Borders of the Altai mountains. Mountains (19)

: 48°45′ N. w. 89°36′ E. d. /  48.750° N. w. 89.600° E. d. / 48.750; 89.600 (G) (I)

CountriesRussia, Russia
PRC PRC

Square741,569 km² Length1847 km Width1282 km highest peakBelukha Highest point4509 m

Etymology

Name Altai ancient, hypotheses about its origin are different. According to one of them, the name is formed by the Mongolian colloquial word “Altai”, which means “a mountainous country with alpine meadows; nomads in the high mountains." But it is also likely that this term is secondary, that is, on the contrary, it comes from the name of the mountains. According to G. Ramstedt, the name Altai comes from the Mongolian word alt- “gold” and pronominal formant -tai, that is, from the word Altai- “gold-bearing”, “place where there is gold.” This version is confirmed by the fact that the Chinese used to call Altai “Jinshan” - “golden mountains”, obviously, this is a translation from Mongolian. There is also an explanation of the origin from the Turkic Alatau- “variegated mountains”, which is associated with the color of the Altai highlands, where nearby there are areas with white snow, black rocky deposits and green vegetation. Radlov put forward a hypothesis about the origin of Turkic words al- "high", tai- “mountain”, which is rejected by modern data.

Geological structure

Geologists believe that the mountains were formed during the Caledonian era, but experienced a secondary rise in the Mesozoic and Cenozoic eras.

According to the modern concept of lithospheric plate tectonics, the beginning of the formation of the Altai mountain-fold system could be associated with the collision of oceanic islands and uplifts (Kuraiskoye, Biysko-Katunskoye) with tectonic blocks of the paleo-island arc (Uymensko-Lebedskaya, Gorno-Shorsky, Teletsky, Chulyshmansky). In the Cambrian, the blocks of the Altai Mountains represented a mature island-arc system. Starting from the Middle Cambrian, collisions of the Gorno-Altai block with adjacent structures of Salair, Kuznetsk Alatau, and Western Sayan could have occurred, accompanied by intense shear deformations. In the regions of the eastern part of the Altai Mountains, these deformation events are expressed by breaks in sedimentation and volcanism, as well as local manifestations of adakite, subalkaline granitoid and syenite intrusive magmatism. At that time there was still a sea in the southwest. In the Caledonian era (Late Cambrian - Ordovician), the structure containing the Altai Mountains was attached to Siberia, but this deformation stage is practically not reflected in the geology of the region, except for a break in sedimentation and a widespread cessation of volcanism. In the Ordovician and Early Silurian the region was flooded by a shallow basin. Apparently, there was an opening of the oceanic basin to the west of the Altai Mountains. In Hercynian times (Devonian-Permian), the ocean located to the south and west of the Altai Mountains began to close. In the Altai Mountains, the process was accompanied by the formation of subduction zones and intense volcanism, similar to the modern Andean active continental margin. Beginning in the Late Devonian, numerous accretion-collision events took place: the attachment of island-arc blocks of the Rudny Altai, oblique collision of the Altai-Mongolian microcontinent, and repeated collision with the Kazakhstan composite terrane. During the Mesozoic era, the Altai Mountains were gradually destroyed by the sun, wind and other natural forces, however, manifestations of Jurassic intraplate magmatism and associated deposits are known in the region. Over millions of years, the former mountainous country turned into a plain with elevated areas. In the Cenozoic era, tectonic processes of Alpine mountain building reappeared in Altai, forming the modern relief.

Mountain formation in Altai continues to this day: evidence of this is the earthquake of 2003 and the tremors that continue after it.

Relief

There are three main types of relief in Altai: the surface of residual ancient peneplain, alpine glacial high-mountain relief and mid-mountain relief.

The ancient peneplain is a high mountain range with a wide development of leveling surfaces and steep, stepped slopes modified by regressive erosion. Above the leveling surfaces rise individual peaks and small ridges, composed of harder rocks with relative elevations of 200-400 m. Remnant areas of peneplain with heights of more than 2000 m are modified by the activity of ancient glaciers - cut up by carvings, replete with moraine hills and lake basins.

The leveled surfaces of the ancient peneplain occupy approximately 1/3 of the entire territory of Altai. These are mainly the southern and southeastern regions of the mountainous region - the Ukok Plateau, Chulyshman Plateau, Ulagan Plateau. There are areas of peneplain both in the middle mountains (Korgonsky, Tigiretsky, Terektinsky ridges, etc.) and in the lowlands.

The Alpine relief in Altai rises above the surface of the ancient peneplain and occupies higher sections of the Katunsky, Chuysky, Kuraisky, Sailyugem, Chikhachev, Shapshalsky, Southern Altai, Sarymsakty ridges. Alpine terrain is less widespread than the surface of the ancient peneplain. Ridges with alpine landforms are their most elevated axial parts (up to 4000-4500 m), strongly dissected by erosion and frost weathering. The main forms of relief here are pointed peaks and carlings, cirques, trough valleys with lake basins, moraine hills and ridges, landslides, screes, frost-solifluction formations. The general pattern of the high-mountain alpine relief in Altai is the leveling of interfluves and a decrease in the depth of the valleys as one moves away from the axial parts of the ridges to their peripheries.

The mid-mountain relief has heights from 800 to 1800-2000 m and occupies more than half of the territory of Altai. The upper limit of the distribution of mid-mountain relief is limited by the plane of the ancient peneplain, but this boundary is not sharp. The relief here is characterized by smooth, rounded shapes of low ridges and their spurs, separated by river valleys. An extensive, dense hydrographic network contributed to the strong erosional dissection of the middle mountains. The depth of the river valleys reaches 300-800 m. Mid-mountain erosional relief is distributed mainly in the northern, northwestern and western parts of Altai. In the altitude range from 1000 to 2000 m, it is characterized by massive rocky ridges, with a predominance of steep slopes and narrow V-shaped or terraced valleys (Katun, Biya). In the altitude range of 500-1200 m, the upper parts of the slopes of the ridges are softer and leveled. The valleys are wider with well-developed floodplains and meandering channels.

Altai also has a flat terrain, which covers the peripheral part of the mountainous region and occupies the space between the foothill plains and the middle mountains. Absolute heights range from 400 to 800 m, and some peaks reach 1000 m. The relief of the low mountains is characterized by flattened or dome-shaped interfluves and gentle deluvial slopes. Near large valleys and the northern “face” of Altai, the dissection of low-mountain relief is especially fragmented. In some places it has the appearance of a rocky “badland” - small hills.

A characteristic feature of the Altai relief is the wide distribution of intramountain basins of different altitudes. They occupy latitudinal graben valleys and belong to areas of tectonic subsidence. These are the Chuyskaya, Kuraiskaya, Dzhulukulskaya, Bertekskaya, Samokhinskaya, Uimonskaya, Abayskaya, Kanskaya intramountain basins. Some of them are located at a significant altitude and therefore were exposed to the action of ancient glaciers, which formed the topography of their bottoms, others are at low (medium-altitude) levels and were more exposed to accumulative activity, being reservoirs of ancient lake basins.

Russian Altai is divided into Southern Altai (Southwestern), Southeastern Altai and Eastern Altai, Central Altai, Northern and Northeastern Altai, Northwestern Altai.

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Notes

Sources

• Altai Mountains // Great Soviet Encyclopedia: [in 30 volumes] / ch. ed. A. M. Prokhorov. - 3rd ed. - M. : Soviet encyclopedia, 1969-1978. (Retrieved October 30, 2009)
• in the book: N. A. Gvozdetsky, N. I. Mikhailov. Physical geography of the USSR. M., 1978.
• Online

Literature

• Murzaev E. M. Dictionary of folk geographical terms. 1st ed. - M., Mysl, 1984.
• Murzaev E. M. Turkic geographical names. - M., Vost. lit., 1996.
• // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - St. Petersburg. , 1890-1907.

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Mountain systems of Asia

An excerpt characterizing the Altai Mountains

“I’m very glad that you came,” Princess Marya began, without raising her eyes and feeling how quickly and strongly her heart was beating. “Dronushka told me that you were ruined by the war.” This is our common grief, and I will not spare anything to help you. I’m going myself, because it’s already dangerous here and the enemy is close... because... I give you everything, my friends, and I ask you to take everything, all our bread, so that you don’t have any need. And if they told you that I am giving you bread so that you can stay here, then this is not true. On the contrary, I ask you to leave with all your property to our Moscow region, and there I take it upon myself and promise you that you will not be in need. They will give you houses and bread. - The princess stopped. Only sighs were heard in the crowd.
“I’m not doing this on my own,” the princess continued, “I’m doing this in the name of my late father, who was a good master to you, and for my brother and his son.”
She stopped again. No one interrupted her silence.
- Our grief is common, and we will divide everything in half. “Everything that is mine is yours,” she said, looking around at the faces standing in front of her.
All eyes looked at her with the same expression, the meaning of which she could not understand. Whether it was curiosity, devotion, gratitude, or fear and distrust, the expression on all faces was the same.
“Many people are pleased with your mercy, but we don’t have to take the master’s bread,” said a voice from behind.
- Why not? - said the princess.
No one answered, and Princess Marya, looking around the crowd, noticed that now all the eyes she met immediately dropped.
- Why don’t you want to? – she asked again.
Nobody answered.
Princess Marya felt heavy from this silence; she tried to catch someone's gaze.
- Why don’t you talk? - the princess turned to the old man, who, leaning on a stick, stood in front of her. - Tell me if you think anything else is needed. “I’ll do everything,” she said, catching his gaze. But he, as if angry at this, lowered his head completely and said:
- Why agree, we don’t need bread.
- Well, should we give it all up? Do not agree. We don’t agree... We don’t agree. We feel sorry for you, but we do not agree. Go on your own, alone...” was heard in the crowd from different directions. And again the same expression appeared on all the faces of this crowd, and now it was probably no longer an expression of curiosity and gratitude, but an expression of embittered determination.
“You didn’t understand, right,” said Princess Marya with a sad smile. - Why don’t you want to go? I promise to house you and feed you. And here the enemy will ruin you...
But her voice was drowned out by the voices of the crowd.
“We don’t have our consent, let him ruin it!” We don’t take your bread, we don’t have our consent!
Princess Marya again tried to catch someone's gaze from the crowd, but not a single glance was directed at her; the eyes obviously avoided her. She felt strange and awkward.
- See, she taught me cleverly, follow her to the fortress! Destroy your home and go into bondage and go. Why! I'll give you the bread, they say! – voices were heard in the crowd.
Princess Marya, lowering her head, left the circle and went into the house. Having repeated the order to Drona that there should be horses for departure tomorrow, she went to her room and was left alone with her thoughts.

For a long time that night, Princess Marya sat at the open window in her room, listening to the sounds of men talking coming from the village, but she did not think about them. She felt that no matter how much she thought about them, she could not understand them. She kept thinking about one thing - about her grief, which now, after the break caused by worries about the present, had already become past for her. She could now remember, she could cry and she could pray. As the sun set, the wind died down. The night was quiet and fresh. At twelve o'clock the voices began to fade, the rooster crowed, the full moon began to emerge from behind the linden trees, a fresh, white mist of dew rose, and silence reigned over the village and over the house.
One after another, pictures of the close past appeared to her - illness and her father’s last minutes. And with sad joy she now dwelled on these images, driving away from herself with horror only one last image of his death, which - she felt - she was unable to contemplate even in her imagination at this quiet and mysterious hour of the night. And these pictures appeared to her with such clarity and with such detail that they seemed to her now like reality, now the past, now the future.
Then she vividly imagined that moment when he had a stroke and was dragged out of the garden in the Bald Mountains by the arms and he muttered something with an impotent tongue, twitched his gray eyebrows and looked at her restlessly and timidly.
“Even then he wanted to tell me what he told me on the day of his death,” she thought. “He always meant what he told me.” And so she remembered in all its details that night in Bald Mountains on the eve of the blow that happened to him, when Princess Marya, sensing trouble, remained with him against his will. She did not sleep and at night she tiptoed downstairs and, going up to the door to the flower shop where her father spent the night that night, listened to his voice. He said something to Tikhon in an exhausted, tired voice. He obviously wanted to talk. “And why didn’t he call me? Why didn’t he allow me to be here in Tikhon’s place? - Princess Marya thought then and now. “He will never tell anyone now everything that was in his soul.” This moment will never return for him and for me, when he would say everything he wanted to say, and I, and not Tikhon, would listen and understand him. Why didn’t I enter the room then? - she thought. “Maybe he would have told me then what he said on the day of his death.” Even then, in a conversation with Tikhon, he asked about me twice. He wanted to see me, but I stood here, outside the door. He was sad, it was hard to talk with Tikhon, who did not understand him. I remember how he spoke to him about Lisa, as if she were alive - he forgot that she died, and Tikhon reminded him that she was no longer there, and he shouted: “Fool.” It was hard for him. I heard from behind the door how he lay down on the bed, groaning, and shouted loudly: “My God! Why didn’t I get up then?” What would he do to me? What would I have to lose? And maybe then he would have been consoled, he would have said this word to me.” And Princess Marya said out loud the kind word that he said to her on the day of his death. “Darling! - Princess Marya repeated this word and began to sob with tears that relieved her soul. She now saw his face in front of her. And not the face that she had known since she could remember, and which she had always seen from afar; and that face is timid and weak, which on the last day, bending down to his mouth to hear what he said, she examined up close for the first time with all its wrinkles and details.
“Darling,” she repeated.
“What was he thinking when he said that word? What is he thinking now? - suddenly a question came to her, and in response to this she saw him in front of her with the same expression on his face that he had in the coffin, on his face tied with a white scarf. And the horror that gripped her when she touched him and became convinced that it was not only not him, but something mysterious and repulsive, gripped her now. She wanted to think about other things, wanted to pray, but could do nothing. She looked with large open eyes at the moonlight and shadows, every second she expected to see his dead face and felt that the silence that stood over the house and in the house shackled her.
- Dunyasha! – she whispered. - Dunyasha! – she screamed in a wild voice and, breaking out of the silence, ran to the girls’ room, towards the nanny and girls running towards her.

On August 17, Rostov and Ilyin, accompanied by Lavrushka, who had just returned from captivity, and the leading hussar, from their Yankovo ​​camp, fifteen versts from Bogucharovo, went horseback riding - to try a new horse bought by Ilyin and to find out if there was any hay in the villages.
Bogucharovo had been located for the last three days between two enemy armies, so that the Russian rearguard could have entered there just as easily as the French vanguard, and therefore Rostov, as a caring squadron commander, wanted to take advantage of the provisions that remained in Bogucharovo before the French.
Rostov and Ilyin were in the most cheerful mood. On the way to Bogucharovo, to the princely estate with an estate, where they hoped to find large servants and pretty girls, they either asked Lavrushka about Napoleon and laughed at his stories, or drove around, trying Ilyin’s horse.
Rostov neither knew nor thought that this village to which he was traveling was the estate of that same Bolkonsky, who was his sister’s fiancé.
Rostov and Ilyin let the horses out for the last time to drive the horses into the drag in front of Bogucharov, and Rostov, having overtaken Ilyin, was the first to gallop into the street of the village of Bogucharov.
“You took the lead,” said the flushed Ilyin.
“Yes, everything is forward, and forward in the meadow, and here,” answered Rostov, stroking his soaring bottom with his hand.
“And in French, your Excellency,” Lavrushka said from behind, calling his sled nag French, “I would have overtaken, but I just didn’t want to embarrass him.”
They walked up to the barn, near which stood a large crowd of men.
Some men took off their hats, some, without taking off their hats, looked at those who had arrived. Two long old men, with wrinkled faces and sparse beards, came out of the tavern and, smiling, swaying and singing some awkward song, approached the officers.
- Well done! - Rostov said, laughing. - What, do you have any hay?
“And they are the same...” said Ilyin.
“Vesve...oo...oooo...barking bese...bese...” the men sang with happy smiles.
One man came out of the crowd and approached Rostov.
- What kind of people will you be? - he asked.
“The French,” Ilyin answered, laughing. “Here is Napoleon himself,” he said, pointing to Lavrushka.
- So, you will be Russian? – the man asked.
- How much of your strength is there? – asked another small man, approaching them.
“Many, many,” answered Rostov. - Why are you gathered here? - he added. - A holiday, or what?
“The old people have gathered on worldly business,” the man answered, moving away from him.
At this time, along the road from the manor's house, two women and a man in a white hat appeared, walking towards the officers.
- Mine in pink, don’t bother me! - said Ilyin, noticing Dunyasha resolutely moving towards him.
- Ours will be! – Lavrushka said to Ilyin with a wink.
- What, my beauty, do you need? - Ilyin said, smiling.
- The princess ordered to find out what regiment you are and your last names?
- This is Count Rostov, squadron commander, and I am your humble servant.
- B...se...e...du...shka! - the drunk man sang, smiling happily and looking at Ilyin talking to the girl. Following Dunyasha, Alpatych approached Rostov, taking off his hat from afar.
“I dare to bother you, your honor,” he said with respect, but with relative disdain for the youth of this officer and putting his hand in his bosom. “My lady, the daughter of General Chief Prince Nikolai Andreevich Bolkonsky, who died this fifteenth, being in difficulty due to the ignorance of these persons,” he pointed to the men, “asks you to come... would you like,” Alpatych said with a sad smile, “to leave a few, otherwise it’s not so convenient when... - Alpatych pointed to two men who were running around him from behind, like horseflies around a horse.
- A!.. Alpatych... Eh? Yakov Alpatych!.. Important! forgive for Christ's sake. Important! Eh?.. – the men said, smiling joyfully at him. Rostov looked at the drunken old men and smiled.
– Or perhaps this consoles your Excellency? - said Yakov Alpatych with a sedate look, pointing at the old people with his hand not tucked into his bosom.
“No, there’s little consolation here,” Rostov said and drove off. - What's the matter? - he asked.
“I dare to report to your excellency that the rude people here do not want to let the lady out of the estate and threaten to turn away the horses, so in the morning everything is packed and her ladyship cannot leave.”
- Can't be! - Rostov screamed.
“I have the honor to report to you the absolute truth,” Alpatych repeated.
Rostov got off his horse and, handing it over to the messenger, went with Alpatych to the house, asking him about the details of the case. Indeed, yesterday’s offer of bread from the princess to the peasants, her explanation with Dron and the gathering spoiled the matter so much that Dron finally handed over the keys, joined the peasants and did not appear at Alpatych’s request, and that in the morning, when the princess ordered to lay money to go, the peasants came out in a large crowd to the barn and sent to say that they would not let the princess out of the village, that there was an order not to be taken out, and they would unharness the horses. Alpatych came out to them, admonishing them, but they answered him (Karp spoke most of all; Dron did not appear from the crowd) that the princess could not be released, that there was an order for that; but let the princess stay, and they will serve her as before and obey her in everything.

The Altai Mountains are one of the most beautiful places not only in our country, but throughout the world, and therefore attract tourists from all over the world. The nature of Altai will certainly amaze even the most experienced traveler with its pristineness and contrast. It is not for nothing that since 1998 the “Golden Altai Mountains” have been included in the list of heritage sites of the world organization UNESCO, as they are a unique natural complex of its kind.

Here you will see majestic snowy peaks, mountain slopes strewn with coniferous vegetation, many lakes and rivers with crystal clear water, waterfalls and caves, as well as animals that live exclusively in these places.

Altai Mountains: general characteristics

Most of the area of ​​Gorny Altai is located in Russia, namely in the southeast of Western Siberia. This picturesque region also covers the territory of Kazakhstan, Mongolia and China. The total length of the ridges is about 2000 kilometers. The height of the mountains ranges from 500 to 4500 meters above sea level.

The modern relief of the Altai Mountains was formed in the Cenozoic era under the influence of tectonic processes of Alpine mountain building. However, even in the Caledonian era, there were mountain ranges in this place, which over hundreds of thousands of years were practically destroyed and turned into small folds. Due to the secondary rise, the plain with hills turned into a mountainous region, as we can see it today.

The geographical location determines the continental climate in Altai. Summer here is usually warm but rainy. At the same time, the weather in the mountains is very unpredictable. Sunny days can alternate with stormy ones, and temperature changes are very sharp even within one day. Winter in Altai is usually cold with an average air temperature of -15 degrees. High in the mountains the thickness of the snow cover is about one meter, but in the foothills there is not so much snow.

The tectonic structure of the subsoil of the Altai Mountains determined the presence of rich mineral reserves. Mining of zinc and copper, quartzite and jasper, lead and silver is carried out here. And there are no such reserves of soda as here anywhere else in the world. In addition, Altai contains deposits of rare and valuable metals, which increases the importance of the region for the entire country.

The flora and fauna of the Altai Mountains deserves special attention. The plants here are very diverse, which is explained by large differences in altitude. Alpine and subalpine meadows, taiga, mixed forests, steppe and mountain tundra - all these zones cover the Altai Territory.

There are also a lot of animals and birds in these places. In the taiga forests you can meet such representatives of the animal world as brown bear, elk, wild boar, hare, wolverine, wolf and many others. A number of animals living in these areas are listed in the Red Book. Among them are deer, lynx, roe deer, otter, bustard and others. The underwater world of Altai is not inferior in its liveliness. There are about 20 species of fish in local reservoirs.

The highest mountain in Altai

The symbol of the Altai Mountains is its highest point – Mount Belukha. Adherents of extreme recreation have long chosen this place; many climbers come here with the goal of conquering the inaccessible peak. However, Belukha is also interesting for ordinary tourists, because its beauty can be enjoyed at the foot, and, according to the beliefs and legends of local residents, a person here is charged with a special energy force.

Belukha has two peaks - Eastern, located at an altitude of 4509 meters, and Western - 4435 meters. A little to the side is Delone Peak, which forms a single mountain range with Belukha. It is from its top that the Katun River takes its source.

Hikes and ascents to Belukha are organized especially for travelers. This gives you the opportunity not only to test your strength and endurance, but also to take beautiful photos, as well as get a lot of positive emotions and impressions. In addition, according to the descriptions of people who visited Belukha or at its foot, they experienced enlightenment of consciousness and felt the unusual energy of these places. It is not for nothing that the indigenous population of Altai considers this mountain sacred.

The most famous body of water in the Altai region is Lake Teletskoye. In order to appreciate its beauty, you can simply walk along the shore, or even better, take a boat ride along it. Crystal clear water in which majestic mountains are reflected - this picture will forever remain in your memory. The nature of Lake Teletskoye has retained its pristine nature and has been practically unaffected by humans. This is especially true in the Eastern part, where the Altai State Reserve, which falls under the protection of UNESCO, is located.

Lake Teletskoye is famous for its beautiful waterfalls, many of which can only be reached by water. One of the most famous is Korbu waterfall. It is located near the village of Artybash on the eastern shore of the reservoir and looks truly impressive.

Just 4 kilometers from Korbu there is another waterfall that deserves the attention of tourists - Kishte. An interesting fact is that you can only appreciate its beauty by sailing on a boat, since going ashore here is impossible.

Beach lovers should not count on the opportunity to swim here, because even on hot summer days the water here is quite cold - about 17 degrees.

Other interesting sights of Gorny Altai

The Altai Mountains are already a tourist attraction in themselves, and therefore it is very difficult to identify specific places that can be recommended for tourists to see. In addition to Belukha and Lake Teletskoye, travelers should visit:

• Patmos Island and the Temple of St. John the Evangelist.
• Tavdinsky caves.
• Chemal hydroelectric power station.
• Valley of the Chulyshman River.

Patmos Island is located on the outskirts of the village of Chemal. This place is truly mesmerizing and enchanting. The stone rocky island is located in the middle of the Katun River and is washed by its turquoise waters.

The Church of St. John the Evangelist was built right on the island, the history of which dates back to 1849. You can get to it via a wooden suspension bridge swinging over the stormy waters of the Katun.

Before entering the bridge you can see the face of the Virgin Mary carved on the rock - the work of one of the nuns who lived in the neighboring village. To the right of the passage to the island, tourists can go down to the bank of the Katun River and admire the splendor of the landscape from a different angle.

The Altai Mountains are famous for one of their natural monuments - the confluence of the Biya and Katun rivers. It is at this point that the most powerful and majestic river of Siberia, the Ob, originates. It’s worth coming here to admire this unusual natural phenomenon, because at the confluence the waters of the two rivers do not mix. Turquoise Katun and blue transparent Biya flow for a long time in two streams, only gradually acquiring a single shade. You can see all this beauty from Ikonnikov Island, which is considered the border of three rivers.

Tavdinsky caves are part of the Turquoise Katun tourist complex and undoubtedly deserve the attention of tourists. They represent a network of passages inside the mountain about 5 kilometers long. The caves have many entrances and exits. The Bolshaya Tavdinskaya Cave is especially popular. Inside it you can see cave paintings of ancient people, more than 4000 years old. For the convenience of visitors, the light is on inside the cave, and the entrance to it is equipped with wooden steps.

Tourists who prefer a beach holiday will definitely appreciate Lake Aya. In summer, the water in it warms up to a temperature comfortable for swimming. There are paid and free beaches with sun loungers and umbrellas, and you can also take a boat or catamaran ride. This place is very picturesque. It is surrounded on all sides by deciduous and coniferous trees, reflected in the clear water. In the middle of the reservoir there is a small island with a gazebo, which can be easily reached by boat or catamaran. The surrounding area of ​​Lake Aya has a developed infrastructure. There are many recreation centers, hotels, cafes and markets nearby.

The Karakol lakes are located in the highlands of the Ilgo ridge and are a complex consisting of seven reservoirs connected by streams and waterfalls. The lakes are located at different levels, and their size decreases as the altitude increases. The water in all reservoirs is transparent and crystal clear.

The Chemal hydroelectric power station is located near the island of Patmos, so these two excursions can be easily combined. Since 2011, the station has not been used for its intended purpose, but operates only as a museum for tourists. In addition to the picturesque views opening from this point, guests deserve the attention of the extreme attractions that operate here in the summer.

An incredibly beautiful place in the Altai Mountains is the valley of the Chulyshman River and the Katu-Yaryk pass. Precipitous cliffs, many small and large waterfalls, steep mountain slopes - all this causes genuine delight and pleases the eye.

This is not the entire list of attractions of the Altai Mountains, because every corner here has its own zest, is unique and delightful. A trip to these regions will definitely charge you with positive energy for a long time and give you unforgettable emotions and impressions.

And vast intramountain and intermountain basins. It extends from northwest to southeast for more than 2000 km.

Altai Mountains
The highest point of Altai is Mount Belukha and the Ak-Kem valley, view from the Kara-Turek pass
Characteristics
Square	741,569 km²
Length	1847 km
Width	1282 km
Highest point
highest peak	Belukha
Highest point	4509 m
Location
48°45′ N. w. 89°36′ E. d. HGIOL
Countries
Audio, photo and video on Wikimedia Commons

The mountain system is located on the border of Russia (Altai Territory and the Altai Republic), Mongolia (Bayan-Ulgiy and Khovd aimaks), China (Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region) and Kazakhstan (East Kazakhstan Region).

Etymology of the name

Scientific discussions

Name Altai ancient, hypotheses about its origin are different.

Geological history

According to the modern concept of lithospheric plate tectonics, the beginning of the formation of the Altai mountain-fold system could be associated with the collision of oceanic islands and uplifts (Kuraiskoye, Biysko-Katunskoye) with tectonic blocks of the paleo-island arc (Uymensko-Lebedskaya, Gorno-Shorsky, Teletsky, Chulyshmansky). In the Cambrian, the blocks of the Altai Mountains represented a mature island-arc system. Starting from the Middle Cambrian, collisions of the Gorno-Altai block with adjacent structures of Salair, Kuznetsk Alatau, and Western Sayan could have occurred, accompanied by intense shear deformations. In the regions of the eastern part of the Altai Mountains, these deformation events are expressed by breaks in sedimentation and volcanism, as well as local manifestations of adakite, subalkaline granitoid and syenite intrusive magmatism. At that time there was still a sea in the southwest. The main source of geological events in Altai is the collision of India with the Eurasian continent. Traces of three powerful earthquakes (magnitude 7 and above) that occurred about 5500, 3400-3100 and 1300 years ago were discovered in southeastern Altai.

In the extreme southeast of Western Siberia between 48° and 53° N. w. and 82°-90° E. the vast Altai mountain system extends across. The maximum absolute heights of the Siberian Altai range from 350 to 4500 m, and the increase in the heights of mountain ranges and the bottom of river valleys occurs in the southeast direction. In the northeast, Altai touches the Kuznetsk Alatau and Western Sayan; the Mongolian Altai departs from it to the southeast, and the hilly steppe spaces of the Kazakh hillocks with absolute heights of 300-500 m (with gradual transitions to Altai) are adjacent to the southwest. In the north and north-west, Altai is quite sharply limited by a steep erosion-tectonic ledge up to 300-500 m high, which can be traced approximately 52° N. w. Further to the southwest the Altai border becomes less distinct; its continuation here are low granite manes, extending far into the steppes of Kazakhstan.

The Altai mountain ranges are fan-shaped. The largest high-mountain junction here is the Tabyn-Bogdo-Ola mountain range, bordering Mongolia, located in the upper reaches of the river. Argut, a tributary of the river. Katuni. Its main peak, Kuitun, reaches 4358 m in height and bears powerful glaciation. From it, beyond the borders of the USSR, the Mongolian Altai extends to the southeast, in the latitudinal direction the system of ridges of the Southern Altai goes to the west, and the border mountain range - Sailyugem (with elevations up to 4029 m) stretches to the east, which begins the Eastern Altai. Between these mountain systems of the Southern and Eastern Altai, inside the wide-open arc they form, is the Central, or Inner Altai, the continuation of which is the ridges of the northwestern part of Altai.

Southern Altai consists of the ridges (in the direction from east to west): Tarbagatai, Sarym-Sakty and Narymsky, from which several mountain ranges are separated to the south and southwest, going towards the Zaisan depression (Kurchumsky, Azu, etc. ridges) , with little dissection and high, impassable passes. Their slopes are asymmetrical - gentle to the south and steep to the north. The ridges of Southern Altai are watersheds between the waters of the tributaries of the river. Black Irtysh and the river system. Bukhtarmy. In the highest areas they are covered with eternal snow and numerous glaciers. In the eastern part of these ridges the heights reach 3915 m, and in the western part 3350 m. The highest point of the Southern Altai (Mount Kirey) is 3790 m. The Southern Altai is characterized by high passes.

Eastern Altai consists of a series of ridges located on the watershed between the Ob, Abakan and Kobdo river systems. These are the Sailyugem, Chikhacheva and Shapshal ranges. Sailyugem (absolute height up to 4029 m) stretches along the border with the Mongolia and serves as a watershed between the river systems. Ob (argut, Chuya, Bashkaus, Chulyshman rivers) and rivers. Kobdo. From the Chikhachev ridge the Chulyshmansky, Kuraisky and Aigulaksky ridges extend to the west, which in turn separates a whole fan of ridges filling the space between the river. Katun and Lake Teletskoye.

In the upper reaches of the river. Ony (Abakan river system) Eastern Altai adjoins the Western Sayan through the Shapshal ridge. Characteristic features of the relief of Eastern Altai are significant elevation, comparative smoothness of mountain ranges with more or less gentle slopes; Dome-shaped peaks and significant development of raised, hilly plains (plateaus) are also typical. Of these plateaus (the so-called “steppes”) we will name the Chui steppe, the Kurai steppe, the Chulyshman plateau, the Ukok plateau, located at altitudes from 1500 to 2300 m and being the threshold to similar high steppes and semi-deserts of Central Asia.

Central, or Inner Altai. Two main mountain ranges (northern and southern) are clearly distinguished here, having an almost latitudinal extension and gradually decreasing in the direction from east to west. The southern chain consists of the high, massive Katunsky ridge (Katunsky squirrels) with the highest point of Altai - Mount Belukha (4506 m).

A direct continuation of the Katunsky squirrels to the east is the river gorge separated from them. Arguta ridge of the South Chuyskie squirrels with the main peak - Mount Irbistu (up to 3958 m). To the west of the Katunsky ridge, separated from it by the river valley. Katun is located in the Kholzun ridge with altitudes up to 2600 m. The mountain ranges here rise above the snow line and carry heavy snow and the largest glaciers of Altai.

The northern chain of ridges of Central Altai starts from the river. Chui North Chuya squirrels with the complex mountain unit Bish Iirdu (height 3899 m) and continues further to the west under the name of the Terektinsky ridge (up to 2891 m altitude). It is followed by the Korgonsky (2500 m), lower Tigiretsky (2255 m) and Kolyvansky (Mount Sinyukha - 1197 m) ridges. The last of them is gradually lost in the steppe plains.

A number of ridges extend radially from the Kholzun ridge to the west, sometimes separated into the system of ridges of Western Altai - Ulbinsky (1792 m), Ivanovsky (up to 2674 m), Ubinsky and others.

To the north-west and north of the Terektinsky and Korgonsky ranges there are mountain ranges in a wide fan - Seminsky (2506 m), Cherginsky (2010 m), Anuisky, Baschelaksky (2359 m). All of them are heavily eroded and have the appearance of medium-altitude mountains, without reaching the upper limit of the forest zone.

Central Altai is characterized by a large contrast of heights and the presence of wide intermountain depressions with a flat bottom (Uimonskaya, Katanda, Abai steppes), with an absolute height of up to 1000 m. As a rule, the degree of exposure of the Altai ridges increases in the direction to the southwest, and in the same direction and their patency becomes difficult.

ALTAI (from the Turkic-Mongolian “altan” - golden), a mountain system in Asia, southern Siberia and Central Asia, on the territory of Russia (Altai Republic, Tyva Republic, Altai Territory), Mongolia, Kazakhstan and China. It extends in latitude from 81 to 106° east longitude, in longitude - from 42 to 52° north latitude. It extends from northwest to southeast for more than 2000 km. It consists of high-mountain (the highest point is Mount Belukha, 4506 m) and mid-mountain ridges and intermountain basins separating them. In the north and northwest it borders with the West Siberian Plain, in the northeast - with the Western Sayan and the mountains of Southern Tuva, in the east - with the Valley of the Great Lakes, in the southeast - with the Gobi Desert, in the south - with the Dzungarian Plain, in the west The valley of the Irtysh River is separated from the Kazakh small hills. Altai is the watershed between the Arctic Ocean basin and the drainless region of Central Asia. Orographically, the Gobi Altai, Mongolian Altai and Altai proper, or Russian Altai, are distinguished. The latter is often identified with the concept of “Altai” and is part of the sublatitudinal mountainous country of Southern Siberia, forming the western end with a latitude length of over 400 km, from north to south - about 300 km (see map).

Relief . The relief of the Russian Altai was formed as a result of the long-term impact of exogenous processes on the growing uplift and is characterized by a wide variety of forms. Most of the northwestern or sublatitudinal ridges form a fan diverging in a westerly direction. The exception is the ridges of the northern submeridional orientation and the southern periphery. There are a number of vast plateaus (Ukok, etc.), highlands (Chulyshman, etc.) and mountain ranges (Mongun-Taiga, etc.), as well as large intermountain basins occupied by steppes (Chuyskaya, Kuraiskaya, Uimonskaya, Abayskaya, Kanskaya, etc. .). High mountain ranges and massifs are located mainly in the east and southeast. The following ridges rise above 4000 m: Katunsky (height up to 4506 m), Sailyugem (up to 3499 m), Severo-Chuysky (up to 4177 m). The following ridges are significant in height: Yuzhno-Chuisky (height up to 3936 m), Southern Altai (up to 3483 m), Chikhacheva (up to 4029 m), Tsagan-Shibetu (up to 3496 m) and Shapshalsky (up to 3608 m). The isolated Mongun-Taiga massif (3970 m) is distinguished by its high mountainous terrain. The highlands are characterized by peaked ridges, steep (20-50° or more) slopes and wide valley bottoms filled with moraine or occupied by glaciers. Landslide-talus slopes, formed by intense gravitational processes, are widely developed. Glacial landforms are common: cirques, glacial cirques, troughs, carlings, moraine ridges and ridges. Mid-mountain and low-mountain ranges are located mainly in the west and north of Altai. Among them, the most significant are: Terektinsky (height up to 2926 m), Aigulaksky (up to 2752 m), Iolgo (up to 2618 m), Listvyaga (up to 2577 m), Narymsky (up to 2533 m) and Baschelaksky (up to 2423 m) ridges. In the middle mountains, alpine relief features are found fragmentarily. Wide, massive interfluves with flattened and plateau-like peaks predominate, where cryogenic processes are developed, leading to the formation of kurums and altiplanation. There are karst landforms. River valleys are often narrow, steeply sloped gorges and canyons 500-1000 meters deep. The peripheral lowlands of Altai are characterized by a relatively shallow depth of dissection (up to 500 m) and gentle slopes. The valleys are wide, flat-bottomed, with a well-defined complex of terraces. Fragments of ancient leveling surfaces have been preserved on the flat tops. The bottoms of the basins are occupied by sloping plains of proluvial origin and moraine amphitheaters bordering the ends of trough valleys. In the east of Altai, the bottoms of basins are complicated by thermokarst forms.

Geological structure and minerals. Altai is located within the Paleozoic Altai-Sayan folded region of the Ural-Okhotsk mobile belt; is a complex folded system formed by Precambrian and Paleozoic strata, intensively dislocated during the Caledonian era of tectogenesis and the Hercynian era of tectogenesis. In post-Paleozoic times, folded mountain structures were destroyed and turned into a denudation plain (peneplain). Based on the characteristics of the geological structure and the age of final folding, they distinguish between the Caledonian Mountain Altai in the north-west (occupies about 4/5 of the entire territory) and the Hercynian Rudny Altai in the south-west and south. The anticlinoria of the Altai Mountains (Kholzun-Chuisky, Talitsky, etc.) are mainly composed of flyschoid terrigenous series of the Upper Cambrian - Lower Ordovician, overlying Vendian-Lower Cambrian ophiolites, siliceous-schist formations and presumably Precambrian metamorphites, which in some places protrude to the surface. The superimposed depressions and grabens (the largest is the Korgonsky) are filled with molasse of the Middle Ordovician - Lower Silurian and early Devonian. The deposits are intruded by Late Devonian granites. Within the Rudny Altai, which has a Caledonian basement, rocks of the volcanoplutonic association of the Middle Devonian - Early Carboniferous and Late Paleozoic granitoids are widespread. In Oligocene-Quaternary times, Altai experienced an uplift associated with regional compression of the earth's crust caused by the convergence of the lithospheric microplates that bound it (Dzhungar, Tuva-Mongolian). The formation of the mountain structure took place according to the type of a large arch, which in the last stages of development was deformed by a system of discontinuities, as a result of which a series of block morphostructures in the form of high ridges and depressions separating them were formed in the central and southern parts. Instrumental observations record vertical movements of the earth's crust, the speed of which reaches several centimeters per year. Uplifts occur unevenly and are accompanied by thrusts, which causes the asymmetry of the ridges.

Altai is one of the most seismically active inland regions of the world. One of the largest seismic disasters (9-10 points) occurred in the high-mountainous Kosh-Agach region on September 27, 2003. Traces of ancient disasters (paleoseismic dislocations) are known.

The main wealth of the subsoil of Altai consists of deposits of precious metals and pyrite lead-zinc-copper-barite ores (Korbalikhinskoye, Zyryanovskoye, etc.), forming the polymetallic belt of Rudny Altai. In the Altai Mountains there are deposits of mercury, gold, iron, tungsten-molybdenum ores. Deposits of ornamental stones and marble have long been known. There are thermal mineral springs: Abakansky Arzhan, Belokurikha, etc. The climate of Altai is continental in the foothills, sharply continental in the inner and eastern parts, which is determined by its position in temperate latitudes and a significant distance from the oceans. Winter is harsh and long (from 5 months in the foothills to 10 months in the highlands), which is facilitated by the influence of the Asian anticyclone. The average January temperature is (in the foothills) from -15 to -20°C; in the northeast it is slightly higher and on the shores of Lake Teletskoye it reaches -9.2°C; in basins where temperature inversions are common, it drops to -31.7°C. The recorded minimum temperature is -60°C (in the Chui steppe). Strong cooling is associated with the widespread development of permafrost, the thickness of which in some places reaches several hundred meters. Summer is relatively short (up to 4 months), but warm. The average July temperature ranges from 22°C (in the foothills) to 6°C in the highlands; in the basins and southern foothills a rise to 35-40°C or more is possible. For mid-mountain and low-mountain areas, values ​​of 14-18°C are typical. The frost-free period at an altitude of up to 1000 meters does not exceed 90 days, above 2000 m it is practically absent. Precipitation is associated mainly with western moisture-carrying flows and is distributed extremely unevenly over the territory and over the seasons. There is a clearly pronounced exposure asymmetry, in which the windward slopes of the ridges, especially the western periphery, receive significantly more precipitation than the internal basins. Thus, in the highlands of the Katunsky and South Chuysky ranges, up to 2000 mm of precipitation or more falls per year, while the Kurai and Chuyskaya steppes are among the driest places in Russia (up to 100 mm of precipitation per year). The lack of moisture in the basins is also explained by the drying effect of mountain-valley winds - hair dryers, especially in winter and autumn. In low and mid-mountain areas, an average of 700-900 mm of precipitation falls per year. Maximum precipitation occurs in summer. The thickness of the snow cover in the northern and western regions and in the highlands reaches 60-90 cm or more, in the basins - less than 10 cm, and in years with little snow, practically no stable cover is formed. More than 1,500 glaciers with a total area of ​​about 910 km 2 are known in the Altai Mountains. They are most common in the Katunsky, South and North Chuysky ridges. The largest glaciers include Taldurinsky, Aktru (Akturu) and Maashey (Mashey), whose length is 7-12 km.

Altai. Katun River.

Rivers and lakes. Altai is dissected by a dense network (several tens of thousands) of mountain rivers, according to their feeding regime they belong to the Altai type: they are fed by melted snow waters and summer rains; characterized by long spring floods. Most of the rivers belong to the Ob basin, both of its sources - Katun and Biya - are located in Altai and are its main waterways. The western spurs are drained by the right tributaries of the Irtysh River, among which the Bukhtarma River stands out. The rivers of the northeastern part of Altai (Abakan and others) flow into the valley of the Yenisei River, the southeastern outskirts belong to the drainless region of Central Asia. The total number of lakes in Altai is over 7000, with a total area of ​​over 1000 km 2; the largest are Markakol and Lake Teletskoye. Many small (usually 1-3 km 2 or less) ancient glacial lakes often fill picturesque deep trough valleys. In the north of Altai there are karst lakes.

Types of landscapes . In Altai, the altitudinal zonation of landscapes is well defined. In the lower landscape zone there are steppes, in the north there are mainly meadows, with areas of forest-steppes. In the south, the steppes form a wide belt, rising to a height of 1000 meters or more, and in some places they have desert features, turning into semi-deserts. The most common mountain-steppe animals are gophers, voles, hamsters, and badgers; birds - steppe eagle, coccyx, kestrel. The appearance of the steppes in the intermountain basins is similar. There are gazelle antelope, Mongolian marmot, manul cat, etc. In the steppe low mountains, leached and podzolized chernozems are developed, and in the depressions there are peculiar dry-steppe chestnut and dark chestnut soils. The minor forest-steppe belt is associated with exposure asymmetry of moisture and lighting, when larch (less often birch, aspen or pine) grows on the northern slopes of the low mountains, and meadow steppes grow on the southern slopes. The forest belt predominates in the Altai Mountains. Mountain taiga forests dominate here: dark coniferous, the so-called black taiga of fir, spruce and Siberian pine (or “cedar”), and light coniferous of larch and Scots pine. Among the inhabitants of mountain forests, taiga animals are typical - bear, lynx, weasel, squirrel, musk deer, deer, etc.; Birds include wood grouse, hazel grouse, nutcracker, woodpeckers, and crossbills. Black taiga on humus-rich deep podzolic or brown forest soils is widespread in the western foothills and the northeast. Fir forests gravitate to the middle part of the mountain slopes, cedar taiga - to the upper parts. In dark coniferous forests, the herbaceous layer consists of large-grass and tall-grass species; the undergrowth is often absent or consists of ground cover (mosses, lichens), to which are added shrub and subshrub layers. Larch forests occupy significant areas in the basin of the middle reaches of the Katun River, on the Terektinsky and Kuraisky ridges. Pine forests, often park-type, are distributed mainly along the valleys of the Katun and Chulyshman rivers. In light coniferous forests, the herb and shrub layer is diverse. Gray forest soils above 1700 m turn into forest-tundra and mountain-tundra. The upper limit of the forest in height ranges from 1600 to 2400 m; sparse taiga grows here with well-developed tall grass, shrub and grass-shrub layers. Higher up there are cedar and larch woodlands, alternating with thickets of shrubs (erniks) and subalpine meadows. The dominant shrubs are round-leaved birch, willows, juniper, and Kuril tea. The tall grass meadows contain many valuable species: maral root, Lobel's hellebore, blueberry, bergenia, etc. Alpine meadows, common in the highlands of the western and central regions of Altai, alternate with patches of moss-lichen cover or rocky placers. Formations of large-grass, small-grass, grass-sedge and cobresia meadows are distinguished. The highlands also feature landscapes of subalpine meadows, mountain tundras, rocks, rocky outcrops, glaciers and eternal snow. Most of the highlands are occupied by mountain tundras, which are not distinguished by a large variety of species. There are meadow, moss-lichen, shrub and rocky tundras. Above 3000 meters there is a nival-glacial belt. Among the animals of the high mountain zone, the Altai pika, mountain goat, snow leopard, and reindeer are typical. A special type of intrazonal landscapes of Altai are represented by swamps, widespread almost everywhere on flat interfluves and plateaus.

Specially protected natural areas. 5 sites of Altai (Altai Nature Reserve, protective zone around Lake Teletskoye, Katunsky Nature Reserve, Belukha Natural Park and Ukok Quiet Zone), called the Golden Mountains of Altai, have been included in the World Heritage List since 1998. Natural landscapes and individual natural monuments are also protected in the Markakolsky Nature Reserve. A number of nature reserves have been created. About the economy of Altai, see the articles Altai Territory, Altai (Altai Republic) and Tuva.

History of discovery and research. The first scientific studies of the nature of Altai date back to the 1st half of the 18th century, when ore deposits were discovered in the west and the first copper smelters were built. Russian settlers, mostly runaway factory and state peasants, appeared in the north of Altai in the mid-18th century. The first Russian settlements, including Old Believer settlements, began to emerge in the 1750s-70s, mainly along the middle river valleys. In the 19th century, the upper reaches of the rivers began to be settled, mainly by Kazakh nomads from China and Kazakhstan. In 1826, K. F. Ledebur studied the flora of Altai. In 1828, placer gold deposits were discovered. In the 1st half of the 19th century, geological research was carried out by P. A. Chikhachev (1842), G. E. Shchurovsky (1844) and engineers of the mining department. In the 2nd half of the 19th century, numerous expeditions worked in Altai, including Russian Geographical Societies, Academies of Sciences, which included V.A. Obruchev, V.V. Sapozhnikov, who studied modern glaciation and vegetation cover of Altai for a number of years . Beginning in the 1920s, a systematic study of the nature of Altai was carried out: large-scale topography and geological surveys, as well as the study of a variety of natural resources in connection with the development of mining, hydropower and agriculture.

Lit.: Kuminova A.V. Vegetation cover of Altai. Novosibirsk, 1960; Mikhailov N.I. Mountains of Southern Siberia. M., 1961; Gvozdetsky N.A., Golubchikov Yu.N. Mountains. M., 1987.