Chelyabinsk in 3 Russian words
It’s one of Russia's most important industrial centers and the country's eighth-largest city. Here are three of its main symbols.
1. ЧЕЛЯБИНСКИЙ МЕТЕОРИТ (The Chelyabinsk Meteorite)
This meteorite made Chelyabinsk famous around the world. On February 15, 2013, an 18-meter-long space object weighing 11,000 tons entered Earth's atmosphere and broke up near the city at an altitude of 23 km. Earth hadn't seen such large “visitors” from space in the last 100 years!
2. ПАМЯТНИК «СКАЗ ОБ УРАЛЕ» (The ‘Tale of the Urals’ Monument)
This 12-meter-tall granite monument was unveiled in Chelyabinsk in 1967. The mighty ‘bogatyr’ (epic hero), holding a hammer, symbolizes the power of the Urals, as well as the physical strength and talent of local craftsmen. In 2009, at the suggestion of a schoolgirl, the bogatyr “played” the role of ‘Ded Moroz’ (Father Frost) – he was dressed in a seven-meter-long blue coat and given a beard!
3. ЧЕЛЯБИНСКИЙ ТРАКТОРНЫЙ ЗАВОД (Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant)
During World War II, this tractor plant became one of the country's main centers for armored vehicle production. Seven evacuated enterprises were relocated to its site. Through their joint efforts, designers developed 13 types of new tanks there.
