Chebarkul


Chebarkul is a town in Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia, located on the shores of Lake Chebarkul, west of Chelyabinsk, the administrative center of the oblast. Population:

Etymology

The name of the town derives from the Bashkir/Tatar words meaning "a particolored lake".

History

Founded in 1736 as a fortress on the border between Russian and Bashkir lands, it later grew into a large Cossack stanitsa. The fortress was founded with the permission of Bashkir Tarkhan Taymas Shaimov, who was the owner of these lands. Town status was granted to it on October 25, 1951.

2013 meteor event

In February 2013, a meteor exploded in earth's atmosphere and a part of it fell into Lake Chebarkul causing a wide hole in the ice covering the lake.

Administrative and municipal status

Within the framework of administrative divisions, Chebarkul serves as the administrative center of Chebarkulsky District, even though it is not a part of it. As an administrative division, it is incorporated separately as the Town of Chebarkul—an administrative unit with the status equal to that of the districts. As a municipal division, the Town of Chebarkul is incorporated as Chebarkulsky Urban Okrug.