Ulan-Ude

Ulan-Ude is the capital of Buryatia. The city is founded in the XVII century. It is a center of multi-faith tolerance, known for the largest (of its own kind) monument to Lenin. Ulan-Ude is included in the list of historical cities of Russia: it contains more than 230 cultural heritage sites, including merchant and philistine houses.
The Ethnographic museum of the peoples of Transbaikalia represents information about the history, household, traditions of the peoples living in the territory of modern Buryatia. The Musical fountain not far from the Opera theatre is the real adornment of the city.
You may also travel out of the city and visit Ivolginskiy Datsan – large monastery complex, the center of Buddhism in Russia, that is protected by the state as a monument of religious architecture. Equally interesting is the village of the old-believers with a museum, where you may see household items, clothing, religious accessories of the old-believers. Here tourists have an opportunity to taste ecologically friendly products and take part in the wedding ceremony.