Stand on Railway Square and the Kazansky Orthodox Cathedral is the first thing you see, its white walls and curved domes rising straight out of the traffic and the trolleybus wires. Chita is a working Siberian city on the Trans-Siberian line, and it does not perform for visitors. What it offers instead is a handful of genuinely distinctive places, a strong Decembrist story, and a Buddhist temple that most travellers passing through on the railway never get off to see.
This guide suits people who are breaking a Trans-Siberian journey, or who are already in Zabaykalsky Krai and want to understand the city rather than tick it off. It is not a long list. Chita rewards a slow half-day more than a rushed one.
Below are the places worth your time, followed by a plan for a single day and answers to the questions travellers ask most.
Top things to do in Chita
1. Kazansky Orthodox Cathedral
This is the cathedral on Railway Square, built in the Vladimir-Suzdal architectural style, and it is the natural starting point for a visit because it sits right where you arrive. The style is the draw: rather than the heavy Siberian baroque you might expect, you get the older, cleaner lines of central Russian church building.
Come here first, on foot, straight off the train or out of your hotel, since the address is Butina str., 6 on Railway Square. It also works as your orientation point for the rest of the day, because the trolleybuses you will need for the other sights leave from this square.
2. Museum Church of Decembrists
The Museum Church of Decembrists on Dekabristov str., 3 is the place that gives Chita its historical weight. The Decembrists were exiled to this region after the 1825 uprising, and this church and its museum collection are where that story is told in the city itself.
To get there, take trolleybus No. 1 or No. 3 from Railway Square and get off at the stop for Магазин Весна. Pair it with the cathedral at the start of your day, since both are reached from the same square.
3. Chita's datsan
Chita's datsan on Bogomyakova str., 72 is a large Buddhist temple, and it is the sight that sets Chita apart from almost anywhere else on the Trans-Siberian route. Buryat Buddhist culture is part of this region, and seeing a full temple complex here makes the city's position between Siberia, Mongolia and China concrete rather than abstract.
Because it sits away from the centre, treat it as its own outing rather than something to squeeze between two other stops. Give it the time it deserves and build the rest of your day around it.
If you only have one day
Morning. Start at the Kazansky Orthodox Cathedral on Railway Square, which is where you will most likely have arrived anyway. Take your time with the exterior before the day gets going.
Afternoon. From Railway Square, take trolleybus No. 1 or No. 3 to the Магазин Весна stop and visit the Museum Church of Decembrists on Dekabristov str., 3. This is the historical core of a day in Chita, so do not rush it.
Evening. Finish at Chita's datsan on Bogomyakova str., 72. It is the furthest of the three from the centre, so leaving it last keeps your morning and afternoon compact and gives the temple the quiet end of the day.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get to the Museum Church of Decembrists?
Take trolleybus No. 1 or No. 3 from Railway Square and get off at the Магазин Весна stop. The museum is on Dekabristov str., 3.
Where is the Kazansky Orthodox Cathedral?
It is at Butina str., 6, on Railway Square, which makes it the easiest sight in Chita to reach on arrival.
Is there a Buddhist temple in Chita?
Yes. Chita's datsan is a large Buddhist temple at Bogomyakova str., 72.
Can I see the main sights in one day?
Yes. The cathedral, the Museum Church of Decembrists and Chita's datsan can be strung together in a single day, using trolleybus No. 1 or No. 3 from Railway Square for the museum.
Work out your arrival on the Trans-Siberian line, then build the day around Railway Square and the trolleybus routes that leave it.