Vostochny Sayan, Mountain chain in southern Siberia, Russia
Vostochny Sayan is a mountain range in southern Siberia extending over 1,000 kilometers with its highest peak reaching nearly 3,500 meters above sea level. The range creates distinct valleys and ecosystems across its length.
The Soviet Union closed the mountain range to outsiders in 1944, a decision that inadvertently protected its natural landscape and ecosystems from heavy use for decades. This isolation helped shape the environment seen today.
Indigenous Evenk herding communities have lived in these mountains for centuries, and visitors can still encounter signs of their traditional reindeer-herding way of life today. Their presence shapes how the landscape is used and understood by those who travel here.
Krasnoyarsk city serves as the main gateway for accessing the range, and travelers should plan visits between spring and autumn when mountain paths are most accessible. Winter conditions make exploration difficult and often impassable.
A solar observatory operates at about 2,000 meters elevation within the range, conducting research on the sun and atmospheric physics. This presence brings scientific work to an otherwise remote wilderness.
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