Météo La Tchita

PARIS WEATHER

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Geography
Location	Transbaikal Krai - Chita - Russia
Latitude	52.0340641
Longitude	113.5013597
Altitude	668 meters
Orientation	360° Panorama

Details
Owner	Chita
Camera	HIKVISION
Visitors	21 343 visits

Specifics
Format	2K - 4 Million Pixels
Category	City

Informations

Transbaikalia, also known in Russian as Zabaykalsky Krai, is a vast region located in the far southeast of Siberia, beyond the legendary Lake Baikal from which it takes its name. Bordering Mongolia and China, this immense and sparsely populated land stretches over 430,000 km², forming a transitional territory between the Mongolian steppes, Siberian forests, and granite mountains at the edge of Asia.

The landscape of Transbaikalia is both harsh and breathtaking. It alternates between wide wind-swept plateaus, mountain ranges like the Yablonovy Mountains, deep river valleys, and forests of larch and Siberian pine. Winters are long, dry, and bitterly cold, with temperatures often dropping below –30 °C, while summers, though short, are bright and unveil vast flower-filled expanses and stunning, pristine panoramas.

The region is traversed by major rivers such as the Argun, which forms the border with China, and the Shilka, which flows eastward to join the Amur. These waterways have long served as natural routes for travel and trade in these remote zones.

The administrative center of the region, the city of Chita, is a historical crossroads located along the Trans-Siberian Railway. Once a place of exile, especially after the Decembrist revolts of the 19th century, Chita still bears the marks of the past with a mix of Soviet architecture, traditional wooden houses, and wide boulevards that seem frozen in time. It is also a gateway to exploring the wild expanse of Transbaikalia.

Transbaikalia has a rich human history, shaped by nomadic peoples such as the Buryats, closely related to the Mongols, who have practiced extensive herding of yaks, horses, and goats on the steppes for centuries. Shamanism is still practiced in some communities and coexists with Tibetan Buddhism, present in colorful and spiritually vibrant datsans (monasteries).

The krai is also a land of resources: its soils contain abundant mineral deposits, including gold, uranium, coal, and tungsten. Mining remains a significant activity, although it sometimes conflicts with the region’s fragile ecosystems.

The natural environment of Transbaikalia is remarkably diverse. It includes nature reserves that are home to lynx, brown bears, elk, golden eagles, and even Amur leopards in the most remote areas. The steppe is the domain of marmots, deer, wolves, and a distinctive flora adapted to the extreme conditions of cold and dryness.

Transbaikalia is a land of adventure, silence, and solitude, where one can travel hundreds of kilometers without encountering a soul. It evokes a raw power, a sense of the world’s edge, but also a profound peace rooted in the slow rhythms of nature and ancestral traditions.

Little visited and still largely unknown to the general public, Transbaikalia today attracts travelers seeking authenticity, nomadic spirituality, untouched landscapes, and rare experiences. It is a land of transition and memory, between Europe and Asia, between taiga and steppe, between mountain winds and the eternal silence of the great Siberian wilderness.

Ulitsa Lenina

Ulitsa Lenina (улица Ленина), literally "Lenin Street," is the central and iconic thoroughfare of the city of Chita, the administrative capital of Transbaikalia, located in the Russian Far East. Situated in the heart of Zabaykalsky Krai, this long and straight avenue stretches from west to east, crossing key neighborhoods, squares, and institutions, and serving as the backbone of public and political life in this Siberian metropolis.

Like in many Russian cities, ul. Lenina is far more than just a street: it is the urban spine, bearing witness to the historical, cultural, and architectural upheavals that have shaped Chita. It connects the residential outskirts with the administrative and commercial areas of the city center, while passing alongside several key landmarks of regional history.

A walk down Ulitsa Lenina reveals a striking juxtaposition of eras and styles: imposing Soviet-era buildings in concrete or red brick, modern structures of glass and steel, and traditional Siberian wooden houses with carved shutters. This diversity gives the street a unique atmosphere, balancing the weight of the past with the pulse of modernity.

In the heart of Chita, ul. Lenina runs past several symbolic sites, including the Zabaykalsky Regional Museum, the Scientific Library, the Transbaikalia State University, and various regional government offices. It also borders Lenin Square, a vast plaza where a statue of the Soviet leader still stands, serving as a gathering place for official events, parades, and public demonstrations.

The street is lined with shops, Russian cafés, bakeries, banks, pharmacies, and cultural centers. Though far from the major capitals, ul. Lenina is vibrant with pedestrians, buses, small kiosks, and students. In winter, the snow transforms it into a frosty postcard scene, while in summer, the low sun lights up its colorful façades.

Several religious buildings also stand nearby, including the Kazan Cathedral, rebuilt in the early 2000s on the ruins of an old monastery. With its golden domes, this cathedral symbolizes the post-Soviet spiritual revival of the region and stands in stark visual contrast to the austere neighboring buildings.

Ulitsa Lenina is also a key transportation axis, linking Chita’s railway station—located on the Trans-Siberian Railway—to other parts of the city. It plays a structural role in urban development and connects the city’s eastern and western districts.

Life along ul. Lenina follows a rhythm that is both slow and steady, typical of cities in Eastern Siberia: the seasons dictate daily routines, and the residents, accustomed to extreme weather conditions, lead a resilient lifestyle shaped by the great natural cycles.

Thus, Ulitsa Lenina is more than just a road—it is a mirror of Chita’s society, a silent witness to revolutions, reconstructions, and the everyday life of Siberia. Its name, unchanged since the Soviet era, evokes the deep roots of Russian history, while its façades and passersby reflect a present still in transformation, just like the whole of Transbaikalia.

Tchita

Presentation

Chita, also spelled Tchita (Чита), is a city in the Russian Far East located at the confluence of the Chita and Ingoda Rivers, in the vast Zabaykalsky Krai (Transbaikal), of which it is the administrative capital. Over 6,000 kilometers from Moscow, it stands at the gateway to Asia, near the Mongolian border and close to China—embodying a crossroads city both geographically and culturally, bridging Europe and the Far East.

Nestled in a wide basin surrounded by gently sloping mountains and boreal forests, Chita offers a typical landscape of Eastern Siberia: expanses of taiga, rivers frozen in winter, sparse vegetation, and a color palette that shifts with the seasons—from brilliant white in winter to deep green in summer and golden hues in autumn. The city stands at an altitude of around 650 meters and experiences a harsh continental climate, with short but warm summers and frigid winters that often drop below -30°C, blanketing the streets in snow for months.

Officially founded in 1653 as a Cossack outpost during the eastward expansion of Siberia, Chita quickly gained strategic importance due to its location on trade routes to China and Mongolia. Its development accelerated in the 19th century with the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway, making it a key stop between Irkutsk and Vladivostok.

The city played a central military, commercial, and administrative role in managing Russia’s Asian territories. It also became a place of exile for many political dissidents, especially the Decembrists following the 1825 uprising, whose intellectual and cultural legacy endures. The Decembrists Museum, housed in the former residence of Prince Volkonsky, remains one of Chita’s most visited cultural landmarks.

Between 1920 and 1922, Chita briefly served as the capital of the short-lived Far Eastern Republic before being absorbed into Soviet Russia. The city then developed with classic Soviet urban planning—grid-like street layouts, large concrete housing blocks, public institutions, factories, and monuments.

Today, Chita is home to over 300,000 inhabitants, predominantly ethnic Russians, alongside Buryat, Tatar, Ukrainian, and Chinese minorities. Its urban layout revolves around its main artery, Ulitsa Lenina, where most government buildings, museums, universities, theaters, shops, and public spaces are concentrated.

Notable landmarks in Chita include:
– Lenin Square, the city’s civic heart, hosting public celebrations and demonstrations;
– Kazan Cathedral, a modern neo-Byzantine religious structure, symbolizing post-Soviet spiritual revival;
– Chita State Drama Theater, a key cultural venue offering a mix of classic Russian and contemporary plays;
– Zabaykalsky Regional Museum, showcasing rich collections on local history, ethnography, and geology.

Chita is also a major railway hub. In addition to the Trans-Siberian Railway, it is connected to the BAM (Baikal-Amur Mainline) and a strategic railway link to China via the Zabaykalsk-Manzhouli crossing, making it a vital node in Eurasian trade.

The city’s economy is based on several sectors: railway industry, freight transport, military infrastructure, mining (gold, coal, rare minerals), as well as administrative services, healthcare, and education. Chinese businesses are increasingly present, capitalizing on the proximity to the border.

Chita hosts several universities and higher education institutions, including the Transbaikal State University, which attracts students from across the region. The city’s cultural life is vibrant, with festivals, art exhibitions, and community initiatives to revitalize its historic core.

As for quality of life, Chita combines wide boulevards, open squares, urban parks (such as Odora Park and Detskaya Park), and residential neighborhoods shaped by its Soviet past. Open-air markets, local bakeries, cafés, and shops offer a warm atmosphere despite the cold climate.

Nature is never far. The Ingoda River is popular for summer strolls and winter ice skating. Just beyond the city, the pine forests and mountains of Zabaykalsky National Park invite hiking, berry-picking, and peaceful immersion in the Siberian wilderness.

Relatively unknown outside of Russia, Chita represents a gateway to Russian Asia—where Cossack heritage, Soviet legacy, ethnic diversity, and Siberian renewal converge.

A city of contrasts and resilience, Chita reflects both the tumultuous history of Russia’s eastern frontier and the vitality of a region on the margins—looking toward the future while firmly rooted in its profound past.