Stand on Ploshchad Sovietov and the first thing you notice is the scale of the head: a 7.7-metre bronze of Vladimir Lenin, weighing 42 tons, looking out over the main square. It was unveiled in 1970 for the centenary of his birth, and locals still use it as a meeting point. From there, Lenina Street runs downhill toward the Uda River, past carved wooden houses and the old shopping arcade.
Ulan-Ude suits travellers moving along the Trans-Siberian Railway between Irkutsk and Chita, or anyone breaking the journey to Mongolia on the Trans-Mongolian line. It is also the centre of Tibetan Buddhism in Russia, which makes it a natural stop for those heading to the Ivolginsky Datsan. This guide covers the city centre on foot, the open-air museum, the religious sites, and how to string them together in a single day.
Top things to do in Ulan-Ude
1. The World's Largest Lenin Head
The head of Lenin in Ploshchad Sovietov, the main city square, is the city's defining landmark. It stands 7.7 metres tall and weighs 42 tons, and was unveiled in 1970 in honour of Lenin's 100th birthday. It now serves as a common meeting place for residents.
Come in the morning when the square is quieter, and use it as your starting point: Lenina Street begins its run downhill from here, and the Buryat State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater sits at the square itself.
2. Lenina Street (Arbat)
Lenina Street, also called Arbat street, is the main place for meeting, walking and shopping for locals, and part of it is pedestrian-only. It is a good place for people-watching.
Walk it downhill toward the river and combine it with the merchant's mansions and the Odigitrievsky Cathedral at the beginning of the street, near the Uda River.
3. The merchant's mansions
Ulan-Ude's historical centre holds old merchants' mansions richly decorated with wood and stone carving, relics of the town's prosperity as a trading centre. They are located along the banks of the Uda River.
These are best seen on foot as part of a walk along Lenina Street and the riverbank; the carvings reward a slow pace rather than a quick pass.
4. Odigitrievsky Cathedral
Odigitrievsky Cathedral, at the beginning of Lenin street near the river Uda, was built in 1741 in honour of the Madonna of the Odigitria. It was the first stone building in the town and is a Siberian baroque monument, built in a zone of high seismic activity where the Uda flows into the Selenga.
Pair it with the mansions and the riverbank walk, since all three sit at the same end of the centre.
5. Ethnographic Museum of the People of Transbaikalia Culture
This open-air museum in Verhnaya Beriozovka is one of Russia's largest. Old homesteads, including some 17th-century Cossack houses, and Buryat wooden yurts have been relocated to the site, along with reconstructed streets representing traditional Buryat homes, and there is a small zoo.
Take Bus #37 from the Baikal Plaza Hotel bus stop, south of Ploshchad Sovietov on the same side of the street as the hotel, and tell the driver to stop at MUZEI. It is a 30-minute drive. The museum is open Wednesday to Sunday; on Monday only the small zoo is open, and on Tuesday the zoo and one other house are open.
6. Ivolginsky Datsan Buddhist Monastery
The Ivolginsky Datsan, near Verkhnyaya Ivolga village, is the centre of Buddhism in Russia. It lies outside the city, and near the datsan you can buy souvenirs cheaper than in the centre.
Take Bus #130 from a bus stop just north of the bus station to Ivolginsk village, a 40-minute ride, then get off at the last stop and take a marshrutka to the monastery, about a 10-minute ride. The marshrutka says "ДАЦАН" (DATSAN) on it. Buses no. 130 leave from South Bus Station (Yuzhniy avtovokzal) regularly, one after another. Expect a 40- to 60-minute journey each way.
7. Rinpoche Bagsha Buddhist Center
Rinpoche Bagsha on Streletskaya st. is a newer lama temple with a panoramic view over the whole city. Allow about an hour to explore it.
Take bus #97 from the Baikal Plaza hotel at Lenin's head square to the last stop. It can be quite windy up there, so dress warm.
8. Buryat State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater
The theatre on Lenina St. at Lenin's head square is a beautiful building, and you can watch performances of Buryat singing and dancing there.
Because it sits on the main square, it fits easily into an evening after a day of walking the centre.
9. Museum of Buryatia History
On Profsoyuznaya ul. in the city centre, this museum holds rare books, clothing and artifacts from the region, including those from Shamanism, Buddhist and Christian religions. The highlight exhibit is a rare illustrated 17th-century book on Tibetan medicine.
It is open Tuesday to Sunday and closed on Mondays, so plan it for a weekday or Saturday.
10. Sampilov Museum of Fine Arts
Also known as the East-Siberian Hermitage, this museum on Kuibysheva ul. in the city centre contains over 7,000 pieces of fine art from the Buryatia region.
Like the history museum, it is open Tuesday to Sunday and closed on Mondays.
11. City History Museum
Housed in a building that formerly belonged to a wealthy tea merchant, this museum includes an exhibition devoted to Pandito Hambo-Lama XII, Dasha-Dorzho Itigelov, leader of the Buddhists of East Siberia between 1911 and 1917.
It is in the city centre and open from 9AM to 6PM, which makes it a convenient stop between the square and the riverbank.
12. Museum of Buryatia Nature
On Lenina Str. in the city centre, this museum includes exhibits on the animals, botany and geology of the area.
It is open Tuesday to Sunday and closed on Mondays, and its position on Lenina Street means you can fold it into a walk along the Arbat.
13. Geological Museum
On Lenina Str. in the city centre, the Geological Museum features the largest collection of minerals, rocks, gems and stones from the Lake Baikal region.
It keeps weekday hours only, opening Monday to Friday and closing at weekends, so slot it into a weekday.
14. Gostiniye Ryady and Revolution Square
Gostiniye Ryady is the former shopping arcade. Revolution Square was the location of bazaars during historical times, and it holds a victory arch with a two-headed Russian eagle.
Both sit in the centre and work well as a short detour while walking between the square and Lenina Street.
15. Embankment of Selenga
The embankment of the Selenga, at Pioner mall close to the main bus station, is a good place for people-watching.
Combine it with the bus station if you are arriving or leaving by bus, or with a walk along the river at the end of the day.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start at the World's Largest Lenin Head in Ploshchad Sovietov, then walk down Lenina Street (Arbat), stopping at the merchant's mansions along the banks of the Uda River and finishing at the Odigitrievsky Cathedral at the beginning of Lenin street.
Afternoon: Take Bus #37 from the Baikal Plaza Hotel bus stop to the Ethnographic Museum of the People of Transbaikalia Culture in Verhnaya Beriozovka, and give the open-air site a few hours. If you would rather stay in the centre, spend the afternoon at the Museum of Buryatia History and the Sampilov Museum of Fine Arts instead, both of which are closed on Mondays.
Evening: Return to Lenin's head square for a performance of Buryat singing and dancing at the Buryat State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater, then walk the Embankment of Selenga for a quiet end to the day.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time of year to visit Ulan-Ude?
Summers last from mid-May to early September and are warm, bringing most of the annual precipitation as rain. Winters are long, dry and very cold, with substantial snowfall and persistent snow cover.
How do I get to the Ivolginsky Datsan without a car?
Take Bus #130 from a bus stop just north of the bus station to Ivolginsk village, a 40-minute ride. Get off at the last stop and take a marshrutka to the monastery, about a 10-minute ride; the marshrutka is marked "ДАЦАН" (DATSAN). Buses no. 130 leave from South Bus Station (Yuzhniy avtovozal) regularly.
Which museums are closed on Mondays?
The Museum of Buryatia History, the Museum of Buryatia Nature and the Sampilov Museum of Fine Arts are all closed on Mondays. The Geological Museum is closed on Saturdays and Sundays.
How do I reach the Ethnographic Museum?
Take Bus #37 from the Baikal Plaza Hotel bus stop, south of Ploshchad Sovietov and on the same side of the street as the hotel, and tell the driver to stop at MUZEI. The drive takes about 30 minutes.
Decide your dates, check which museums fall on which days, and start building your route through the centre and out to the datsan.