Open left menu Republic of Buryatia. General information about the Republic of Buryatia

The Republic of Buryatia is a subject of the Russian Federation. The capital of Buryatia is Ulan-Ude. This land is rich in its culture and history. Two traditions are intertwined here - European and Eastern, each of which is amazing and unique. The land of Buryatia remembers the times of the great nomads of the Xiongnu, the warriors of Genghis Khan, and the Cossacks who defended the borders of Transbaikalia. Buryatia was once part of Mongolia, so the culture of this country has become an integral part of the Buryat people. The past is remembered here; it has not gone away without a trace, but has become part of the present.

Geography

Buryatia is located on the eastern shore of Lake Baikal, in the very heart of Asia. The republic's southern neighbor is Mongolia. Buryatia borders on the north, Tyva adjoins the western part, and the Trans-Baikal Territory adjoins the eastern part. The area of ​​the republic is about 351 thousand square kilometers. The geography of Buryatia is unique. All zones of Eurasia meet here: taiga, mountains, tundra, steppes, plains, desert. There are a lot of healing springs in Buryatia mineral water. Local residents call them Ashans and consider them sacred places.

Climate

The climate of Buryatia is influenced by many factors. The republic is remote from the oceans and located in the center of the Eurasian continent; moreover, Buryatia is surrounded by mountains. Therefore, the weather here is unique and peculiar, and it is characterized by frequent and sharp variability. The territory of the republic is characterized by very cold winters and hot (albeit short-lived) summers. Buryatia is a very sunny republic. In terms of the number of clear days, it can be compared with the Caucasus, Crimea or Central Asia.

Minerals

Buryatia is the richest territory of our country in terms of mineral reserves. More than 700 deposits have been explored here. Gold, tungsten, uranium, molybdenum, beryllium, tin, aluminum are only a small part of all minerals. And the reserves of hard and brown coal will be enough for the needs of the republic for hundreds of years. It should be noted that the subsoil of this region contains about 48 percent of Russia's balance zinc reserves. The capital of Buryatia is the center industrial enterprises for processing natural resources.

Nature of Buryatia

The nature of the republic is diverse and rich: dense forests, high mountains, valleys and rivers. There are a lot of plants and animals listed in the Red Book: brown bear, Barguzin sable, wapiti, reindeer and many others (about 40 species).

Travelers will love this amazing region. There's a lot to see here. Next will be a list of 7 natural wonders of Buryatia, a must-see for every self-respecting traveler.

Seventh place - Yukhta area (Zakamensky district). Here you will see an amazing mountain ensemble. This place is located at the confluence of the Dzhida and Yukhta rivers. The rocks resemble a fortress. like this weird shape they acquired under the pressure of rain and wind. From the tops of the mountains you can see a beautiful panorama - a valley with steep cliffs. You can admire the views not only from the top of the rocks, but also while crossing the river.

The sixth place is the Alla River gorge (Kurumkansky district). The valley of this river is cut by ancient glaciers. It flows through narrow canyon-like gorges. According to tourists, this most beautiful place on the planet. Everyone, without exception, is breathtaking from the incredibly beautiful and majestic panorama and the fast-moving mountain river.

Fifth place - a waterfall in the valley of the Shumilikha River (Severobaikalsky region). It is located 10 kilometers from Lake Baikal. In order to see it, you need to walk along the southern border at an altitude of one kilometer above sea level. The waterfall rushes down the bizarre rocks with a powerful roar.

Fourth place - Garginsky thermal spring (Kurumkansky district). This source has been known since the eighteenth century. It is located in the valley of the Gargi River. The source temperature is from 25 to 75 degrees Celsius. The composition of the water is considered low-mineralized, slightly alkaline with increased content radon People with various ailments come here. Water heals diseases of muscles, bones, tendons, gynecological and dermatological diseases.

Third place - Slyudyansky Lakes (Severobaikalsky district). These lakes are located 25 kilometers from Lake Baikal and are residual lakes of the Bay of Baikal. They got their name because of the mica mined in these places since the seventeenth century. They are surrounded by a pine forest, which creates an unusually beautiful view.

Second place - Mount Under Baabay (Zakamensky district). This mountain is a beautiful mountain range. An unusually picturesque view opens from the top.

The first place is Mount Barkhan-Uula (Kurumkansky district). According to Tibetan legends, Mount Barkhan-Uula is one of the five places where the main spirits live. There is a belief that a person who manages to conquer this mountain will become one with God.

What was the name of the capital of Buryatia before 1934?

The city was founded in 1666 on And it was originally called the Udin Cossack winter hut. The location of the winter hut was very successful - at the intersection of trade routes between Russia, China and Mongolia. That is why it developed at a rapid pace. By 1689, the winter quarters began to be called Verkhoudinsky fort. A year later, the fort received city status. By 1905, construction of the railway was completed. From that moment on, industry began to develop at a rapid pace in the region. By 1913, the population reached 13 thousand people.

Ulan-Ude - the capital of Buryatia

In 1934 the city was renamed Ulan-Ude. And in 1957 it received the status of the capital of the Buryat Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. Today the population of Ulan-Ude is oldest city in Siberia is 421,453 people. The capital of Buryatia is an administrative, cultural and economic center. In addition, it is included in the list of “Historical Cities of Russia”.

Guests of Ulan-Ude always note how big and beautiful the capital of the Republic of Buryatia is. There are four higher educational institutions and five drama theaters in the city. Much attention is paid to sports. Various sports clubs, sections and schools operate here. The capital of Buryatia has 10 sister cities. Currently, the city is actively developing. There are many enterprises here that ensure the development of the entire region.

2011 The capital of Buryatia celebrates its 345th anniversary. The city authorities decided to celebrate such a big anniversary on a grand scale: concerts, folk festivals, fireworks and fireworks.

Is Buryatia a seismically active region?

The republic is located in a seismically active zone. Therefore, the question remains very acute: “How many points will the capital of Buryatia withstand?” Unfortunately, according to experts, buildings, both new and old, will not withstand large earthquake amplitudes. City authorities should pay attention to this and tighten control over the construction of buildings.

The history of Buryatia is based on a much more ancient character than many people imagine. Already in the 15th century BC, a developed culture existed on its territory, which archaeologists called the culture of slab graves due to the fact that its representatives had a special method of burial, based on folding burial grounds of recognizable shapes from specially processed stone slabs. Subsequently, proto-Mongolian and Mongolian tribes, as well as some Turkic peoples, left their traces on the territory of Transbaikalia.

History of Buryatia before the Mongols

People settled on the banks of the Ona River back in the Upper Paleolithic era. There were also later settlements, but most of the sites of ancient man on the territory of modern Buryatia, although they existed quite long time in one place, but did not survive to our time.

At the turn new era on the territory of Transbaikalia, where Buryatia is located today, the first state entities founded by the Xiongnu tribes. A century later, Buryatia came under the control of first the Eastern Turkic Khaganate, and later under the rule of the Uyghurs.

In the tenth and eleventh centuries, a significant part of Buryatia came under the rule of the Khitan Mongols, who imposed tribute on the local population, and later began to conquer neighboring tribes. At that time, Buryatia did not represent a centralized state entity, but rather resembled an ethnocultural region united general history, but under the authority of various rulers. This state of affairs existed until the seventeenth century.

Geography and climate of Buryatia

Located in the very center of Asia, Buryatia stretches along the eastern shore of Lake Baikal, which is located in the south Eastern Siberia. Such a significant extent from south to north also determines significant climatic diversity throughout the entire area of ​​Buryatia, which is 351,300 square kilometers.

In addition to its large extent, the climate of the republic is also influenced by large differences in altitude. The lowest point of the region is the water level in Lake Baikal and its shores, and the highest is the snow-white, glacier-covered peak Munku-Sardyk, which belongs to the eastern part of the Sayan Mountains.

At the same time, the southern part of the relief of the Republic of Buryatia is formed by the Selenga midlands, on the territory of which the formation of a water basin occurs. The minimum altitude is at an altitude of 456 meters above sea level.

The geography of Buryatia also determines the climate regime on its territory, which is characterized by noticeable seasonality with pronounced hot summers and long cold winter. Thus, from a climatic point of view, the republic belongs to the continental climate zone. On the other hand, significant elevation changes create necessary conditions for altitudinal zones.

Important distinctive feature The Buryat climate is considered to have a significant duration of sunshine, which ranges from 1900 to 2200 hours a year.

Wildlife of Buryatia

The population of Buryatia is 984,495 people, which, together with a significant territory and a high proportion of the urban population, creates all the necessary conditions for preserving the pristine purity of nature.

Of course, the most popular natural site of this region is Lake Baikal, which attracts many tourists with its beauty and diverse natural world, the undeniable symbol of which is the Baikal seal.

The Buryat taiga is home to wild boars, wolves, musk deer, roe deer, ermine, lynx, roe deer and many other species of animals, including those listed in the Red Book. To preserve the local fauna, the diversity of which reaches five hundred species, environmental protection zones are created, such as the Baikal and Barguzin biosphere reserves.

Water resources of Buryatia

Such significant natural diversity, which a traveler can observe on the territory of the republic, could not exist without significant water reserves feeding the taiga, covering 83% of the area of ​​Buryatia.

Hydrologists count up to thirty thousand rivers on the territory of the republic, the total length of which is one hundred and fifty thousand kilometers. However, only twenty-five of them belong to the category of large and medium-sized, while the rest are considered small, not exceeding two hundred kilometers in length each.

The vast majority of the water flow of all rivers in Buryatia belongs to three large basins: the Angara and Lena rivers, as well as the Lake Baikal basin. There are also more than thirty-five thousand lakes in the republic, but the most significant both in terms of the area of ​​the water surface and the volume of water stored in them include Gusinoye, Bolshoye and Maloye Eravnye, as well as Lake Baunt. As for Lake Baikal, about 60% of its area is located in Buryatia.

Recent history

The modern borders and state system of Buryatia took shape based on the results civil war that followed the October Revolution. From 1917 to 1920, on the territory of the republic, both simultaneously and one after another, there were several governments that acted in the interests of the Buryats and the tsarist government.

In March 1920, after the liberation of Buryatia by the Red Army, the Buryat national autonomy was created. After numerous administrative reforms, mergers and divisions, by 1922 the borders of the Buryat-Mongolian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic were finally formed, which existed with minor changes until 1958, when the Buryat Autonomous Republic, which was part of the RSFSR, was created. At that time there was Verkhneudinsk, renamed Ulan-Ude in the wake of national revival which followed the collapse of the USSR. From this moment a new chapter begins in the national history of the Buryats.

Immediately after the collapse of the USSR, a declaration of state sovereignty was adopted in Buryatia, which the People's Khural of the Republic of Buryatia declared invalid in 2002. In 2011, the republic widely celebrated the entry of Buryatia into Russia, which took place three hundred and fifty years ago.

Buryatia today

Modern Buryatia is a republic within Russia. She has all the necessary attributes state power, such as the flag, coat of arms and anthem. In addition, until recently the Declaration of State Sovereignty was in force.

From the point of view of the law on administrative structure, Buryatia is divided into twenty-one municipal districts and two cities of national significance. State language Buryatia, at the same time as Russian, is Buryat. This provision is enshrined in the Constitution of the republic.

The republic is one of the most urbanized in the Russian Federation, since the vast majority of the population of Buryatia live in cities, of which there are six. The largest cities with a population exceeding twenty thousand people include: Ulan-Ude, Kyakhta, Gusinoozersk and Severobaikalsk. The capital of the republic is the city of Ulan-Ude, whose population exceeds four hundred thirty-one thousand people. This is the main industrial and economic center republics.

Time in Buryatia is five hours ahead of Moscow, which means that the republic is in the UTC+8 time zone.

State power

State power in the republic is exercised by the Head of Buryatia, the Government, the courts, as well as the People's Khural of the Republic of Buryatia, which exercises legislative power, being a representative body of people's power.

The People's Khural of the Republic of Buryatia consists of 66 deputies who are elected using a mixed system, including both single-mandate constituencies and party lists.

In its modern form, the People's Khural has existed since 1994, when it was created on the basis of the executive committee of the Buryat Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. During the twenty-three years of its existence, the Khural was convened five times. The competence of this government body includes the preparation and discussion, as well as the initiation of legislative acts affecting all areas of public life, such as safety, health and the economy.

Economic structure of Buryatia

Despite its small population, Buryatia is one of the federal subjects whose economy has developed in accordance with regional and climatic conditions.

In accordance with the level of its economic development, the republic ranks sixtieth among other regions of Russia, located between the Novgorod region and the Nenets Autonomous Okrug.

The main enterprises that produce the gross product of the republic are located in the capital of Buryatia - the city of Ulan-Ude. For example, in the capital there is a Locomotive Repair Plant, as well as an Aircraft Manufacturing and Instrument Manufacturing Plant. In addition, there are numerous transport, communications and energy enterprises in the city.

The most developed branch of the Buryat economy - the service sector - is best represented in the capital of the republic. Of the total population of Buryatia, more than half live in Ulan-Ude, so it is not surprising that the main enterprises focused on the end consumer are concentrated here.

Culture of the region

Despite the fact that, in accordance with the plan for the creation of national autonomies, which was implemented during the first years of the existence of the USSR and the carving out of territories for the creation of state entities, the overwhelming majority of the population of the republic are Russians.

In Buryatia, the population is represented by two large ethnic groups, the Buryats themselves, who have lived on these lands for many centuries, and the Russians, who began active colonization of Transbaikalia at the end of the 15th century.

The development of the south of Eastern Siberia by Russian pioneers began with the construction of the Udinsky fort, which for a century served as one of the important fortifications in this region. It was regularly rebuilt and modernized, as it was twice besieged by Mongol tribes controlled by neighboring China. However, for a century and a half, most of the buildings in it were wooden.

Architectural heritage of Ulan-Ude

The first stone structure was built in 1741. The same cathedral served as the point from which the new stone city began to be built.

For example, modern Lenin Street was the first street to connect Odigitrievsky Cathedral with Nagornaya Square, later renamed Soviet Square, which today is the main square of Buryatia. Before the establishment of Soviet power in the republic, the street was called Bolshaya Nikolaevskaya.

Geographical location

The Republic of Buryatia is a subject of the Russian Federation, part of the Far Eastern Federal District. The area of ​​the republic is 351.3 thousand km2 (2% of the area of ​​the Russian Federation). Buryatia is located in the center of the Eurasian continent, in the southern part of Eastern Siberia, south and east of Lake. Baikal. On the western side of the lake. Baikal is located in the Irkutsk region, with which Buryatia borders in the northwest and north; in the extreme southwest, the border with the Republic of Tuva lies at a relatively short distance. The state border of the Russian Federation with Mongolia runs in the south of the republic. In the east, the republic borders on the Chita region. The distance by rail from Ulan-Ude to Moscow is 5519 km, and to Pacific Ocean- 3500 km.

In terms of landscape, the republic is located in the area of ​​contact between taiga and steppe zones what determines the development here natural environment, characterized high level biological diversity and increased sensitivity to external influences. The unique Lake Baikal, included by UNESCO in the list of World Natural Heritage sites (1996), has more than 260 biological species, of which 250 are endemic. The territory of the republic is also home to many species that are classified as rare and endangered. 40 species of birds, 30 species of mammals, more than 20 species of insects and 120 plants are listed in the Red Book of Buryatia.

The unique combination in the center of Asia of the most diverse landscapes from mountain-tundra to steppes, together with the world's largest and oldest freshwater body of water - Lake Baikal, determines the special significance and value of the region in the structure of the planet's biosphere.

The Republic of Buryatia is a mountainous country that occupies a significant part of the south of Eastern Siberia and is characterized by powerful mountain ranges and vast, deep and sometimes almost closed intermountain basins. Almost the entire territory is dominated by strongly dissected mountains; flat surfaces are found only in tectonic depressions and valleys of large rivers. The area of ​​the mountains is more than 4 times the area occupied by the lowlands. The Republic of Buryatia is characterized by a significant elevation above sea level. The lowest level is the level of Lake Baikal 456 meters in the Pacific Ocean, and the highest glacier-covered peak Munku-Sardyk in the Eastern Sayan Mountains is 3491 meters above sea level.

Natural resources

The natural resources of Buryatia are unique both in their reserves and in their diversity. Dense coniferous forests, high mountain ranges, wide steppes, mountain valleys with colorful grasses, an abundance of nuts and berries represent favorable conditions for numerous representatives of the animal world of Buryatia. There are many unique and rare species listed in the Red Book.

Lake Baikal is a natural reservoir of a fifth of the world's reserves fresh water highest quality. The lake is more than 20 million years old; the length of the lake is 636 kilometers, width - 80 kilometers, depth - 1637 meters; 2500 various types animals and fish, 250 of which are endemic, inhabit Baikal and its surrounding territory.

The republic is rich in mineral resources. In the territory of Buryatia, over 50 years of active work, geologists have explored more than 700 deposits of various minerals, of which more than 600 are included in the state balance of Russia and the territorial balance of the Republic of Buryatia. Among the identified deposits there are 247 gold (228 alluvial, 16 ore and 3 complex). The list of strategic types of mineral raw materials includes 7 deposits of tungsten, 13 of uranium, 4 of polymetals, 2 of molybdenum and beryllium each, and one of tin and aluminum. The Republic of Buryatia has a large pre-estimated raw material base of uranium. The balance reserves of 8 fluorspar deposits are capable of meeting the needs of metallurgical enterprises in Siberia and the Far East for lump fluorite. The balance reserves of 10 deposits of brown coal and 4 deposits of hard coal will be enough for hundreds of years to meet the needs of the fuel and energy complex of Buryatia. Two deposits of asbestos, a number of jade and construction raw materials, as well as apatite, phosphorite, graphite and zeolites have also been identified on the territory of the republic. The subsoil of Buryatia contains 48% of Russia's balance reserves of zinc, 24% of lead, 37% of molybdenum, 27% of tungsten, 16% of fluorspar and 15% of chrysotile asbestos. Most of the large and unique mineral deposits are located within a radius of up to 200 km from the nearest railway lines of the Eastern Eastern Railway and BAM.

The degree of geological knowledge of the republic's subsoil makes it possible to predict the discovery of new promising deposits of various minerals here, including new genetic types.

Population

Buryatia is a multinational territory. In total, representatives of more than 100 nationalities live in peace and harmony in the republic. The indigenous population of the republic are Buryats, Russians, Evenks and Soyots.

Our republic is distinguished from other regions of Russia unique combination cultures of different nationalities and different religions: Buddhism, shamanism, Orthodoxy and Old Believers.

The population of the Republic is distinguished by tolerance, which contributes to maintaining stability in the socio-political, social and economic spheres.

As of January 1, 2014, 974 thousand people lived in the Republic of Buryatia. The population density is 2.8 people per 1 sq. km. The southern regions are the most populated, 58.7% of the population lives in six cities of the republic, and more than 1/5 of the population lives within the mountainous areas. More than 40% of the population of the Republic of Buryatia lives in rural areas.

There are 293 municipalities in the Republic of Buryatia, including 21 municipal districts, 2 urban districts and 270 rural and urban settlements. The capital is the city of Ulan-Ude.

The life of the modern capital of the Republic of Buryatia began once upon a time with a small Uda winter hut, built by the Cossacks in 1666 (and according to some sources - in 1665) under the leadership of Gavrila Lovtsov. At that time, the main population of these regions were Buryats. As the settlement grew, more and more Russians came there. By 1775 it received city status.
The once small settlement at the confluence of the Uda and Selenga rivers had good resources for development: a trade route passed through it in the direction of and. The basis of trade relations with Asia was the import of tea, and therefore the route received a special name - “Tea Route”.
Thanks to his good location Udinsk became one of the main merchant centers of Transbaikalia. Since 1768, fairs began to be held here twice a year. Already in 1783 the city became a district town and received a new name Verkhneudinsk.
The success of the city was literally visible: the merchants did not skimp on the development of Verkhneudinsk. At the end of the eighteenth century, construction of the Spasskaya Church began here, then Gostiny Dvor, and in 1793 the first public school in Transbaikalia was opened. In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. appeared in Verkhneudinsk railway- The Trans-Siberian Railway was built.
In 1923, with the establishment of Soviet power in the region, Ulan-Ude (as the city was named in 1934) became the capital of the Buryat-Mongolian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, and since 1958 - the Buryat Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. Since 1992, Ulan-Ude has been the main city of the Republic of Buryatia within the Russian Federation.
Over the last century, a lot has changed in Ulan-Ude. Once inhabited exclusively by the Verkhneudinsk Fair and regular trade on the Tea Route, this city has become a large industrial center, specializing mainly in mechanical engineering (the Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant operates here, as well as several instrument-making factories). Despite the crisis experienced after the collapse of the USSR, at least fifty-nine large and medium-sized enterprises are currently operating in the city.
The intense industrialization that it experienced did not break Ulan-Ude's connection with its past. Since 1990, the capital of Buryatia has officially had the status of one of the historical cities of Russia. Today in Ulan-Ude you can find old wooden houses, built during the existence of Verkhneudinsk. There are also merchant mansions among them, which are now occupied by museums or shops (the Goldobin house now houses an exhibition dedicated to the history of Verkhneudinsk and Ulan-Ude, and the house of the merchant Kappelman is rented out).
The deeper cultural roots of the city can be traced in the exhibition of the Ethnographic Museum of the Peoples of Transbaikalia, operating under open air since 1973. Not only ancient Verkhneudinsk houses with preserved interior decoration, but also characteristic examples of architecture from other Buryat cities. Among the exhibits, in particular, there is a dugan (Lamaist temple) “Devadzhin”, brought from Gusinoozersk.

General information
A city in Western Transbaikalia (Eastern Siberia). Capital of Buryatia.
Date of foundation: 1665-1666
Ethnic composition: Russians - 73.1%; Buryats - 21.4%; Ukrainians - 2.6%; Tatars - 0.8%; others - 2.1%.
Religion: Christianity, Buddhism, Islam.
Most important airport: international airport "Baikal".
Largest rivers: Selenga, Uda (the city is located at the confluence
Numbers
Area: 347.6 km2.
Population: 377,116 people. (2010)
Population density: 1084.9 people/km 2 .
Altitude: fluctuations from 500 to 800 m.
Economy
The basis of the economy is the engineering industry (about 75%).
Industry: mining (gold), light industry (fine wool, boot felting), food, mechanical engineering (aviation, instrument making), metallurgy.
Service sector: tourism
Climate and weather
Sharply continental.
Average January temperature:-23.8ºС.
Average temperature in July:+19.2ºС.
Average precipitation: 257 mm.
Attractions
■ Holy Odigitrievsky Cathedral - the cathedral of the Ulan-Ude and Buryat diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church;
■ Ethnographic Museum of the Peoples of Transbaikalia - an open-air museum, one of the largest in Russia;
■ Museum of Nature of Buryatia - presents a collection dedicated to zoology, botany and paleontology;
■ Sculptural composition “Mother Buryatia” - installed in 2002 in the city center;
■ Former house Goldobins - a once famous merchant family in Transbaikalia;
■ The former house of the merchant Kappelman, or “house with Atlantes,” is an imitation of Moscow trading houses;
■ Monument to Lenin: on the Square of Soviets there is a huge pedestal topped with the head of Ilyich (the weight of the monument is 12 tons, the height is 13.5 m).
Curious facts
■ Like Chita, Ulan-Ude once served as a place of exile, including for political reasons. In particular, in 1830, the ranks of exiles were replenished by participants in the Decembrist uprising of 1825 in St. Petersburg. This greatly contributed to the penetration of education into the region.
■ In their coat of arms, the residents of Ulan-Ude reflected the importance of trade for the prosperity of their city. In the historical version of the coat of arms, in its upper half a Ussuri tiger is depicted carrying a sable in its mouth; in the lower half you can see the rod of Mercury and the cornucopia, symbolizing the trading successes of Verkhneudinsk. In the current coat of arms of Ulan-Ude, only the horns and the rod were left.

Buryatia is located in the center of the Asian continent, in the southern part of Eastern Siberia, south and east of the lake, covering the lake with a crescent.
Buryatia occupies a mountainous zone, and the area of ​​the mountains is four times larger than the area of ​​the lowlands. Another characteristic detail of the relief is the general elevation above sea level.
In the south there is the Selenga midlands with altitudes of 1000-1500 m, covering most of Selenga River basin - largest river of all flowing into Lake Baikal. Closely adjacent to Baikal itself are the high ridges of the Baikal region - the Eastern Sayan, 2500-3000 m high. To the north stretch the ridges of the Stanovoy Highlands, and the Vitim Plateau approaches the northeast of the Baikal region.
The entire Northern Baikal region is a zone of continuous permafrost, lying at a depth of half a meter to 500-600 m.
There is a very cold winter here, with dry frost and little snow cover, a windy spring, short summer, autumn is short and dry, often with early frosts. Such conditions were formed here for three reasons: the dry and cold climate of the northern regions, the hot and dry climate of the Mongolian deserts and the humid Pacific. There are significant annual and daily fluctuations in air temperature.
With total length coastline Baikal, 2100 km away, accounts for about 60% of Buryatia. Baikal is the deepest freshwater lake in the world: maximum depth - 1637 m, average - 730 m.
The history of Buryatia is closely connected with the history of the lands surrounding it, which were in the possession of nomadic tribes.
At the end of the 3rd century. BC e. and until the end of the 1st century. n. e. Buryatia was part of the state of the Huns (Xiongnu or Xiongnu), which brought together different ethnic tribes. Strong State The nomads of Central Asia existed for three hundred years, and the Huns themselves disappeared as a people.
Over the next thousand years, various state formations of nomads appeared in these places. This continued until beginning of XIII c., when the Mongol Empire was formed and the reign of Genghis Khan began, uniting the main Mongol tribes. They captured the Baikal region, and later the ancestors of modern Buryats came from these tribes.
The word “Buryat”, or “Buriyat”, first appears in the “Secret History of the Mongols” (circa 1240). Currently, there are about a dozen versions explaining the origin of the name “Buryat”. The most common version claims that this name came from the ancestor of all Mongols, Burte-Chino. According to another version, the Mongols called the inhabitants of Cisbaikalia “bu-raad” ( forest people), from the word “bu-raa”, or forest wilds.
The ancestors of today's Buryats took part in the aggressive campaigns of Genghis Khan and all his successors. Even after the collapse of the empire, the state of the nomads in Transbaikalia survived and the local tribes were dependent on the Mongol khans, to whom they paid tribute.
Since the 16th century. The Russian Empire began to actively expand its eastern borders. In 1609, in the documents of the Siberian Prikaz, “Bratskaya Zemlya” was mentioned for the first time. The Buryats themselves were called “brotherly people” in Russian documents of that time.

In 1666, on the banks of the Uda River, Russian Cossacks erected a wooden fortress, around which the large trading city of Verkhneudinsk was formed, which later became the capital of Buryatia - the city.
Economic development Buryatia began after the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway (1895-1905), which passed through the territory of Transbaikalia.
Since 1990, the sovereignty of the Buryat SSR was declared, which later became part of the Russian Federation.
Due to its large territory, variety of climatic conditions and complex terrain, Buryatia is known for its unique nature. The republic is distinguished by its rich fauna: there are 446 species of terrestrial vertebrates and 348 species of birds. This biological diversification is also explained by the fact that large areas Buryatia is poorly developed. 40 species of birds are listed in the Red Book of Buryatia. 30 species of mammals, more than 20 species of insects and 120 plants.
The most famous natural site in Buryatia is Lake Baikal, included by UNESCO in the list of World Natural Heritage Sites. The lake is home to 1,550 animal species and 1,085 plant species, about a thousand species are endemic. 27 out of 52 fish species are unique.
The most amazing fish of Baikal is the viviparous golomyanka, a transparent fish without scales. Also in the lake live Baikal omul, grayling, whitefish, Baikal sturgeon, burbot, taimen, and pike. Of the birds of the Baikal region, the most characteristic ones are the golden eagle, the steppe eagle, the greater spotted eagle, the white-tailed eagle, the long-tailed eagle. The Baikal seal, or the Baikal seal, is endemic to Baikal, its fishing is prohibited.
The Barguzin sable is the most famous small predator of lakeside forests and an object of the fur trade.
Baikal is also a natural reservoir of a fifth of the world's fresh water reserves of the highest quality.
Forests occupy 83% of the area of ​​the entire Buryatia, and a significant part of them are dense coniferous forests.
The most famous of the local plants is Daurian rhododendron, which is called wild rosemary here and is used in folk medicine.
The taiga forests are inhabited by brown bear, squirrel, fox, weasel, ermine, lynx, roe deer, wapiti, elk, wild boar, wolverine, and musk deer.
The flora and fauna of Buryatia are located in an area that is extremely sensitive to changes in the environmental situation. In order to save the animal and flora A network of nature conservation reserves has been created here. , created in 1916 to increase the sable population, today there are 41 species of mammals, 280 species of birds, 46 species of fish. The sable, like many other species, lives in cedar forests. Since 1986, the reserve has been a UNESCO biosphere reserve.
Buryatia is distinguished not only by the diversity of its nature, but also by its unique wealth of mineral resources. More than 700 mineral deposits have been found on the territory of the republic, of which only about 250 are gold. A significant part of the local population is employed in the development of mineral deposits, a smaller part in traditional crafts.
The urban population of the Republic of Buryatia makes up about 60% of the total population; about a third of the republic's population lives in Ulan-Ude.
The indigenous population of the republic are Buryats. Among the subethnic groups of Buryatia, the Ekhirits, Bulagats, Khorins, Khongodors and Selenga people stand out.
The Buryat language belongs to the northern subgroup of the Mongolian group of the Altai language family, and there are 15 more dialects in it. This is not surprising, given the significant scattering of Buryat settlements due to the complex terrain.
The traditional occupations of Western Buryats are cattle breeding and agriculture, while those of the Eastern Buryats are exclusively cattle breeding: breeding small cattle, horses, and camels.
Western Buryats profess Orthodoxy and shamanism, eastern Buddhism of the Lamaist variety. Buryatia is one of the centers of Buddhism in Russia. Many sights of the republic are associated with Buddhism, mainly Buddhist temples - datsans: Atsagatsky, Kyrensky, Nilovsky, Ivolginsky.

General information

Location: Central Asia, Siberian region of Russia.
Administrative affiliation: subject of the Russian Federation, part of the Siberian Federal District.
Economic region: East Siberian.
Administrative division: 6 cities. 21 administrative districts, 29 urban-type settlements and 614 rural settlements.
Capital: Ulan-Ude, 404,400 people. (2010).
Ethnic composition: Russians - 66.1%, Buryats - 30%, Ukrainians - 0.6%, Tatars - 0.7%, others - 2.6% (2010).
Languages: Russian, Buryat.
Religions: Orthodoxy, Buddhism, shamanism.
Large settlements: Ulan-Ude, Severobaikalsk, Gusinoozersk, Kyakhta, Selenginsk, Zakamensk.
Largest rivers: Selenga, Vitim, Temnik, Nikoy, Kurba, Khudun.
Largest lakes: Baikal, Gusinoye, Bolshoye Eravnoye, Maloe Eravnoye, Baunt.
Airport: Baikal International Airport (Ulan-Ude).
Outer limit: Irkutsk region (along the waters of Lake Baikal) - in the north and west, the Republic of Tyva - in the far west, Mongolia - in the south, Trans-Baikal Territory - in the east.

Numbers

Area: 351,334 km2.
Population: 972,021 people (2011).
Population density: 2.77 people/km 2 .
Highest point: Mount Munku-Sardyk (Eastern Sayan, 3491 m).
Minimum altitude above sea level: 456 m (Lake Baikal).

Economy

Minerals: tungsten, uranium, polymetals, molybdenum, beryllium, tin, lead, aluminum, fluorspar, brown and coal, asbestos, jade, apatite, phosphorite, graphite, zeolites.
Transit railways: Trans-Siberian Railway, Baikal-Amur Mainline.
Industry: mechanical engineering and metalworking, electric power, forestry, woodworking and pulp and paper, non-ferrous metallurgy, fuel, food and light.
Agriculture: crop production, livestock breeding (meat sheep breeding).
Service sector: tourism, transport.

Climate and weather

Sharply continental.
Average January temperature:-22°C.
Average temperature in July:- 13.5°C.
Average annual precipitation: 244 mm.
Long duration of sunshine: 1900-2200 hours per year.

Attractions

■ Lake Baikal;
■ Selenga River;
■ Mount Munku-Sardyk;
■ Reserves: Barguzin State Biosphere Reserve. Baikal State Biosphere Reserve. State Nature Reserve "Dzherginsky";
■ National parks: “Trans-Baikal”, “Some Tunki”;
■ City of Ulan-Ude: Large living rooms, Museum of the History of Buryatia, Geological Museum. Ethnographic Museum of the Peoples of Transbaikalia, Museum of Nature of Buryatia, Museum of the History of the City of Ulan-Ude;
■ Kyakhta city: Obruchev Museum of Local Lore;
■ City of Severobaykalsk: BAM Museum;
■ Barguzin Valley: Lake Arangatui, Suva rocks, Buhe-shulun stone, Mount Baragkhan-Uula; to Barguzinsky Bay; sh Religious buildings: Holy Ascension Church (Novaya Bryansk village, 1989), Holy Annunciation Church (Zaigraevo village), Saint Peter and Paul Church (2005). Ambassadorial Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery (1995); Datsans “Tushita” (1806), Atsagatsky (village Atsagat. 1825), Nilovsky (1867), Ivolginsky (1946), Kurumkansky (1991), “Bodhidharma” (1991) ; Buddhist stupa "Dashi-Goman".
■Valley of Volcanoes (Eastern Sayan);
■ Paleolithic site of an ancient man (Zaigraevsky district);
■ Angirskaya cave and petroglyphs of birds and people (the village of Staraya Bryan’);
■ Group of rocks “Khara-Shibirskie Pillars”;
■ Resorts: “Arshan” (mineral springs); Nilova Pustyn (radon), Goryachinsk (hot springs);
■ Waterfalls on the Kyngarga River;
■ Slyudyanskie lakes.

Curious facts

■ Until 1931, the Buryats used the old Mongolian alphabet based on the Uyghur script; in 1931, the Latin script was introduced, and in 1939, a variant of the Cyrillic alphabet.
■ Khara-Shibirsky pillars - an ensemble of rocks reminiscent of the panorama of a modern city. The age of the pillars is 2 million years.
■ The name “Slyudyansky Lakes” is associated with a deposit of mica, which was mined here back in the 17th century.
■ The lake of glacial origin Frolikha is home to the red davatchan fish, rare for Siberia - a subspecies of Arctic char, reducing its numbers, a relict species of the ice age.
■ The Barguzin Valley is mentioned in the “Secret Legend of the Mongols” (XII century) as the country of Bargudzhin-Tokum, or “Edge of the World”.
■ The Holy Nose Peninsula is the only large mountainous peninsula on Lake Baikal. Length - 53 km, width - up to 20 km, highest height- 1877 m.
■ In Buryatia, the villages of the Old Believers are called “Semeyskie”: Bolshoi Kunaley. Saratovka, Mukhor-Tala, Kalinovka. Old Believers were settled beyond Lake Baikal from the second half of the 18th century. “Semeyskie” were called because they arrived at the settlement and lived together, in large families of different ages.
■ The delta of the Selenga River is known as the largest concentration of birds in Eastern Siberia: 100-120 thousand ducks nest here, and during the autumn migration period 5-7 million birds fly through the delta.