Zabaykalsky Krai (also known as Trans-Baikal Territory or Zabaykalsky Krai) is a federal subject of Russia situated in Eastern Siberia, within the historical region of Transbaikalia (or Dauria). It forms part of the Far Eastern Federal District and covers a vast area of approximately 431,900 square kilometers—larger than many European countries like Germany—yet it remains relatively sparsely populated, with around 1 million residents.
Chita serves as the administrative center and largest city of Zabaykalsky Krai. With a population of roughly 320,000–350,000, it lies at the confluence of the Chita and Ingoda Rivers, nestled between the Yablonoi Mountains to the west and the Chersky Range to the east. Founded in the mid-17th century as a Cossack winter camp (with a fort built in 1690), Chita grew significantly after the arrival of the Trans-Siberian Railway in the early 20th century. Today, it functions as a major industrial, transportation, and cultural hub in Eastern Siberia, featuring locomotive repair works, machine-building, textiles, and mining activities (including lignite). The city is also known for its historical ties to the Decembrists and its role along trade routes to China.
1. Visa and Entry Requirements (Critical First Step)
US citizens
must obtain a visa in advance—Russia does not offer visa-free entry or
e-visas to Americans (e-visas are available only to citizens of ~64
other countries).
Tourist visa options: A standard
single/double-entry visa (up to 30 days per visit) or, thanks to a
US-Russia agreement, a 3-year multiple-entry tourist visa (allowing
stays of up to 6 months per visit, with limits like 90 days per 180-day
period in some cases). The multi-year option is often issued upon
request but requires a stronger invitation.
How to apply:
Get a
tourist voucher/invitation from a registered Russian travel agency
(e.g., via online services like those listed on russiable.com or
official tour operators). This is mandatory for tourist visas—costs
~$30–100 and can be arranged digitally.
Complete the online visa
application form on the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs site
(kdmid.ru).
Gather documents: Valid US passport (must have at least 6
months validity beyond your planned stay, plus 2 blank pages), photo,
travel insurance (covering medical/evacuation, often required),
itinerary, and proof of funds/accommodation.
Submit by appointment at
the Russian Embassy/Consular Division in Washington, DC, or a Russian
Visa Center (VFS Global or similar partners) in the US. Processing
typically takes 4–10 business days (longer if expedited or during
peaks). Fees: ~$160 consular + service charges.
Apply 1–3 months
ahead. Note: US-Russia consular services can be limited due to
tensions—check the official Russian Embassy in Washington site
(washington.mid.ru) for current appointment availability and any
updates.
Other requirements: Register with Russian authorities
(via hotel or migration card) within 7 days of arrival. Double-check
COVID/health rules, though these are minimal in 2026. Bring proof of
onward travel.
Tip: Use a visa agency if you're unsure—they handle
invitations and forms for a fee. Dual citizens with eligible passports
(e.g., EU) may qualify for easier options, but US passport holders
follow the standard process.
Failure to have a valid visa means
denial at entry. Russian border control is thorough.
2.
International Flights: Chicago to a Russian Hub (Typically Moscow)
Book via Google Flights, Skyscanner, or Kayak for CHI (ORD/MDW) to
Russia. No direct US-Russia flights; routes go through neutral hubs.
Most common and reliable route: Chicago (ORD) → Istanbul (IST) on
Turkish Airlines (daily or frequent, ~10–11 hours) → Moscow (VKO or
SVO/DME, ~3–4 hours). Total to Moscow: 15–18 hours, often 1 stop.
One-way fares: $800–1,700+ depending on dates.
Alternatives:
Via
Dubai (Emirates/Etihad), Doha, or other Middle Eastern/Asian
hubs—similar pricing and duration.
Via Europe (e.g., Air France, but
connections may be limited) or Air Serbia (Belgrade).
Booking
tips: Fly into Moscow's Domodedovo (DME) for easiest domestic
connections. Book 2–4 months ahead. Allow 4–8+ hours for layovers in
Istanbul/Moscow due to immigration, security, and potential delays.
Russian airlines (Aeroflot/S7) may have international restrictions, but
Turkish and others operate normally.
Baggage: Check airline
rules—international allowance usually 23kg checked; domestic Russia is
stricter (often 20–23kg).
3. Domestic Travel to Zabaykalsky Krai
(Moscow → Chita)
Once in Russia (ideally Moscow):
Fastest option:
Fly to Chita (HTA)
Direct/nonstop flights from Moscow Domodedovo
(DME) to Chita Kadala (HTA) operated by S7 Airlines (daily) and Ural
Airlines (several times weekly). Flight time: ~6–6.5 hours. One-way:
$150–400 (cheaper midweek/off-season). Multiple flights per week make
this convenient.
From other Russian cities: Possible connections via
Novosibirsk (OVB), Irkutsk, or Krasnoyarsk, but Moscow is simplest.
Scenic/slower option: Trans-Siberian Railway
Moscow (Yaroslavsky
Station) → Chita: ~4 days (3 days 23 hours) on trains like #010Н.
Comfortable sleeper classes (kupe/platskart) available; prices ~$140–250
one-way. Book via RZD.ru (Russian Railways site—use a translator or
agency). Great for views of Siberia, but long and requires food/supplies
planning.
Other domestic options: From Irkutsk (~20 hours by
train/bus) or Ulan-Ude (shorter). Or fly into nearby airports and
connect by train/bus.
From airport to Chita city center (HTA is
~15–20 km away): Taxi (~RUB 500–1,000 / $5–10), airport bus, or
pre-arranged transfer. Yandex Go (Russian Uber) works well in cities.
4. Getting Around Zabaykalsky Krai Once There
Chita as base:
Buses, marshrutkas (minivans), taxis (Yandex Go), or rent a car
(international license + Russian insurance recommended; roads can be
poor outside cities).
To other areas: Trains (Trans-Sib or
Baikal-Amur Mainline/BAM for northern parts), buses, or short domestic
flights. For remote spots like Chara or Kodar Mountains: Local
trains/planes + hiking/organized tours.
Border crossings (if
extending travel): Zabaikalsk–Manzhouli (China) by bus/train (~10 hours
bus to Chita from there). Limited Mongolia options at Solov'evsk.
5. Practical Tips, Costs, and Warnings
Total estimated cost
(one-way, per person): Flights $1,000–2,500 + visa ~$200–300 + internal
transport/meals ~$300–600. Add insurance, SIM card (local like
MTS/Beeline for data—buy in Russia), and cash (rubles; US cards often
don't work due to sanctions—exchange USD/EUR at airports/banks).
Health/safety: Standard travel insurance essential. Tap water not always
safe; remote areas have limited medical facilities. Check US State
Department travel advisory (Russia is often Level 4—Do Not Travel—due to
security). Register your trip with the US Embassy (limited services in
Russia).
Language/culture: English is limited outside Chita
hotels/tourist spots—use Google Translate or a phrasebook. Download
offline maps (Maps.me).
Money/tech: Cash is king. Bring power
adapters (Type C/F). Roaming may be expensive; get a local eSIM or SIM.
Alternatives if direct route is tough: Fly to Beijing (China visa may be
needed), then bus/train across the border to Zabaikalsk/Chita—but this
adds complexity and another visa.
Book everything early: Use Rome2Rio
for multi-modal planning or a Russian travel agency for packages (they
can provide the visa invitation).
Best Time to Visit
Zabaykalsky Krai has a sharply continental
climate: brutally cold, long winters and short, warm summers. The best
time is mid-June to early/mid-August for pleasant weather (July highs
around +20°C/+68°F in the south, cooler northward), outdoor activities,
and accessible nature. Summers bring wildflowers, rafting, and hiking,
though evenings can cool off and mosquitoes appear in taiga areas.
Winter (Nov–Mar): Extreme cold (January averages -20°C to -37°C /
-4°F to -35°F). Possible for snow sports or frozen landscapes but
challenging for most visitors.
Shoulder seasons: Spring (May) and
autumn (Sept–Oct) offer fewer crowds and beautiful foliage but
unpredictable weather and mud.
280+ sunny days a year in Chita, but
prepare for rapid changes.
How to Get There & Getting Around
Chita (IATA: HTA) is your gateway.
By air: Direct flights from Moscow
(~6 hours, S7 or Ural Airlines recommended). Also from Novosibirsk,
Irkutsk, Beijing, and Hailar (China). Airport is modern but basic.
By
train: The iconic Trans-Siberian Railway stops in Chita (major hub).
From Moscow: 4–5 days; from Ulan-Ude (Buryatia): ~8–10 hours. The
Baikal-Amur Mainline (BAM) serves northern areas like Chara.
From
China/Mongolia: Border crossing at Zabaykalsk (to Manzhouli, China) via
train/bus—popular for cross-border trips if visas allow.
Getting
around:
Domestic trains/buses connect main towns (Chita–Nerchinsk,
etc.), but slow and limited.
Flights or BAM trains to remote north
(Chara for Kodar Mountains).
For nature parks/reserves: Private
tours, 4x4 rental (roads can be rough), or guided trips essential.
Taxis/apps in Chita; limited public transport elsewhere.
Expect long
distances—plan multi-day excursions.
Top Attractions & Things to
Do
Focus on Chita for culture/history, then venture into nature.
In/near Chita:
Chita Buddhist Temple (Damba Braibunling Datsan):
Striking modern Buddhist complex and one of the region's highlights.
Decembrists' Church Museum (Mikhailo-Arkhangelsk Church): Oldest wooden
building in Chita (1776); fascinating museum on 19th-century Decembrist
exiles.
Titovskaya Sopka: Climb an ancient extinct volcano for city
views.
Kazan Icon Cathedral, Shumovsky Palace, and regional museum:
Architectural gems and local history.
Parks and Lenin Square: Relax
in the oldest city park.
Nature & Adventure Highlights:
Chara
Sands & Kodar Mountains (near Novaya Chara): A surreal 10km "desert" of
dunes surrounded by taiga and snow-capped peaks—hike, camp, or
photograph. Nearby Evenk villages and former gulag sites. Reachable by
train/plane from Chita.
Alkhanai National Park: Sacred Buryat
mountain with Buddhist shrines, hiking trails, and natural monuments.
Dalai Lama has visited.
Daursky and Sokhondinsky Nature Reserves:
Steppe ecosystems, lakes, wildlife (cranes, gazelles), and hiking.
Darasun Resort: Mineral springs and spa for relaxation.
Other: Lake
Arey (scenic forest lake), Haatei Caves, Mount Pallasa, and rivers for
rafting (Onon, Menza, etc.).
Activities: Over 100 routes for
rafting, horseback riding, rock climbing, biking, ethno-tours (Evenk
reindeer culture), and photography. Winter options include ice caves or
snow-covered dunes.
Cultural notes: Visit Aginskoye for Buryat
datsans and traditions. Respect sacred sites (no photos inside some
temples without permission).
Accommodations, Food &
Practicalities
Accommodations: Limited but improving. In Chita,
options include Mont Blanc Hotel (central, some Chinese-language
support) or Arcadia. Expect 3–4 star comfort; book ahead. Remote areas
offer guesthouses, tourist bases, or camping (permits sometimes needed
for reserves).
Food: Standard Russian fare—borscht, solyanka,
shashlik (grilled meat), pelmeni, and local twists like game meats,
river fish, or Buryat buuz (steamed dumplings). Try fresh produce in
summer. Cafes/restaurants in Chita; simpler eateries elsewhere. Avoid
tap water—use bottled.
Practical tips:
Language: Russian is
essential (English rare outside major hotels/tours). Learn basics or use
translation apps.
Money & payments: Rubles cash preferred; cards work
in Chita but prepare for limited ATMs elsewhere. Sanctions may affect
international cards—bring cash.
What to pack: Layered clothing (even
summer), sturdy hiking boots, rain gear, insect repellent, sunscreen,
power bank, first-aid kit, and warm layers for evenings/mountains.
Download offline maps (e.g., Maps.me).
Health & connectivity: Medical
care best in Chita; bring medications. Mobile/internet spotty in remote
zones—get a local SIM if possible.
Permits: Some border or reserve
areas require special permissions.
Sample 7–10 day itinerary:
Days 1–3: Chita (sights, museum, datsan).
Days 4–7: Train/bus to
Alkhanai or Chara Sands/Kodar for nature immersion.
Extend for
reserves or border day-trip (if eligible).
Neanderthals lived in the region for a long time, as evidenced by the
archaeological sites of the Mousterian culture, located in the valleys
of the Chikoy (Kovrizhka, Priiskovoye, Ust-Menza-5, Ust-Menza 15) and
Ingoda rivers in the vicinity of Chita (Sukhotino-1).
The
majority of studied ancient settlements date back to the Upper
Paleolithic (35-11 thousand years ago).
One of the most notable
is the Tolbaga settlement in the Khilok River valley. The Tolbaga
settlement in the Petrovsk-Zabaikalsky district functioned at the end of
the Malokhetsky warming period 34,860±2100 years ago. Tolbaga, together
with the monuments of Masterova Gora in the Khiloksky District, Arta-2,3
in the Uletovsky District, Varvarina Gora, Kamenka - complex A and
Podzvonkaya in Buryatia, allows us to distinguish the Tolbaga culture.
The antipode for the early period of the late Paleolithic in
Transbaikalia when comparing the nature of the stone industry is the
Kunalei culture, since the Tolbaga people made tools mainly from plates,
and the Kunalei people - mainly from flakes. In the Transbaikal
Territory, the lower cultural horizons (3-7) of the Chitkan settlement
in the Barguzinsky District are attributed to the Kunalei culture. Also
widely known are the settlements of Studenoye and Ust-Menza in the
Krasnochikoysky District, Sukhotino-4 on Titovskaya Sopka in the
Ingodinsky District of Chita. During the Middle Upper Paleolithic (25-18
thousand years ago, settlements Chitkan, Ust-Menza-2, Studenoye-2,
Masterov Klyuch, Melnichnoye-1, Tanga) the technique of the end
micronucleus originates, but most tools are made from blades and flakes.
During the Late Upper Paleolithic in Transbaikalia the micronucleus
technique flourishes, which is in solidarity with the Angara, Yenisei
and Yakut sites in terms of development. Many microplates intended for
insert tools have been found, and at the settlement Studenoye-1 a base
of an insert knife 26.8 cm long was found. In the Transbaikal Territory,
the Studenovskaya and Sukhota cultures belong to this period. The
Studenovo culture is represented on Chikoy and Menza by the sites
Studenoye-1,2, Ust-Menza-1,2,3,4 and others, which have almost no
bifaces. The Sukhotinskaya culture (Khengerekte-Sukhotino) is
represented on the Ingoda by the basic site Sukhotino-4, which used a
bifacial technique in combination with a developed microplate technique,
and at the same time - with a wide representation of tools from flakes
and, less often, plates, and the Unenker site in the lower part of the
Ingoda valley. At the Studenoye-2 settlement, a richly ornamented
"chief's staff" made of a branch of a reindeer horn and a bone sculpture
of an elk's head were found. At the Sukhotino-4 settlement, an engraved
saiga rib with an image of tent dwellings and a sculptured image of a
mammoth made of stone were found. The oldest ceramic dishes (12 thousand
years ago) were discovered at the sites of the Ust-Karenga culture. At
the Ust-Karenga settlement, located in the Upper Vitim basin in
Transbaikalia, ceramics according to calibrated dates belong to the
period from 12,288 to 9678 years BC.
The settlements of Chindant
and Aryn-Zhalga on the Onon River, Darasun on the Ingoda, Ust-Menza and
Studenoye on the Chikoy, and Altan on the Menza belong to the New Stone
Age (Neolithic, 7 thousand years ago). At this time, along with hunting
and fishing, agriculture came from China.
The Y-chromosomal
haplogroup N1a1>N-L708* and mitochondrial haplogroup D4ak were
determined in the male brn008 (7461–7324 years ago) from the Neolithic
burial 1 of the Iveskovaya-1 cemetery in the Iveskovaya ravine (the
Kuenga River valley). The Y-chromosomal haplogroup N1a1>N-M2126* and
mitochondrial haplogroup D4* were determined in the sample brn003
(6640–6469 years ago) from the Kadalinka stream (flows into Lake Kenon
within the Chita city limits). The brn001 sample (5474-5312 BC,
KuengaRiver_N) from the Izvestkovaya-1 site was identified as having
mitochondrial haplogroup A.
The Podgornaya Eneolithic site in the
Kuenga Valley in the Podgornaya hollow dates back to the end of the 3rd
- beginning of the 2nd millennium BC.
Up until the annexation of
Transbaikalia to Russia, the history of its southern part was closely
connected with nomadic cattle breeding. The tribes living here created
the so-called slab grave culture of the Bronze and Iron Ages. The "slab
makers" lived throughout the territory of modern Mongolia: from Altai to
Khingan from west to east and from Lake Baikal to the foothills of the
Nan Shan from north to south. Mongolian scientists believe that this
culture belonged to the proto-Mongols.
The first people to
inhabit Transbaikalia, about whom much is known both from archaeological
finds and from written sources (mainly Chinese), were the nomadic people
of the Xiongnu (209 BC - 93 AD), who created a vast state in the Central
Asian steppes, with the collapse of which the former Xiongnu lands came
under the control of the Mongol-speaking Xianbei (93-234) and the Rouran
Khaganate (330-555).
In the 6th-9th centuries, the Uighur Turks lived in Transbaikalia.
The Podgornaya and Iveskovaya-2 burial grounds in the Kuenga River
valley belong to the Burkhotuy culture (6th-9th centuries).
In
the 10th-12th centuries, the southern part of the region was part of the
state of the Mongolian Khitan tribes. This state is known as the Liao
Empire. The most famous monuments of this time are the necropolis in
Ilmova Pad, the Kokuy settlement and the Rampart of Genghis Khan.
In the 13th century, the Taijiut Mongols lived in the southern part
of today's Transbaikal Territory. The Jalair Mongols lived along the
Onon River. The southern part of the Transbaikal Territory and the
Mongolian aimag of Khentii were the center of the Khamag-Mongol Khanate.
In 1206, at the kurultai, Temujin was proclaimed the Great Khan of
the Mongolian state, taking the new name Genghis Khan. The territory of
the region was an integral part of the empire. Many monuments remained
from the Mongols in the region. Among them are cities, palaces, estates,
such monuments as the Genghis Stone, the Cup of Genghis Khan, the Gate
of Genghis Khan. At the same time, these monuments have no direct
relation to Genghis Khan himself, but are an integral part of many
legends.
The indigenous people of Transbaikalia, who have lived
here since the Neolithic era, are the Evenks. They professed shamanism
and maintained patriarchal-clan relations.
During the time of the
Mongols, most of the Tungus were under the control of the princely
family of the Gantimurovs.
In the 14th century, the Mongol Empire
disintegrated into separate states. Until the mid-17th century, the
Mongolian-speaking Daurs (along with the Goguli subgroup) lived in the
Shilka River valley, in the upper reaches of the Amur and on the Zeya
River. Their territory bordered on the lands of the Duchers, who lived
along the Amur to the east of the Zeya. By the name of this people, the
region of their residence at that time was called Dauria by Russian
explorers. The territory of the modern Transbaikal Territory was part of
the Mongolian state of Northern Yuan until the 17th century.
From the mid-17th century, Transbaikalia became part of the Russian state. The first explorers crossed Dauria (as the lands beyond Lake Baikal were called) along rivers. The Buryats and Tungus, after a long resistance, recognized the new government and paid yasak to the Russian treasury. A number of forts appeared in Transbaikalia: Ust-Strelochny, Irgensky, Nerchinsky, Telembinsky, Eravninsky, Argunsky, Sretensky. Beginning in 1704, Nerchinsky, Shilkinsky, Gazimursky and other silver smelters appeared. In the 18th century, the population of the region grew rapidly due to the influx of settlers and the sending of criminals to the mines. Exiled participants in the December uprising also played a major role in the development of the region. In 1851, the Transbaikal Region was formed. In the same year, the Transbaikal Cossack Army, numbering more than 3.5 thousand people, was created to strengthen the border. At the end of the 19th century, railway construction began in the region. Industry rose, new cities and towns grew and appeared.
At the beginning of the 20th century, revolutionary sentiments came
to Transbaikalia, caused by the Russo-Japanese and First World Wars.
After the October Revolution, Soviet power was established in Chita on
February 16, 1918. At the initial stage of the Civil War, at the end of
August 1918, the power of the Soviets was liquidated by the combined
forces of the Whites, Cossacks and Czechoslovaks. The Transbaikal
Cossack Republic was formed on the territory of the region. At the same
time, a large-scale partisan movement developed. In April 1920, the Far
Eastern Republic was created on the territory of Transbaikalia and the
Far East, with its center in Verkhneudinsk, and then in Chita, which
existed until November 1922.
On November 15, 1922, the Far
Eastern Republic became part of the RSFSR as the Far Eastern Region with
its capital in Chita. The arrival of Soviet power in Transbaikalia was
marked by the construction of a socialist society, the nationalization
of enterprises, the collectivization of agriculture, and a cultural
revolution. In 1935, the Transbaikal Military District (ZabVO) was
created to strengthen military potential. During the Great Patriotic
War, tens of thousands of Transbaikalians were drafted into the army.
Due to the threat of attack by the Japanese Kwantung Army, the
Transbaikal Front was created on the basis of the ZabVO. In 1943, 37
evacuation hospitals operated in the region. In 1945, after the defeat
of Nazi Germany, military operations against Japan began. The leadership
was carried out from the Molokovka military sanatorium. This war was the
hardest for the people.
After the war, due to the drought of 1946
and the lack of large-scale industry, there was famine. Until 1949, the
region was restored by 77 thousand Japanese prisoners of war. The
economy was fully restored by 1950. By the 1990s, many different
enterprises had emerged in the region. Among them were mining plants in
Pervomaysky, Krasnokamensk, Orlovsk and Zhireken, the Chita State
District Power Plant, the KSK, the Kharanorsky open-pit coal mine, and
the construction of the Baikal-Amur Mainline was coming to an end.
The 1990s saw a sharp decline in industrial and agricultural
production and a drop in the standard of living of the population.
Kindergartens, camps, and sports facilities were closed, the
Petrovsk-Zabaikalsky Metallurgical Plant and the Chita Wrought and Cloth
Mill ceased to exist. With the collapse of the forestry industry,
massive illegal logging and colossal deliveries of unprocessed timber to
China began. The Agin-Buryat Autonomous Okrug became an independent
subject of the Russian Federation on March 31, 1992. The economy was
only stabilized by the end of the 1990s. In the 2000s, the construction
of the second track of the Southern Route was underway, and today its
electrification is underway. The construction of the Naryn-Lugokan
railway line is underway.
In 2004, during a visit to China, V.V.
Putin made the final decision to transfer half of the Bolshoy Island on
the Argun River to the Chinese.
On March 1, 2008, a new federal
subject emerged on the territory of the Chita Region and the ABAO -
Zabaikalsky Krai. Also in the southeast of Zabaikalsky Krai, it is
planned to build and open two new large mining and processing plants:
Bystrinsky and Bugdainsky.
Transbaikal region is located in the eastern half of Transbaikalia.
The greatest extent of the region from the north (Kodar ridge) to the
south (Prionon Plain) is noted on the meridian 117°08'E. and reaches
almost 1000 km, from the west (Yablonovy ridge) to the east (Argun
River) along the parallel of 50° N. w. the length is just over 850 km.
The highest point in the Trans-Baikal Territory is the BAM peak, whose
height is 3073 m.
The territory is approximately comparable to
Iraq.
The relief of the Trans-Baikal Territory is represented by both
plains and mountains, but mountains noticeably predominate in the
region. The northern part is occupied by mountain ranges, the middle
zone by numerous hills, the southern by vast steppe plains. A total of
65 ridges and 50 depressions have been identified in the region. All
ridges and depressions are characterized by one feature - distribution
from southwest to northeast. The territory of the region contains the
highest and lowest altitudes above sea level of the entire
Transbaikalia. The first is 3073 m, the peak of the BAM, the second is
292 m, located in the Amur valley.
In eastern Transbaikalia, six
geomorphological regions are distinguished: the northern highlands, the
Vitim Plateau, the Transbaikal Middle Mountains, the Khentey-Daurian
Highlands and the Uldza-Torey High Plain.
More than 40,000 watercourses flow through the region. 98-99% of them
are rivers and streams less than 25 km long. The largest (more than 500
km long) are the main 14 rivers, five of which are entirely located on
the territory of the region - Gazimur, Ingoda, Kalar, Nercha and Shilka.
On the territory of the Trans-Baikal Territory, on the Yablonovy
Ridge, there is a unique place in the world - Mount Pallas, from the
slopes of which there is a flow into three large rivers of Asia: the
Yenisei (via Selenga and Baikal), Lena and Amur. The Trans-Baikal
Territory is entirely located in the basins of the Yenisei, Lena and
Amur.
Near Chita there is the Ivano-Arakhlei system of lakes.
The climate of the region, like most of Eastern Siberia, is sharply
continental with insufficient precipitation.
In the Trans-Baikal
Territory, the Kalarsky, Tungiro-Olyokminsky and Tungokochensky
districts are equated to the regions of the Far North.
Winter is
long (long) and harsh, with little snow, with a large number of clear
days; the average January temperature is −19.7 (−21) °C in the south and
−37.5 °C in the north, and in some years the monthly average in January
can go below -42°, and below -39° in December and February. The absolute
minimum is −64 °C - recorded at the mine named after the XI Years of
October in the Kalarsky district. Transition seasons (spring and autumn)
are short. Spring is cold, dry, windy. Summer is short and warm
(sometimes hot) - dry in the first half and humid in the second.
Variations in daily and annual temperatures are large, in some areas the
annual range is 94 °C or more. The average July temperature is +13 °C in
the north (as well as on the plains) to +20.7 °C in the south (up to +21
°C in the mountains), the absolute maximum is +42 °C - recorded in the
village of Novo-Tsurukhaituy, Priargunsky district , in June 2010, the
temperature in the south of the region in some places reached almost
+43°, and even in the north reached +38.4°, in Sretensk for the first
time rising to +41.3°. The frost-free period averages 80-140 days.
Autumn is warm. Another characteristic feature of the climate is the
significant duration of sunshine per year. Thus, in Sochi the average
annual number of hours of sunshine is 2154 hours; The number of hours of
sunshine in the region ranges from 1873 to 2592 per year, and in Borza -
2797 hours, which is 529 hours higher than the sunniest year of 2014 in
the ETR Center.
Precipitation ranges from 200–300 (in the south
and steppe regions; 350–450 mm in mountain taiga) to 600 millimeters (in
the north) per year, most of it falling in summer and autumn.
Trans-Baikal Territory is located in the MSC+6 time zone. The applied time offset relative to UTC is +9:00.
The region has large reserves of hard coal (more than 2 billion tons
- this is 2% of the total Russian reserves). The Apsat deposit alone has
proven reserves of 977 million tons. The total reserves of brown coal in
the region are 2.3 billion tons. Some types of coal produce flammable
gas, coke, synthetic gasoline and humates. The iron ore reserves of the
Sulumat deposit amount to more than 650 million tons.
According
to the Roskomnedra report for 1995, significant reserves of silver
(16%), copper (21%), gold (43%), and fluorspar (fluorite) - 38% are
concentrated in eastern Transbaikalia. In the Trans-Baikal Territory,
copper reserves exceed 24 million tons. Tungsten resources are estimated
by Chita geologists at 300 thousand tons, and tin resources in the
southern part of the region alone - at 100 thousand tons.
Also in
the Trans-Baikal Territory there are three mineragenic zones for the
extraction of antimony (100 thousand tons). Lithium resources are
estimated at 180 thousand tons. Reserves of tantalum, niobium and zircon
amount to 744 million tons. The total predicted resources of germanium
are estimated at 500 thousand tons.
Eastern Transbaikalia has
uranium resources of hundreds of thousands of tons. Reserves at the
Berezovoye deposit in category C2 amount to 3.05 million tons of ore and
3,481 tons of uranium with an average uranium content in ore of 0.114%.
At the same time, the predicted uranium resources in the P1 category are
500 tons.
The reserves of the Gornoye deposit in category C1
amount to 394 thousand tons of ore and 1087 tons of uranium, in category
C2 - 1.77 million tons of ore and 4226 tons of uranium. The predicted
resources of the P1 category deposit are 4800 tons of uranium.
Reserves of the Olovskoye deposit in category B+C1 amount to 14.61
million tons of ore and 11,898 tons of uranium.
In September
2006, JSC TVEL received the right to develop the Argunskoye and
Zherlovoe uranium deposits.
On February 8, 2007, Techsnabexport
OJSC won the competition for the development of the Berezovoye and
Gornoye uranium deposits.
The region has huge reserves of
feldspathic raw materials (46.5 million cubic meters), refractory (5
million cubic meters) and refractory (50 million cubic meters) clays,
zeolites (more than 1 billion tons), graphite (165 million tons).
Forests in the Trans-Baikal Territory are mountainous in nature. The
area of forest land in 2006 was 34,048 thousand hectares. Of these,
29,443 thousand hectares are covered with forest vegetation and 1,236
thousand hectares of unforested land. The average forest cover of the
region is 67% and varies by region from 6% to 85%. Most of the logging
enterprises are located in Khiloksky, Mogochinsky and neighboring areas.
Forests occupy 68.3% of the region (34.1 million hectares or 341
thousand km²), the forest fund is 32.65 million hectares or 326.5
thousand km².
The main problem of the forest sector of the region
is the annual destruction of many thousands of hectares of forest by
natural fires. Between 2005 and 2013, an average of 500–600 forest fires
were recorded annually in the region. In 2014-2015, due to the inability
of the authorities to effectively resist the elements, more than 500
residential buildings, entire villages, economic facilities were
destroyed, as well as ammunition explosions in military units of the
Karymsky and Chita regions of the region.
After the collapse of
the USSR, illegal logging of valuable tree species caused serious damage
to forests in the Russian Far East; in 2014, exports to China amounted
to 83% of the total volume of timber exports. This has caused concern to
the World Wildlife Fund. 20 years of illegal logging have destroyed
stocks of commercially valuable timber, and they will not recover in the
foreseeable future; the destruction of forests deprives local residents
and indigenous peoples of the Russian Far East of their source of
existence.
Data obtained from the analysis of satellite images
objectively indicate significant damage caused to the forest fund from
2001 to 2019.
The soil cover of agricultural land is mainly represented by chernozem (32.5%) and chestnut (36.5%) soils. Chestnut soils are more common in the Aginsky region (62.7%). The most powerful and characteristic chernozems are distributed in the Mogoituy region - more than 60.5%. Gray forest soils, meadow-chestnut, meadow-swamp, solonchak, sod-taiga, sandy loam and loamy soils are also widespread. The soils of the Aginskaya steppe are generally quite fertile and, with the application of mineral and organic fertilizers and the correct processing system, can produce good and stable yields of grain and fodder crops.
The vegetation is characterized by larch forests, pine and birch
forests. Shrub thickets are common. The steppe areas are dominated by
leimus-fescue and cold wormwood steppes. The slopes of the hills are
occupied by leimus, chamomile, fescue, tansy, wheatgrass and feather
grass steppes. Along the river valleys, yellow lily, forb and foot-sedge
associations are common. On saline soils there are xiphoid-iris
communities.
The northern part of the Agin steppes is unusual
both in terms of relief and vegetation cover: the steppes are furrowed
by ridges of mountains and hills, alternating with rather narrow
valleys, and areas of steppe formations are sometimes replaced by
forests.
Forests are concentrated mainly in the northern and
western parts of the district and consist of a few species: Daurian
larch, Scots pine, Siberian cedar, Siberian spruce, Siberian fir,
flat-leaved birch and aspen.
Birch predominates in mixed forests.
Coniferous forests grow in the west, and in the Kunkur steppe grows the
island relict Tsasucheisky forest - “Tsyrik-Narasun” (pine army), where
the Krylov pine dominates. Rarely standing single trees, as in the
savannah, with a unique steppe community have no analogues in ordinary
steppes, so the pine forest must be preserved for future generations.
The undergrowth is formed by a few species: bush birch, Daurian
rhododendron, rose hips, black cotoneaster, meadowsweet, fieldfare, and
cinquefoil. There are red currants and often stoneberries, wild
strawberries, blueberries, lingonberries, marsh wild rosemary, and
honeysuckle.
In the mixed forests of the district there are more
than a hundred species of herbaceous plants, including many purely
steppe species.
Slopes of southern exposure are usually rocky
slopes of the mountains and hills of the Agin steppes, either completely
devoid of woody vegetation or covered with shrubs, mainly spirea, elm,
and Siberian apricot.
Single specimens on the hills include
buckthorn and Pallas's apple tree. Along the river valleys there are
bird cherry, hawthorn, ramus, laurel poplar, etc. In the northern part
there are small sedge swamps, which are completely absent in the
southern part.
The meadows are represented by chamomile,
pikulnik, and, less commonly, chive formations.
The predominant
plants of the district are adapted to a cold and dry climate, a short
growing season with no drought in mid-summer. Steppes are characterized
by sparse, low-growing grass with a powerfully developed root system.
There are many valuable plants growing in the district: medicinal,
technical, fodder, which must be used rationally.
The vegetation
of the district is rich and, according to new research, has more than
700-800 species.
The development of economic ties with China has
led to the emergence of new problems. Part of the cut down forest,
commercially less valuable, is abandoned on the spot, and during the
spring flood it can end up in rivers. At the same time, the issue of
locating Chinese pulp and paper enterprises, which are environmentally
unsafe, in the Russian Federation is being discussed. This has caused
concern to the World Wildlife Fund.
Chinese-owned sawmills and
timber yards play a key role in the spread of illegal logging (page 17).
Moreover, representatives of organized crime groups occupy not the last
place in this business.
The fauna of the Trans-Baikal region is represented by a combination
of Siberian taiga and steppe Mongolian fauna with a small proportion of
Manchurian species. Mammals are represented by about 8 dozen species,
including: moose, wapiti, wild boar, Siberian roe deer, brown bear, fox,
wolf, sable, common squirrel, white hare, weasel, and musk deer. Many
different species of birds: ducks, geese, cranes, woodpeckers, etc.
Some species are listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation,
including the gazelle, manul, tarbagan, Amur tiger, Daurian hedgehog,
bustard, steppe eagle, white-naped and black cranes, Siberian crane, and
demoiselle.
The dynamic development of trade relations with China
after the collapse of the USSR led to changes in the environmental
situation in the region. Rampant deforestation and poaching contribute
to the decline of rare animal species; and the main direction of
smuggling was the export of parts and derivatives.
Using the example of the Pribaikalsky district of Buryatia - Aginsky
Buryat district and the leadership of the Zabaikalsky Krai of the
Russian Federation are also planning to create tourism and reactionary
activities based on the example of:
On the territory of the
Pribaikalsky district, where the tourist and recreational special
economic zone (SEZ) "Baikal Harbor" has been created. The SEZ is planned
as an all-season world-class resort with a highly developed
infrastructure with an area of 700 km².
It is positioned as a
tourism center in the east of Russia, as well as a key destination and
object of the trans-border tourist route "Eastern Ring" for the
countries of Northeast Asia. By 2027, it is planned to have over 2
million arrivals per year, including 30% from and from the tourist civil
movement of citizens of the Russian Federation and Belarus and the CIS,
40% from the tourist movement from China and Mongolia, and 30% of the
tourist movement and from abroad in the form of tourists from Japan, the
USA, Australia and Canada.
Local authorities also focus on the
cultural heritage of the region, folk crafts common in Transbaikalia and
their conversion into economic products. Due to the ethnic diversity of
the region, the cultural and historical fund of the region is quite
rich. Some tourists are attracted by the ethnographic cultural component
of the region.
On the territory of the Chernyshevsky district in the Kulinda valley
there is a geological location of scaly and feathered dinosaurs, found
together for the first time in the world (compsognath, psittacosaurus,
kulindadromeus transbaikaliensis).
In 2010, the remains of a
predatory dinosaur, Compsognathus, were found in the Kulinda valley in
the district. In 2011, bones of herbivorous Psittacosaurus were added to
them. The age of the finds is from 170 to 145 million years. Based on
six partially preserved skulls and several hundred skeletal fragments, a
new species of feathered ornithischian dinosaur was described, named
Kulindadromeus Transbaikalian, which lived 160 million years ago.
Moreover, for the first time in the world, the remains of scaly and
feathered dinosaurs located together have been found. It is planned that
the Kulinda location will receive the status of a geological natural
monument.
According to Rosstat, the population of the region is 984,395 people (2024). The population density is 2.28 people / km2 (2024). Urban population - 70.39% (2022). The majority of the population lives in the southern and central regions of the region, the northern regions are sparsely populated.
The following peoples had a population of more than 1,000 people as
of 2010 (with a total population of 1,107,107 people):
Russians —
977,400 (89.9%)
Buryats — 73,941 (6.8%)
Ukrainians — 6,743 (0.6%)
Tatars — 5,857 (0.5%)
Armenians — 3,943 (0.3%)
Azerbaijanis —
2,045 (0.3%)
Kyrgyz — 1,634 (0.2%)
Belarusians — 1,544 (0.2%)
Uzbeks — 1,515 (0.2%)
Evenks — 1,387 (0.1%)
In 2022, local
authorities noted migration from the regions of Ukraine bordering
Russia. From February to June 2022, approximately 867 Ukrainians arrived
in the Zabaikalsky Krai.
According to Rosstat, for 2022, life expectancy was:
overall —
76.24 years
for men — 73.83 years (the lowest rate in Russia)
for
women — 78.65 years
The highest official is the Governor of the Zabaikalsky Krai, who is
also the Chairman of the Government of the Zabaikalsky Krai. The
Governor is elected by direct vote of citizens of the Russian Federation
registered in the territory of the Zabaikalsky Krai for a term of 5
years.
The representative authority is the Legislative Assembly,
which consists of 50 deputies elected for 5 years.
The executive
authority is the Government of the Zabaikalsky Krai, which is headed by
the Governor.
On February 5, 2008, the first Governor of the
Zabaikalsky Krai, Ravil Geniatulin, was approved by the deputies of the
Chita Regional Duma and the Aginsky Okrug Duma.
On October 12,
2008, elections of deputies of the Legislative Assembly of the
Zabaikalsky Krai of the first convocation were held. 25 of the 50
deputies were elected by party lists, 20 by single-mandate
constituencies, and five by the multi-mandate Aginsky constituency.
Following the election results, United Russia won, taking 39 out of 50
seats in parliament. The Communist Party of the Russian Federation is
represented in the Legislative Assembly by 5 deputies, the Liberal
Democratic Party of Russia by three, A Just Russia received two
mandates, but subsequently two more deputies joined its parliamentary
faction (independent deputy Svetlana Baranova and Tsyrendorzhi Damdinov,
who transferred from the United Russia faction).
On the eve of
the expiration of Ravil Geniatulin's term of office, on February 28,
2013, Konstantin Ilkovsky was appointed acting governor of the
Zabaikalsky Krai by decree of the President of the Russian Federation.
Following the results of the elections held on September 8, 2013,
Konstantin Ilkovsky retained the post of head of the Zabaikalsky Krai.
And already on September 18, he officially took office as governor of
the Zabaikalsky Krai. He voluntarily resigned on February 17, 2016.
Since February 17, 2016, Natalya Nikolaevna Zhdanova was appointed
Acting Governor, elected on September 18, 2016.
On September 8,
2019, a new governor, Alexander Mikhailovich Osipov, was elected.
Since April 2020, Evsey Vladimirovich Vasiliev has been appointed
Chief Federal Inspector of the Territory.
Currently, over 15,000 teachers work in secondary schools in the
region, of which about 10,000 people have higher pedagogical education,
more than 350 have the honorary title of "Honored School Teacher of the
Russian Federation". The Ministry of Education of the region is
responsible for 11 universities and branches, 6 secondary specialized
educational institutions and 22 vocational schools, schools, preschool
institutions, institutions of additional education, an institute for
advanced training, etc.
In 2006, about 7,000 people received
higher education in three universities of the region (ZabSU, ZabGGPU and
ChSMA) and 8 branches of universities.
Trans-Baikal State University (formerly ChPI, ZabGGPU, ChitSTU,
ChitSU, ZabSU)
Chita State Medical Academy (ChSMA)
Chita Institute
of Baikal State University (ChIBSU)
Trans-Baikal Institute of Railway
Transport (formerly KhabIIZhT, ZabIZhT)
Trans-Baikal Institute of
Entrepreneurship of the Siberian University of Consumer Cooperatives
(ZIPSUK)
Trans-Baikal Agrarian Institute, a branch of the Federal
State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education "Irkutsk
State Agrarian University named after A. A. Ezhevsky" (ZabAI)
Trans-Baikal Complex Research Institute (ZabKNII).
Trans-Baikal
Research Institute of Agriculture SB RAS (ZabNIISKhOz SB RAS).
Institute of Natural Resources, Ecology and Cryology SB RAS (IPREC SB
RAS).
Trans-Baikal branch of the Russian Geographical Society.
Eastern branch of the Federal State Unitary Enterprise "Russian Research
Institute for Complex Use and Protection of Water Resources"
(VostokNIIVH).
Chita branch of the All-Russian Mineralogical Society
of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
Trans-Baikal College of Arts.
Chita Agricultural College.
Chita
College of Railway Transport (ChTZhT).
Chita College of Industry
Technologies and Business.
Nerchinsk Agricultural College
Transbaikal Mining College named after M. I. Agoshkov (ZabGK named
after M. I. Agoshkov).
Transbaikal State College.
NOU "Computer
College".
Chita Pedagogical College.
Chita Polytechnic
College.(ChPTK)
Chita Medical College.
Pedagogical College of the
city of Sretensk.
Transbaikal Regional School of Culture.
Chita Suvorov Military
School of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia.
As of January 1, 2006, there were 129 hospitals, 7 dispensaries, 69 polyclinics, 68 ambulance stations and departments, 494 feldsher-midwife stations in the Zabaikalsky Krai, employing more than 5,000 doctors with higher medical education and more than 10,000 medical workers with secondary specialized medical education.
As of January 1, 2006, there were over 1,500 cultural, art and cinematography institutions operating in Zabaikalsky Krai, employing over 5,000 people.
According to the Roskomnedra report for 1995, significant reserves of silver (16%), copper (21%), and fluorspar (fluorite) — 38% are concentrated in eastern Zabaikalsky Krai. The region has large reserves of coal (over 2 billion tons — 2% of the Russian total). The explored reserves of the Apsatsky deposit alone amount to 977 million tons. The total reserves of brown coal in the region amount to 2.3 billion tons. Combustible gas, coke, synthetic gasoline and humates are obtained from some types of coal. The iron ore reserves of the Sulumatsky deposit amount to over 650 million tons. Copper reserves in Zabaikalsky Krai exceed 24 million tons. Chita geologists estimate tungsten resources at 300 thousand tons, and tin in the southern part of the region alone at 100 thousand tons. Also in the Transbaikal Territory, there are three mineragenic zones for the extraction of antimony (100 thousand tons). Lithium resources are estimated at 180 thousand tons. Tantalum, niobium and zircon reserves amount to 744 million tons. The total predicted germanium resources are estimated at 500 thousand tons. Eastern Transbaikalia has uranium resources of hundreds of thousands of tons. The region has huge reserves of feldspar raw materials (46.5 million cubic meters), refractory (5 million cubic meters) and refractory (50 million cubic meters) clays, zeolites (more than 1 billion tons), graphite (165 million tons).
As of January 1, 2022, the rural population was 326.8 thousand
people, 31.3% of the population of the Zabaykalsky Krai.
The
value of agricultural production in 2019 was 22.5 billion rubles,
including crop production - 5.8 billion rubles, livestock - 16.7 billion
rubles. The crop production index is 85.7%, livestock - 99.7%. In 2021,
the value of production was 24.9 billion rubles, including crop
production - 6.8 billion rubles, livestock - 18.1 billion rubles. The
crop production index is 96.9%, livestock - 98.4%.
The
development of the territory is low; the area of agricultural land
is 7.6 million hectares (17.7% of the territory), arable land is 0.2
million hectares. In 2022, 42 thousand hectares of fallow lands were put
into circulation, with another 30 thousand hectares planned for 2023.
The area under grain crops occupies 70% (mainly wheat, oats and
buckwheat), flax, spring rape, forage crops, potatoes, open ground and
greenhouse vegetables are grown. The varieties that received the highest
indicators in these soil and climatic conditions were selected.
Rapid development of horse breeding, developed meat and dairy cattle
breeding, fine-wool sheep breeding, pig farming and poultry farming; in
the north and in the taiga regions - hunting.
Livestock As of
January 1, 2021, all categories of farms in the Zabaikalsky Krai
contained 455.9 thousand (+1.9 thousand) heads of cattle, including
187.9 thousand cows (+4.1 thousand), 445.7 thousand heads of sheep and
goats (-22.9 thousand), 65.8 thousand pigs (-5.6 thousand), 102.7
thousand horses (+3.8 thousand), 428.5 thousand heads of poultry (-31.1
thousand).
Before the start of the winter period of 2021-2022,
all categories of farms had 458 thousand heads of cattle, 467 thousand
sheep and goats, 102 thousand horses. Over 1 million tons of hay have
been prepared for wintering, which is 1.2% higher than the need.
The Transbaikal Breeding Center for Livestock Breeding stores
biomaterial from breeding bulls of the Holstein-Friesian, Simmental,
Jersey, Red-and-White, Galloway, Hereford, Aberdeen Angus, and Limousin
breeds.
Crop production In 2021, the gross harvest of grain crops
amounted to 163 thousand tons (+52 thousand tons), the yield was 13.8
centners per hectare. Including the gross harvest of wheat - 76.6
thousand tons (+12.4 thousand tons, yield of 15.5 c/ha), oats - 77.5
thousand tons (+35.2 thousand tons, yield of 18.2 c/ha, area of 42,500
hectares increased from 31,400 hectares, yield in Aleksandrovo-Zavodsky
district 26.2 c/ha), buckwheat - 4.7 thousand tons (+2.3 thousand tons,
yield of 13.1 c/ha, area of 3,600 hectares, leaders Priargunsky and
Krasnokamensky districts), barley - 3.8 thousand tons (+2.3 thousand
tons, yield of 14.1 c/ha, area of 2,700 hectares increased from 1,400
hectares), triticale - 207 tons (+105 tons, yield of 14.0 c/ha). The
gross flax harvest is 1,145 tons (+425 tons), with a yield of 6.2 c/ha
(-0.8 c/ha). The leaders are Uletovsky, Nerchinsko-Zavodsky, Chitinsky
districts. 16.7 thousand tons of oilseeds were obtained from spring
rape, with a yield of 7.8 c/ha. 21.3 thousand hectares have been
threshed, 2.6 thousand hectares remain to be harvested.
Open-ground vegetables in 2021 in agricultural organizations were
harvested on an area of 129 hectares. 2,294 tons were harvested, with
an average yield of 178 c/ha. 1,500 tons of cucumbers, 642 tons of
tomatoes, 88 tons of other vegetables were grown in greenhouse
complexes. The area under open-ground vegetables in 2022 was 132
hectares (+15%), the main crops are white cabbage and cauliflower,
beetroot, carrots, and onions.
The potato harvest in 2021 was
8,700 tons from 756 hectares of sown area, and in 2022 - 9,200 tons from
799 hectares. The average yield was the same in both years - 115 c/ha.
Agricultural land resources In Transbaikalia, the area of unused
arable land exceeds 1 million hectares. In 2021, 22 thousand hectares of
fallow land were put into circulation. In 2022, agricultural
organizations intend to put 42 thousand hectares of unused arable land
into circulation.
In 2006, the sown area of agricultural crops
in the region occupied 278 thousand hectares. Of these, 211 thousand
hectares were occupied by grain crops, 4,700 hectares by industrial
crops, 28,600 hectares by potatoes and 33,700 hectares by forage crops.
As of the beginning of 2019, seven large thermal power plants, as well as 23 small diesel power plants (DPP) and one solar power plant with a total capacity of 1,596.3 MW were operating in the Zabaikalsky Krai. In 2018, they produced 7,183 million kWh of electricity. In November-December 2019, the Balei and Orlovsky GOK solar power plants with a total capacity of 30 MW were put into operation.
Since the 17th century, Orthodoxy came to the region with the
settlement of the Russian population. At that time, after the church
schism, Old Believers also settled in Transbaikalia. In the second half
of the 18th century, exiled Old Believers-Semeyskie began to settle in
the southwestern part of the territory of the modern Transbaikal
Territory along the Chikoy River.
The first Orthodox Church -
Voskresenskaya, was built in 1670 in the Nerchinsk prison. The
independent Transbaikal Diocese was formed in 1894.
Protestantism
and other Christian movements appeared in Transbaikalia relatively late.
In 1741, a decree was issued by Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, approving the staffing schedule of the Buryat Buddhist clergy. Lamas were sworn in, and Buddhism became one of the official religions of the Russian Empire. The first datsan in the region was Tsugolsky, built in the village of Tsugol in 1801.
The traditional folk belief of one of the indigenous peoples of Transbaikalia, the Evenks, is shamanism.
Followers of Judaism and Islam also live in the region.