On July 8, the Russian-Chinese Research Center for the Study of the Greater Altai Archaeology was officially opened at the Institute of History and International Relations, Altai State University. Distinguished guests from China, Mongolia, and Kazakhstan attended the ceremony.

The center’s launch coincides with the Cross-Years of Russian-Chinese Cooperation in Education (2026–2027), inaugurated by Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on May 20, 2026. The project is a natural continuation of the long-standing partnership between Altai State University and Northwest University of China and marks a new phase in scientific collaboration and the strengthening of humanitarian ties between the two countries.

Altai State University Rector, Professor Sergey Bocharov, and Doctor of Economics, thanked colleagues from Northwest University, China for their initiative and concrete steps to deepen cooperation.

"It is symbolic that the center opens during the years of Russian-Chinese cooperation in education and science. I am confident that it will foster collaboration in archaeology not only between our two countries but also with scholars from other Central Asian countries and Mongolia in researching the historical and cultural heritage of our shared Greater Altai region." 

Professor Shao Huiqiu, Director of the Center for Joint Archaeological Study of the Silk Road at Northwest University, read a welcome address:

"The establishment of the center creates an opportunity to integrate the archaeological resources from four countries and systematically conduct extensive, wide‑ranging research in the Greater Altai region. We are building a permanent platform for international academic exchange that will support joint research, publication of results, and the training of specialists. Today’s opening marks a starting point for future collaboration." 

Altai State University Honorary Professor and Head of the Department of Archaeology, Ethnography, and Museology Alexey Tishkin hightlighted the importance of teamwork in establishing the center and thanked the university's leadership, colleagues from China, and Yulia Lysenko, Director of the Greater Altai Research and Educational Center for Altaic and Turkic Studies, for their support. He expressed confidence that the younger generation of researchers will carry on the established traditions of collaboration, especially given the university's active development of Oriental studies and growing interest in the study of the Chinese language and culture.

Professor Wang Jianxin, Chief Researcher at the Center for Joint Archaeological Study of the Silk Road at Northwestern University, emphasized Altai’s special role of Altai as a zone of active interaction between Eastern and Western cultures:

"To study this region, it is necessary to create a comprehensive mechanism for multilateral exchange and collaboration—and this is precisely the academic need our center aims to meet." 

The opening ceremony concluded with a symbolic ribbon-cutting ceremony performed by Altai State University Rector Sergey Bocharov and Professors Alexey Tishkin, Shao Huiqiu, and Wang Jianxin.

The Center's Directors, Professors Alexey Tishkin and Shao Huiqiu, were presented with certificates confirming their authority and responsibility for implementing large-scale scientific projects.

One of the center's main priorities is the integration of digital technologies into archaeological research. At the opening, Alexey Tishkin demonstrated the Centre’s modern equipment and digital developments.

"We have much to share with our Chinese colleagues because we have developed computer programs that are unique in the world. We developed them ourselves to meet our specific research goals. The results obtained have been presented at numerous conferences, including international ones, and published in scientific journals. The synthesis of digital technologies and traditional archaeological methods provides a completely new perspective on archaeological sources. We can now view them in a completely different dimension and better understand how objects were made and used. This research produces new scientific knowledge, challenging previous interpretations and entrenched myths."

The center is equipped with unique Russian and Chinese instruments that ensure high research accuracy. These includes:

• Microscopes with video cameras enable detailed examination of traces on bone, stone, and metal objects and can overturn established assumptions. For example, this analysis has shown that some stone objects previously identified as pestles for crushing are in fact symbols of power as no traces of their utilitarian use were found.

• Quadcopters, including geodetic-grade ones, used to produce precise orthophotomaps of archaeological sites quickly.

• An X-ray fluorescence spectrometer, operable in both stationary and portable modes, which enables rapid compositional analysis of non-ferrous metal objects in about 30 seconds, right at the excavation site.

• Photogrammetry equipment (photo boxes, rotating tables, specialized software) helps create 3D models of artifacts.

• High-precision navigation devices (including a portable GPS navigator) which are necessary for locating objects and defining the boundaries of archaeological cultures.

• Various modern computer equipment.

"Archaeology is an exact science," emphasized Alexey Tishkin. "It's important for us not merely to propose ideas and hypotheses, but to present clear facts, observations, and evidence. Digital technologies allow us to do this with maximum clarity."

The center's researchers are active not only in Altai but across Inner Asia – Mongolia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan. The core interests include ancient nomadic monuments, deer stones, Turkic enclosures, and sculptures, which provide unique insights into the history of ancient and medieval nomads.

Recent work has involved photogrammetry of various archaeological sites, site monitoring, traditional surveys, and excavations. The results are published in scientific articles and monographs, and appear in the Archaeological Monuments of Altai series.

The opening of the Russian-Chinese Research Center marks the start of a long-term endeavour in which science, technology, international partnership, and the training of young specialists will help achieve significant results in the study of the multifaceted heritage of the Greater Altai.

"A bridge built not of steel and concrete, but of shared knowledge, respect for history, and friendship," the ceremony participants described the project.

The launch also included a scientific seminar where ASU researchers and international guests presented and discussed the latest findings on the Greater Altai region.

Professor Wang Jianxin reviewed the importance of archaeological research in the Altai-Tian Shan region and called for further interdisciplinary study.

Professor Shao Huiqiu presented the results of archaeological surveys conducted in 2025 in the Altai region of Xinjiang. These surveys revealed features of the Pazyryk culture in this area.

Kiyasbek Galymizhan, a senior researcher at the A.Kh. Margulan Institute of Archaeology, reported on Early Iron Age monuments of the Kazakh Altai, using the Berel, Shilikti, Akzhaylau, and Elekesazy cemeteries as case studies.

Alexey Tishkin, Head of the Department of Archaeology, Ethnography, and Museology at Altai State University, discussed a comprehensive study of openwork belt plaques from the Yaloman II necropolis in Altai, dating back to the Xiongnu period, presenting the results of X-ray fluorescence analysis and photogrammetry.

Erdene-Ochir N., Head of the Innovation and Cooperation Department at the Institute of Archaeology of the Mongolian Academy of Sciences, reviewed the research on textile manufacturing technology from the Noin-Ula burial mounds.

Nikolai Seregin, Head of the Laboratory of Ancient and Medieval Archaeology of Eurasia, highlighted interdisciplinary research on Rouran-Juan archaeological complexes in the Altai Mountains.

Sergey Bondarenko, a senior researcher in the R&D Support Department, presented an innovative platform for virtual 3D display and study of digital replicas of ancient stone sculptures, which is based on a database containing information on over 300 "deer" stones from Mongolia, Altai, Tuva, and Kyrgyzstan.

Gulmira Mukhtarova, Director of the Issyk State Historical and Cultural Reserve and Museum, shared initial results from the Sino-Kazakh Center's archaeological research.

Following the seminar, the guests visited the museum in the village of Polkovnikovo, known for its exhibits dedicated to Russian cosmonautics and toured archaeological sites in the Altai Mountains.