Ufa is the capital of Bashkortostan There are

Ufa is the capital of Bashkortostan. There are many higher educational institutions, Palaces of Culture and clubs, cinemas, sport palaces, stadiums, swimming pools in the city. Ufa has the Ballet and Opera House, the Academic Bashkir Drama Theatre honoured with the Order of the Red Banner of Labour and named after Mazhit Gafoori, the Russian Drama Theatre, the puppet theatre, the circus, the Philharmonic Society with the famous folk dance company which has toured scores of countries of the world.

Monument to Salavat Yulaev - Bashkir national hero" A monument to national hero Bashkir people and poet Salavat Yulaev was opened in Ufa 17 November, 1967. Author of the monument Soslanbek Dafaevich Tavasiev - known sculptor, People’s Artist of the North Ossetian and the Bashkir Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. Sculpture Salavat Yulaev is the largest horse statue in the country. The height of a monument reaches 9. 8 meters and weight - 40 tons. Monument Salavat is recognized by the major domestic achievement of monumental sculptures, became a national treasure and a bright sight of Ufa, a monument was a central element in the capital of Bashkortostan.

Friendship Monument 7 August, 1965 in the capital of Bashkortostan was opened majestic monument of Friendship (sculptors MF Baburin, GP Levitskaya). Monument erected in honor of the celebration of 400 years of voluntary joining of Bashkortostan in Russia. The monument is a symbol of friendship capital of the republic of Bashkortostan. In 1974 he was declared a monument. Friendship Monument - one of the main symbols of Russian Unity and the Bashkir people. It is therefore not surprising that most official events and festivities taking place in Ufa, starts at the square of this monument.

Ice Palace "UFA-ARENA" "Ufa-Arena" complex consists of main ice stadium, accommodating 8250 people, training ice arena with tribune for 500 viewers and ground parking

Gostiny Dvor in Ufa Gostiny Dvor (Shopping-yard) of Ufa - European Trade Center, which is unparalleled in the Ural region of Russia on technology, comfort and range of services. It is about 40 thousand square meters of commercial space, which housed shops famous Russian and foreign manufacturers. Since its inception (opening on 11 October 1999) Gostiny Dvor has become a center of trade not only Ufa, but throughout the Republic and the Ural region.

National Museum The National Museum of the Republic of Bashkortostan is one of the oldest scientific and educational institution of the province of Russia. It has been founded in April, 1864 being the Provincial Museum of Ufa. This fact is a curious incident in a provincial life. It has been founded at the Provincial Statistic Committee. N. A. Gurvich, R. G. Ignatiev, A. B. Ivanitskie, V. I. Vlasov, K. A. Buch, A. A. Peker head the list among active founders of the museum. They have been involved in a special purpose work of collecting things for the future exposition without loss of time. At the head there is M. A. Gurvich an outstanding researcher and regional ethnographer, the man of a high inward culture. Being deeply devoted to the museum he becomes the first director and forty years of his life have been given for it.

National library of Bashkortostan Republic named after AKHMET-ZAKI VALIDI The library was opened in 1921 as Central Scientific Library. Later it united Central Moslem Library and M. Gorky Public Library, and acquired the status or Republican in 1936. In 1992 it was renamed into National Library after Akhmet-Zaki Validi, the prominent political leader and scientist. Today it is one of the biggest Russian libraries with over 3, 120, 000 copies of documents in stock. It also boasts of a unique collection of cultural values of 13 -20 centuries: 40 thousand of rare books and manuscripts, literary and publicist works, periodicals, dissertations, maps, notes, visuals, technical documentation, microfilms, audiotapes and CD-ROMs. Over 80 thousand of people employ these reaches annually. The unique funds of the library serve as the perfect database for development of Republican scientific potential, and in 1999 the library hosted the International Symposium "Rare Manuscripts from the Funds of National Libraries of Countries. Members of TYURKSOI Association". 15 specialized departments, electronic reading hall to work in the Internet, as well as French reading hall opened as a result of international agreements on cooperation in the sphere of culture signed with France operate in the library.

Bashkir state art Museum named after M. V. Nesterov 102 paintings presented by famous Russian painter Mikhail Nesterov to Ufa, his hometown, were transported from Moscow to Ufa in 1919. The Museum welcomed its first visitors in January 1920. Today Bashkir State Art Museum named after M. V. Nesterov has in its collection over 8 thousand items of painting, graphics, sculpture, folk art exhibited in Russian, Bashkir and foreign art shows. Here you can find old Russian icons, works of Russian masters of 19 -20 Centuries - I. Aivazovsky, I. Levitan, A. Savrasov, I. Repin, V. Perov, M. Vrubel, V. Serov, N. Rerikh, A. Benoit and others. Russian avant-garde is represented by the works of N. Goncharova and M. Larionov and the biggest Russian collection (34 works) of D. Burlyuk, the "father of Russian futurism". The Museum takes pride in exhibiting the works of M. Nesterov over 90 items of painting and graphics - the biggest collection in Russia. The foreign exhibition displays the works of A. Kanaletto, J-P Pannini, N. Lancre, K-G Verne, L. Backheizen as well as graphics by A. Durer, J-B Piranesi, F. Bartolotti, etc. Representatives of Bashkir national art add to the splendor of the show: the works of the first Bashkirian artists K. Devletkildeev, A. Lezhnev, M. Yelgashtina, A. Tyulkin, as well as those whose artistic biography started in 1950 -1960 s - painters R. Nurmukhametov, A. Lutfullin, B. Domashnikov, A. Burzyantsev, A. Sitdikova, sculptor and ceramist T. Nechaeva, sculptors Z. Basirov, B. Fuzeev, A. Shutov, graphics by T. Saitov, A. Korolevsky. The Museum has collected the works of talented artists of 1970 -1980 s: S. Krasnov, E. Vinokurov, K. Goubaidullin, I. Fartukov, V. Lesin, Z. Gayanov, V. Souzdaltsev, N. Kalinushkin. The Museum is now adding to its collection the works of the 1980 -1990 generation of young artists. All around Bashkortostan (towns of Neftekamsk, Salavat, Sterlitamak, Beloretsk, Ishimbay, Voskresenskoe village) the Museum has its exhibition halls. The Museum participated many times in foreign (Germany, Holland, Austria) exhibitions and hosted the works of foreign artists from Germany, China, Italy.

Bashkir state academic drama theater named after M. Gafur The oldest theater in the Republic, established as early as 1919, went on its first tour to Petrograd (Petersburg) already in 1922. In 1935 theater was awarded the title "Academic", in 1970 it was given the Red Labor Banner Order, and in 1971 it was named after the prominent Bashkirian writer M. Gafuri. The repertoire of theater is formed on the basis of national, foreign and Russian classics as well as modern multi-genre drama works. At present, the repertoire features the romantic drama "Aigul Country" by M. Karim, musical "Asilyar" by M. Faizi, tragedy "Shaimuratov-General…" by F. Bulyakov, comedy "A Dog in the Manger" by Lopes De Vega, drama "Talents and Admirers" by A. Ostrovsky. In the dynamic search for the modern artistic language theater was based on the best traditions of artistic and directing schools of this country. Such great masters of the national theater as G. Karamishev, E. Syrtlanova-Shlyakhtina, G. Ushanov, G. Mingazhev, T. Rashitova, Kh. Galimov-Bucharsky, A. Mubaryakov, Z. Bikbulatova, T. Biktasheva, R. Syrtlanov played on its stage. Here the national school of scenography was formed, inspired by M. Arslanov and followed by G. Imasheva, T. Enikeev. The directors of theater were: V. Murtazin-Imansky (the founder of theater), M. Magadeev, Sh. Murtazina, L. Valiev, R. Israfilov. Since 1997 the artistic leader of theater is A. Nadyrgulov, a graduate of State Theatrical Art Institute, one of the leading Republican directors who staged such plays as "Aigul Country", "Shaimuratov-General…", "Go Ahead, America, Envy Us!" (S. Latypov), "Love Conquers all Ages" (N. Gaitbayev) and others. Widely spread touring activity and active participation in Russian and foreign festivals contribute to the success and popularity of theater.