Ulan Ude

Ulan Ude (Russian: Ула́н-Удэ́ oo-LAHN oo-DEH) is the capital of Buryatia, known during Soviet times as the Buryat Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic.

Understand


Ulan Ude, originally called Udinskoye, is in an area of Russia called Buryatia, named after the nomadic Buryat Mongols that first settled in the area. In the 1650s, as a result of a split in the Russian Orthodox Church, a group of people called the "Old Believers" were forced to flee their homes and escape to Siberia in order to freely practice their religion. The settlement was officially founded in 1666 by Russian Cossacks as a fortress. Due to its location on trade routes between Russia, China and Mongolia, it developed into a prosperous trading town. It grew further when it became a hub for the Trans Siberian Railway in 1900 and the locomotive manufacturing industry dominated the economy. Ulan Ude means "Red Ude", referring to the river Uda, in the local Buryat language. The city was closed to foreigners before 1991.

Buryat Mongols make up over 20% of the population of Ulan Ude, and the Mongolian cultural influence on the city is very noticeable. However, much of the original Buryat culture and religious buildings were destroyed by the Soviets in the 1930s. Shamanism, Buddhism, and Orthodox Christianity are all commonly practiced in Ulan Ude. There are approximately 400,000 inhabitants.

The city is situated at the intersection of the Uda and the Selenga rivers and is between the Khamar-Daban and Ulan-Burgasy mountain ranges. The city is south of Lake Baikal, along the Uda River. Lake Baikal tourism is very important to the economy of Ulan Ude and the city is tourist-friendly.

Climate
In summer it may be very hot, and in winter it may be freezing. The months of January to March are the coldest, with the average night temperature reaching as low as -27°C in January (though temperatures well below -50°C have been recorded!). April and May are also cold, but usually it is above freezing. June to August are the most pleasant months with lots of sunshine and temperatures rising to the low 20s. September and October are bracing months, but not yet very cold. November and December again see a return to freezing temperatures of around -10°C to -20°C. Also, the whole of Buryatia, and Ulan-Ude in particular, is considered to be the place where there are the most sunny days during the year, compared to other places in the area.

Humidity is low, so the extreme temperatures don't feel as extreme as they would in humid areas.

By plane


Buses #55 and #77 operate between the airport and Ploshchad Sovietov, the location of the giant Lenin head, in the city centre. To reach the airport bus station, walk straight out from the airport and turn left at the crossroad then continue walking for 5-10 minutes. The bus costs ₽20. Alternatively, taxis should cost ₽300 if negotiated in advance and the journey to the city centre by taxi takes approximately 20 minutes.

By train
The train station is located in the city centre, a 5 minute walk from the main street, ulitsa Lenina.

All Trans-Siberian trains stop at Ulan Ude, which is from the Moscow commencement point.

Train timetables and fares can be found on the RZD website. There are several daily trains to Moscow (95 hours, ₽4000-11000), Krasnoyarsk (25 hours, ₽1600-8400), Irkutsk (8 hours, ₽750-4000), Novosibirsk (40 hours, ₽2200-10400), Omsk (50 hours, ₽2600-7600), Yekaterinburg (63 hours, ₽3300-9000), Perm (70 hours, ₽3500-9600), Vladivostok (61 hours, ₽3300-16000), Ulaanbaatar (22 hours, including a 12-hour scheduled stop at the border), and Beijing (66 hours, once per week).

Ulan-Ude is the first major Russian city on the train journey from Mongolia.

By bus
The bus station “Selenga” (also known as “Yuzhniy”) is at Korabelnaya st 32, at the end of Sovetskaya st. It is from the train station and it can be reached on foot or by marshrutka #30 or #29. There is a baggage storage room open from 8:00AM to 8:00PM. Sometimes it is referred to as the "South Bus Station"; however, the north bus station no longer exists.

Note that many buses/marshruktas, including those to Irkutsk, Lake Baikal, Arshan, and Chita, also stop at or leave from the train station. Buses/marshruktas are generally less comfortable than the train; however they are usually cheaper and faster. Many small towns in Buryatia cannot be reached by train, and bus is the only public transportation option to reach these areas.


 * There are daily buses to/from Ulaanbaatar, departing from either city at 7:30AM for the 10-12 hour journey. Tickets can be purchased at travel agency offices for ₽1100. The bus is much cheaper and faster than the train.
 * Minibuses operate a service to the Mongolian border town of Kyakhta. The buses depart every hour from 7:00AM to 7:00PM and the 3-hour journey costs ₽250. The minibus driver will most probably ask for ₽50 extra for each piece of luggage.
 * There are buses/marshrutkas to Lake Baikal (3 hours, ₽300), Irkutsk (9 hours, ₽700), Arshan, and Chita, departing from the Ulan-Ude train station. Tickets can be purchased from the driver. The buses usually leave early in the morning, once full.

By foot
The central tourist area of Ulan Ude is compact and is very walkable.

By taxi
Taxis are plentiful but drivers rarely speak any English.

By public transportation
There are marshrutkas, buses, and a few tram routes. Trips on public transportation cost less than ₽30.

City center



 * The World's Largest Lenin Head is in Ploshchad Sovietov, the main city square. The head is 7.7m tall and weighs 42 tons. It was unveiled in 1970 in honor of Lenin's 100th birthday and to remind the local population who was in charge. It is now a common meeting place.
 * The merchant's mansions, richly decorated with wood and stone carvings. Historical relics of the town's prosperity as a trading center. The mansions are located along the banks of the Uda River.
 * Lenina Street, also called Arbat street. Part of the street is pedestrian-only. It is the main place for meeting, walking, shopping for locals and a good place for people-watching.
 * Gostiniye Ryady, the former shopping arcade.
 * Revolution Square was the location of bazaars during historical times. There is a victory arch with a two-headed Russian eagle.
 * Embankment of Selenga (at Pioner mall, close to main bus station). A good place for people-watching.

Museums




Religious buildings




Buy
Cedar oil (Кедровое масло) and other cedar products are a specialty of this region. Small Buddha statues are a common souvenir and are said to bring good luck. Mongolian socks, muttons, hats etc. out of camel wool can serve as a gift too.

Eat
Try local buryat cuisine. Mainly it's steamed meat dumplings called "Buuza" (or "Pozy"), fried "Sharbin", or "Khushuur". Soups include meat broth "Bukhlyor" and noodles "Shuleen". Sweet baked goods served with jam or condensed milk are called "boovy".

The fish "omul" is unique for the region, as it exists only in the Baikal lake.

Local cuisine

 * Appetite Lenin's head looks at it. Quite cheap, tray style, Russian food, free WiFi.
 * "Museum" cafe, Lenina str, 46; on a way from Lenin's head to Arbat street (11.30-19.00). 150 r/meal
 * "Baatar orgoo" YURT GER cafe, Verhnaya Beryozovka, Dokuchaeva str.11. Only minibus 37 goes there. You can take it from Baikal Plaza hotel bus stop, tell a driver to stop at "KAFE YURTA". Takes about 20-30 minutes drive. Only traditional food and very nice atmosphere. 500-700 r/meal
 * "Buuza" cafe/bar, Communist str. 41a; on tram tracks, near hotel Siberia, 3 mins from Lenin's head
 * "Tenghis" restaurant, Yerbanova str. 12; Inside Baikal Plaza hotel
 * "Student snacks" cafe/bar, Razhurova str. 1; just behind Opera house
 * Marusia Lenina st., 46; Russian cuisine

Supermarkets
Food can be bought in shops; look for the signs with "магазин" ("Magazine", literally: store).


 * Titan Supermarket
 * Slavyanskiy bazar on Smolina street near intersection with Sovyetskaya street.
 * Absolut Supermarket
 * Absolut Supermarket

Drink
The local Baikalpharm brand of vodka is very popular and a bottle makes a great souvenir.

Cafes

 * Dacha Lenin's head looks at it. Great place!
 * Marco Polo Kommunisticheskaya st., 46; coffee house, breakfast, salads
 * Safari Erbanova st., 20; coffee house
 * Shokolad Karl-Marks blvrd, 11; top recommended coffee house. It's located just opposite the new Russian drama theater which is about 15 minutes by tram. Nice location, nice coffee

Sleep
Most hotels and hostels offer free WiFi and many have computer terminals. Almost all accept credit cards. Hotels and hostels will usually provide a visa invitation and registration for an additional fee.

Phone
The international code for Russia is +7; the code for Ulan Ude is 301.

For information on purchasing a SIM card in Russia, see Russia.

Note that SIM cards purchased elsewhere, such as in Moscow or Saint Petersburg, may be subject to roaming charges.

Internet
Free WiFi is available in most hotels, shopping malls, university buildings, cinemas, restaurants and cafes, and some public areas and parks. There are also plenty of WiFi hotspots for which you must pay. There are internet cafes in the city centre. You can also buy a mobile GPRS card to enable data transfer via the cellular networks. For more information, see Russia.

Consulates

 * 🇲🇳 Mongolia

Go next
In addition to continuing on to cities on Trans-Siberian Railway and the Trans-Mongolian Railway, it is worth making a diversion to Lake Baikal, the deepest and oldest lake in the world and, by volume of water, also the largest freshwater body of water. It contains 20% of the world's liquid fresh water and is deep. The lake can be reached by bus.