TheAltai Republic,[a] also known as theGorno-Altai Republic,[b] is arepublic ofRussia located in southernSiberia. The republic bordersKemerovo Oblast to the north,Khakassia to the northeast,Tuva to the east,Altai Krai to the west, as well as three countries:Mongolia to the southeast,China to the south andKazakhstan to the southwest. It is a part of theSiberian Federal District, and covers an area of 92,903 square kilometers (35,870 sq mi), with a population of 210,924 residents. It is the least-populous republic of Russia and least-populous federal subject in the Siberian Federal District.[5]Gorno-Altaysk is the capital and the largest town of the republic with 65,342 inhabitants and in urban areas, making it the least urbanized federal subject.
The Altai Republic is one of Russia'sethnic republics, primarily representing the indigenousAltai people, aTurkic ethnic group that form 37% of the republic's population, while ethnicRussians form a majority at 54%. Other minority populations includeKazakhs, other Central Asian ethnicities, andGermans. The official languages of the Altai Republic are Russian and Altai. Kazakh is official in areas of compact settlement of its speakers.[10]
TheXiongnu Empire (209 BC – AD 93) governed the territory of the modern Altai Republic. The area was part of theFirst Turkic Khaganate, theUyghur Empire, and theYeniseian Kyrgyzs. It was during this time that the local population became fully Turkicized culturally and linguistically.[11]
The Qing period is a semi-autonomous period with the supervision of two Altan Nuur Uriankhai Governor Banners and part of the sevenAltai Uriankhai banners. During the Qing administration, the General of SiberiaFedor Ivanovich Soimonov launched a non-military expedition into theAltan Nuur region in 1760 and began fort building. This was subsequently removed by Heseri Jalafungga of the Qing. Since the 1820s, the routine border check was less frequent and theChuy drainage basin has been occupied by Russians.
The entireAltan Nuur Uriankhai voluntarily became part of theRussian Empire in 1864-1865 by theTreaty of Tarbagatai.[12] During theRussian Civil War, theConfederated Republic of Altai (Karakorum-Altai Region) was established in 1918, and declared as the first step to rebuildingGenghis Khan's Mongol Empire.[13] But it never became a competing force in the Russian Civil War, and stayed neutral from 1918 until January 1920, when it was annexed back into Russia. A second Altai Republic was formed in 1921 and lasted until 1922 when they were annexed by theBolsheviks.[13]
More than 20,000 tributaries sprawl throughout the mountainous Republic, making for a total of more than 60,000 kilometers (37,000 mi) worth of waterways. The republic's largest rivers are theKatun and theBiya, both of which originate in the mountains and flow northwards. The junction of the two rivers eventually forms theOb River, one of the longest rivers in Siberia, which flows northward to the Arctic Ocean.
The source of the black Biya River isLake Teletskoye, the region's largest lake located in an isolated area far south in the mountains. The emerald-colored Katun River has its source at the Gebler glacier, which is situated on the Republic's highest point,Mount Belukha. The Katun River, in particular, holds a religious significance for native Altaians, as well as for many Russians who live in the area, as Mount Belukha is known in Altai folklore to be the gateway to the mystical kingdom ofShambhala.[14]
The hydrographic network of the Republic also includes approximately 7,000 lakes, adding up to a total area of more than 700 km2 (270 sq mi). The largest lake is Lake Teletskoye, which is 80 km (50 mi) long and 5 km (3.1 mi) wide, has an area of 230.8 square kilometers (89.1 sq mi), and has a maximum depth of 325 meters (1,066 ft). The mountain lakes of Altai contain enormous freshwater reserves of a very pure quality as a result of their distance from civilization.[15] Lake Teletskoye alone contains more than 40 cubic kilometers (9.6 cu mi) of very clear water.
Potential groundwater storage is evaluated at 22 million cubic metres (780×10^6 cu ft) per day, while the present use constitutes about 44,000 m3 (1,600,000 cu ft) per day.
The most striking geographical aspect of the Republic of Altai is its mountainous terrain. The Republic is situated within the Russian part of theAltai Mountains system, which covers a large part of the Republic and continues into neighboringKazakhstan,Mongolia and China. The region continues to experience periodic notableseismic activity, which is visually made apparent through the mountains' characteristically high and rugged mountain ridges, separated by narrow and deep river valleys. The Republic's highest peak, Mount Belukha (4,506 m), is the highest point in Siberia.
Various bodies of water are among the most important natural resources of the Republic. Mineral and hot springs are popular destinations for tourists and locals, sought for their therapeutic effects. Additionally, Altaiglaciers contain a great amount of fresh water. The general volume of ice for registered Altai glaciers comes to a total of 57 km3, 52 km3 of which is water. The total water stock of the glaciers exceeds the average annual effluence of all Altai rivers, which are equal to 43 km3 per year. The largest glaciers are Bolshoy Taldurinsky (35 km2), Mensu (21 km2), Sofiysky (17 km2), and Bolshoy Maashey (16 km2).
Mineral resources in the region primarily include gold, silver, iron ores, andlithium, in addition to other smaller amounts of minerals. The large city ofBarnaul in neighboringAltai Krai was founded as a processing center for minerals from the Altai region, although the mineral extraction industry today is much smaller than in the past.
The republic has atemperate continental climate with relatively short and mild summers (June–August); and long, cold, and often quite frosty winters (November–March).
In general, the republic's climate of the southeastern areas, such as the (Ulagansky andKosh-Agachsky Districts), is harsher than the climate of the less elevated northern areas.
As per the2021 Census,[22] ethnicRussians make up 53.7% of the republic's population, with the indigenousAltai people making up 37.0%. Other groups include people ofKazakh (6.4%), together with smaller groups, each accounting for less than 0.5% of the total population.
3,432 people were registered from administrative databases, and could not declare an ethnicity. It is estimated that the proportion of ethnicities in this group is the same as that of the declared group.[23]
The head of government in the Altai Republic is the Head of the Republic, popularly elected for a four-year term. As of 2024[update], the current Head of the Republic isAndrey Turchak, who succeededOleg Khorokhordin in this post. The supreme legislative body of the republic is theState Assembly—El Kurultai, with 41 deputies popularly elected every four years. Igor Yaimov is the current Chairman of the State Assembly-El Kurultai from January 2002.
The Republic's Constitution was adopted on June 7, 1997.
The Altai Republic is ahighly agricultural region. However, it does have some industry which includes foodstuffs, non-ferrousmetallurgy,chemicals, gold mining, footwear, dairying, and timber. Tourism has also begun to be a large part of the economy, and a significant number of new hotels and resorts have appeared.
The Altai Republic is one of the few Russianpolitical divisions withoutrail access. The main paved road is the Chuysky Tract, which spans the republic from the capital Gorno-Altaisk in the north to theMongolian border in the south. The republic's main paved road threads its way through the ruggedAltai Mountains. A system of taxis and buses transports people between settlements. Within the settlements, people generally walk or ride horses.
Helicopters are used for emergency transportation, to supply remote government outposts, and by wealthy tourists. In 2012, runway capacity at theGorno-Altaysk Airport near therepublic's capital, was doubled. In June that same year,S7 Airlines started direct flights from Moscow. Prior to this, passengers used to fly throughBarnaul inAltai Krai orNovosibirsk.[24]
With thedissolution of the Soviet Union, the Altai Republic's tourism industry has greatly expanded. Although wealthy Russians from neighboring Russian regions are the most common sort of tourist in Altai, foreign interest has also grown in the area, especially due to the area's spiritual significance.[citation needed]
Popular tourist destinations tend to be concentrated in the north, where the roads are more accessible. They are also almost entirely located along the Chuiskiy highway, which is the main road from the north into the mountains, although it is currently (2006) only two lanes wide. The north is also significantly warmer than the elevated southern areas, which tend to be chilly even in the summer.[citation needed]
Some of the more well-known tourist spots in the Altai Republic include Lake Aiya, a popular bathing spot, and the picturesque Chemal region. More adventurous travelers sometimes visit the more remote Lake Teletskoye or Mount Belukha in the south.[citation needed]
Different religions are present in Altai. According to a 2012 survey,[25] 27.6% of the population adheres to theRussian Orthodox Church. The second most popular religions areethnic andnature religions, namelyRodnovery (Slavic native faith),Tengrism (Central Asians' native faith) andBurkhanism, constituting altogether 13% of the population. 6% of the population followsIslam, 2%Hinduism (includingSlavic-Vedic,Krishnaite, andTantric movements), 1% areOld Believers and 1%Protestants. 25% of the population is "spiritual but not religious", 14% isatheist and 7.4% follows other religions or did not answer the question.[25]
It is unknown when Buddhism came into Altai but in various periods of history, the territory of the Altai and its population found themselves in full or partial subjection to neighboring states, where Buddhism was the official or one of the official religions: the state of the Khitans (tenth-twelfth centuries), the Mongol Empire (thirteenth-fourteenth centuries), and the Dzhungar Khanate (seventeenth-eighteenth centuries).[27]
From 1904 until the 1930s, a new religious movement calledBurkhanism (orAk Jang, the "white faith") was popularized among native Altaians. The religion originated in Altai and emphasized the "white" aspect of shamanistic practice. Burkhanism remains an important component of Altai national consciousness and is currently being revived in several forms along with indigenous Altai culture in general.
Russian Pagan followers often go on pilgrimages to Mount Belukha, which is considered to be the location of Shambhala both by some Pagans and locals of Altai. One can often find manifestations of shamanistic spirituality in the region; for example, at points along the Katun River, local believers in shamanic religions are known to tie white ribbons to nearby trees and leave offerings of coins or food to the spirits.[28] Although shamanism is much less widely practiced today, it is regaining popularity as a result of new religious freedom following the collapse of the Soviet Union.
The indigenous Altai culture holds the lands of Altai to be sacred. The indigenous (Turkic) languages are focused on the stewardship of the lands. The Altai oral history is transmitted by throat-singers. The Altai culture was repressed during Soviet times and has been rebounding since then. The clans of all ten regions gather in the village of Yelo for a biennial cultural celebration.
There is also a large contingent of "Old Believers" who fled to Altaiwhen they split from the Russian Orthodox Church over 300 years ago.
The UNESCO World Heritage Site "Golden Mountains" protects theUkok Plateau, on which there are many standing stones andkurgans. Although archaeologists considerkurgans to be burial sites, the indigenous people believe that they are highly refined magnetic instruments for directing the flow of cosmic energy into the Earth.[citation needed] Thus, there is great local indignation about the excavation and removal of theSiberian Ice Maiden, an extraordinary 2,500-year-old mummy that had been preserved in permafrost.
Gorno-Altaisk is the location of the National Museum of the Altai Republic, which houses the mummy, the "Altai Princess", the National Library of the Republic of Altai, the National Theatre of the Republic of Altai and the Municipal House of Culture.
Regularly held national holiday Maslenitsa, Nowruz, Chaga – Bayram, received in February 2013 with the official status of the Republican celebration.
In 2013, the Altai Republic participated in theTurkvision Song Contest. The Altai Republic's entry was the song "Altayym Menin" performed by Artur Marlujokov. The Altai Republic placed fifth in the contest.
Mikhail Lapshin (September 1, 1934 – June 17, 2006), President of the Altai Republic from January 19, 2002, to January 19, 2006
Sergey Ochurdyapov (born February 24, 1974), Honored Worker of Culture of the Altai Republic. Head of the Inspectorate for State Protection of Cultural Heritage Objects of the Altai Republic since September 13, 2017. Head of theHouse of Ak-Kebek
Aruna Arna (born 30 March 1986), leader of the protest movement in Altai Republic.
^Also colloquially, and primarily referred to in Russian to distinguish from the neighbouringAltai Krai asGornyi Altai (Russian:Горный Алтай,romanized: Gornyy Altay,lit. 'the mountainous Altai').
^Official throughout the Russian Federation according to Article 68.1 of theConstitution of Russia
^It is used in official spheres of communication in places where its speakers live compactly (Article 4 of the law "On Languages of Peoples Living in the territory of the Altai Republic").
7 июня 1997 г. «Конституция Республики Алтай (Основной Закон)», в ред. Конституционного закона №5-КРЗ от 27 ноября 2007 г. (June 7, 1997Constitution of the Altai Republic (Basic Law), as amended by the Constitutional Law #5-KRZ of November 27, 2007. ).
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