Bashkortostan.

History

By 1557 the European part of Bashkortostan had voluntarily joined Russia under an agreement. In 1574 a fortress was built on the orders of Ivan the Terrible where the Belaya meets the Ufa, and the city of Ufa grew from it; in 1865 it became the seat of Ufa Governorate. On 20 March 1919 the Bashkir ASSR was created, the first autonomous republic within the Russian SFSR. In 1932 oil was struck near today's Ishimbay for the first time anywhere in the Urals and Volga region, and during the war more than a hundred factories were evacuated here.

Culture & traditions

The republic is home to around 160 nationalities, and its official languages are Bashkir and Russian. Ufa has theatres performing in Bashkir, Russian and Tatar, as well as an opera and ballet theatre and the National Symphony Orchestra. The Bashkir school of dance is known well beyond the republic, and Rudolf Nureyev began his career in Ufa. The National Museum and the Nesterov Art Museum are well worth a visit.

Nature

The ridges of the Southern Urals form the republic's highlands, topped by Mount Yamantau at 1,640 m. Bashkortostan has more than 13,000 rivers, the main ones being the Belaya (Agidel), 1,430 km long, and the Ufa; there are around 2,700 lakes and reservoirs, with Asylykul and Kandrykul standing out among the lakes. Forests of birch, conifers, lime, oak and maple cover more than a third of the land. Three nature reserves, including Shulgan-Tash, and the 83,000-hectare Bashkiria National Park protect this landscape.

Sport

The republic's best-known club is Salavat Yulaev Ufa, an ice-hockey team. Ufa is also home to FC Ufa in football and Ural in volleyball. The Formula One driver Daniil Kvyat comes from Ufa.

Food & drink

Farming here means grain and livestock, while koumiss-making and beekeeping are among the traditional crafts. Bashkir honey is well known across Russia, and koumiss, the fermented drink made from mare's milk, is a long-standing local tradition worth trying.

Practical information

The republic is on UTC+5, two hours ahead of Moscow. The region's largest airport is Ufa International Airport; Ufa station lies on the Trans-Siberian rail network, and the M5 Ural and M7 Volga highways cross the republic. The climate is continental, with harsh winters and warm summers. Summer is the best season for mountains, rivers and lakes; hundreds of tourist routes, holiday camps and sanatoriums are spread across the republic.

What to see

• Salavat Yulaev Monument in Ufa — one of Ufa's best-known landmarks
• Lala Tulpan Mosque — a well-known mosque in Ufa
• Nesterov Art Museum — an art collection in Ufa
• Bashkiria National Park — mountain forests and rivers of the Southern Urals
• Shulgan-Tash Nature Reserve — protected wilderness of the Southern Urals
• Lake Asylykul — a lake of 18.5 km²

Cities on the map

• Ufa 1,157,994