Katunskoye: Fortress History and the Altai Region

• Construction of the Katunskaya Fortress began in 1748 at the mouth of the Kamenka River, where it meets the Katun, three versts from the village of Ikonnikova.
• The fortifications fell into disrepair and later ended up underwater after the course of the Katun changed.
• The bridge over the Katun near Katunskoye is part of the Smolenskiy Highway. It was built in the 1970s to replace a pontoon bridge.

The start of construction places the Katunskaya Fortress in the village of Katunskoye, in Smolenskiy District of the Altai Region. Its location at the mouth of the Kamenka, where it meets the Katun, is also part of this historical account of the settlement. The distance to the village of Ikonnikova is given as three versts; this historical unit of measurement is deliberately left unchanged.

The later fate of the fortifications is closely tied to the river’s course: they fell into disrepair and ended up underwater as a result of a change in the Katun. Thus, the settlement’s history centers on both a dated start to construction and a specific change to the landscape. The fortress’s history can be understood in terms of place, river, and chronology.

The bridge over the Katun is near Katunskoye and forms part of the Smolenskiy Highway. It replaced a pontoon bridge in the 1970s. Unlike the fortress’s history, this is a story about the development of a river crossing and its place on a named highway. If you are planning a specific trip along the Smolenskiy Highway, check current traffic information.

The Altai Region is a varied travel destination, offering different kinds of recreation and tourism as well as numerous tourist routes. In Belokurikha, forest health trails invite visitors to take walks; more challenging trails lead to Lonely Pine, Four Brothers Rock, and Shishi Creek. A chairlift takes visitors to the summit of Mount Tserkovka. Check the lift’s operating status before travelling. These examples cover walks, more challenging trails, and a mountain ascent.

In the Altai Foothills Nature Park, more than half of the park, in Smolensk and Altai districts, is designated as a recreation and tourism zone. Existing nature trails lead to rock formations, a former tungsten mine, abandoned mines, and factory villages. As well as landscape features, these routes offer a glimpse of traces of earlier work. A botanical survey recorded about 700 plant species, including relicts of deciduous forests, endemic plants, and 20 rare species listed in the Red Data Book. In the park’s steppe-meadow zone, up to 70 different plants bloom in succession on a single square metre.

The lakes and their surroundings each have their own character. Lake Aya is the main attraction of Aya Nature Park, which covers almost 2,000 hectares. At Lake Kolyvan, wind-shaped boulders formed over many millennia; some resemble animals, while others look like castles and towers. The relict plant known as water caltrop, or chilim, is also found there in abundance. White Lake in Kurinsky District is considered deep and clear, and suitable for swimming and fishing. These examples range from striking rock formations and plants to a lake described as suitable for water activities.

The Vasily Shukshin Museum opened in Srostki in 1978. It is housed in the former wooden school building that Shukshin attended and where he briefly taught; the museum holds thousands of exhibits. In Barnaul, the State Art Museum of Altai Territory has a collection of icons dating from the 17th to the 20th century, including a large collection of Siberian icons. The two museums have different focuses: in Srostki, the school building and Shukshin’s life shape the story, while in Barnaul, the focus is on the icon collection.

Discover more destinations: Yuzhnyy, Gonba, Petropavlovskoye, Rebrikha, Solonovka, Altayskoye, Shebalino, Novosilikatnyy.

When did construction of the Katunskaya Fortress begin?

Construction began in 1748 at the mouth of the Kamenka, where it meets the Katun, in the village of Katunskoye and three versts from the village of Ikonnikova.

Why did the fortifications end up underwater?

They fell into disrepair and were later flooded as a result of a change in the course of the Katun.

What different nature and cultural experiences are there in the Altai Region?

The examples range from walking and more challenging trails in Belokurikha, to Lakes Aya and Kolyvan and White Lake, and on to the museums in Srostki and Barnaul.

For the broader travel overview: Altai Region.