Altai Territory is located in Western Siberia. It borders in the
north with the Novosibirsk region, in the northeast with the Kemerovo
region, in the southeast with the Altai
Republic.
It has a federal border in the south and west with
the East Kazakhstan and Pavlodar regions of Kazakhstan.
First of all, the Altai region
can be characterized by high natural diversity. There are vast steppes,
ribbon forests, and mountains. The steppe zone is interesting for its
salt lakes that have medicinal properties, the most famous and popular
of which is Lake Yarovoye. In the south, closer to the border with the
Altai Republic, the mountainous part of the region begins. The
mountains, of course, here are not as high as in the Altai Republic, and
from the point of view of mountaineering they are not interesting, but
clean air, developed infrastructure and a mild climate (relative to
other regions of Siberia) attract many tourists. There is a
balneological resort - the city of Belokurikha, a special economic
recreational zone - Turyuzovaya Katun, and many tourist centers on the
border with the Altai Republic. In the Altai region there are many caves
that attract speleotourists, and the Biya and Katun rivers attract
rafting enthusiasts. Ribbon pine forests are rich in berries, mushrooms
and various living creatures. In addition, the Altai Territory is one of
the most developed agricultural regions of Siberia.
Barnaul
Biysk
Belokurikha
Srostki
By plane
Barnaul Airport accepts flights from Moscow and some
other cities. Flights abroad are exclusively charter flights, and
regular international flights are only to Novosibirsk, where the choice
of domestic flights is much larger. In the summer months, SiLa Airlines
operates flights to Belokurikha from Tomsk, Gorno-Altaisk and some other
Siberian cities on light twin-engine aircraft.
By train
Along
the Trans-Siberian Railway, then along the West Siberian Railway to the
populated areas of the region.
From Moscow from the Kazansky
station according to a special schedule by train No. 036B Moscow-Barnaul
“Altai” or by train No. 096N to the populated areas of the region.
Travel time is about 2.5 days, distance is less than 3500 kilometers.
By car
From the Novosibirsk region the shortest route is along
the Chuysky tract (route P256). An alternative road along the left bank
of the Ob will be of interest mainly to those who want to visit
Kamen-on-Obi; it is almost twice as long and, despite many years of
repairs, contains bad areas.
From the Kemerovo region the
Altai-Kuzbass road is unusual in that it is laid along the route of an
unfinished railway. There are smooth curves, slight slopes, monumental
bridges, and there is only one settlement along the 240 km route. In the
Altai Territory, the road enters the Chuysky tract in the Talmenka area
(80 km north of Barnaul), and on the eastern side it abuts the “Kuzbass
Autobahn” Kemerovo-Novokuznetsk in the Leninsk-Kuznetsky area.
Alternative route: Novokuznetsk–Biysk road via Tselinnoye; it is
passable for any vehicle, but has unpaved areas.
From the Altai
Republic it is best to travel along the Chuysky tract. On other roads,
at a minimum, there will be no asphalt, and you may need an all-terrain
vehicle.
Three roads lead to Kazakhstan, heading to Pavlodar,
Semey (via Rubtsovsk) and Ust-Kamenogorsk (via Zmeinogorsk). There are
border checkpoints on these roads - 24-hour and multi-way. The remaining
crossings are so-called “border crossing points”; only residents of
border areas can use them.
1 Turquoise Katun. Tourist and recreational special economic zone on
the border of the Altai Territory and the Altai Republic
2 Cascade
of waterfalls on the Shinok River, the border of the Soloneshensky
district of the Altai Territory and the Ust-Kansky region of the Altai
Republic (10 km from Denisova Cave). State nature reserve. Shinok is a
small river about 15 km long, a tributary of the Anui River. A
significant part of the river passes through a rocky gorge, in which
there are about 9 waterfalls. The largest of them is the third from the
mouth, the height of which is 70 meters. The distance from the highway
to the waterfalls is about 13 kilometers, half of the route in dry
weather is passable for off-road vehicles. At this half of the route
there is a small tourist base. Falls delivery services are offered in
the surrounding area.
3 Denisova Cave, border of the Soloneshensky
district of the Altai Territory and the Ust-Kansky region of the Altai
Republic. The cave is interesting for its archaeological finds. During
excavations of the cave, more than 20 cultural layers of different eras
were revealed, more than 80,000 exhibits were collected, including
various tools, weapons, jewelry, remains of animals and plants. In 2008,
another interesting exhibit was found here - the phalanx of the little
finger of a girl who lived about 30-75 thousand years ago. DNA analysis
led to the discovery of another species of human, distinct from
Neanderthals and modern humans, called Denisovan man. Currently,
archaeologists are still working in the cave. Excursions are available.
4 Museum of Cosmonautics named after G.S. Titova, village Polkovnikovo,
st. Shkolnaya, 3a.
5 Splices. A village on the banks of the Katun on
the federal highway M52 (P256). It is famous for the fact that the
Soviet writer, actor and director Vasily Makarovich Shukshin (1929 -
1974) was born and lived here. The heroes of his works were ordinary
people from Russian villages. The village hosts the Shukshin Readings -
a festival in memory of the writer. His monument is erected on Mount
Picket. There is a Shukshin museum-reserve. The village itself is very
neat and beautiful and makes a very pleasant impression. Near the
highway there is a fairly expensive market, large and tidy by local
standards, where you can buy various pickles and brews, as well as mead
(an alcoholic drink made from honey).
6 Lake Aya.
7 Lake Svetloe (Swan). The wintering place of
whooper swans, arriving here in November from the north of Western
Siberia, from the outskirts of Salekhard. The lake does not freeze in
winter thanks to warm springs with a temperature of about +5 degrees.
The nearby Kokshi River also does not freeze, and swans can also be
found on its channels. In winter, there are about 400-500 individuals on
the lake. In addition to swans, you can also find other bird species
here, such as mallards (wild ducks). The best time for observation is in
the morning, around 9-10 o'clock, when the reserve workers feed the
birds. A special bridge has been built for observation, for entry to
which you need to pay 50 rubles per person. How to get there: from Biysk
you need to go to the village of Sovetskoye, where you need to turn
towards the village of Urozhainoye. After passing the last houses in
Urozhainy, turn right, after which after a short distance there will be
a parking lot, from which you need to walk about 300 meters to the lake.
There is a market in the parking lot where you can buy souvenirs and
local products.
8 Kolyvan Lake. Interesting picturesque rocks
around.
Salt lakes of the steppe zone:
9 Big Yarovoye Lake.
Bitter-salty lake in the Kulundinskaya steppe, 15 km from the border
with Kazakhstan. It is interesting for its healing properties (salt
water and healing mud) and quite developed infrastructure. The town of
Yarovoye is located on the shore of the lake. A popular recreational
destination for residents of Western Siberia. Not far away there is
another bitterly salty lake - Maloye Yarovoye, without any tourist
infrastructure, where it makes sense to go “savage”.
10 Kulunda
Lake.
11 Lakes near the village of Zavyalovo.
Hotel complex "Visit", Sovetskoye village, st. Yubileinaya 13. From 750 rubles per room. A small budget but quite cozy hotel in a two-story private house in the village of Sovetskoye. 4 rooms with a shared kitchen, shower and toilet on the first floor, something similar on the second floor. A convenient place to stay for the night for those traveling by car to Swan Lake, which is about half an hour away from here, and, apparently, not comparable in price with hotels in nearby Biysk and Belokurikha. There is a bathhouse and barbecue.
The Altai Territory is characterized by a stable political situation. There has been a long-term stable balance between political forces, there are no acute conflicts between them, and the population is little politicized. The balance of political forces generally corresponds to the Russian average. There are no local opposition parties or movements. There are also no prominent and charismatic leaders. The governor and mayors of cities are perceived by the population more as economic officials than as unquestioning authorities. Conversations on political topics are completely acceptable and do not lead to a showdown. There have been no interfaith and interethnic conflicts in the region for a long time and are not predicted in the near future.
The crime situation in the region does not differ from the average in Russia. However, you need to be especially careful in remote, sparsely populated areas of the region (Zalesovsky, Loktevsky, Soltonsky), where in the past there were forced labor camps and today a significant number of descendants of their former special contingent live, leading an asocial lifestyle and engaging in thefts and robberies. Also unfavorable in terms of crime are small towns and villages that have experienced a significant decline in the economy and social sphere in recent years (Gornyak, Slavgorod). In these areas and settlements, it is better not to travel in the dark. There are separate pockets of increased crime in the largest cities of the region, Barnaul and Biysk, confined to train stations, markets, the “private sector,” and hostels. An unfavorable crime situation has also formed near the lakes Zavyalovo, Guseletovo, Malinovoye, and Burlinskoye, which have become popular in recent years. You have to keep your eyes open here.
Most of the Altai Territory is located on the West Siberian lithospheric plate, so earthquake sources cannot occur here. An exception is the area of the city of Kamen-on-Obi, where seismic events with a magnitude of up to 5.5 are possible. However, the earthquake-prone Altai mountain system is very close, which means that strong earthquakes still occur, on average once every 50 years. Seismic waves from these earthquakes caused strong ground shaking in the Altai region in 1931, 1989 and 2003. However, this did not cause casualties or dangerous destruction. Therefore, for a traveler, the likelihood of suffering from an earthquake remains quite low, which cannot be said about weather conditions.
The Altai Territory is located at the junction of four heterogeneous
climatic zones. From the west and southwest - the vast steppes and
deserts of Kazakhstan and Central Asia, from the south and east - the
Altai Mountains, from the northeast - low mountains (Salair Ridge,
Kuznetsk Alatau) and the Siberian taiga, from the north - the huge West
Siberian Plain with open access to the Arctic Ocean. This location makes
the climate of the Altai Territory very complex: it does not fall under
any of the characteristic climate types and is transitional. In
addition, the territory of the region is heterogeneous in terms of
climate and is divided into at least 6 climatic zones and many more
microclimate zones. For this reason, on the territory of the Altai
Territory all types of extreme climate manifestations of the surrounding
territories are repeated with high regularity, and the complex
interaction of air masses at the junction of climatic zones regularly
creates dangerous weather phenomena leading to death or injury to people
and significant material damage. When traveling around the Altai
Territory, always have an up-to-date weather forecast and information
about current storm warnings. This information can be obtained on the
official website of the Altai Central Hydrometeorological Service
http://meteo22.ru. Keep in mind that a seemingly harmless thundercloud
in the foothills of Altai can grow to enormous sizes within half an hour
and cause severe hail and storms that sweep away everything in its path,
and a light drift in winter can make any road impassable within half an
hour. Altai weather, especially in sparsely populated areas, does not
forgive carelessness!
Winter in the Altai Territory, although not
every year, can be very severe. From December 15 to February 20, severe
frosts are likely; at night temperatures can drop to -40 degrees. When
going outside, dress appropriately for the weather. Drivers should
exercise caution due to icy conditions. Even with not very strong winds,
the risk of snowstorms and snow drifts on the roads is very high. This
is due to the fact that to the west of the Altai Territory all the way
to the Caspian Sea there are the endless steppes of Kazakhstan, from
where snow is freely transferred to the territory of the region and
begins to settle in forests and on ridged landforms. Usually, during
snowstorms, traffic on the roads of the Altai Territory is limited or
closed altogether. In 2013 and 2016/2017, snow drifts on the roads led
to deaths in cars covered in snow. Therefore, if you receive a warning
about a blizzard, do not travel outside populated areas: the road may
become impassable in a matter of minutes. The danger for drivers is fog,
which is quite common in the region in winter, as well as the
accumulation of cold air in low relief areas. When traveling to the
Altai Territory in a car with a diesel engine, be sure to fill only with
winter fuel.
Spring usually comes to the Altai Territory in early
March, and the peak of snow melting is in early April. The sparsely
forested nature of most territories of the Altai Territory causes
intense snowmelt. In the drainless flat zone of the steppe in the west
of the region, huge puddles can form, often merging into vast lakes that
flood roads and populated areas. In the eastern part of the region, in
the zone of rugged terrain, on the contrary, turbulent temporary flows
are formed that demolish bridges, wash away roads and also flood
populated areas. On dirt roads, especially in the black earth zone of
the region, severe muddy conditions begin. Many settlements in the
region may be completely inaccessible in the spring. As the snow melts,
the soil and last year's vegetation dry out and the risk of wildfires
increases. In the period from mid-April to the end of May in the Altai
Territory, a special fire regime is introduced almost every year and
access to forests is closed.
In the summer, usually from May 15
to September 1 (and in some years - until the end of September), a long
period of cloudless, hot and dry weather sets in almost the entire
territory of the region. On some days, temperatures can exceed +35
degrees, which creates ideal conditions for sun and heatstroke, and low
air humidity causes rapid dehydration of the body. Always carry a supply
of fresh water with you and drink it in sufficient quantities. In the
steppe regions of the region, drinking water is very hard and unsuitable
for drinking. A particular danger is posed by the rapid and sudden
changes in weather characteristic of the Altai Territory. After two to
three weeks of intense heat (+30 - +35 degrees), a cold front may pass
within a few hours, causing heavy downpours, thunderstorms, often with
fairly large hail, squally winds and subsequent cooling down to +10 -
+15. Such weather phenomena are especially dangerous in foothill areas,
where hail can reach the size of a chicken egg, and its frequency is
quite high (2-3 days with large hail annually).
Autumn arrives in
the Altai Territory closer to the second ten days of September.
Prolonged autumn rains in September are an uncharacteristic phenomenon
for the region; they do not occur every year. Usually autumn in the
Altai Territory is quite dry, so the risk of fires is high. Daytime
temperatures in September are still quite high, but frosts are becoming
increasingly common at night. The weather is usually calm, and winds are
rare in early September. In general, the most comfortable and safest
time to visit the region is the beginning of autumn, which is also
characterized by the most vibrant combination of colors, especially in
the foothills. In October, periods of very warm weather are also common
in many years. But the change of seasons can already be felt.
Atmospheric fronts are coming more and more often, the winds are getting
stronger, sometimes they blow for several days in a row. At night,
severe frosts begin. During this period, travelers need to be prepared
for the uninvited arrival of winter. It is better to install winter
wheels on your car. At the beginning of November, winter usually
arrives.
Water bodies in the region can also pose a certain danger. The rivers Biya, Katun, Charysh, Anui, which originate in the mountains, are characterized by fairly fast and unpredictable flows and relatively cold water even on hot days. The floodplain of the Ob River is very swampy. Many lakes in the steppe zone of the region have a marshy, heavily silted bottom. Therefore, a traveler should not swim in unfamiliar places. In the absence of official beaches, it is recommended to ask local residents about safe swimming places, which almost always exist.
The forests of the Altai Territory are classified as fire hazardous. Especially the ribbon forests in the southwest of the region. When in the forest, special fire safety measures should be observed, especially in the spring and autumn. It should be borne in mind that during periods of high fire danger, access to forests is closed and being in the forest will be an administrative offense. It is difficult to get lost in most forests of the Altai Territory - the forests are small, light and have a large number of roads and paths. There are large continuous massifs only in the east of the region.
Throughout the Altai Territory and neighboring regions, the situation
with regard to tick-borne encephalitis is unfavorable. Travelers should
be vaccinated or purchase a voluntary health insurance policy under the
Siberian Anti-Tick Protection program. It should be borne in mind that
an immunoglobulin injection under this policy can be performed no
earlier than 3 days after its purchase, so you should take care of
purchasing the policy in advance.
The entire territory of the
Altai Territory is unfavorable for opisthorchiasis. Therefore, you
should be careful when eating fish without proper heat treatment. It is
especially dangerous to purchase salted and dried fish from street and
roadside vendors. When catching fish, it should be assessed for
contamination with parasites and if there is the slightest suspicion of
them, do not eat the fish. In a number of areas of the region, the
situation with regard to parasitic diseases of agricultural and wild
animals is extremely unfavorable. Do not purchase it outside of
specialized places of sale and do not eat meat from wild animals. It is
extremely dangerous to purchase badger fat.
Dangerous poisonous mushrooms similar to edible ones grow on the
territory of the Altai Territory: pale toadstool, stinking fly agaric,
poisonous row, waxy talker, fringed galerina. Be careful when collecting
mushrooms and when buying them from random traders.
There are
poisonous snakes in the Altai Territory, and their activity increases in
the southwestern part of the region. In winter, in a number of regions
of the region, wolves gather in large packs that are dangerous to
humans. This should be taken into account when planning ski trips. In
the eastern and mountainous regions of the region, bears pose a danger.
Before planning a hike, it is better to check the situation with wolves
and bears with the Ministry of Nature of the Altai Territory or with the
local hunting authority.
With regard to man-made accidents, the Altai Territory is quite safe.
There are no radiation or chemically hazardous objects on the territory
of the region; the state of the technological infrastructure is
generally satisfactory and good.
The road situation in the region
is generally good, but the risk of serious accidents is high on the
P-256 Chuysky Trakt highway (formerly M52) due to its congestion,
especially on Friday and Sunday, as well as on the A-322 Barnaul-Barnaul
highway. Rubtsovsk. The rest of the region's roads are lightly loaded.
The state of public transport in the region is worrying. The fleet
of both city and intercity buses is heterogeneous and very worn out. The
situation is aggravated by the fact that buses are operated not by large
transport enterprises, but by entrepreneurs who do not have sufficient
resources. The situation with buses is more or less stable only in
Barnaul. In Biysk, the condition of the bus fleet is worse, but regular
service is ensured. In other cities, the situation is generally
unsatisfactory: there are few buses, they are of low capacity and are
very worn out. Tram and trolleybus services are also experiencing great
difficulties due to the great age of the vehicles and their severe wear
and tear; the renewal process is underway, but slowly. But the rolling
stock of commuter trains is mostly new. However, the frequency of its
movement is very small. On the Cherepanovsky and Zarinsky directions
there are only six pairs of trains per day, on Rebrikhinsky and Biysky -
two pairs, on Rubtsovsky - one.
Electrical networks in large
cities of the region are in good condition and pose virtually no threat
to electrical appliances, which cannot be said about rural networks.
When visiting the countryside, it is better to refrain from connecting
expensive electrical appliances to the network. However, since 2011,
there has been an active reconstruction of rural networks with the
replacement of outdated bare wires with modern SIP types. In such
networks, the quality of electricity will be high.
The situation
with water supply is worse. Tap water of normal quality is available
only in Biysk, Belokurikha, Zmeinogorsk and at the sites of the
Turyuzovaya Katun cluster, where it can be drunk raw at any time of the
year. In Barnaul, the water quality is also good, but the water in the
network comes from the river and is highly chlorinated. Poor water
quality in the entire steppe zone of the region (where there are simply
not normal water resources), in Novoaltaisk and Kamen-on-Obi (water
intakes from the Ob River, imperfect water treatment system) and in
Zarinsk (water intake from the Chumysh River). In rural areas outside
the steppe zone, there are, as a rule, no water supply networks outside
the regional centers. Water supply is provided by individual wells and
boreholes. Water quality depends on local conditions, but is generally
satisfactory.
The Altai Territory is located in the southeast of Western Siberia
between 50 and 55 degrees north latitude and 77 and 87 degrees east
longitude. The length of the territory from west to east is about 600
km, from north to south about 400 km. The distance from Barnaul to
Moscow in a straight line is about 2940 km, along roads about 3600 km.
It borders in the south and west with the East Kazakhstan and
Pavlodar regions of Kazakhstan, in the north and northeast with the
Novosibirsk and Kemerovo regions, in the southeast with the Altai
Republic.
Altai Territory is located in the MSC+4 time zone. The applied time offset relative to UTC is +7:00. Until March 27, 2016, it was in the Omsk time zone (MSK+3; UTC+6), after which the region, in accordance with amendments to the federal law “On the Calculation of Time,” moved to Krasnoyarsk time (MSK+4; UTC+7). The region was also in this time zone until May 28, 1995.
The territory of the region belongs to two physical countries: the West Siberian Plain and the Altai-Sayan Mountains. The mountainous part covers the plain on the eastern and southern sides - the Salair Ridge and the foothills of Altai. The western and central parts are predominantly flat: the Ob Plateau, the Biysk-Chumysh Upland, the Kulundinskaya Plain. The region contains almost all natural zones of Russia: steppe and forest-steppe, taiga and mountains. The flat part of the region is characterized by the development of steppe and forest-steppe natural zones, with ribbon forests, a developed ravine-gully network, lakes and forests.
The climate is significantly heterogeneous, which is due to the
diversity of geographical conditions. The foothill and Ob regions have a
temperate climate, transitional to sharply continental, which is formed
as a result of frequent changes in air masses coming from the Atlantic,
Arctic, Eastern Siberia and Central Asia. The absolute annual air
temperature range reaches 90–95°C. Average annual temperatures are
positive, from +0.5 to +2°C. Average maximum temperatures in July are
+26…+28°C, extreme temperatures reach +40…+42°C. The average minimum
temperatures in January are −20… −24°C, the absolute winter minimum is
−50… −55°C. The frost-free period lasts about 120 days. The driest and
hottest part is the western lowland part. Here the climate is sharply
continental in places. To the east and southeast there is an increase in
precipitation from 230 mm to 600-700 mm per year. The average annual
temperature rises in the southwest of the region. Due to the presence of
a mountain barrier in the southeast of the region, the dominant
west-east transport of air masses acquires a southwestern direction.
During the summer months, northerly winds are frequent. In 20-45% of
cases, wind speeds in southwestern and western directions exceed 6 m/s.
In the steppe regions of the region, the occurrence of dry winds is
associated with increased winds. In the winter months, during periods of
active cyclonic activity, snowstorms are observed everywhere in the
region, the frequency of which is 30-50 days a year.
The Altai
and Smolensk regions are characterized by the mildest climate, and the
Kulundinsky and Klyuchevskoy regions are characterized by the harshest
climate. The highest air temperatures in summer are observed in Uglovsky
and Mikhailovsky districts, the lowest in winter - in Eltsovsky,
Zalesovsky, Zarinsky. The greatest amount of precipitation falls in the
Krasnogorsk, Altai and Soloneshensky districts, the least in the
Uglovsky district and the western part of the Rubtsovsky district. The
highest average annual wind speed is observed in the Blagoveshchensk
region, the lowest in the Biysk region.
Snow cover is established
on average in the second ten days of November and is destroyed in the
first ten days of April. The height of the snow cover averages 40-60 cm,
in the western regions it decreases to 20-30 cm. The depth of soil
freezing is 50-80 cm; in steppe areas bare of snow, freezing to a depth
of 2-2.5 m is possible.
The water resources of the Altai Territory are represented by surface and groundwater. The largest rivers (out of 17 thousand): Ob, Biya, Katun, Chumysh, Alei and Charysh. Of the 13 thousand lakes, the largest is Kulunda Lake, its area is 728 km². The main water artery of the region: the Ob River, 493 km long within the region, formed from the confluence of the Biya and Katun rivers. The Ob basin occupies 70% of the region's territory.
The diversity of zonal and intrazonal landscapes of the Altai
Territory contributes to the species diversity of the animal world. The
fauna includes 89 species of mammals from 6 orders and 22 families, more
than 320 species of birds from 19 orders, 9 species of reptiles, 7
species of amphibians, 1 species of cyclostomes and 33 species of fish.
About 2,000 species of higher vascular plants grow here, which
accounts for two-thirds of the species diversity of Western Siberia.
Among them are representatives of endemic and relict species.
Particularly valuable include: golden root (Rhodiola rosea), maral root
(Raponticum safflower), red root (forgotten kopeck), Maryin root
(Elecampane), Ural licorice, oregano, St. John's wort, elecampane and
others.
The forest fund occupies 26% of the region's area. In
2020, forest monitoring was carried out on 1.9 million hectares of 19
thousand km². In total, the forest fund is 4.43 million hectares, and
the forests themselves occupy 3.88 million hectares and 38.8 thousand
km².
Includes polymetals, table salt, soda, brown coal, nickel, cobalt, iron ore and precious metals. Altai is famous for its unique deposits of jasper, porphyry, marble, granite, ocher, mineral and drinking waters, and natural healing mud.
The state of atmospheric air is largely determined by the location
and concentration of environmentally active sectors of material
production, the level of purification of industrial emissions from
pollutants, the concentration and congestion of transport routes. At the
enterprises of the region, gas treatment plants capture 64% of
pollutants released into the atmosphere. More than 560 thousand vehicles
are used in the region, the emissions of harmful substances of which
account for more than 45% of total air pollution, including: carbon
monoxide 69%, nitrogen oxides 37%, hydrocarbons 92%.
The main
polluters of the region's water bodies are chemical and petrochemical
enterprises, mechanical engineering, and heat and power engineering. A
particular problem is the damage caused to small rivers from shallowing
and pollution. Due to the reduction in forest cover, there is an
increase in water erosion, causing shallowing of the riverbed. Numerous
small lakes are subject to pollution by household wastewater from
settlements and livestock farms.
A number of settlements in the
region are officially recognized as suffering from radiation exposure as
a result of nuclear weapons tests at the test site near Semipalatinsk.
In addition, launch trajectories of launch vehicles from the
Baikonur Cosmodrome pass over the region’s territory, as a result of
which rocket fuel products and parts of stages burned in the atmosphere
fall to the surface.
At present, the original natural landscapes have practically not been
preserved; they have all experienced the impact of economic activity or
the transfer of substances by water and air flows. To preserve the
diversity of flora and fauna, it is planned to create an extensive
network of specially protected natural areas (SPNA): reserves, national
parks, sanctuaries, and natural monuments.
On the territory of
the region there are two federal protected areas - the Tigireksky Nature
Reserve and the Salair National Park, and regional protected areas are
represented by a system of 80 natural monuments, the Aya and Altai
Foothills natural parks and 35 state nature reserves:
The total
area of specially protected natural areas is 758.43 thousand hectares or
slightly less than 6% of the region’s area (world standard: 10% of the
area of the region with developed agriculture and industry), which is
significantly lower than the average for Russia and is not enough to
maintain landscape -ecological balance in the biosphere.
The
Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Altai Territory is
constantly working to identify new places of growth of plants and
habitats of animals classified as rare or endangered, including with the
aim of creating new protected areas.
The settlement of the territory of the Altai Territory began in the Paleolithic, for which the Karama site, Okladnikov, Denisova, Kozya, Chagyrskaya and Hyena Lair caves are known. The remains of representatives of three species of the human race have been discovered: Neanderthals, Homo sapiens and Denisovans. In the Chagyrskaya cave, tools from the West Eurasian Micok industry, which came to Siberia with the second wave of Neanderthal migrants, were found.
The settlement of the Upper Ob region and the Altai foothills by
Russians began in the 2nd half of the 17th century. The development of
the territories accelerated after the construction of the Bikatun (1709)
and Beloyarsk (1717) fortresses for protection against the warlike
Dzungar nomads.
At the same time, search parties were sent to
Altai to explore valuable ore deposits, the discoverers of which are
considered to be the Kostylev father and son. Later, the Ural breeder
Akinfiy Demidov took advantage of their discoveries. In the 1730s, at
the confluence of the Barnaulka River and the Ob, a village was founded
at the Demidov silver smelting plant, called Barnaul. In 1771, Barnaul
received the status of a city, and received the status of the capital of
the Altai Territory in 1937.
By the second half of the 18th
century, the Kolyvan-Voskresensky mountain district was formed, the
territory of which included the modern Altai Territory, Novosibirsk and
Kemerovo regions, part of the Tomsk and East Kazakhstan regions with a
total area of over 500 thousand km² and a population of more than 130
thousand souls.
After the death of Demidov, the Emperor was the
owner of the Altai factories, mines, lands and forests; their main
management was carried out by the Cabinet located in St. Petersburg. The
backbone of the local administration consisted of mountain officers. The
main role in production was played by non-commissioned officers and
technicians, from whose ranks came talented craftsmen and inventors I.
I. Polzunov, K. D. Frolov, P. M. Zalesov, M. S. Laulin and others.
The mining industry, which was the main branch of the district's
economy, entered a period of crisis after the abolition of serfdom in
1861. From the beginning of the 1870s, the unprofitability of factories
began to increase uncontrollably, and by the end of the century almost
all of them were closed. However, this trend did not affect gold mining
enterprises in the region, many of which, like the Altai gold mining
joint-stock company, existed until nationalization after the October
Revolution of 1917.
At the end of the 19th century, the territory
of Altai, the current Altai Territory and the Altai Republic, was part
of the Tomsk province.
Gradually, agriculture became the basis of
the region's economy. Along with the cultivation of grain crops (wheat,
oats, rye), potato plantings expanded, and beekeeping received
significant development.
At the beginning of the 20th century,
dairy farming and butter production came to the fore. Altai oil was
exported to Western European countries.
At the end of the 19th
century, a section of the Trans-Siberian Railway passed through the
northern part of the district; by 1915, the Altai Railway was built,
connecting Novo-Nikolaevsk (Novosibirsk), Barnaul and Semipalatinsk
(Semey).
Water transport was improved. The Stolypin land reform
gave impetus to the resettlement movement to Altai, which generally
contributed to the economic growth of the region.
The revolution of 1917 and the subsequent civil war led to the
establishment of Soviet power in Altai. In July 1917, the Altai province
was formed with its center in Barnaul, which existed until 1925. From
1925 to 1930, the territory was part of the Siberian Territory (the
regional center is the city of Novosibirsk), and from 1930 to 1937 it
was part of the West Siberian Territory (the regional center is the city
of Novosibirsk). In 1937, the Altai Territory was formed (the center is
the city of Barnaul).
The outbreak of the Great Patriotic War
required a restructuring of the entire economy. Altai received more than
100 evacuated enterprises from the western regions of the country,
including 24 factories of national importance. At the same time, the
region remained one of the main breadbaskets of the country, being a
major producer of bread, meat, butter, honey, wool, etc. 15 formations,
4 regiments and 48 battalions were formed on its territory. In total,
more than 550 thousand people went to the front, of which 283 thousand
died or went missing.
In the post-war decades, a period of mass
development of new equipment and technologies began. The growth rate of
the region's industry was several times higher than the Union average.
Thus, at the Altaiselmash plant in the mid-1950s, the first automatic
line for the production of shares in the USSR came into operation, the
Biysk Boiler Plant for the first time in the history of boiler
manufacturing used a production line for the production of boiler drums,
and the Barnaul Mechanical Press Plant introduced the design of new
coining presses with a pressure of 1000-2000 tons. By the beginning of
the 1960s, the region produced more than 80% of tractor plows and over
30% of freight cars and steam boilers produced by that time in the
RSFSR.
At the same time, in the 1950-1960s, the development of
virgin lands in the western steppe part of the region began. In total,
2.9 million hectares were plowed, and 78 large state farms were created.
Over several years, about 350 thousand people from different regions of
the country (Moscow, Leningrad, Ukraine, the Urals, Kuban), including 50
thousand young specialists on Komsomol vouchers, arrived in Altai to
participate in these large-scale works. In 1956, the region harvested a
record harvest: more than 7 million tons of grain, for which the region
was awarded the Order of Lenin. The Altai Territory received the second
Order of Lenin in 1970.
In the 1970-1980s, there was a transition
from separately operating enterprises and industries to the formation of
territorial production complexes: agricultural-industrial hubs,
production and production-scientific associations. Rubtsovsko-Loktevsky,
Slavgorod-Blagoveshchensky, Zarinsko-Sorokinsky, Barnaul-Novoaltaysky,
Aleysky, Kamensky and Biysky agro-industrial complexes were created. In
1972, construction of the Altai Coke and Chemical Plant began, and in
1981 the first coke was produced.
In 1991, the Gorno-Altai Autonomous Region left the Altai Territory
and was transformed into an independent subject of the Russian
Federation: the Altai Republic.
After the collapse of the USSR,
the regional economy entered a protracted crisis associated with the
loss of government orders in industry and the unprofitability of
agricultural production, which continued until the early 2000s. The
discontent of the population and the resulting political sentiments
contributed to the fact that for a long time the Altai Territory was
part of the so-called “red belt”; here the majority in the power
structures remained with the left forces. In 1996, the informal leader
of the left forces, Alexander Surikov, became the governor of the
region, and his associate Alexander Nazarchuk took the place of chairman
of the Legislative Assembly.
The regional budget was in deficit
for a long time, and the economy and social sector were supported by
subsidies from the federal center and loans. For example, due to the
Semipalatinsk program to compensate for damage from testing at the
nuclear test site, about 400 social facilities were built: outpatient
clinics, schools, hospitals. At one time, the budget of the
Semipalatinsk program amounted to a third of the region’s budget. The
gasification of the region, which began in 1996, played a positive role;
main gas pipelines were built, and the conversion of boiler houses to a
new type of fuel began. Over 14 years, more than 2,300 kilometers of gas
distribution networks were installed.
In 2004, the famous pop
artist and film actor Mikhail Evdokimov won the election for governor of
the Altai Territory. A year and a half later, he died in a car accident
near Biysk. From 2005 to 2018, the head of the region was Alexander
Karlin. In 2014, he won the gubernatorial elections, which were resumed
in Russia after 2004. Since September 2018, the governor of the Altai
Territory is Viktor Tomenko.