The view of the golden mountains

Abstract

The Altai, the range of mountains in Central Asia extending from East Kazakhstan into Northwest China and Mongolia, passes through Russia, and it is here that this geographical landmark acquired multiple mental representations, enjoying a near mythological presence across Russian culture. Despite its peripheral location, the Altai Mountains receive a great deal of popular attention. A comprehensive overview of how the Altai appeared on Russian mental maps has not been a matter of extensive scholarly examination. This chapter contributes to “new spatial history,” an emerging body of recent scholarship seeking to highlight the centrality of geographical space and spatial thinking in Russian history. The Secret History of the Mongols, dating from the 1240s, forms one of the earliest texts referring to the Altai Mountains, whose northern part was inhabited by the Turkic-speaking Naimans and Merkits defeated by Chinggis Khan’s armies. The demise of the rebellious khan marked a period of relative peace in the Qing dynasty’s northwestern frontier.