Gorkogo and the War Memorial

A special place of remembrance is at the heart of Gorkogo: the cemetery is home to the only war memorial in the city of Ulan-Ude. Soviet soldiers who died of their wounds in the city’s hospitals during the Great Patriotic War are buried in a mass grave. A memorial was erected there in their memory.

Mass Grave and Memorial in Gorkogo

The soldiers’ remains were transferred to the memorial and buried there in a mass grave. The historical context is therefore closely connected with the city’s hospitals: the memorial commemorates people who died there from the effects of their wounds. The burial site and the memorial marker are connected, but they are not the same thing.

The design of the memorial is also described in specific terms. Four white pylons, each tilted at a different angle, rise from a marble pedestal. The Eternal Flame was lit there on October 31, 2014. Taken together, these details trace the site from the historical events behind it, through the burial, to the form of the place of remembrance. If you plan to visit the cemetery, it is best to check access before your trip.

Nature and Culture in the Republic of Buryatia

The Republic of Buryatia offers its own natural attractions, distinct from the history of the memorial. Since 1916, the Barguzinsky Nature Reserve has protected the northeastern shore of Lake Baikal and its taiga slopes. Tunkinsky National Park has eight tourist routes and four ecological trails. These include routes by car, on foot, on the water, and on horseback. This gives visitors different ways to experience the landscape along the way. The number of routes and their availability may change; check the details with the park in advance.

One of the republic’s religious and cultural sites is the Ivolginsky Datsan (Khambyn Sume), a large Buddhist monastery complex in the village of Verkhnyaya Ivolga. It is described as the center of Russian Buddhism. The datsan also preserves the body of Pandito Khambo Lama XII Dashi-Dorzho Itigelov, which is described as imperishable. Another historical site is the Gunne settlement, which is more than 2,000 years old and located in Ivolginsky District.

Museums and a Variety of Discoveries

In Ulan-Ude, the Ethnographic Museum of the Peoples of Transbaikalia features residential and settlement complexes of the pre-Baikal and Trans-Baikal Buryats, Evenks, Soyots, Old Believers, and Russian old settlers. Visitors can try national sports and take part in interactive tours. The museum thus combines insights into different communities with activities that go beyond viewing exhibitions.

The Museum of Nature of Buryatia in Ulan-Ude also covers a range of subjects. More than 2,000 exhibits are spread across five halls. The regularly offered guided tour “Puteshestvie po Buryatii” takes visitors through the halls and is available in Russian and Buryat. The museum also has a permanent live nature exhibition, “V gostyakh u Eroshki.” It teaches children about exotic birds, fish, amphibians, and reptiles, as well as mammals from Europe, Asia, America, and Africa. The museum also houses the digital planetarium “Zvezdny dom Buryatii”; it was the first institution in Buryatia to have its own digital planetarium. Check current visitor arrangements before visiting the museum.

When looking for a holiday apartment, you can start with your travel interests: if the war memorial is an important reason for your trip, consider Gorkogo as your search location. If nature trails, religious culture, or museums are your main focus, choose your other locations based on the attractions you have selected. This lets you compare travel ideas without treating their different focuses as the same.

Discover more destinations: Ust-Barguzin, Kyakhta, Severobaikalsk, Istok, Kabansk, Zakamensk, Okhor-Shibir', Kyren

Go to the main travel overview: Republic of Buryatia.