News & Events
Stay up to date on what’s happening in Altai and at The Altai Project.
Wind power and raptors
The connection between wind power and raptors is surprisingly complex. Wind power generation stations, or “farms”, offer renewable, low-pollution energy and are an important tool for combating the climate crisis. However, these wind farms have a number of environmental consequences, including killing an estimated 681,000 birds/year in the United States alone in 2021. Given the…
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…
Altai’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,…
Snow Leopard conservation in Russia: a timeline
The Altai Project has invested more than $210,000 in snow leopard conservation in Russia to date (largely 2010-2015, but continuing today). We pooled expertise with other international institutions involved in protecting this big cat. To expand on the saying “many hands make light work,” many hands also strengthen the work by contributing funds, scientific and…
Snow Leopard Conservation
The Snow leopard is endangered across its entire range in Central Asia, including in Russia. Snow leopard conservation and science are important tools in saving the species.
New! Siberia-US environmental cooperation through journalism
Exciting news! The Altai Project is a member of a new, three-way partnership formed to share environmental justice and indigenous rights journalism with American and Russian readers and thus improve understanding of cross-cutting issues between the United States and Russia in these areas. The partnership also involves California-based Earth Island Journal and the Vladivostok, Russia-based…
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.
Altai 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.
Altai Argali wild sheep
Description of the Altai Argali wild sheep species, its conservation value, threats, and protection efforts.
Dyalama ribbon tying as a spiritual practice
Description of the practice of dyalama – tying ribbons as a spiritual practice in Greater Altai
Cultural practice in Altai: tengrism, animism, and shamanism and their historical expression
This page introduces important concepts and traditions that are specific to Greater Altai.
Altaian Language
Altaian, divided into North Altaian and South Altaian is a closely-related group of Turkic languages. This article focuses on the language as spoken in Russia’s Altai Republic.
VIDEO – Highlands of Mongolian Altai – Future UNESCO World Heritage Site?
This 15-minute English-language video was prepared by our partners at the Foundation for the Protection of Natural and Cultural Heritage. The video shows the importance of the natural and cultural heritage of this proposed UNESCO World Heritage Site in western Mongolia.
Preserving Altai Cultural & Natural Heritage
Read about our recent initiative to protect the cultural and natural heritage of Greater Altai
Covid-19 news in Altai
The COVID-19 pandemic is a challenging and uncertain time for humans around the globe. We are seeing the ripples of tremendous and complex impacts and changes in our homes, our communities, and around the world. The same is true in the conservation world.
When an eagle runs up roaming charges
Learn about Min the Steppe eagle who ran up a huge roaming bill for Russian researchers.
Altaian Raptors in Action
Here are some images of Altai’s many different raptor species and a few other special appearances.
Unexpected success
2018 did not go as expected. Given global politics, we had anticipated a very difficult year; instead we’ve had one of our most successful years to date.
Renewables in Altai, a look back
Altai Republic is the only Russian region where ALL locally produced energy is produced from renewable sources!
We have a new look!
The Altai Project is thrilled to share a few pieces of exciting news! In honor of our 20th anniversary, we are pleased to reveal our new logo. For 20 years The Altai Project has consistently focused on preserving the indigenous culture, wildlife, and environment of this beautiful region. Our new logo represents that…
Fall 2017 Updates
Earlier this summer, researchers obtained camera-trap photos of a mother with three adolescent kittens at her side traversing a hillside and strengthened their knowledge of 25+ individual cats in Altai Republic!
Altaigate. The Final Chapter. (Novaya Gazeta article)
NovayaGazeta.ru: Altaigate. The Final Chapter By Elena Racheva 16 Feb 2017 A helicopter carrying Anatoly Bannykh, well-known organizer of hunting trips for wealthy government officials, has crashed into Lake Teletskoye. This is his second catastrophe. The first cost Bannykh the vice-premier’s seat. Today’s crash, it seems, will have cost much more. The Ministry of Emergency Affairs…
Campaign updates for 2015
We had an introspective summer and early fall, contemplating events in Russia and their implications for the future. We have some big news on that later this month, but first let’s catch up on recent goings on in Altai.
“Land of the Snow Leopard” Festival
Since its inception in 2009, this Festival has expanded into a popular youth-centered environmental movement with schoolchildren coming from as far away as Mongolia.
New Snow Leopard Video Footage!
Sergei Spitsyn just sent a report from the field; he’s been working on Chikhacheva Ridge for the last 10 days, checking camera traps, deploying new ones, seeing what the latest snow leopard going ons there are. Good news! Adult male Khorgai visited numerous camera traps, and female Guta not only reappeared after a lengthy absence,…
Jennifer Castner Describes The Altai Project
Watch a short video of Jennifer Caster describing the work of The Altai Project.
A Space for Artists and Entrepreneurs
One of the biggest challenges for artists in remote villages is being isolated from other artists, and the Center for Folk Arts and Crafts provides that connectivity necessary for business and creative success.
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