Government and the capital of the Altai Republic. History, sights and interesting facts

Russia is a multinational state, the regions of which are represented by territories that are unique from the point of view of culture, nature, and in many respects - in the aspect of respectful and peaceful coexistence of different peoples. Among them are the Republic of Altai. What are the most remarkable stages in the history of the region? What is the basis of his economy? What are the characteristics of the cultural development of Altai today?

Let us first consider the structure of the state power of the Republic. Is it different in principle from models operating in other Russian regions?

Republic of Altai: system of power

The Government of the Altai Republic - with a narrow interpretation of this term - one of the authorities that form the system of state organization of this subject of the federation. According to the Constitution of the political unit under consideration, the wording in which is generally similar to the provisions of the corresponding basic law of the Russian Federation, the key institutions of power are functioning within the framework of the division into the legislative, executive and judicial branches.

If, however, the term is interpreted not as an authority, but in a broader sense, that is, as a system of political management, it is probably worth noting that the government of the Altai Republic is organized in compliance with the principle of delegating certain powers from the federal subject to the municipal level. The same as in most other regions of Russia.

The highest official in the structure of political management of the region is the Head of the Altai Republic. It is elected by direct voting of the population. At the same time he heads the Government (as an executive body of power). It includes various ministries of the Altai Republic. The supreme body of legislative power of the subject of the federation is the State Assembly. In the language of the indigenous people of the Republic, Altaians, it sounds like El-Kurultay. At the same time, the Government is accountable to the State Assembly. The Supreme Court of the Altai Republic is the highest authority in the third branch of power.

Administrative and political structure of the Republic

The administrative and political structure of the region is formed by 10 districts, each of which is divided into municipalities, as well as the capital of the Altai Republic. This system of organization of power is quite similar to the models of management implemented in other national republics of the Russian Federation. The capital of the subject is the city of Gorno-Altaisk.

Each of the municipal formations that form the administrative and political structure of the Republic has its own Charter, which is compulsorily registered by the Government. The heads of the MO are elected by direct vote. The constitutions of the majority of the MoD include provisions on which the head of the MoD also heads the executive body of the corresponding territorial entity. At the same time, it is possible that the key political figure of the municipality may be the head of the legislative and representative structure. For example, in Shebalinsky district, the person holding the post of the head of this MO is also the chairman of the Council of Deputies. The head of the Ust-Koksinsky district, in turn, is headed not only by the relevant representative body, but also by the MoD Administration. A similar model operates in the Chemalsky district of the Republic.

Thus, the structure of political power of this subject of the federation as a whole is similar to the models adopted in other Russian regions. Therefore, after studying its main points, let us turn to the study of the national and cultural features of the Republic, which, in turn, are unique in many aspects.

National composition

Among the most multinational regions of Russia is the Republic of Altai. The language of the indigenous population is attributed to the Turkic group by linguists. He, along with the Russian, is one of the two official in the subject of the federation. Altaians in the Republic - about 31% of the population. The majority, about 60%, are Russian. The share of the Kazakh ethnos is about 6%. In addition, this land is inhabited by a large number of ethnic Ukrainians and Germans.

Altaians - the indigenous people of the Republic

The history of the Altai Republic is interesting primarily from the point of view of the development of the indigenous ethnos. Let us consider the main stages of the ethnogeny of the Altaians, as well as their social and cultural communications with other peoples. In fact, Altaians are the collective name of several tribes speaking Turkic languages. The largest ethnic groups are the Teleuts, Tubalars, Uriyankhays, Shorians, Telengits, as well as an ethnos called the same as the title one in the Republic - the Altai, but different from the others related to it. There are more than a hundred sub-ethnic groups called seoks. Belonging to them is determined, as a rule, by the family tree. The Altaians communicate in different dialects. The language of the indigenous ethnos of the Republic belongs to the Kirghiz-Kypchai subgroup of the Turkic dialects.

The origin of the Altaians

The ethnogenesis of the Altai people varies depending on the specific territory of the region. The northern peoples inhabiting the republic appeared in the process of contacts of the Samoyedic, Ugric, Turkic, and Kets tribes. The descendants of these ethnic groups are tubalars. In turn, in the south, there was interaction between the Turkic and Mongolian tribes. So there were, for example, Telengits and Teleuts. Due to the fact that the Altai peoples of the north and south have different origins and due to the lack of large transport routes, they did not actively interact with each other for a long time, significant differences in linguistic, cultural, and social aspects remained between them. And in the Soviet era there was a noticeable consolidation of the ethnos.

At the same time, as some researchers note, many Altaians primarily identify themselves not so much as residents of the region and the titular nation, but as belonging to a particular ethnic group, seok or clan. The second, ethnographers consider, on the importance criterion - language, and also family and religious traditions, outlook of ancestors. Also, the researchers note, for the Altai people the geographical factor is important, that is, the place of a specific residence, the social environment that is characteristic of it.

Modern culture of indigenous people

Especially active processes reflecting the growth of a single national identity of Altaians of different genetic origins began to occur in the 1980s. Actually, this trend, according to some researchers, largely predetermined the fact that in 1991 the authorities declared this state sovereignty in the boundaries that correspond to the modern Republic of Gorny Altai. Received the official status of the language of the indigenous ethnos. National holidays were legally fixed, such as, for example, the Independence Day, celebrated on July 3, or the folklore festival El-Oyin. During the processes reflecting the growth of the national identity of the Altaians, one of the key historical social institutions of the people was restored - the council of clan elders, or zaisans. Now their role in the social development of the Republic is assessed as extremely important, complementing the official structures of power.

Not the last place in the development of the Altai ethnos is occupied by migration processes. In different historical periods, indigenous peoples of the region moved between the mountains and the plain. If in the years of Soviet development, as some scholars believe, indigenous peoples could gravitate toward resettlement in the mountains, now the ethnos begins to perceive itself as part of the civil society living in cities located on the plains. The capital of the Republic plays a key role in this direction, largely because after the crisis of the 1990s there were more or less significant, from an economic point of view, infrastructure resources.

Altaians and Russians

The history of the Altai Republic is also interesting in the aspect of interaction between the indigenous and Russian peoples. Both ethnic groups coexist on a common territory, traditionally supporting the world in mutual relations. The cultural life of the Republic is saturated with both national character events and Russian festivities. Some of the holidays of different nations are characterized by close cultural affinity. For example, the national holiday Dylgayak is very similar to the Russian Pancake week.

As the researchers note, the active interaction of the Altai peoples with the Russians began in the 17th century. At the same time, until about the middle of the 18th century, a significant part of the territory of the modern Republic was part of the Dzungar Khanate, with which the Russian Empire was not very friendly. This circumstance was, as historians believe, a significant barrier to further contacts of Russians with the indigenous ethnic groups of the region. At the same time, Altaians lived in not the most favorable socio-political conditions. They were surrounded mainly by hostile Mongolian and Chinese tribes. As a result, Altai zaisans - at that time their status in the national communities was close to that of the Russian princes - they asked the tsar for citizenship. So, on May 2, 1756, the Altai territories became part of the Russian Empire. From the end of the 18th century, the indigenous ethnic groups of the region began to interact especially with Russian compatriots. Residents of the European part of the Empire, moving to new territories, attracted, according to researchers, the prospect of developing arable land. Together with the migrants to Altai came ministers of the Russian Orthodox Church, engaged in missionary work.

One of the examples of the unity of the Russians and the indigenous people of the region is the hymn of the Altai Republic. It is unique in that it is presented in two versions - in the national language and in Russian. However, his second verse was written only in Altai. Officially, the anthem of the Altai Republic was adopted relatively recently, in 2001. This patriotic song, according to the researchers, in many respects testifies to the significance and influence of the centuries-old friendship of the two peoples on their peaceful and peaceful coexistence, and also on the further prospects for the development of the Republic of Altai in the socio-political and cultural terms.

Capital

What is interesting about the capital of the Altai Republic? Let's consider the basic facts. Gorno-Altaisk is located in the north-west of the Republic, in the territory of the Maiminsky District. The population of the city is more than 61 thousand people. The official history of Gorno-Altaisk, according to some researchers, has been conducted since the beginning of the 19th century. At that time, on the site of the future capital, there was a small settlement founded by one of the indigenous ethnic groups of the region, the Teleuts. At the same time, there is information confirmed by archaeologists that people lived in the Gorno-Altaisk region since ancient times.

Actively mastering the future capital of the Altai Republic has become since the 20s of the 19th century. In particular, in 1824 settlers from Biysk began to move here. They founded a village, whose name in one of the native languages sounds like Ulala. It became part of the Biysk district of Tomsk province. The development of the village, historians believe, was mainly due to the activities of the Altai spiritual mission. In subsequent decades, the merchants began to move to Ulala, after which the settlement becomes an important trading center of the Biysk district.

In 1917 there was a revolution, and the Soviets came to power. It was decided to form on the territory where the village of Ulala, Biysk and a number of other settlements located in the region were located, as well as the Oirot Autonomous Region. In 1922 Ulala became its administrative center, and in 1928 the town received the status of a city. In 1932, it was renamed Oirot-Tour. In 1948, Oirot Autonomous Region was decided to rename the Gorno-Altai. Has changed the name and the capital. From that moment it is called Gorno-Altai.

Gorno-Altaisk: the economy

Consider how the capital of the Altai Republic is organized economically. During the Soviet period, Gorno-Altaisk became a powerful industrial center. Here there were enterprises of various industrial sectors - construction, engineering, metallurgy, food, printing. Furniture and textile factories functioned. However, after the collapse of the USSR, the bulk of production was closed. One of the few remaining, which now play a key role in the city's economy and largely affect the development of the Republic of Altai, is the plant of reinforced concrete products.

Now the emphasis in investing in the city's economic system is put on the tourism industry. The culture of the Altai Republic has a long history, in fact, it links several civilizations. This makes the region an attractive area in the field of ethnotourism. There is an active development of the corresponding infrastructure necessary for the organization of recreational services. Hotels, restaurants, health centers are being built.

Tourism

One of the key objects of the city is the tract of Yelanda, located not far from Gorno-Altaisk. There is a large recreational zone. It is planned to build a ski resort, infrastructure for equestrian sports, various kinds of winter recreation. Initiatives related to the transformation of the region into a tourist center already yield results. There is information that, for example, since 2010 there has been a steady increase in the tourist flow. Some experts believe that, given the difficult economic environment in which Russia currently resides, the Altai Republic will be able to begin to attract tourists accustomed to the expensive winter resorts of other Russian regions and foreign countries.

Altai is a unique place, both in terms of geography, and in terms of centuries of development and mutual penetration of religions, cultures, national traditions. Many people who have visited here, note the special connection of the indigenous people with nature - and this feeling of harmony with the surrounding world Altaians somehow manages to convey to other neighboring ethnic groups, including newcomers. The Republic of Gorny Altai, despite a significant degree of industrialization in the Soviet era, has vast territories that were not absorbed by man. There, in the conditions of the purest ecology, a resident of a modern Russian metropolis may temporarily forget about pressing problems, rest from a bustling city and fuss. Come to the Altai Mountains!