Capital : Ulan-Ude city, founded in 1666.
Republic formed : May 30, 1923
Geographical position
From the north and west (along the water area of Lake Baikal), the Republic borders on the Irkutsk Region, in the extreme west at a relatively short distance lies the border with the Republic of Tyva, in the south there is the state border with Mongolia, in the east - the border with the Trans-Baikal Territory.
The republic is part of 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 intermontane basins. Strongly dissected mountains predominate over almost the entire territory; 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.
An essential feature of the climate of Buryatia is the long duration of sunshine - 1900-2200 hours, according to this indicator it is not inferior, and sometimes surpasses the southern regions of Russia.
Barguzinsky, Bauntovsky Evenki, Kurumkansky, Muisky, Okinsky, Severo-Baikalsky regions are equated to the regions of the Far North.
Tourist opportunities
Buryatia is crossed by international tourist routes based on the historical and cultural heritage of Russia, Mongolia, China: "Great Tea Route", "Eastern Ring", "Trans-Siberian Express", "Baikal-Khubsugul".You will remember hiking in the taiga forests, horseback riding on the steppes filled with the aromas of fragrant herbs, rafting on mountain rivers, climbing the highest peak of Eastern Siberia - Munko-Sardyk, the melodious polyphony of the Old Believers, the fun of the national holidays "Sagaalgan" - "White Month", "Altargana", "Bolder", "Surkharban" and "Eryn gurban naadan" with traditional Buryat wrestling, archery and horse racing, ethnic music festivals "Stars of the White Month", "Hail, Korogod", "Golden Voice of Baikal", clean Baikal water and air that you can drink!
Buryatia is dominated by mountainous terrain, so this is a great place for mountaineering tourism and outdoor activities. The natural diversity of the region is striking: forests, mountain-stony tundra, alpine and subalpine meadows.
The Republic is rich in flora and fauna, minerals (one of the leading places in Russia), fresh, mineral and thermal waters. On the basis of the springs, there are resorts of Russian importance Nilova Pustyn, Khakusy, Kuchiger, Goryachy Klyuch, which are very popular with travelers.
Since ancient times, different peoples have lived on the territory of Buryatia. In the Bronze Age, the culture of "slab graves" appeared here, leaving behind many drawings in caves and on rocks. There are many historical monuments associated with the Xiongnu state that existed on this land. Many tribes lived here, but the Buryat and Evenk ethnos remained dominant.
Traveling around Buryatia, you can make an ethno tour with a visit to the villages of Russian Old Believers, Buryats and Evenks. Lunch or dinner with one of the families, a picnic with the preparation of a national dish of lamb, a meeting with a shaman, a performance by a folklore group, bathing in hot springs will leave a vivid impression. You can also make extraordinary trips to Buddhist monasteries, datsans. Thrill-seekers will go to the holy shamanistic place, which is 400 km from the Kyakhtinsky tract. Fans of river tours will enjoy traveling on a comfortable motor ship down the Selenga River.
But the most unforgettable impression is, of course, Baikal. The western part of the water area of this great Siberian Sea with Olkhon Island is administratively part of the Irkutsk Region. And the eastern part with the northern tip belongs to Buryatia. There is no such water in any lake, it is the deepest and cleanest fresh water storage on Earth. The Baikal basin contains a fifth of the world's fresh water. He is about thirty million years old. In a word, you do not need to be a biologist, or a zoologist, or an ecologist to recognize the uniqueness of the huge fresh sea called Baikal. Fans of ecological tourism and connoisseurs of a calm and comfortable rest aspire here.
The eastern Buryat coast of the lake is sloping and welcoming. The mountains of the Barguzinsky ridge go far from Lake Baikal, leaving room for meadows and sunny tracts. Although there are many mountain capes and cozy bays here. And every place on the shore is just Robinson's dream.
A special species of seal lives here - the Baikal seal. It is a symbol of Lake Baikal, the only mammal living in the glorious water of the fresh sea. How a typical inhabitant of the salty seas got to the center of the Asian continent is still a mystery to science. Golomyanka fish is no less a mystery for scientists. Deprived of scales, it is so transparent that you can see the insides. And, like some tropical fish, it does not lay eggs, but gives birth to fry. Baikal is home to gobies, the famous omul, sturgeon and other fish species.
Compared to the Irkutsk side, the Buryat side is not so inhabited, it is quieter here, there are uninhabited shores and untouched virgin nature. Here you can swim and sunbathe, drink water from Lake Baikal and thermal springs, sail and ski. Or you can go on a horse trail or a trip by water taxi.
Baikal surf, Kultushnaya, Lemasovo are among the most popular places for recreation on the lake. You can stay at a camp site, or you can relax with savages - it's good that there are plenty of "host" houses here.
Buryatia is a paradise for ecotourists, climbers, lovers of mountain trekking and just lovers of outdoor activities. Striking with its diversity, it leaves memories in the soul that are incomparable. Because Baikal is the only one in the world, the only one!
Sights:
For more information about the region, see the Internet resources of the state authorities of the constituent entity of the Russian Federation.
Ministry of Tourism of the Republic of Buryatia
Minister: Badmatsyrenova Maria Borisovna
Address: Ulan-Ude, Erbanova st., 7, bld. 2