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Chuisky Tract – Altai’s Path of Ancestors
Every visitor to Altai Republic travels this storied road, a piece of the region’s cultural heritage. Largely a 2-lane highway, Chuisky Tract stretches 963 km (598 miles) from Novosibirsk to Russia’s border with Mongolia, snaking across Altai Krai and Altai Republic and on into Mongolia. In 2019 the Russian edition of “National Geographic Traveler” included…
Read MoreAltai’s Indigenous peoples – what’s in a name?
Russia officially recognizes 47 small-numbered peoples of the North, Siberia, and Far East. Roughly 23% of the almost 147 million people living in Russia (as of 2021) are not ethnically Russian. The government classifies Indigenous peoples living in the country in three ways: “Small-numbered peoples” (less than 50,000 individuals), “Indigenous peoples” living in the North,…
Read MoreHappy 150th birthday to Grigory Choros-Gurkin!
For every Picasso and Rembrandt, there are many more lesser-known artists; this is the case with Grigoriy Choros-Gurkin (1870-1937). He is one of Altai’s greatest artists and most important cultural figures. The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of Choros-Gurkin’s birth and an ideal time to draw attention to the man and his work. Regarded…
Read MoreConservation of the sacred Ukok Plateau
Ukok is unlike any other place in the world…pristine, magical, and spectacular.
Read MoreAltai Petroglyph Complexes in Mongolia and Russia
Rock art is found widely across Greater Altai. Bronze and Iron Age petroglyphs depict animals, people, and culture. The sites are fragile and in need of protection.
Read MoreDyalama ribbon tying as a spiritual practice
Description of the practice of dyalama – tying ribbons as a spiritual practice in Greater Altai
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