Ulan-Ude

Republic of Buryatia

Republic of Buryatia is a subject of Russian Federation. The city of Ulan-Ude is the capital of the republic. It is bounded by Irkutsk region, the Republic of Tyva, Mongolia and Transbaikalian area. 

Geographical position: the Republic is located in central part of the Continent of Asia, in Eastern Siberia. It stretches from the West on the east between 98°40’ and 116°55’E longitude and from the north to the south between 57°15`N latitude and 49°55`N latitude. The republic is located 5532 km away Moscow, the capital of Russia. 

Relief

The Republic of Buryatia is a mountainous land. It occupies a considerable part of the south of Eastern Siberia. The area of mountains more than in 4 times exceeds the area occupied with lowlands. The lowest point is the level of the lake Baikal - 456 meters in a Pacific mark, and the highest one is the peak of Munku-Sardyk in East Sayan Mountains covered with glaciers. Munku-Sardyk is the highest mountain in Eastern Siberia; it is 3491 meters above sea level. 

Climate

Climate in Buryatia is sharply continental, with cold winter and hot summer. Winter is cold, with severe frosts and small quantity of snow. Spring is windy, with frosts and almost without any precipitations. Summer is short, with hot days and cool nights, with plentiful precipitations in July and August. Autumn comes imperceptibly, without sharp change of weather. The average summer temperature is + 18,5°C, in winter -22°C, and average annual temperature makes -1.6°C. Approximately 244 mm of precipitation is recorded per year. There are more 300 sunny days a year in Buryatia - 1900 - 2200 hours per year. Owing to the given indicator the republic does not concede, and sometimes it surpasses the southern regions of Russia. 

Flora and fauna

Buryatia is well known for its rich flora and fauna.
Flora of Buryatia is represented with a large number of relic and endemic species and vegetational communities. At present about 446 kinds of vertebrates, 348 species of birds, and 85 species of mammals inhabit the territory of Buryatia. 
The lake Baikal and the territory surrounding the lake are home for 2500 species of animals and plants. One tenth of them are endemic which can be found only in the lake Baikal. These include the nerpa, the symbol of the Baikal. Lake Baikal is home to the world’s only freshwater seal, and the mystery of how the nerpa came to Baikal still baffles scientists. 83 percents of the republic’s territory is covered by forest. Some of the animals, birds and fish species are considered to be rare and they are brought to the Red Book of Russia and Buryatia. Among them are the Baikal sturgeon, davatchan, Baikal taimen and tenchgolomyanka, etc. 

Mineral resources

On reserves and diversity of natural resources Buryatia takes one of the leading places in Russia. More than 700 deposits of various minerals can be found in its territory. 247 gold deposits (ore and placer) have been explored and developed. In the list of strategic mineral raw materials there are deposits of tungsten (7), uranium (13), polymetals (4), molybdenum (2), beryllium (2), tin (1) and aluminum (1). 10 deposits of brown and 4 black coal deposits the Gusinoozersk, Tugnui, Daban Gorkhon, Okino-Klyachevsk ones are intensively being exploited at present.There are also exist non-metallic minerals in the republic: fluor spar, asbestos, nephrite, apatite, phosphorite, graphite, and zeolite. Different deposits building materials – brick and ce-ramsite clays, sandy-gravely mixtures, building stones are disposed in the republic. Buryatia possesses 48% of balance stocks of Russia in zinc, 24% in lead, 37% in molybdenum, 27% in tungsten, 16% in fluor-spar and 15% in hrizotil-asbestos. 

History

V century B.C. — IV A.D. - the territory of modern Buryatia was inhabited with tribes of Huns. In 1206 Temudzhin known as Genghis Khan, has united the Mongolian tribes. The territory of Transbaikalye has been included into the Mongolian empire. In XIV-th century, after the disintegration of the hunnish state the tribes once living in the territory of present-day Buryatia were drawn into vortex of different ethnic formations. Three Mongolian states Halha-Mongolia, Southern Mongolia and Oirato-Dzhungarsky khanate have appeared. 

Transbaikalye in the structure of Halhi state

In 1639 the first Russians penetrated Transbaikalye. Maxim Perfilyev has started his way to “the land of brothers” (Buryats) and moving along the Vitim river reached the mouth of Tsipa River. In 1647 Ivan Pohabov, a boyar son, was sent to the shores of Lake Baikal. Being on friendly terms with Mongols, he has got to Urga. In 1689 the Nerchinsk agreement between Russia and Manchurian Tsinsky empire has been signed. The border along the river Argun between Russia and China has been established. In 1703 Buryatia under the agreement signed by Peter I, has become a part of the Moscow state. In 1851 Transbaikalye has been transformed to independent Transbaikalien area. 
In 1921 the Buryat-Mongolian Autonomous Oblast as a part of Far East Republic has been founded. On May, 30th, 1923 the Buryat-Mongolian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (with its capital in Verhneudinsk) as a part of the Russian Soviet Federal Socialist Republic has been formed. This date is considered to be date of the republic’s foundation. 

Population

Population of the republic makes 959,9 thousand people (2007) of more than 100 nationalties. The most numerous of them are Russians (67,8%), Buryats (27,8), Germans (1,6), Ukrainians (0,98), Tatars (0,83), Byelorussians, Evenks, Jews, etc. 

Administrative division

The republic consists of 6 cities, 21 administrative regions, 29 workers’ towns and 614 rural settlements. Settlements: Ulan-Ude, Ust-Barguzin, Severobajkalsk, Kizhinga, Gusinoozy-orsk, Turuntaevo, Kyakhta, Kabansk, Selenginsk, Sokol, Zakamensk, Barguzin, Zarechny, Kurumkan, Onokhoi, Sosnovo-Ozyorskoe, Taksimo, Zaigraevo, Bichura, Muhorshibir, Khorinsk, Nizhneangarsk, Kamensk, Kyren, Petropavlovka, Vydrino, Ivolginsk and Novoilyinsk. 

Industry

The leading branch of republic’s economy is the industrial one. More than 1600 enter-prises operate in this field. Approximately 147 large- and middle-scale enterprises form basic industrial potential and over 52,3 thousand of people work at these enterprises. Mechanical engineering and metal working, electric power industry, timber and wood-processing industry, pulp and paper industry, nonferrous metallurgy, fuel, food and light industry make a considerable part of the industry. Buryatia manufactures and exports the aviation machinery and equipment, bridge metal structures and constructions, wood and cellulose, woolen fabrics, building materials, electric equipment, canned meat, pasta products, alcohol products and many other goods and products. 
The major Buryat companies successfully operating in the market are JSC “Aviation Plant, JSC “Buryatzoloto”, JSC “Ulan-Ude Locomotive-Carriage Repair Plant”, JSC “Ulan-Udestalmost”, JSC “Baikal Timer Company”, JSC “Makbur”, JSC “Baikalfarm” and many others. 

Agriculture

The agricultural complex of Buryatia is represented with enterprises engaged in manufac-ture and processing of agricultural products. Over 9,8% of the republic’s population are in-volved in this sphere. The area of agricultural lands totals to 3,154 million hectares, including 847 thousand hectares of ploughed fields. The state agricultural enterprises occupy 8,7% of agricultural lands. 

State power

The constitution of Republic of Buryatia adopted Presidential governing. The President is the head of the executive power. The Legislative power is implemented by RB Narodny Khural. 

The city of ulan-ude

The city of Ulan-Ude is the capital of the Republic of Buryatia. It is located in the Western Transbaikalye, in the valley where the Uda River and the Selenga River meet each other, in 140 km from the lake Baikal. The city was founded in 1666 as a Cossack winter camp of Udinsky. Later, Udinsky ostrog was renamed into the city of Verkhneudinsk. In XIX century it was known as a trading center of Transbaikalye. The construction of the Trans-Siberian Railroad has brought a new impulse in the development of the city. In 1923 Verhneudinsk from a district city became the capital of the Buryat-Mongolian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, and in 1934 the All-Russian Central Executive Committee adopted the resolution on renaming Verkhneudinsk into Ulan-Ude. 
The city is rich in historical monuments. Today it is a large center of education, science and culture of the republic. The Buryat Center of Science (Siberian department) of the Russian Academy of Sciences with scientific research institutes is situated here. There are four state institutions of higher education, 11 branches of institutions of higher education from other cities of the Russian Federation, 24 colleges, the total number of students in which makes more than 40 thousand. 
The city of Ulan-Ude is the center of political and business activities of Republic of Buryatia. More than 377 thousand people, representatives of 100 nationalities peacefully live in it. People, who peacefully coexist and live in the city, profess different religions. Nowadays, together with the Orthodox churches the Buddhist datsans are restored and are under construction in the city. One can find Old Believers and Catholic churches in the city. 
Ulan-Ude is a large connecting link connecting Transbaikalye with Mongolia, China, countries of Asian-Pacific region. Nowadays, the role of Ulan-Ude as a linking unit between the center of Russia and the Far East of Russia through a network automobile and railways increases. The airport of Ulan-Ude has the status of the international one. Many companies, enterprises and organizations of different type of property successfully operate at the Buryat market. The major of them are Locomotive-Carriage-Repair Plant (LVRZ), Aviation Plants, Bridge Metal Structures Plant, Meat-Packing Plant, Pasta Factory, Confectionery Factory and some others. The industrial production index on city enterprises has made 110 percent in 2007. The production increase has been provided basically due to enterprises engaged in processing industry. The city of Ulan-Ude is the owner of special prizes of the All-Russia competition for the rank “Top city with all proper amenities in Russia”. The city is under construction and becomes more and more comfortable for townspeople residing and attractive to tourists. There are more than 20 hotels, tourist hostels, 140 enterprises of a small-business involved in tourist servicing. Owing to creation of a special economic zone of tourist-recreational type in the Republic of Buryatia the infrastructure of the capital will intensively develop, because the first impressions about Buryatia tourists will get in the city of Ulan-Ude. For the last years, the city is actively under construction: new modern business, leisure and large trading centers, polyclinics, kindergartens have been appeared. Considering the social importance of residential buildings the city authorities has developed a program of housing development in Ulan-Ude and has begun its implementation. The national project “Popular Habitation — to Citizens of Russia” has been realizing in the city. In 2007 the development and modernization of the plan of the city has been intensively carried on, about 160 th. sq.m. of living-space has been put into operation. In 2008, the planned volume totals to 200 thousand sq. m. At the expense of the city mortgage teachers, doctors, art workers, young experts and young families have the opportunity to get apartments. 
Since 1990 the city of Ulan-Ude enters into the list of historical cities of Russia: more than 200 historical monuments of history, culture and architecture are located at its territory. 
There are five professional theaters in Ulan-Ude: Buryat Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet, the Youth Art Drama Theater, Buryat State Academic Theater of Drama after Kh. Namsaraev, the State Russian Drama Theater after N. Bestuzhev, the Republican Puppet Theater “Ulger”. Six museums, among them Open-Air Ethnographical Museum at Verkhnyaya Berezovka, Buryat Circus, folk groups and ensembles and studios function in the city. 
The city of Ulan-Ude is a twin-city of 10 cities from Mongolia, China, Korea, Japan, etc. 

Brief summery: background and future

The city of Ulan-Ude, blown on free winds and praised by talented poets, has been founded more than three centuries ago and it is located on the fertile ground. The beneficial geographical position of the city situated at the confluence of the Selenga and Uda rivers promoted the city to be a quivering and pulsing heart of the Podlemorye, which makes a great impression on everyone by its unusual beauty... 
Many years ago the Great tea way ran across the city. Ulan-Ude, favorably and successfully settled down on crossing of transport roads, became a large connecting link between the cities and futures of humanity. That’s why it has been called “the major tourist gate” of Transbaikalye. At the beginning of the third millennium the capital of Buryatia has a good opportunity to become one of the tourist centers of Russia. At present, Ulan-Ude, founded in XVII century, as a military fortress, became a modern city. The word “fortress” has appeared in official documents for the first time in the XVII-th century and it meant “a private fortification”. 342 years ago, Russian Cossacks under the command of Cossack foreman Gavrila Lovtsov reached up the Uda River. In August of 1666, the Cossacks built a small winter camp. It was very simple constructions and consisted of one or two houses, surrounded by a high fence. Later, Cossacks started arriving in this place, after them the tradesmen and manufacturers came to the region. A small ostrog of Udinsk appeared at the place of winter camp. The exact date of its foundation is unknown. The choice of its location has been dictated by favorable natural and strategic conditions. The deep rivers provided water supply and the taiga gave building materials and fuel. The fertile land and rich pasture grounds, which were good for grain-growing, cattle-breeding, hunting attracted “free” people. The ostrog occupied very favorable position: the mountains protected this place from the north and the east. Rocky and abrupt breakages of made almost impossible for enemies to penetrate into ostrog. At that time the Mongolian attacks were frequently made. By 1684, Udinsky ostrog was a more developed type of Siberian fortress building than the winter camp. That was a usual, middle-sized sample of a five-tower ostrog, built in the form of walls, made of vertically erected and sharpened logs. With four corner towers and one “carriage-way” tower. By that time, the Udinsky ostrog had already been a very important point of the military defense system of Zabaikalye. 
In 1765, the town of Udinsk was renamed into Verkhneudinsk. In 1783 Verkhneudinsk got the status of a district (uezd) town. Iliinsk, Selenginsk and Kyakhta organs of self-administration were under its magistrate management. 
People from all these villages came to the town to legalize papers and do business. Annual rich fairs took place in the town. The trade turnover achieved then the significant volume – it was approximately 2 million rubles. In 1790 Verkhneudinsk had got its own emblem. The town before the 1-st half of the XIX century had carried out planning and building of Verkhneudinsk on the basis building traditions of the previous period. First of all, they were guided by principles of proportions of architectural details, width of cornices, height of buildings and windows. After revolutionary events of 1917 Verhneudinsk became the capital of the Buryat - Mongolian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. In 1934 the All-Russian Central Executive Committee adopted the resolution on renaming Verkhneudinsk into Ulan-ude (Red Uda). Favorable changes took place in the master plan construction of the town. In the end of the 20-es and the beginning of the 30-es the grew in its north-eastern part and the southern suburbs, about 30 new blocks appeared. In 1929, it was decided to build Dom Sovetov in the square in the Nagornaya part of the town. It was being build by the project of A.A. Olya, a Leningrad architect. The task of the municipal services was solved positively. A public bathhouse in Smolin Street was opened in 1932. The electric power station with the power of 750 kilowatt started working in 1933. During that period the public transport started to function, the automobile bridge through the Selenga River was constructed. The city of Ulan-Ude is fairly considered to be the center of culture and education of Eastern Siberia. Today, four institutions of higher education successfully function in the city: Buryat State University, Buryat Agricultural Academy, East-Siberian State Technological University – the major institution of higher education in Transbaikalye and East-Siberian Academy of Culture and Arts. 
The city is famous for its museums: the M. Khangalov Museum of History of Buryatia, the Ts. Sampilov Republican Museum of art, the Museum of Nature of Buryatia, the Museum of History of the City of Ulan-Ude, the Geological Museum, the Museum of Culture and Art of Buryatia. The Open-Air Ethnographical Museum at Verkhnyaya Berezovka is a favorable place for many citizens and tourists of the city. The museum introduces the guests to the history, everyday life, material culture of the Buryat, Russian, Evenk peoples, and Old Believers living in Buryatia. Ulan-Ude is a multinational city, people of many nationalities peacefully coexist and cooperate in the city: only presence of the national centers makes over 20 (among them - German, Azerbaijan, Armenian, Tatar, etc.). It is in Ulan-Ude that the spiritual administrations of the Traditional Buddhist Sangha of Russia, Russian Orthodox churches, Old Believers, Roman Catholic, Jewish, Moslem and other communities are headquartered. 
In the XXI century, the city of Ulan-Ude still remains to be one of the centers of business activity of region. Fifteen years ago, without any justification, it has been included in the list of the most valuable cities of Russia: there are more than 200 monuments of history and culture, architecture and town-planning in the city. Ulan-Ude of a new century is to be considered to be the center of old times and computerized modernity. 
Ulan-Ude reflects multinational cultures and beliefs of different peoples. The city enters the future with great plans, which means that the city will be developed, beautiful, green, clean and, certainly, it will be attractive to thousands of visitors of the capital.