SONY DSCBeing a powerful industrial center, Magnitogorsk, one of the largest cities in the Chelyabinsk region, is growing and developing at a rapid pace. Founded in Soviet times as a mining enterprise, it quickly turned into a settlement with many thousands of residents who drove here in large numbers to earn money.
Geographically, it belongs to the Southern Urals. Magnitogorsk bears the title of the city of Labor Valor and Glory. Of all the cities of the Chelyabinsk region, it is the second largest. It got its name in honor of Mount Magnetic, at the foot of which it is located. Magnitogorsk was founded in 1929. The place was not chosen by chance – here, even during the time of the Russian Empire, large deposits of iron were explored. It is very cold in winter. Record frost – minus 46.1 degrees. Long before the founding of Magnitogorsk, Magnitnaya fortress was located here. Once she was captured by the troops of the rebel Emelyan Pugachev. They managed to break the fierce resistance of the defenders of the fortress only after the assault, which lasted two days.
In Magnitogorsk, a huge number of blue spruce trees, once imported from North America, are growing. Magnitogorsk is included in the list of the largest world centers of ferrous metallurgy. Because of this, by the way, the environmental situation here leaves much to be desired. In the 50s of the last century, it was here that the first large-panel house in the USSR was built. According to the plan developed in 1945 in the United States in the event of a war with the USSR, Magnitogorsk was included in the list of 20 cities that were to be subjected to atomic bombing. Cosmonaut Sergei Ryzhikov once photographed Magnitogorsk from the ISS, proving that this city is visible from space. International flights from the local airport began in 2000.
In 1931, the first circus was opened in Magnitogorsk. Magnitogorsk is one of the five cities in the world located simultaneously in Europe and Asia. Moreover, almost the entire housing stock is located in the European part, and industrial zones are located in the Asian part. During World War II, every second tank and every third shell was produced in Magnitogorsk. There is Magnitogorskaya street in Prague. In the little-known Hollywood film “In Hell” with Jean-Claude Van Damme in the main role, the action takes place in Magnitogorsk. True, there are an incredible amount of blunders in the film. Obviously, the director has never been to this city. The city is divided into two halves by the Ural River. Magnitogorsk has 5 twin cities in different countries – Latvia, China, Belarus, Germany and Kazakhstan.
