THE REPUBLIC OF BURYATIA

Buryatia is a part of the Russian Federation and is situated in the southern part of the Eastern Siberia, to the south-east of Lake Baikal. It borders on Tyva Republic, Chita and Irkutsk regions and Mongolia. The territory of Buryatia is 351,000 square kilometers.

Nature of Buryatia is unique. One can find here high mountains, boundless steppes and gentle slopping hills. Over 75% of the territory is covered by evergreen coniferous forest. The highest mountains are the Barguzin and Khamar-Daban mountain ranges. But the most famous are the Sayans with its highest peak Munku-Sardyk (3491metres).

Buryatia is famous for Lake Baikal. It is the deepest lake in the world and contains more than 22% of the world’s fresh water reserves. Its flora and fauna are unique. Over 2500 different kinds of animals and fish inhabit Baikal and its environment, 250 of which are endemic. Baikal boasts of its purest water: the visibility in it is 40 meters. About 300 rivers flow into the lake and only few of them are navigable in summer and early autumn. The largest rivers are: the Selenga, the Uda and the Barguzin. The Angara is the only river that flows out of the lake.

The climate of Buryatia is sharply continental, mostly dry with short, hot summers and long cold winters. Climate of Buryatia is considered to be healthy owing to plenty of sunlight, air dryness and low cloudiness.

Buryatia is a multinational republic and its population is over one million people. The largest ethnic groups are the Buryats, the Russians and the Evenks.

The republic is rich in mineral resources, such as ore, coal, gold and non-ferrous metals. A large coal-mining center of Buryatia is Gusinoozersk, which is also an important center of energetics. Timber industry is an important part of the national economy of Buryatia and its total export.

The leading branch of agriculture is stock-breeding. The output of livestock industry makes up 70% of total agricultural output. The main products of the republican livestock are: cattle and poultry, milk, meat, wool, eggs. Buryatia has one of the country’s largest meat preserving factories. The farmers and state enterprises grow wheat, oats, barley, rye, potatoes and industrial crops.

The main republican enterprises are: Aviation Factory, Shipbuilding Factory, Locomotive-Carriage Repairing Plant, Electronic Devices and Instrument Making Plant, Confectionary Factory “Amta” and Fine-Cloths Manufactory.

The Head of the Republic is the President. The executive power is represented by the Cabinet of Ministers and the legislative power – by Narodny Khural. The state flag is represented by three colors - blue, white and yellow ones symbolizing sky, purity and eternity.

The Capital of Buryatia is Ulan-Ude. It is the administrative, economic and cultural centre of the Republic. There are five theaters in the capital of Buryatia: the Buryat State Academic Opera and Ballet House, Buryat State Academic Theatre, Russian State Academic Theatre, Youth Theater Studio, and the Buryat State Republican Puppet Theatre "Uliger."

Buryatia attracts thousands of tourists due to its magnificent nature and peculiar culture of the native people. As for the recreations, provided for tourists in Buryatia, there are mountaineering, rafting on the numerous rivers, ethnographic tours, treatment with mineral waters.

Exercise 3. Answer the following comprehension questions.

Where is Buryatia situated?
What does it border on?
What are the highest mountains in Buryatia?
What is Baikal famous for?
Why is the nature of Buryatia considered to be unique?
What does sharp continental climate mean?
What are the largest ethnic groups of Buryatia?
What mineral resources is Buryatia rich in?
What is the leading branch of agriculture?
What are the main agricultural products?
What are the biggest industrial enterprises of the Republic?
What is the political system of Buryatia?
What are the main theatres of Ulan-Ude?
Why does Buryatia attract a lot of tourists?

Exercise 4. Agree or disagree with the statements.

Buryatia is a part of Russian Federation.
Buryatia borders on China.
The republic of Buryatia is mostly a plain.
All rivers in Siberia flow out of Baikal.
Baikal contains 22% of the world’s fresh water reserves.
The climate of Buryatia is mild.
The republic is rich in mineral resources, such as ore, coal, gold and non-ferrous metals.
The leading branch of agriculture is farming.
Buryatia has one of the country’s largest meat preserving factories.
The executive power is represented by Narodny Khural.
Buryatia attracts thousands of tourists.

Exercise 5. Prove that:

The nature of Buryatia is unique.
The republic is rich in mineral resources.
The agriculture of Buryatia is highly developed.
Buryatia attracts thousands of tourists.

Exercise 6. Divide the text into logical parts and entitle each of them.

Exercise 7. Imagine, that you met a foreign tourist. He has just come to our republic and does

not know anything about it. Tell him everything you know about Buryatia and its

places of interest. Use your plan.

Exercise 8. Think over the following situation.

A group of foreign businessmen has come to Russia. They are going to invest money in our economy. They haven’t yet made up their minds what Russian region to choose. Delegates of different parts of Russia represent their regions. How would you represent our Republic? Make use of the additional information given below.

I. 1. Trees growing on the territory of the Republic: pine, fir, cedar, larch, spruce, birch, aspen tree, etc.

2. Animals inhabiting on the territory of the Republic: wolves, bears, foxes, sables, minks, deer, squirrels, martens, roebucks, hares, lynxes, elk, etc.

3. Baikal’s fish: the omul (resembles the herring), the sig (resembles the sturgeon but much smaller), the pike, the carp, the salmon, the burbot, the grayling, the perch, the freshwater seal (the nerpa), the golomyanka (unique, transparent and endemic fish), the crayfish (the Baikal epishura).

II. Buddhism and Datsans.

Buddhism is the oldest of the world religions. When Christianity was just taking its first timid steps, Buddhism was already five hundred years old. It had received universal recognition in India and begun to spread rapidly beyond its borders.

In Russia Buddhism is represented by the Gelungpa School (“the School of Virtue”) which is a branch of Tibetan Buddhism of the Mahayana orientation, that is, “the broad path” of salvation from endless rebirth in the world of suffering. It is known as Lamaism.

The traditional Buddhism areas in Russia are Buryatia, Tyva, Chita and Irkutsk regions in Siberia, and Kalmykia in the Caspian Depression. Mongolian and Tibetan lamas appeared in the area east to Lake Baikal for the first time during the mid-17 century. Within a short time most of the Buryats living east of Lake Baikal was converted to Buddhism.

Buddhism firmly established itself towards the end of the 17^th century, having ousted shamanism, a set of traditional folk beliefs.

Before the revolution 46 Datsans were functioning in the area and 44 of them were destroyed in the thirties. After the fall of the Soviet Union, there has been the religion’s renaissance and now many people follow the teachings of Buddha. Several Datsans have been restored and reopened recently. Among them - the Atsagat, the Gegetui temples and others.

The Ivolginsky Datsan, situated 40 kilometers from Ulan-Ude, is the Central Buddhist Religious Board of Russia. Up till recent time it has been the only functioning Buddhist temple in Buryatia.

III. Holidays and Festivals.

The Republic of Buryatia celebrates several holidays throughout the year. The Buddhist Lunar New Year, or Tsagaalgan, is celebrated in accordance with Mongolian moon calendar and begins on the eve of the Lunar New Year, usually in late January to early February. This traditional Buddhist holiday has only recently been revived after the years of Soviet rule. Ceremonies associated with Tsagaalgan last for sixteen days.

Other festivities include Maidari, a midsummer Buddhist festival honoring the Buddha of the Future, and Surkharban, a sports competition featuring wrestling, horse races and archery. Surkharban is held at the Hippodrome the first Sunday in June.

Religious holidays of the Russian Orthodox church are also celebrated.

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