Ulan-Ude was founded in 1666 as Cossack winter quarters at the Uda river with the aim of collecting taxes from native people, Buryats and Tungus. At first it was a small settlement named Verkhneudinsk. In 1690 it was given the status of city. Favourable economical and geographical position of Verkhneudinsk contributed to transformation of the city to the large trade center of Transbaikalia. Military and administrative center of Transbaikalia was transferred here. From that time trade started developing rapidly. Since 1780 the fairs have been held in the town.
It became the capital of Buryat-Mongolian Autonomous Republic in 1923, and later in 1934 Verkhneudinsk was given a new name – Ulan-Ude.
Nearly 400 000 people live here. Ulan-Ude is situated on the banks of the Selenga and the Uda rivers. The city is divided into three districts: Sovietsky, Oktyabrsky and Zheleznodorozhny.
The Sovietsky district is the administrative part of the capital. The central part is a historical, cultural and business center of the capital. Here one can see an architectural ensemble – Merchants’ Rows – built in 1803.
The Oktyabrsky district is mainly a residential part of Ulan-Ude.
The Zheleznodorozhny district is known as an industrial part of the city.
Ulan-Ude is the largest industrial center of Buryatia and one of the largest in the Eastern Siberia. There are the following enterprises in the city: the Ulan-Ude aviation factory, producing up-to-date airplanes and helicopters; the shipbuilding factory, producing vessels for the rivers of Siberia; the largest in Siberia Locomotive-Carriage Repairing Factory, which has its own foundry. The Ulan-Ude Steel Bridge Association receives orders from the Russian federation and abroad. The greatest in Siberia wool cloth production – Fine-Cloth Manufactory is in Ulan-Ude. “Amta” produces confectionary products. Meat-cannery factory is well known in Russia. Today our town lives in a new business rhythm: we have big wholesale firms working in wide sphere of supply and sale of various goods.
East and West are harmoniously linked both in architecture and philosophy. In the city peacefully Orthodoxy and Buddhism are met. The Ivolginky Datsan situated 40 kilometres from Ulan-Ude is the Central Buddhist Religious Board of Russia. There are many churches in our city, the Cathedral of St. Odigitry built in the 17th century, is now being restored.
Mutual understanding of religions has been reflected in traditions and culture of the citizens who esteem both Russian and Buryat traditions. So, our people celebrate both “Christmas” and the Buddhist Lunar New Year, or “Tsagaalgan”.
The Buryat Center of Science (Siberian Department) unites several research institutes. The scientists published hundreds of scientific and academic papers and works such as the heroic epic literature of the Buryat people “Abai Geser”, volumes of Russian folklore, the Atlas of Tibetan Medicine and many others.
Ulan-Ude is famous for its theatres. In our city we have the Puppet Theater for the young theater-goers. Senior children and students like to visit the Youth Theater. And the drama amateurs visit the Bestuzhev Russian Drama Theater, the Khotsa Namsarayev State Academic Theater. The Buryat Opera and Ballet Academic House enjoys national popularity. Our singers and ballet-dancers are known not only in Russia but abroad. They are L. Linkhovoin, L. Sakhyanova, G. Shoidagbayeva, V. Tsidipova, V. Balzhinimayev and many others. It is worth while saying that there are a lot of modern professional ensembles of song and dance such as “Baikal”, “Lotus”, “Badma Seseg”, “Zabava” and others. They are participants of numerous international folklore festivals.
The memory of the people’s past is kept in the city museums. They are: the M.N. Khangalov History of Buryatia Museum, the Sampilov Art Museum of Buryatia. Ulan-Ude citizens’ favorite place of rest is the Ethnographic museum that is situated near the city. This museum shows material and spiritual culture of the people at various stages of historical development.
Ulan-Ude can be called the students’ city. There are many institutions, colleges and schools. About 20,000 students are trained at schools of higher learning. The biggest institutions are the Buryat State University, the East-Siberian University of Technology, the Buryat State Academy of Agriculture and the East-Siberian State Academy of Culture and Arts.
Nowadays Ulan-Ude is a modern city where there are a lot of new beautiful buildings with original architecture.
The citizens of Ulan-Ude are friendly and hospitable. Ulan-Ude has brother-towns: Yamagata, Manzhuria, Darkhan, Taipei and others. We are connected with them by cultural and business relations.
The citizens traditionally go in for sport: archery, wrestling, football, light athletics and horse racing. Ulan-Ude is famous for its national sports holiday “Surkharban”. Also the citizens like to celebrate its traditional holiday “The City Day” held in summer. Ulan-Ude is a beautiful city. The townspeople love their native city very much.
Exercise 3. Answer the following comprehension questions.
1. What do you know about the history of Ulan-Ude?
2. What is the population of Ulan-Ude?
3. What rivers does Ulan-Ude stand on?
4. What parts does the city consist of?
5. Why is Ulan-Ude a large industrial city?
6. How are East and West linked in Ulan-Ude?
7. Why is Ulan-Ude a well-known scientific center of Siberia?
8. Are there any theaters in Ulan-Ude? What are they?
9. What museums of Ulan-Ude do you know?
10. Why is Ulan-Ude called the students’ city?
11. What brother-towns has Ulan-Ude got?
12. What can you say about the citizens living in Ulan-Ude?
Exercise 4. Agree or disagree with the statements using the following expressions.
| - It’s correct. | - You are wrong, I’m afraid. |
| - Right you are. | - I can’t agree. |
1. Ulan-Ude was founded in 1661.
2. Ulan-Ude is situated on the shore of Lake Baikal.
3. The city is divided into three parts.
4. Ulan-Ude is the capital of Irkutsk region.
5. Ulan-Ude is not one of the largest center in East Siberia.
6. In the city peacefully Orthodoxy and Buddhism are met.
7. There are no theatres in Ulan-Ude.
8. The city museums kept the memory of the people’s past.
9. Ulan-Ude can’t be called the student’s city.
10. The citizens of Ulan-Ude aren’t hospitable.
Exercise 5. Translate the following sentences.
1. Óëàí-Óäý áûë îñíîâàí â 1666 ãîäó.
2. Íàø ãîðîä ðàñïîëîæåí íà áåðåãàõ äâóõ ðåê.
3. Öåíòðàëüíàÿ ÷àñòü ãîðîäà – ýòî èñòîðè÷åñêèé, êóëüòóðíûé è äåëîâîé öåíòð.
4. Óëàí-Óäý – îäèí èç ñàìûõ êðóïíûõ ïðîìûøëåííûõ ãîðîäîâ Âîñòî÷íîé Ñèáèðè.
5. Ñåãîäíÿ ãîðîä æèâåò â íîâîì äåëîâîì ðèòìå.
6. Â ãîðîäå åñòü ïðàâîñëàâíûå öåðêâè è áóääèéñêèå äàöàíû.
7. Ó÷åíûå áóðÿòñêîãî íàó÷íîãî öåíòðà îïóáëèêîâàëè ìíîæåñòâî íàó÷íûõ ðàáîò, ñðåäè íèõ âûäåëÿþòñÿ òàêèå ðàáîòû êàê “Àáàé Ãýñýð”, êíèãè î ðóññêîì ôîëüêëîðå, àòëàñ òèáåòêîé ìåäèöèíû è äð.
8. Â íàøåì ãîðîäå åñòü òåàòðû äëÿ ëþáîãî çðèòåëÿ: þíûõ è âçðîñëûõ òåàòðàëîâ.
9. Â ãîðîäñêèõ ìóçåÿõ õðàíèòñÿ ïàìÿòü ïðîøëîãî æèòåëåé ðåñïóáëèêè.
10. Óëàí-Óäý ÷àñòî íàçûâàþò ãîðîäîì ñòóäåíòîâ.
11. Óëàí-Óäý èìååò ãîðîäà-ïîáðàòèìû.
12. Ãîðîæàíå ïðèâåòëèâû è ãîñòåïðèèìíû.
Exercise 6. Make up a summary of the text “Ulan-Ude”.
Exercise 7. Retell the text minding the exercises given above.
Exercise 8. Prove that Ulan-Ude:
1. is an industrial center of Buryatia.
2. is an educational center of Buryatia.
3. is a cultural center of Buryatia.
Exercise 9. Compare Ulan-Ude with another city. Make use the following expressions:
· … larger than …
· … less than …
· … as…as …
· … not as…as … (not so … as …)
· I think …
· I guess …
Exercise 10. Imagine the following situation.
· Your pen friend from London is going to visit you. What places of interests would you like to show him?
· You are in the USA and the students of an American college ask you to tell them about Ulan-Ude. What will you tell them?
Exercise 11. Read the text and make up a brief summary. Make use of the information given
below in the topic “Ulan-Ude”.