Tuva Autonomous Republic

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Tuva Autonomous Republic is the former Tannu Tuva, which was absorbed by the former USSR in 1944. Tuva was at one time an oblast (district) of Russia, then the Tuva Republic, and is now a member of the Russian Federation. Tuva was known under its Mongol name of Uriankhai until 1922 and it is interest to note that it was twice annexed by Russia within a period of 30 years without the world paying the slightest attention. The first annexation came in 1914 when Russia proclaimed Tuva a protectorate of Russia, and the second time was in 1944 when the People's Republic of Tuva was transformed into an administrative unit of the USSR. Today Tuva has its own official language and Parliament in its capital city of Kyzyl, which does not imply a large degree of independence from Russia.With an area of 64,000 square miles, somewhat larger than England and Wales, Tuva lays just North of Mongolia, in the middle of nowhere and claims itself to be the "Center of Asia" with a monument dedicated to this fact. It is over 80% mountainous, the highest point being Mongyn Taiga, at over 15,000 feet. Major ranges include the Altai Mountains in the west, and the Sayan mountains in the east. The Yenisei River begins in Tuva with the confluence of the Kaa-Xem and the B'eg-Xem, which originates in Mongolia. It is one of the world's major river systems, and drains into the Arctic Ocean.Tuva has 300,000 inhabitants, one quarter of whom are nomads living in their round tents made of felt, known as yurts. The ethnic composition of the Tuvan people is complex, comprising several Turkic groups, as well as Mongol, Samoyed, and Ket elements, assimilated in a Turkic-speaking element. The Turkic elements are common to the Tuvan, Altai, Khakas, and Karagas peoples. Tuvans are one of the oldest peoples to inhabit Central Asia with a unique culture. The mixture of cultural roots of ancient Tuvans formed a basis of the culture of the present-day.As one would expect of a Russian republic, the working language in the capital and other larger centers is Russian, but in the countryside and in less formal situations the working language is Tuvan. The Tuvan language is closely related to certain ancient languages (Old Oghuz and Old Uighuer) and modern ones (Karagas and Yakut).Traditionally, Tuvan are good at hunting and breeding cattle and sheep. There is virtually no industry and the main airport is a one-story wooden shed. Foreign visitors arrive from the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk in Russian built Yak 40's and average about two per day. Tuva's main export is its music. Its musicians are masters of a technique called throat singing, or khoomei. This entails producing two notes at once, one a vibrating hum the other a quaver. Many people outside of this region would probably have never heard of Tuva if it weren't for a unique vocal group that started up there around 1992, and began touring abroad and recording. Tuvan throat singing is not just an exotic novelty but a part of a rich tradition.Another old tradition, revived since the Soviet collapse, is shamanism. This is a blend of magic, medicine and spiritual guidance. Tuva has many sacred sites, considered to be spiritually significant. People decorate these sites with ribbons, pieces of cloth, string, money, shoes ... just about anything gets left as an offering, or as a gesture of respect. There are numerous medicinal/sacred springs, called Arzhans, which people visit for their healing properties. These spots can be just about anywhere, and are marked by monuments ranging from piles of stones to teepee-like structures. Tuvan are skillful in different handicrafts and folklore. They are especially skillful at making folk dresses and ornaments for women.