Conversational topic: Chita

"The history of a small town of Chita was the history of the whole country". P. A. Kropotkin

The place where Chita is situated was inhabited from ancient times. Archeological excavations, the ancient people's settlements, the workshop in Titovskaya sopka prove this. 1653 is considered to be the year of Chita' s foundation. In October 1653 the pioneer Petr Ivanovich Beketov had to go down the Ingoda and Shilka rivers to the mouth of the river Nerch and found there Nerchinski ostrog. In the mouth of the river Chita they made rafts and went down but because of the early ice that covered the river they had to return to the mouth of the Chita river. And there on the left bank of the river the people of Beketov built some houses. That was the beginning of Chita.

The first written mention of Chita dates from 1687 – 1689. That was the information about bread sent for people' s feeding living there. Since 1721 a lot of state criminals were exiled from Russia to Siberia, to Don, to silver plants. All of them went through Chita along Moskovski Highway. That was the Great Siberian highway. Nowadays the street Moskovski highway reminds us of that time. In 1762 only 73 people lived in Chita. There were 26 houses in it. In 1801-1803 many newcomers from central parts of Russia settled in and near Chita. This way well-known settlements Titovo, Zasopka, Kolochnoe, Shishkino Podvolochnaya and others appeared. In difficult conditions of this severe region people built houses, roads and bridges, hunted and grew animals. Iron and salt were sent to Chita from the lake Baikal.

Decembrists' stay in Chita was the bright landmark in the history of our town. In October 1826 the first participants of the uprising in Senatskaya Square in Petersburg on December 14, 1825 appeared in Chita, S.G. Volkonski, S.P. Trubetskoi, Borisovs brothers, A.Z. Muravyov, E.P. Obolenski among them. On January 28-29, 1827 H.M and A.M. Muravyovs, I. A. Annenkov, K.P. Torson came to Chitinski ostrog. Some wives of Decembrists followed their husbands to the place of their exile. It was Alexandra Muravyova (the wife of H.M. Muravyov) who brought Pushkin's poem «The Message to Siberia» with her. The poem gave hopes to Decembrists. They became sure that their feat never be forgotten and bring to life new heroes. Towards the end of 1827 85 active participants of the uprising were exiled to Chitinski ostrog. Decembrists made a great contribution to the cultural and economical development of Chita. They carried out great scientific research. They were teachers, doctors. They educated the people of Zabaikalie. They were the first to construct roads and erect two-storied houses in Chita. They planned the streets of our town, that's why they are long, wide and straight like in Petersburg, their native city. Decembrists distributed newspapers and magazines which were delivered to them from Petersburg. A few schools were opened for the peasants', workers' and cossacks' children. They were the first to grow vegetables in our parts.

On July 11, 1851 Chita became the centre of Zabaikalsky oblast. There were already 142 houses and 755 people living in it. According to the resolution of Peter the first every town had to have its own coat of arms. Chita was not an exception. «A small front garden with greenery and a buffalo's head above with silver eyes and tongue in a golden field». That is Chita' s coat of arms.

In 1858 merchant Yudin began building tan-yard, candle-plant, soap-works, rope-works and a sawmill. In 1860 a glass plant appeared. Later a flourmill and sheepskin plant began to work. They were all rather small with only a few workers in each of them. In February 1891 the construction of the Great Siberian railway began and in 1899 the first train arrived in Chita. The first telephone call rang in Chita the same year. And yet at the beginning of the twentieth century Chita was a small wooden town with sandy dirty streets, lack of schools and hospitals. Though there were some 60 stone buildings and mansions of merchants. Industry began to develop with the functioning of the Great Siberian railway.

The revolutionary events of 1905 – 1907 in Russia found their supporters in Chita, too, like throughout Russia. Some streets bear the names of the heroes of the first Russian revolution, fighters against tsarism. They are known to all of us: Babushkin, Stolyarov, Kostyushko-Grigorovich and others. The news about the victory of the revolution of 1917 in Petersburg was met by people of Chita and Zabaikalie with great joy. But the local Soviets didn't manage to take power into their hands at once. White guards and foreign intervention brought great sufferings to the people. Tens of thousands of people died. Only in November 1922 Far East Republic became the part of Russia. The Great Patriotic War was the great trial for all people of our country. Thousands of people from Chita and Zabaikalie defended our Motherland at the fronts of the Great Patriotic War. The names of those who died for freedom of our country are written on stone walls of the Memorial.

During the post war period Chita grows and develops and becomes economical, cultural, agricultural and scientific centre of Chita region. On December 14, 1957 Chita was awarded the order of Lenin for great successes reached in its development. 51 enterprises of Chita produced more than half of all production of Chita region and exported it to more than 30 countries of the world. In October 1972 Chita was awarded the order of October Revolution to mark the 50th anniversary of freeing Far East from white guards and interventionists. The Chita citizens assured our government that they would do everything they could to make our town more cultural, industrialized with beautiful modem architecture, suitable for people's life. And Chita really has undergone great changes. The population of Chita is about 309 thousand people. New structures and buildings which greatly impress everybody who comes to Chita have been built in it, including the building of the Drama Theatre, the cinema «Udokan», the stadium «Locomotiv», the Exhibition Hall and the housing buildings in various parts of Chita.