The history of Shushenskoe village begins from the time when a Cossack's stockaded town was founded in XVIII century. At that time there were 35 houses and a good church in Shushenskoe. In XIX century the village turned into a centre of the district and a place for exile of many famous people including the Decembrists. Due to its convenient location, mild climate and a constant inflow of educated people, Shushenskoe soon became the leading centre. By the end of XIX century it became a village of well-to-do peasants and merchants. Craftsmen, carpenters, potters and agrarian workshops worked in the village. Rich harvest was distributed to all the nearest territories and even to Turuhansk and Dudinka.

On May 8 in 1897 Vladimir Lenin arrived to a rich village which consisted of 250 houses and 1400 people. Vladimir Lenin's exile made a small Siberian settlement famous all over the country. Later a memorial museum-reserve under the open sky "Shushenskoe" was opened in the village. During the soviet times the museum was frequently visited, but after the events of the 90ies Shushenskoe lost its attraction. Fortunately the tourist Mecca of that period is reviving now through an ethnographic tourism.

Nowadays Shushenskoe is a working village with 20 000 people. There is a milk complex, a wine plant "Shushenskaya marka", a battery farm and small farms in the village. Folklore and souvenir production is also developed.

Shushenskoe is widely famous for its potters since 1917. The staff of the Historical and ethnographic museum "Shushenskoe" decided to revive the old craft. Nowadays there is a pottery workshop situated in 2 izbas in the reserve of XIX century. Shushenskaya land gives red, brown, grey and blue clay. The ceramics is burnt in the second izba. After that all the pottery is painted, covered with glaze and burnt again.

Shushenskoe village attracts tourists not only due to its unique museum, but also due to unique nature and recreational facilities. There is a health centre "Shushenskiy" situated 7 kilometers far from the village. You can enjoy there a picturesque river Oya, a pine-tree forest, an amazing view of Ergaki mountains. This is a perfect place for rest all the year round.

Not far from Shushenskoe there is a part of the national nature park "Shushenskiy bor" which is included in the complex of Sayano-Shushenskiy nature-reserve. "Shushenskiy bor" is always ready to accept guests who want to see its beauty. Besides, there are two more sightseeing places of the region not far from the village: the biggest hydro electric power station in Russia - Sayano-Shushenskaya, and a village Sizaya - the motherland of a famous wrestler Ivan Yarygin. There you can see a museum of a legendary sportsman.

A rather compact infrastructure for big events, a convenient transport system and accommodation facilities ("Tourist" hotel, "Iskra" tourist centre, "Mirazh" tourist centre) let organize a unique festival of ethnic music "Sayan ring" every year. The participants of the festival are craftsmen, musicians, dancers from Khakasia, Yakutiya, Altai and other regions. The festival gives an opportunity for a multinational audience to touch the ancient folk culture, to become admirers of this musical style.

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