Destinations > Siberia
Buryatia
The Buddhist center of Russia, the healing springs of Northern Baikal and sandy beaches, the old believers ‘ village – all this you will find on the Buryat land
let's explore it
The Most
Mysterious Region
Buryatia is not like the rest of Russia, it has a different way of life and a different view of the world. Perhaps in Buryatia, there will not be everywhere high-quality service, good roads, and places to sit with a cocktail. But there is nature, provincial simplicity, authentic culture, delicious local cuisine, and the largest Lenin’s head in the world. People come here not only for smoked omul, but also to capture shamanic rituals and get acquainted with the original Buryat culture and listen to their charming legends.
short region information
LOCAL TIME | UTC+8 |
|---|---|
CLIMATE | Severe |
CAPITAL | Ulan-Ude |
HOW TO GET | 6-7 hours by plane from Moscow
|
HIGHLIGHT | Baikal Lake, Ivolginsky Datsan
|
types of tourism
Winter
Excursion
Active
Eco
Ethno
buddhism
The edge of the evergreen taiga
The Geographical
Center of Asia
Buryatia (The Republic of Buryatia) is located in the south part of East Siberia. It is a border region of Russia, in the south part of this province passes the Russian state border with Mongolia. In the northwest, the region is washed by Lake Baikal. Ulan Ude city, the gateway to this region, lies about 5 519 km from Moscow. Ulan Ude is an important railway hub due to its location on the Trans-Siberian Railway and on the Baikal-Amur Railway, and it’s also the starting station of the Trans-Mongolian Railway passing through Mongolia to Beijing.
Discover Ulan Ude streets
The Capital
Start your journey with the capital of the region, Ulan Ude. The city was founded in the 17th century about 100 km in the southeast from Lake Baikal. In the past, the Great Tea way from China passed through Ulan Ude, and hundreds of merchants came here to sell and supply tea for the whole country. In the heart of the city, many old merchants’ houses still keep their charm, especially there’re many of them along the main walking street of Ulan Ude that the locals call “Arbat” (like in Moscow). Do not miss the building of Buryatia state academic theatre of opera and ballet, the unique architectural fusion of Stalin’s empire style and features of Buryat traditional culture. Not far from there stands the most famous monument of Ulan Ude, almost 7.5-meter in height, the gigantic Lenin’s head monument.
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Witness a miracle
Buddhist Temples
Buryatia is the main Buddhism center in Russia with dozens of Buddhism temples, which are called here “datsan”. The datsan Rinpoche Bagsha offers one of the best viewpoints in Ulan Ude. Visit this place in the afternoon to catch the stunning sunset.
Make a small drive out of the city and spend the morning at Ivolginsky datsan. It is the location of the imperishable body of Hambo Lama XII, the head of Buddhists in Eastern Siberia, who was buried in 1927. He spent 75 years in a cedar sarcophagus, closed in a secret place, in 2002 his imperishable body was found by the monks. Hambo Lama sits behind the glass. You can get close enough to it. The body temperature is constant-plus 27 degrees. If it gets hot, the Hambo Lama sweats, and then his Keeper wipes off the sweat. The imperishable is changed several times a year.
Ivolginsky Datsan also plays the role of the only Buddhist university in Russia.
Visit ethnic villages
A Journey in a Time Machine
The Russians were newcomers at this place in the 17 th century. Long before this territory had been settled by ethnic minorities – and Buryats were the most widespread. Today most Buryats live in Ulan Ude, although some of them keep the traditional lifestyle in the countryside. Buryats preserve their own language, songs, games, and dances, religious practices (they practice shamanism and Buddhism).
To get the full picture, make a guided tour in one of the Buryats’ villages, or the highlight of this area – visit the old-believers settlement. In Peter’s time there was a split in the Orthodox Church, and the old believers, who did not want to put up with the changes, went to Siberia. They settled separately from others, lived in their own community, and were called “semeyskiye”. Traditions are strong and have been preserved in Bichur and Tarbagatai for more than three hundred years.
Spend time close to nature
The Baikal of Buryatia
If you come to Buryatia, you will definitely get to know beautiful Buryat legends that are referred with the Great Siberian lake. According to one legend, Usan-Lopson, the son of Heaven, lives with his wife and servants at the bottom of the Baikal, and he is the spirit-caretaker of the Baikal pure water. He is still honored by the Buryat shamans, and his wooden 3,5m sculpture stands at the worship place not far from the village Dulan.
The Baikal of Buryatia is the land of wild nature. One of the most beautiful places in this area is the Barguzin valley. There are picturesque rocks called Suvinsky Saxon Castle, resembling the ruins of a castle with two elegant natural towers. Ininsky rock garden with many boulders growing out of the ground along the banks of the Inu River is located 100 km from Barguzin. Some of the cobblestones are just huge – about 4 m in diameter – that creates an unusual landscape.
Eat with the locals
Buryatian Steamed Dumplings
One of the must-do before departure from Buryatia is to sample the local food. Start with traditional Buryats “buusy”. It’s a kind of steamed dumplings with meat filling. The locals say that its shape resembles traditional Buryat’s authentic shelter (yurta). Also, buusy is the main dish for the holiday Sagaalgan (Buryats’ Lunar New Year). Known for its warm hospitality, Buryats could invite you for traditional tea that is prepared with milk and butter.
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