Add Ulan-Ude to your Trans-Siberian itinerary and you will not regret it!
Buryatia is the center of Buddhism in Russia. In Ulan-Ude you can see statues of Mongol heroes, Orthodox churches, Buddhist temples, yurts, Stalininst buildings, shamanistic places of worship.
Ivolginsky datsan in Buryatia is a Buddhist monastery-datsan. A trip to the Ivolginsky datsan should be made not only for religious worship, but also in order to touch the amazing architecture of the Buryat world. The main shrine of the Ivolginsky datsan is the imperishable body of Dasha-Dorzho Itigelov. If you are attracted to Russian rural life, then we advise you to visit the small old Russian village of Tarbagatai. This is the place where every yard is associated with Old Believer culture. Residents of the village are open-minded, hospitable and good-hearted.
Not far from Ulan-Ude, there are two national parks, three nature reserves and a huge number of amazing natural monuments. Among them is the mysterious Lake Tagley with healing properties, Ushkany islands with rookeries of Baikal seals on the shores.

Located along Lysaya Mountain, this monastery is home to the largest statue of Buddha in Russia. Datsan is aplace where local Buddhist communities can meet. It offers amazing panoramic views of the city and surrounding landscape.
The temple has been reconstructed many times, but it still remains a place worth seeing.