To the Editors

To the Editors:

Wonderful article and photography in Maria Antonova’s “Tracking the Ghosts of the Mountains.” Sure would have been helpful for a small detailed map of the main highway and lakes.

In the March/April 2017 issue, page 30, I believe the Altai Republic borders Kazakhstan, not Kyrgyzstan, which is somewhat more south. And, the Chuysky Trakt or Chuya Highway may be designated as M52 (Atlas Avtodorog Rossii, 2001, pp. 96-97) or P256 on the internet. Lake Khindiktig-Khoi’ is located in the southern tip of the Respublika Tyva.

Yet, I cannot locate the area of Kalbak Tash. The Chuya River is, however, parallel to the M 52 Highway. Without a detailed map, the area is mere names to a very important region of the Earth.

Thanks for your fine article,

Stewart Lillard,

Silver Spring, MD

Stewart:

Thank you for your note. Indeed, a map may well have been called for. The Kalbak Tash (Калбак таш) petroglyphs are on the highway south of Gorno Altaisk, just beyond Onguday. Try searching on the Yandex.com maps for more detailed maps of Russia.

The Editors

To the Editors:

Regarding your article on the Russian Orthodox Church recognizing “Roman Catholic” saints.

The Russian Church is not appropriating Catholic saints. To the Orthodox way of thinking, the Christian Church was united for one thousand years and was fractured at the Great Schism of 1054, at which time the western church separated from Orthodoxy, becoming something else. All western saints from before the schism are considered Orthodox and have always been recognized by the Eastern Church. The Russians have simply added the commemoration of them to its official calendar of feast days.

Bradney Thomas

Eugene, OR