The fact is, that the Republic of Buryatia is believed to the one of the cultural centres of the East Siberia.

    There are four theatres in Ulan-Ude, the capital of the Republic: the Buryat State Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet, the Khotza Namsaraev Byryat State Academic Theatre of Drama, the Nickolay Bestuzhev Russian Theatre of Drama and the Republican puppet-show "Uliger". The Buryat masters of the stage are very popular, they are the People's Artists Lkhasaran Linkhovoin, Larisa Sakhyanova, Dugarzhap Dashiev, Kim Bazarsadaev, Galina Shoidagbaeva. For a long time the People's Artists of Russia Bolot Boroev, Larisa Egorova, Klavdiya Nikulina, Mikhail Elbonov, Innokenty Yukhnevich have been successfully acting on the stages of drama theatres.

    The performances of the Theatre of Opera and Ballet were watched by the spectators of many regions of the country. Moreover this theatre has been on tours to many foreign countries. The Buryat vocal school is of great reputation and it is well substantiated with the participation of the representatives of the Theatre of opera and ballet in many international competitions. Well-known singer Galina Shoidagbaeva has become the laureate of a number of prestige competitions. At present the Buryat theatre of opera and ballet tries to cooperate and establish creative relations with the Mongolian theatre of opera and ballet. Concerning the Khotza Namsaraev theatre of drama it has many great traditions. All the popular plays of Buryat authors have been staged at the theatre for more than fifty years of its existence. The theatre has been on tour not only to the Buryat autonomous areas of the Irkutsk and Chita regions but also to Mongolia. The plays of the dramatist Stepan Lobozerov have been included in the repertoire of the Russian drama theatre for the last years. Also the works of other native and foreign authors are being staged here. Recently the theatre has marked its 60-th anniversary, it is the oldest theatrical association in Buryatia. Alongside of classical theatres, there exist the theatre of avanguardistic trend. It is the Ulan-Ude municipal Youth theatre-studio located in Dimitrova Street. Apart from these theatrical associations there functioning the Buryat State Philarmonic Society, Song and Dance Company "Baikal" which was the representative of the Buryat culture in many countries of the world. Such popular amateur troupes as the Company of Oriental Dance "Lotus", folklore companies "Magtaal" and "Toonto", the Bolshoy-Kunaleisky Semeiskiy chorus have found the recognition not only of the fellow-country men. The Buryat culture is developed in close relations with the culture of CIS and foreign countries. Many times the personnel of the Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet and also some individual creative groups and performers have been on tour to Mongolia, China, Japan, Korea and other countries and their guest tours made a good impression there. Such famous People's Artists as L. Linkhovoin, L. Sakhyanova, K. Bazarsadaev, D. Dashiev, G. Shoidagbaeva and many others have been on the stages of the USA and Germany, France and Iran, Great Britain and Austria, Italy and Greece, Spain and Portugal, Poland and Czechoslovakia...

    Our vocalists have become the winners of many prestige competitions gaining honorary diplomas. As to the artists from China, Korea, Mongolia. Poland and some other countries they have also showed their skills at the stages of the Buryat Theatre of Opera and Ballet. The Hotza Namsaraev Buryat Academic Theatre of Drama supports close creative ties with their Mongolian colleagues. The repertoire of this theatre is made up of plays of the Mongolian dramatists, there takes place mutual exchange with producers and performers as well. The concerts of our artists in Mongolia has become a kind of tradition. And also it became a practice that the producers from different places could be invited to perform some plays. Particularly, at present time the personnel of the theatre is working at the play "Dream in summer night" after William Shakespeare which is being performed by the producer from the USA.

    The geography of tours of the Buryat State Song and Dance Company "Baikal" is widely spread. Being the propagandist of the original Buryat art this collective has travelled all over the countries of Asia and East Europe. Concerning the Company of Oriental Dance "Lotus", its tour journeys have run even more farther. As for the Buryat Philarmonic Society, it organizes tours of creative associations and individual performers — vocalists and instrumentalists — from different countries of the world. Creative forces of Buryatia are joined into the unions of writers, composers, painters, journalists and cultural workers. The Union of Writers is the oldest one with Khotza Namsaraev who was the founder of the modern Buryat literature. The names of Buryat writers Zhamso Tumunov, Dashirabdan Batozhabay, Dondok Ulzytuev, Nickolay Damdinov, Isay Kalashnikov are very popular.

    The first notable Buryat musical composition was the opera "Enkhe Bulat-Bator" by M. Frolov, first performed in 1940's. Many talented composers have appeared in Buryatia since that time. Among them is the Hero of Socialist Labour Bau Yampilov having vividly reflected musical traditions of the Buryat people in his creative work. At the sources of formation of the Buryat painting was the famous artist Tsyrenzhap Sampilov. And the most bright representative of the present-day pleiad of painters is the People's Artist Dashinima Dugarov. A series of his paintings on Baikal, modern life of the Buryats were recognized by the critics and on-lookers.

    Such newspapers as "Buryatia", "Buryaad-Unen", "Molodezh Buryatii", "Vecherny Ulan-Ude" are being printed in the Republic, besides them the newspapers of some ministries, departments and large enterprises are also being published here. Two magazines, "Baikal" and "Lastochka", are being issued both in the Russian and Buryat languages.

    The Buryat State Broadcasting Company is the main means of mass information. A few commercial and incorporated TV-studios and companies conduct broadcasting.