12-15 August (2005) Dates to Remember

If you are in Kyzyl between 12-15 August (2005), you will witness an annual national celebration called “Nadym”. This festival is very similar to the Mongolian one called “Naaadam”. The celebration begins in the morning with the parade on the city’s central square. All participants are dressed in national costumes. At the end of the day, you can enjoy a concert of folk dancers and local singers or watch a competition for the best yurt (Nomadic house). The next day is mostly filled with horse racing. Finally, the last day is dedicated to the most popular stage of the festival - “huresh”. It features wrestling accompanied by a throat singing and archery. Participants wear special costumes “sodak-shudak” and after each round, the winner performs a dance of “an eagle”. In the late evening, fireworks and Shaman ritual dancing close the festival.