Altai Krai

Altai Krai is a subject of the Russian Federation. It is part of the Siberian Federal District and is part of the West Siberian economic region.

Formed on September 28, 1937. The administrative center is the city of Barnaul.

Borders with the Altai Republic, Novosibirsk, Kemerovo regions of Russia, Pavlodar, Abay and East Kazakhstan regions of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

The Altai Krai is located 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.

Tourism

In recent years, the role of tourism and related services in the economy of the Altai Territory has been increasing. The tourist flow in the Altai Territory increased by 5% in 2023 (compared to 2022), to 2.3 million people and has maintained a mark of more than 2 million tourists for several years. Horse riding and skiing are also developing. Since 2019, the Altai Territory has been implementing the federal project “Gastronomic Map of Russia” on its territory, aimed at promoting dishes of modern regional cuisine. In 2024, more than 2.9 billion rubles were invested in the development of tourism in the region.

According to the Altai Territory Department for the Development of Tourism and Resort Activities, as of 2020, there are 41 health resorts, 305 hotels and other collective accommodation facilities, 164 tourist centers and recreation organizations, 180 guest houses operating in the Altai Territory. And their one-time capacity is about 50 thousand places.

Attractions: what to see?

Altai Mountains are a mountain range in Central Asia, where Russia, China, Mongolia, and Kazakhstan converge, and where the rivers Irtysh and Ob have their headwaters.

Barnaul is the largest city and administrative centre of Altai Krai, Russia, located at the confluence of the Barnaulka and Ob rivers in the West Siberian Plain. As of the 2021 census, its population was 630,877, making it the 20th-largest city in Russia and the fourth-largest in the Siberian Federal District.

Belokurikha is a town and a balneological resort. As of the 2010 Census, its population was 14,661. See also Belokurikha ski resort and Tserkovka Mount.

Biryuzovaya Katun is a natural and extreme tourism complex. It has the status of a special economic zone of the tourism and recreational type.

Srostki is a rural locality (a selo) and the administrative center of Srostinsky selsoviet, Biysky District. Vasily Shukshin, a prominent Soviet actor and Village Prose writer, was born here in 1929. See also Shukshin festival.

Education

At the beginning of 2020, 35 organizations were engaged in various types of scientific, design and survey activities in the Altai Territory. In 2021, higher education in the Altai Territory is provided by 12 state universities, as well as several branches and representative offices of universities from other regions.

The largest universities and institutes are located in Barnaul. Among them, Altai State University, Altai State Technical University, Altai State Agrarian University, Altai State Medical University, Altai State Pedagogical University, Altai State Institute of Culture, Altai Academy of Economics and Law, Altai Economics and Law Institute, Altai Institute of Financial Management and Barnaul Law Institute of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia.

About 3,700 people are engaged in scientific research in universities and research organizations, including more than 250 doctors of science and almost 1,500 candidates of science.