Ulan-Ude (Russian: Ула́н-Удэ́; Buryat: Улаан-Үдэ) is the capital and largest city in the Republic of Buryatia, a federal subject of the
Russian Federation located to the north of
Mongolia. It covers 377 sq km (146 sq mi) and has a population of 404,000 people (2012 estimate).
Mother Buriatia statue in Ulan-Ude, RussiaSource: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:MotherBuriatia-2.JPG
Author: Кузнецов

The city of Ulan-Ude is to the southeast of Lake Baikal. It is at the confluence of the Uda River with thye Selenga. The city traces its history to a settlement that was established in 1735, and was originally called Udinsk. Since then, it has changed names a number of times, to Verkhneudinsk in 1783 and to Ulan-Ude in 1934. The name means "Red Uda", in reference to its embrance of communist ideology.
Ulan-Ude was just a small town until 1900, when the Trans-Siberian Railway reached it, helping spur development. Until 1991, Ulan-Ude remained closed to foreigners. Since then, it has embraced tourism. Visitors to the city will find excellent examples of well-preserved wooden buildings that are exquisitely ornamented.
Visiting Ulan-Ude
You can fly to Ulan-Ude from
Moscow. There are also trains from Moscow and
Ulaan-Baatar
Places of Interest in Ulan-Ude
- Odigitrievsky Cathedral
- Ulan-Ude Ethnographic Museum
- Ulan-Ude Town Square, with largest head sculpture of Lenin
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