Ufa: the meeting of the East and West on the Belaya River

Ufa was formed around a small fortress where in the XIV century Nogai Mirza was housed. At that time the glorious Mongol empire had already split and sank in civil strife. The Bashkirs, who suddenly found themselves at the junction of the unstable borders of the Nogai Horde and the Grand Duchy of Moscow, suffered from looting and military raids. In the end, pledging to pay tax, they asked for protection from the Russians and became a part of the state being formed then. Ivan the Terrible liked furs and honey which this region has always been famous for, as well as the sincere desire of local residents to defend their lands. Therefore, in 1557 the Moscow Streltsy (guardsmen) arrived in the future capital of the Bashkir lands — to help and assimilate new territories.

These Streltsy built several new wooden buildings in Ufa and also laid the first St. Sergius Cathedral. They also consecrated it in honor of Sergius of Radonezh who was especially held in veneration by them. A few years later in 1586 Ufa was given the status of a city. It received its name in honor of the river Ufa (although there is also a version that originally the settlement was completely wooden and the local residents called wooden buildings «ufa»). А marten, the main fur-bearing beast of these places, is depicted on the town arms.

During the Peasants’ War of Emelian Pugachev in the seventies of the XVIII century Ufa experienced a real civil war. The surrounding villages rebelled and conducted a siege of the capital, but did not take it. But the demands of the rebels — freedom, landownership, careful attitude to the Bashkir traditions — found a response in the soul of every inhabitant. Just at that period of time one of the most famous heroes of Bashkortostan Salavat Yulayev, the commander of one of the punitive detachments, approved himself and turned to the side of the Pugachev’s supporters. His desperate and freedom-loving gesture calling to follow the call of the heart is imprinted in a monument that rises above the Belaya River. Today the monument to Salavat Yulayev is one of the main sights of the city, but for a long time even the mention of the name of the one, who violated the tsar’s order and supported the rebels, was forbidden by the order of Catherine II.

After suppressing the revolt Ufa quickly became an important cultural and economic center of the region. Russian and Oriental traditions peacefully neighbor on the banks of the Belaya River. Much later after the October Revolution of 1917 Ufa province became the Autonomous Bashkir SSR. The moment of unity of the Bashkir and Russian proletariat is depicted on the bas-reliefs of the monument of friendship. As a result, two national holidays appeared in Ufa: on March 20, the date of signing the agreement on the Soviet Bashkir Autonomy, and on November 29 (15th in the old style) — the formation of the national Bashkir autonomy at the third All-Bashkir Kurultay (assembly). After the split of the Soviet Union the Bashkirs remained part of Russia, however, politely defending the right to autonomy. And they got another national celebration in their «piggy bank»: every year on August 3 they celebrate the Day of signing an agreement between the Russian authorities and the government of Bashkortostan on delegation of authorities.

Now Ufa is the capital city of the Republic of Bashkortostan, an economic, political and religious center in the Southern Urals. The rivers Belaya and Ufa are navigable and connected by logistical chains with the Trans-Siberian Railway. In 2015 two major events of international importance were held in Ufa: BRICS summit (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) and SCO summit (Shanghai Cooperation Organization).

If you come to Ufa at the end of spring or at the beginning of summer, you can get to the famous Sabantuy (summer festival), the nomadic holiday of the end of sowing spring works, or Salavat Yulayev Commemoration Sabantuy Festival of folklore. At this time in the city they generously offer refreshing koumiss — a fermented milk drink from the milk of the mare. You can also taste a festive beshbarmak made of aromatic boiled mutton with homemade noodles. There are other traditional dishes in Ufa. For example, kazy — sausage made of horse meat or jerky meat «kaklangan it.»

On the day of the Holy Trinity a five-day Orthodox religious procession starts from the St. Sergius Cathedral. Other Christian holidays are also celebrated here. And as historically it happened that the influence of Islam is strong in Ufa, Muslim holidays are widely celebrated in the city: Uraza-Bayram and Kurban-Bayram. These days the mullah’s calls for prayer are head from the minarets of the Cathedral Mosque and the Lyalya Tyulpan Mosque, and the Supreme Mufti of Russia pronounces wise sermons.

Here fans of sports recreation in winter are waiting for the Abzakovo and Bannoe Ski Resorts known since the Soviet times. In summer around Ufa one can arrange a horse ride or go wandering along the trails in the Ural Mountains. Lovers of antiquities like the excursion to the Shulgan-Tash Cave in the vicinity of Ufa. On the limestone walls of the cave archaeologists have discovered drawings of primitive people made during the Paleolithic era! And in the Akhunovo Village, a few hours’ drive from Ufa, there is an ancient megaliths complex, the so-called «Bashkir Stonehenge» — a space observatory more than 5 thousand years old!

Despite its industrial and economic importance Ufa is an exceptionally comfortable and green megapolis. It is not incidentally called the greenest city of Russia among the ones with population one million people: there are many parks, squares and ponds and even a wire bridge there! The city is also considered to be the most environmentally safe in the number of similar cities of the country by the number of residents. One can feel that especially well on the observation deck near the Salavat Yulayev Monument. Here one can «see» the clear air, enjoy a magnificent view of the Belaya River, fields, forests and villages, and feel peace and tranquility, floating above the city ...

Get directions

Ufa Airport, located 20 kilometers far from the city, receives planes from many Russian cities. Travel time from Moscow to the capital of Bashkiria is 2 hours, from St. Petersburg — 3 hours. Flights also arrive from Antalya, Bangkok, Istanbul, Dubai, Prague, Dushanbe and Goa. There are two terminals operating at the airport: for domestic flights and for the international ones. Ufa is also connected to many Russian cities by railway. From Moscow to Ufa one can get by any of the two named trains: «South Ural» running the route «Moscow — Chelyabinsk» or «Bashkortostan» carrying out the route «Moscow — Ufa»