"Ufa - the pearl of Bashkortostan" Ufa by Gerrem

I've been twice in Ufa, the capital of Bashkortostan

It's at the south end of the Ural mountains.

I was there for 6 weeks to finsh my diploma in business administration. I worked for an institute called "Institute for superplasticity of metals of the acadamy of sciences of the USSR".

We (4 students) lived in a hotel called "Russia".

Ufa is situated on the bank of the Belaya (White) River. The City stretches from South-West to North-East for 50 kilometers. The total area of the City is 753.7 square kilometers. The population nearly reaches 1.1 million. The state languages in the capital of Bashkortostan Republic are Russian and Bashkirian languages: Russian is the state language of the Russian Federation, and Bashkirian is the language of Bashkir nation that possesses its right for self-determination. The two major confessions in the City are Islam and Orthodox Christianity. Ufa is the home of Central Moslem Spiritual Board of European part of Russia, Siberia and Kazakhstan.

Ufa is one of the leaders in the Russian Federation in economic potential. The volume of production in 2002 in acting prices increased by 2.6 per cent as compared to 2001 and amounted to 45.9 Billion Rubles (USD 1.5 Billion). The industrial volume output index reached 104.7 per cent. Consumer goods production increased even more rapidly: by 14.4 per cent.

The present Bashkortostan belongs to Russian largest industrial centers specializing in raw materials extraction and processing, semi-finished goods production and export to other regions. Ufa companies contribute considerably to the formation of the republican industrial potential, as over forty per cent of Bashkortostan's industrial facilities are concentrated in the city. Twenty seven per cent of the total republican population (seventy three per cent of its urban population) live in Ufa and its suburbs.

The closing decades of the 20th century brought fresh challenges to the city. The only constant now is change, and that means that Ufa is full of life and hope for future. Looking back, the foundation of the city played a significant role in the history of the republic and has become a symbol of Bashkortostan entering Russia voluntarily.

When the Golden Horde appeared in Asia during the Middle Ages, it conquered vast territories including the land of present-day Bashkortostan. Bashkirian tribes within the Golden Horde adopted its religion, but their relationship with Mongol rulers lay mainly in paying considerable tribute to the conquerors.

In XV Century, after the downfall of the Golden Horde, several independent states emerged in its territory, dividing the Bashkirian land in three parts. The new rulers waged war after war on each other, plundering and devastating Bashkirian tribes subject to them.

Such terrible state of affairs combined with the growing military strength of Moscow State influenced the decision made by Bashkirian elders to join Russia. During the period of 1554-1557 all the tribes who lived on Bashkortostan's territory voluntarily entered Russian state.

At first Russia governed Bashkirian tribes from the city of Kazan which was not quite convenient for both sides. As there were no towns with permanent garrisons on the land of Bashkirs, the indigenous population suffered greatly from attacks of belligerent nomads.

All these difficulties forced Bashkirs to extend to Tsar Ivan the Terrible their request to build a town on their territory. Russian ruler decided to meet the need of Bashkirs and sent his representative to choose a location for a town. The place was soon found on the right bank of the Belaya river.

There an oak fortress - the core of the future city - was constructed by a detachment of Russian streltsi (privileged military corps) in 1574. The small fortress was surrounded by an oak wall 440 meters long, for which the fortress was often called "Oak Town". Trading quarters soon appeared near the east wall of the fortress to become later the first street of the city.

Ufa limits expanded mainly along the roads, the main one being Kazan road that joined the town with Moscow via Kazan. As time went by, Ufa turned from a service class-inhabited town into a political, administrative and business center of the region. The town hall as a body of self-administration emerged here to become a town council in 1772.

After the Peasant revolt of 1773-1775 Ufa's status of a fortress diminished, and in 1802 Ufa became the principal town of the province, the residence of the civil Governor of Orenburg Region and the seat of provincial bodies. The Tsar's ukaz (decree) of 1865 gave Ufa the status of a city and made it the center of Ufa Region. From this point Ufa started its history as the capital of the Republic of Bashkortostan.

Me and Wulff on the railroad

Near to Ufa the transsiberial railroad runs huge trains with several engines and hundreds of railway carriages.

• In a nutshell:To come to Ufa is real adventure