About the Chita Region and the Rest of Eastern Siberia
| Siberian Bridges is currently active in urban and rural regions within southeastern Siberia and the Russian Far East. Each year new placements are added while others are retired. Many of the regions we serve, due to remoteness and lack of resources, are not well documented. We hope this information will encourage future volunteers to experience these parts of Russia. Check out the following links for more information: History of Chita Chita City's Points of Interest Maps Article "The Far Eastern Republic" National Geographic, June 1922 (PDF document - 340KB) |
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ZABAIKALSKY KRAI
Siberian Bridges (SB) launched its first programs within Zabaikalsky Krai, formerly Chita Oblast, a Province with a population of roughly 1.3 million people, situated just north of China and Mongolia. Home to Russia's largest military base, Chita was closed to foreign travel until the late 1980's due to its strategic importance.
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| Only recently has it become possible to experience Chita's well preserved pre-Revolutionary heritage, diversity of indigenous cultures, and wealth of natural beauty. Surrounded by taiga, mountainous desert and bordered by one of the world's ecological treasures - Lake Baikal - Chita offers visitors a rare chance to experience a full range of Siberian landscapes and cultures. Home to Russia's largest population of Buddhists (ethnic Buryats); Evenks and "Old Believers", Chita is a window to a world that is rapidly disappearing. Learn more about Chita's History and Chita City's Points of Interest. To get another perspective about life in Chita, click here to read student essays on “What I Want the World to Know About Chita.” |
 Blowing snow |
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The former BURYAT AUTONOMOUS DISTRICT
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| Recently, the Buryat Autonomous District was subsumed into the surrounding Chita Oblast, and a new name given to the combination: Zabaikalsky Krai. The District, however, retains its cultural and social identity. Not yet knowing another term for this area, we will continue to call it "Buryat Autonomous District" in this article. It is located in southeastern Siberia and has a population of about 79,000. The capital of the District is Aginsk. The landscape in this region is mountainous and forest-steppe and the main industry is animal husbandry. Siberian Bridges has placed teachers within secondary schools in the Buryat Autonomous District since 1998. Teachers have served in Aginsk and the villages of Dul'durga, Uzon, Alkhanai, and Ilya. Buryat Autonomous District is a fascinating crossroads of culture. The population is predominantly Buryat (ethnic Mongolian) the religion is Buddhism and the culture here is heavily influenced by Buddhism and shamanism, which predated the arrival of Buddhism in the 19th century. Here you will find traditional, Siberian wood houses alongside Buddhist shrines and richly decorated Datsans (Buddhist temples). Services are held weekly at the Datsan in Aginsk (pictured second right), capital of the Buryat Autonomous District. The religious complex is also home to a monastery and a number of shrines. Shrines and sacred places dot the landscape. "Prayer Trees" decorated with colorful ribbons. Seeds of grain or coins are common offerings at shrines. Pictured on the right is a sacred stream near the base of a mountain in Alkhanai. The water here is said to be sacred and have healing qualities. The fenceless plains (bottom left) Siberia is famous for open up at the outskirts of villages. New shops and homes are being built to reflect Asian architectural styles (bottom center). Traditional Siberian wooden houses with painted shutters are still the norm (bottom right). Families generally heat their homes with a wood stove, gather their water from a well or pump and have outhouses. |
 Dul'durga Gate |
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Datsan in Aginsk |
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 Alkhanai Shrine |
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 Sacred stream near Alkhanai |
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 Siberia's fenceless plains |
 wood house
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 Dul Shop
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KRASNY CHICOY
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 Krasny
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Krasny Chicoy is a village of 7,000 people with a large population of Old Believers. It is an agricultural district located 150 km from the nearest railway station and 600 km from Chita City. It was founded on the 18th of June 330 years ago. The village is surrounded by beautiful hills covered with forest. Animal life includes foxes, hares, wolves, bears and sables!
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| NORTHERN ZABAIKALSKY KRAI: EVENKS
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| Northern Chita Province is home to about 1,000 Evenks, indigenous people of Siberia who (traditionally) lived as reindeer hunters and nomads. Under Soviet rule, Evenks were forced to establish fixed settlements. Much like Native Americans in the United States, Evenks suffered severe social and economic upheaval due to the stripping of their livelihood, culture, language, religion and way of life. Today Evenks grapple with many of the same problems affecting Native American tribes: alcoholism, depression, and suicide. Today Evenks are fighting for a range of reforms to help unify their disparate tribal groups, reinforce their national heritage, and raise their standard of living. Native language and traditions are slowly being revived. A new non-profit organization, HERITAGE, was recently established in Chita, to support Evenk causes. |  Evenk woman with children in native costumes |
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 Evenk women sewing |
 Northern Chita Province |
 Evenk couple
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Ulan-Ude is 325 years old, being founded in 1666 as a small fortress to guard the eastern borders of the Russian Empire, it grew into an administrative, industrial, cultural, scientific center with a population of about 350 thousand people. Ulan-Ude is the capital of the republic of Buryatia. For decades the city was closed to travelers on account of the defense industries (now closed) that were located there. The main industries in Ulan-Ude today are food industry enterprises and agriculture.
People are free to follow different religions, the most popular being Buddhism and the Orthodox Church. There are 5 theaters: the State Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet, Buryat Drama Theater, Russian Drama Theater, Puppet Theater, and the Youth's Theater. Ulan-Ude is home to The Buryat State Academy of Agriculture (BSAA) is one of the oldest training institutions in Eastern Siberia and the Far East. There are 4 other state institutions of higher learning: The East Siberian State Academy of Culture and Arts, The East Siberian State University of Technology, The Buryat State University, the East Siberian State University. |
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NUKUTS (IRKUTSK PROVINCE)
Nukuts is a small, rural village located in Irkutsk Province, 250 km away from the city of Irkutsk and 40 km from the railway station. The village is surrounded by spectacular nature and is located near the beautiful Angara River. There are two main industries: mining and Gypsum mining. The population of village is approximately 720. |
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RUSSIAN FAR EAST (NAKHODKA)
Nakhodka is located on the southeastern corner of the Russian Far East bordered to the west by North Korea and China. It stretches 20 km (12 miles) along the coast of Nakhodka Bay on the Sea of Japan. It was a major shipping center during the Soviet era, but due to the recent re-opening of the city of Vladivostok, a major port, has experienced significant, economic decline. Read more about Nakhodka from our Fellow Alumnus, Jason Baker. |
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Copyright © 2006 Siberian Bridges, Inc. All rights reserved.