The Republic of Bashkortostan (the capital is Ufa) is one of the sovereign states that make up the Russian Federation. The republic’s path to its current status was very difficult and long.
A bit of history
Back in the 16th century, the Bashkirs voluntarily became subjects of the Russian state. Many times they rebelled with arms in their hands against the infringement of their freedom stipulated during the accession to Russia, against social and national oppression. The revolution that took place in February 1917 caused a popular movement in the region. It was aimed at acquiring territorial autonomy. This movement was led by A.Z. Validov.
Already during the power of the Soviets, in December 1917, the All-Bashkir Constituent Congress (Kurultai) approved the idea of autonomy. The first Bashkir government was elected at it. However, a civil war began, and only in the spring of 1919 it became possible to implement this idea. The Bashkir government, leaning towards the red and the white, reached an agreement with the Soviet government on the formation of the Autonomous Bashkir Soviet Republic, which became part of Russia. On March 23, a message about this agreement was released. Since then, this day has been considered the birthday of the Bashkir Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic.
The rapid social, economic and cultural development of the region began shortly after the formation of the autonomous republic. The impressive achievements of its population are undeniable. Even from the UN rostrum it was spoken about them. It is also indisputable that the statehood of the various peoples of the USSR, solemnly proclaimed, was emasculated under conditions of totalitarianism. It turned out to be decorative.
Road to independence
The road to independence for the former autonomies was opened by the democratic transformations carried out in recent years. For Bashkiria, the holiday was October 11, 1990. It was then that an important document was adopted - the Declaration on State Sovereignty of this republic. The first President of Bashkortostan (Murtaza Rakhimov became him) was elected in accordance with the new Constitution. The Supreme Council was transformed into a state bicameral Assembly. His elections were held on March 5, 1995. Today, relations between this region and Russia are built on the basis of the Federal Agreement concluded between them. The President of Bashkortostan is Rustem Khamitov. He has been in this position since 2010. The government of Bashkortostan is subordinate to it. This is the main executive body of the republic.
Anthem of Bashkortostan
It was approved on September 18, 2008 and is one of the symbols of this republic. The anthem of Bashkortostan is performed at the closing and opening of ceremonial meetings and meetings dedicated to public holidays of the Russian Federation and Bashkortostan, upon taking office of the head of the republic and other important events. The authors of the words in the Bashkir language are Rashit Shakur and Ravil Bikbaev. Translation into Russian was carried out by Svetlana Churaeva and Farit Idrisov. The latter is also the author of music.
Coat of arms of Bashkortostan
The coat of arms of the republic is also its state symbol. The law on the coat of arms was adopted on October 12, 1993. The draft was developed by Fazletdin Islamov, artist of the Kitap Publishing House.
On the coat of arms is an image of a monument to the Bashkir national hero Salavat Yulaev. The monument is presented against the backdrop of the rising sun. The image is inscribed in a circle, framed by a national ornament. The Kurai inflorescence is presented below the monument, it is a symbol of the courage of peoples. Even lower is a ribbon painted in the colors of the flag of Bashkortostan. It has the inscription "Bashkortostan." As for the color image, the ornament and monument to S. Yulayev is golden, the kurai flower is green, the rays of the sun are yellow, and it is light golden in color, the background between the ornament and the monument is white, the outer and inner circles are dark golden .
We will tell a little about Salavat Yulaev. This is the national poet of Bashkortostan, who sang the exploits of the batyrs, as well as his native nature. His creativity was transmitted for a long time by word of mouth. It is permeated with the spirit of the struggle against oppression. After all, Salavat is also a commander, an associate of Pugachev, who was elevated to the rank of brigadier by a peasant "king". After the uprising was crushed, and Salavat was captivated by punishers, the Bashkirs were forbidden to call him by the name of the children, any mention of the fate of this man who spent almost a quarter of a century in hard labor was suppressed.
However, the image placed on the coat of arms is not an individual person. This is a collective image of a jigit warrior who fights for justice and freedom. It symbolizes the unity and friendship of the peoples of Bashkortostan. The fact is that it is not customary to depict a specific person on the arms according to the rules of heraldry. But it should be borne in mind that the portrait image of S. Yulaev was not preserved. Therefore, it was impossible to represent his image on the coat of arms in any case.
Coat of arms adoption
We will tell about other projects that claimed to become a state symbol. The history of the adoption of the coat of arms is very remarkable. A total of 40 draft options were submitted to the commission’s court. One of them was selected and proposed for consideration by a higher authority - the Supreme Council. This version of the coat of arms depicts Tolpar (the winged horse), as well as the flag of Bashkortostan, vertically located. The framing was made in the form of a national ornament, and there was also the inscription "Bashkortostan". The horse symbolized the power of man, the aspiration of the Bashkir people in the future. After all, this animal is a faithful companion of man. He also personified loyalty to his duty, nobility. The horse is found in the epic legends of many peoples, including the Bashkir. Prosperity and rebirth symbolized the golden color of the ornament.
Another design of the coat of arms is a round shield divided into 2 parts. At the top of it was depicted on a white background the sun rising over the Urals, whose rays diverge in all directions. In the lower half are the Ural Mountains painted in blue. On their background is a running white wolf. The coat of arms was framed in green. In the mythological traditions of the peoples of North America and Eurasia, the image of the wolf is mainly associated with the cult of the ancestor of the tribe and the leader of the fighting squad. Since ancient times, the Turks had a notion of a progenitor wolf. According to one hypothesis about where the word “bashkort” came from, it was associated with such a thing as “wolf head”. It is believed that in the Southern Urals in the 7-8 centuries the Turkic khan, whose name was Bashkort, laid the foundations of statehood. He later died in the war with Byzantium. After discussion, both of these projects were rejected by the Supreme Council.
General characteristics of Bashkortostan
The subject of the Russian Federation that interests us now occupies an area of about 144 thousand square meters. km The districts of Bashkortostan are inhabited by approximately 4 million people, representatives of 80 nationalities. More than a quarter of them live in the capital, Ufa. Only 20 cities in the Republic of Bashkortostan. These cities (with the exception of a few) were founded recently. Only 4 of them have a long history (Birsk, Belebey, Sterlitamak, Ufa). The rest appeared during the years of industrial construction on the site of workers' villages, when Bashkortostan was particularly active. Cities that are young are as follows: Blagoveshchensk, Agidel, Davlekanovo, Beloretsk, Baymak, Meleuz, Kumertau, Ishimbay, Dyurtyuli, Salavat, Oktyabrsky, Neftekamsk, Tuymazy, Sibay, Yanaul, Uchaly.
The territory of this subject is relatively small. About 0.8% of the total area of the Russian Federation is occupied by Bashkortostan. Its ecology is determined by the culture and structure of production, climatic conditions and geographical location. The diversity of natural resources and conditions characterizes this region. It is located at the junction of Asia and Europe, in the transition zone to the Ural Mountains from the East European Plain. Therefore, the nature of Bashkortostan combines the features of diverse spaces.
In the depths of Bashkiria are almost all types of natural resources, which are famous for the Urals. In addition, the Urals gave the republic oil, thanks to which the rapid growth of industry began.
The districts of Bashkortostan are mainly inhabited by citizens. However, in the region’s economy, the role of agriculture is still significant. There are 51 rural areas, about 5 million hectares of arable land are occupied in the earthen fund. In terms of livestock and agricultural products, Bashkiria occupies one of the leading places among other subjects of the Russian Federation and first place in the Urals region.
Ufa
Ufa (Bashkortostan) is the capital of the region, a large industrial, administrative, scientific and cultural center of the Urals. This city is located on the banks of the river. White. Ufa is located 100 km west of the Southern Urals, and the distance from Moscow is 1519 km. 53 km - the length of the capital of Bashkortostan from north to south, 28 km - from west to east.
The city of Ufa is rich in water resources and forests. It is located in an area of hilly plains, which makes it attractive for skiing. Several sports complexes were equipped in Ufa and are very popular: Biathlon, Trampoline, Olympic Park, Ak Yort.
Etymology of the name of the capital
Researchers still have no unequivocal opinion about the etymology of the name "Ufa". According to the theory of N. K. Dmitriev, the largest Turkologist, the name goes back to the word "uba", in the ancient Turkic language meaning "mountainous place", "mound", "hill". According to another version, it came from the hydronym "Uppa", the ancient name of the river "Ufa", of Finno-Ugric origin. There is also an unlikely version of the legend, according to which a traveler who stopped to rest on the site of the founding of this city, said "Phew, Alla," which means "Oh, Allah!"
Ancient and modern city of Ufa
In ancient times, on the site of today's Ufa was a large and rich city. It was probably a trading one, caravan routes connecting various cities of the Volga region, Siberia, and Central Asia went through it. The official history is usually counted from the moment the fortress was built, that is, from 1574.
Ufa today is a large transport hub. It is located at the intersection of air, rail, road, pipeline, river highways that connect the European part of our country with Siberia and the Urals. Ufa is the only city in Russia (with the exception of Moscow), in which 2 federal highways converge: the M5 Ural and the M7 Volga. The airport of the capital of Bashkortostan carries out international flights to the states of Asia and Europe.
G. Ufa (Bashkortostan), when viewed from above, looks like a huge hourglass laid on its side. The jumper, through which a stream of cars "flows" from one part of it to another, is a swift avenue, the length of which is more than 10 km.
Restoration of historical appearance
What else can be said about a city like Ufa (Bashkortostan)? The capital of the region has been actively developing recently; its population has rapidly increased compared to the last century. In Ufa at the beginning of the last century, there were about 50-60 thousand inhabitants. Today there are more than 1.1 million. About 40% of the industrial potential is concentrated in the capital. The city quickly grew up and in breadth. Time constantly erased traces of the past. Of course, new buildings are joyful and desirable, but it is becoming increasingly apparent that the appearance of old Ufa is being lost, that a new generation of city residents cannot have a clear idea of how it looked before. Therefore, it was decided to restore some of the streets as they were at the dawn of the last century. The best roofers, carpenters, stove-makers got down to business. They arrived from all parts of the republic. Today, the premises of the memorial complex created by the common work contain expositions of the Museum of Ethnography. In it you can learn about the various peoples inhabiting Bashkortostan. Temporary exhibitions are also organized in these premises, which correspond to the nature of this museum.
The architectural appearance of Ufa
In general, we can say that in Ufa there are very few ancient buildings. Almost the entire city was built in recent decades. Therefore, the architectural appearance of Ufa is an abundance of concrete and glass. In the design of the city, however, motifs of Bashkir folk art and national ornament were used. The style, however, turned out to be international. This is due to the mutual influence of various cultures of the peoples of the USSR.
To this day, however, some temples belonging to the era of classicism have survived. These are the Spasskaya Church (built in 1824) and the Intercession Church (1823). Other architectural monuments are also noteworthy: the governor's house, the Bishop's house, the Lenin house-museum (pictured above), the building of the noble assembly, the house of S.T. Aksakov, the house of M.V. Nesterov.
Cultural and educational institutions
When getting to know the city, you should pay attention to the opera and ballet theater (in the photo below). This is a beautiful monument of architecture. Within the walls of the theater, national ballet and opera were born and raised. Prominent artists of Leningrad and Moscow took part in the development of this cultural institution. Rudolf Nuriev, the great master of dance, shone in front of the audience in these walls.
The center of Bashkortostan, where until 1919 there were no theaters, now boasts 10 state-owned ones. In addition, the local philharmonic society gathers many listeners. Especially popular today is the Drama Theater. Mazhita Gafuri, the same age as the republic. His performances always gather a full hall.
School graduates have a wide selection. In Bashkortostan there are more than 30 universities of various areas of training.
Banks Ufa
In Ufa today there are 83 banks. They are represented by 1776 ATMs and 430 branches. These banks are ready to provide customers with 274 cash lending programs, 12 deposits, 28 mortgage lending programs, 19 - business lending and 29 car loans. As you can see, from this point of view Ufa is not far behind other major cities of the Russian Federation. Currency, loans, deposits, mortgages - all this is of interest to many today, so it seemed to us relevant to mention the banks that are located in the capital of this region.
So, we talked in general terms about such a subject of our country as Bashkortostan. Its capital was also briefly characterized. This region, as you can see, has a rich history and traditions. The culture of the Republic of Bashkortostan is a separate interesting topic.