Regional city of the Altai Territory. Open left menu altai

Altai is divided between four countries - Russia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and China, and Altaians live in Russian Altai, Kazakhs live in Mongolian Altai (as well as in Chinese), and Russians live in Kazakh Altai. 7 different religions are practiced here - Orthodoxy, Old Believers, shamanism, Burkhanism, Islam, Buddhism and Roerichism. The Altaic language family extends throughout Eurasia from Turkey to Japan, from Taimyr to Iran, and here the Scythians and Huns once became related. The Irtysh and the Ob flow from Altai, merging into one of the largest river systems planets. Altai is very diverse, and at the same time very integral - a unique chain of cultures and peoples, closed in a ring around the sacred Belukha.

Before starting a story about Altai in general and its corners in particular, I will tell you about how Altai works.

In a purely natural sense, Altai is one of the largest mountain systems in Asia, approximately 1900 by 1300 kilometers. On the map, it is a well-marked "comet" with a powerful head in the northwest and a long "tail" extending southeast beyond the Gobi. The endless dotted lines of various Alatau go south to the Tien Shan and north to the Sayan Mountains, but one must understand that "alatau" in translation simply means "motley mountains", that is, mountains with altitudinal zonation. This word seemed to Russians consonant with "altyn" - so Altai became the Golden Mountains. In the historical sense, Altai, in addition to the mountains, also includes the surrounding steppes - somewhere plowed, somewhere dusty and rocky. The Altai Country in 4 states consists of the Altai Territory, the Altai Republic in Russia, the East Kazakhstan Region in Kazakhstan, the Altai District of the Ili-Kazakh autonomous region Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in China, Bayan-Ulgiy and Kobdo (Khovd) aimags in Mongolia. The total area of ​​this trans-state country is 597 thousand km², and the population is 4.2 million people, of which, however, more than half are in the Altai Territory. 15% of this population (640 thousand people) are Kazakhs, 5% are Chinese (230 thousand people), 1-1.5% (60-70 thousand) are Altaians, Oirats and Germans, and there are still small Uriankhians and Tuvans. Well, 2/3 of the inhabitants of this territory are Russians, primarily, of course, at the expense of the Altai Territory. Without its steppe regions, Russians no longer predominate so completely, but remain the largest people in Altai: about half of the population in the "small" East Kazakhstan region and the Altai Republic, and the vast majority in the foothill regions of the Altai Territory. "Capital" of all Altai - Barnaul(633 thousand inhabitants), closing the top five largest cities in Siberia. The city is really original, with a non-trivial history. industrial center in the 18th century, the "merchant republic" in the 19th century and the center of the Russian part of the virgin lands in the 20th.

The most interesting thing in Rudny Altai is the monuments of the mining past in Suzun. Here, for example, is the same factory where the famous "Kolvan vases" were made from huge jasper monoliths:

Well, somewhere between Rudny and Gorny Altai is Biysk, the third largest city in the entire Altai region (220 thousand inhabitants) after Barnaul and Ust-Kamenogorsk. Founded in 1709 as a fortress to protect against the Dzungars, who then owned Altai, over time it turned into a springboard for the Russian colonization of the Golden Mountains, where merchants and missionaries went from Biysk. In fact, Rudny Altai is the former Zmeinogorsk district, and Gorny Altai is the former Biysk district. Gates of Altai, the final station of the railway, Biysk remains to this day. Behind Biysk is Srostki, the birthplace of Vasily Shukshin, who immortalized the life of the local Russian villages in his prose.

And there is not far away (56 thousand inhabitants) - the only city of the Republic of Altai near its near edge, which grew out of the village of Ulala, which served as a base for missionaries before the revolution.

In 1917, the Altai province with the center in Barnaul was separated from the Tomsk province, and in 1918, the Karakorum (!) County was separated from the Biysk district, which in the same year became the more prosaic Gorno-Altai district. In 1922, on the basis of the county, the Oirat Autonomous Region was created with the capital in Ulal, which in 1932 was renamed Oirot-Turu. In 1948, the Oirats were also renamed, who became Altaians, their autonomous region, respectively, became Gorno-Altai, and Oirot-Tura became Gorno-Altaisk. In 1991, the region received the status of a republic, and the identity here is true for the whole country. Small in area (93 thousand km² - about the size of the Tver region), very tiny in population (217 thousand inhabitants - less than one Biysk), the mountainous Republic represents all the diversity of Altai. And even more than everything - because only here (well, a little more in the Kemerovo region) live Altaians(77 thousand inhabitants). And although there are fewer of them in the Republic than Russians (36% versus 52%), in the outback the feeling that this is their land does not leave for a second.

It was only in the 20th century that the Altai-Kizhi ("people of Altai") consolidated from a scattering of small peoples that differed markedly in language and historical fate. The Northern Altaians of the Biya basin - the Kumandins, the Chelkans and the Tubalars - whose language is close to the Khakasses, in pre-Russian times were tributaries of Dzungaria, and we were called "black Tatars". There were also "White Kalmyks", or Oirats, equal subjects of Dzungaria - these are Teleuts and Telengits, or Southern Altaians, whose language is closer to Kazakh. At the same time, the Teleuts live to the north of all, in the Kemerovo region, and the most numerous Telengits live in the Katun basin. Under the Soviets, all these peoples were united as Altaians, and according to the post-Soviet censuses, they seemed to stand apart, but in fact people here consider themselves to be Altaians, some as part of "small" peoples at their discretion. The first are the most among the Telengits, whom I would call "Altaians by default", and the Teleuts, who even got to another region, are the most isolated. All these peoples were divided into small tribes "seok" ("bone") and still manage to profess at least four (!) different religions, but their self-consciousness is common. And perhaps his most striking feature is his attachment to his native Altai, which reaches deification.

Here we can also recall that Altai is the ancestral home of the Turks, nomads who dispersed around the world between the Marmara, Yellow and East Siberian seas. Well, the Altaians are the descendants of those who did not want to go anywhere, a kind of "original" Turks.

A sure sign of the Altai villages is ails. Wooden yurts with a cone or dome, which were once essentially chicken huts, now serve mainly as summer kitchens. The current Altaians prefer to live in such small huts, as in this frame to the left of the village. I remember the barn with grass on the roof in the background as a feature of the Ust-Kansk region, where this shot was taken.

Even on the frame above, pay attention to the rider and UAZ - the same integral attributes of the Altai outback. A good half of the UAZs here do not have license plates - they only go to the nearest village: there are few traffic police officers in Altai and they work in each region on certain days. UAZ Altaian prefers a second-hand one in order to finish it off on mountain roads completely, and according to local Russians, the attitude towards a horse is the same here. Well, the rider is also going, and the driver is most likely to hayfields - the winters here are too snowy for the cattle to get their own food, so everything revolves around the hayfields in the fall.

In many villages of Altai there are wooden churches, remodeled, but usually very beautiful:

And the passes, springs, gorges, crossroads are literally hung with white ribbons "Jalama". For tourists, hanging ribbons is just a funny sign, but for the Altaians, this is a very serious religious attribute. Shamanism and Burkhanism coexist here (albeit with difficulty) even now, but they converge in one thing: the worship of nature with the Spirit of Altai at the head.

The relations between the Russians and the Altaians seemed tense to me, to put it mildly, even more than that - I got the impression that among themselves many Altaians hate us. Among Russians, the idea of ​​Altaians as eternally drunken savages is widespread, and outside the republic they are regularly mistaken for guest workers: the police torture them with checks, passers-by swear "come in large numbers!" In fact, the Altaians are very different, and among them there is both a fallen drunkard and a stratum of the national intelligentsia - people from the same hinterland, but cultured and very well aware of their region. Altai is their little world for them, and domestic tourism is even developed in the Republic, when some Ulagans go to see Belukha, and Uimons go to Katu-Yaryk.

The ancient axis of the Republic of Altai - Katun, translated from the Altai Lady, the left source of the Ob, a very fast cold river of amazing turquoise color.

A lot of suspension bridges were thrown across it in the 1930-80s, nowadays rusty and creepy, but regularly connecting the banks:

The second "axis" of the Republic is the Chuisky tract, also known as the P256 (or M56) Novosibirsk-Tashanta highway, 968 kilometers long. The name comes from the Chuya River, along which the tract goes above the confluence with the Katun. "Kilometer of the Chuya tract" is the basic unit in the Altai coordinate system. This road itself originated in the 18th century as a path of pilgrims - but not Orthodox, but Buddhist-shamanic: when Altai became part of Russia, tsarist officials suddenly discovered that periodically a procession of Oirats and Mongols went across the border to the holy places in the Baikhach tract. Merchants fussed after them, and in 1801 a large fair arose in the border tract of Kosh-Agach. Faraway Biysk grew rich on it, but the path for squirrels and boms throughout the 19th century remained only a pack. The wheel road was laid in 1902, but in the first spring it disappeared along with the snow. The second time the Chuisky tract began to be built in 1913, after the research of Vyacheslav Shishkov, but it was destroyed by the Civil War. In 1925-35, the Chuisky tract was restored to automobile traffic, and in 1941-43, Mongolian caravans went along it to help the Soviets, carrying meat and warm clothes made of camel and yak wool. The current appearance of the tract took on in the 1960s, when it was straightened and landscaped, but it seems that asphalt appeared here only in the 1980s. In the north of the republic, the tract passes the Seminsky Pass (1709m) with a long descent and ascent and the Chike-Taman Pass (1269m) with a tricky pattern of serpentines. At the same time, there is good coverage on the highway, not too much traffic, few settlements, many turns of different curvature - in general, the Chuisky highway is considered a "reference" road, on which equipment is periodically tested even foreign companies Volvo type.
Here is an indicative place - on the right is a small section of the old tract, below the modern tract ...

And in the distance - White Bom. Bomy is the local name for the sheer cliffs above Chuya and Katun. Previously, each bom was a difficult pass, but in the 1930s straight roads were cut through them. Another specifically Altaic word is "protein And ", that is, ice peaks that appear above the taiga closer to the middle of the Republic.

Another detail of the Altai life is deer breeding. Maral, or red deer, is the size of a horse, but like the reindeer, it has healing antlers and blood, a warm skin and tasty meat. Reindeer breeding began precisely with marals - after all, the ancestors of the Nenets left for the tundra from here. Maral is a semi-wild animal, but does not migrate for hundreds of kilometers, but only up and down the mountains. Now in Altai marolovodstvo boom, and antler clinics - one of the most popular forms of local recreation.

The Republic of Altai is a cunning system of narrow streets (long valleys), wide "squares" of basins (here they are called steppes) and "courtyards" of high plateaus, and each has its own face. First meets Northern Altai, which I talked about - this is how you can conditionally call the totality of valleys along the tributaries of the Katun and Biya to the border of the republic in the north and the Seminsky Pass in the south. The nature of the Northern Altai is the most nondescript - but the tourism is the most massive, and there are more hotels and campsites along the road from Gorno-Altaisk to here than residential buildings. Mostly Russians live here, descendants of the Old Believers, but not Kerzhaks (about them later), but subsequent waves of resettlement and exile of the 19th century.

And in general, the Northern Altai - some kind of nothing, is remembered more by the riot of tourism than by exoticism.

The most impressive thing here is Lake Teletskoye, actually part of the Ob: Biya flows down from it, Chulyshman flows in from above. It looks like a huge river, only the depth is hundreds of meters. On the taiga shores - garlands of waterfalls:

Lake Teletskoye is continued by the Chulyshman valley, which is part of Ulagansky district. The most Altaic Altaians live here, and that you are in Russia, in the same country as St. Petersburg or Penza, you forget very quickly in these villages.

The Chulyshman Valley is remarkable for its fantastic beauty. And despite the lack of roads (the only road was broken in 1989 by three men on a bulldozer, and earlier they flew here only in a helicopter), and here the conglomerates of camp sites can argue with the villages and the population, and the number. At the bottom of the valley there is a steppe, above it there are almost sheer kilometer-long slopes, and at the top - taiga. However, it is at the top most of Ulagansky district.

Teletskoye lake and Ulagansky tract from the Chuysky tract on the left (in the east), and on the right (in the west), between the Seminsky pass and Chike-Taman, the Ust-Koksinsky tract leaves. First he crosses Ust-Kansky district, in the entire Altai Mountains, perhaps the most unprepossessing in terms of landscapes, but for the Altaians it occupies special place- Burkhanism was born here in 1904, and even now the most famous folk sages live.

Behind the Ust-Kansk region lies Ust-Koksinsky district, whose core is Uimon valley. Since the 18th century, the Old Believers-"masons" (that is, the highlanders) settled there, looking for the country of Belovodie pure-hearted people here, and finding a long, wide, fertile basin that allowed them to live self-sufficiently. Russian villages are located mainly on the right (southern) bank of the Katun, Altai - near the mountains on the northern coast. But what distinguishes Uimon from other valleys at first glance is the golden fields. The local Russians now make up legends about their former wealth, but collectivization put an end to everything. There are few real Old Believers left on Uimon, but the former solidity is palpable in its inhabitants even now.

Even before collectivization, the Roerichs managed to visit here and call Belukha "Northern Kailash". Therefore, from the middle of the 20th century, first the Roerichians, then the sectarians, and then the city madmen, were drawn to the Uimon Valley. Roerichism in the Uimon Valley, by the number of adherents, has become a full-fledged local religion, but in general there are about 20 sects and movements and confessions from Hare Krishnas to Anastasians, from Baptists to nameless informal communities, believers as they please. The old-timers do not like them, calling them "crazy" or "hedgehogs", and it is difficult to condemn the old-timers - in a couple of days, the freaks scurrying through the valley even managed to finish us off. Balls, towers, pyramids are an integral part of the landscape of the local villages, and each village has its own artist, poet or philosopher, who arrived several years ago from afar.

The Uimon steppe continues with several more small valleys (for example, Katandinsky), and the last village in front of the mountains is Tungur. If Chemal or Manzherok are popular holiday destinations, then the deaf Tungur is the main springboard for active tourism: Akkemskaya and Kucherlinskaya trails, the most popular hiking routes of Altai, go to the mountains littered with horse manure from here.

At the end of which Belukha sparkles, in the local languages ​​\u200b\u200bUch-Sumer (Three-headed) or Kadyn-Bazhy (can be translated as "the top of the Katun", or as the Main Lady) - highest point Altai (4509m), sacred mountain pagans and Roerichs, a portal to the higher worlds:

Let's return to the Chuisky tract and continue our way to the south along it. Behind Aktash, where the Ulagansky tract goes, the landscape changes - instead of the taiga, the steppe begins with rare larches under the very squirrels. This Kurai steppe, the bottom of an ancient lake, covered with glaciers descending from the mountains. Then the climate warmed up, the glaciers melted and the lake left, leaving a giant sand ripple at the bottom of the valley:

And beyond the Kurai steppe meets Chui steppe- one of the most spectacular and gloomy places in Altai. She doesn't look blessed at all. Central Asia- there is permafrost, frosts down to -60, and precipitation less than 60 mm per year - the driest place in Russia. Here even cattle are driven to the mountains in winter, and in summer all the cold air flows down into the basin. Higher above the valley is the Ukok plateau, a "calm zone" at the convergence of the borders of the four Altai countries, where the mummy of the Ukok princess was found in an ancient mound - now one of the symbols of the Altai Republic. I didn't get there. The majestic landscape of the desert against the backdrop of proteins leaves an indelible impression:

In the middle stands Kosh-Agach (10.9 thousand inhabitants), the largest regional center of Altai. Russians here are represented mainly by border guards, and the permanent population is approximately half the Altai-Telengits and Kazakhs. They obviously do not like each other, in the 19th century they fought at all, but now it is the Kazakh who feels himself the master here. Feeds this region, as of old, border trade:

Roadside graves usually have three beams upwards. Perhaps this is a tamga of one of the tribes of local Kazakhs belonging to (Naimans, Uaks and Kereis):

The Chui Basin is the Russian part of what I would call the Trans-Altai: both in nature and population, it is much closer to the Mongolian than to the Russian Altai. On both sides of the border kites instead of crows:

35. photo of Olya

Pigs are not kept here and deer are not bred, but two-humped camels and shaggy yaks are common:

37. photo of Olya

The last three shots were taken on the other side of the border. Here - Mongolian Altai :

And here everything is completely different. Mountains are a powerful long chain, the proteins of which take a long time to get through the side ridges. At the foot begins an endless hilly desert with an abundance of rocks and wide lakes. There is one road here to Ulaanbaatar, in fact, a continuation of the Chuysky tract - but there may not be asphalt on it for tens of kilometers. There are extremely many antiquities here, all kinds of barrows and stone stelae, reminiscent of the fact that it was the Mongolian Altai that was the patrimony of the "500 families" of the Ashins, from which the Türkic world began in 460. And the Kobdinsky lakes are the most Ergenekon, the abandoned nomadic Eden from Turkish legends.

Nomads live here to this day, having moved from camels and yaks to ZiLs and UAZs, to whom they are still faithful:

As in the Kurai and Chui valleys, gigantic ripples and teblers are common here - frozen "heaving mounds". And also - relic larch forests with rare and powerful trees:

If there are many suspension bridges in the Russian Altai, then I remember the Mongolian Altai with wooden bridges. The main river here is the Kobdo (Khovd-Gol), flowing from the mountain lakes to the steppe ones.

The Mongolian Altai consists of two aimaks (districts), separated by a powerful spur Tsambagarav (height up to 4208m), extending deep into Mongolia. Closer to the border Bayan-Ulgiy with the center in the town of Ulgiy. Here, 93% of the population are Kazakhs, mostly of the abak tribe of the Kirei tribe of the Middle Zhuz. There is an opinion in Kazakhstan that the Abak-Kerei left without submitting to the Russian Tsar, but in reality it was exactly the opposite - the Kazakhs left Xinjiang here in the 1860s, from the bloody turmoil that gripped it, and gradually settled first Mongolian Aliai, then Bukhtarma , and then the Chuya basin.

Take a closer look at the panorama of the city - do you see yurts right in the yards? The most impressive feature of the Mongolian Kazakhs is that they are nomads. Bayan-Ulgiy is sometimes called "the last real Kazakhstan":

Yurts with domed roofs are called here - "Kazakh uy", that is, "Kazakh's house". Their inhabitants have preserved both the cuisine and traditional arts and crafts, so Kazakh cars leave here loaded with carpets and embroidery. But as in the case with, the inhabitants of the yurts are quite civilized people, the guy has a smartphone in his hands:

Relations between local Kazakhs and Mongols, according to a Russian businessman he met in those parts, are also not smooth. Previously, Bayan-Ulgiy was a de facto national autonomy, where the majority of officials, border guards, and security forces were Kazakhs. But now they are being replaced by Mongols, the situation is quietly heating up, and my interlocutor preferred to move his business to a neighboring Khovd (Kobdo). This is the most multinational aimag in Mongolia: a quarter of its inhabitants are Khalkha Mongols (these are "Mongols by default"), 10% are Kazakhs (but in the north of the aimag, including in the regional center, they are rather a quarter), and the rest are Oirats, a group small Mongolian peoples, . The largest community of Khovd is the Zakhchins (a quarter of the population), 7-10% each are Olet and Torguts, 5% each are Derbets and Myangits, Bayats and Uzumchins are very few in number, and besides, Uriankhais (7%) and Chantu live here - so in Mongolia they call the Uighurs and Uzbeks, who are also here. Actually, Mongolia separated from China in 1911, and the Mongols, led by the Kalmyk Ja-Lama, conquered the Kobdo Valley a year later, so in fact this aimag is nothing more than Mongolian Xinjiang. Khovd, founded in 1685 as a fortress of the Chinese governor - oldest city Altai from all four sides.

The local yurts are flat "ger" with straight roof poles. And if the Kazakhs often put yurts in the yards, then the Mongolian and Oirat camps grow right at the city outskirts:

There are many people here in national clothes- but I don’t know, all over Mongolia, one way or another, the Oirats are trying to emphasize their originality:

But the family at the bus station - maybe from the depths of Mongolia. Behind the Mongolian Altai, the Gobi Altai also stretches, and at its foot is the aimak of the same name, and the city of Altai in Mongolia (not to be confused with the city of Altai in China) is its center. But from Khovd to it is about 400 kilometers, and we neglected the Gobi Altai. According to other people's photographs, he is more Gobi than Altai.

The Oirats came to this side of Altai in the 17th-18th centuries, the Kazakhs - in the 19th century. And its native inhabitants were, all of a sudden, Tuvans. Cut off from most of their people, most of them mongolized, are now called Uriankhians and live along the border with China in a narrow strip. But real Turkic-speaking Tuvans also remained in the Buyant and Tsengel somons, and there I saw yurts of an unusual design:

So let's go back to Ulgii. Caravans of minivans periodically depart from the square near the bridge over the Kobdo, half of which have Kazakh license plates. In the 1990s, a quarter of the population (25 thousand people) left here for Kazakhstan, and those who ended up in the villages soon left home, not getting along either with the local Kazakhs or with the more humid and snowy nature. But those who left here for the cities remained, and sometimes they go to visit their small homeland. The people of Kazakhstan themselves also come here - to a country familiar to them from legends and fairy tales. There is more transport from here to Pavlodar or Karaganda than to Kosh-Agach.

And the minibus from the frame above is on its way to Kazakh Altai . Its border can be considered a "small" East Kazakhstan region with a center in Ust-Kamenogorsk (320 thousand inhabitants), which in 1997 was "diluted", united with a larger and steppe (that is, more Kazakh in ethnic composition) Semipalatinsk region. But if the Mongolian Altai is completely different, then the Kazakh Altai is, in fact, a continuation of the Russian one. It also consists of two parts, and the lower one is called Rudny Altai now. Because it is really Rudny: Ust-Kamenogorsk, Ridder, Zyryanovsk are dominated by high chimneys of factories, and the history of mining towns goes back to the same 18th century. Ust-Kamenogorsk and the left bank of the Irtysh belonged to the Semipalatinsk region of the Steppe Governor General, and the mountains belonged to the Tomsk province: the industrial west was part of the Zmeinogorsk district, and the taiga east, like the entire Altai Mountains, was subordinate to Biysk.

Russians in the "small" East Kazakhstan region are still 60% of the population, and in the cities and foothill villages, even 70-80%. There are more goods from Russia in the local stores than from other regions of Kazakhstan, and the most popular bank is our Sberbank. Moreover, separatism is also present here, and I have heard that even many Kazakhs in Altai would not refuse to leave their atameken (homeland) together with the land. Though it's not very common to talk about it here...

The landscapes of the surrounding steppes along the Irtysh are familiar - the same artsy rocks, lakes and fields:

But among them Bukhtarma turns blue. So called in everyday life a giant (in former USSR only the Kuibyshev reservoir on the Volga is larger!) The Bukhtarma reservoir on the Irtysh, which contains about a third of all fresh water in Kazakhstan.

The name was given to it by the flowing river Bukhtarma, a kind of anti-Katun on the other side of the mountains. Kazakh Altai- This Katon-Karagay district, "by eye" almost indistinguishable from the regions of the Altai Republic. Unless there are more fir and birch in the forests, but in these forests deer trumpet in the same way. And in the same way, Belukha sparkles, known to the Kazakhs as Muztau - Ice Mountain. Symmetrically to the Master Stone, Akkem Lake, Akkem River and Tungur are the Prayer Stone, Yazovoe Lake, Belaya Berel and Uryl, and the pretentious sanatorium "Rakhmanovskie Klyuchi" instead of the pretentious tourist center "Vysotnik". In the mountains of the Kazakh Altai, there are many very inaccessible beauties, and near the roads it seems to be similar to the Russian Altai, but somehow more even and more prosaic.

In the mountain villages "by eye" Kazakhs and Russians are approximately equal, and they came here almost simultaneously - in the middle of the 18th century, when China defeated Dzungaria, and a deserted land formed between the Irtysh and Altai. The Kazakhs here are different: they are rather peasants and hunters than cattle breeders. It is easy to think that the Altaians turned into THESE Kazakhs, having adopted Islam a couple of centuries ago ... and this, apparently, is true - the last Telegnites left the Kazakh Altai in the middle of the 20th century. I don’t know exactly what tribe is here, but in the steppes of the foothills the Naimans live - the “white bone” of the Middle Zhuz (as they themselves believe, annoying the Kazakhs from other tribes a lot by this).

Russians in Bukhtarma - on the one hand, the Kerzhaks, "Bukhtarma masons", already familiar to us from Uimon, and on the other, the Cossacks of the Siberian army. The twentieth century, however, leveled everyone - the Cossacks were de-Cossack, the Kerzhaks were dispossessed, the old faith is almost forgotten, the Russian communities are melting before our eyes. But in general, the local Russians seemed to me much friendlier and more pleasant in communication than the heavy people of the Russian Altai.

Left uncovered by me Chinese Altai. For China, this is the farthest corner of the country, the only piece of the Arctic Ocean basin in the Celestial Empire, where the Ertsisikhe River flows, in our language, the Irtysh. Kazakhs also predominate in the population there, the largest city of Altai is suspiciously small (170 thousand inhabitants), but tourism is quite Chinese in scale - more than 2 million guests a year against 1-1.5 million in Russian Altai. I didn't go there because I'm just not ready to visit China, this "very different country" (according to Krotov). Here are just an unusual bus caught in Ust-Kamenogorsk:

With lying places inside - but it goes not to Altai and not to Chuguchak, to Urumqi, the capital of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region:

Among those traveling through Altai there are many both those whom Altai disappointed immediately and without the right to rehabilitation, and those for whom it has become a religion. Some will rush to leave quickly, scolding everything around, while others will return here for the tenth time, and obviously not the last. Some Altaigurs are very sensitive to the way they see the Golden Mountains: God forbid you don’t agree with them in the perception of Altai, you will become an enemy for life! Like St. Petersburg or the Far North, Altai is not a decoration for a traveler, he is constantly in dialogue with you. And this means that everyone has their own Altai.

ALTAI-2017
About all the places mentioned in the post - read (links in the table of contents).

Millions of years ago, on the site of Gorno-Altaisk, there was a deep lake formed by the Mayma River and the Maiminsky Swell adjacent to Mount Tugaya. In the process of mountain building, Maima made her way through the rocks and lowered the lake, the former bottom became a beautiful valley, which was chosen by ancient people. It was hundreds of thousands of years ago. A lot of water has flowed under the bridge since then, many tribes, replacing each other, lived in this territory. And the history of the city itself begins in the 19th century, from the village of Ulala, the growth and development of which before the revolution was associated with the activities of Christian missionaries and merchant settlers from Biysk. The village of Ulala received the status of a city in 1928, the name of Gorno-Altaisk in 1948, and the status of the capital of the Republic of Altai in 1992.

You can get to Gorno-Altaisk by turning left from the Chuisky tract to (or to the bridge along Obyezdnaya St., which at the entrance to the city turns into Biyskaya St., where the cozy Gostiny Dvor "Altai" is located, then goes along the northeast of the city along the right bank of the Maima river and, crossing the bridge to the left bank, leads to the center, or behind the bridge - this is how the intercity bus goes - along Communist Avenue, which leads to the center from the entrance to the city along the left bank of the Maima).

Message from outside world Until recently, there was, practically, only motor transport. From Gorno-Altaisk by regular bus you can get to any region of the Republic, as well as the Altai Territory, Biysk, Barnaul, Kemerovo, Tomsk, Novosibirsk. is located in the center of the city (Prospekt Kommunistichesky, 55), in addition to suburban and intercity buses that run all year round and on schedule, in the summer there are private traders on duty in minibuses, Gazelles and cars, departing as they fill up in various directions of the Republic of Altai and Altai the edges.

The nearest railway station is 100 km away, with which there is an uninterrupted bus service (flights every hour, travel time about 2 hours). From 1968 to 2010, air communication existed periodically, and only with the Siberian region. In November 2011, after a large-scale reconstruction, including the expansion of the runway to 2300 m and the modernization of the terminal building itself, the airport began to operate at a new level. Now its parameters make it possible to serve heavy types of large-capacity aircraft. Currently, there is a permanent air connection with the Siberian region. In 2013, he received permission to receive and service Boeing 737 aircraft, regular Moscow flights appeared, and international ones will appear in the future. The airport is located 14 km west of the center of Gorno-Altaisk, next to the Chuisky tract, you can get to it by bus or taxi.
Since the mid-2000s, the issue of building a railway line from Biysk to Gorno-Altaisk has been periodically raised.

Perfection transport infrastructure associated with long-term plans for the development of the Republic of Altai as a tourist region and, in particular, with the construction of tourist and recreational zones ("Altai Valley" 30 km from the capital, "Siberian Coin", "Manzherok", "Karakol Lakes", etc.) .

The city is stretched for 10 km from west to east and for 7.5 km from north to south, where it smoothly flows into, in which there is a source that has the status of a natural monument.
There are more than 200 streets and alleys in Gorno-Altaisk, many of them bear the names of prominent representatives of the Altai people, as well as names reflecting its long socialist past. The city is cozy and low-rise in the center, mostly 5-6 storey buildings, many 1-2 storey buildings after all, an area of ​​increased seismicity. In summer, the capital of the republic is literally buried in green alleys, parks and squares (Gorno-Altaisk is among the top five cities in Russia in terms of landscaping).

Gorno-Altaisk, although a capital city, is devoid of the hustle and bustle typical of megacities. Nevertheless, if you have a desire to change the urban landscape to the bosom of nature, you will need no more than 15 minutes from anywhere in the capital of the Republic of Armenia to implement it. Practically, within the city there are mountains and, which are favorite places for walking and outdoor activities for citizens. Relatively low (Tugaya 641 m, Komsomolskaya 428 m), but from their peaks a breathtaking view of Gorno-Altaisk and the necklace of mountains around it opens. "Komsomolskaya Pravda" has the status of a natural monument many medicinal, ornamental and rare plants grow there. And in winter (December to March) they turn into centers for skiing and sports both have slopes with drag lifts.

Infrastructure.

Transport connection in the city buses, fixed-route taxis (more than 30 routes) and taxis (minimum in the city - 60 rubles, to Mayma 120-150 rubles), but, of course, if the weather is favorable and you have time, you will surely enjoy hiking, especially since the whole city can be walked in 2 hours along and 10 minutes across.

The shops . The bulk of the shops are located in the center, on Kommunistichesky and Choros-Gurkina avenues, including several round-the-clock shops: Globus, Chedyrgen, Parnas. There are several supermarkets "Maria-Ra", "Anix" in the city. One of them is located on the central square in a large shopping complex, where, in addition to it, there are ATMs of 5 banks (including the Security Council of the Russian Federation), manufactured goods, household, jewelry, book, multimedia, flower shops, a discount center, a pharmacy, an optician, a restaurant -coffee shop, sports bar, and two cinemas.

Cafes, restaurants. Located mainly along the main avenues of the city, the cafe "Until Dawn" on the Communist works around the clock; there are many small "diners" in the market "Tkatsky", next to the University there is an Internet cafe "Pautina".

Entertainment .
Swimming pool (a beautiful modern building opposite the GASU, opened in 2007, includes a sports and recreational part. In the sports swimming pool for adults (six 25-meter lanes, depth from 1.8 to 4 m, 3-meter tower), children's "bath "with a depth of 0.85 m, game attractions. In the wellness area there is a gym, showers, a relaxation room, health rooms. There is a phytobar and a buffet. The pool has a triple water purification system.)

Distinctive features. Altai is also called "Russian Tibet". Indeed, Altai is part of the single mountain system of Tibet. Here is the most high mountain Siberia - Mount Belukha (4506 m).

Mount Belukha. Photo by Yarelf (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/anis-ystu/)

Altai hides many secrets and mysteries. In 1926, these places were visited by Nicholas Roerich during his Central Asian expedition. They say that one of the goals of the expedition was to search for the legendary Shambhala, or in the Russian version - the country of Belovodie.

Altai is the cradle of the Turkic peoples. As early as the 6th century, the Turkic Khaganate was created. In the future, for these lands there was a constant struggle between the Kyrgyz, Mongols, Uighurs ... In the 17th century, these territories became part of the Dzungar Khanate. After the fall of the Khanate, the Altaians became subjects of the Russian crown. At the end civil war the remnants of the white armies gathered in the Altai mountains from Siberia, which created serious problem red commissars, because it is not so easy to fight against guerrilla warfare in the mountains.

Today, the Altai Republic is one of the poorest in Russian Federation. There are many reasons for this, including objective ones. The mountainous terrain, problems with transport, lack of agricultural land - all this has led to the fact that there is practically no industry here, and agriculture is represented by livestock.

Most of the population lives in countryside and is engaged in a traditional personal household for the Altaians. Thus, the republic is still living thanks to subsidies from the center, and officials and the military have settled here best of all.

Teletskoye lake. Photo by starweter (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/starweter/)

It turns out that the main wealth of Altai is nature. It is this resource that they are now trying to use, making the republic a center of tourism. People come here both in summer and in winter. There is something to see here.

The nature of the republic is carefully protected. Two biosphere reserves have been created here - Katunsky and the largest in Russia - Altaisky, the Sailyugemsky National Park, the Gorno-Altai Botanical Garden, two biological reserves (Sumultinsky and Shavlinsky) and four natural parks "Ukok Quiet Zone", "Uch-Enmek", "Ak Cholushpa" and "Belukha".

Geographic location. The Republic of Altai is located in the heart of Eurasia, in the Russian part of the Altai Mountains. Here, Siberian taiga, Kazakh steppes and semi-deserts of Mongolia converged in one place. The republic's neighbors are: the Altai Territory, the Republics of Tuva and Khakassia, the Kemerovo Region. In the south passes state border with China, Mongolia and Kazakhstan. The republic is part of the Siberian Federal District.

Katun river. Photo by nataly-teplyakov (http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/nataly-teplyakov/)

The relief of Altai is mountain ranges separated by river valleys. There are 20,000 rivers, rivulets and streams, as well as 7,000 lakes. The largest rivers are the Katun and Biya, which merge to form the Ob River. Forests make up 47% of the land of the republic, 19% of the territory is agricultural land.

Population. The Altai Republic is one of the most sparsely populated regions of Russia. On the territory of 93 thousand square meters. km, 211 thousand people live here. Less inhabitants than in Altai, only in the Jewish Autonomous Region, the Republic of Chukotka and the Magadan Region. At the same time, 71% of the population are residents of rural areas. Another feature of the region in terms of population is simply a huge birth rate - 22.4 people. per 1,000 inhabitants, which is twice as high as the death rate. It is not surprising that the population of the Altai Republic is growing every year.

55.68% of those living in the republic are Russians by nationality. In second place are the Altaians (35.33%), which include Telengits, Tubalars, Chelkans and other small peoples of Altai.

The structure of the population of the republic at the beginning of 2012 is presented as follows: the share of those who have not yet reached working age - 25.8% of the total population; share of the population of working age - 58.8%; retirement age - 15.3%. The number of young people in the Republic of Altai aged 14-29 years is 23.3% of the total population of the republic and 39.6% of the working population.

Crime. The Republic of Altai is in second place in the Russian Federation in terms of the number of crimes committed. There are twice as many crimes committed here than in the Rostov or Belgorod regions. One can guess that this is due to the difficult economic situation in the republic - a small number of enterprises, high unemployment. The growth of tourism in this region also provokes criminals who want to get hold of at the expense of visiting guests. Therefore, tourists-travelers should be extremely careful here.

Unemployment rate in the Republic of Altai is very high - 11.58%. There is little work here and it is worth its weight in gold. This is also evidenced by the relatively low average wages in the republic - 18,246 rubles. Much better is only the situation in the sphere of financial activity (51 thousand rubles per month) and in public administration and military security (33 thousand rubles).

Real estate value in the Republic of Altai is quite low. There are few people who want to come here for permanent residence. And why, one wonders, go to one of the poorest republics of Russia? From those rare advertisements for the sale of apartments that can be found, we learn that a one-room apartment can be bought for 1 million rubles, and for 2.5 million you can even take a three-room apartment.

Climate Republic of Altai - temperate continental. Due to the mountainous terrain, there is a wide range of climatic indicators. Summers here are short and hot, and winters are long, cold, with very severe frosts. The average temperature in January is −20°С, in July +15°С. The amount of precipitation depends on the area and can reach up to 1000 mm per year.

Cities and large villages of Altai

(60828 people) - the only city and capital of the republic. Founded in 1824 by Russian settlers. Of the enterprises here, only the plant of reinforced concrete products can be distinguished. All the rest of the industry, created under the Soviet regime, collapsed. But here are the governing bodies of the Altai Republic: the government, the Kurultai, various ministries and committees. The airport operates to receive tourists. Pros: ecology, the presence of nearby mountain resorts. Cons - lack of work, low salaries.

Maima(population - 16399 people) - a village on the right bank of the Katun River, in fact - a suburb of Gorno-Altaisk, which is located 9 km from Mayma. Founded in 1811. The infrastructure in the village is poorly developed, so Maima residents go to neighboring Gorno-Altaisk in search of entertainment.

Kosh-Agach(population - 8325 people) - a village founded in 1801, developing as a merchant center. It is located in the south-east of the republic, on the famous Chuysky tract, 65 km from the Mongolian border. Behind it, the border zone already begins, so a pass is required to travel through it. Kosh-Agach is the sunniest place in Russia.

general description

With the administrative center of Barnaul, it was formally formed quite a long time ago - in 1937. B itself is much older - it was founded back in Catherine's times - back in 1771. The region stretches on the Western European Plain, in the southern part of Western Siberia.

It is located quite far from Moscow - if highways, then at a distance of 3'420 km, and if in a straight line - then at a distance of 2 "950 km. The largest cities of the Altai Territory are as follows: in addition to Barnaul, these are Biysk, Kamen-on-Obi, Novoaltaisk, as well as the cities of Zarinsk and Rubtsovsk. The border regions are Kemerovo and Novosibirsk, the republics of Kazakhstan and Gorny Altai.

The length of the Altai Territory from north to south is 360 km, the region stretches for 585 km from west to east. On the territory of the Altai Territory, almost all natural areas our country - a spacious steppe and forest-steppe, impenetrable taiga and mountains of incredible beauty. The mountains cover the Altai Territory from the eastern and southern sides - these are the Sayans and the foothills of Altai.

The main rivers of the Altai Territory are the Ob River and its numerous tributaries. Also on the territory of the region there are many magnificent lakes: on the flat part of the region, the soil is predominantly black earth, and the territory is occupied by steppes and forests.

The population of the Altai Territory is mainly engaged in agriculture and tourist services. The main industrial sectors of the region are the chemical industry, mechanical engineering, as well as light and food industry. Ores, mercury and gold are mined here.

The Altai Territory attracts tourists with its natural resources. So, travelers will be interested in such objects as Aya Lake (that is, the Moon), the Four Brothers Rock, the Royal Mound, as well as numerous caves.

The best cities and resorts of Altai

The sights of the Altai Territory are wonderful virgin nature: magnificent lakes, interesting caves and rocks, as well as ancient burial mounds and rock paintings of primitive man. So,...

Climate in Altai

belongs to the sharply continental type. The weather in the Altai Territory is very changeable, winds often blow here and precipitation occurs. In the flat part of the Altai Territory, summers are warm and winters are quite severe, but in June and August it often suddenly gets colder. In the low mountains and foothills, winters are less severe, but in summer the weather remains cool, and precipitation is not uncommon.

The climate of the Kulunda desert is even more severe: for example, dust storms here are a frequent occurrence. As a rule, they happen in May. Blizzards and even snowstorms are observed here in November, February, and also in March.

Video from Altai

very varied. These are various tourist routes, for example, visiting caves (Denisova cave and a waterfall 70 meters high, Tavdinsky caves, a karst arch in Tavda, as well as a cave with beautiful stalactites and stalagmites Kek-Tash are interesting).

In addition, rafting on mountain rivers, hiking tours to the foot of Belukha Mountain, ethnic tours, trips to the Multinsky Lakes, motorcycle tours along the Chuisky tract through the Altai Mountains, horseback riding, car tours and much more are organized in the Altai Territory.

Another excursion that can be recommended to inquisitive tourists is a visit to the Charysh caves. The remains of extinct animals have been found here. Travelers will be able to see the bones of mammoths and bison, woolly rhinos and fossil deer that have disappeared from the face of the earth.

In addition, be sure to visit the Royal Mound: this is an archaeological memorial complex that stretches along the banks of the Sentelek River, which dates back to the 5th century BC. Here, tourists can admire 19 steles 4.5 meters high, which are directed to the sky, as well as see the bypass and inner rings made of powerful slabs.

History of Altai

The history of the Altai Territory began a very long time ago. According to historians, the region was inhabited as early as the 4th century BC. Interestingly, in ancient times there was a state called Dingling-go, which ...

Where is the best place to stay while traveling in Altai?

Altai Territory hotels are very diverse: these are large hotels, home-type mini-hotels, guest houses, and boarding houses located outside large cities. In addition, in the Altai ...

Active rest in Altai

Active recreation in the Altai Territory- these are hiking routes, trips to the mountains, horseback riding (tourists are offered horseback tours lasting 3-15 days), swimming in beautiful lakes, passing motorcycle and auto routes.

Popular in Altai and rafting, as well as hang gliding and paragliding.

Alpine skiing is popular in Altai in winter, in particular, in the resort of Belokurikha, Mount Veselaya, Lake Manzherok, and also near the village of Aya. Let us clarify that the duration of the ski season in Altai is from December to March inclusive.

Educational tourism is also popular in the Altai Territory. The most popular routes are the Big and Small Golden Ring of Altai. In a few days, tourists have time to get acquainted with the historical sights of the region.

Transport features of Altai

Altai transport: main feature edges - practically complete absence railway transport, however, getting to Altai by train is still the easiest way to this day.

The largest railway stations are located in Barnaul, Biysk and Novosibirsk.

There is also an airport in Altai, which is located in the city of Gorno-Altaisk. Tourists can arrive here by plane from Moscow, as well as from Krasnoyarsk and Novosibirsk. Flights are operated by S7.

There is also an airport in Barnaul, Aerorflot, Transaero, S7 and UTair fly here from Moscow.

The cities of the Altai Territory are connected by bus service. Minibuses run around the cities. Barnaul has a bus station from where you can go to Biysk, Karakola, Gorno-Altaisk, Chemala, Katun and many other cities.

Of course, you can travel around the Altai Territory by car. The most beautiful route in the region is 52, it passes into the famous Chuysky tract.

Altai Krai: how to get there?

Get to the Altai Territory tourists can:

• By train from Moscow - to Barnaul, Irkutsk, Novosibirsk.
• By plane from Moscow to Barnaul (the distance from the city center to the airport is 17 km). Flights - a / c S7, Transaero, Aeroflot. Flight time - 4 hours. Tourists can get directly to the city by taxi or regular bus.

Souvenirs in Altai

Souvenirs of the Altai Territory are very diverse. These are all kinds of amulets, and birch bark souvenirs - bottles and dishes, key rings and earrings, mugs and fridge magnets, caskets, combs, covers ...