Buryatia, in long form the Republic of Buryatia, is a subject, as a
republic, of Russia, located in the far eastern federal district, its
capital of which is the city of Ulan-Ude. Rosstat assigns it the code
03, and its registration code is 81. The land of the Buryats, the
largest ethnic minority group in Siberia, their language Buryat is
co-official with Russian in the republic.
Located at the meeting
of the steppe landscapes of Central Asia, the taiga of Eastern Siberia
and Lake Baikal, the sacred sea of the Buryats, Buryatia is located in
the mountainous and steppe region of Transbaikalia, a region also called
Dauria. Populated by Mongol peoples in prehistory, it came under the
rule of the Xiongnu in 220 BC, a confederation of nomadic peoples. It
was then conquered in turn by the Xianbei, the Ruanruan khanate, the
Kyrgyz Yenisei Khaganate and then by the Liao dynasty at the turn of the
second millennium. It is one of the first regions to enter the Mongol
Empire when it was founded in 1206. Subsequently, the Northern Yuan
Dynasty recovers the region until the seventeenth century. At this time,
the Russian colonists from the conquest of Siberia enter the territory,
establishing the first settlements there. In 1729, the Treaty of Kiakhta
defined the Russian border with the Qing Dynasty, and Buryatia became
Russian. From then on, it is successively part of the government of
Siberia, the government of Irkutsk, then the Transbaikalia oblast. After
the Russian civil war, the Buryat-Mongolian autonomous Soviet socialist
republic was proclaimed in 1923 within the Russian SFSR. During the
collapse of the USSR, the Buryat SSR became the Republic of Buryatia
within the new Russian state.
In 2023, its population amounted to
974,628 inhabitants, stagnating since the 1980s. The population is
unevenly distributed, with an average density of 2.77 inhabitants / km2,
with an urban population of 59.3%, largely in the capital Ulan-Ude.
Russians are the majority there, with 59.45% of the population, while
Buryats represent only 30.61% according to the 2021 census. Religions
are diverse, with a fifth of the population being Buddhist.
An
agricultural and industrial region, its economy still remains
undeveloped, with a gross regional product in 2021 of about 1,000
billion rubles, or the 62nd of the 85 Russian subjects, and an
unemployment rate of 9.6%. However, it has a developing tourist sector,
thanks to Lake Baikal, the largest liquid freshwater reserves on the
planet and the deepest lake in the world, classified as a UNESCO World
Heritage site, as do the landscapes of the Daourioe, a cross-border site
with neighboring Mongolia. Buryatia generally has an important natural
heritage, with large reserves such as the Tunka National Park, the
Barguzin nature reserve or the Baikal nature reserve. Its heritage is
also cultural, thanks to the Buddhist heritage, such as the datsan of
Ivolguinsk, but also thanks to the Russian heritage, with the Semeiskie,
community of "Old Believers", whose cultural space and oral culture is
on the UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage of humanity.
Western Buryatia
Okinsky district, Tunkinsky district
Here are
the historical settlements of Tunka and Arshan.
Northern Buryatia
Severo-Baikalsky district, Muisky district, Bauntovsky Evenki district,
Kurumkansky district, Barguzinsky district
Here are the historical
settlements of Barguzin and Ust-Barguzin.
Eastern Buryatia
Eravninsky district, Khorinsky district, Kizhinginsky district
Here
is the historical settlement of Khorinsk.
Southern Buryatia
Zakamensky district, Dzhidinsky district, Kyakhtinsky district,
Bichursky district, Selenginsky district, Mukhorshibirsky district
Here are the historical settlements of Kyakhta and Novoselenginsk.
Eastern Baikal region
Pribaikalsky district, Kabansky district
Here are the historical settlements of Goryachinsk, Ilyinka, Troitskoye,
Kabansk, Posolskoye, Babushkin.
Central Buryatia
Ivolginsky
district, Tarbagataisky district, Zaigraevsky district
Here are the
historical settlements of Tarbagatai, New Bryan, Narin-Atsagat.
Ulan-Ude
Arshan
Baikalsky Nature Reserve
Barguzin Nature
Reserve
Dzherginsky Nature Reserve
Gusinoozyorsk
Khoyto-Gol
Kyakhta
Ivolginsky
Datsan
Lake Baikal
Orlik
Severobaikalsk
Tarbagatai
Olkhon
Tunkinsky
National Park
Zabaykalsky National Park
is the most interesting place on the eastern shore of Lake Baikal. Here
the mountains rise above the lake by almost one and a half thousand
meters, and if you climb the Holy Nose plateau (which not everyone
succeeds!), you will see a panorama of rare beauty. The views from the
water are no worse: surrounded by mountains, Chivyrkuysky Bay is
rightfully considered one of the most picturesque places of the lake,
and on the Ushkany Islands you can see the famous Baikal seal.
Zhemchug
The Tunka Valley runs away to the west of Lake Baikal, cutting into
the massif of the Eastern Sayan Mountains. Arshan resort is located
here, equally popular among residents of the Irkutsk region and
Buryatia, although the valley is remarkable not only for them. This is
the most agricultural part of the republic, lined with a network of neat
hedges. Meadows are sometimes interrupted by groves, and majestic
mountains rise above them — Tunka Loaches. In the west, the valley
narrows, reaching Mount Munku-Sardyk, the highest point of the Sayan
Mountains.
The Tugnui Valley is located along the Chita highway on
the way from Ulan-Ude to Petrovsk-Zabaikalsky. This is a very beautiful
and completely lifeless steppe, where only occasionally there are
nondescript villages, rural datsans, and large rocks hung with Buddhist
ribbons.
The mouth of the Selenga and the Kaban steppes adjacent to
it are one of the resort places on the eastern shore of Lake Baikal,
with a low shore and warm water. It is also interesting in terms of
architecture, since along the Selenga there was a historical path to
Transbaikalia, along which several monasteries were built. The best of
them is the Embassy, which stands on the very shore with a wonderful
cathedral and a mystical pile of crosses in memory of the royal embassy
killed at this place. The Baikal highway and the railway pass nearby.
Khamar-Daban is a mountain range bordering Lake Baikal from the south.
This is probably the best place on the lake for active recreation: there
are several ski resorts here, and the trail to Chersky Peak (2090 m) is
one of the simplest and, at the same time, very beautiful hiking routes.
Roads and resort villages are huddled along the shore of the lake, in
one of which, Tankhoe, the office of the Baikal Nature Reserve is
located. It is not easy to visit the reserve itself, as usual, but the
visit center deserves attention as one of the most modern nature museums
in Russia, which also has equipped ecological trails that are laid
through forests and upper marshes on the slopes of Khamar-Daban.
Lake Baikal
Arshan is a large climatic and balneological resort at
the foot of the Eastern Sayan Mountains.
Bichura is the largest semey
village in Transbaikalia
Nilova Pustyn - resort in the Tunkinskaya
Valley
Zhemchug - a resort village in the Tunkinskaya Valley
Mondy
- automobile border crossing into Mongolia
Orlik: Zhoygan,
Khoyto-Gol, valley of volcanoes, Sailag waterfall, Nuhu-Daban, Geser
Temple
Maksimikha is one of the most beautiful and interesting places
on the Baikal coast: Barguzinsky and Chivyrkuisky bays
Enkhaluk is a
popular holiday destination on the southeastern shore of Lake Baikal
with golden beaches and warm water
Goryachinsk is a popular resort on
the shores of Lake Baikal, created in 1751.
Tarbagatai and Novaya
Bryansk are the old Russian culture of Semeisk (Old Believers),
recognized by UNESCO as a masterpiece of the oral and intangible
heritage of humanity.
Peter and Paul Fortress: Sartul-Gegetuisky
datsan, Atagan-Dyrestuisky datsan, Tabangut-Ichetuysky datsan,
Sartuul-Bulagsky datsan, Sarbaduy cave, Burin-Khan, Lake Tagley, Mount
Kharaty, Borgoysky reserve
Sosnovo-Ozerskoye: Egituisky datsan,
Eravny lakes, Maraktinskaya valley, poetic rock garden
Barguzin:
Barguzin datsan, goddess Yanzhima, Suva castle
Kurumkan: mineral
springs Alla, Kucheger, Umkhey, Garga, Buksyken, Mount Baragkhan
Bagdarin: Baunt resort, White Mountain, Dolganskaya Yama cave, extinct
volcanoes
Taximo: Vitim River (Ugryum River), Muyskaya Valley,
Severomuysky Tunnel, Paramskaya Cave, Zolotoe Plateau
Naushki -
railway border crossing to Mongolia
Zarubino is a village on the
border with Mongolia, rich in archaeological monuments of the Xiongnu
era.
Ivolginsk is the administrative center of the Ivolginsky
district
Khorinsk - village
Kijinga - village
Nizhneangarsk is
an urban-type settlement
Taksimo is an urban village
Transbaikal National Park is the most interesting place on the eastern
shore of Lake Baikal. Here the mountains rise above the lake by almost
one and a half thousand meters, and if you climb onto the Holy Nose
plateau (which not everyone can do!), you will see a panorama of rare
beauty. The views from the water are no worse: the Chivyrkuisky Bay,
surrounded by mountains, is rightfully considered one of the most
picturesque places of the lake, and on the Ushkany Islands you can see
the famous Baikal seal.
The Tunkinskaya Valley goes west of Lake
Baikal, crashing into the Eastern Sayan massif. Here is the Arshan
resort, equally popular among residents of the Irkutsk region and
Buryatia, although the valley is not only remarkable for them. This is
the most agricultural part of the republic, lined with a network of neat
hedges. The meadows are sometimes interrupted by groves, and majestic
mountains rise above them - Tunkinsky Goltsy. In the west, the valley
narrows, leading to Mount Munku-Sardyk, the highest point of the Sayan
Mountains.
The Tugnuiskaya Valley is located along the Chita
tract on the way from Ulan-Ude to Petrovsk-Zabaikalsky. This is a very
beautiful and completely lifeless steppe, where only occasionally there
are nondescript villages, rural datsans, and large rocks hung with
Buddhist ribbons.
The mouth of the Selenga and the adjacent Kaban
steppes are one of the resort places on the eastern shore of Lake
Baikal, with a low bank and warm water. It is also interesting in terms
of architecture, since along the Selenga there was a historical route to
Transbaikalia, along which several monasteries were built. The best of
them is Posolsky, standing on the very shore, with a wonderful cathedral
and a mystical pile of crosses in memory of the royal embassy killed on
this site. The Baikal highway and the railway are nearby.
Khamar-Daban is a mountain range that borders Lake Baikal from the
south. This is perhaps the best place on the lake for active recreation:
there are several ski resorts, and the trail to Chersky Peak (2090 m) is
one of the simplest and, at the same time, very beautiful hiking routes.
Roads and resort villages cluster close to the shore of the lake, in one
of which, Tankhoy, is the office of the Baikal Nature Reserve. Visiting
the reserve itself, as usual, is not easy, but the visitor center
deserves attention as one of the most modern nature museums in Russia,
which also has equipped ecological trails that run through forests and
raised bogs on the slopes of Khamar-Daban.
Recharge yourself with the powerful energy of Lake Baikal
Find
peace and peace of mind in the protected corners of Buryatia
Perform
a ritual of offering to Buddhist shrines
Bow to the goddess Yanzhima
(Barguzin), asking for vitality and fertility for your family
Receive
the blessing of the incorruptible body of Pandito Khambo Lama Itigelov
Visit one of the most revered Buddhist shrines in Russia - the statue of
the Sandalwood Buddha (Zandan Zhuu) in the Egituysky datsan
Get in
touch with other worlds on a shamanic tailagan
Attend a colorful and
mesmerizing theatrical Buddhist performance - the Tsam mystery - in the
Tamchinsky datsan (Gusinoozersk) or in the Buddhist temple Hambyn Khure
(Ulan-Ude)
Get acquainted with the unique and original culture of the
Semeisk (Trans-Baikal Old Believers) in Tarbagatai or New Bryan
Feel
the breath of eternity, feel the aura of the ancient Xiongnu
civilization at the Ivolginsky settlement
Plunge into the era of the
mighty Genghis Khan at the Merkit fortress in the Tugnui Valley
Strengthen your body tone at the miraculous resorts and mineral springs
Visit the Valley of Volcanoes in Gornaya Oka, full of secrets and
mysteries
Improve your health at the Center for Oriental Medicine,
where the thousand-year experience of Tibetan medicine and the advanced
achievements of modern healthcare are organically combined
Study the
Atlas of Tibetan Medicine in the Museum of the History of Buryatia - a
priceless rarity, an outstanding monument of fine art of the Middle Ages
Get acquainted with the grandiose collection of antiquities in the
Kyakhtinsky Museum of Local Lore
Take a look at the ethnographic
museum of the peoples of Transbaikalia, where an ensemble of the rich
cultural heritage of the peoples living on the shores of Lake Baikal is
collected
Feel the atmosphere of old Verkhneudinsk by walking through
the historical center of Ulan-Ude
Visit the Jarun Khashore Stupa - an
analogue of the Bodhnath Stupa, located near Kathmandu in Nepal. In
Tibetan, the name is interpreted as “the stupa that fulfills wishes.”
Ethnographic Museum of the Peoples of Transbaikalia, Ulan-Ude,
Verkhnyaya Berezovka. ✉ ☎ +7 (3012) 44-33-10, 33-25-10. In summer: from
09.30 to 18.00; on weekends - from 10.00 to 19.00. In winter: from 09.00
to 17.00.. Ticket price for adults - 100 rubles, for students - 60
rubles, for schoolchildren and pensioners - 50 rubles. How to get there:
by minibus No. 37
Museum of the History of Buryatia, Ulan-Ude, st.
Profsoyuznaya, 29. ☎ +7 (3012) 21-40-08, 21-06-53.
Art Museum,
Ulan-Ude, st. Kuibysheva, 29. ☎ + 7 (3012) 21-29-09, 21-43-93.
Kyakhta Local History Museum (Branch and information center in Ulan-Ude
- Sovetskaya St. 27 a), Kyakhta, st. Lenina, 49. ✉ ☎ +7 (30142) 92-1-46.
Adults - 70 rubles, students - 25 rubles, schoolchildren - 15 rubles,
foreign citizens - 100 rubles. Preferential admission: preschoolers,
disabled people, WWII veterans, conscripts - free. One of the oldest
museums in Siberia and the Far East, founded in 1890. A unique
collection from the Xiongnu era. There is a branch in Ulan-Ude on the
street. Sovetskaya 27a
Buryat State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater, Ulan-Ude, st. Lenina,
51. ☎ +7 (3012) 21-39-13, 21-44-54, fax: +7 (3012) 21-44-54.
Buryat
State Academic Drama Theater, Ulan-Ude, st. Kuibysheva, 38. ☎ +7 (3012)
22-25-37, 64-14-55, 22-25-46.
Puppet theater "Ulger", Ulan-Ude, st.
Lenina, 46. ☎ +7 (3012) 21-80-37, 21-22-92, fax: +7 (3012) 21-80-37.
Song and Dance Theater "Baikal", Ulan-Ude, st. Erbanova, 6. ☎ +7 (3012)
21-78-96, 43-05-06.
State Circus of Buryatia, Ulan-Ude, Pobeda Ave.,
17. ✉ ☎ +7 (3012) 22-36-56, 46-12-29.
Sagaalgan: Buddhist New Year according to the lunar calendar. The
holiday is celebrated for almost a month. The date is "floating" -
calculated by Buddhist monks according to the lunar calendar. The day of
the Sagaalgan offensive is annually declared a day off by the Head of
the Republic of Buryatia. February 24, 2020.
Festival of national
traditions "Buuzyn Bayar". February 24, 2020, Ulan-Ude city.
The
world flash mob "Grand Exor". February 24, 2020, the city of Ulan-Ude.
Interregional freeride competitions "Formula Mamai 2020". February
22-24, 2020, Bolshoy Mamai River, Kabansky district.
Days of Culture
and Art of Buryatia in Moscow. February 25-26, 2020, Moscow, the State
Kremlin Palace.
All-Russian rapid chess competitions for prizes of
the D.D. Zayaev Buddhist University "Dashi Choinkhorlin". February 26,
2020, Ivolginsky datsan, Ivolginsky district.
The open snow fight
tournament "Snow Battle in Sayan". February 29, 2020, Tunka district.
Festival of speed on the ice of Lake Baikal "Baikal mile". February 27 -
March 1, 2020, Maksimikha village of Barguzinsky district.
Broad
Carnival. On March 1, 2020, the city of Ulan-Ude, the Ethnographic
Museum of the Peoples of Transbaikalia.
Ice fishing competitions,
relay race "Reserved triathlon", dog sledding race "Chivyrkuysky Dog
Sprint" contests, games, concert and entertainment program
"Chivyrkuyskie fun. March 15, 2020, Barguzinsky district.
The
festival of children's and youth books "Paper Key". March 27, 2020, the
city of Ulan-Ude.
XVI ice fishing tournament "Baikal fishing 2020".
March 27 — 28, 2020, Turka village of the Baikal region.
Ice fishing
tournament "Northern Baikal". On March 28, 2020, the village of
Nizhneangarsk in the North Baikal region.
Baikal Tourist Fair "Baikal
Travel Mart - Tourism and recreation in Buryatia"". April 26 — 28, 2020,
the city of Ulan-Ude.
The international freestyle wrestling
tournament "Baikal Open 2020" for the prizes of the Head of Buryatia.
March 28-29, 2020, Ulan-Ude city.
VIII PIZZICATO Chamber Music
Festival. April 1-30, 2020, Ulan-Ude city.
The championship of the
Siberian Federal District in mountaineering in the discipline of
skyrunning "Capricorn 2020". On April 13, 2020, the village of Arshan in
the Tunka district.
The feast of the meeting of swans. April 14,
2020, Khorinsky district.
Baikal ski Marathon. April 20 — 21, 2020,
Maksimikha village of Barguzinsky district.
The Eryn Gurban Naadan
tournament in honor of the goddess Yanzhima. On April 28, 2020, the
village of Yarikto in the Barguzinsky district.
Munku-Sardyk
Festival: climbing mountain trails of varying difficulty, including the
"Eternally White Char", and the bard song festival. May 1-5, 2020, the
village of Mondy, Tunka district.
The traditional prayer service is
Barkhan Tahilgaan. May 2, 2020, Kurumkan district.
"The day of the
herdsman." On May 16, 2020, the village of Uldurga, Yeravninsky
district.
The official opening of the Ulan-Ude Water rowing season is
the Water Open Cup. On June 1, 2020, the city of Ulan-Ude.
All-Russian boxing tournament "Baikal". June 1 - 30, 2020, the city of
Ulan-Ude.
The festival of Russian culture "Baikal round dance". June
7, 2020.
IX International Student Scientific and Practical Conference
"Sustainable development of service technologies". June 10 - 13, 2020,
Maksimikha village of Barguzinsky district.
The International forum
"Tourism Week on the Great Silk Road". June 10-16, 2020, Ulan-Ude city.
"Summer school for young artists". On June 12, 2020, the village of
Enkhaluk in Kabansky district.
A holiday dedicated to the history of
the Hunnu tribes. On June 13, 2020, the city of Ulan-Ude.
Interregional summer school-festival "Baikal fantasies". On June 15-26,
2020, the village of Enkhaluk in Kabansky district.
Interregional
festival "Yanzhima Necklace". On June 20, 2020, the village of Yarikto
in the Barguzinsky district.
The holiday of craftsmanship "Cottage
Cheese axe". On June 21, 2020, the village of Tvorogovo Kabansky
district.
Catch the Wave Festival. June 27, 2020, Lake Shchuchye,
Selenginsky district.
National holiday "Naadan Surkharban". June 30 -
July 3, 2020, the city of Ulan-Ude.
The festival "Night of the
Thief". July 3, 2020, the city of Ulan-Ude.
Strawberry Paradise
Festival and Fair. On July 11, 2020, the village of Vydrino Kabansky
district.
The XII International Music Festival "The Voice of the
Nomads. Baikal/Buryatia": World Music Festival. July 11 — 13, 2020.
Fisherman's Day in Chivyrkuy Bay. July 12, 2020, Kurbulik village of
Barguzinsky district.
All-Russian archery competitions "Arrows of
Baikal. July 17, 2020, the city of Ulan-Ude.
VIII Interregional youth
festival of Evenk culture "Baikal Argish". July 23-25, 2020, village of
Enkhaluk, Kabansky district.
The festival - fair "Fofonovsky
cucumber". On July 26, 2020, the village of Fofonovo Kabansky district.
Traditional games "108 Suburgans". July 27, 2020, the village of
Khorinsk, Khorinsky district.
Milk Festival "Sagaan eden nair 2020".
August 7-8, 2020, the village of Khilgana, Barguzinsky district.
Republican berry festival "Kikinskoe basket". On August 9, 2020, the
village of Kika, Pribaikalsky district.
International Street Film
Festival. August 10, 2020, the city of Severobaikalsk.
The Baikal
Wind Water Sports Festival. On August 13, 2020, the village of
Posolskoye in Kabansky district.
The festival of culture of the Semey
- Old Believers of Transbaikalia "Bichursky Yantari". On August 14,
2020, the village of Bichura, Bichura district.
Running marathon
"Clean Baikal". On August 15, 2020, the village of Maksimikha in the
Barguzinsky district.
Competitions in national sports dedicated to
the holiday of Hambo Lama D.-D. Itigelova. August 22 - 31, 2020,
Ivolginsky datsan, Ivolginsky district.
Rural holiday "Cherry Blossom
Festival on Chikoe". On September 5, 2020, the Kiran area of the
Kyakhtinsky district.
A parade in honor of the formation of the
Selenga Infantry regiment. On September 21, 2020, the settlement of
Novoselenginsk in the Selenginsky district.
The festival "Great
Melodies of the Great Steppe". September 26 - 27, 2020, Novoselenginsk
settlement of Selenginsky district.
The Bichurskaya Potato Festival.
October 2, 2020, the village of Bichura, Bichura district.
Fashion
Week "Baikal Fashion Week 2020". December 5-6, 2020, the city of
Ulan-Ude.
The Great Tea Way is a route from China to Russia, through the
territory of Buryatia.
Baikal—Khubsugul. The route linking the two
great lakes of Asia — the Russian Baikal and the Mongolian Khubsugul -
is gaining more and more popularity. The route passes through the
picturesque Tunka Valley.
"The Pilgrim's Way" (according to the
places of Hambo Lama Dasha-Dorjo Itigelov): Ulan-Ude - Aninsky datsan —
Egitui datsan — Arangin—Arya Bala - Talyn Khargana — Tamchinsky datsan —
Ivolginsky datsan.
On the way of Archpriest Avvakum — acquaintance
with the history of the development of Transbaikalia by Old Believers
The main language spoken by the population of Buryatia is Russian,
Buryat is possible. In remote villages where Buryats live mainly, you
can meet people who do not speak Russian. These are mainly preschool
children and the elderly adult population.
Knowledge of English
is a rarity among the population. Even in the tourist-oriented service
sector, you don't often find English-speaking staff. But the situation
is changing.
The development of tourism has become one of the
priorities of the policy of the republican authorities. The agencies
responsible for the tourism sector encourage the study of foreign
languages by specialists of the hospitality industry in every possible
way. Menus in English are already appearing in restaurants, and in the
near future it is planned to equip the streets and roads of Buryatia
with the necessary signs and information boards understandable for
foreign guests.
All routes mainly lie through the transport hub of Ulan-Ude, or from
neighboring regions and Mongolia.
By plane
Ulan-Ude
International Airport (IATA:UUD) "Baikal".
As of November 23,
2012, the airport accepts 13 flights.
International flights are
operated - Ulaanbaatar, Beijing, Manchuria, Thailand (Bangkok), Vietnam
(Da Nang, Cam Ranh).
There is a connection with the following
cities in Russia: Moscow, St. Petersburg, Omsk, Novosibirsk,
Krasnoyarsk, Irkutsk, Chita, Yakutsk, Khabarovsk, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.
Flights are made inside Buryatia: Bagdarin, Nizhneangarsk, Taksimo.
By train
The Trans-Siberian Railway passes through the territory
of the republic in part of the East Siberian Railway (VSZHD) and the
Baikal-Amur Mainline (BAM).
The main bus stops in Buryatia:
Mysovaya in Babushkin, Ulan-Ude on the Transsib, Severobaikalsk and
Taksimo on BAM.
The VSZHD has a TS-8 trunk branch "Ulan-Ude —
Naushki — Ulaanbaatar — Beijing", with large stations of Zagustai
(Gusinoozersk), Jida and Naushki. There is a railway border crossing to
Mongolia in Naushki.
By car
The federal highway M55 Baikal
runs through the territory of the republic, which connects the Irkutsk
Region in the west of the republic and the Trans-Baikal Territory in the
east.
From Mongolia to Buryatia, you can get through the car
crossings in the city of Kyakhta and the village of Mondy (Tunka
district).
In the near future, two more automobile crossings will
open on the border with Mongolia — in Zheltur (Dzhida district) and
Ainek Gol (Zakamensky district). The construction of crossings is in
full swing on both sides of the borders.
The main vehicle for residents of Buryatia is a car. All major
settlements of the republic can be reached from Ulan-Ude by minibus or
bus.
Buses depart from Ulan-Ude to different places in Buryatia
from several points: the bus station, the forecourt of the Ulan-Ude
railway station, Tsivileva Street (opposite the Sagaan Morin shopping
center), Banzarov Square.
From the railway station, buses depart
to Chita (Aginsky Buryat district), Irkutsk (Ust-Ordynsky Buryat
district), Arshan, Kyren, to recreation centers on Lake Baikal: Sukhaya,
Enkhaluk, Baikal Surf, Kultushnaya.
From Banzarov Square, you can
go to Gurulba, Zvezdny, Ivolginsk, Oshurkovo, Sosnovy Bor, Sotnikovo,
Tapkhar. To get to Ivolginsky datsan, you need to take the minibus 130
to Ivolginsk, then you need to transfer to another bus that will take
you to datsan. On major religious holidays, minibuses run from Banzarov
Square directly to the datsan.
From the bus station you can go to
almost all regional centers and large settlements of Buryatia, with
which there is a car connection: Arshan, Barguzin, Bichura, Goryachinsk,
Gremyachinsk, Gusinoozersk, Zagan, Zakamensk, Irkutsk, Kudara,
Kultushnaya, Kurumkan, Kyren, Kyakhta, Mukhorshibir, Orlik,
Petropavlovsk, Embassy, Potanino, Romanovka, Ust-Barguzin, Ust-Ordynsky
(via Irkutsk), Khorinsk, Shchuchye Lake.
In the southern
direction, you can leave Ulan-Ude daily by trains "Ulan-Ude—Naushki",
"Irkutsk—Naushki", trains run in the western and eastern directions.
The remote northern regions — North Baikal and Muisky - can be
reached by rail from Taishet station in the Irkutsk region. Domestic
airlines also fly from Ulan-Ude Baikal Airport to Nizhneangarsk and
Taksimo.
The main website with bus schedules and online ticket
sales is (it does not cover all routes, but there are no more detailed
ones)
In Buryatia, there is a wide selection of dishes of various cuisines.
But the guests of the republic prefer to try Baikal and Buryat cuisines.
In Baikal cuisine, dishes are prepared mainly from noble species of
fish caught in Lake Baikal — omul, sturgeon, grayling, whitefish. The
most beloved fish in Buryatia is the Baikal omul. It is eaten fried,
boiled, smoked and salted. Especially appreciated by connoisseurs and
lovers of this product is "omul with a smell", which is characterized by
a special piquancy due to its specific smell. Omul caviar and raskolotka
(frozen raw fish) are also popular, which are served to the table as an
appetizer.
Most often, guests are offered to taste the omul on
the horns, which is cooked like a barbecue over a campfire, only on
wooden skewers. The fish is used exclusively from fresh catch. As a
rule, the preparation of this dish takes place right on the shore of
Lake Baikal under the sound of the surf, the crackling of a campfire and
pleasant communication in a friendly company.
The basis of Buryat
cuisine is milk and meat, and its main advantage is simplicity in
preparation and naturalness.
Guests are usually treated to
mutton. Buryats can cook up to 50 different dishes from one ram. The
whole ram is used for food — nothing is thrown away. The most delicious
and famous mutton comes from the Borgoi Valley. This meat was also loved
in the imperial house of the Romanovs. Historical fact: the Borgoian
mutton was next to the Baikal omul on the ceremonial table on the
occasion of the coronation of Nicholas II.
The most popular dish,
which is present on the menu of almost any institution, is buuza. This
is a ball of minced meat wrapped in a pancake made of thin dough, with a
hole left on top. The shape of the dish resembles a yurt. The bouza is
being prepared for a couple.
Buchler (mutton broth), shulen (meat
soup with homemade noodles), black pudding and green tea with milk are
also loved in Buryatia.
A diverse and vibrant nightlife, where an atmosphere of unrestrained
fun reigns with incendiary music and hot dancing until the morning, is
available only in one place in Buryatia — in its capital, Ulan-Ude.
There are many night spots here — restaurants, pubs, clubs, cinemas...
In the summer, nightlife also boils over in popular recreation areas
— in Arshan, Enkhaluk, Maksimikh.
In the rest of the territory,
in the dark hours, guests of the republic admire stunning sunsets and
mystically bright starry skies, which makes them no less happy.
Buryatia can hardly be classified as a dangerous region.
The
locals are quite peaceful. Buddhism, which is practiced by a significant
part of the population, plays an important role in this. But, as they
say, the family is not without a freak, and sometimes there is a black
sheep that can spoil the overall blissful picture. If adventures are not
included in the plans of your travel program, you should not enter into
a close relationship with the first person you meet, and even more so,
drink alcoholic beverages with him.
As everywhere, being in the
conditions of pristine nature, you need to be wary of the bite of ticks,
bees, snakes and any other game. Although, as practice shows, these
representatives of the fauna themselves try to quickly hide from the
eyes of the "two-legged animals" if they do not feel threatened by their
lives. Therefore, in the forest it is necessary to behave in such a way
that your appearance does not come as a surprise to the animals, which
can scare them and cause aggression. You can talk loudly (don't shout!)
or make other sounds so that all living things around in advance and
voluntarily have time to hide in their holes.
Considering that
Buryatia is a sunny republic, it is necessary to protect yourself from
sunstrokes on hot days. And on rare rainy days, when a thunderstorm
happens, you need to know how to protect yourself from this atmospheric
scourge.
When taking baths in wild mineral springs, follow a
simple but important rule: your stay in the water should not exceed five
minutes, otherwise such procedures will do you more harm than good. It
is also impossible to cool the body after hot baths, so it is better to
wrap yourself in warm clothes right away.
Sometimes poisoning
happens to tourists. And then, instead of getting new pleasant
sensations in the Buryat expanses, you have to spend a lot of time and
effort on chaotic intimate encounters with a white "faience friend" in a
hotel room. To warn yourself against this sad prospect, you need to be
careful about any unfamiliar food and first ask what ingredients the
dish is made of. Also, you should not buy Baikal omul, so popular in
Buryatia, with your hands, no matter how tempting it looks to you. This
frivolity can end up with botulism for you. It is clear from the sound
of the word that it does not promise you anything pleasant.
In
general, be reasonable and you will have only pleasant memories from
your trip to Buryatia.
When visiting Buryatia, guests can also look into neighboring
regions, where there are many interesting places.
Irkutsk region:
Olkhon Island, Circum-Baikal Railway, Taltsy Architectural and
Ethnographic Museum of the peoples of the Angara region, Sobolinaya
Mountain resort.
Trans-Baikal Territory: Alkhanai National Park,
Aginsky datsan, Tsugolsky datsan, Darasun and Yamorovka resorts.
Tyva: only the Valley of Volcanoes and the wild resort of Choigan
(Joigan), located on the border of the two republics, are accessible
from Buryatia.
Mongolia: monument to Genghis Khan, Lake Khubsugul,
Amarbayasgalant Buddhist Monastery, Gobi Desert, Karakorum, Bogdo Khan
Palace, Gandantegchenlin Monastery, Gorkhi Terelj National Park.
Ancient times
The oldest finds of primitive people in Buryatia are
bone remains from the Tuyan site on the right bank of the Irkut River in
the Tunka Valley.
Proto-Mongol tribes living in the territory of
present-day Buryatia created the so-called culture of tiled graves.
At the turn of our era, the Baikal region formed the northern part
of the Hunnu state (Chinese: Xiongnu), an ancient nomadic people who
inhabited the Mongolian Plateau from 220 BC to the II century AD.
According to widespread opinion, part of the Huns reached Europe and,
mixing with the Ugrians, gave rise to a new people, which in Europe is
known as the Huns.
After the collapse of the Xiongnu in the 1st
century AD, the Baikal region came under the control of the
Mongolian-speaking Xianbi people (93-234).
In the IV—VI
centuries, the territory of Buryatia was part of the Zhuzhan Khaganate
(330-555).
In 924, the state of the Mongol—speaking Khitan - Liao
(907-1125) defeated the Kyrgyz Khaganate (840-924).
1206 — the
formation of the Great Mongol Empire, which included the territories
around Lake Baikal.
In the XIII—XVI centuries, many
Mongolian-speaking ethnic groups, including Merkits, Bayats,
Khori-Tumats and Barguts migrated from the territory of modern Buryatia.
XIV century — the collapse of the Mongol Empire. The Baikal region
and Transbaikalia were part of the Mongolian state of the Northern Yuan
until the 17th century.
XVI century
At the end of the XVI
century, Buddhism penetrated from Mongolia to the north to the Buryat
population of Transbaikalia, mainly in the Gelugpa tradition. The reason
for this was the congress of princes and noyons of Eastern, Western,
Southern and Northern Mongolia in 1576. At this congress, Gelugpa
Buddhism was declared the state religion of the whole of Mongolia, and
the territory of today's Buryatia was still part of it. Since then, laws
have been passed prohibiting shamanism and supporting Buddhism as the
state religion.
XVII century
Russian Russians conquered
Siberia in the second half of the XVII century. Records and reports of
Russian pioneers (Cossack foreman Moskvitin, boyar son of Beketov,
Nikolai Spafariy) also belong to this period. They note the presence of
"Bratsk" people, that is, Buryats, felt dugans, Lama temples and priests
of lamas who worship in honor of Buddha and other gods of the pantheon.
XVIII century
At the time of joining Russia, various
Mongolian-speaking ethnic groups lived in the Pre-Baikal and
Transbaikalia, such as Barguts, Khori, Ekhirites, Bulagats, Ashibagats,
Sartuls, Tabanguts, Khongodors, Ikinats, Shosholoks, etc.
After
the Russian-Chinese border was drawn in 1729, the above-mentioned
Mongolian-speaking ethnic groups were cut off from the bulk of the
Mongols, and later the Buryat people began to form from them.
XIX
century
To protect the state border of Russia with China, the
Trans-Baikal Cossack Army was formed by order of Emperor Nicholas I on
March 17 (30), 1851. The army included three mounted regiments and three
infantry brigades — the Verkhneudinsk 1st, 2nd, 3rd Russian regiments,
the 4th Tunguska (Evenki) regiment, the 5th and 6th Buryat regiments.
According to the census of 1897, there were 180 thousand Buryats in
Transbaikalia, of which about 160 thousand people considered themselves
to be Buddhist.
XX century
In 1917, the first national
autonomy of the Buryats was established — the State of Buryat-Mongolia.
In 1918, the Trans-Baikal Congress of Soviets declared the
Trans-Baikal Region a province.
Soviet power in the territory of
Buryatia was established in February 1918, but in the summer of 1918 it
was overthrown. In Transbaikalia, with the support of Japanese troops,
the military dictatorship of ataman Semenov was established. In
1919-1920, several national and "white" governments operated on the
territory of Buryatia — the State of Buryat-Mongolia, the theocratic
Balaghat state, the Great Pan-Mongolian State.
On March 2, 1920,
the Red Army, with the support of the partisans, returned Verkhneudinsk.
Western Buryatia became part of the RSFSR, eastern Buryatia became part
of the Far Eastern Republic (Far East). Verkhneudinsk was the capital of
the DVR in April — October 1920.
In 1921, the Buryat-Mongolian
Autonomous Region (Aginsky, Barguzin, Khorinsky and Chita aimags; the
center of the district is Chita) was created as part of the DVR.
On January 9, 1922, the Mongol-Buryat Autonomous Region was formed as
part of the RSFSR (Tunkinsky, Alarsky, Ehirit-Bulagatsky, Bokhansky and
Selenginsky aimags; the center of the district is Irkutsk).
After
the withdrawal of foreign interventionists from the Far East and the
annexation of the Far East to the RSFSR in November 1922, both
autonomous regions merged and on May 30, 1923, the Buryat-Mongolian
Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was formed with its capital in
Verkhneudinsk, which became part of the Russian Soviet Federative
Socialist Republic. This date is considered the day of the formation of
the Republic of Buryatia.
On July 30, 1930, the East Siberian
Territory (the regional center is Irkutsk) was formed, which included
the Buryat-Mongolian ASSR.
In 1934, Verkhneudinsk was renamed
Ulan-Ude.
In 1936, the East Siberian Territory was abolished with
the division into the Buryat-Mongolian ASSR and the East Siberian
region.
On September 26, 1937, when the East Siberian Region was
divided into Irkutsk and Chita regions, Ust-Ordynsky Buryat-Mongolian
National District and Aginsky Buryat-Mongolian National District were
separated from the Buryat-Mongolian ASSR.
On July 7, 1958, the
Buryat-Mongolian ASSR was renamed the Buryat ASSR by decree of the
Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. On December 25, 1958, the
Supreme Soviet of the USSR approved this decision, making a
corresponding amendment to the Constitution of the USSR.
On
October 8, 1990, the Supreme Council of the Buryat ASSR adopted the
Declaration on State Sovereignty of the Buryat Soviet Socialist
Republic. According to this document, Buryatia renounced the status of
autonomy and proclaimed the state sovereignty of the Buryat SSR on its
territory. On May 24, 1991, the Congress of People's Deputies of the
RSFSR approved this decision, amending article 71 of the Constitution of
the RSFSR of 1978.
On March 27, 1992, the Supreme Council of
Buryatia passed a law renaming the Buryat SSR into the Republic of
Buryatia. On April 21, 1992, the new name was approved by the Congress
of People's Deputies of Russia.
XXI century
When the federal
districts of Russia were formed in 2000, Buryatia was incorporated into
the Siberian Federal District. On November 3, 2018, the republic was
transferred to the Far Eastern Federal District, and in 2019 to the Far
Eastern Economic Region (before that it was part of the East Siberian
Economic Region).
Buryatia is located in the very center of Asia, on the eastern shore
of Lake Baikal, next to Mongolia.
It borders Tyva in the west,
Irkutsk Region in the northwest, and the Trans-Baikal Territory in the
east. It has a federal border with Mongolia in the south.
The
distance by rail from the capital of Buryatia, Ulan-Ude, to Moscow is
5,519 km, to the Pacific Ocean — 3,500 km, to Lake Baikal — 130 km, to
the border with Mongolia — 234 km.
The area of Buryatia is 351.3
thousand km2. For comparison, four Austrians or seventeen Israelis will
fit into the borders of the republic.
There are many amazing and
unique places in Buryatia. All the landscapes of Eurasia meet here:
mountains, taiga, steppes, tundra, desert, plain. Having visited these
places, the famous Russian writer A.P. Chekhov described Buryatia as
follows: "Selenga is a continuous beauty, in Transbaikalia I found
everything I wanted: the Caucasus, the Psla Valley, Zvenigorodsky
District, and the Don. During the day you ride across the Caucasus, at
night along the Don steppe, and in the morning you wake up from a nap,
look — the Poltava province is already there, and so on for the whole
thousand versts."
Nature has generously rewarded Buryatia with
healing resources. There are 303 known mineral springs and 55 mineral
lakes in the republic, located in different regions. Local residents
call the water sources "arshany", which means "healing water" in the
Buryat language. Arshans are revered as sacred places.
Buryatia
is a sunny republic, the sun shines here up to 300 days a year, which is
more than in any other region of Russia, and comparable to Central Asia.
It also has the highest purity and transparency of the air - from a
height of 9 thousand meters, the area is perfectly visible for tens of
kilometers around, which is also not available in all other regions of
the Russian Federation.
The climate in the republic is sharply
continental, winters are dry and cold, summers are short and hot. The
average temperature in winter is -22°C, in summer +18.5°C.
Buryatia is the highest mountainous area in Russia. Not in the sense
that there are high mountains here, but in the fact that the area is
located quite high from sea level. For example, Ulan-Ude is located at
an altitude of 500 to 650 meters, Lake Baikal at an altitude of about
400 meters.
The Republic of Buryatia is part of a mountainous zone with an
altitude zone that occupies a significant part of the south of Eastern
Siberia. The relief is characterized by powerful mountain ranges and
extensive deep and, sometimes, almost closed intermountain basins. The
area of the mountains is more than 4 times the area occupied by the
lowlands. Buryatia is characterized by significant elevation above sea
level, and as a result, very low average atmospheric pressure. The
lowest mark is the level of Lake Baikal — 456 m in the Pacific mark, and
the highest is the glacier—covered peak Munku-Sardyk in the Eastern
Sayan — 3491 m above sea level.
South Buryatia, represented by
the Selenga Srednegorye, covers a significant part of the Selenga River
basin, the largest waterway of Lake Baikal, including all its major
tributaries, and is characterized by a predominance of mountains with an
average height of 1000-1800 meters above sea level.
Lake Baikal
is bordered by the high ridges of the Baikal region with wide
intermountain basins separating them. Their belt includes the highlands
of the Eastern Sayan Mountains, extending from northwest to southeast
for a distance of about 1000 km, with a width of 200-300 km, and rising
in the central part of the ridges by more than 2500-3000 m. The belt of
the Baikal Mountains is continued by Khamar-Daban, the Sea Ridge,
Ulan-Burgas, Ikat, Barguzin and Baikal ranges. The watersheds of the
Barguzin range represent classic Alpine landforms.
In northern
Buryatia there are ridges of the Stanovoi Highlands: Yuzhno-Muisky,
Severo-Muisky, Udokan, Kalarsky. The Vitim Plateau adjoins the northeast
of the Baikal region. The entire northern Baikal region is characterized
by a continuous spread of permafrost, sometimes lying at a depth of 0.5
meters and with a capacity of up to 500-600 meters.
The climate of Buryatia is sharply continental. Winter is cold, with
dry frost. The main snowfalls occur in November and December. The second
half of winter is characterized by a small amount of snow. Spring is
windy, with prevailing northwesterly winds, with frosts and almost no
precipitation. Summer is short, with hot days and cool nights, with
heavy rainfall in July and August. Autumn comes imperceptibly, without a
sharp change in the weather, in some years it can be long and warm. The
average temperature in summer is +26 °C, in winter -25 °C, and the
average annual temperature is -1.6 °C. An average of 244 mm of
precipitation falls per year.
In general, the climate is formed
under the influence of three contrasting components: the dry and cold
climate of the northern regions, the hot and dry Mongolian deserts and
the humid Pacific.
An essential feature of the climate of
Buryatia is the long duration of sunshine — 1900-2200 hours, in this
indicator it is not inferior, and sometimes surpasses the southern
regions of Russia. In Russia, the sunniest cities are Ulan-Ude — 2797
hours and Khabarovsk — 2449 hours.
Barguzinsky, Bauntovsky
Evenki, Kurumkan, Muisky, Okinsky, North Baikal districts are equated to
the regions of the Far North.
The Nature Reserve Fund of the Republic of Buryatia is represented by
the following specially protected natural territories (hereinafter —
protected areas):
There are 2 biosphere reserves and 1 nature
reserve, 2 national parks, 3 state nature reserves of federal
significance.
There are 13 nature reserves, a natural park, a
recreational area, and 57 natural monuments of regional importance.
5
recreational areas of local importance.
Buryatia has a unique and diverse flora and fauna. Currently, 446
species of terrestrial vertebrates have been registered on the territory
of the republic. Amphibians of Buryatia are represented by six species
from two orders. There are 7 species of reptiles in the republic. There
are more than 348 species of birds in the avifauna of the republic. 85
species from 7 orders of mammals have been recorded in Buryatia.
Lake Baikal and its surrounding area are inhabited by 2,500 different
species of animals (including fish), 250 of which are endemic. The most
famous are the Baikal omul, a commercial fish of the salmon family, as
well as the viviparous golomyanka, a transparent fish without scales and
a swim bladder. The symbol of Lake Baikal is the seal. The mystery of
the origin of this freshwater seal in the lake has not yet been solved.
Most of the territory of Buryatia is occupied by forests (83% of the
area). In spring, the rhododendron of the Daurian (called by the local
population the bagulnik) blooms. Medicinal plants are successfully used
in folk and Tibetan medicine. The taiga is inhabited by sable, squirrel,
fox, column, ermine, lynx, roe deer, musk deer, raisin, elk, wild boar,
bear.
Baikal sturgeon, davatchan, white Baikal grayling, taimen
and tench are listed in the Red Book of Russia and Buryatia.
Objective data obtained on the basis of satellite image processing show
significant damage to the forest fund caused in 2001-2019. Deforestation
has caused concern to the World Wildlife Fund and local residents;
causing significant economic damage. Thus, according to GFW data, about
16% of all forests (by area) were lost in 2000-2018.
The water resources of the Republic of Buryatia are represented by
surface and groundwater. In total, more than 30,000 rivers with a total
length of about 150 thousand km flow on its territory. Of these, only 25
belong to the category of large and medium.
Thus, more than 99%
of the republic's rivers are small rivers with a length of less than 200
km. The rivers of the republic belong to three large water basins: Lake
Baikal, Lena and Angara rivers. At the same time, 52% of the territory
of Buryatia is located in the Lake Baikal basin.
The resources of
the river flow of Buryatia amount to 98 km3; 94.3 thousand m3/year per
inhabitant (almost 3 times more than the average in Russia); 279.8
thousand m3/year per 1 km2 of the territory. 61% of the republic's river
flow falls on the Lake Baikal basin.
There are about 35 thousand
lakes on the territory of the republic with a total mirror area of 1795
km2. The most significant reservoirs include Gusinoe (164.7 km2),
Bolshoe Eravnoye, Baunt, and Maloe Eravnoye.
On the territory of
Buryatia there is a large part (60% of the coastline) of Lake Baikal.
The permanent population of Buryatia at the 2010 census was 963.5
thousand people. The population density is three people per square
kilometer. 60% of people live in cities. National composition: 65% —
Russians, 30% — Buryats. The indigenous inhabitants of the republic are
Buryats, Soyots, and Evenks.
Buddhism, Shamanism, Orthodoxy and
Old Believers peacefully coexist in Buryatia.
Buryatia is the
center of Russian Buddhism. The main Buddhist temple of the country, the
Ivolginsky Datsan, houses the residence of the head of the Buddhist
traditional Sangha of Russia, Pandito Khambo Lama Damba Ayusheev. It is
also home to the country's largest university, Dashi Choinkhorlin, where
future clergy comprehend the basics of Buddhist philosophy, study
Oriental medicine, ethnography, Tibetan, Old Mongolian and Buryat
languages, as well as iconography, the basics of Tantrism and
meditation.
Of great interest is the phenomenon of Pandito
Hambo-Lama Dashi-Dorjo Itigelov, who 80 years ago went into nirvana and
still remains in a meditation pose. As many scientific studies have
shown, the brain and body of a Lama correspond to the physical
characteristics of a living organism. Scientists believe that the Lama's
body is in a state unknown to science. People from all over the world
make pilgrimages to the body and spirit of the Lama, believing that
touching the great Lama has miraculous power.
In the Republic of Buryatia region, according to the data available
for 2018, it is registered annually:
611 patients diagnosed with
HIV infection;
3152 patients diagnosed with malignant neoplasm, that
is, suffering from various cancers. This category of the population
receives modern and effective treatment in the best clinics in the
region;
758 patients with tuberculosis;
69 patients treated for
drug addiction;
554 people with alcoholism disease;
529 patients
diagnosed with syphilis.
The State power of the Republic is exercised by the Head, the
People's Khural, the Government and the courts.
The Head is the
highest official of the republic and at the same time the Chairman of
the Government. Legislative power is exercised by the Parliament of the
Republic — the People's Khural.
On February 22, 1994, the Supreme
Council of the Republic of Buryatia adopted the Constitution of the
Republic of Buryatia.
Order of Lenin (July 3, 1959) — for the successes achieved in
economic and cultural construction, and in commemoration of the 300th
anniversary of the voluntary entry of Buryatia into the Russian state;
Order of Friendship of Peoples (December 29, 1972) — in commemoration of
the 50th anniversary of the USSR.
Order of the October Revolution
(1973) — in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Buryat ASSR;
The Republic of Buryatia is one of the regions of Russia with an
industrial-agrarian type of economy. Economic development: The total
gross regional product (GRP) of the Republic of Buryatia in 2012
amounted to 167 billion rubles. According to this indicator, Buryatia
ranks 60th in Russia, between the Nenets Autonomous Okrug and the
Novgorod Region. In terms of the gross regional product (GRP), the
Republic of Buryatia ranks 47th in the ranking of the subjects of the
Russian Federation, between the Republic of Mordovia and the Orel
region. In 2011, the gross income per capita amounted to 159.2 thousand
rubles. ($10,684 according to the purchasing power index, which roughly
corresponds to the indicators of Serbia, Iran and South Africa).
In the GRP structure, the industries producing services have the maximum
share (46%): more than half of them (54.5%) provide transport, 28% —
trade and catering, 3% — communications. The share of industries
producing goods accounts for 33.1% of GRP, of which about 60% is
provided by industry, about 27% by agriculture and forestry, and 15% by
construction. Other industries account for 20.9% of the GRP structure of
the region.
More than 700 deposits of various minerals have been explored on the
territory of Buryatia. Among the identified deposits are 247 gold
deposits (228 placer, 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 each of molybdenum and beryllium, one each of tin and
aluminum. 8 deposits of fluorspar, 10 deposits of brown and 4 deposits
of coal, 2 deposits of asbestos, a number of jade and construction raw
materials, as well as apatites, phosphorites, graphite and zeolites have
also been explored.
In the Kizhinginsky district, near the
village of Novokizhinginsk, there is Russia's largest Ermakovskoye
beryllium deposit. It is characterized by a uniquely high beryllium
content (more than 1%) and a large number of beryllium minerals. This is
the only beryllium deposit in Russia suitable for profitable
development, characterized by favorable mining, hydrogeological
conditions, ease of ore enrichment and concentrate processing, as well
as being located in an easily accessible area. Among the well-known
beryllium deposits on a large scale, it stands out for its rich ores.
After its discovery in 1964, exploration and the beginning of
development (1975), the problem with the supply of beryllium to the USSR
industry was successfully solved.
Gold mining is one of the main
income items of the Republic of Buryatia. Geologists have identified
more than 240 deposits of this precious metal on its territory.
Buryatia, occupying a little more than 2 percent of the area of Russia,
contains a large gold potential in its bowels. In terms of balance
reserves of gold, the Republic of Buryatia ranks 14th among the subjects
of the Russian Federation. In general, as of January 1, 2010, gold
reserves in the republic amounted to 100.7 tons, the proven forecast
resources of ore gold are estimated at another 1,311 tons. In terms of
gold production, Buryatia ranks 9th in Russia and third in the Siberian
Federal District. In the Soviet years, gold mining was carried out
almost exclusively from placers and did not exceed 1.5—2 tons per year.
In 1991, with the creation of CJSC Buryatzoloto, work on the development
of the main ore deposits — Zun-Holby and Irokindy reached a new
qualitative level. With the commissioning of the Zun-Kholbinsky mine in
1994, production in Buryatia increased sharply to 5 tons. Gold
production in Buryatia in 2011 amounted to 6.1 tons.
Coal production
in Buryatia in 2009 amounted to about 16.5 million tons. Of these, the
Tugnui section produces 8.5 million tons per year, and the Nikolsky
section produces about. 8 million tons . According to geological
exploration data, coal reserves at the Tugnui section today amount to
230 million tons. The total area of the Nikolskoye field is 15 km2, with
reserves of more than 274 million tons. Brown coal production reached
1.5 million tons in 2010. Okino-Klyuchevskoye (Bichursky district),
Talinskoye and Daban-Gorkhonskoye (Yeravninsky district), Zagustayskoye
and separate sections of Gusinoozersky (Selenginsky district) brown coal
deposits are being developed in an open-pit manner. The main brown coal
deposits of Buryatia are Okino—Klyuchevskoye (coal reserves - 125.75
million tons), Gusinoozerskoye (proven reserves — 451 million tons),
Akhalikskoye (1.1 million tons), Zagustayskoye (1.0 million tons). On
the territory of Buryatia, there are 10 brown deposits and 4 coal
deposits on the balance sheet. This is 1.1% of Russia's balance coal
reserves, but production is only 0.1% of the national total. With a
sufficiently large fuel and energy base, Buryatia is forced to import,
mainly for energy producers, about 3 million tons of coal and 1.5
million tons of brown coal annually.
Uranium mining in Buryatia is
carried out in the Bauntovsky Evenki district at the Khiagda deposit by
the method of borehole underground leaching. In 2013, the Khiagda
deposit produced 440 tons of uranium, which is 38% higher than in 2012.
The mineral resource base of uranium at the Khiagda deposit is about 47
thousand tons
. The main deposits of non-ferrous metals in Buryatia
are Ozernoye, Kholodninskoye, Dzhidinskoye.
The Lake
pyrite-polymetallic deposit is located in the Yeravninsky district, 450
km east of Ulan-Ude. It is unique in reserves of lead (1.6 million tons)
and zinc (8.3 million tons), with their average ore contents of 1.2 and
6.2%. The impurity elements are cadmium, antimony, arsenic, silver,
thallium. In the period 2008-2010, a mining and processing plant was
built.
The Kholodninsk deposit of pyrite-polymetallic ores contains
industrial concentrations of lead, zinc, sulfur and other valuable
components. Pb Ratio:Zn is 1:7. A combined mining system was designed: a
quarry to a depth of 200-300 m, with a sequential transition to
underground mining. However, in 2006, by order of the Government of the
Russian Federation, the boundaries of the Central Ecological Zone (CEZ)
of Lake Baikal were approved, in which the Kholodninskoye field is
located, and where any economic activity was prohibited.
Tungsten
mining at the Dzhidinsky deposit in Zakamensk was discontinued in 1998,
due to the economic crisis.
Jade mining in Russia on an industrial
scale began in the middle of the XIX century in the Eastern Sayan.
Before that, all the jade supplied to the stone-cutting enterprises of
Russia was purchased abroad. In the Soviet years, starting in 1964
(since the creation of the Jade Batch of the Irkutsk Geological
Department), jade production in Buryatia ranged from 30 to 100 tons, and
in some years it reached 500 tons. After the 1990s, accounting is only
approximate, since most of the stone turnover is carried out on the
shadow market.
The republic's energy system operates as part of the Unified Energy
System of Russia. In 2013, electricity consumption in the Buryat power
system amounted to 5,484 million kWh, power generation — 5,391.8 million
kWh, maximum power consumption — 969 MW, installed capacity of power
plants at the end of the year — 1,333.77 MW. The historical maximum
power consumption is 1,255 MW and was reached in 1992.
There are
two wholesale market power plants operating on the territory of the
republic:
Gusinoozerskaya GRES (branch of JSC Inter RAO — Electric
Generation, Gusinoozersk) is a thermal power plant (GRES) with an
installed capacity of 1,130 MW at the end of 2013. In 2013, the GRES
produced 4823.1 million kWh of electric energy (or 89.45% of the total
output of Buryatia).
Ulan-Ude CHP-1 (branch of JSC TGK-14, Ulan-Ude)
is a thermal power plant with an installed capacity of 148.77 MW at the
end of 2013. In 2013, the CHP generated 442.8 million kWh of electric
energy (or 8.2% of the total output of Buryatia).
There are also
six solar power plants located on the territory of Buryatia: Bichurskaya
SES with a capacity of 10 MW (commissioned in 2017), BVS SES, Tarbagatai
SES, Kabanskaya SES and Khorinskaya SES with a capacity of 15 MW each
(all commissioned in 2019), as well as Toreyskaya SES with a capacity of
45 MW (commissioned in 2020).
Electric energy is supplied to the
retail market by the TPP of JSC Selenginsky CCK (36 MW, a station of an
industrial enterprise owned by LLC Bail, Ulan-Ude) and diesel power
plants used in emergency and repair modes. The total capacity of diesel
power plants at the end of 2013 was 18.4 MW.
The republic's power
plants use brown and hard coal as the main fuel, fuel oil as a backup
and kindling.
The general layout of electric power facilities
until 2020 assumed the construction of the Moka and Ivanovo HPPs with a
design capacity of 1,410 MW.
Electric energy transmission
services in the republic are provided by JSC FGC UES (electric networks
and substations with a voltage of 220 kV and above), a branch of JSC
IDGC of Siberia — Buryatenergo, JSC Ulan-Ude Energo, LLC ENCOM and 24
other territorial grid companies.
The guaranteeing supplier in
the territory of the Republic of Buryatia since June 2014 is JSC
Chitaenergosbyt. The largest consumers of electric energy are the East
Siberian Railway, Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant, Ulan-Ude Locomotive and Car
Repair Plant, Timlyuysky Cement Plant, Selenginsky CCK, Buryatzoloto,
Tugnuysky Section.
The functions of operational dispatch
management in the territory of the Republic of Buryatia are performed by
the Branch of JSC SO UES "Regional Dispatch Management of the Energy
System of the Republic of Buryatia", which is part of the operational
activity area of the Branch of JSC SO UES An ODE to Siberia.
The
consumption of thermal energy from district heating systems in the
Republic of Buryatia amounted to 7,395 thousand in 2013. Gcal. The
largest suppliers of thermal energy are the enterprises of JSC TGK-14
(Ulan-Ude CHP-1 — 1596.7 thousand Gcal, Ulan-Ude CHPP-2 — 893.1
thousand. Gcal, Timlyuyskaya CHP — 74.9 thousand. Gcal), Gusinoozerskaya
GRES — 240.2 thousand. Gcal, CHP of JSC Selenginsky CCK — 158.2
thousand. Gcal. In addition to the listed stations, about 673 boiler
houses release thermal energy.
At the end of 2013, the total
installed capacity of heat sources of district heating systems is 2798.1
Gcal/h, of which 1030.5 Gcal/h are boiler houses, 688 Gcal/h is Ulan—Ude
CHPP—1, 419 Gcal/h is the CHPP of JSC Selenginsky CCK, 221 Gcal/h is
Gusinoozerskaya GRES, 380 Gcal/h — Ulan-Ude CHPP-2, 59.6 Gcal/h —
Timlyuyskaya CHPP. At the same time, the last two CHP plants have zero
installed electric power and actually function as boiler houses.