Gallery
Explore Altai’s beautiful and diverse landscapes and people. View some of our hands-on projects and travel with Altaian partners around the world.
Happy 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…
Conservation of the sacred Ukok Plateau
Ukok is unlike any other place in the world…pristine, magical, and spectacular.
Preserving Altai Cultural & Natural Heritage
Read about our recent initiative to protect the cultural and natural heritage of Greater Altai
Altaian Raptors in Action
Here are some images of Altai’s many different raptor species and a few other special appearances.
Graduate internship in snow leopard research
Enjoy this video created by The Altai Project’s 2016 intern, Audrey Jost. In it, she documents her collaboration with a local snow leopard expert and his team at Altaisky State Nature Reserve. You can read her article about her time in Altai here.
Gathering of Indigenous Leaders in Hawaii
Traveling from deep in the center of the Eurasian landmass to the Hawaiian Islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean
Altai leaders in Hawaii – 2016
Enjoy a brief tour of The Altai Project’s participation in a “‘No Go’ zones in sacred landscapes” international delegation to Maui, Kaho’olawe, and Oahu Islands and the IUCN-World Conservation Congress in August and September 2016. Read more about the event here.
Lake Kindyktykul
Lake Kindyktykul (“Kin-dik-tik-kool”) borders Chikhachev Ridge in southeastern Altai and is home to over 20 species of endangered birds.
2015 Field report and photos
Sergei Spitsyn and his team returned from a field expedition with new snow leopard evidence, incredible photos, and the successful removal of poachers’ snares.
October 2014 trip to Altai
Jennifer’s photo journal of her October trip to Altai provided some excellent insight into the culture.
October in the Argut River valley
Here are a few pictures from the beautiful expedition The Altai Project participated in along with SUNY-ESF, Altaisky Nature Reserve, and WWF-Altai-Sayan. We hiked down the stunning but isolated middle Argut River to visit cabins frequented by local herders, hunters, and poachers and to investigate the area’s potential for hiking tourism.
Snow leopards in Argut
These are the first images of wild snow leopards in the central southern Argut region of Altai Republic. In an area that was previously home to dozens of cats, just a handful of snow leopards remaining due to intense snare-poaching.
Snow leopards on camera in Altai Republic
Images of snow leopards and a manul (Pallas) cat photographed using camera traps in Altai Republic –
US, Spain, and Russian biologists survey Altai’s argali population
And along the way, they encounter incredible landscapes as well as argali. The survey took place in Altai’s Kosh-Agach District, immediately adjacent to the borders of Mongolia and Russia’s Tuva Republic. Read the trip’s press release.
Photo Travel Diary – Altai Sept-Oct 2011
Travel along with Jennifer to a beautiful autumn in Altai, where she attended Sosnovka (an important strategy meeting for Siberian and Far Eastern activists), visited the Karakol Valley and climbed to Uch Enmek’s final peak on horseback, and attended meeting while enjoying Gorno-Altaisk and Barnaul culture and scenery.
Altai Culture & History
A variety of local indigenous culture and history photos, with a few shots of traditional Russian culture as well.
Camera-trapping in the Argut River watershed
These pictures were all taken using camera traps during the winter months in 2010-2011 in the lower (northern) half of the Argut River watershed.
Altai Natural Building and Alternative Energy
Pictures of Altai architecture in general as well as pictures of two strawbale construction projects led by The Altai Project in 2005 and 2009.
Help support Altai’s nature and people.
Donate Generously
Help grassroots conservation efforts in Altai, Altaian indigenous peoples, public education and outreach in Altai and abroad, and efforts to protect sacred sites and cultural monuments.
Volunteer With Us
Contact us to learn more. We are often able to develop rewarding internships and volunteer projects for enthusiastic and independent-minded volunteers.