This industrial Russian city near the Ural Mountains is known for its massive Lenin statue, military presence, and the 1908 Tunguska explosion. Former closed Soviet city with active arts scene.
Chelyabinsk stretches along the Miass River at the foot of the Ural Mountains. You can watch Swan Lake at the marble-columned Opera and Ballet Theatre, examine the 600kg meteorite fragment at the Regional Museum, or spot Amur tigers at the city's 30-hectare zoo. When you need a break, walk through the tree-lined paths of Gagarin Central Park, or take a day trip to hike the granite peaks of Taganay National Park.
The 2013 Meteor Event
On February 15, 2013, an asteroid entered Earth's atmosphere above Chelyabinsk, creating a flash brighter than the sun and a shock wave that broke windows across the city. The Regional Museum now displays the main recovered fragment, which weighs 600 kg. Researchers at Chelyabinsk State University analyze smaller fragments to understand the composition of materials from the early solar system. The event created the strongest shock wave recorded by the global nuclear-detection network since its installation.
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