What places can you visit in Transbaikalia? About the Transbaikal region. Alkhanay National Park

The Transbaikal region is famous for its marvelous nature and mineral springs, the number of which ranks second after the Caucasus. Snow-capped mountain peaks, centuries-old taiga, transparent lakes and mountain rivers delight and enchant a person who comes to this land for the first time. The sky here is almost always clean and clear - in terms of the number of sunny days, the administrative center of Chita is even equal to Sochi.

Trans-Baikal Territory is a territory on which different peoples have left their centuries-old traces in the form of architectural and archaeological monuments, interesting customs, beliefs and rituals. There are many monuments of the Buryat national culture. You should definitely visit the Alkhanai National Park - the only place in Russia where natural attractions harmoniously coexist with sacred sites of Buddhism.

List, photos with names and descriptions of attractions that are worth visiting!

1. Daursky Reserve

It is located in the south of Transbaikalia, on the border with Mongolia and China. Founded in 1987 to protect the steppe ecosystems of Dauria. The main object is the Torey Lakes, the largest in the region, a nesting and migratory resting place for many birds, including very rare ones, for example, the relict gull. Only 6 species of cranes live here. The reserve is also the only habitat of the gazelle antelope in the country. Another attraction is the granite remains of unusual shapes of Adun-Chelon.

2. Butinsky Palace

The main attraction of Nerchinsk. Erected in 1860-1870. It belonged to the well-known gold merchants and philanthropists Butins in the city. Famous for its unique Venetian mirrors and magnificent garden with tropical plants. In the courtyard of the estate, in addition to the luxurious palace in the medieval style, there were water towers, warehouses, park areas, gazebos, and fountains. In the early 2000s, the building was restored and transferred to the local history museum.

3. Great Source (Mount Pallas)

A small mountain of the Apple Ridge with a height of 1236 m. A natural monument. Serves as the beginning of three largest rivers– Amur, Lena, Yenisei. It is at this point, called the Great Source, that the basins of two oceans, three seas and three rivers meet. This discovery was made in the second half of the last century. The area attracts tourists with fresh air, endless expanses of water, larch taiga, high cliffs. In addition, the Great Source is a place of religious pilgrimage.

4. Kodar National Park

Created in 2018 in the north of Transbaikalia. Area – 492 hectares. Mountain taiga forests along the banks of two rivers - Chara and Vitim, ecosystems of the Kodar mountain range, habitats of endangered animals, for example, bighorn sheep, and historical and cultural sites are subject to protection. The park contains the famous Chara sands, volcanoes, glaciers, 570 lakes, mineral springs, Marble Gorge and other natural sites. Tourist routes are being developed.

5. Chara Sands

Sandy desert with an area of ​​10 by 5 km in the middle of the taiga. It is located at the foot of the Kodar ridge, in the Chara Basin. The dunes reach a height of 80 m, the length of the largest ones is up to 200 m. There are 2 lakes on the border of the sands. It is believed that the desert arose on the site of an ancient glacial lake, of which only small water fragments remained scattered throughout the basin. Located in hard to reach place, although the nearest village of Chara is 9 km away.

6. Kodar Glaciers

Natural monument. The only place of mountain icing in Transbaikalia. It is located 50 km from the village of Chara. Main feature– great distance from the sea and ocean coasts. Total area glacial massif - more than 6 thousand hectares. It was opened in 1958. About 40 glaciers have been discovered and studied, the largest ones have their own names. The surrounding area is very picturesque and attracts climbers not only from Russia, but also from other countries.

7. Alkhanay National Park

The main pearl of the park in the Aginsky Buryat Okrug is the forested Alkhanai mountain range. This is a natural monument and at the same time one of the main Buddhist shrines. The objects of worship for pilgrims are stone figures and structures created by nature itself. Among them are the Temple of the Great Good with healing water, the Temple Gate rock in the form of a 6-meter arch, the Diamond Princess remnant with a natural bowl, the “Mother’s Womb” cave and others.

8. Assumption Church in Kalinino

The oldest surviving building from the pre-revolutionary period in Transbaikalia. It was consecrated in 1712. It was built as the main church of the Assumption Monastery, which was later simplified, and the church was turned into a parish. Built in the Moscow Baroque style. In 1929 it was closed and ruined. Since 1970 it has been completely abandoned. There have been talks about restoration for a long time, but so far the building is falling apart more and more.

9. Lake Arey

Natural monument. Area - 4 km 2, maximum depth - 13.5 m. It is famous for its healing air - it is surrounded by larch and coniferous forests. They are complemented by picturesque glades of “alpine meadows”. Mud from the bottom of the lake has medicinal properties and is used by local health resorts to treat skin diseases. Areya water is saturated with oxygen, contains silver, iodine and other useful substances. There are many anthills on the coast. There are several sources.

10. Baikal-Amur Mainline

One of the largest railway lines in the world. Length – 4287 km. It starts in the city of Taishet, crosses 11 rivers, 7 mountain ranges, 60 settlements and ends on the Pacific coast. Construction began before World War II and continued in 1974. The first trains traveled along the BAM route in 1984. 10 tunnels were built along the entire route, the most difficult one being made in the North-Muysky ridge. Its length is more than 15 km.

11. Kazan Cathedral in Chita

The main Orthodox church in the city was consecrated and opened in 2004, on the 110th anniversary of the founding of the Transbaikal diocese. Built in the central square, on the site of the former cathedral, destroyed in 1936. Made in the style of traditional church architecture of the XIV-XVI centuries. The majestic look is given by 5 light drums with bulbous heads. Capable of accommodating more than 2 thousand believers. It has a 60-meter bell tower with 13 bells.

12. Aginsky datsan

Located in the village of Amithasha. Founded in 1811. Initially it consisted of one main and four small temples. Then another building was added, and by the end of the century the datsan became the largest in Transbaikalia Buddhist monastery. He was famous for his library, medical, astrological and philosophical schools; he himself printed textbooks, dictionaries, and ritual texts. In the 30s of the last century it was closed and looted. In the early 90s it was re-consecrated.

13. Shumovsky Palace

The family nest of gold miners, the Shumov brothers. Construction date: 1914. The facade of the three-story mansion is painted pink, has white decorative columns, and is generously decorated with stucco in the form of floral patterns, spirals, and animal faces. The roof is crowned with domes with spiers. The interior decoration is no less luxurious - marble floors everywhere, paintings on the walls, moldings, forged metal gratings on the stairs. Today the palace houses the FSB headquarters.

14. Chita datsan

The very first in Chita buddhist temple. It was built over 8 years and was consecrated and opened in 2010. To decorate it, a 2-meter gilded statue of Buddha, brass lions mounted on the sides of the main deity, and a sacrificial incense burner were specially delivered from the Mongolian city of Ulan-Ude. Currently, services are held within the walls of the datsan - khurals, various rituals and ceremonies designed to help and protect from negative forces.

15. Heetei Caves

A natural monument consisting of two karst caves – Sukhoi and Mokraya. The largest in Transbaikalia, the total length is 150-160 m. The wet cave is of the ice type, has 4 grottoes, the area of ​​the largest is 70 by 60 m. To go down into it, you need to overcome a 12-meter icefall. The second cave - Sukhaya or Letnyaya - consists of a large funnel, at the bottom of which there are limestone blocks. It is advisable to visit the caves as part of excursions and with special equipment.

16. Chita Zoo

The first animals appeared in Chita’s Pioneer Park back in 1986 through the efforts of the staff of the Pioneer Palace. And the official opening date of the city zoo should be considered 1994. The number of its inhabitants is growing steadily. Today, 156 species of animals, about 700 individuals, live here. Many have offspring, including the exotic Alexandrine parrots, which breed quite rarely in captivity. Excursions are available for zoo visitors.

17. Transbaikal Botanical Garden

The botanical garden in Chita occupies an area of ​​2.8 hectares. It also includes a nursery with an area of ​​24 hectares in the village of Peschanka. Tropical, ornamental, tree, medicinal plants, collections of roses, irises, lilies, etc. are grown here. The assortment is constantly updated through expeditions and the exchange of seeds with other botanical gardens. The staff of the institution conduct educational excursions. Of particular interest is visiting the greenhouse winter gardens.

18. Museum of the Decembrists

More than 70 Decembrists were in hard labor in the present city of Petrovsk-Zabaikalsky, from 1830 to 1839, and the wives of 10 of them lived nearby. The museum was opened in 1980 in the preserved two-story mansion of Princess E. Trubetskoy. The exhibitions are located in 5 halls and introduce visitors to the history of the Decembrist movement, as well as the living conditions in which the exiled Decembrists lived. The exhibits include drawings, documents, books, and household items.

19. Church of the Decembrists

The two-story St. Michael the Archangel Church is the oldest building in Chita, a monument of wooden church architecture. Founded in 1776. In the 70s of the last century it was transferred to the local history museum, and since 1985 the Decembrist Museum has been opened on its territory. Many of them visited this temple while in exile, some got married here. The museum houses more than 800 original exhibits, including personal belongings, books, letters of the Decembrists and their wives.

20. Lake Arakhlei

Among the largest lakes in Russia. It has a length of 11 km, a maximum depth of 20 m. The banks are very picturesque, covered with larch taiga with fragments of forest-steppe. There are sandy and sand and pebble beaches. It is famous throughout the region for its excellent year-round fishing. The ichthyofauna is represented by 15 species of fish. There is an opinion that Arakhlei fish is tastier and larger than the same fish in neighboring lakes. On the coast there are the villages of Preobrazhenka, Tasei, recreation centers, and camps.

21. Lake Shakshinskoye

It is located 40 km from Chita, on the territory of the Arakhleisky nature reserve. The second largest after Arakhlei. It has an oval shape. Length – 11 km, maximum depth – 6.5 m. It is famous for its rich underwater world. Coastal flora – larch taiga forests with areas of forest-steppe and meadow zones. The water is fresh, in mid-summer it warms up to +22˚С. There are all conditions for year-round fishing and a cozy holiday on the picturesque coast.

22. Chita Cathedral Mosque

The only example of Muslim cult preserved in Transbaikalia. It was built at the beginning of the last century with donations from members of the city's Muslim community, which was very rich and numerous at that time. It is a two-story red brick building with a high octagonal minaret tower. Capable of accommodating up to 800 people. In 1935-1995. was closed. Today the mosque is operational, and a Tatar school is opened next to it.

23. Titovskaya Sopka

Located in the southwest of Chita. Named in honor of the ethnographer and archaeologist E. Titov. It is an extinct volcano from the Mesozoic era. Height above sea level – 1 km. Contains more than 30 archaeological sites - fragments of ancient settlements, petroglyphs, tools, and animal remains have been found. At the foot of the hill there is a monument to the organizers of the Chita Republic, who were executed in 1906. A chapel was also built here and a worship cross was installed.

24. Rocks of Sukhotino

Tall granite cliffs with steep cliffs. Monument of nature and archeology. They are located in the suburbs of Chita, on the banks of the Ingoda River, surrounded by amazing nature - pine trees, birch trees, willow bushes, wild rosemary thickets. Many different insects. Archaeological finds in the surrounding area are 25 thousand years old. These include the remains of ancient people, animals, various products, and petroglyphs. The area is popular among fishermen and rock climbers.

25. ODORA Park

Located in the center of Chita. Its history dates back to the end of the 19th century. Since 2010 it has been updated and improved. There are children's areas, attractions, and a retro playground for older people. Many sculptural compositions, among which is the learned cat, Zhdun, the figure of actor A. Mikhailov in the image of Vasily from the film “Love and Doves”. Presented on the Walk of Fame military equipment. A “Treasure Island” was created - a recreation area with a pond, a bridge, gazebos, and a bench of reconciliation.

26. Sokhondinsky Reserve

Located in southern Transbaikalia, in the vicinity of the Sokhondo mountain range. Organized in 1973. Area – more than 200 thousand hectares. Great landscape diversity - steppe zones, deciduous and coniferous forests, areas of mountain tundra. There are many mineral springs - arshans and mountain glacial lakes. The fauna includes 67 species of mammals, including 15 species of predators, 250 species of birds, 1200 species of arthropods. The world watershed runs through the protected area.

27. Chikoy National Park

Created in 2014 to preserve virgin natural complexes in the upper reaches of the Chikoy River. Area – more than 600 thousand hectares. Many Red Book animals and birds live here. There are several natural monuments, the most interesting is the Lamsky town. This is a collection of free-standing rocks of the most incredible shape, created by the master nature. The height of some of them is 50 m. Several tourist routes.

28. Mineral spring Molokovka

Sources from mineral water in the valley of the Molokovka River, not far from Chita, have been known since the 19th century. It was then that a balneological resort was founded here, which still operates today and is known far beyond the borders of the region. Basically, water from two sources is used for treatment - ferruginous and soda. In addition to them, in the Molokovka Valley there are other springs with pleasant-tasting mineral water. There is a chapel next to the ferruginous spring.

29. Marble Gorge

A rocky, treeless valley in the Kodar Mountains, surrounded by 200-meter-high cliffs. Its name is associated with the abundance of different types of marble. Attracts tourists with its dark history. In the mid-20th century, there was a uranium mine and a forced labor camp for political prisoners serving as the main labor force. Uranium reserves turned out to be small, the camp lasted 2 years. Its buildings, barbed wire, and household utensils have survived to this day.

30. Konduiskoe settlement

It is located in the middle of the steppe, 7 km from the village of Kondui. Fragments of a 14th-century settlement are related to the early history of the Mongol Empire in Transbaikalia. Here, on an artificial embankment, the palace of a Mongol feudal lord who belonged to the imperial family was built. Nearby there was a garden with gazebos, pavilions, and a swimming pool. And although today the territory of the fort is neglected, only the ruins of the castle and gravestones in the ground remain - there are always many tourists here.

The Trans-Baikal Territory occupies a large territory, and more than a million people live in it. This area contains many interesting places. In the Trans-Baikal Territory, attractions are associated with nature, culture, religion and many other areas.

The park was founded in 1999. It is located in the Duldurginsky district and occupies about 1400 sq. km. This territory is unique in its geological characteristics. Live here:

• mammals – more than 30 species;
• birds - about 100 species;
• fish and amphibians - more than 20 species;
• insects - more than 400 species;
• plants - more than 1000 species (including lichens).

There are many natural attractions and historical and cultural sites in the park:

• natural monuments: Alkhanay char and Uuden Sume natural arch;
• rocky outcrops: Demchog Sume, Zaguurdi, Sendema, Naro Khazhod, Khoreo Shuluun;
• caves: Ekhyn Umay, Temple of Badmasambava;
• statues of Otosho, Namnanai Bagshi and white Chakrasamvara;
• Buddhist temple Demchog Dugan;

• stone chapel;
• memorial suburgan to the Dalai Lama XIV;

• Nine Chute Falls cascade;
• tiled burial grounds;
• stone slabs Maniin Shuluun.

There are 6 routes for tourists with a length of up to 6000 km, 2 of which require the possibility of traveling by car.

The reserve is considered one of the seven wonders of Transbaikalia and is an object World Heritage UNESCO. The reserve is located in the South-Eastern Transbaikalia and covers an area of ​​45.8 hectares. It was organized at the end of 1987 to protect bird nests.

The reserve is represented by steppe, lake-steppe, forest and wetland landscapes. Protected areas surround security zone. In the village of Nizhny Tsasuchey (Ononsky district) the central estate of the reserve was organized.

The fauna of the reserve includes more than 300 species of birds, and a third of them are listed in the Red Book. Fifty species of mammals also live here, including the gazelle antelope, the Daurian hedgehog, the tarbagan marmot and the manul cat, which are listed in the Red Book.

This large Buddhist monastic complex is called Braibunling Dam. It is located in Chita and was founded in 2002. Today, khural services and various rituals are held here.

The territory of the datsan is a perfect square with a side of 108 m - a sacred number. The prayer temple is also square. The building has three tiers, a tiled roof and carved elements - the datsan museum, which burned down in the last century, was taken as a model.

The central part of the temple is occupied by a two-meter statue of Buddha, which weighs 200 kg. In front of the entrance to the building you can see a sacrificial incense burner (800 kg) and cast iron statues of lions. Visiting a temple is not limited by gender, age, or religion.

The reserve is state-owned, located on the Khentey-Chikoysky highlands (southern Transbaikalia). It was founded at the end of 1973 and occupies almost 211 thousand hectares, including 36 thousand hectares of protected area. Most of the area is occupied by forests, so the reserve is considered a mountain taiga reserve.

The flora and fauna of the reserve includes about 1000 vascular plants, 250 species of birds, 67 species of mammals, 1200 species of insects. The territory is a UNESCO biosphere reserve.

Tourists are offered several ecological routes. Some of them are more than 200 km long and last up to a week. Travel is possible on foot, by car, or by horse.

This tract is one of the seven wonders of Transbaikalia - the place was included in this list in 2010. It is a sandy massif covering an area of ​​about 3000 hectares. This small desert is located in the Chara Basin (the foothills of Kodar), 9 km away is the village of Chara (Kalarsky district).

Chara sands are surrounded by swamps and larches (taiga) - this combination with the desert is unique. The sand is quartz, fine- and medium-grained. From it, ridges and dunes are formed, the height of which can reach 80 m and the length - 170 m. Externally, the area resembles a Central Asian desert.

From the desert you can see snow-capped mountain peaks that seem close. In fact, they are about 40 km away.

This active Buddhist monastery is called Dashi Choipelling and is the oldest in the Trans-Baikal region. It was founded at the beginning of the 19th century. Datsan is located in the Mogoituysky district (Tsugol village, Aginsky Buryat district).

The datsan was founded by three Agin families. The main element of the architectural ensemble is the main temple. It combines Chinese and Tibetan architecture - traditional elements of Buryat temple architecture. Every day is spent in the temple Buddhist services. A person of any gender, age and religion can visit this place.

This national park was founded in 2014 and covers approximately 666,500 hectares. It included the liquidated Burkala and Atsinsky reserves.

The fauna of the park includes common and Siberian pine, fir, Siberian spruce, larch, dwarf cedar and a number of other plants, including 38 protected species. The fauna of the reserve is also rich - 155 species of birds, 67 species of mammals, fish, and amphibians. Some representatives of the park's fauna are listed in the Red Book.

The territory of the park includes several natural monuments, including Bystrinsky char (mountain), Lake Shebetuy, and the Lamsky Gorodok tract.

The temple was founded in December 2001 and is one of the seven wonders of Transbaikalia. It is located on the station square in the center of Chita. The cathedral was built with donations.

The size of the temple is impressive - it is the largest in Siberia and can accommodate 2,500 people, although on major holidays there are twice as many people in it. The cathedral attracts with its 60-meter bell tower. The main bell weighs 10 tons and is the largest in Siberia.

The interior of the temple consists of three parts - the vestibule, the central nave and the altar, separated from the central nave by a wall of icons. The temple library is noteworthy, consisting of several thousand books, mainly Orthodox literature. Sunday school is organized for children.

It is located on the steppe plain of the same name and occupies about 46,000 hectares. The facility was founded in 2004.

The flora and fauna of the reserve includes unique plant communities (Green Book of Siberia), rare species of birds and mammals, including bustard, white-naped and black-headed cranes. Many representatives of the animal world are listed in the Red Books. The diversity of bird species accounts for more than a third of the avifauna of the former USSR. Ephemeral wetland complexes are widespread in the territory.

This complex of caves is located in the southeast of the Trans-Baikal Territory, 7 km from the village of Ust-Borzya. The object is a natural monument and consists of two karst caves - Sukhaya and Mokraya. The total length is approximately 150 m.

You can get into them only by going down a steep icefall. The descent is 12 m. The wet cave includes several galleries and grottoes. Water penetrates here and hardens, forming magnificent natural sculptures. The caves were once inhabited - human bones and fragments of tools of primitive people were found here.

It is dangerous to visit the caves on your own, but you can do this on special tours - they are organized several times a month during the season.

The object is the Nerchinsk Museum of Local Lore and is located in Nerchinsk. The building was founded in the second half of the 19th century. It owes its name to the Butin family that owned it. The palace is considered the hallmark of the city, and its main exhibit is the Venetian mirror - a square with a side of 4 m, which caused a lot of controversy about how it was brought into the palace hall.

Much of the palace's luxurious furnishings have been lost. The spiral staircase, some of the carved elements, a huge chandelier in the ballroom, paintings, including the original by Aivazovsky, have been preserved.

Today the palace houses local history museum. The number of its exhibits is more than 20 thousand. The museum is considered one of the seven wonders of Transbaikalia.

Mount Pallas and the Great Source

This mountain is also called the Watershed, the Great Watershed, the Mountain of Five Seas - rivers flow into 4 seas, and the fifth is called Baikal. It is located on the Yablonovy Ridge, in the west of the Trans-Baikal Territory. The absolute height is 1236 m. The mountain is called the Point of the Great Divide, as it is the source of three great rivers - the Yenisei, Amur and Lena.

Pallas is located 35 km northwest of Chita and is included in the territory of the Ivano-Arakhleisky nature reserve. There are several tourist routes, but it is more convenient to go through the Dvortsy tract. The length of the route is about 17 km.

The Great Source is considered an anomalous place and attracts people who believe in mysticism. They make up only part of the tourists - the rest appreciate first of all the uniqueness of the place and its magnificent nature.

Ivano-Arakhleisky Nature Reserve and Beklemishevsky Lakes

The lakes are also called Ivano-Arakhleiskie or Chita. They represent the center of the reserve, the territory of which is protected.

The lakes are located west of Chita at an altitude of almost 1 km above sea level. The system consists of 6 large lakes, the water surface of which is 10 square meters. km, as well as small bodies of water. 4 lakes belong to the Baikal system.

The reserve was founded in 1993 and occupies 210 thousand hectares. Its territory includes many recreation centers, which annually attracts more than 150 thousand tourists. The reserve contains more than five thousand species of vascular plants, about 150 species of birds, 40 species of mammals and 800 species of insects.

This building is called the most beautiful in Chita. It was founded at the beginning of the 20th century by the Shumov brothers, who owned the Kruchininsky mines. Today, the Russian FSB Directorate for the Trans-Baikal Territory is located here. There are also small museum history of management, where among the exhibits there is a replica of a security officer’s office - the furniture is original, dating back to the middle of the 20th century.

The structure claimed to be one of the seven wonders of Transbaikalia. Previously, this building housed business and cultural life not only the entire city, but also the region. The building is perfectly preserved. This also applies to rich stucco decoration. The building consists of three floors, decorated with domes, figured parapets, and decorative white columns.

This object is called one of the seven wonders of Transbaikalia. It is a natural monument. The lake is located in the Uletovsky district and is located almost a kilometer above sea level. Ares is fed by groundwater. Its water surface covers 4.6 sq. km, and its maximum depth is 13.5 m.

The water in the lake is slightly alkaline and slightly mineralized. The lake is actively used for recreation - its healing waters and mud are effective for skin diseases and trophic ulcers.

Arey is surrounded by pine forest and its surroundings are rich in vegetation. There are two tourist bases on the coast: Arey and Crystal. The lake is attractive not only for its healing properties, but also for fishing.

The building was founded at the beginning of the 18th century. It is located in the village of Kalinino and is considered one of the seven wonders of Transbaikalia. Few such religious buildings have survived in Siberia.

The building was restored in the second half of the 19th century. The church today is the oldest among the religious buildings of the pre-revolutionary period. The building is currently very neglected. The temple is not active, but it is not difficult to imagine its former greatness. The restoration of the church is planned.

This mountain range is located in the north of Transbaikalia and is its highest point: the absolute height is more than 3000 km. It is often called the Transbaikal Alps. The length of the ridge is 200 km.

There are more than 30 glaciers on Kodar, which are natural monuments. The ridge is crossed by the Chara River, in the middle reaches of which charoite, a mineral used in jewelry, is found.

This place is a small hanging valley in the Kodara mountain range. Previously, there was a Marble Mine here, where uranium was mined - the main labor force was prisoners. Reminders of that time are the destroyed camp, towers, bridge - wooden buildings are partially preserved to this day. Thanks to the cold climate, some household items have also been preserved: metal utensils, stoves.

There is a memorial plaque installed on the territory to the climbers who took part in the development of the mine.

Today this building is a museum, but once there was St. Michael the Archangel Church. It was founded in 1776 and is located in Chita. The museum opened in 1985.

The building is made of wood and is the oldest in Chita. The museum's collection includes documents, books, letters, household items, and personal belongings of the Decembrists who were exiled to Siberia. There are about 900 in total museum exhibits, including Bestuzhev’s table and watch, Volkonskaya’s box. The transfer of the building to the museum is also connected with the fact that the Decembrists used to get married in the church, and the Volkonskys’ daughter was buried next to the church.

Stone-cauldron, Maly Bator and Big Bator

This rock is also called Togon Shuluun or Chalice of Genghis Khan. The object is located in the Aginsky district and is a rocky outcrop of natural origin 4 meters high. The rock received its name because of its external resemblance to a tripod - an ancient pot.

For local residents, the stone cauldron is a place of worship. There is a path around the rock - the path of the mountain. The stone must be walked around an odd number of times clockwise.

The Maly Bator tract is also called Baga-Bator. It belongs to the territory of the Aginskaya Steppe reserve and consists of granite rock outcrops surrounded by trees - a sharp contrast with the local steppe.

Big Bator is located across the road and is the highest peak in the area. On the mountain there is a monument to Babzhi-Baras-bator - the legendary hero.

Trans-Baikal Territory is a vast territory with unique nature. Most of the attractions of this place are connected with this fact. Many objects are natural monuments. Other attractions reflecting the history, religion and culture of the region are also of interest to tourists.

ZABAIKALSKY REGION: FIGURES AND FACTS

Transbaikal Territory is a subject of the Russian Federation, located in eastern Transbaikalia and part of the Siberian Federal District. Borders with Amur and Irkutsk regions, the republics of Buryatia and Yakutia, has an external border with China and Mongolia. The territory of the region is 431,892 km, which is 2.53% of the area of ​​Russia (12th place by this indicator in the Russian Federation). Population - 1,106,600 people. Trans-Baikal Territory was formed on March 1, 2008 as a result of the unification Chita region and Aginsky Buryat Autonomous Okrug. Administrative center- city of Chita. The most populated cities are Chita, Krasnokamensk and Borzya.

Climate

The region is characterized by a peculiar climate - sharply continental. Winter is long, dry and severe, comparable to Yakut: the weather is frosty, partly cloudy, and windless. Summer is short and warm (sometimes even hot), although in the mountainous and northern regions it is cool. Storms and snowstorms are possible in spring, and the main precipitation falls from April to October. There are significant fluctuations in daily and annual temperatures, in some areas the spread is 90 degrees or more ( average temperature January: -28.3 degrees; July: +19 degrees) degrees. The frost-free period is 80-140 days. Let us add that a characteristic feature of the climate is a significant number of sunny days per year, comparable to the south of Russia.

Economy

The Trans-Baikal Territory is very rich in a variety of mineral resources and has relatively favorable conditions for agricultural activities. Direct transport access to the markets of the Asia-Pacific region provides a serious economic advantage. However, the progressive development of the region is hampered by harsh natural and climatic conditions, increased natural radiation background, high seismicity, and rugged terrain. The implementation of the project to create a transport infrastructure for the development of rich mineral resources in the southeast of the region is of serious importance for the economy of the region.

Industry

Main industries: mining (mining of molybdenum, tin, lead-zinc and uranium ores, gold, coal), wood processing, ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, electric power.

Agriculture

Trans-Baikal Territory is a large agricultural region specializing in fine-fleece sheep breeding. Meat and meat and dairy production, poultry farming, and pig farming are actively developing. Climatic conditions central, southern and south-eastern regions allow you to successfully practice crop production.

Tourist attraction

The Trans-Baikal region has a rich variety of flora and fauna; it is a godsend for tourists who prefer pristine nature and environmentally friendly recreation. The most fastidious people will find relaxation to their liking: the region has mountains, the northern desert, taiga forest, steppes, and deep rivers. For history buffs, ancient cities will provide a lot of food for thought. But first things first.

Mountains

The region is dominated by medium-altitude mountains (700-1000 meters). It also has its own peaks - the Kodara ridges in the north reach 2,999 meters, and in the south Mount Barun-Shabarshuy rises to 2,519 meters.

Forest

The natural diversity is amazing. This is taiga, forest, forest-steppe and even tundra.

Reservoirs

The Trans-Baikal Territory has a unique natural attraction: the Great Source is located here, the place where the fresh waters of the entire planet are divided! Streams of fresh water flow into the Yenisei, Lena, Amur, Pacific and Arctic oceans and, of course, into the pearl of the Earth - Lake Baikal. The Baikal basin includes the right tributaries of the Selenga River - the Khilok and Chikoy rivers. And the Shilka and Argun Rivers merge into the powerful Amur. Among the most significant waterways are the Olekma and Vitim rivers (its tributaries are Karenga, Kalakan, Kalar). Transbaikal residents are rightfully proud of their entire collection of lakes. Bolshoye Leprindo, Leprindokan, Nichatka, for example, are children of the Ice Age. Popular vacation spots are the unique salt marsh lake Nozhiy, Ivano-Arakhleiskie lakes, Arey. In the regional capital, right within the city limits, Lake Kenon is located.

Mineral springs and mineralized lakes

The fact that Transbaikalia is rich in healing waters was known back in Tsarist Russia. Mineral springs vary in composition: from thermal nitrogen to cold carbon dioxide, weak and medium mineralization. Many of them have health resorts - the resorts Yamarovka, Shivanda, Darasun, Molokovka, Kuka, Yamkun, Aksha and many others.

Protected places

The region is rich in natural monuments, relict dwarf oaks and giant cedars grow here, and there are unique ecosystems (for example, Chara Sands - a real desert in the middle of the taiga). To preserve nature in its original form, nature reserves and parks have been created: “Daursky”, “Sokhondinsky”, Alkhanay National Park, 20 reserves. Coming soon natural park“Arey”, work is underway to build the Chikoy National and Kodar Parks.

Buddhist shrines

It is believed that Transbaikalia is a place prayed for by Buddhists. Most of the shrines are located on the territory of the Aginsky Buryat district: sacred mountains, obo (Alkhanaisky, Adon-Chelonsky, Bolshebatosrsky). There are datsans (Aginsky, Tsugolsky, Ivolginsky and many others). Buryats very carefully preserve centuries-old traditions and customs. For tourists interested in ancient religion, this is a real mecca. It will be interesting for the uninitiated too.

Cities of history

As you know, Transbaikalia is a region of exile. The Decembrists left their bright mark, significantly influencing the course of the history of the region. The memory of them is carefully preserved by Chita, Nerchinsk, Sretensk, Petrovsk-Zabaikalsky and other cities. Houses, furnishings, records, photographs have been preserved. The region also has a centuries-old history of the Cossacks.

To summarize, we note that tourists have a wide choice of destinations: environmental (mountain, hiking, cycling and water sports tourism), cultural and educational, medical and recreational, religious, hunting and fishing.

Chita region located on southeast Siberia, occupying an important geopolitical position. The area has state border with two states at once China And Mongolia, with a length of almost 2 thousand kilometers. The main routes pass through the Chita region transport arteries to the eastern borders of our country: Transsib, highway "Chita Khabarovsk". About 70% of dry cargo transportation between Russia and China is carried out through the border village of Zabaikalsk.

Hills, steppe, taiga: Transbaikalia

… inaccessible taiga and dull swampy mari, mountains with glaciers and steppes with rich herbs, mountain rivers and picturesque lakes…

Transbaikalia is beyond Baikal,
This is where the hills and taiga are.
This is where there is snow on the passes,
Where the blizzard rages in winter.

Transbaikalia sharp frosts,
The ground is covered in frost and snow.
In fur coats of snowy pine and birch,
The fields sleep under the cover of snow.

Here spring paints the hills with bagul,
There are hazy clouds in the blue sky,
And in the taiga there are barely visible paths
They will lead to crystal springs.

Everything here is taken with heroic measure
The expanse of fields, valleys, lakes,
And the hilly, vast steppes,
Clean rivers, magnificent mountains.
L. Vavilova

In terms of the number of unique mineral springs, the Chita region is ahead of many regions of Russia

Transbaikalia taiga region. Combination of harsh climate with beauty mountain taiga , blooming steppes , green meadows, intermountain depressions , unique snow-covered landscapes mountains against the backdrop of an always high blue sky, with an abundance of mountain rivers and blue lakes creates an unusually attractive natural environment. Here you can find everything that Russia is rich in: hard-to-reach taiga and dull swampy mari, mountains with glaciers and steppes with rich herbs, mountain rivers and picturesque lakes, unique mineral springs .

In terms of the number of mineral springs, the Chita region is ahead of many regions of Russia. Their abundance is associated with the characteristics geological structure and the activity of endogenous processes occurring in the region. At the base 7 sources act resorts: “Darasun”, “Kuka”, “Molokovka”, “Shivanda”, “Yamarovka”, “Yamkun”, “Urguchan” .

Mineral resource base The Chita region is unique. In the Kalarsky district in the north of the region, several deposits of global scale are concentrated in a relatively small area: almost all of them are the largest in the world. Here About 300 deposits have been accounted for, 18 have been explored.

Half of the Transbaikal relief is occupied by mountains more than 1000 meters high. There are practically no lowlands on the map of the region, but there are rolling fertile plains . Mountain ranges Transbaikalians call hills , A intermountain valleys — honeydews . The tops and slopes of the ridges are occupied by cedar. Transbaikal birch grows on the edges of the forest. Majestic Apple Ridge , which translated from Buryat means "pass", approaches with its spurs a huge plain, in which, like in a saucer, it is located regional center Chita with its surroundings and suburbs.

Let others interpret whether this is true or not?
Just no matter what happens to me,
I am firmly convinced: Chita is the one
With whom my heart has long been close.

There are famous cities on the planet,
Cities, anywhere.
Let the years pass
Like your waves, Ingoda.
But I can’t get away from Chita.
Never, never.
Like the dawn over Russia, she is young.
Like the wife of a Decembrist, she is proud.

We know Chita how many winters, how many years!
Will I go east or west?
Everything will seem to me: coming after
The bagool has an infused smell.

I don't believe in oaths that are taken in the heat of the moment,
Getting used to cities is not easy.
Just how to forget those friends you met
At your native Chita crossroads?
Yu. Goldman “Song about Chita”

Cool places

For Transbaikalia fishermen, the word Chikoy sounds like an alarm bell. Of course! There are taimen, lenok, burbot, grayling, whitefish , many other equally attractive fish. And fishing in the middle of nowhere, from the ice, on the deserted upper reaches of Chikoy, fabulously rich in animals and fish, is a special conversation about this. southeast Chita region, not far from the Mongolian border, near the Burun-Shibertuy char, considered the crown of the Chikoy highlands, and, gaining strength, “rushes with a roar among stones, stunted birch and mosses, in a hurry to treat distant Baikal with melted snow”, as a Chita resident wrote about her Nikolay Yankov . In the upper reaches, the river makes a bend, bends around the spurs of the Malkhansky ridge from the south, and near the village of Baykhor, Krasnochikoysky district, it is joined by the legendary Menza, which in turn is replenished with water from the fabulously fishy side river Burkel. Then the Chikoya channel passes on the border with Mongolia and near the Buryat village of Bolshoi Kudar it turns northwest to join the waters of the Selenga south of Novoselenginsk.
The dream of every fisherman in the Chita region is to go fishing in the upper reaches of Chicoy, which is conventionally divided into crowded and deserted. In the first case, we mean the section of the right bank where typical Transbaikal settlements are located: Menza, Baykhor, Krasny Chikoy, Cheremkhovo, Bolshakovka, Zakharovka, Osinovka, Shimbelik, Ust-Yamarovka and others; in the second, the countdown to the deserted upper reaches of the Chikoy is usually taken from the village of Povarnya, which is 4 km southeast of Yadrikhin, the last inhabited settlement adjacent to the river. From here begins the real, complete desertion no dog barking, no rooster crowing, ringing silence.

Among the regulars of river pits and reaches, there are expressions that only they understand: “Yesterday morning we were on the “pipe” empty”. Or: “We stopped at “Ugdan”, then at “Rucheyki” - nothing, but at “Avdeya” I got good results “on top”. Expressions "Streams" or "Avdey" this geographical references to the river, and here "on top" or "down" pure fishing terminology. “On top” refers to all types of riding gear and bait. "Ship" which is called here "sleigh", equipped with dry riding or wet diving flies. Or pseudo-fly fishing, that is, a rod that has a reel in its setup, a heavy float “carrot” and four or five riding flies. Sometimes this tackle is simplified. The “carrot” is removed and only one dry “fly” is left. They fish with such gear “on top” or slightly submerging the bait.

Transbaikal nature

The fauna of the Chita region includes 500 species vertebrates, of which more than 80 mammals . The area is rich commercial fur-bearing animal (about 25 species): wolverine, red and black fox, corsac fox, badger, muskrat, hare, otter. Among ungulates ranks first in terms of numbers roe, then wild boar, elk, wapiti. World birds totals more than 350 species. Found in the forests black grouse, wood grouse, hazel grouse. On the lakes mallards, ducks, mergansers, geese, gray swans. In Transbaikal reservoirs more than 60 types fish . The northern lakes are home to a delicacy whitefish.

On the territory of the region about 15 thousand lakes

In 1994, in the border areas of the Chita region, a international reserve "Dauria". Located almost in the center of the Daurian steppe ecoregion, included by the World Wide Fund wildlife Among the 200 ecoregions of the world that are globally significant for the preservation of life on Earth, the international reserve has become a leading center for the study and conservation of the nature of Dauria. This corner of Asia is filled with a unique smell Daurian steppe the cradle of nomads and the homeland of the formidable Genghis Khan.

Dauria historical, geographical area in Eastern Transbaikalia and partly in Amur region. Daurian Land Russian name Amur region in the 17th century, after the 17th century the name Dauria was preserved in physical geography Transbaikalia. Pribaikalskaya Dauria occupies the territory from Lake Baikal to Apple Ridge, Nerchinskaya Dauria located east of Apple Ridge, A Selenga Dauria in the pool Selenga River. The name Dauria comes from the name of the people Dauras, or dahurs, who lived in the 17th century in Eastern Transbaikalia and along the Amur. It is believed that the Daurs are Mongolized Tungus. The first news about Daurs in Russian sources appeared in 1641: “up the Vitim and to the Yarovnya (Eravna) lake on both sides of the Vitim river, many Daurian horsemen”

The pine forest in the Onon district of Tsirik-Narasun has been declared a natural monument

It is in this reserve that there are particularly significant or key nesting and migratory stopover sites for more than 20 species birds , included in the IUCN Red List as globally vulnerable. In general, in Dauria there are several tens of millions of migratory birds of more than 350 species. The Daurian ecoregion is of key importance for the conservation gazelle the only wild antelope in northeast Asia, more than 90% of the population of which also lives here. In Dauria, large steppe areas are well preserved, densely dotted with many lakes of different sizes.

The Argun region is a unique and mysterious country, located on southeast Chita region. Main water artery territory border with China (740 km) Argun River With tributaries Urulyungui, Srednyaya Borzya, Kalga, Urov, Uryumkan And Gazimur . The Argun originates in Manchuria, where it is called Hailar. In the middle course, the river's floodplain reaches two to three kilometers, and the river itself is divided into numerous branches, separated by many islands covered with willow and tall grass. In summer there is a variety of waterfowl here. Below the Urov River, the Arguni Valley is a wide forested lowland. And only not far from the mouth, the spurs of the Khingan from the south and the spurs of the Nerchi ridge from the north compress the bed of the Argun, and it flows in steep steep banks. In the valley of the Urulyungui River at the mouth of Khirkhira, not far from Ust-Tasurkai village ruins are located Khirkhirin ancient Mongol city military-administrative center, residence of the Mongolian feudal lord, noble ruler Chinggisid Jochi-Kasar. A road passes through the city territory, running along the left bank of the Urulyunguy. The city consists of the remains of a palace, a number of fortified estates of the nobility, representatives of the aristocracy, and many ruins of houses of ordinary townspeople - artisans and merchants. During the excavation of a palace covered with gray tiles and a floor lined with gray bricks, dishes of ancient Mongolian origin were found, similar to the dishes of the Karakorum headquarters of the Mongol feudal lords. The discs of the upper roof tiles are decorated with a relief design reminiscent of a beetle.

In the old days Argun mounted Cossacks of the villages of Duroya, Kailasutuya And Abagaituya , according to old-timers, recorded in 1876 by one of the visiting trading people "lived happily ever after". They were doing arable farming And livestock farming, bred bees. The poorest Cossack had at least ten heads of cattle, but Argun was the main wet nurse. There was plenty of fish that were speared, as were birds. The fish was taken to the surrounding villages by foot Cossacks or to the Nerchinsky and Aleksandrovsky Factories and exchanged for bread and goods with great profit.

The village of Old Tsurukhaituy is called the most beautiful and one of the oldest Russian villages not only in the Argunsky region, but also in the entire Eastern Transbaikalia

Majority Priargunya village antique. Their names also attract with their mystery and unusualness: Byrka, Zorgol, Mankechur, Dosatui, Klichka and others. Each of them has its own rich history, for example Nickname. In 1828, the Decembrist Ivan Sukhinov, exiled to Gorny Zerentui, tried to organize a conspiracy in which prisoners from the prison at the Klitschkinsky mine were involved. The plot was discovered because a traitor was among the rebels. Located on the Argun River border village of Old Tsurukhaituy is called the most beautiful and one of the oldest Russian villages not only in the Argunsky region, but also in the entire Eastern Transbaikalia. It was founded as a border guard by Savva Raguzinsky, who concluded the Treaty of Burin with China in 1728. In the summer of the same year, border commissioner Burtsev signed a treaty with the Chinese side on the election of Tsurukhaituy as a place for border trading. Tsurukhaituy translated from the local dialect means "pike place". The village was named so because in the old days the Argun, which washes the picturesque high bank of the village, was unusually rich in fish.

On the territory Kalarsky district one of the attractions is located Chara Basin — sand massif Chara Sands, stretching from southwest to northeast in the direction of the prevailing winds for 10.5 km with a width of up to 4 km. There are no such large accumulations of loose moving sands in any basin of Transbaikalia.

Here in the Kalar region, in a small intermountain depression, is the Chepe volcano. The extinct volcanoes of Udokan were discovered by Irkutsk geologist V.P. Solonenko in 1961. At the foot of the Chepe volcano there are exits mineral springs , of which the most interesting Golden Cascade . Its waters, flowing down a stepped bed, deposit bright golden-yellow ocher. In some places the thickness of its layers reaches 1 m. On a sunny day, the water of the spring flowing down the ocher bed creates the impression of a golden cascade.

On the territory Chita district, V valley of the Chita river located Avdeisky Bulgunnyakh. Bulgunnyakh is the Yakut name for large swelling mounds of hydrolaccoliths, which arise during the freezing of lake basins with drained or peat-filled lakes located in closed depressions in areas of permafrost development. The core of the hydrolaccolith consists of frozen soil interlayered with ice, 45 m high and with a base diameter of 100 m.

On left bank of the Daya River, V 2 km from the Shivia Daya highway located the only thing on the territory of Russia locality of remains of a variety of Early Cretaceous insects (linceus, shieldweed, anostraca ) unique preservation. Among them are representatives of the biota of ephemeral water bodies. Various sediments are exposed in the coastal cliff.

Within Aginsko-Buryatsky district on Borschovochny ridge Golets Alkhanai is located. It represents ancient stratovolcano . Its height is 1663 m. There are many interesting weathering forms, among which the rocky outcrop in the form of a gate is especially famous. The char has an exit cold mineral springs — Dimchik-god And Nine gutters.

The Sokhondinsky Nature Reserve is a model of the unique nature of Southern Transbaikalia

The highest altitudes above sea level are reached char Greater Sokhondo (2,505 m) and Small Sokhondo (2,404 m). The name of the char and the reserve probably comes from Evenki or Buryat languages, in which the words "soho" or "choco" matter "top, head". Therefore it is not surprising that highest peak in this mountain range received this name. The snow that falls in winter melts slowly, so in the mountains even in the second half of summer you can find unmelted white fields - snowfields. Here, in the highlands, traces of the activity of former glaciers are clearly visible: moraine ridges (accumulations of loose material accumulated by glaciers during their movement and plowing out of the bed), cirques (or “circuses” - bowl-shaped depressions in the upper part of the mountains (above the snow line), formed under the influence of glaciers, snowfields and frost weathering), lakes of glacial origin.

Especially picturesque Bakukun Lake , which has become "calling card" reserve. It is located at an altitude of 1892 m above sea level. Overhanging the shores of the lake are the steep, vegetation-free walls of the canopy, once formed by a glacier. The height of the walls is more than 500 m. The lake, like a dam, is dammed with a moraine rampart. Lives in the icy waters of Lake Bakukun lenok. This is a rare case for a typical river fish to settle in a lake.

Vegetation and fauna The reserve is extremely diverse. This is due, first of all, to the mountainous terrain of the territory, due to which here, at a short distance from each other, they can be encountered steppe, forest And alpine plant species And animals. In the Sokhondinsky Nature Reserve you can find many alpine plants. Among them, a significant part are picturesque, beautifully flowering species, giving a special beauty to the alpine meadows of the subalpine and alpine areas.

Sokhondo a reference area of ​​the southern Siberian taiga, the biodiversity of which is practically unaffected by humans

At first glance, the fauna of the Sokhondinsky Nature Reserve does not stand out as anything special. For example, many animals common in Transbaikalia are protected on its territory: fox, sable, ermine, weasel, brown bear, Siberian roe deer, Siberian musk deer, wild boar, squirrel, white hare, capercaillie, hazel grouse, nutcracker. However, the uniqueness this place is that Sokhondo is one of the few reference areas of the southern Siberian taiga, the biodiversity of which is practically unaffected by humans. It is no coincidence that in 1985 the reserve received the status biosphere (UNESCO biosphere reserve ), which emphasizes the importance of the territory for the conservation and research of the state of the biosphere of our planet as a whole.
In addition, the importance of the Sokhonda taiga lies in the fact that many Transbaikal rivers. Passes through the reserve section of the Great World Divide, on which rivers originate, belonging to basins of the Pacific And Arctic Oceans: Ingoda, Onon tributaries And Chicoya .

923 species and subspecies have been recorded on the territory of the reserve and its environs higher vascular plants , 8 types fish , 3 amphibians , 4 reptiles , 257 species birds and 67 species mammals . Over 2,300 species have also been recorded insects And arachnids .
In the reserve taken under protection 71 species of plants, fungi and lichens, 10 species of mammals, 36 species of birds and 17 species of insects listed in the Red Book of the Chita region and the Aginsky Buryat Autonomous Okrug, 29 species of mammals and birds (including such as the white-tailed eagle, white-naped crane , black demoiselle crane, black stork, kloktun, greater spotted eagle, imperial eagle, golden eagle, saker falcon, peregrine falcon, eagle owl) are protected at the international or all-Russian level.

Transbaikalia unknown land

The first geographical ideas about Transbaikalia Europeans received from travelers who visited Central Asia in the 7th and 15th centuries. The Europeans needed to know what danger threatened them from the east. The colonization of Siberia in the 16th and 17th centuries enriched regional studies with knowledge about peoples and their settlement, about natural resources, about communication routes and obstacles on them, about settlement conditions and much more. Information about the areas of new settlement in Transbaikalia was concentrated in the Yenisei, Yakut and Nerchinsk governors, as well as in the Siberian order in Moscow. The pinnacle of the geography of East Asia was the works of the ambassador to China N. G. Spafaria, published later in the book “Siberia and China.”

Spafariy (Milescu) Nikolai Gavrilovich (16351709) — Russian diplomat . “A book, and in it is written a journey through the kingdom of Siberia from the city of Tobolsk to the turn of the Chinese summer 7183, the Mayan month on the 3rd day. And this book was written when, by order of the Great Sovereign, Tsar and Grand Duke Alexei Mikhailovich, the autocrat of all Great and Lesser and White Russia, Nikolai Spafari was released from Moscow to the Chinese state.”. This was the name of the book of the Moldavian writer Nikolai Milescu (Spa-faria), a traveler, scientist who accepted Russian citizenship in 1673, in the “Article List” called by the Russian name Nikolai Gavrilovich. In 1675–1678, Spafariy carried out a diplomatic mission in China as an envoy of the Russian Tsar. Spafaria's embassy included 150 people. The guides were local Cossacks who knew the route well. The ambassador described in detail the areas, rivers, rivulets, and people’s occupations ( “they hunt for sables and there are no better sables”), forts encountered along the way. “We drove through great and forested ridges, and then through the steppe, and came to the small Chita River and spent the night by that river. And the Chita River flows out of the stone mountains and flows into the Ingoda River"

Comprehensive studying the population of Transbaikalia And environment were engaged expeditions of 17681772 by Peter Pallas and Georgi , organized by the Academy of Sciences. At this time, they were first organized meteorological observations at the Nerchinsk plant, geodetic surveys, collection of extensive collections of rocks and minerals, plants and animals, household and religious objects, handwritten documents, the first dictionaries were compiled. In the middle of the 19th century, the General Staff began to get involved in geographical research (Transbaikal expedition, 1849-1952). Together with Geographical Society in 18551859 he carried out mapping of vast territories of Transbaikalia and the Far East. The participation of naturalist G.I. Radde and other scientists in the expedition gave it a complex character. G.I. Radde was the first to describe altitudinal zonation in the mountains. “Map of the Transbaikal region of the Kyakhtinsky city government” , compiled in 1855 Colonel A.I. Zaborinsky , reflected ideas about the position of rivers, lakes, mountain peaks, roads, settlements, etc. in relation to parallels and meridians.

Buryats one of the most numerous nationalities inhabiting the territory of Transbaikalia. The formation of the Buryat people as a whole can be represented as the result of the development and unification of diverse ethnic groups living in the Baikal region for a long time. The first groups of Mongol-speaking tribes in this region appeared in the 11th century. The tribes moved freely from Lake Baikal to the Gobi Desert. Only with the establishment of the Russian-Chinese border in 1727 did this movement stop, and conditions appeared for the formation of the Buryat nation. Many researchers agree that the process of formation and consolidation of the Buryat people began in the 17th century. This is confirmed by archaeological and ethnographic data, according to which it is established that by the XVII-XVIII centuries. Most of the indigenous tribes of the Baikal region became part of the formed nationality - the Buryats. According to the very first known Buryat chronicles “Balzhan Khatanai Tukhai Durdalga” in 1648, the Buryats agreed to accept citizenship of the Russian state.

Tungus ( self-names Evenks, Orochons) constitute the most representative ethnic community among the small peoples of Siberia and the Far East. Their settlement area occupies a gigantic territory from the left bank of the Yenisei River in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. The Evenks speak local dialects of the Evenki language, which belongs to the Tungus-Manchu group of the Altai language family. At the beginning of the twentieth century, many Evenks in the south of Transbaikalia already called themselves Buryats, considering Buryat their native language. Unlike the southern regions, in the north of Transbaikalia the indigenous population was more isolated from Russian and Buryat influence, which determined the preservation of cultural continuity. For the Kalar and Tungir-Olekmin groups of Evenks, hunting and reindeer herding remained traditional forms of economic management. Unlike the Tungokochen and Bauntovskys located to the south, who were partly engaged in gold mining, the Evenks of the north of Transbaikalia retained traditional forms of economic management.

Land of contrasts

There is an amazing place north of the Trans-Baikal Territory. Mountains. Taiga. Permafrost. And desert island. Dunes from yellow sand. They move inexorably along the Chara Valley, crushing the forest under them. There are also real oases with lakes in this desert. clear water, the banks of which are overgrown with trees. Where did the desert come from among the mountains and taiga? Here's how he talks about it legend .

“That spring, Kodar woke up hard, painfully. During the day he would take off his fur coat, warm up under the May sun, and at night the northern blizzards would fly in and whiten the mountain tops again. And again Kodar plunges into his blissful sleep. And only in the middle of the month, when mountain rivers rushed through the gorges with a wild roar, on the slopes of the ridges the bagul blazed with a pink fire and the snowdrop turned blue, he finally woke up. At this time, a storm was born in the south of Mongolia in the Gobi Desert. A sand cloud rose into the sky along black strands of whirlwinds, and the wind drove it north. The sun went out. Everything was drowned in darkness. A cloud floated like an ominous shadow over the steppes of Transbaikalia But on the threshold of the northern land, it hit its chest against stone peaks loaches, howled from her wounds and woke up on the ground like sandy rain. The sun rose over the mountains. Old man Kodar looked around Along with the morning rays of the sun, the song of the Bird reached Kodar’s ears from the Char Valley. Her voice was of amazing beauty. It seemed as if the sky itself was making magical sounds Now all the inhabitants of the mountains looked forward to every morning. With the rising of the sun joy came to the northern land. Meanwhile, the forest thickened. In the valleys the grass rose waist-high, and a mute deafness enveloped the mountains. There was melancholy in the Bird's voice. Now, when she sang, everything around was plunged into sadness. This hopeless melancholy resonated with pain in Kodar’s heart. And he asked: “Tell me, Bird, what are you crying about?” “I was born and raised in the Gobi Desert,” the Bird answered him. The storm threw me into the sky and brought me here, to the taiga region. I cry about the desert, about my homeland.” “What good have you found in the barren sandy land?” Kodar was surprised. “You don’t choose your homeland and mother,” answered the Bird. “Great Elder, I ask you, show me the way to my native land.” “You will return to your homeland, but only in the fall, with caravans of swans.” Kodar waved his hand, and a strip of real desert ran through the Char Valley. Between the dunes the lakes turned blue, and pine trees rose on their banks. The Bird landed on the sandy ridge, and joy sounded in her voice again.”

Kodar Ridge "stone wall", "rock"(translated from Evenki), which contains highest point The edges of the BAM peak resemble the Alps. What does the Udokan ridge mean? "shaman", can be compared to a fantastic alien world: “wild mountain peaks, volcanic cones, gloomy gorges, endless stone placers, mineral springs, brightly colored with deposits of red, yellow and orange There are many legends about these two ridges. There is also such an old Evenki legend. Two fabulous giants Kodar and Udokan found a rich treasure in the ground and argued, but could not agree on who should own it. Then they drew their tight bows and shot arrows at each other. Both fell dead. They reared up in this place high mountains and buried that rich treasure under them"

The Kodar glaciers are the only modern ones mountain glaciers within the Stanovoye Highlands. Small hanging glaciers and cirques add uniqueness to the landscape, complementing the contrasts of the landscapes of the area. Among the six main glaciers located near the highest point of Kodar (3073m), stands out glacier named after E. Timasheva . In its snow-white center there is a deep well into which a waterfall, fed by a lake on a glacier, falls through a crack. The Kodara group of glaciers gives rise to Upper rivers And Middle Sokukan . The Kodar Ridge limits the Chara Basin along a tectonic ledge clearly expressed in the relief. The depth of the relief reaches 2000 m; sections of many hundred meters are rock walls with a slope of 7080 degrees. Traces of ancient glaciation are well preserved here: many elongated valleys up to 1000 x 2000 m wide, blocked by high ledges and crossbars. In their upper part there are fields of “curly” rocks, in the middle and lower parts there are moraine deposits. Large tributaries of the Chara, cutting through the crossbars, form narrow rocky corridors in them. All this gives the area an unusually picturesque flavor.

Originally from Transbaikalia

A painfully familiar landscape
And vernissage is dear to my heart.
Birches and pines stand
Charming and pleasing to the eye…

In the paintings of Yuri Kuznetsov, forest rivers and streams flow, bird cherry blossoms, a birch tree bends over the river, amber sunsets captivate the eye, wild rosemary blazes with fire, it rains and autumn enchants us with a fairy tale, and March snow, and a summer landscape all in the rays of the sun and a cold winter drawing .

See all the seasons, go from winter to summer, walk in the warm rain, wander along the paths in the birch forest

Yuri Petrovich was born in Chita in 1924. His youth witnessed two wars at once - with Japan and with Germany. When the long-awaited peace reigned, he was able to fulfill his dream by entering the Irkutsk Art School. In 1950, a young drawing and drawing teacher, Yuri Kuznetsov, appeared at Chita school No. 1. He worked here for almost 30 years. When I retired, I had more time for drawing. Painting, graphics, landscapes and even wood carvings and casting art prints. In the paintings there is an image of the native land, a bridge across a river, a sunset on a lake. See all the seasons at once, go from winter to summer, walk in the warm rain and wander along the paths in the birch forest. This opportunity opens up at exhibitions of paintings by Yuri Kuznetsov.

From the canvases of this artist, where we see the slender figures of thin and dear birch trees, meadows illuminated by the sun and golden grass, there emanates a kind of touching silence and slight sadness. We see the enchanting region of Transbaikalia with the coolness and depth of the rivers and the gorgeous spreading crowns of huge century-old pines. In the paintings of the Chita artist Yuri Kuznetsov one can see a landscape that is so familiar, but never repeated, although birch and pine trees are present in almost all of his canvases.

Golden autumn blinds us
And the clouds melt in the fog.
The wild rosemary is burning with flames,
The birch tree speaks with the soul.
Roads, pine trees and paths,
Glades, thin blades of grass.
Rivers and forests captivate
Nature's wonderful beauty!
Homes that are painfully familiar.
I wish I could walk through the forest and field again,
Where there is peace and quiet,
The artist's soul is visible.

Art is the transmission of beauty, grace and culture

Touches the soul and "Rural Landscape" , painted by the artist between Darasun and Art. Novaya, where a colorful herd of cows wandered serenely in silence across the field. And this is one of more than 200 paintings he painted during his career in recent years. All the walls of the artist’s small apartment, who lives in Sosnovy Bor, are decorated with landscapes, including several portraits and graphics. Pictures dear to the heart! According to Yuri Kuznetsov himself, he loves to paint beauty and everything that makes sense. Art is the transmission of beauty, grace and culture. And these words of his are confirmed by the entire creative life of the artist and his delightful paintings. But not only the artist himself admires this beauty. How many personal exhibitions did he have in his life, and all of them are dedicated to native land Transbaikalia! How many wonderful moments and how many wonderful feelings many people experienced from contemplating his paintings! There is so much inspiration and skill on these canvases that can decorate more than one art gallery! The artist is known not only in Chita, his works are also abroad in private collections in Germany, Israel, and Egypt.

April snow, houses and gardens
And March dark water,
Cool Ingoda, clear waters,
Nikishiha, what a wonderful dream!
Snowdrop, like the beginning of spring,
The wild rosemary is burning with flames.
You have never seen such beauty
Where the forest beckons so fabulously.
Before a thunderstorm the trees bend with the wind,
The clouds are darkening in the sky.
Even the pine tree had to bend
With its crown slightly.
Houses in the forest and the pine trunk turns black,
And nearby are the gold of birches.
And there is no land dearer to us,
The soul is moved to tears.
The road leads us to the village
And the bushes, the path, the house.
There is a touch-me-not birch tree
In a chic gold dress.
The whole world is beautiful nature,
Which is so deeply disturbing.
As a property of the people
The entire exhibition of his paintings!

Yuri Knyazkin is the man after whom the stars are named. He devoted his whole life creation of space satellites. Currently he is Deputy General Designer for Electrical Design of Spacecraft, Their Operation and In-Flight Control of JSC Information Satellite Systems named after Academician Reshetnikov . In 1953, immediately after graduating from the Chita boys' secondary school No. 5, silver medalist Yura Knyazkin went to the capital to enroll at the Moscow Aviation Institute. After graduating from university, he moved to Zheleznogorsk. There, in the research and production association of applied mechanics, he began working as a simple engineer. And now the whole country is using the works of Yuri Knyazkin for example, cellular communications and roaming are available to everyone, thanks to satellites developed in the research and production association. And at the beginning of 2009, the company’s specialists launched a new satellite Express-44. It became one of the first satellites needed for the development of a digital television network in Russia. It allows you to transmit a much larger number of channels in a much more best quality. When sending creations of design thought into orbit, Yuri Mikhailovich Knyazkin always remembers that somewhere out there, in space, there is a star named after him.

Oleg Leonidovich Lundstrem, outstanding Russian jazz musician , born in 1916 in Chita. In 1921, his family moved to Harbin (Manchuria, China). Father, Leonid Frantsevich Lundstrem, was invited to work, first as a physics teacher in high school, and later as a lecturer at Harbin Polytechnic Institute. In 1932, Oleg graduated from a commercial school and entered the Polytechnic Institute, and at the same time entered the music technical school, from which he graduated in violin in 1935. In the early 30s, everyone became interested in the new dance, the foxtrot, and, accordingly, the new music, jazz. At first, this rhythmic, calm music did not attract much attention from Oleg, until by chance (in 1933), while selecting records for another party, he came across a record by the Duke Ellington orchestra, which was completely unknown at that time. This play was called “Dear Old South.” She stunned Oleg, and he immediately realized that this music was not only for the feet, but something more. She made the same impression on his friends, young musicians who had already begun to get involved in jazz. In the same way, the trail of Louis Armstrong was picked up, and from that moment the passion for jazz began. Little by little we played music and started playing at dances. And Oleg inquisitively studied the sound of the orchestra and began to arrange and play pieces from the records by ear.

The press called Oleg Lundstrem the “King of Jazz of the Far East”

In 1934, young musicians decided to form their own jazz orchestra and chose Oleg Lundstrem as their leader. The orchestra consisted of nine musicians: two alto saxophones, one tenor saxophone, two trumpets, one trombone, piano, banjo and double bass, as well as drums. This was the composition of the big band back then. 1935 year of gaining popularity in Harbin. The orchestra played at balls, evenings and performed on local radio. In 1936, the orchestra moved to Shanghai (now China), a huge international port center, where its professional activities began. Subsequently, Oleg came up with the idea that it was possible to perform our Russian songs in a jazz arrangement. He makes the arrangements “Song about the Captain” by I. Dunaevsky, “Foreign Cities” by A. Vertinsky, “Katyusha” by M. Blanter and others. All of them enjoy constant success with listeners. The peak of popularity came in 1940. There are already 14 people in the orchestra, where is Oleg conductor . The orchestra becomes one of the best in Shanghai. The press called Oleg Lundstrem the “King of Jazz of the Far East.” After the end of World War II, Oleg wrote his first independent work "Interlude" , using Rachmaninoff intonations, later play "Mirage" on oriental motifs.

In 1947, the entire orchestra and their families moved to the USSR, to the city of Kazan. The musicians wanted to get an education at the conservatory. Initially, they decide to make the visiting orchestra a jazz group of the TASSR, but the resolution of the CPSU Central Committee on Vano Muradeli’s opera “October” in 1948 breaks everything. It turns out that people don't need jazz. And the musicians are distributed in opera house, to cinema orchestras. Oleg enters the Opera and Ballet Theater as a violinist. However, the orchestra did not disband thanks to the composer A. S. Klyucharev, who immediately appreciated the capabilities of the orchestra that arrived in Kazan. Oleg began making arrangements of Tatar songs and the most popular Soviet songs. In 1955, the orchestra recorded on radio and on gramophone records a whole series of plays by Tatar composers, arranged for jazz by Oleg Lundstrem, and gave a series of concerts, which were a great success and attracted the attention of Moscow concert organizations.

In 1956, the orchestra began its extensive touring and concert life. For almost 40 years, the team has traveled to more than 300 cities in Russia and dozens abroad. The orchestra's credo: a deep understanding of the nature of jazz performance, its classical traditions and the desire to contribute to this genre by creating and performing original jazz works and arrangements. Oleg Leonidovich Lundstrem in 1973 was awarded the title Honored Artist of the RSFSR , in 1984 People's Artist of the RSFSR , in 1993 honorary degree of Doctor of Science from the International Academy of San Marino .

If you are lucky enough to visit the Chita region, hospitable, hospitable, welcoming, do not tire of admiring the exceptional beauty of this region and notice that here: the most large number healing arshans; the largest and most famous reserve Sokhondinsky; the most majestic river Onon; the most beautiful taiga, which knows neither boundaries nor limits; the most delightful mountains, in the white haze of blossoming apricots; the most brilliant lakes under the sun, surrounded by delicate irises, with white swans flying over them; the most endless meadows filled with curly fiery lilies; the most berry honeydews and mushroom forests; people who love their land the most.