While the enormous Lenin's Head Monument in Ulan-Ude is not directly related to food history, the area around the monument reflects the unique culinary heritage of the Buryat Republic and Siberia. The monument itself, built in 1970 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Lenin's birth, is significant as a symbol of the Soviet era, during which traditional Buryat and Russian foods evolved or were adapted due to shifting political and economic policies. Russian colonization brought Slavic influences into Buryat cuisine, which has been shaped by the nomadic lifestyle of the Buryat people and the harsh Siberian climate.