Chita is an interesting city, but characterized by a harsh climate. At the same time, it looks very harmonious and beautiful, because the urban development plan was created by real specialists at one time. The historical center of Chita is well preserved to this day, and it has enough antiquity to quench the curiosity of a visiting tourist.
She once bore other names – “Carpenter”, “Rafts” and “Chita settlement”. The city received its name in honor of the Chita River, on the banks of which it stands. After the Decembrist uprising, some of them were exiled to Chita. One of them even developed a city development plan, taking the St. Petersburg plan as a basis. Chita was founded in the middle of the 17th century, but under what circumstances, no one knows for sure. A variety of legends go to this account. Geographically, this city is located almost in the center of Transbaikalia. In terms of population Chita is not even included in the top 50 cities of Russia, but in terms of area it occupies 11th place.
Previously, there were two ancient lakes within the city that have remained since the Pleistocene era, but one of them has dried up today. The actual winter in Chita lasts twice as long as the calendar. Due to the sharply continental climate, it is very hot in summer and very cold in winter. Records are +43.2 and -49.6 degrees, respectively. Representatives of more than a hundred different nationalities live in Chita. Here, evidence of the residence of primitive people in ancient times has been discovered.
Chita once served as a place of exile. The famous “In the depths of the Siberian ores …” by A. S. Pushkin was written about this city. The average annual temperature in Chita is below 0 degrees. In 2015 and 2016, Chita ranked first among all Russian cities in terms of air pollution levels. There are big problems with ecology. There are 785 streets in Chita. The original Chita coat of arms was approved by the last Russian emperor, Nicholas II, 4 years before the revolution. In 1994, he was reinstated. Representatives of different religions live here, but Buddhism and Orthodoxy are most widespread.
