The small town of Biysk is a vivid example of the fact that “in the outback of Siberian ores” many unique cultural and architectural attractions can be hidden. The settlement was founded in 1709 by decree of Peter the Great. Then, on the site of the modern city, the Bikatunsky fort was located. Over its centuries-old history, the city has experienced prosperity, decline, and complete destruction. But it was he who was destined to make a significant contribution to the annexation of the mountainous country to the Russian Empire, which in ancient times was inhabited by subjects of the Dzungar Khan. Modern Biysk attracts travelers from all over Russia. Some come here as part of an excursion group, while others explore its surroundings on their own. Thanks to the numerous attractions in Biysk, you can stay for several days, and the time spent in these parts will give you vivid and unforgettable memories.
Parks and monuments, streets
Cannons of the Biysk fortress
Address: square on the street. Soviet
The Biysk fortress stood on the site of the modern city. It was built after the Bikatun fort was burned during one of the attacks of warlike tribes. In connection with this event, the fortress became the main point of defense of the Kuznetsk defense line.
The main guns here were twelve-pound cannons cast at the Demidov plant in Kamensk.
Only two have survived to this day, and the inscription reminds us of their belonging to the events of those years: “These cannons were installed on the wall of the Biysk fortress at the beginning of the 18th century.” Previously they were turned towards Mongolia, now - towards Barnaul.
Old center of Biysk
Address: st. Lenina, st. Sovetskaya, st. Krasnogvardeyskaya, st. Tolstoy, per. Kommunarsky
The old center is located on the right bank of the river. Biy.
The houses here are well preserved due to their construction using the “waste brick” method. It consists of testing the strength of bricks by dropping them from a 10-meter height. Only those that passed the test were used in this work.
The diversity of buildings hides the whole variety of architectural styles from Empire and Art Nouveau to the “lace” of Siberian architecture. In the old center there are 19th-century mansions, which are distinguished by unusual brickwork and preserved metal decorative elements. Here stands the only surviving part of the Biysk fortress - the garrison guardhouse built in 1797.
Almost all buildings in the center have turrets. Perhaps there were “observers” sitting there who reported to the merchants about what was happening in the city. According to another version, the turrets formed a warning system for fires and other emergencies.
Also, a whole system of labyrinths has been created underground in the old city. According to legend, the largest premises are located under the Bishop's Compound. In Soviet times, they tried to block the passages; they even sent workers here to fill them with concrete. But how successful this was is unknown. The appearance of the passages is associated with sectarians who were hiding there from Bishop Macarius.
Colonel's Museum of Cosmonautics named after. G.S. Titova
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The Altai Museum of Cosmonautics is located near Barnaul in the Kosikhinsky district. Here in the village of Polkovnikovo, the boy German Titov, the future Russian cosmonaut, lived and studied. The building of the school he attended today houses a museum of cosmonautics, dedicated not only to the life of young German Titov, but also to the first star flights, space programs and research in astronautics.
The Museum of Cosmonautics was founded in 1965 in the building of a seven-year school at the insistence of the cosmonaut's father. Titov’s personal belongings, family photographs and school supplies are displayed here, and the guides talk about a boy who did not like to sit at a desk and dreamed of space. On August 6, 1961, German Titov flew around the earth in 25 minutes, becoming the second person in space after the famous pioneer Yuri Gagarin. On the second floor there is a real-size model of the Vostok-2 spacecraft, on which the flight took place. After his flight, German Titov visited his museum and presented him with a fragment of real lunar soil.
In the museum you can look at space food, the uniform and spacesuit of an astronaut, which cannot be tried on, to the great regret of all tourists, young and old. In the courtyard of the museum there is a single-seat plane on which the astronaut trained. Everyone can sit in it.
Old center of Biysk
We return to our time to walk through the Old Center and get acquainted with the sights of Biysk. Being in this area of the city, you can’t help but notice that time flows slowly here, allowing you to linger at every mansion, every building of the 19th century. Some of them house the faculties of Biysk Pedagogical University.
The condition of houses built more than 200 years ago is amazing. Houses built in our time already require repairs after 20-30 years. What is the secret to the durability of mansions? It turns out that it is the strength of the brick. It is called waste - from the word “throw”. Bricks were thrown from a height of 15 meters, and the one that did not break was taken to work. In those days, all batches of construction materials passed this test.
In the merchant district in Garkavoy Park there is a bronze horseman on a pedestal - Peter the Great. It is not surprising that the monument was erected in this city. Biysk is one of six cities founded by decree of Peter the Great. The Old Center includes Sovetskaya and Tolstoy streets, which also have many interesting buildings from past centuries.
Attractions in the surrounding area
Memorial Museum-Reserve of Vasily Makarovich Shukshin
Address: Srostki village, st. Sovestkaya, 86 Phone: Website: https://shukshin-museum.ru Opening hours: Mon-Fri 09:00-17:00 (October-April), Wed-Sun 09:00-17:00 (May-September) Cost: children - 70 rubles, adults - 130 rubles. How to get there: by bus or by personal transport from Biysk along the M-52 highway towards Gorno-Altaisk 41 km (40-60 min)
Vasily Makarovich Shukshin loved his small homeland very much and wanted to return here to “live and work,” which he often mentioned in his latest interviews. The writer is gone, but his heroes, their children and grandchildren still live on the streets of Srostki.
The decision to open a museum arose among local residents immediately after the death of Vasily Makarovich: a month later, school students set up a stand about life and creativity, and later a full-fledged exhibition was located on the third floor of the school. Today the museum is located not only in the school, but also in the childhood home and the house of the writer’s mother.
Since 1976, the Shukshin Readings have been held in the village every July.
Colonel's Museum of Cosmonautics named after. German Stepanovich Titov
Address: s. Polkovnikovo, st. Shkolnaya, 3a Phone: Website: https://muzeytitova.ru Opening hours: Wed-Sun 09:00-17:00 (from May to September, seven days a week) Cost: children - 70 rubles, adults - 130 rubles. How to get there: by bus or car from Biysk along M-52 towards Barnaul 93 km (1.5 hours)
Everyone who knew German Stepanovich Titov spoke of him as a “most original and amazing” person. In addition to the fact that he became famous throughout the country as an astronaut, German Stepanovich was a rural teacher and educator, composer, singer and artist.
Initially, the house where the Titov family lived was used as a museum; excursions were conducted by the cosmonaut’s father, but over time there was not enough space. Then the exhibition was moved to the school building. There they also organized a circle where they taught children how to conduct excursions, which they subsequently did. Today, in addition to the school building, another one has been built as a museum.
The exhibition includes Titov's personal belongings, awards and school supplies. Also on display are tubes of food for astronauts, a Sokol-K space suit, an L-29 training aircraft, a Soyuz-TMA-21 spacecraft descent module and a 1:3 scale model of the Vostok-2 spacecraft.
Temple of St. Alexander Nevsky
Address: Odintsovo Posad, st. Rozhdestvenskaya, 65 Telephone: Opening hours: Mon-Fri 09:00-18:00 How to get there: by personal transport - leave the city along the street. Kutuzov, follow along the river to the village of Sorokino, from there to the place - 5 km; by bus number 26 from the Biysk bus station (1 hour), 25 km from the city.
The Alexander Nevsky Temple was the first to be built in the Altai region after a period of fanatical universal denial of God.
The place for it was consecrated not far from the bank of the river. Biy in 1991, and work began the following year. The construction was carried out by local residents with the assistance of Biysk, who made the domes and all the church utensils.
The iconostasis was painted by a local craftsman, the bells were brought from Radonezh, and the crosses from St. Petersburg.
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Spiritual mission in Altai
More than two centuries ago, the Assumption wooden church was erected in Biysk. Construction of the brick church building began in 1789, when a brick factory specially built for this purpose began to produce products. Before the revolution, there were two monasteries in Biysk, in addition to 17 churches and chapels.
In 1828, a center for the spiritual mission of Altai was created in Biysk, with Metropolitan Macarius becoming its head. The center was supported by donations from merchants, and with this money they opened schools in Biysk and published spiritual literature. In the middle of the 19th century, the Temple of the Kazan Mother of God was built in Biysk.
But it was made of wood and burned down during the fire. At the end of the 19th century, with donations from peasants who freed themselves from serfdom, a new red brick temple was built, which is one of the attractions of Biysk.
Assumption is the only surviving temple in which services were held even during Soviet times, with the exception of 15 years from 1932 to 1947. During these years, the temple was closed.
Excursions
Excursion and travel agency located on the street. Lenina, 256 in 201 office offers a number of excursions.
Biysk
This excursion lasts 2 hours. Its cost is 2 thousand rubles. It includes bus and walking tours, a tour of the historical center and visits to the city's museums.
Tavdinsky caves and Kamyshensky waterfall.
The excursion lasts all day. The cost depends on the number of people. The journey begins with a stop in the caves.
There is an opportunity to buy souvenirs here. The next point of visit is a 7 m high waterfall. You can reach it on foot or by motor boat.
Two days in paradise
The excursion lasts 2 days, in the Altai Valley sanatorium - the cost is 4950 rubles.
Rest in the health resort of the Altai Territory, surrounded by mountains and coniferous-deciduous forests, includes:
- nutrition;
- accommodation in the LOC;
- visiting the swimming pool;
- relaxation in the thermal area;
- visit to the Salt Cave.
Transport
The length of Biysk streets is 529 km.
Public transport is provided by:
- minibuses - Gazelle - provide transportation on 5 routes;
- trams;
- by bus - PAZ - there are 35 routes.
Buses
Buses start moving at 5:45. Traffic along the routes should be clarified at information stands and at stops. The bus fare will be 20 rubles.
Trams
The cost of 1 trip on trams will be 20 rubles. The length of the route is 37.1 km. The movement begins from the Sawmill and ends with the Western Ring and, vice versa, there are 34 stops between them.
Trams run at intervals of 3 minutes. The movement starts at 5:40.
Taxi
City public transport includes minibuses:
| M2 Route No. | Point of departure | Start time | Sending interval/min. | Ending station | Last sent time |
| 23 | Crystal | 6:36 | 8 | Center | 22:12 |
| 46 | Voronezh | 6:30 | 4 | Center | 20:46 |
| 47 | Riverport | 6:32 | 12 | Center | 19:56 |
| 50 | Sorokino village | 7:00 | 25 | Center | 21:10 |
| 55 | Crystal | 6:23 | 8 | TRC Sunday | 19:59 |
The fare for a minibus taxi is 22 rubles.
The table shows taxis providing transportation in Biysk:
| Name | Phone number | Travel cost/rub. |
| Maksim | 8(3854)555-777 | 70 |
| Troika | 8(3854)33-33-33 | 70 |
| Go | 8(3854)22-22-22 | 45 |
| Yandex Taxi | 8(903)909-33-99 | 59 |
Winter tourism
Gorny-Altaisk is located next to the mountains, where tourists actively come to ski and snowboard in winter. On the ski slopes, the season begins in November and lasts almost until April.
In the city itself there are 2 ski resorts: on Mount Tugaya and Komsomolskaya. They are more suitable for those who are confident on skis and snowboards, as the slopes are quite steep. There are lifts on the mountains.
On Mount Tugaya, the length of the trails is from 1250 m to 1.5 km. The slopes are steep at an angle of 15-40 degrees, so they are suitable for professionals. On Mount Komsomolskaya the length of the route is 450 m, but it is also suitable for people with experience. Competitions are often held in these places.
46 km from Gorno-Altaisk there is another famous ski resort “Manzherok” in the Sinyukha Mountains, the slopes of which are 1050 and 1200 m. Winter fishing lovers can fish in frozen mountain lakes and rivers.
Route for exploring the city on your own in 1-2 days
You can get to know the city better and get acquainted with the history of the Altai Territory along the following route:
- local history museum;
- Museum of the Chuya Tract;
- Drama Theater;
- WWII memorial, city park;
- Assumption Cathedral;
- Vasenev's house;
- Biysk Planetarium;
- merchant Firsov's passage;
- monument to Peter I;
- Lake Aya.
Ecology
The ecological situation of the city is complex due to the influence of enterprises:
- fuel energy;
- chemical plant;
- woodworking, food industry.
In 2006, the Altai Regional Center for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring assessed the level of air pollution as high. For R. The danger is posed by wastewater discharge. Substances entering the water are contaminated with nutrients that promote the development of microorganisms and algae. Nitrogen compounds and petroleum products were found in the river.
State Enterprise "Altey-Geo" assessed the environmental condition in the city: 30% of the territory is conditionally favorable, 70% is unfavorable.
Churches and Temples
Assumption Cathedral
Address: st. Sovestkaya, 13 Phone: Website: https://altai.eparhia.ru/church/town/biysk Opening hours: Mon-Sun 07:00-19:00
The Assumption Cathedral is the third temple in Biysk with this name. The first was demolished due to dilapidation, and the second was dismantled due to the likelihood of collapse. After which it was decided to build a new building, but there was not enough money.
Then the head of the city donated the missing amount, but a problem arose with choosing a location, and he ordered the foundation of the temple next to the Cossack Cathedral according to the will of his late wife.
During the years of Bolshevik rule, the temple suffered, like many others. The cathedral was closed and the premises were used for warehouses. Two years after the Great Patriotic War, its restoration began. At that time it was the only functioning parish in the area.
The cathedral houses icons of the 19th-20th centuries brought from Athos. One of them, the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God, was used for other purposes during the Bolsheviks and received an inscription on the icon case: “This icon was a table top in a godless family.”
Church of Demetrius of Rostov
Address: st. Mukhacheva, 228b Telephone: Opening hours: Mon-Sun 07:30-18:00
The church was founded in honor of Alexander II in 1892, which makes it one of the oldest buildings in Biysk. From that moment until the beginning of the 20th century, it was the main one among the Altai clergy.
After 18 years, a bell tower appeared here. In the 30s, the temple building housed a stable, a club, a gym and warehouses.
For a long period the church was called Kazan, after its main icon. It received its modern name when it was re-baptized in 1990.
St. Makaryevsky Baptismal Church
Address: st. Ilya Mukhacheva, 228B, room 3 Telephone: Opening hours: Mon-Fri 09:00-13:00
The opening of the baptismal church took place in 2014. Construction was carried out in honor of Archimandrite Macarius, who was one of the first to translate the Bible into Russian.
Inside there is a spacious, bright hall with a cross-shaped font. Outside, thanks to the efforts of the mothers, a garden with roses, almonds and lilies was laid out.
Homeland of Vasily Shukshin
A description of the sights of Biysk would be incomplete without mentioning Shukshin’s homeland. 35 kilometers from the city there is a village in which the future writer, actor and director was born and raised. There is a museum in the village dedicated to Vasily Makarovich, and on Mount Piket there is a monument made by the sculptor Klykov. Shukshin looks very vital.
This is how viewers, friends and fellow villagers remembered him: a man sits and looks into the distance, thinking his little thoughts, as Shukshin did during his lifetime. On this mountain his stories were written and sketches of simple rural life were made. At this place every year at the end of July a festival and Shukshin readings are held.
Biysk Fortress
The Biysk fortress is where the city actually began.
The wooden defensive structure was originally built in 1709; it was called the Bikatun fort, as it stood at the confluence of the Biya and Katun rivers. In 1710 it was destroyed by soldiers of the Dzungar Khanate, and in 1718 the citadel was revived in a new location - further along the Biya. In less than 100 years, the fortress grew seriously: it acquired powerful walls, ditches, several bastions and redoubts, 150 guns and a garrison of 3,000 soldiers. In 1782, the fortress received the status of a city, but by the middle of the 19th century there was no one to defend Biysk from, and the citadel turned into a kind of prison; political prisoners began to be sent here. Over time, the towers and walls were finally dismantled.
The only thing that reminds us of the former power of the Biysk fortress is the cannons that stood in it. Today a pair of these guns can be seen in the City Garden.
GPS coordinates: 52.543388, 85.230622.
Biysk Fortress
