On October 29 the Head of Bashkiria Region Radiy Khabirov held an online meeting to discuss the interim results of the Toratau Geopark project implementation and future development potential.
According to Ainur Samanov, General Director of the Toratau Geopark's Centre fot Science, Education, Culture and Tourism, the territory attracts many visitors. The monitoring data shows that in just one day off, more than 700 people hiked to the top of Mount Toratau. The yurt camping and the café at the foot of the mountain were visited by more than 1200 people in three months of their work. Excursion routes around the geopark are also quite popular. Information stands in Russian, Bashkir and English are still being installed, the Visit Centre construction is well underway.
The potential of the "Heart of Bashkiria" tourist and recreation cluster, which includes the geopark in particular, was evaluated at the federal level. The project entered the top three of the All-Russian competition, which was organized by the Agency for Strategic Initiatives with the support of the Russian Government. The concept of creating an art center in the village of Voskresenskoye, also located in the geopark, became the winner of the All-Russian competition for the best projects for creating a comfortable urban environment in the category "Historical Settlements". The park will receive 45.4 million rubles from the federal budget for the implementation of this project.
– I congratulate your entire team, it is a great success, - said Radiy Khabirov. – I am very happy about it. Because we have just started working on the Toratau Geopark, and everything is still ahead of us.
The head of Bashkortostan assessed the promising project for the development of the territory and encouraged further work. Radiy Khabirov emphasized that the preservation of the unique flora and fauna of the shikhans should be at the forefront. So, on behalf of the head of the region, a staicase will be installed to climb to the top of Mount Toratau in order to minimize the impact of geopark guests on wildlife.
Moreover the head of the Republic has ordered to speed up the process of including the Kushtau Shikhan into the Toratau Geopark.
Source: Press Service of the Head of the Republic of Bashkortostan
