When we hear the word Kuzbass, Russia's coal land is the first thing that comes to mind. And that's true, but the Kemerovo Oblast is much more interesting, diverse, and rich. All we need is a fresh perspective.
Here's Alexey Mikhalyov with the details on the culture, tourism, and sports in Kuzbass.
"Oh, Great Teleut Shaman, bless our meeting! Bless this land so that only good deeds are done here. Bless this land so that only good light shines upon it".
The Teleut people are the local Turk minority. There are 2,500 of them left on Earth. They have a small community in the Belovo district of the Kemerovo Oblast. Vladimir Chulukhoyev has been preserving the culture of his people for 20 years. In 1997, he opened the Chulkoi Museum of History and Ethnography.
Vladimir Chulukhoyev: The stories of all people share the main theme: the fight of good against evil. And who wins in the end?
- Good, of course.
- That's right, good must prevail.
The town of Polysayevo. We're here to show why the entire country calls the Kemerovo Oblast "Kuzbass".
Sergey Tsyvilyov, governor: "During Soviet times, especially after the war, the construction here was very organic. All facilities used to compliment each other. The internal logistics were well-established. The facilities were built next to each other and the products of one facility were the initial materials for the other".
Vasily Glazunov holds the Order of Miner Glory of the 3rd Class. He's been a miner for 45 years. His wife Lyudmila holds the Order of Labor Glory of the 3rd Class. She's been a miner for 45 years. Their son Sergey holds the Order of Miner Glory of the 2nd class. He's been a miner for 21 years. The combined mining experience of their entire family is more than 300 years.
Lyudmila Glazunova, miner: Some people get so startled the first time they descend into a mine that they leave immediately and never return to mining.
- Can't they overcome the fear?
- They can't. When our son was six, his father took him down to the mine.
- It's like he…
- Grew up down there. He grew up down there.
All of Kuzbass knows Pavel Mikheyev as a miner whose team beat the world record. 1,650 meters of drilling progress in a month. The previous record the miners broke was their own. From the surface, it might seem that all they do is drill straight tunnels. In reality, coal seams are deposited irregularly. The miners have to rotate the drill. It's a true test of their reflexes and endurance.
Pavel Mikheyev, miner: Thanks to the unity of our team, we've become like a family. No one forgets anything, everyone is quick to understand each other.
- So the guys are passionate about their work.
- They are indeed. The pay is good and the team is elite. We're famous.
Here's one of the new Siberian brands. In the US, the Netherlands, and Thailand, it's known even better than pelmeni and valenki.
Artyom Vakhitov, IFMA champion: "The Americans and Europeans ask me where I'm from. I tell them I'm from Kuzbass, the Kemerovo Oblast. They don't know Kuzbass but they know Prokopyevsk. They know there's a good Muay Thai school here. About ten world champions and Honored Masters of Sports have trained in this gym".
Founded in the 17th century, it is one of the oldest cities of Western Siberia. Prokopyevsk is the symbol of Kuzbass and the coal-mining center of the country. In recent years, it's become a regional sports center with several independent boxing and Muay Thai clubs. Artyom Vakhitov, a multiple championship holder, is a symbol of that success. Muay Thai stars from other continents come to the outskirts of Prokopyevsk to watch him train.
The far south of the Kemerovo Oblast, Tashtagol. The regional skiing center has programs for children with disabilities. The national Dream Skis project has been operating in Kuzbass for several years.
Timofey Alexandrov, project manager: "This program gives them emotional strength for many months. The kids who are used to sitting in their room at home without seeing the outside world get a chance to live a life. By now, 300 kids have participated in our program. They come from various regions of the Kemerovo Oblast. We also have a separate program for the kids from Tashtagol. We've achieved great results, our program is one of the best in Russia".
The students of the Snowboarding Olympic Reserve School train on the slope nearby. Up close, one can see the future medalists being forged. Right now, the school trains 220 athletes. Many of them are sure to join the national team. However, Kuzbass also promotes mass amateur sports. Mount Shoria has incredibly long skiing seasons. Some slopes are covered in snow from October to early May. There's no reason to travel to Chamonix or Courchevel. There are 24 ski slopes, 18 ski lifts, 70 hotels, 60 restaurants and cafes. The Sheregesh Complex has more than a million visitors a year.
Mount Shoria carefully preserves the culture of the native Shor people. They haven't forgotten their songs, cooking recipes, and national attires, which feature designs embroidered in kauri shells. The Shor are very serious about their native language.
Eugenia Pervakova, President of the Altyn-Shor Society: "I believe we must put more effort into preserving our native Shor language. That's our main priority. I also think we should take care of our folklore. The older generation is passing away and all remaining Shor language experts live in remote villages".
A careful attitude towards one's environment is a typical feature of the Siberians and the Northerners in general. The regional authorities are planning to base their economic breakthrough strategy on the preservation of these people.
Sergey Tsyvilyov, governor: "If we create the right environment, people won't leave the region. All locals who leave the region still proudly say that they come from Kuzbass. Kuzbass is forever in their memory. Many migrants, especially those who've succeeded in life, come back and try to develop the region. They feel homesick when they're away".
Olga Kononova, Cossack culture expert: "A motherland is the land where you were born. If we all left and abandoned our homes, we'd destroy the foundation of the place where we were born. Even if it's difficult, it doesn't mean we must abandon everything and flee. It means we must fix the place where we were born. We must try our best to accomplish that. We must keep a stiff upper lip".
The Kemerovo Oblast closed the last year with a significant budget surplus. The region managed to do that for the first time in years. The majority of those funds was allocated for social projects, which are ultimately the basis of the expected economic growth.
Alexey Mikhalyov, Vsevolod Kiselyov, and Alexander Bagrintsev for Vesti: News of the Week Special.
