Work and Travel in Respublika Buryatiya

WORK IN RESPUBLIKA BURYATIYA ALL YEAR ROUND

Buryatia is mostly famous becouse of the Baikal Lake neighborhood. A lot of people from all over the world come to see this "Sacred Sea" in every season of the year, especially in summer, when the weather is most pleasant. Also people are moving to Mongolia through Buryatia, and some buddhist peligrims travel to see one of the biggest monastery and university of Buddhist in Russia. So all around the year job is mostly in hostels, with translation to a travel groups and taking care about Baikal Lake environment. Please, check more detailed information about all of this below. You can also see many of cultural events happening all around the year on internet

SEASONAL WORK IN RESPUBLIKA BURYATIYA

SPRING

If you love skiing, traveling by bike and iceboat, then it's better travel on Lake Baikal in March - on the ice at this time is not cold. Same work or volunteering in winter time can be extremely cold at some times, average temperature in January is minus 28 degree of Celcium, in March it's around 2 degree of Celcium. Thera are also some festivals taking place in spring time, so you might volunteer on them too.

SUMMER

In summer you can work in a hostel in the city or on the shores of Baikal lake. There's also plenty of volunteer organizations working for the good of the Lake. One of the most known and old is Great Baikal Trail, you can see what they do and what kind of volunteers they need. Also, like elsewhere in Russia, there's some educational summer camps in Buryatia and they do you usually need native speakers to teach children. There are also many intersting festivals in summer in Buryatia, so you can check what's going on and where exactly it's taking place. Every summer there's a great music festival "Voice of nomads" and Republican festival of folk dance performers "Night of ehor"

AUTUMN

For artists and photographers the best time to work on Lake Baikal - the end of September. Especially beautiful mixed forests of the coast near the Sandy Bay and Chivyrkuy Bay. You can participate in some of different activities going in the area, for example yoga, ecological, phycological, archeological and other festivals.
Don't forget to check about some special events like festivals, so you can come and contribute as a volunteer or maybe even as un employee.

WINTER

There's a plenty of ski resorts in Buryatia, where you can possibly work as volunteer and ski instructor. It's a great opportunity to see a incredible beauty of Baikal Lake in winter. You must remember, that winter season can be extremely cold, temperature can reach to -50 of Celcium. You have to be well-prepared and sufficiently equipped for this time. If you will meet any wild animal, it's better to just keep waking away from it, or to make noise to scare it, if you feel danger. Remember, that area near the lake is very important natural reservation, so you have to keep it as it is.

ATTITUDE TO FOREIGNERS WORKING IN RESPUBLIKA BURYATIYA

Buryatian people have a deep sense of hospitality in their tradition. They treat foreigners and travellers very well - inviting to their houses, sharing food and many different activities. You can easily get to Baikal lake with hitch-hiking, because drivers are mostly very friendly, even if they don't speak any English. You will enjoy kindness of Buryatian people in the city of Ulan-Ude the same as in a country side. Don't forget that it's important to eat whatever they give you, especially traditional meat dishes like "boozy" and "Hooshoor". If you're a vegetarian, there's a nice way to not get them offended: ask them to give you "boovy" or "salamat" (if you eat butter).