Elista facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Elista (English)Элиста (Russian) Элст (Kalmyk) Stepnoy (Степно́й) (Former name) |
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| - City - | |
 Golden Temple, Echo Monument, Monument to Oka Gorodovikov, Stupa of enlightenment, Golden Door |
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| Administrative status | |
| Country | Russia |
| Federal subject | Kalmykia |
| Administratively subordinated to | City of Elista |
| Capital of | Republic of Kalmykia |
| Municipal status | |
| Urban okrug | Elista Urban Okrug |
| Leader | Shafran Tepshinov (acting) |
| Statistics | |
| Population (2010 Census, preliminary) |
103,749 inhabitants |
| - Rank in 2010 | 156th |
| Time zone | MSK (UTC+04:00) |
| Founded | 1865 |
| Dialing code(s) | +7 84722 |
| Official website: http://www.gorod-elista.ru/ | |
Elista is the capital city of the Republic of Kalmykia, a region in Russia. Its name comes from the Kalmyk word els(e)n, which means 'sandy'.
From 1944 to 1957, the city was known as Stepnoy. Today, Elista is a unique place known for its strong Buddhist culture.
Contents
History of Elista
Elista began as a small settlement in 1865. In November 1920, it became an important administrative center for the Kalmyk region.
By the early 1930s, Elista grew into a small city. This happened because of new government policies. Many Kalmyk people, who traditionally moved around with their animals, started living in cities.
In October 1935, Elista was officially named the capital of the Kalmyk ASSR. This was an important step for the city.
World War II and its Impact
During World War II, in late 1942, the German army briefly took over Elista. After this, the Kalmyk people faced a very difficult time.
On December 27, 1943, the Kalmyk ASSR was dissolved. Many Kalmyk residents were forced to leave their homes. They were sent far away to Siberia.
Russian people then moved into Elista to live there. The city's name was changed to Stepnoy. It stayed Stepnoy until 1957.
In 1957, the Kalmyk people who had survived were allowed to come back home. The city's name was changed back to Elista.
Modern Elista
Since the mid-1990s, Elista has started to welcome visitors from other countries. It became more famous after hosting the 1998 Chess Olympiad.
The city is generally safe and does not have much traffic. Around Elista, you can see huge, open grasslands.
Geography and Climate
Elista is located in an area with rolling hills called the Yergeni hills. It sits in the upper part of the Elista river valley.
The Elista river starts in the western part of the city. It flows through the city from west to east. This divides Elista into two parts: a larger northern section and a smaller southern one.
Elista's Weather
Elista has a climate with hot summers and cold winters. It is sometimes described as a temperate semi-arid climate. This means it can be quite dry.
In January, the average high temperature is about -1.1°C (30°F). In July, the average high is around 32.2°C (90°F).
The city gets about 349 millimeters (13.7 inches) of rain each year. Winters are usually drier than summers.
The coldest temperature ever recorded was -34.0°C (-29.2°F) in January 1935. The hottest was 43.3°C (109.9°F) in July 2011.
| Climate data for Elista (1991-2020, extremes 1927-present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 14.5 (58.1) |
17.6 (63.7) |
22.6 (72.7) |
32.1 (89.8) |
37.2 (99.0) |
39.8 (103.6) |
43.3 (109.9) |
42.9 (109.2) |
38.7 (101.7) |
32.7 (90.9) |
23.5 (74.3) |
18.1 (64.6) |
43.3 (109.9) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −1.1 (30.0) |
0.2 (32.4) |
7.3 (45.1) |
16.1 (61.0) |
23.2 (73.8) |
29.1 (84.4) |
32.2 (90.0) |
31.4 (88.5) |
24.1 (75.4) |
15.5 (59.9) |
5.8 (42.4) |
0.6 (33.1) |
15.4 (59.7) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −3.9 (25.0) |
−3.3 (26.1) |
2.4 (36.3) |
10.2 (50.4) |
17.0 (62.6) |
22.5 (72.5) |
25.4 (77.7) |
24.5 (76.1) |
17.6 (63.7) |
10.3 (50.5) |
2.3 (36.1) |
−2.3 (27.9) |
10.2 (50.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −6.3 (20.7) |
−6.1 (21.0) |
−1.2 (29.8) |
5.3 (41.5) |
11.5 (52.7) |
16.5 (61.7) |
19.1 (66.4) |
18.1 (64.6) |
12.1 (53.8) |
6.2 (43.2) |
0.4 (32.7) |
−4.6 (23.7) |
5.9 (42.7) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −34.0 (−29.2) |
−32.0 (−25.6) |
−27.2 (−17.0) |
−11.2 (11.8) |
−1.3 (29.7) |
3.3 (37.9) |
7.8 (46.0) |
4.6 (40.3) |
−3.2 (26.2) |
−14.7 (5.5) |
−27.7 (−17.9) |
−30.2 (−22.4) |
−34.0 (−29.2) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 25 (1.0) |
22 (0.9) |
32 (1.3) |
31 (1.2) |
48 (1.9) |
41 (1.6) |
37 (1.5) |
24 (0.9) |
34 (1.3) |
35 (1.4) |
30 (1.2) |
31 (1.2) |
390 (15.4) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 7 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 67 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 89 | 86 | 78 | 67 | 62 | 54 | 50 | 48 | 61 | 75 | 86 | 91 | 71 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 71 | 88 | 131 | 201 | 277 | 300 | 326 | 299 | 237 | 167 | 71 | 42 | 2,210 |
| Source 1: Pogoda.ru | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: NOAA (sun, 1961–1990) | |||||||||||||
City Administration
Elista is the capital city of the Republic of Kalmykia. This means it is the main city where the government of the republic is located.
It is also an important administrative unit. It is known as the "City of Elista" and has a special status, similar to a district.
Interesting Features of Elista
Since 1991, Elista has seen many changes. Some older buildings from the Soviet era have slowly decayed. At the same time, new, large projects have been built. These projects were started by the republic's former president, Kirsan Ilyumzhinov.
The city center has many parks that have been updated. They are located around the main square. Here, you can see statues of both Vladimir Lenin and the Gautama Buddha.
East of the city is the Olympic village from the 1998 Chess Olympiad. This area is known as "Chess City". It has a public swimming pool and a museum. The museum displays Kalmyk Buddhist art and is sometimes used for meetings.
In 1998, the 14th Dalai Lama visited Elista. He chose a spot west of the city center for a new Buddhist temple. This temple, called the Burkhan Bakshin Altan Sume, opened in December 2005. It is the largest Buddhist temple in Europe.
Getting Around Elista
Elista has a small regional airport. It has flights to Moscow and other cities in southern Russia.
Traveling by bus between Elista and Moscow is also popular. The bus trip takes about 18 hours. It includes several stops for rest.
Inside Elista, most people use marshrutkas. These are small minibuses run by private companies. They are very affordable, costing only 10 rubles. You can find them every few minutes.
Population of Elista
Elista is home to over 100,000 people.
Here's a look at the different groups of people living in Elista, based on 2021 data:
Sister Cities
Elista has "sister city" relationships with other cities around the world. This means they share cultural and friendly ties.
Aktau, Kazakhstan
Khoni, Georgia
Kyzyl, Russia
Lhasa, China
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia- Ulan-Ude, Russia
Sports in Elista
Elista once had a motorcycle speedway team called Typhoon Elista. They competed in the Soviet Union Championship from 1967 to 1991. The team raced at the Elista Motordrome. After the Soviet Union broke up, the team stopped playing.
Images for kids
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Elista's Pushkin Street on a 1961 stamp
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Geden Sheddup Choikorling Monastery
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The Golden Temple
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Elista's Chess City
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Playing chess near the Seven Days Pagoda, Elista
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See also
In Spanish: Elistá para niños
