The Shushenskoye village marked Yenisei River Day, a regional environmental festival held annually since 2012, on the last Saturday in September. Delegations from neighbouring districts and the Sayano-Shushensky Biosphere Reserve prepared themed programmes. But everyone’s favourite was the Kis-Eskiz travelling exhibition of the winners of the Wild Cats of South Siberia media contest of drawings, photos and souvenirs. The best drawings of lynxes, manuls and snow leopards were put up at outdoor stands for the visitors to judge.

The Sayano-Shushensky Biosphere Reserve also organised a workshop where visitors could play at being one of South Siberian wild cats, drawing inspiration from the exhibited works, admire the lynx, manul and snow leopard photos provided by the staff of the reserve’s environmental education department and learn about the habits of these rare cats. Body artists painted the faces of children to turn them into lynxes, manuls or snow leopards.

A trail camera gave guests another opportunity to feel like a wild cat. Dr Viktor Lukarevsky, a biologist and senior researcher at the reserve, set up a Reconyx motion-activated camera trap in front of which visitors could pose for photographs. He also told them how trail cameras are installed at the reserve and how scientists use the photographs for research. After the festival, the reserve employees posted the best of the more than 3,000 photographs online.

Yenisei River Day is a regional environmental festival. It was held for the first time in 2012 at the initiative of the Khakassia branch of the Russian Geographical Society. In 2013, an official document on Yenisei River Day celebrations was published in the Republic of Tyva, where the largest Yenisei River Day festivals take place.