A large-scale festival took place on the central square of Gorno-Altaysk, the capital of the Altai Republic. The event started off with a costumed parade involving teams from the districts of the Altai Republic and Gorno-Altaysk, as well as local residents who had registered to take part.
The festival was opened by Ali Mussayevich Uzdenov, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Irbis Association, the organization’s founder and driving force.

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I welcome the residents of the Altai Republic, home to the largest population of snow leopards. The Irbis Association and I believe that the snow leopard is the most beautiful species of big cat in the world. Our organization supports scientific work, protects rare animal species, and helps reconcile local communities with this rare predator

said Ali Uzdenov.

Ali Uzdenov emphasized the importance of conserving snow leopards in Russia, citing as examples the reverent attitude towards the snow leopard in Bhutan, its strict protection in China, and the love towards it in India.
Guests were also welcomed by: Yulia Myagkova, First Deputy Head of the Gorno-Altaysk Administration, the Chairman of the Government of the Altai Republic, Vladislav Cheltugashev, Minister of Natural Resources of the Altai Republic.
Following the costumed parade, the program continued with a concert, activity zones, and masterclasses hosted by nature reserves and regional institutions. A craft fair and food stalls were also set up on the square. At the end of the festival, organisers awarded winners of competitions in handicrafts, drawings, the procession, and more.
The winner of the remote stage of the republican festival was the team from Gorno-Altaysk. The winner of the in-person stage, including the procession, was the Great Snow Leopard Cubs team from Ongudai Secondary School. The procession winner received the main prize — a 150 000-ruble certificate for a home appliance store.

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The Irbis Association has been supporting the Land of the Snow Leopard festival for several years, implementing programmes to study and conserve the snow leopard in the Altai Republic," said Ali Uzdenov. "The event has become an important part of the region’s cultural life: we help foster a caring attitude towards this rare predator — especially among children — through direct engagement, creativity, and knowledge about its vulnerability. The more people understand the value of the snow leopard as a national treasure, the fewer threats its population will face. We thank the Government of the Altai Republic and our partners — their support allows us to expand the festival’s reach every year and engage new generations in conservation efforts.

said Ali Uzdenov

200 schoolchildren took part in the remote stage (competitions included drawings, handicrafts, poems, etc.), 430 children and adults joined the costumed procession, 60 volunteers supported the event, 15 activity zones were organized (masterclasses, performances, photo zones, etc.), 20 activity zones featured specialists from protected areas of the two Altai regions, 3 000 portions of ice cream were given out for free to guests and participants. The snow leopard remains the festival’s unifying symbol — an emblem and a captivating image of the Altai Republic’s nature. In 2025, about 50 snow leopards were recorded in the region.
The Irbis Association expresses sincere gratitude to all partners and friends who helped make the festival vibrant and memorable: Evalar company, VK Dobro, Cosmos Collection Altay Resort (with support from the Sailyugemsky National Park), Government of the Altai Republic, Administration of Gorno-Altaysk, Living Nature and World Foundation, MAER media holding, as well as to every participant, volunteer, and guest.