Introducing Biysk
Friendly Biysk, 160km southeast of Barnaul, is not worth a special detour but its modest attractions may warrant a brief stop en route to or from the Altai Mountains, for which it's the nearest railhead.
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In 1709, a group of 70 Russian soldiers with five cannons built a fort at the junction of the Biya and Katun Rivers. This didn't impress the Dzhungarian Mongols, who sent 3000 men to burn it down. Biysk was re-established 20km to the east in 1718, and after the peace of 1756 was rapidly developed as a prosperous trade entrepôt protected by a big, Vauban-style star-shaped fortress (now completely disappeared).
Last updated: Feb 17, 2009
Thorn Tree forum discussion
Recent posts
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RE: Overland travel through Western China from Russia to India
by everbrite 24 July 2011
There is an international crossing from Tsagaan-Nuur in the Altai Republic of Russia to the Bayan-Ulgii province in Mongolia. There is…
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RE: Let Us Now Praise Novosibirsk
by olgatkachenko 09 June 2011
+Are there any boats to Altai or north on the Ob?+ Yes, to the North of Novosibirsk, the direction of Tomsk. I've never done it, but…
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RE: Russian Altai and Irkutsk - July 2011 (and Kamchatka)
by olgatkachenko 02 June 2011
+What would you suggest in the Altai region? What other tours / areas in that specific time frame (late July) can expose us to the mountain…
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