The bright, majestic town of Ufa is located about 1200km east of Moscow, the region’s main city. “The colours of an Old Beirut” captures the splendour of the old souks of Beirut, with criss-crossing red and blue lines showing the routes taken by the city’s horse-riding nomad traders. Other scenes are taken inside the houses of modest two-storey dwellings on the river’s edge where the family has set up a vegetable garden in one corner of their small house. Children play in the swimming pool and a shepherd’s cart is waiting outside.
Ufa (the word means ‘fur’) was a trading post along the banks of the Volga River (nowadays it is called the Volga River estuary) before it was turned into a modern town of up to ten million people. Its origins date back to the sixth century, when traders from Asia, Arabia, Europe, Africa and the Middle East set up camps along the bank of the river to exchange leather and horses for grain and other farm produce. As trade flourished, Ufa gradually turned into a town with an impressive ancient atmosphere and thriving economy. Today, it is one of the most visited destinations in Russia, particularly for tourists who come here to explore the magnificent architecture and the traditions of old Russia. Tourists can view splendid medieval buildings and cathedrals, beautiful palaces and churches as well as a wide selection of art galleries and museums.
A major part of Ufa’s tourism sector is its hospitality industry, which consists of state of the art hotels, restaurants and bars and a wide range of accommodation including guest houses, self catering apartments, camping sites and holiday parks. The most popular accommodation categories are self-catering cottages, camping sites, guest houses and townhouses. Luxurious holiday parks, restaurants and bars of all types can be found in Belaya Ufa; however the town has just as much modernisation and shopping opportunities as it does cultural attractions. The administrative districts of Belaya Ufa have a wide variety of stores selling everything from fruit and vegetables to shoes, clothes, furniture, electrical goods and hand crafted souvenirs.
Ufa is considered amongst the finest Russian Cities to visit and is a popular winter break destination for many European tourists. It is considered one of the must see cities in Russia and has been featured in films such as Winter Has Come and Alexander Borat among many others. It also enjoys a cosmopolitan reputation in Europe, and is the home of a prestigious international film festival.
Belaya Ufa comprises a large number of historic buildings and landmarks that date back to both the Soviet and early Russian periods of rule. Two of the most important historical monuments in Belaya Ufa are the Cathedral of St Nicholas and the Akatsinagrad Cathedral. One of the most impressive buildings in Ufa is the Museum of Contemporary Art, which possesses artworks from various countries including the US, Germany, UK, Spain, France and Turkey among others. A brief citation needed to access the information about these locations and more about the cultural background of Belaya Ufa.
Among all the cities and towns in the RSFS (Russky United Front) Super League 2, Belaya Ufa is one of the oldest. The club was founded in 1954 by members of the Academy of General Building Arts in Ufa. The club first competed in the Ural region but was forced to move to Ufa within a year due to lack of space. In the last twenty years, the club has once again moved to a bigger venue and they have qualified for the Super League once again.