Revive Altai cultural/environmental sustainability

by Altai Mir University

Project Report | Dec 9, 2014
ancient Altai musical instrument rediscovered

By Carol Hiltner | President, Altai Mir University

The epic hero Shunu rescued the Altai people from a dungeon by playing the 7-stringed dyadagan---a musical instrument out legends. Remnants of the instrument, unearthed from a kurgan in 1939, were recently rediscovered at the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg. A local Altai artisan of traditional instruments attempted a reconstruction of the 2500-year-old instrument, but the sound quality falls short.

As part of Altai Mir University's ongoing efforts to revive the venerable Altai culture, our Altai project leader Svetlana Katynova is organizing a research project to analyze the fragments, in hopes of reconstruction an instrument worthy of the legends. The dyadagan was hollowed out from a piece of solid wood, was wrapped with a thin piece of skin.

A legend tells of a Khan of Altai who had seven sons. When an invasion wiped out all of his people, he made his seven sons into a musical instrument and hid it in the cleft of the mountains. The instrument absorbed all the sounds of nature and could play by itself, emitting marvelous melodies. There are many related legends from Altai oral history, including one about a constellation of seven "men of power."

Recently, I was sent a video shot next door to Altai in Mongolia where the music is in the same tradition. The video is in Dutch, but the music is fabulous, showing the richness and the international impact of the musical renaissance we are fostering in the Altai Mountains. The link is attached.

Thank you for your continuing support for such valuable projects.

Links:

phenomenal music in the Altai tradition

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Sep 5, 2014
Flood re-building is underway; free kids' camp moved to higher ground

By Carol Hiltner | President, Altai Mir University

Jun 2, 2014
State of Emergency declared in Altai flooding

By Carol Hiltner | President, Altai Mir University

Flooded bridge in Altai Republic

Altai Republic is under water and bridges have been swept away. Because the villages are all on riverbanks, most of the housing for 200,000 people has been flooded. Help is needed. Here is the letter from Svetlana Katynova, who implements all our humanitarian projects there.

"For the last week we have lived in anxiety, because in Altai there were torrential rains for several days. A State of Emergency was declared in the Republic. Under our house and around the house [in Gorno-Altaisk City] is standing water, and nothing can be done. In the city, houses and streets are flooded, bridges demolished.

It is not only nature to blame here, but also the people who built an artificial lake in the hills. It all burst and water gushed down in a huge flood into the city.

In Ust-Koksa district [where the sacred Mount Belukha is], the situation is very dangerous. I'm not only talking about our lands -- the buildings are entirely in the water. The bridges at Kucherla, Tyungur, and Katanda are all demolished and impassable. People were left without communication. Snow and rain are interspersed. The Katyn [River] has flooded the lower and upper parts of Tyungur Village, leaving only islands.

Children from Ust-Koksa district who go to [public, residential] schools in Gorno-Altaisk have finished the school year, but they cannot get home. You know that in my [600 square foot] house we will make a place for each.

Consequences of flooding will be extremely severe. You know about our unpaved roads and rickety bridges. And many people live only on what they can grow during our short summer.

But I really hope that this is just Nature warning people that Altai will not punish us too harshly for our failure to care for the sacred lands.

Both the immediate and longer-term problems are food, water, shelter, and water-borne disease. Any help you can give at this time will be used for these most basic needs.

Links:

Photos of Altai floods

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