Ulan-Ude
Ulan-Ude is the capital of Buryatia Republic, lies in Western Zabaykalye, hundred kilometers away to the East of Lake Baikal within the bounds of Ivolgino-Udinskaya Valley, at the confluence of th Selenga and Uda Rivers.
Ulan-Ude is a city in Russia, the capital of Buryatia Republic.
Ulan-Ude it is quite a unique place located at the junction of the East and the West with mixed cultures and unique historical and cultural heritage.[1]
Ulan-Ude is the center of Buddhism in Russia. Buddhism and nature are the main tourist attractions associated with Ulan-Ude. Datsans (Buddhist university monasteries) set themselves the task of attracting not only deeply religious followers, but also those who are just interested in religion. Tourist excursions to Lake Baikal are sent from Ulan-Ude on a regular basis. It is an important cultural center for Buddhists of Russia. However, it is interesting not only as a religious building.
The name of Ulan-Ude literally means “Red Uda”: “Ulaan” in Buryat means “red”, “Yde” is the Buryat name of the Uda River. The coat of arms of Ulan-Ude is the historical coat of arms of the town of Verkhneudinsk (renamed Ulan-Ude in 1934), approved in 1790 with the following description: “In the golden field, Mercury’s rod and cornucopia as a sign that great bargaining is taking place in this town.”
The climate of the city is sharply continental, arid, which is explained by its remoteness from large bodies of water (in particular, Lake Baikal is blocked by the mountain ranges of Khamar-Daban and Ulan-Burgasy), the location of the city in an intermountain basin in the center of the vast Eurasian continent.
The main branches of the local industry are mechanical engineering and metalworking, electric power engineering, forestry, woodworking and pulp and paper industries, nonferrous metallurgy, fuel and food industries. The helicopter building plant in Ulan-Ude is one of the largest in Russia.
Top attractions of the City:
1) Datsan “Rinpoche Bagsha”. Buddhism, the religion of the indigenous population of Buryatia, is widespread in this region. Therefore, Ulan-Ude has several important Buddhist religious buildings that are interesting for tourists. The datsan “Rinpoche Bagsha”, built with the blessing of the Dalai Lama in 2000, is one of them. The Buddhist center is located in the district Lysaya Gora on the outskirts of the city (Streletskaya Street, 1).
2)Monument to Lenin in Ulan-Ude. The central square with the monument to Lenin installed on it is a typical picture for a lot of Russian cities. But the monument to the leader of the world proletariat erected in Ulan-Ude is unique. On Sovetov Square you can see the giant head of Vladimir Lenin.
Installed for the centenary of Lenin in 1971, this monument almost immediately became the main symbol of Ulan-Ude. They say that the idea for such a monument was the image of Lenin’s profile on Soviet anniversary rubles. The bronze head of Lenin, a little less than 8 m high, is erected on a massive 6-meter granite pedestal.
3)Triumphal Arch “Tsar’s Gate”. The original wooden arch was erected in honor of Crown Prince Nikolai’s (future emperor Nicholas II) visit to this city in 1891. In 1936, it was destroyed. In 2006, the arch was restored according to the old project, but increased in size and made of stone. Today, it is 9 meters high and 14 meters wide. Lenina Street, near Buryat State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater.
4)Holy Odigitrievsky (Hodegetria) Cathedral (1741-1785) - the main Orthodox church of the city located in its center, on the bank of the Uda River. This architectural monument in the Siberian Baroque style is one of the oldest stone buildings in Ulan-Ude. The name of the cathedral comes from the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God Hodegetria. Lenina Street, 2.
5)National Museum of the History of Buryatia named after M.N. Khangalov - one of the oldest museums in Siberia. A lot of rare exhibits are on display here. There is a large collection dedicated to Buddhism. In the 1930s, when the Buryat datsans were closed, some of their relics ended up in this museum. Among the most valuable exhibits is the unique Atlas of Tibetan Medicine, as well as numerous other rare books, icons, and coins. The collections include not only Buryat art objects, but also exhibits from other countries - Japan, Nepal, China, Mongolia. Profsoyuznaya Street, 29.
6)Ethnographic Museum of the Peoples of Transbaikalia - an open-air museums in Russia with an area of 37 hectares. More than 40 architectural monuments and over 11 thousand exhibits are collected here. This museum is worth visiting for those who are interested in the history and traditions of Transbaikalia. The territory is divided into seven zones, each of which corresponds to different cultures. For example, there are Evenk, Buryat, and Old Believers expositions, as well as a complex of exhibits dedicated to urban life in the 19th-20th centuries. Microdistrict Verkhnyaya Berezovka.
7)Ivolginsky Datsan “Khambyn Khuree” - a historical and architectural monument located in the village of Verkhnyaya Ivolga, about 36 km west of Ulan-Ude. This datsan attracts Buddhist pilgrims who can attend khurals and other religious ceremonies. For other tourists, the complex can also be interesting: you can see picturesque Buddhist temples, visit a museum. Next to the datsan there is a stadium where competitions in traditional wrestling, archery, and other sports are held.
8) Lake Baikal - the deepest lake on Earth. Although it is located almost 140 km from Ulan-Ude, a lot of tourists decide to spend some time on the road to see this natural miracle. There are numerous hiking trails in the vicinity of the lake, and you can also explore it by boat. In summer you can sunbathe on clean beaches, in winter you can ski, skate, or drive snowmobiles.[2]
