Altai is a land of unparalleled beauty. Mighty mountains, all their kind literally screaming about their incredible antiquity, dense forests, in which it is so easy to get lost, lakes with clear water … Of course, these natural beauties are not always easy to get to, but if you dare, you will have an unforgettable experience .
Many consider the Republic of Altai and the Altai Territory to be the same region, although in reality these are different parts of the country located in the neighborhood.
The modern territory of Altai until the middle of the 18th century was part of the Mongolian states.
Scientists consider Altai to be the ancestral home of Turkic languages and the very word “Turk”. Thanks to this, a special direction appeared in the world science – Altaic studies.
Altai mountain Belukha, towering at 4509 meters, is the highest point of Siberia.
and Altai has about 7 thousand lakes with a total area of 600 square kilometers. The largest lake, Teletskoye, has a depth of 325 meters. The water in it is so transparent that the pebbles on the bottom are visible even at a depth of 15 meters.
In 2003, an earthquake with an intensity of up to 9 points occurred in Altai, the most destructive in recent decades. Fortunately, no one was killed and seriously injured – only a few people were slightly injured. At the same time, the earthquake destroyed almost 2,000 residential buildings, causing more than 1 billion rubles in damage to the republic.
There is no railway in the Altai Republic.
Altai is the most heavily credited Russian region, since 99% of the republic’s population has debts to banks. At the same time, the average amount of debt is about 106 thousand rubles, which is the lowest in Russia.
Every year in the Altai, the holiday Dylgayak is celebrated – the true Altai New Year.
The republic’s budget is replenished mainly due to tourism – about a million people come to see the beauty of Altai every year.
In one of the mounds on the Altai plateau, a mummy of a young woman was discovered, named “Princess Ukoka”. The body lay for a long time in the frozen earth, and some residents of Altai consider the dead girl to be the keeper of peace in the republic. In their opinion, in recent years a series of natural disasters hit the Altai just because of the ruin of the tomb of the “princess”.
Altai cave Kek-Tash (in the translation from Altai this name means “blue stone”) is the deepest cave in Siberia. It leaves in the thickness of the mountain for 350 meters and has a length of moves of 2.3 kilometers. The total area of the natural monument reaches one hectare.
High-altitude Shavlinsky lakes in the Altai are known for their bright turquoise water, which has acquired such color as a result of melting of glaciers.
The museum cave in Gorny Altai is famous for its stalactites and stalagmites of various shapes and sizes. They are so beautiful that they remind the exhibits from the exhibition, so the cave got its name. The cave consists of 6 large halls, connected by narrow passages.
On the Altai island of Patmos, on the rocks above the local church an icon of the Virgin is carved.
According to legend, it is in the region of Belukha Mountain that the entrance to the legendary country of universal happiness and prosperity is Belovodie.
