Chita, Russia

Capital City

With a population of 333,159, Chita is a gritty, industrial hub on the Trans-Siberian Railway. The winters are brutally cold and dry, while bureaucracy is a persistent headache. Chita's origins as a penal colony for Decembrist revolutionaries linger, though it has since become an important transport and industrial center. This rugged, no-frills Siberian outpost is best suited for hardy, practical-minded souls undaunted by a harsh climate and Soviet-era red tape.