15 September was the last day of the International Economic Conference as part of the VII Baikal Economic Forum (BEF IEC). Its participants visited the «Baikal harbor» Special Economic Zone of tourism and vacation type and got acquainted with the work of its residents.
On the final day of BEF IEC, over 500 visitors came to the Turka village, among them representatives of federal authorities, supervisory officials of the Russian Federation constituent entities and local authorities, public organizations and associations, businessmen, scientists, public figures of Russia, as well as guests from the U.S., India, China, Japan, the EU and the CIS. They praised the high level of organization at the Forum. V. Matvienko, Speaker of the Federation Council, noted that she was satisfied with the quality of the international economic conference.

Guests and participants of the Baikal Economic Forum were greeted by the heads of Baikal region village administrations and residents, local performance bands, sports and public organizations. The organizers had prepared an entertainment program, a national fight and archery contest, and a presentation of tourist, cultural and sports projects planned for summer 2013 in Turka village. The multi-format Art Forum Baikal Harbor, the water sports festival Baikal Wind were announced; the tourist sites Bychya Gora (Bull Mount), Zolotye Peski (Golden Sands) and Turka were presented. The official ceremony of launching the fountains took place on the Baikal shore, where the ritual pole ‘serge’ was placed with the names of all the tourist zone residents – LLC Putnik Siberia, LLC Rybatskaya Derevnya, LLC Baikalskaya Gavan, LLC Kruizy Baikala and Interra. For the native inhabitants of Buryatia, serge symbolizes that the land now has an owner. 

The Baikal Harbor tourism and recreation zone has been created for the purpose of forming a center of international tourism in the east of Russia, increasing the competitiveness of Russian tourist and recreational products, as well as the use of a unique natural site – Lake Baikal, its “discovery” for Russian and foreign tourists. Baikal Harbor will be located at five sites – Turka, Peski, Bychya Gora peak at el. 1771, Bezymyannaya Bay, Gremyachinsk, located in the vicinity of Lake Baikal. Turka and Peski have been chosen as priority areas. In the future, it is planed to develop the remaining three sites. The total area of the SEZ is 3,283.65 hectares, including the area of Turka and Peski sites of 434.04 hectares.

Guests are greeted by the local performance groups

Ritual pole ‘serge’ with the names of the Baikal Harbor tourist zone residents

Director for Regional Activities of IFC METROPOL B. Tsyrenov with Baikal Harbor residents and performers representing Baikal indigenous peoples

Director for Regional Activities of IFC METROPOL B. Tsyrenov, Chairman of the People’s Khural of the Republic of Buryatia M. Gershevich, Head of the Baikal region S. Semenov and Baikal Harbor resident N. Osinnikov

Baikal Harbor Hall