- Places to visit
ULAN-UDE
Our hostel is located in the very center of Ulan-Ude. From our hostel, you can walk across the Viaduct to the railway station (100-150 m), there is also a bus station, from where you can go to Baikal or Irkutsk. You can walk to Sovetov Square, see the famous Lenin’s Head, Theater Square and the singing fountain, 5-10 minutes from the hostel. Visit the Museum of the History of Buryatia and the Museum of Local Lore. Walk to the main pedestrian street of the city. Walk and relax in the park area, near the Victory Memorial. Visit exhibitions at the National Museum of the Republic of Buryatia. take a walk along Cathedral Street and visit St. Odigitrievsky Cathedral. Take a walk along the embankment of the Selenga River and go to the Pioneer shopping center.
center of Buddhism
Datsan Rinpoche Bagsha
Datsan Rinpoche Bagsha – In the monastery there is the largest statue of Shakyamuni Buddha in Russia with a height of 6 m, completely covered with gold leaf. In 2009 The bell of the Four Seals, also the largest in the country, was consecrated. His blows are heard throughout the city and herald the beginning of the next hural dedicated to any holiday. Marble statues of Buryat “buuz” and Tibetan “momo”, favorite folk dishes symbolizing prosperity and prosperity, are installed in the courtyard of the temple. The closest analogue known to us is Georgian Khinkali. On each “dumpling” weighing 1 ton – 33 traditional pinches, reminiscent of the sky 33 gods.
In the circle of the temple there is a hiking trail where you can feed a squirrel and just relax your soul. There is also an observation deck, which offers a wonderful view of the city
Address: Streletskaya str.1. How to get there: by minibus No. 97 to the final stop “Datsan”.
Ivolginsky datsan
The multicolored roofs of the Ivolginsky datsan are visible from afar: this temple complex, a recognized center of Buddhism in Russia, welcomes visitors with bright colors and religious and philosophical traditions rooted in centuries. Datsan is located on the territory of the Republic of Buryatia and is a monument of culture and history of world significance.
The rules of Buddhist etiquette apply in the temple: it is forbidden to turn your back to the Buddha statues and point at them with your finger, as well as smoke, swear and talk loudly.
Pilgrims and tourists begin the tour of the datsan with “goroo” — this is the name of the circumambulation of sacred places in the Buddhist tradition. It is performed an odd number of times clockwise, and in order for a guest who is not familiar with the temple complex not to get lost, a special path has been laid throughout its territory. Lamas are happy to conduct excursions for pilgrims, but if desired, you can wander around the datsan yourself. The main attraction and pride of the temple complex is the incorruptible body of Lama Dashi-Dorjo Itigelov. The great Teacher was born in 1852 . and he went through a difficult path from novice to lama, and in 1927 he fell into nirvana, bequeathing his disciples to bury him and bring him into the world after 70 years. To the surprise of the scientists who were present at the exhumation, the body of the lama was not deformed, and the tissues remained incorruptible. Anyone can see the sacred remains, but only 8 times a year — during large Buddhist festivals.
About 100 novices study at the University of datsan, whose academic life any visitor to the monastery can get acquainted with: on weekends, lama teachers conduct open lectures.
Exploring the datsan, you should not neglect any detail: all monuments, sculptures and elements carry a deep meaning that is understandable to a follower of Buddhism and less obvious to the ordinary layman. For example, the khurde (prayer drums), which contain scrolls with mantras, must be rotated clockwise, and the stone with the palm print of the Green Container, on the contrary, cannot be touched without first closing your eyes.
Address: Republic of Buryatia, Verkhnyaya Ivolga village, Dorozhnaya str. Coordinates: 51° 45′ 30″ N; 107° 12′ 12″ E.
How to get there: from Ulan-Ude by bus No. 130 from Banzarov Square to the village. Ivolginsk (ticket price 30 RUB), then transfer to the Ivolginsk – Datsan bus (15 RUB); by private car from Ulan-Ude – 30-40 minutes along the federal highway A165.
Opening hours: free entrance during daylight hours. The visit is free of charge.
Ethnographic Museum of the Peoples of BAIKAL REGION
An open-air museum complex in the near suburb of Ulan-Ude – a picturesque area of the Verkhnyaya Berezovka microdistrict. One of the largest open-air museums in Russia, it was opened in the middle of the summer of 1973 on the territory of 37 hectares. More than 40 architectural monuments and 11 thousand exhibits are collected in seven ethnographic complexes on this square.
The territory of the Ethnographic Museum is divided into several permanent complexes: archaeological, Evenk, Buryat, Pre-Baikal, Trans-Baikal, Old-timers, Old Believers, urban. The exposition of each of them consists of farmsteads and outbuildings with tools, household utensils, furniture, etc. objects characteristic of settlements from the beginning of the 19th to the beginning of the 20th century.
There is also a “living corner” on the territory of the museum, where typical representatives of the animal world of Transbaikalia are kept: bears, wolves, deer, roe deer, sarlyks, camels.
Address: Ulan-Ude, village Verkhnyaya Berezovka, Museumnaya str., 17b. Website. The village of Verkhnyaya Berezovka is 8 km from Ulan-Ude. You can get to it by minibus No. 37 (turn from the highway P438 “Barguzin” to the street Museum, stop “Rest house Teacher”).
Working hours: in summer on weekdays from 10:00 to 18:30, weekends from 10:00 to 19:00; in autumn and spring on weekdays from 9:00 to 17:30, weekends from 10:00 to 18:30; in winter on weekdays and weekends from 9:00 to 17:30.
Ticket price: adult 200 RUB, children under 7 years – free of charge.
Entrance tickets are cheaper on Monday and Tuesday, but exhibitions and expositions are closed, only the “ETHNOZOO GARDEN” and the park area are open.
If you are traveling by car, we recommend you to see the natural attractions near the city.
I travel by car
Sleeping Lion Mountain
The Sleeping Lion Mountain is a unique natural monument and one of the sacred places for Buddhists of Buryatia. The outline of the mountain is very similar to a sleeping lion. From the top of the mountain there is a beautiful view of Selenga. The slope is completely covered with rare groundcover plants, many of which are listed in the Red Book. It offers a very picturesque panorama of the Selenga Valley – the largest river flowing into Lake Baikal.
The Sleeping Lion Mountain is located on the federal highway R-258 Baikal Irkutsk-Ulan-Ude-Chita when climbing the Omulevka ridge.
boulder with a turtle
If you go on a trip to the North of Lake Baikal, then along the east coast there is a great place to relax between the village of Turka and the village of Gremyachinsk.A boulder rises above the water, shaped like a turtle with an elongated neck. Guides tell at this place the legend of a fearless reptile that saved Baikal and its inhabitants from an evil Black shaman.
There is a cozy bay, a beach, clear water and a dense coniferous forest. On the shore there are places of rest, benches, tables, there is a place for a campfire.
Standing on the shore in this place, in good weather, you can see the island of Olkhon on the opposite side of the lake. It is considered a sacred place, someone calls it the heart of the lake.And therefore, next to the “Turtle” it is customary to make wishes, ask for health and well-being.