Bashkortostan – is one of the largest cultural centres of Russia, which made a significant contribution to the world culture. The republic is located on the border of Europe and Asia. Peoples of more than hundred nationalities, various cultures and beliefs have been living here.

At different times, Sergey Aksakov, the Russian writer, Feodor Shalyapin, the famous singer, Rudolf Nureev, world known ballet dancer and other celebrities lived and created here. Vladimir Spivakov, the famous Russian conductor was born in Ufa.

Bashkortostan holds a leading position among all other Russian federal subjects on a number of museums, public libraries, book stocks, and municipal clubs.

The republic has 12 professional theatres. Performances are held in Russian, Bashkir, Tatar languages. There is the State Opera and Ballet Theater, the National Symphony Orchestra, «Bashkortostan» film-studio, thirty philharmonic collectives. The Bashkir State Folk Dance Ensemble named after F. Gaskarov is well-known.

About 20 religions, over 1200 religious associations, more than 700 mosques and 200 orthodox temples function in Bashkortostan.

Cultural events of the All-Russia and world value became traditional in the republic: the Rudolf Nureyev International Competition of Ballet Art, the Shalyapin Festivals, the International competition of Turk theatres «Tuhanlyk» and many others.

State programs are carried out in Bashkortostan: «Peoples of Bashkortostan», «Preservation, study and development of languages of Bashkortostan peoples».

In the republic 14 historical and cultural centres operate, newspapers are published, television and radio broadcasting in Bashkir, Russian, Tatar, Chuvash, Mari, Udmurt, and other languages are carried out.

The Bashkir experts relate the ancient epic legends «Ural Batyr» and «Akbuzat» to the most original and valuable national monuments. Their plot concerns struggle of heroes against demonic forces. The peculiarity of them is that events and ceremonies described there can be addressed to a specific geographical and historical object –the Shulgan-Tash cave and its vicinities.

Wild-hive beekeeping can be named as a separate component of the most ancient culture which is practiced in the same Burzyansky region near to the Shulgan-Tash cave.

Places of interest of the capital of Bashkortostan – Ufa city are monuments to Salavat Yulaev, Alexander Matrosov, Minnigali Gubaydullin, Mazhit Gafuri, the Monument of Friendship and others. In the republic territory now there is more than 3,5 thousand objects of cultural heritage, 1159 from them are officially registered as historical and cultural monuments. Works on restoration of architectural monuments are actively conducted.

Among man-made monuments scientists consider as unique ones the buildings of cult and memorial purpose constructed under the influence of the Central Asian architecture in ХIV-ХV centuries. Occurrence of these first mausoleums (keshene), having made a basis of local architectural tradition, is connected with resettlement ­ of Turkic tribes from the Central Asia and Northern ­ Aral to the territory of Bashkortostan and Islam religion distribution. The Tura-khan mausoleum saved its original shape, which is located in Chishminsky region of the republic. The mausoleum of Hussein-Bek has similar architecture with a pyramidal dome. Both mausoleums, which are the most northern of similar Muslim monuments, are under the state protection since 1960.

Year of 2007 became for the republic special not only in a political view, but also in cultural  on the threshold of the 450-anniversary of Bashkiria annexation to Russia Bashkortostan presentations took place in Moscow, St.-Petersburg, in many regions of Russia, and also in Austria and Turkey.

The experience of national-cultural problems solution, gained in Bashkortostan Republic, has undoubtedly all-Russian value. Thus, at the meeting with representatives of peoples of Bashkortostan on June 10, 2001 in Ufa, the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin, having highly appreciated work carried out in this area, underlined that «in Bashkiria as in a water drop, all our Russia with its variety of cultures, religions, languages and friendship of peoples is reflected… We will follow Bashkirias example and we will value what is achieved by Russia for hundreds of years».

Round-the-world creative expeditions «The World Cultural Heritage» over the European countries were made under the aegis of the Bashkir Committee of UNESCO, performances of folklore ensembles at the World festival of folklore in Japan were organized. The Committee on UNESCO Affairs contacts to various creative unions and public organizations. It organized the Central Art Gallery, which twice a month opens new expositions in the trading-business complex of Ufa «Gostiny Dvor».

Print version    Sitemap    Top