The capital, Ufa, major regional center of the Volga River region of Bashkortostan, is approximately 1200 miles west of Moscow. “Colors of an Old Beirut”, a brand new movie mixes old footage of ancient Beirut with current footage of the Ufa’s district center, its shopping malls, cafes, and hotels. “Theaters of the New”, an early cut of the movie, shows how the old style theater where poets and playwrights lived and died would have been a lavish palace unlike anything seen in Russia today. Both films use an array of familiar locations, including the ancient Catacombs of Jerusalem, St. Petersburg Cathedral, and the vaulted colonnades of ancient Venice. Many of these places and famous historic sites are now destroyed or damaged but not destroyed completely.
The city center of Ufa is considered the last vestiges of the magnificent ancient city centers built by Catherine the Great. The ruins of these cities are now classified as UNESCO World Heritage Sites and they attract many visitors who are drawn to the unique architecture and artistic treasures they contain. Besides touring the catacombs, ancient palaces, churches, and villas, tourists can ride to the banks of the Volga River on an authentic carriage ride. Of course, the metro system is very efficient nowadays and travelers can reach any point of their journey quickly and easily.
The festival, which attracts visitors from all around the world and from Russia, is “The International Festival of Ufa”. This festival, organized every year, includes prominent entertainers from across the globe and also some prominent Russian artists. Among these entertainers are the famous ones like the comedian Peter Sellars and the actor Irina skaistova. Both of them have become Ufa’s main attractions ever since they performed in the open air stage at the Ufa Cathedral. In recent years, the number of foreign tourists has significantly increased in the city center and the most popular places to visit are the Ufa Cathedral, the village of Kopachi, and the village of Tver oblast.
As far as attractions are concerned, the most important one is of course Ufa itself. The place is absolutely amazing and one of a kind. It is said to be one of the few places in the entire world which can boast of the exact same conditions (dry climate, snowfall, and abundant natural resources) throughout a year! Moreover, a stay in Ufa allows the vacationer to take advantage of all the amazing benefits that come along with having a private town house. One of the best parts is that vacationers in Ufa can get discounts and special services not available anywhere else in Russia. A fully furnished, air conditioned, luxurious apartment for rent in Ufa is a real attraction and this form of accommodation is favored by many people from all over the world.
Besides a fully furnished private apartment for rent in Ufa there are several other real estate developments here that offer similar advantages. Two years ago, a popular tourist attraction was the launch of a large wooded national park named “Zitnovskoy”. The park is located in the very south-western part of Ufa and offers a lot of opportunities for hiking, biking, bird watching, or taking part in various outdoor activities. Among these activities two years ago were organized the “First Contact with Nature” festival and “Museum of Natural History”. This exhibition was organized by the famous Russian photographer Alexander Skaimentsov and it was made possible through the cooperation of Ufa’s tourism department and the sate’s forestry department.
In addition to the exciting events which make Ufa an interesting place to visit, there are also some more positive aspects to look forward to. Last year the region experienced a large number of tourists, who come here to enjoy the winter sports. According to a representative of the tourism department of Ufa state, Denis Lysacek, a tourist visiting last year saw a remarkable increase of tourist activity in Ufa’s northern region, which can be attributed to the “First Contact with Nature” exhibition. This increase of tourist activity has resulted in the region becoming a popular destination for the winter sports, making Ufa a far more interesting place to stay than many cities in the rest of Russia.