Historic reference about Altai Krai

For the first time Russians got acquainted with Altai in the 17th century. Exploration of Altai proceeded faster after Beloyarskaya (1717) and Bikatunskaya (1718) forts had been constructed.

Altai had long been known as the region of metal mining. Father and son Kostylevs are by rights considered to be discoverers of ore deposits in Altai. Their godsend was quite successfully taken by a well-known Ural mine-owner Akinfy Demidov who got monopoly right to building works and mines in Altai in 1726. And on September, 21, 1729 there started to function the firstling of Altai metallurgy - Kolyvano-Voskresenskiy factory.

In 1730 Demldov's messengers, who were searching for more convenient location for constructing a new bigger factory, chose the mouth of the Barnaulka river. It is 1730 that dates the foundation of Barnaul.

Altai's interiors were rich in silver. In 1744 Demidov's assistants started silver-melting production. And in 1747 empress Elizaveta Petrovna issued a decree by which Altai became a property of Russian tsars - and the Cabinet was in charge of Demidov's former enterprises. In the 18th- beginning of the 19th centuries 90% of Russia’s silver was smelted in Altai. Gold extracting was also accelerating. By the end of the century there functioned 70 placer mines and about 100 poods (1 pood = 16.8 kg) of gold were extracted annually,

The discovery of richest reserves of jaspers, porphyries, marbles and granites promoted the development of stone-cutting industry. In 1802 in the village of Kolyvan, not far from Mountain Sinukha was founded a lapidary works. Here there were created famous masterpieces of stone-cutting art many of which are preserved till present times. They are exhibited in the largest world museums. The largest vase in the world - "Queen of Vases" decorates one of the Hermitage's halls.

By the end of the 19th century mining industry underwent the period of crisis and almost all works were closed. Merchant and agrarian Altai came to change the previous epoch. In the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th centuries private manufacturing industry was presented by flour and grain mills, distillery works, winter footwear works and sheepskin wear works. Agriculture was becoming the basis of Altai's economy. In addition to growing grain there developed potato planting and apiculture was in rapid development as well. In the beginning of the 20th century first positions in agriculture was occupied by dairy farming and butter manufacturing. Altai butter was exported to the countries of Western Europe.

Stolypin's land reform had a great impact on peopling and development of Altai: labor resources grew considerably, a new advanced culture was introduced into agricultural production, and commodity-money relations expanded.

By 1915 Altaiskaya railway had been built and it connected Novonikolaevsk, Barnaul and Semipalatinsk. Water transport was modernized as well.

In 1917 provisional government formed Altaiskaya Guberniya with Barnaul as its center. It existed up till 1925, in the period from 1925 to 1937 Altai territory was a part of Western- Siberian Krai, and in 1937 Altai Krai was formed.

Economic development of Altaiskaya Guberniya was greatly affected by building of Turkestano-Sibirskaya railway in the end of the 1920s. Barnaul blended yarn factory was constructed in Altai for processing cotton from Middle Asia. There were constructed grain elevators in Barnaul, Biysk and Kamen-on-the-Ob; sugar processing factories appeared in Biysk and Aleisk, meat processing factories were built in Rubtsovsk and the village of Pospelikha. An extensive metal processing and building materials production commenced in Altai; transportation network also enhanced. By the end of the 1930s Altai changed into one of the largest agro- industrial regions of Siberia. During World War II period about 100 industrial enterprises were evacuated to Altai from western regions of our country, including 24 factories of national significance. After the war there started extensive exploration of new engineering and technology. Growth rates of industrial production in Altai were six times higher than the national average. Industrial development influenced agriculture positively. But the greatest event was the development of virgin lands (about 2619 thousand hectares). Altai gained strength, its popularity grew, and by the 1990s it stood in the lineup with leading regions of the country.

Altai's success is marked with two highest governmental awards.