Ulan-Ude (; Russian: Улан-Удэ, Russian pronunciation: [ʊˈlan ʊˈdɛ]; Buryat: Улаан-Үдэ, romanized: Ulaan-Üde, IPA [ʊˌlaːɴ‿ˈʉdə]) is the capital city of Buryatia, Russia, located about 100 kilometers (62 mi) southeast of Lake Baikal on the Uda River at its confluence with the Selenga. According to the 2021 Census, 437,565 people lived in Ulan-Ude; up from 404,426 recorded in the 2010 Census, making the city the third-largest in the Russian Far East by population.
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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.
The local Baikalpharm brand of vodka is very popular and a bottle makes a great souvenir.
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.
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.
| address= | lat=51.8075 | l107.4375 | directiis west of the city centre | ph+7 301 222-79-59 | tollfree= | hours= | price= | wikidata=Q2719346 |lastedit=2021-12-10| cThe airport serves approximately 300,000 passengers per year. There are regular flights to many major Russian cities including Moscow (7 hour flight, ), Krasnoyarsk, Vladivostok, Blagoveshchensk, Irkutsk, Khabarovsk, and Novosibirsk, as well as international flights to Ulaanbaatar, Beijing, and Seoul. }}
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 . Alternatively, taxis should cost if negotiated in advance and the journey to the city centre by taxi takes approximately 20 minutes.
The central tourist area of Ulan Ude is compact and is very walkable.
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" 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.
