My first day in Ulan Ude, I explored the older part of town. On the second day, I went out to the Ivolginsky Datsan, the center of Russian Buddism.

First sight of Sovetov Square

Biggest Lenin’s head statue

Walking towards the old town

The opera house

Dancers (outside the opera house)

Across from the opera house

The star, a relic of Soviet days

Building detail

Heading towards the old city

Building along the pedestrian only street

More buildings in the pedestrian zone

Ulan Ude’s pedestrian street

Old wooden house in Ulan Ude

Orthodox Church, Ulan Ude

The older part of town: plenty of wooden houses

Old part of Ulan Ude

Ornate wooden fretwork

Street of wooden houses

World’s largest Lenin head dwarfs me

That’s better – you can see me now!

Orthodox buildings, Ulan Ude

Street view Ulan Ude

Prayer wheel at the Ivolginsky Datsan

Prayer flags

Some buildings in the datsan

Colorful buildings

Building at Ivolginsky datsan

Deer at the datsan

Deer roof details

Ivolginsky Datsan

Old Soviet train near the Ulan Ude train station

Side view, Soviet train

Old war canteen

Signage – seemed like a Soviet remnant