china and Mongolia, Chita it has a large number of Mongolian Buryats.

Buryats still face unofficial discrimination from the Russians; however, the positive aspect is that the recent times have seen a fall in such discrimination. The relationship with Russia also improved after the collapse of the soviet Russia.

Future prospects of the region:

After the period of decline due to excessive military expenditure in the communist era the region has again become prosperous with its booming industries of mining and timber production. The regions huge stores of gold and tungsten have given a boost to its mining industry. Food processing and railroad equipments are also built in Chita, which is now considered amongst the prosperous nations of Russia.