As people walk past, they stop and stare at the servicemen. Some of them take selfies.
There's a good reason why the soldiers aren't moving a muscle. They're made of ice.
Chita lies 3,000 miles (4,830km) east of Moscow. The local authorities decided that militarised ice sculptures would be an appropriate decoration for this festive season; a way of encouraging a patriotic new year. Most of the people I talk to on the square approve.
