Republic of Altai

(Passport of the region)

 

Geographical location. The federal subject is located in the center of Eurasia in the south of Western Siberia. The Republic of Altai borders with China, Mongolia and Kazakhstan. The region has an administrative border with the republics of Tyva and Khakassia, the Altai Territory and the Kemerovo Region.

Territory. The Republic of Altai stretches about 360 km from north to south and 380 km from west to east, region covers an area of 92,903 square kilometers (approximately 0,54% of Russian Federation territory), including 46.9% − forest fund lands, 19.3% − agricultural lands, 1.7% − water fund lands, 32.1% − other lands.

Climate. The republic has a temperate continental climate with relatively short and mild summers (June-August); and long, cold, and often quite frosty winters (November-March). Average January temperatures range from about - 12.4°C to -30.5°C and in July with temperatures in the range of 14.1°С to 18.2°С.

Demographics. As of January 1, 2023, 210.8 thousand people live in the Republic of Altai. The share of urban population is 30.8%, rural – 69.2%. Ethnic Russians make up 56.6% of the republic's population, with the Altaians making up 33.9% and Kazakhs − 6.2%. Other smaller groups include Telengites, Tubalars, Kumandins, Chelkans.

Administrative center. The only city and administrative center of the Republic of Altai is Gorno-Altaysk, founded in 1830. The population is 64.5 thousand people, located 3,641 km from Moscow.

Administrative divisions. The Republic of Altai consists of the following Administrative divisions:

- Urban Okrug − 1 (Gorno-Altaysk);
- Districts − 10 (Kosh-Agachsky, Mayminsky, Ongudaysky, Turochaksky, Ulagan, Ust-Kansky, Ust-Koksinsky, Chemalsky, Choysky and Shebalinsky);
- Rural settlements − 91.

Heads of executive and legislative authorities, the main political parties according to the election results. The executive branch is the Government of the Republic of Altai. The Head of the Republic of Altai, Chairman of the Government of the Republic of Altai – Andrey Anatolyevich TURCHAK. The legislative power is the State Assembly-El Kurultai of the Republic of Altai. The Chairman is Artur Pavlovich KOHOEV. According to the election results, the main political parties in the Republic of Altai are: «United Russia», «Communist Party of the Russian Federation», «Liberal Democratic Party of the Russian Federation», «A Just Russia», «Rodina».

Heraldry. The national flag is a rectangular panel of four horizontal stripes: the upper one is white, the lower one is blue, narrow stripes are white and blue colored. Blue stripes are a symbol of purity, sky, mountains, rivers and lakes of Altai. White stripes symbolize eternity, anticipated awakening, love and harmony of the peoples of the Republic of Altai.

Coat of arms is a light-blue circle fringed by a narrow strip of golden color, as a symbol of the eternal blue sky of Altai. In the upper part of the circle is depicted the three-headed peak of one of the highest mountains in Central Asia – Belukha (Yuch Sumer), symbolizing the beauty and power of the native land. The central part of the composition − the Kan-Kerede griffin with the head and wings of a bird and the body of a lion, personifying the sacred sunbird, guarding peace, happiness and wealth of the native land. Kan-Kerede is the patroness of animals, birds and nature. In the lower part of the circle there is an ornamental image of the two largest rivers of Altai – Biya and Katun with their tributaries. Between them, in the middle, we can see a tripod hearth, a symbol of the Motherland, straight and eternity of the native land; wavy lines under the tripod hearth are a symbol of Teletskoye Lake (Altyn–Kel).

History. In the VIII-III centuries BC Altai was inhabited by the Pazyryk Scythians. The Hunno-Sarmatian period of the region's history begins at the end of the III century BC.

Altai is the ancestral homeland of all modern Turkic peoples of the world, where in the year of 552 the ancient Turks created their own state – the Turkic Khaganate. The primordial language of the Turks was formed here, which became widespread among all the peoples of the Khaganate due to the invention of writing, known today as the «Orkhon-Yenisei Runic». All this led to the appearance of the terminology «Altai languages» in the modern scientific world (consists of 3 large groups: Japanese-Korean, Tunguso-Manchurian, Turkic-Mongolian).

Altai, due to its geopolitical location (in the center of Eurasia), has been uniting different ethnic groups and cultures for a long time. For a while, this territory was the center of the Kalmyks state – the Dzungarian Khanate. The southern Altaians (Altai-Kizhi, Teleutes and Telengites) were under the rule of the Dzungars until 1756, and after the fall of the Dzungarian state voluntarily became subjects of the Russian Empire. The Northern Altaians (Kumandins, Tubalars, Chelkans) became part of Russia much earlier.

June 1, 1922 The All-Russian Central Election Committee adopted a Decree «On the formation of the Oirot Autonomous Region». Its creation was preceded by the withdrawal of Gorny Altai from Biysk County in 1920 with the formation of a separate territorial unit − Gorno-Altai district. The Oirot Autonomous Region existed from 1922 to 1947. On January 7, 1948, it was renamed the Gorno-Altai Autonomous Region. On July 3, 1991, the region was transformed into the Gorno-Altai Republic of within the Russian Federation, and in May 1992 – the Republic of Gorny Altai. Starting from December 12, 1993 the region is called the Republic of Altai.

The socio-economic situation. The index of industrial production in the region in 2023 amounted to 103.3% compared to level of 2022: mining – 111.9%; processing industries – 96.2%, water supply, wastewater disposal, waste collection and disposal organization, activities for the elimination of pollution − 118.5%. Agricultural goods in 2023 were manufactured in the amount of 12.7 billion rubles (96% in a comparable estimate to the level of 2022).

Consumer price index for goods and services at the end of December 2023 was at the level of 107.5% by December 2022, consisting of food – 109.9%, household goods – 104.2%, paid services – 110.0%. The volume of work performed by the type of activity «construction» reached 34.1 billion rubles (126%). Residential facilities with a total area of 190.5 thousand square meters (115.6%) were commissioned.

The average monthly nominal salary for January-November 2023 reached 49,032.7 rubles (117.4%). The number of unemployed citizens registered with the employment service as of December 31, 2023 was 1,467 people, the registered unemployment rate was 1.5% (December 31, 2022 – 1,987 people, 1.9%).

Investment appeal and infrastructure. In accordance with the Strategy of socio-economic development of the Republic of Altai for the period up to 2035 (approved by the resolution of the regional Government dated 03/13/2018 No. 60), the priority areas of the economy for investment cooperation are:

- Tourism (creation of year-round tourist facilities aimed at mass domestic and foreign consumers);
- Sanatorium and resort activities;
- Agriculture (production, advanced processing and logistics of organic and environmentally friendly products);
- Biopharmaceuticals (production of biologically active additives and medicines from local raw materials and products of antler reindeer husbandry);
- Deep timber processing (processing of wood and non-wood forest resources, waste from the forest industry);
- Development of the mineral resource base, including extraction and bottling of drinking water, extraction of metals (gold, silver, copper, lithium, cobalt, bismuth) and minerals (wollastonite, specularite), which are raw materials for the production of products with high added value;
- Innovative projects in the field of «green technologies» (renewable energy).

Promising investment sites in the region are:

- AMZA Agropark;
- Investment platform «Pearl of Altai»;
- Investment project «Badger Ski Resort»;
- Development of the all-season resort «Manzherok»;
- Construction of the Altay Wellness Village hotel complex on the shore of Lake Teletskoye in the Turochaksky district;
- Construction of the Gorno-Altaysk International airport terminal.

Resource potential. The total forest resources of the region are 700.02 million cubic meters, including conifers – 597.79 million cubic meters, of which almost half are especially valuable, mainly cedar plantations, which account for 39.8% of all forest resources. The stock of mature and overgrown plantations is about 331.14 million cubic meters.

The area of enshrined hunting grounds is 5.6 million hectares (1.7% of the hunting grounds of the Siberian Federal District and 0.5% of Russia). Agricultural land is about 10% of the total land area.

The animal world is represented by 80 species of mammals, 300 species of birds (of which about 250 are nesting), 44 species of fish, 11 species of amphibians and reptiles. The hunting fauna includes 67 species of game animals and birds, therefore the region is considered one of the best hunting regions of Western Siberia.

Plant resources – more than 3 thousand species of higher plants, of which 200 species of plants are endemic, found only in the Altai Mountains.

The total gross reserves of medicinal plants are over 400 thousand tons. Exploitable recourses are about 175 thousand tons.

Some of the diverse mineral resources are of industrial importance – gold, silver, copper, mercury, tungsten, molybdenum, cobalt, etc., as well as building materials and groundwater. Deposits of almost all types of building materials, jewelry, decorative and collectible stones have been identified.

Transport infrastructure. The geographical features of the Republic of Altai have led to the development of two types of transport: automobile and aviation. There is no railway or river connection in the region.

The highway network in the Republic of Altai is represented by federal and territorial highways. The total length of paved roads is 6,436.8 km.

The federal highway R-256 «Chuisky Tract» is part of the Asian route AH4 (Novosibirsk – Biysk – Yarantai – Urumqi – Islamabad – Karachi). In 2008, the Gorno-Altaysk – Turochak – Tashtagol highway (180 km long) was put into service.

Gorno-Altaisk Airport operates in the Republic of Altai, located 6 km from Gorno-Altaisk. In 2023, Gorno-Altaisk Airport served 429.3 thousand passengers (+36.7%). Today, flights from Gorno-Altai airport are carried out to Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan, Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk, Krasnoyarsk, Novy Urengoy, Orenburg, Salekhard, Surgut and Ulan-Ude.

Tourist and recreational potential. Tourism is one of the priority directions of the socio-economic development of the region. This provision is fixed in the Strategy of socio-economic development of the Republic of Altai for the period up to 2035. The historically established brand of the subject of the Federation is the name «Gorny Altai», which implies the recreational potential of an ecologically clean territory.

The Republic of Altai is the highest mountainous region of Siberia. Many mountain ranges rise to an altitude of 3000-4000 meters above sea level. Their peaks are covered with ice all year round, which causes great sporting interest among tourists and climbers. The highest peak is Mount Belukha (4506 meters above sea level). Intermountain basins and elevated hilly plateaus located at an altitude of 1500-2300 meters are common. The region has many caves, of which there are more than 500.

Water resources − about 7 thousand lakes with a total area of more than 600 sq km. Rivers in most cases are mountainous in nature, therefore they are used by tourists for rafting.

There are 5 UNESCO World Natural Heritage Sites on the territory of the republic: Teletskoye Lake, Belukha Mountain, Altai State Nature Reserve, Katun State Natural Biosphere Reserve, Ukok Plateau.

Specially protected areas occupy 22% of the area of the federal subject. The natural reserve fund of the region includes Altai and Katun State Natural Biosphere Reserves, Sailyugemsky National Park, Belukha Natural Parks, Ukok Rest Zone, Uch Enmek (with Argut cluster), Ak Cholushpa, Sumulinsky and Shavlinsky biological reserves, Gorno-Altai branch of the Central Siberian Botanical Garden, 43 natural monuments of national importance.

Tourists' recreation is provided by more than 650 collective general-purpose accommodation facilities (hotels, motels, hostels, etc.).

The most popular tourists’ attractions:

- Chemalsky district − convent and Church of St. John the Theologian on the island of Patmos, blue lakes, the museum complex «Desyatiruchka», the Museum of Natural History «Paleopark» in the village of Elekmonar;
- Turochak district − lake Teletskoye, Korbu waterfall, ski resort «Teletskiy», eco-trail «Third River»;
- Ulagan district − Katu-Yaryk pass, Geyser Lake, Chulyshmanskaya valley, «Stone Mushrooms», Uchar waterfall, kurgan complex of the early Scythian period in the Pazyryk tract, the southern shore of Lake Teletskoye, Kurkure waterfall;
- Ust-Koksinsky district − the foot of Belukha Mountain, Nicholas Roerich House Museum, Multin Lakes, Kucherlin lakes, Lake Darashkol;
- Shebalinsky district − Bison nursery SB RAS, Gorno-Altai Botanical Garden, Kamyshlinsky waterfall;
- Kosh-Agach district − Kyzyl-Chin tract, Kyzyl-Shyn tract, Sailyugemsky National Park, Ukok Plateau, Yustyt Valley, historical and ethnographic museum of Telengit Chui, Museum of Kazakhs of Altai in the village of Zhana-Aul, Altai-Aktru Mountain Center;
- Maiminsky district − All-season resort «Manzherok», Stone Museum;
- Gorno-Altaisk − The National Museum of the Republic of Altai of A.V. Anokhin, the City panoramic Park «Mount Tuugaya».

The tourist flow to the Republic of Altai in 2023 reached about 2.64 million visits (+6%).

International relations, agreements with foreign partners. International cooperation by the Government of the Republic of Altai was carried out within the framework of the following agreements:

1. Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Altai of the Russian Federation and the Administration of the Uvs Aimag of Mongolia on cross-border trade, economic, scientific, technical and cultural cooperation dated April 25, 2001;
2. Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Altai of the Russian Federation and the Akimat of the East Kazakhstan Region of the Republic of Kazakhstan on cross-border trade, economic, scientific, technical and cultural cooperation dated September 7, 2010;
3. Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Altai (Russian Federation) and the Government of the Republic of Belarus on cooperation in trade, economic, scientific, technical, and socio-cultural spheres dated October 12, 2018;
4. Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Altai (Russian Federation) and the Administration of the Bayan-Olgii Aimag (Mongolia) on the implementation of international and foreign economic relations in the trade, economic, scientific, technical and socio-cultural spheres dated August 11, 2023;
5. Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Altai (Russian Federation) and the Administration of the Khovd Aimag (Mongolia) on the implementation of international and foreign economic relations in the trade, economic, scientific, technical and socio-cultural spheres dated August 11, 2023.

Science and education. The education system of the subject of the Federation includes: 1 higher education establishment (Gorno-Altai State University), 8 professional educational organizations, 167 preschool educational establishments, 178 general education schools, 2 specialized (correctional) educational establishments, 42 institutions of additional education (sports schools – 11, children's creativity centers – 9, children's art houses – 2, stations for young tourists – 2, children's schools of arts – 12, music schools – 3, art school – 1).

The scientific field is represented by such institutions as Gorno-Altaisk Agricultural Research Institute, S.S. Surazakov Altai Research Institute, Gorno-Altai Botanical Garden – affiliate of Central Siberian Botanical Garden (GABS), Teletsky branch of Systematics and Animal Ecology Institute of Siberian Department of Russian Academy of Sciences, Federal state budgetary institution   of science, the Institute for Water and Environmental Problems of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IWEP SB RAS).

Culture and local traditions. The National Drama Theater of P.V. Kuchiyak, the State Philharmonic Society of the Republic of Altai, the State Orchestra of the Republic of Altai, the State National Dance and Song Theater «Altam», the National Library of the Republic of Altai of M.V. Chevalkov, the Republic’s Children's Library, the Republic’s Folk Art Center, the Directorate of the Arts Center, the College of Culture and Art named of Choros-Gurkin, A.V. Anokhin National Museum of the Republic of Altai, 157 libraries, 191 cultural and leisure establishments.

Here located 118 archaeological sites of federal significance, 170 objects of historical and cultural heritage of the Republic of Altai, 2,430 identified objects of cultural heritage, protected by the state.

National holidays with the status of international and interregional are regularly held: the celebration of the Altai people «El-Oyin», the festival of Russian folklore «Springs of Altai», the International Kurultai of Storytellers «Throat Singing», the holiday of the indigenous people «Tyuruk Bayram – cedar holiday», the celebration of the Altai New Year «Chaga Bayram».

Major non-governmental organizations. As of January 1, 2023, 713 non-profit organizations (NPOs) were registered and currently operate in the region, including 265 national cultural and religious organizations, associations for indigenous peoples and Cossack societies.

Media. In the subject of the Federation, 2 regional newspapers are published on a permanent basis – "Star of Altai" and "Altaidyn Cholmony", 10 local newspapers. The Gorny Altai State Television Broadcasting Company operates with broadcasting on the channel "Russia 1" and radio broadcasting on the channel "Radio of Russia" and “Mayak. Gorno-Altaysk".

Service of informational programs of GTRK «Gorny Altai» produces 9 issues in Altaian and Russian languages on weekdays; one issue in Altaian and Russian languages on Saturday and the final issue of «Vesti – El Altai. Events of the week» is posted on Sunday.