Ulan-Ude is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Buryatia of the Russian Federation. It was founded in 1666. It was named after the Uda River that flows here. Previous names of the city: until 1680 - Udinskoye Zimovye, until 1690 - Udinsky Ostrog, until 1735 - Udinsk, until 1934 - Verkhneudinsk, starting from 1934 - Ulan-Ude, which literally means "Red Uda" in Buryat. It is here on the central square of the city that the most famous symbol of the Republic of Buryatia is installed - Lenin's Head. It is the largest sculpture of Lenin's head in the world. The sculpture, 7.7 meters high, 4.5 meters wide at its widest point and weighing 42 tons, was cast at a stone-cutting factory in Mytishchi. And then in the form of two halves it was delivered to Ulan-Ude by rail. Once on site, two parts of the sculpture were erected on the eastern side of Soviet Square in front of the House of Soviets of the Buryat ASSR (now the House of the Government of the Republic of Buryatia) on a polished granite pedestal 6.3 meters high.
Vorkuta, the polar city beyond the 67th parallel
Vorkuta is the fourth most populous city beyond the Arctic Circle and the easternmost city in Europe. Winter here lasts 8 months a year.<...
