Ulan-Ude (/ʊˈlɑːnʊˈdɛ/;[8] Russian: Улан-Удэ, Russian pronunciation: [ʊˈlan ʊˈdɛ]; Buryat: Улаан-Үдэ, romanized: Ulaan-Üde, IPA: [ʊˌlaːɴ‿ˈʉdə]) is the capital city of Buryatia, Russia, located about 100 kilometers (62 mi) southeast of Lake Baikal on the Uda River at its confluence with the Selenga.

The current name was given to the city on 27 July 1934 and means "red Uda" in Buryat, reflecting the ideology of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.

It is 600 meters (2,000 ft) above sea level at the foot of the Khamar-Daban and Ulan-Burgas mountain ranges, next to the confluence of the Selenga River and its tributary, the Uda, which divides the city.

[13] It was a nominally independent state that existed from April 1920 to November 1922 in the easternmost part of the Russian Far East.

There are old merchants' mansions richly decorated with wood and stone carving in the historical center of Ulan-Ude, along the river banks which are exceptional examples of Russian classicism.

There is a large and highly unusual statue of the head of Vladimir Lenin in the central square: the largest in the world.

Built in 1970 for the centennial of Lenin's birth and weighing 42 tons, as of 2018[update] it continued to tower over the main plaza at 7.7 meters (25 ft).

The museum contains historical finds from the era of the Slab Grave Culture and the Xiongnu until the mid 20th century, including a unique collection of samples of wooden architecture of Siberia.

Odigitrievsky Cathedral – Eastern Orthodox Church Diocese of the Buryat, was the first stone building in the city and is a Siberian baroque architectural monument.

The monument, weighing 42 tons and with a height of 7.7 meters (25 ft), was opened in 1971 in honor of the centenary of Lenin's birth.

The climate is characterized by long, dry, and very cold winters, with substantial snowfall and persistent snow cover in the city and surrounding areas.

Lasting from mid-May to early September, they are warm and bring the majority of the annual precipitation in the form of rain.