Chelyabinsk is a city that occupies 7th place in the Russian Federation in terms of population. Due to its geographical location, it is often called the gateway to Siberia, which accurately reflects its role as an important transport hub and a link between the Russian regions. The history of the creation of Chelyabinsk and its transformation into one of the most important industrial centers of our country is interesting for everyone who is interested in the past of our homeland. Therefore, in the article we will talk about it in detail.
The history of the name Chelyabinsk
At the moment, the most plausible version is considered to be according to which the toponym came from the Turkic word "celebi", which translates as "prince" or "educated". There is also an opinion based on the stories of descendants of the first settlers that the fortresses of Chelyab were called so because of the tract, that is, โsilำbeโ (โdepressionโ) in Bashkir. The latest version is indirectly confirmed by the notes of the famous medieval German traveler Johann Gmelin, who visited the Chelyabinsk fortress in 1742.
Base
The need for a fortress located on the border of the Urals and Siberia arose at the beginning of the XIX century.
It is officially accepted that the year of foundation of Chelyabinsk is the 1736th. It was then that on the site of the large Bashkir village of Chelyaby, Colonel A.I. Tevkelev (Kutlu-Muhammed) laid down the Russian fortress. It began to be built with the consent of the owner of the land of Tarkhan Taymas Shaimov. This became the reason that over time the Bashkirs were exempted from taxation. Later, the leadership of the construction of the Chelyabinsk fortress was entrusted to Major Y. Pavlutsky, who, according to some reports, several years earlier, on behalf of the command, was looking for a place to found the city.
In the first half of the 18th century
As already mentioned, in 1742 Chelyabinsk (the history of the city contains many amazing facts) was visited by I. G. Gmelin. He composed the first description of the fortress. According to this document, it was located on the southern bank of the Miyass River, and in the fortification plan was similar to Miyasskaya, however, it was large. At the same time, she had only wooden walls made of lying logs, each of which was about 60 fathoms long (160-170 m).
In the spring of 1748, the construction of the first stone church, which became the main cathedral of Iset province, began in Chelyabinsk . Soon the city began to expand actively, and various public institutions appeared there.
In the second half of the 18th century
One of the most significant events in its history occurred in 1774, when the governor A. Verevkin was able to withstand the siege of the Pugachevites. However, after a few months, the rebels were able to enter Chelyabinsk and dealt with authorities. In the liberation of the city, General I. A. Decolong, who arrived with reinforcements, helped.
If you are interested in what year the foundation of Chelyabinsk as a city was, then this is 1781 โ 45 years after the foundation of the fortress. It took so much time for the Bashkir village with the fort to become a large settlement. This fact was marked by the assignment of the status of a county town to him. In addition, by decree of Empress Catherine the Second, the emblem of Chelyabinsk was approved, on which a loaded camel was depicted in the lower part of the provincial shield.
In 1788, a world-wide event took place in Chelyabinsk: a group of doctors, headed by S. Andrievsky, studied the symptoms of anthrax, gave the name to this disease, and invented a serum that could protect a person from a deadly disease.
In the 19th century
The new century was marked by the development of trade and crafts. Due to its geographical position and location on traditional caravan routes (the coat of arms of Chelyabinsk is a reflection of this circumstance), by the middle of the 19th century the city had firmly taken one of the leading places in the fair trade of the Urals. However, its rapid growth occurred after 1892. It was associated with the completion of the railway, connecting Chelyabinsk with the European provinces of the Russian Empire. It is known that Alexander the Third himself intervened in the matter, canceling the previously proposed project, involving the construction of a railway through Kazan - Yekaterinburg - Tyumen, bypassing the city. Since 1892, the Trans-Siberian Railway was continued, further, to the east. The commissioning of the railway to Yekaterinburg in 1896 further contributed to Chelyabinsk becoming a leader in interregional trade. Suffice it to say that in a few years, the local exchange became the first in Russia in terms of the volume of transactions for the purchase / sale of bread and the second in trade in imported tea.
Chelyabinsk to the beginning of the XX century
In 1897, the population of Chelyabinsk was approximately 20,000 people. At the same time, its sharp growth was observed, which was associated with the emergence of ever new villages around the railway station (for more information about this, visit the Museum of the History of the city of Chelyabinsk).
In parallel with this, schools of various fields, such as a religious school, a female gymnasium, a real school, a trading school, etc., were modernized and opened in the city. A club of railway workers and a people's house were built. As for the sphere of entrepreneurship, about 1,500 commercial and industrial establishments operated in Chelyabinsk, the total annual turnover of which amounted to about 30 million rubles. Trade offices and dozens of representative offices of foreign companies engaged in the supply of ultramodern machines and equipment for those times to the Russian Empire were constantly opening.
For the rapid development dynamics and accelerated growth of Chelyabinsk (the history of the city in the XVIII-XIX centuries is presented above), they even began to call Zauralsky Chicago. By 1910, the population of the city had tripled, and by 1917 it had grown to 70,000.
The history of Chelyabinsk during revolutionary events and in the first years of Soviet power
After October 1917, the city, like the entire Russian Empire, was in a whirlpool of events. According to preserved historical documents and recollections of eyewitnesses, the power of the Soviets of Workers 'and Soldiers' Deputies was introduced not only peacefully, but also by armed means.
It is noteworthy that among the representatives of historical science it is generally accepted that a full-scale civil war began on May 14, 1918 after the uprising of the Czechoslovak Corps on the railway. Chelyabinsk station. And even in conditions of political instability, the city continued to develop. In particular, in 1918 the Chelyabinsk elevator was commissioned, which was to play a crucial role in providing the region with grain.
By mid-1919, new authorities were finally restored and created in Chelyabinsk, and from September 3, 1919, it became a provincial center, and later - a district.
In the pre-war period
In early 1934, the decree of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee formed the Chelyabinsk region. The city became its administrative center, and in 1937 miraculously avoided renaming to Kaganovichgrad.
At the same time, the industrial development of Chelyabinsk did not stop for a minute. It is enough to say that if by 1919 there were only 2 enterprises operating in the city, then from the beginning of the 1930s abrasive, tractor, ferroalloy, machine-tool and zinc plants began to work there.
The Great Patriotic War
During the Second World War Chelyabinsk (the history of the city at the end of the 20th century will be described later) played an important role in providing the army with armored vehicles.
From the very beginning of the war, the city received several hundred thousand evacuated citizens. As a result, the population of Chelyabinsk grew 2.5 times, reaching 630,000 people. On the basis of more than 200 evacuated enterprises, by merging with local industries, the industrial giants ChKPZ, ChMK, ChTPZ were created. In addition, from 1941 to 1945, Chelyabinsk (the history of the city during this period is a story about the mass labor feat of the Soviet people) became the location of the people's commissars of the tank industry, ammunition, secondary engineering and power plants.
During this period, there was a connection of the capacities of the local tractor plant with the evacuated Kharkov Engine Building and Leningrad Kirov plants. This allowed the launch of the production of T-34 tanks in record time. During the Second World War in Chelyabinsk, 60 thousand diesel engines were produced for combat tracked armored vehicles. In addition, the factory named after Kolyuschenko mastered the production of the famous Katyusha. In 1941-1945, Chelyabinsk enterprises also produced diesel engines, ammunition, electrical equipment for armored vehicles, parts for ZIS vehicles and tanks, as well as other products necessary for victory.
After the war
After the victory, Chelyabinsk became a supplier of machinery, equipment and labor for the restoration of Donbass, Stalingrad, DneproGES and other destroyed settlements and important industrial and energy facilities of our country.
In 1947, a city development plan was approved. As a result of its implementation, new microdistricts and industrial enterprises appeared.
By 1960, the number of higher educational institutions increased sharply in the city, and in 1976 ChelSU was opened there, becoming the first classical university in the South Urals.
Particularly rapid industrial growth in Chelyabinsk was recorded in the early 80s, when its enterprises took leading positions in the production of stainless steel, pipes, ferroalloys and road machines.
The city also developed culturally. In particular, in the 80s a new building of the drama theater with 1,200 seats, a chamber and organ music hall, a geological museum, as well as monuments โOn a New Wayโ and I. Kurchatov were opened there.
Modern period
The first half of the โdashingโ 90s was a difficult period for Chelyabinsk, as it was marked by the bankruptcy of enterprises, non-payment of salaries and underfunding of social programs. Fortunately, this situation did not last long, and by the end of this decade, industry had resumed work in the city, and many combines and factories entered the world market. There was a revival in other areas. In particular, in 1996 a zoo was opened. In 2004, the history of the streets of Chelyabinsk was replenished with a new page, since the famous Kirovka became a pedestrian and turned into a favorite place for walking tourists and citizens. Two years later, a new building was moved to the new building of the State Museum of Southern Urals, and in 2009 the Tractor ice arena, which seats 7,500 spectators.
Of the well-known events that took place in Chelyabinsk in the last decade, a meteorite can be noted when 7,320 buildings were damaged by the blast wave.
Day of the city of Chelyabinsk
In 2016, this holiday was special. After all, the city is 280 years old! Chelyabinsk celebrated City Day on September 10 with magnificent celebrations and festivities. A total of 60 events took place. Since it was impossible to fit them all in 24 hours, the festival lasted for several days and many capital stars took part in it.
Now you know what interesting events took place in the city of Chelyabinsk. Today it is one of the industrial giants of our country and is confidently looking to the future.
If you are interested in the history and traditions of Chelyabinsk, be sure to visit this city, where your curiosity can be satisfied by visiting museums and talking with local residents.