Not everyone knows where the city of Ulan-Ude (which region) is located. Our article will help you figure this out. But we will focus not only on geography, but also on the history, symbols and main attractions of this city.
Ulan-Ude city - which region?
In the Russian Federation, there are 85 territorial entities. Ulan-Ude city - which region? Which of the subjects of the Federation does it belong to?
The city is located within the Republic of Buryatia, therefore the wording of the question "Ulan-Ude - which region?" is not entirely correct. Geographically, it is a region of Eastern Siberia.
The urban district of Ulan-Ude is located just one hundred kilometers from the largest lake Baikal (east of it). But on the western shore of the lake, the Irkutsk region is already beginning. Ulan-Ude is a relatively small city with a population of 425 thousand people. Its total area is 348 square kilometers. Let us consider in more detail the geographical position of this settlement of Buryatia.
Geographical location, climate, map of the city of Ulan-Ude
The city is located in Transbaikalia, in a picturesque intermountain basin, at an altitude of 500-600 meters. The historical center of Ulan-Ude is located near the confluence of two rivers - the Selenga and Uda. From the north, west and southeast, the city is surrounded by low mountain ranges.
The climate of this area is arid, sharply continental type. In winter, air temperatures often reach -30 ...- 35 degrees, and in summer they fluctuate between +20 ... + 28 degrees. Precipitation in the city is extremely low (265 mm per year), with a maximum in July and August.
The capital of the Republic of Buryatia has another interesting feature. Ulan-Ude is on the list of 14 so-called antipode cities (these are the diametrically opposite cities of the globe). Its opposite is Puerto Natales, a city in Chile.
Below is a map of the city of Ulan-Ude. Administratively, it consists of three districts: Sovetsky, Zheleznodorozhny and Oktyabrsky. The city is divided into two (approximately equal in size) parts by the Udoi River, which flows into the Selenga in the area of Kuznechnaya Street.
A brief historical outline of the city
The city was founded in the 17th century. In 1666, at the confluence of Uda and Selenga, a winter house arose to collect taxes (in kind tax) from the local population. Ten years later, the construction of a well-fortified fortress begins here.
In the 1680s, the first caravans with various goods began to pass through the Udinsky prison, following to China. In the next century, the village is actively developing, the first stone buildings, temples appear in it. In 1783, the city government appeared here with its mayor. In the XIX century, the city turned into a significant commercial, military, as well as the cultural center of the whole Transbaikalia.
In 1934, the city received its modern name (from the Buryat language it can be translated as "Red Uda"). Since 1957, Ulan-Ude has been the capital of the Republic of Buryatia (formerly the Buryat Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic).
Flag and coat of arms of Ulan-Ude
The city symbols of Ulan-Ude - the emblem and flag - were officially approved by the municipal authority in October 2005. The city’s coat of arms (as well as its flag) depicts a caduceus, as well as a cornucopia with fruits and leaves. All this is located on a yellow shield topped with a golden five-toothed crown.
The cornucopia, according to Greek mythology, is a symbol of wealth and affluence. Caduceus is another ancient symbol. He, as you know, was the main attribute of the god Hermes and personifies absolute truth (in simpler words - education and science).
The city flag is a standard rectangular panel consisting of two colored fields - blue (occupies 2/9 of the total width) and yellow. The latter shows the caduceus and cornucopia already familiar to us. But on the blue field you can see a stylized version of soyombo - the traditional Mongolian symbol of eternal life.
The city's attractions
Ulan-Ude has many hotels and hostels where you can stay, as well as dozens of cafes and restaurants where you can eat. What interesting can a tourist find in this Transbaikal city?
Ulan-Ude is included in the list of historical cities of Russia, the city boasts a large number of objects of cultural heritage (a total of 234). The architectural heritage of the 19th century was pretty well preserved: stone churches, bourgeois houses and commercial buildings. Almost all architectural monuments are located in the central (historical) part of Ulan-Ude.
The main Christian shrine of the city is the Odigitrievsky Cathedral - the oldest building in Ulan-Ude. The temple began to be built back in 1741, and completed construction only in 1785. In the late 1920s, the cathedral was closed. His return to the church and restoration took place in the 1990s.
Interesting for tourists and those attractions that are associated with another religion - with Buddhism. This is, first of all, the Khambyn-Khure complex, on the territory of which there are several temples. Ulan-Ude also has the largest Buddha statue in Russia. It was installed in 2002 within the Rimpoche-Bagsha Buddhist Center.
A rather popular attraction of the city is the local monument to Lenin. The fact is that it differs significantly from all other monuments of the “leader” installed in Russia. In Ulan-Ude, there is only the head of Ilyich, which impresses with its size - almost 8 meters!
The most popular souvenirs that tourists take with them from Ulan-Ude are authentic Buryat jewelry and products made of semiprecious stones.
Cultural institutions: museums, theaters, cinemas
The city of Ulan-Ude lives a full cultural life. There are 6 museums, 6 cinemas, 6 theaters and 27 libraries. The first theater in the city was created back in the 1920s.
Among the city museums it is worth highlighting the ethnographic, whose expositions are located in the open. Here you can see 40 different wooden buildings, as well as numerous exhibits related to the history of the peoples of Transbaikalia.
No less interesting is the museum of the history of Buryatia. It contains numerous archaeological finds of various historical eras. The collection of Buddhist relics and religious objects is quite large. The real pride of this museum is the rare book fund, which houses the Atlas of Tibetan Medicine - a valuable monument of medieval art.
The bowels of Buryatia are unusually rich in various precious and semiprecious stones. Samples of rocks and minerals are collected at the local geological museum, which is also very interesting to visit.
Finally...
Now you can easily answer the question: "Ulan-Ude - what area?". The city is located in Eastern Siberia, within the Republic of Buryatia.
Ulan-Ude was founded in 1666, and received its modern name only in 1934. The city is known primarily as a major center of Buddhism in Russia. In addition, there are several interesting museums, as well as many architectural monuments.