Chita Travel Guide

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City Introduction

Chita is one of the major cities in the Russian Far East, and it is an important hub on the famous Trans-Siberian Railway. The city is located where the Ingoda and Chita rivers converge, and it is the administrative center of the Zabaikal region, also known as the Transbaikal.

Chita’s history goes back to the Cossack Pyotr Beketov, who explored parts of Siberia and founded cities such as Chita and Yakutsk. Throughout the 19th century, the city grew significantly, eg when many Decabrists were sent into exile here after 1825 and when the Trans-Siberian Railway was built between Moscow and Vladivostok.

There are several things to see in Chita, where you can see both old and new buildings in the streets. You can start a stroll in the city on the central square, Ploshad Lenina, where a statue of Lenin has been since the time of the Soviet Union. From the Soviet Union era you can also visit the impressive Victory Park which is a monument to the victory in World War II and as a reminder of both the struggle and the fallen.

In Chita there are also several beautiful churches in Russian architectural style, and the contrast is great from the Decabrist church in wood to the Kazal Cathedral with gilded domes. Chita is also interesting as the home of some of Russia’s Buddhists. This can be seen in the city’s datsan, which is a Buddhist temple. You should also take a walk to the ridge of Titovskaya Sopka where you will enjoy an excellent view.

Top Attractions

Kazan Cathedral/Казанский собор

This is Chita’s main church and it is also known as Our Lady of Kazan Cathedral. The church was built in the years 2001-2004, and it is located on the railway station square, which is one of Chita’s central squares. The architectural style was inspired by Vladimir-Suzdal, and today the church stands beautifully in the street scene with the sky blue color and contrasting white elements. At the top there are gilded domes, and the building is with 47 meters/154 feet in height one of the largest in the Russian Far East.

 

Lenin Square/Площадь Ленина

Ploshad Lenina marks the center of Chita, and it is a beautifully landscaped square where you can see some of the city’s most known buildings. The square is named after the head of state, Lenin, and there is a statue of him in the middle of the square. To the north you can see the regional government building, which is the square’s most distinctive structure. Opposite is a beautiful building from the 1930s, which is the administrative seat of the regional military district. You can also see the city hall and the main post office around Lenin Square.

 

Transbaikal Cultural History Museum/Забайкальский краевой краеведческий музей

This museum is one of the oldest museums in Siberia and the Russian Far East. It was established in 1895 and has since established a distinguished collection that ethnologically and archaeologically describes culture, art, etc. for the indigenous and Russian populations in the region. The museum’s collections span a wide range of aspects and provide an exciting insight into the cultural history that over time has created the Chita you can see today.

 

The Victory Park/Парк Победы

Park Pobedy is an impressive park with a grand memorial to the victory and to the fallen during World War II, which in Russia is called the Great Patriotic War. The park’s large monument is called the Memorial Boevaya i Trudovaya Slava Zabaikaltsev/Мемориал Боевая и трудовая слава забайкальцев, and it is a tribute to the working and fighting people from the region east of Lake Baikal. The monument is one of the largest of these monuments in Russia and there are many things to see in the large complex. You can see the central monument, an eternal flame, military equipment, etc.

Other Attractions

The Decabrist Church/Церковь декабристов

This beautiful wooden church is one of Chita’s old churches. The church was built in 1776 as the Archangel Michael Church, and was constructed through donations from the town citizens. After many years, the building was no longer used as a church, and in 1971 it was taken over by the local history museum and used to host exhibitions about the city of Chita. Since 1985, it has been a museum for the Decabrists, hence its current name.

 

The Main Post Office/Главпочтамт

Chita’s main post office is located on Lenin Square in a beautiful wooden building from 1893. Originally, there was both a post office and a telegraph office here, and after a few years, a savings bank also opened in the elegant building. The post office became known as the place where Chita’s telephone and radio connections were developed. Thus, the first radio broadcast from Moscow was received here, and it was from here that communication with cities such as Khabarovsk was initiated.

 

City Administration Building/Администрация городского округа

This building on the central Lenin Square is the seat of Chita city administration. The building was originally built as a rental property with shops, but with the establishment of the Soviet Union, the house was confiscated and made the home of the city’s new executive committee. The architectural style is a kind of regional Art Nouveau, and immediately behind the house you can see two old and beautiful wooden houses as a contrast to the city’s administrative seat.

 

Chita Datsan/Читинский дацан

In Chita you can visit a large Buddhist temple complex, the Chita Datsan, which serves as a kind of university monastery for Buryat Buddhists. There was a Buddhist temple in Chita before the Russian Revolution, but it was destroyed then. The present temple was built from 2002 and consecrated in 2010. In the temple, daily rituals and ceremonies are dedicated to the most important events in the Buddhist teachings.

 

Titovskaya Sopka/Титовская сопка

Titovskaya Sopka is a ridge immediately west of the city center of Chita. Historically, it is an extinct stratovolcano, which today is a large recreational area from which there is a distinguished view overlooking Chita. In the area there are i.a. petroglyphs and vast nature, and to the northeast and closest to the city you can see the beautiful chapel, Chasovnya Aleksandra Nevskogo/Часовня Александра Невского. There is a platform with a very nice view at the chapel.

 

Officer’s House/Дом офицеров

The Officer’s House in Chita is one of the city’s largest and most distinctive buildings. It was built in 1940 as the headquarters of the regional military district, then controlled by Chita. The administration of the district was later moved to Khabarovsk, and since then the building has been used to house concerts and other events as well as hosting a military history museum of the region. Behind the building you can go for a walk in a park with various monuments and amusements.

 

Transbaikal Botanical Garden/Забайкальский ботанический сад

The Chita Botanical Garden was established in 1990, and initially it was loacted on a part of the Titovskaya Sopka ridge west of the city. Later, the flora of the garden was concentrated around the current and more central location. In the garden you can see some of the region’s plants, and there are also indoor greenhouses here.

 

Transbaikal Drama Theater/Забайкальский краевой драматический театр

The Drama Theater in Chita is one of the city’s leading cultural institutions. It was founded in 1939 and used a theater building from 1911 as a stage for many performances over the years. The old theater burned down in 1971 and was replaced by the current modern venue. The repertoire at the theater is varied, and you can experience many fine productions here.

 

Transbaikal Philharmonic/Забайкальская краевая филармония

Chita’s Philharmonic was formed in 1961, and since then it was moved into the current building, where there are two halls. The great hall is one of the city’s best concert halls, and in addition to that there is also a cozy organ hall in the Philhammonic building. The Philharmonic Society of Chita organizes concerts in the city and also around on tours throughout the area.

Shopping

Maksi/Макси

ul. Shilova 100/ул. Шилова 100
maksi.ru

 

Novositi/Новосити

ul. Zhuravleva 79/ул. Журавлeва 79
novositi.ru

 

Market

Tsentralnyj Rynok/Центральный Рынок
ul. Babushkina 157/ул. Бабушкина 157

 

Shopping streets

ul. Lenina/ул. Ленина, ul. Butina/ул. бутина

With Kids

Children’s railway

Malaya Zabaikalskaya Detskaya Zheleznaya Doroga/Малая Забайкальская детская железная дорога
ul. Ippodromnaya 1-Ja 5/ул. Ипподромная 1-я 5

 

Amusements

Park Odora/Парк Одора
ul. Lenina 88/ул. Ленина 88

 

Zoological garden

Chitinsky Zoopark/Читинский зоопарк
ul. Zhuravljova 75/ул. Журавлёва 75
zooparkchita.ru

Practical Links

Chita information

msuchita.ru

 

Russia tourism

russiatourism.ru

 

Russian railways

 rzd.ru

 

Chita Airport

aerochita.ru

City History

Geolocation

In short

Overview of Chita

Chita is one of the major cities in the Russian Far East, and it is an important hub on the famous Trans-Siberian Railway. The city is located where the Ingoda and Chita rivers converge, and it is the administrative center of the Zabaikal region, also known as the Transbaikal.

Chita’s history goes back to the Cossack Pyotr Beketov, who explored parts of Siberia and founded cities such as Chita and Yakutsk. Throughout the 19th century, the city grew significantly, eg when many Decabrists were sent into exile here after 1825 and when the Trans-Siberian Railway was built between Moscow and Vladivostok.

There are several things to see in Chita, where you can see both old and new buildings in the streets. You can start a stroll in the city on the central square, Ploshad Lenina, where a statue of Lenin has been since the time of the Soviet Union. From the Soviet Union era you can also visit the impressive Victory Park which is a monument to the victory in World War II and as a reminder of both the struggle and the fallen.

In Chita there are also several beautiful churches in Russian architectural style, and the contrast is great from the Decabrist church in wood to the Kazal Cathedral with gilded domes. Chita is also interesting as the home of some of Russia’s Buddhists. This can be seen in the city’s datsan, which is a Buddhist temple. You should also take a walk to the ridge of Titovskaya Sopka where you will enjoy an excellent view.

About the travel guide to Chita
Number of trips: X trips in the city + trips in the area
Pages: Coming soon
Published: Coming soon
Author: Stig Albeck
Publisher: Vamados.com
Language: English
ISBN: 978-87-93491-XX-X

About the travel guide to Chita
The travel guide to Chita gives you an overview of sights and experiences in the German city. Read about top attractions and other sights, and buy a travel guide with tour suggestions and descriptions of all the city’s most important churches, monuments, mansions, museums, etc.

Chita is waiting for you, and on vamados.dk you can also find cheap flights and good deals on hotels for the trip. You just choose your travel dates and then you get suggestions for flights and accommodation in and around the city.

Read more about Chita and Russia
Russia information: vamados.dk/rusland
Tyumen tourism: visittyumen.ru
Russia tourism: russiatourism.ru
Russian railways: rzd.ru
Tjita Airport: aerochita.ru

Buy the travel guide
Click on the “Put in shopping cart” button to buy the travel guide. Then you come to the payment, where you enter purchase and payment information. After completing payment of the guide, you will immediately receive a receipt with a link to download your purchase. You can thus download the guide immediately or use the download link in the email later.

Use the travel guide
When you buy the travel guide to Chita, you get the book online, so you can have it on your mobile, tablet or computer – and you can of course also choose to print it. Use the maps and tour suggestions, and you will have a good and meaningful journey.

Lenin Square • Beautiful Churches • Chita Datsan • Titovskaya Sopka

Other Attractions

The Decabrist Church/Церковь декабристов

This beautiful wooden church is one of Chita’s old churches. The church was built in 1776 as the Archangel Michael Church, and was constructed through donations from the town citizens. After many years, the building was no longer used as a church, and in 1971 it was taken over by the local history museum and used to host exhibitions about the city of Chita. Since 1985, it has been a museum for the Decabrists, hence its current name.

 

The Main Post Office/Главпочтамт

Chita’s main post office is located on Lenin Square in a beautiful wooden building from 1893. Originally, there was both a post office and a telegraph office here, and after a few years, a savings bank also opened in the elegant building. The post office became known as the place where Chita’s telephone and radio connections were developed. Thus, the first radio broadcast from Moscow was received here, and it was from here that communication with cities such as Khabarovsk was initiated.

 

City Administration Building/Администрация городского округа

This building on the central Lenin Square is the seat of Chita city administration. The building was originally built as a rental property with shops, but with the establishment of the Soviet Union, the house was confiscated and made the home of the city’s new executive committee. The architectural style is a kind of regional Art Nouveau, and immediately behind the house you can see two old and beautiful wooden houses as a contrast to the city’s administrative seat.

 

Chita Datsan/Читинский дацан

In Chita you can visit a large Buddhist temple complex, the Chita Datsan, which serves as a kind of university monastery for Buryat Buddhists. There was a Buddhist temple in Chita before the Russian Revolution, but it was destroyed then. The present temple was built from 2002 and consecrated in 2010. In the temple, daily rituals and ceremonies are dedicated to the most important events in the Buddhist teachings.

 

Titovskaya Sopka/Титовская сопка

Titovskaya Sopka is a ridge immediately west of the city center of Chita. Historically, it is an extinct stratovolcano, which today is a large recreational area from which there is a distinguished view overlooking Chita. In the area there are i.a. petroglyphs and vast nature, and to the northeast and closest to the city you can see the beautiful chapel, Chasovnya Aleksandra Nevskogo/Часовня Александра Невского. There is a platform with a very nice view at the chapel.

 

Officer’s House/Дом офицеров

The Officer’s House in Chita is one of the city’s largest and most distinctive buildings. It was built in 1940 as the headquarters of the regional military district, then controlled by Chita. The administration of the district was later moved to Khabarovsk, and since then the building has been used to house concerts and other events as well as hosting a military history museum of the region. Behind the building you can go for a walk in a park with various monuments and amusements.

 

Transbaikal Botanical Garden/Забайкальский ботанический сад

The Chita Botanical Garden was established in 1990, and initially it was loacted on a part of the Titovskaya Sopka ridge west of the city. Later, the flora of the garden was concentrated around the current and more central location. In the garden you can see some of the region’s plants, and there are also indoor greenhouses here.

 

Transbaikal Drama Theater/Забайкальский краевой драматический театр

The Drama Theater in Chita is one of the city’s leading cultural institutions. It was founded in 1939 and used a theater building from 1911 as a stage for many performances over the years. The old theater burned down in 1971 and was replaced by the current modern venue. The repertoire at the theater is varied, and you can experience many fine productions here.

 

Transbaikal Philharmonic/Забайкальская краевая филармония

Chita’s Philharmonic was formed in 1961, and since then it was moved into the current building, where there are two halls. The great hall is one of the city’s best concert halls, and in addition to that there is also a cozy organ hall in the Philhammonic building. The Philharmonic Society of Chita organizes concerts in the city and also around on tours throughout the area.

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