Revive Altai cultural/environmental sustainability

by Altai Mir University

Project Report | Mar 19, 2014
Major Clean-Up of Sacred Mountain Planned

By Carol Hiltner | President, Altai Mir University

International crew from 2006 clean-up

An ongoing problem in Altai Republic is the disrespecting of sites that are sacred to the Altai people. This takes many forms, but the garbage left on sacred Mount Belukha by tourists and climbers has been particularly egregious. The mountain is both a Russian national park and and UNESCO World Heritage Site.

However, our Altai partner Svetlana Katynova knows how to "make lemonaid from the lemons." She's using the 100th anniversary of the first ascent of Mount Belukha (altitude 14,783 feet) as impetus for the first-ever major clean-up of the complex of trails around the mountain. In 2006, an Altai Mir University expedition did a clean-up at the base of the mountain, but this project is much more ambitious.

The clean-up is co-organized with Igor Saylankin (Director of National Nature Park “Belukha”) and supported by the Altai Republic Ministry of Tourism, Ust Koksa District Administration, owners of local tourist facilities, and local individuals involved in tourism.

100 kilometers of trails will be divided into sections for which groups from different cities are being invited to take responsibility.

o    Garbage and fallen trees will be cleared, signs and pit toilets installed.
o    Local horsemen and tourist facilities will provide logistical support.
o    Recently, a 2-meter-wide right-of-way has been granted to the park for trail that crosses private land. This is a major accomplishment.

Svetlana and I -- and the Altai people -- thank you for your ongoing support, which makes projects like this possible.

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Dec 17, 2013
Your Contributions Make a Difference: Important New Book Published about Altai Culture

By Carol Hiltner | President, Altai Mir University

Sep 16, 2013
Hitching posts anchor Altai people between the three worlds

By Svetlana Katynova | Altai Project Manager, Altai Mir University

A hitching post

The Altai people deeply spiritual, but they are also semi-nomadic horsemen, so it is fitting that the an object as practical as a hitching post is central to their sacred culture.

The deep symbology of the hitching post serves the Altai people in their efforts to sustain their culture, so that they can continue to care for their traditional lands, which are sacred to them. Even though many Altai families are now living in cities far from their beloved horses, ceremonial installation of a hitching post can serve to tie them to their ancient culture. This is one of the projects which your donations support.

A home's hitching post documents who lives there

As late as the middle of the 20th Century, every Altai home had a hitching post, installed on the right side of the home. Horses were tied to it, but it was also constructed to document information about the ancestral lineage of the family. A similar post was installed inside the yurt, to document information about how many sons and daughters the family had, the year the couple was married, and more.

The symbology of the hitching post

The design of the hitching post conveys the Altai cosmology of the three worlds. The upper part of the post rests against the sky and connects people here on Earth with those in the afterllife. The middle rests on the ground and is the backbone of life on Earth. The buried section represents the underworld -- that which is hidden from our awareness.

Ceremony to maintain the connection between the three worlds

A hitching post is installed is more than a concrete material object. To pay homage to the upper world, people put food at the base of the hitching post to satisfy people in the afterlife. People give thanks, say blessings, sing songs, and conduct other ceremonies. Through the post, Altai people can speak to the other worlds.

When we ceremonially install a hitching post, it is a fusion of the material and the spiritual -- an moment of intimate knowledge about life. Thank you for enabling such joyful rituals to continue.

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