Ulan-Ude, capital of Republic of Buryatia with 437,000 residents, sits on Uda River at confluence with Selenga about 100 kilometers southeast of Lake Baikal, serving as third-largest city in Russian Far East and center of Tibetan Buddhism in Russia. Founded in 1666 as Cossack fort during Russian eastward expansion, the settlement became trading post on route to Mongolia and China, with ethnic Buryat people—Mongolic Buddhist population indigenous to region—constituting significant portion of population alongside Russian settlers. The name "Ulan-Ude" (Red Uda) reflects Soviet renaming, though pre-revolutionary Verkhneudinsk acknowledged both Russian and indigenous presence. The city's position on Trans-Siberian Railway where branch line splits toward Mongolia and Beijing made it crucial junction connecting Russia to Inner Asia, with Trans-Mongolian Railway beginning at Ulan-Ude continuing south through Mongolia to Chinese capital.

Buryatia represents Russia's primary Buddhist region, with Ivolginsky Datsan monastery 23 kilometers from city serving as center of Russian Tibetan Buddhism since Empress Elizabeth recognized Buddhism as official religion in 1741. The datsan survived Soviet religious persecution that destroyed many monasteries, becoming focal point for Buddhist revival after 1991 when religious freedom returned. Ethnic Buryats maintain Buddhist traditions, Mongolic language (though Russian predominates), and cultural practices distinguishing them from Slavic Russian majority, creating multicultural character where Orthodox churches and Buddhist temples coexist. Contemporary Ulan-Ude navigates identity as capital of ethnic republic within Russian Federation, balancing Buryat cultural autonomy with Moscow's centralizing pressures. The economy depends on transportation and logistics exploiting railway junction, manufacturing including aircraft production, trade with Mongolia, and modest tourism visiting Buddhist sites and Lake Baikal region. Challenges include economic underdevelopment compared to European Russia, brain drain as young people migrate seeking opportunities, environmental issues, and tensions over resource extraction and indigenous rights. The city represents Russia's ethnic diversity, Buddhist heritage, and complex relationship between Slavic Orthodox majority and indigenous Siberian peoples incorporated into expanding empire yet maintaining distinct identities.