Chelyabinsk city overview
Chelyabinsk city (other spellings are Cheliabinsk, Cheljabinsk) is a capital city of Chelyabinsk oblast of Russia. Chelyabinsk city is located to the east of Ural Mountains on Miass river. Chelyabinsk is a major transport and industrial center of the region.
Chelyabinsk city population - 1,095,000 (2008). Land area - 520 sq. km.
Chelyabinsk city phone code - +7-351. Postal codes - 454000-454999.
Chelyabinsk city history
In 1736 the fortress Chelyaba was built on the place of modern Chelyabinsk. The city took its name from that fortress. Chelyabinsk town was one of the centers of building Trans-Siberian Railway at the end of 19th and beginning of 20th centuries.
In 1930 with the beginning of Soviet industrialization Chelyabinsk city experienced a fast growth. Such industrial giants as Chelyabinsk Metallurgical Plant and Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant were built.
At the beginning of World War II (at the end of 1941) it was decided to evacuate a lot of Soviet factories and plants from western parts of the country to places out of the way of advancing German armies.
The result of factories evacuation was that a lot of new industries and thousands of workers appeared in Chelyabinsk city. At that time it was a small town. Because of several large facilities for the production of T-34 tanks and Katyusha rocket launchers Chelyabinsk city became known all over the Soviet Union as “Tankograd” (City of Tanks). Chelyabinsk city and oblast were closed to all foreigners until 1992.
Chelyabinsk city economy
Today Chelyabinsk city is one of the most important industrial centers of Russia. Main industry of Chelyabinsk city is heavy industry (especially metallurgy and military machinery like Chelyabinsk Electrode Plant, Chelyabinsk Metallurgical Combinate, Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant and Chelyabinsk Tube Rolling Plant).