Role of the image of Nicholas II in museum and monument environment for the development of national identity and mentality

The article considers the role of the image of Nicholas II in museum and monument environment of Ulan-Ude for the development of national identity and mentality through a museum exhibition in memory of the Tsesarevich’s stay in Transbaikalia during his famous journey through Siberia and the Far East in 1890-1891, when he had visited a chief town of the district Verkhneudinsk. Special attention is paid to the architecture of the Triumphal Arch constructed in honor of the Tsesarevich’s arrival to Verkhneudinsk and the Chapels in memory of the Holy Royal Passion-Bearers in the modern monumental urban environment. We have thrown light on the activities for choosing a building for the museum, its historical and cultural significance, the creation a pedestrian central street in the capital of the Republic of Buryatia, as well as on the efforts of the City and Museum Administration aimed at restoration of the museum building and creation of the exhibition dedicated to the trip of the future Emperor of Russia. The Tsesarevich’s travel “through the cities and towns” of Russia allowed him to reveal the socio-economic and territorial potential of the remote outskirts of the country, his interest made it possible the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway in the future, trade facilitation, which gave an impetus for the development of the country as a whole.