MODERN ALTAI CRAFTS

Since the 1920s, attempts have been made in various regions of Siberia to set up craft centers. In the Altai, similar experiments were unsuccessful for a long period of time. Circumstances only began to change in the 1980s. At that time there were eight craft centers with 66 craftsmen based in Gorny Altai. The 1990s were marked by the revival of ethnic traditions and values in post-Soviet Russia. In the early 1990s, the fi rst project aimed at restoring and developing traditional crafts was carried out in the region. In 2005, the program “Restoration, Preservation, and Development of Handicrafts and Folk Decorative Art in the Altai Republic (2005–2010)” was endorsed by the government of the Republic. The program promoted the development of handicraft centers the most popular being “Kezer” and “Turina Gora.” Despite technical and stylistic differences, both strive to achieve a creative synthesis. Developing a new artisticlanguage, the modern craftsmen of the Altai are looking for ways to unite the epochs and cultures of all Eurasia.