... It's difficult to find somewhere in the world such a mixture of of different cultures and religions on one a rather small place. Orthodox and Buddhists, Slavs and Turkis, conservatives and pagansЕ
"Sayan Ring" has a chance to become one of the most entertaining festivals in the world. Having exposed on this show-window an achievement of the Siberian musical power, we can offer the world something better, more durable, than group "Tatu".
Artemy Troitsky,
"Novaya Gazeta", є51, 17.07.2003

Ethno-festival "Sayan Ring" is a business card of the Krasnoyarsk region. In 2003 it collected more than 40 ensembles, over 600 participants, more than 10000 visitors - a grandiose format of a festival, that has no any analogues in Siberia. One of the overall objectives of the organizers of the festival is popularization of ethnic music among the population of Siberia, familiarizing youth with musical culture of native region. For this reason into the program of festival enter not only the contest which is, certainly, the most bright part of the Festival calendar, but also a disco with a use of ethnic motives, experimental music, performances, laser show, rock labarotary, master classes for ethnojournalists, specialists in folklore, mini-festival of an ethnofashion.

Day	Program	Comments
Day 1	Meeting in Abakan *, the capital of Khakassia, dinner. From Abakan the group is going to "The Tsar Valley", where about 30 burial mounds aged from the III-IV century B.C stand. The culmination of the trip will be the Great Salbyk Mound, with a view to the Tsar Valley. A walk. Then tourists arrive to the valley Kug ("delight" in khakassian) situated in 137 km. from Abakan. Accommodation in the wooden jurts complex "Akhtas"*, specially built for tourists. * Accommodation in the yurt complex "Akhtas". Breakfast, lunch, dinner.	The first notes about Abakan are met in XIX century already, when Ust-Abakanskoe village became the centre of Kazachinskaya Stepnaya Duma, consisted of 21 yards. The only centre of culture was Orthodox church. Nowadays Abakan is the capital of Khakassia. Its population is 170 thousands people. Krasnoyarsk Regional Museum was founded in 1889, there are unique archeological finds from ancient civilizations of Enisey basin and value ethnographic collections are presented here. Great Salbyk Mound, once constructed over the grave of a noble family and excavated by the archaeologists in 1954-56 years. It measured about 0.5 km by perimeter and over 11.5 metres high. The weight of the vertical stones reaches 60 tons. They say that in that very place the local shamans derive their strength. The guide will tell you what to do if you want your wish to be fulfilled. Yurts' complex "Ahtas" is located in 140 km. from Abakan, on the left bank of Askiz river, on the border of the mountains of Altay and Sayany, just on the territory of National reserve of Chakasia. Accommodation - in real yurts, built especially for comfortable rest. Every yurt is for two, dining room, lavatories, show-rooms
Day 2	Breakfast. Excursion to the State museum-reserve of Khakassia "Kasanovka". After lunch we continue an archeological excursion: you will see the sacred signs of the ancient shamans and a cult obelisk "Akhtas", that has a strong healing energetic power. A free time, a walk to the mountains, evening fireplace, rest. * Accommodation in the yurt complex "Akhtas". Breakfast, lunch, dinner.	It's hard to believe but you'll see rock drawings that are more then 3-5 thousand years old. Moreover you will witness how the archeologists make the copies of the petroglyphs onto the paper for further study. You can take these copies as a rare souvenir. You will also learn the purpose of the mysterious vertical stones, standing upon the earth all over Khakassia. And you'll see the real archeological excavations.
Day 3	After breakfast tourists explore the outskirts, walk in the mountains, have a dinner. A departure to the Sayan-Shushenskaya hydroelectric power station*. Then a group goes to the village Shusheskoye*. Accommodation in a hotel. Supper. * Accommodation - hotel "Tourist". Breakfast, lunch and dinner.	Shushenskoe village was founded in the first part of the 18th cetury by Russian kozacs. It is an urban village, situated near Big Shush river fows into Enisey, in 721 km. to the South from Krasnoyarsk. For the long time Shushenskoe has been the place of politics exile, in the 20th century the village became famous for it was the place of Lenin's exile. Nowedays ancient folk traditions and siberian hospitality take much more interest. Sayan-Shushenskaya hydroelectric power station. Tourists will see a majestic construction of one of the largest stations in the world from a viewing platform at height of 320 meters above sea level. Tourists will get acquainted with history and culture of Shushenskoye area, will visit Ivan Yarygin's museum in village Sizaya, where under the project of the Moscow architects a school and sacred Eudoxia's church were built.
Day 4	After breakfast tourist go to the State Ethnographical Museum "Shushenskoe". This wonderful atmosphere will surprise even a confirmed sceptic - the tourists will take part in the traditional evening meetings - "vechorka", national rites, games and dances. On parting they will be served a cup of tea and taste a bird cherry pie in the Russian izba. Dinner, free time. A trip to the reserve "Shushensky Pinery", where you'll have an excursion "Visiting Berendey". At 18:00 p.m. a group arrives at the opening of the II Internatioanl Festival of Ethnic Cultures of Siberia "Sayan Ring"*. Supper, Ethnic disco-party. * Accommodation - hotel "Tourist", breakfast, lunch and dinner.	"Visiting Berendey" - it's a site of national park "Shushensky pinery", was created in 1979 by a deserved forest scientist of Russia D.A.Pavlov. The site is conditionally divided into zones: pine forest, taiga, forest-steppe, where characteristic plants grow on every part tree nursery was placed. On 2 acres a. Tourists will get acquainted to plants of the different countries of the world: China, Mongolia, Japan, Northern Africa, Russia Shushensky pinery was formed in 1955, it is located in the south of Krasnoyarsk region. It is a unique park on the territory of Krasnoyarsk region. The territory of the park is presented with two separate sites - the area of 4400 acres and mountain territory - 34800 acres. There grow in a park more than 900 kinds of plants, 11 from them are under threat of disappearance. Different species of rich fauna The groups from Siberia, Mongolia, China and also from Moscow will be presented at the ethnic festival "Sayan Ring". The program of the festival tour will include excursions, the performances of the real Stars, competition program, ethnic disco, experimental music, roc and jazz laboratory, laser show, shaman's performances, creative workshop
Day 5	After breakfast the group goes to Minusinsk, where they will visit the Museum of of Martianov. During the excursion they will se the Spass Cathedral. Then the tourist will visit the antique wine and vodka factory "Minal" where they will know the history of siberian drinks, will taste the best vodkas and , which were marked at the leading international exhibitions. They will get acquainted with the special features of Russian of siberian feast. Lunch. Trip to the lake Tagarskay, bathing, rest. In the evening there will be the continuation of the festival program "Sayan Ring". Camlanie of the Shaman Ay Chureck. Ethnic party (dj, vj, ethnic performance, laser show). * Accommodation in the hotel "Tourist". Breakfast, lunch, dinner.	Minusinsk is a city included into the list of historical places in Russia. It is an ancient siberian town, located on the right bank of Enisey, in the middle of Minusinsk hollow, it exists since 1739. It is interesting, that the large part of the town still keeps the features of the past: a lot of wooden houses and houses made of brick in European style, built by merchants. Particular charm is reached with help of fences and gates, typical just for Minusinsk. Minusinsk Museum, founded by Nickolas Martyanov, brought fame to Minusinsk. Nowadays the collection of the Museum numbers more than 20 thousands items, more than 100 thousands of books. Spas-Preobrazhenskiy Cathedral was actually being built during almost 100 years, now it looks just the same like it was in 1908. Tagarskoe lake is located in the pictorial place and is very popular among people who wishes to cure of different illnesses and to have a rest. During a lot of centuries people received treatment of different illnesses of bones, joints, scrofula and rickets etc. here. Festival "Sayan Ring" - during the second day there will be master classes take place and a mini festival and competition "Siberian ethnic style". And also - the continuation of the competition program.
Day 6	Breakfast, excursion to the house of a bee-keeper, during the trip - aquaintance with bee-keepers, tasting honey, phyto curing, games in the lawn. Lunch at the Russian farm. In the evening there will be the continuation of the competition program of the festival "Sayan Ring". Ethnic party (dj, vj, laser show). * Accommodation in the hotel "Tourist". Breakfast, lunch, dinner.	The continuation of the festival "Sayan Ring" - master classes, mini-festival.
Day 7	Breakfast. Free time, when you can visit master-classes of the festival, Sayan-Shushenskoe biosphere museum-reserve, make a stroll excursion through Shushenskoe village, visit the nearest lakes. Lunch. Spare time. The continuation of the festival program "Sayan Ring". The official ceremony of conclusion of the II International festival of ethnic music "Sayan Ring". Dinner. Ethnic party. * Accommodation in the hotel "Tourist". Breakfast, lunch, dinner.	The ceremony of conclusion of the ethnic festival "Sayan Ring" - rewarding of the winners, the performances of the "stars", super ethnic experimental show till the morning.
Day 8	Breakfast. Our itinerary stretches through the West Sayan mountains, wonderful view of the Ergaky ridge* surrounds you. Lunch-picnic at the mountain feet at the Tushkanchik spring. A stroll through the outskirts. En route you will know the legend of about Sleeping Sayan and if you have a luck you will see him. When you look closely you can see in the mountain contours him lying on his back with his arms on his chest. Why here - you will know from the guide's story. на спине, сложив руки на груди. Coming back to Shushenskoe, rest, dinner and in a couple of hours - arrival to Abakan, the capital of Chakassia. A walk through the evening city. Arrival to airport, seeing off, a flight from Abakan ( DD-361, 00:05)	Ergaky is one of the most beautiful mountain and taiga regions in Siberia. In the translation from the ancient turk language it means "thumb". And actually a lot of his ridges remind us fingers up. It is really a unique region in Sayan. No one of the valleys is like another one, tens of lakes - and every one is unlike the others, every peak has its own view. Elastic mosses, lichens and cedar of many centuries years old, mushrooms and berries, growing in such abundance, that you have a feeling of a fairy tale.