Saturday, January 01, 2005
Monday, December 27, 2004
11 Days Wow!
Day 1. For the travelers who continue their voyage after the Yenisei River cruise.
A visit to the "Stolby" national park, that is not far from the city. A short walk in the woods to a forester's hut. Picnic in the open air, we get a lot of information about this beautiful park.
Day 1. Only for Tuva guests.
International flight from Europe to Krasnoyarsk via Moscow. Flight time - 4 hours.
Day 2. Krasnoyarsk.
Arrival in Krasnoyarsk. You will be met and escorted to a hotel, where you will be able to rest before embarking on a sightseeing tour of the city. Information meeting regarding the trip. Welcoming dinner.
Day 3. Krasnoyarsk - Askiz. Wooden yurt camp "Kug"(6-hour journey).
Travel along the Yenisei River to the picturesque town of Divnogorsk. There, you will cross the river over the top of the dam of the Krasnoyarsk hydroelectric power station, which is one of the largest in the world. Lunch outdoors near the Krasnoyarsk "sea." Soon afterwards, you will reach the "Kug" yurt camp, built in an archaeological reserve. There are a lot of monuments of Scythian culture that were a mystery for a long time. They are dated at 2500 years old. Accommodation in yurts, followed by an excursion to a burial mound run by a professor of archaeology. Dinner.
Day 4. Sayan Mountains-Camp "Snow Leopard" (2,5 hours).
Our camp is situated in the middle of taga in the Sayan mountains and is made of Siberian stone pine. Flora, fauna, walking-tours, fishing, a visit to banja (sauna). Taiga dinner.
Day 5. "Snow Leopard" Camp- Kyzyl (6,5 hours).
You will spend the morning driving to the border of Tuva. After crossing it, at the foot of the mountains, you will be lead through the semi-desert of Tuva to the ancient monument known here as a statue of Genghis-Khan. The place is well known for a historically important event where this Mongolian leader assembled a great army of nomads. Picnic and further way to Kyzyl.
Day 6 and 7. Explore Tuva.
Sightseeing includes a visit to the geographical centre of Asia, house of national lore of the republic and a shaman clinic with the opportunity to take part in a ritual. You may talk to Lama in a Buddhist temple. You will also visit a typical Tuvan family to see their everyday life. They have their own household and live in yurt. A Tuvan family will invite you to a traditional lunch. You will travel to the Arzhan mineral water spring where you can savour the unique taste of this refreshing aqua libra. There will also be a visit to a market and many other interesting activities, such as, for example, a shaman show by a campfire.
Days 8. Kyzyl - Shushenskoye (5 hours)
You will take a short drive up into the Sayan Mountains. During a picnic, you will be able to enjoy a picturesque view of the Yergaki mountain ridge. Arrival in Shushenskoye. After dinner, you will visit the Culture and History museum, a Siberian village from the turn of the century together with a folk. You will also sample typical Russian cuisine and taste traditional bird-cherry pie made according to ancient recipes.
Day 9. Shushenskoye - Krasnoyarsk (6,5 hours).
You will return to the Khakassian steppe, and on the way to Krasnoyarsk you will see a really amazing sight - "The Valley of the Kings," where there is a huge burial mound of the Din - Lin age, surrounded by stone sculptures 30 metres high and more than 30 tonnes in weight. These stones were brought here from a mountain ridge 40 miles away. Arrival in Krasnoyarsk. Farewell dinner.
Day 10. Siberia-Moscow (4 hours flight).
After breakfast flight to Moscow. At 11.00 a.m. landing in Moscow, check in hotel. The Red Square visit, shopping tour and a visit to Moscow metro. Dinner
Day 11. Moscow - Europe.
At midday flight to Europe. Our tour guides inform you about departure time and they are always on hand at the customs in the international airport. You may prolong your stay in Moscow if you wish.
A visit to the "Stolby" national park, that is not far from the city. A short walk in the woods to a forester's hut. Picnic in the open air, we get a lot of information about this beautiful park.
Day 1. Only for Tuva guests.
International flight from Europe to Krasnoyarsk via Moscow. Flight time - 4 hours.
Day 2. Krasnoyarsk.
Arrival in Krasnoyarsk. You will be met and escorted to a hotel, where you will be able to rest before embarking on a sightseeing tour of the city. Information meeting regarding the trip. Welcoming dinner.
Day 3. Krasnoyarsk - Askiz. Wooden yurt camp "Kug"(6-hour journey).
Travel along the Yenisei River to the picturesque town of Divnogorsk. There, you will cross the river over the top of the dam of the Krasnoyarsk hydroelectric power station, which is one of the largest in the world. Lunch outdoors near the Krasnoyarsk "sea." Soon afterwards, you will reach the "Kug" yurt camp, built in an archaeological reserve. There are a lot of monuments of Scythian culture that were a mystery for a long time. They are dated at 2500 years old. Accommodation in yurts, followed by an excursion to a burial mound run by a professor of archaeology. Dinner.
Day 4. Sayan Mountains-Camp "Snow Leopard" (2,5 hours).
Our camp is situated in the middle of taga in the Sayan mountains and is made of Siberian stone pine. Flora, fauna, walking-tours, fishing, a visit to banja (sauna). Taiga dinner.
Day 5. "Snow Leopard" Camp- Kyzyl (6,5 hours).
You will spend the morning driving to the border of Tuva. After crossing it, at the foot of the mountains, you will be lead through the semi-desert of Tuva to the ancient monument known here as a statue of Genghis-Khan. The place is well known for a historically important event where this Mongolian leader assembled a great army of nomads. Picnic and further way to Kyzyl.
Day 6 and 7. Explore Tuva.
Sightseeing includes a visit to the geographical centre of Asia, house of national lore of the republic and a shaman clinic with the opportunity to take part in a ritual. You may talk to Lama in a Buddhist temple. You will also visit a typical Tuvan family to see their everyday life. They have their own household and live in yurt. A Tuvan family will invite you to a traditional lunch. You will travel to the Arzhan mineral water spring where you can savour the unique taste of this refreshing aqua libra. There will also be a visit to a market and many other interesting activities, such as, for example, a shaman show by a campfire.
Days 8. Kyzyl - Shushenskoye (5 hours)
You will take a short drive up into the Sayan Mountains. During a picnic, you will be able to enjoy a picturesque view of the Yergaki mountain ridge. Arrival in Shushenskoye. After dinner, you will visit the Culture and History museum, a Siberian village from the turn of the century together with a folk. You will also sample typical Russian cuisine and taste traditional bird-cherry pie made according to ancient recipes.
Day 9. Shushenskoye - Krasnoyarsk (6,5 hours).
You will return to the Khakassian steppe, and on the way to Krasnoyarsk you will see a really amazing sight - "The Valley of the Kings," where there is a huge burial mound of the Din - Lin age, surrounded by stone sculptures 30 metres high and more than 30 tonnes in weight. These stones were brought here from a mountain ridge 40 miles away. Arrival in Krasnoyarsk. Farewell dinner.
Day 10. Siberia-Moscow (4 hours flight).
After breakfast flight to Moscow. At 11.00 a.m. landing in Moscow, check in hotel. The Red Square visit, shopping tour and a visit to Moscow metro. Dinner
Day 11. Moscow - Europe.
At midday flight to Europe. Our tour guides inform you about departure time and they are always on hand at the customs in the international airport. You may prolong your stay in Moscow if you wish.
Another 19 Day Trip
85 S. Washington St., Suite 210Seattle,
WA 98104206-624-7289 / 800-424-7289 / fax 206-624-7360or
email at info@mircorp.com infomircorp.com
19 Days - Russia, Siberia, Mongolia
Day
Route
1
Arrive Moscow
2
Moscow, air to Krasnoyarsk
3
Fly to Kyzyl, Tuva
4
Exploration of Tuva including rural villages up the Yenesei River
5
Exploration of Tuva including rural villages up the Yenesei River
6
Exploration of Tuva including rural villages up the Yenesei River
7
Exploration of Tuva including rural villages up the Yenesei River
8
Exploration of Tuva including rural villages up the Yenesei River
9
Fly to Irkutsk
10
Drive to Listvyanka
11
Listvyanka
12
Old railway to Sludyanka, overland to Ulan Ude
13
Ulan Ude
14
Drive to Naushki; overnight train to UlaanBaatar
15
UlaanBaatar
16
Drive to Khogna Khan ger camp
17
Kara Korum
18
Drive to UlaanBaatar
19
Depart UlaanBaatar
WA 98104206-624-7289 / 800-424-7289 / fax 206-624-7360or
email at info@mircorp.com infomircorp.com
19 Days - Russia, Siberia, Mongolia
Day
Route
1
Arrive Moscow
2
Moscow, air to Krasnoyarsk
3
Fly to Kyzyl, Tuva
4
Exploration of Tuva including rural villages up the Yenesei River
5
Exploration of Tuva including rural villages up the Yenesei River
6
Exploration of Tuva including rural villages up the Yenesei River
7
Exploration of Tuva including rural villages up the Yenesei River
8
Exploration of Tuva including rural villages up the Yenesei River
9
Fly to Irkutsk
10
Drive to Listvyanka
11
Listvyanka
12
Old railway to Sludyanka, overland to Ulan Ude
13
Ulan Ude
14
Drive to Naushki; overnight train to UlaanBaatar
15
UlaanBaatar
16
Drive to Khogna Khan ger camp
17
Kara Korum
18
Drive to UlaanBaatar
19
Depart UlaanBaatar
From Lonely Planet 2002
Tuva
Where is it and why is it so special?
The Republic of Tuva is located in southern Siberia and on the edge of Mongolia. It is about halfway between Novosibirsk and Irktusk, south of Krasnoyarsk. The Republic of Tuva is the former Tannu Tuva, a country in south Siberia first annexed by Russia in 1914 and then absorbed by the former USSR in 1944. Tuva was at one time an oblast of Russia, and then the Tuvinskaya ASSR, and is now a member of the Russian Federation.
Tuva extends from the coniferous forests of the taiga in the north to the rolling steppe of the south. 82% of the lands of the country is hilly and the rest 18% are covered with savannas. Tuva is an area of great variety, with almost every type of landscape: luxuriant meadows, boundless steppe, medicinal springs, beautiful lakes, rushing mountain rivers fed in spring by melting snows, dusty semi-deserts and snowy chains of mountains. The area is situated just north of Mongolia. The Sayan Mountains in southwest Tuva give rise to the tributaries that merge to become the mighty Yenisei, one of Siberia's major rivers flowing over 2000 miles to the Arctic Ocean. The Tannu-ula mountain chain that is the eastern border of the Altay Mountains is located in the southern part of the region.
The mountain ranges form its natural border and have long protected and isolated this region so that the railway network that reaches nearly all other parts of Siberia did (and still does) not enter the Republic of Tuva. Moreover, the Soviet Union kept Tuva closed to the outside world for nearly half a century, and most of this country is still remote and difficult to access.
So far, few foreigners have been to this remote land. Nonetheless, Tuva has been known to stamp collectors since its first issues in 1926. Today it is famous for its stamps, its singers who are able to produce two separate notes at the same time (See the Scientific American article published in 1999) and Scythian gold from burials mounds, which were discovered in 2002 in at an archaeological dig not far from the capital, Kyzy (see National Geographic article published June 2003.)
General tourist informationRegistrationNo matter where you got your visa registered prior to arriving in Tuva, in Kyzyl you need to register again before traveling around Tuva. Most Kyzyl hotels will do this for you, though some may be reluctant. Your Tuva registration is sometimes checked elsewhere by hotels in rural Tuva, and certainly by the police in Toora Khem where re-registering is ESSENTIAL on arrival off the boat from Kyzyl. If you come down the road from Abakan via Abaza to Ak Dovurak (daily share taxis around 6am), then you're supposed to register in Ak Dovurak, but I don't know the details of where to do this.
Getting There
To get to Tuva from Irkutsk the sensible way to go is to fly - every Saturday, 3300R one way (2002 price.) Saves LOADS of time.
From Krasnoyarsk on the Trans-Siberian line, take the train to Abakan and then catch a ride to Kyzyl. Buses to Kyzyl and shared taxis leave from the Abakan TRAIN STATION (not the bus station). There is a bus but don't bother. Shell out the extra money and take a shared taxi rather than a bus. It should cost 400눠R per person, but takes 5.5 hours instead of 9-11 by bus. And don't plan to rush along the Abakan-Kyzyl road by night bus - the scenery with views of the jagged Ergaki mountains is about the loveliest in all of Russia (except perhaps Kamchatka) and really should be seen by day. Shared taxis run from the Abakan train station and, sometimes, you can negotiate a sensible deal to go alone - i.e. pay 4 times the price - so that you can stop here and there along the route. But even the regular shared taxis are usually happy to stop once or twice for photos, if you ask nicely.
Svetlaya lake, about half way, looks great from the photos, and is popular for short treks and to go camping, but beware doing that alone. See below for more about safety issues.
If you plan to travel between Altai and Tuva, there's no need to go all the way back up to the Trans-Siberian railway. There are overnight trains between Abakan and Novokuznetsk (quite an intriguing city in itself). Then there are about four buses a day from Novokuznetsk down to Biysk, which has a small but interesting old city area. From Biysk, it's an easy hop to Gorno Altaisk, where you MUST register if you want to visit the mountains of the Altai Republic.
At the present time it does not appear that there is a border open between Tuva and Mongolia that can be tranversed by nonlocals. Theoretically, the border between Mongolia and Russia can be crossed from Altai with prior permission of the Russian authorities. And there is one site online that mentions the possibility of crossing from Ak Dovurak to Mongolia also with prior approval of the Russian authorities. OTOH someone reported (2003) trying to obtain such permission in Moscow and being told that it was not possible.
Touring and things to doThe landscapes are fabulous, wrestling is fun to watch and when you hear someone perform Syrygyt throat singing it's hard to believe that it's really coming from a human throat. Kyzyl is not lovely, but has pleasant tree-lined streets in the center, nice views across the river near the Shaman's totems, a Center of Asia monument, and 20 kilometers from town there's a pleasant, well equipped yurt-hotel if you can afford the 25 USD per night. Otherwise, however, yurts are much less common than in Mongolia.
If you catch a festival like Naadam it's way less touristy in Tuva than in Mongolia, and the other advantage is that although roads are bad in Tuva, at least there are some - unlike Mongolia!!! There's a new Mongolian consulate in Kyzyl giving visas almost on the spot, but plans to open the border at Kandaghaity (NOT Erzin) have yet to happen. The mini Naadam (in Tuva it is called Naadym) festival in 2004 will be held 10-12 September instead of the usual mid August dates in order to commemorate 60th anniversary of Tuva joining the Soviet Union.
In Kyzyl, do go to the tourist office. The people are very friendly and helpful, and not out to scam you (at least I don't think so!) Main trouble is finding the place as it's not marked and is inside government house facing the big theatre. Just go to the guards at the door and keep saying 'Turism' - hopefully they'll finally let you in and show you the way - to the left, upstairs then about half way along on the right. Some speak English in the office.
AccommodationsHOTELS IN ABAKANBest budget deal is Hotel Abakan ul Lenina 59 has basic but OK rooms for under 300R with shared but very clean bathrooms. Nicest hotel is Hotel Park-Otel ul Pushkina 54A - it's just set back off the main street (pushkina) in a little park behind a shop called 'Kristal' - but you'd never find it if you didn't know to keep asking! Suites cost as little as 600R. abtour@khakasnet.ru may answer...!Avoid the awful Hotel DruzhbaPersonally I prefered Old Minusinsk to Abakan though the hotel there (the Hotel Amyl, ul Lenina 74) is pretty tatty - 180 rubles per dorm bed.
HOTELS IN KYZYL
Nicest place to stay near Kyzyl is actually 20km to the north at Camp Ai (a set of riverside yurts) Call Artur (tel 3 89 00) to see if any are available - costs $25 including meals - hot shower and wc en site.In the city Hotel Kyzyl is a bit tatty but bearable Soviet sort of place from R170 and is very central.Hotel Kotedzh and (next door) Hotel Odugen have a few cheap rooms but typically charge around 700R+ en suite. Comfy enough, if still Soviet in conception.Hotel Mongulek right by the bus station seemed OK at first glance, but has a pretty bad reputation. And I wouldn't want to be there at night - though not having dared to, I can't say if you'd survive the situation or not... Still, play safe and avoid it (also they won't register your visa so no good for the first night, anyway!)
SafetyDon't underestimate the danger of drunks in Tuva and parts of Altai, especially after dark. West Tuva is one of the most lawless regions of Central Asia. Even local Tuvans are very nervous to travel in the west of Tuva without having a local friend - i.e. someone from the SPECIFIC town where you stay. The east, in contrast, is relatively safe, and the Todzha district is utterly different from the steppeland of Tuva - though only the Azas lake is really accessible if you don't have a major expedition.
ResourcesBe sure to contact the Friends of Tuva as this web site has the most comprehensive information about this area of Russia.
Note: This information was compiled from a collection of notes posted on the Lonely Planet TT
Where is it and why is it so special?
The Republic of Tuva is located in southern Siberia and on the edge of Mongolia. It is about halfway between Novosibirsk and Irktusk, south of Krasnoyarsk. The Republic of Tuva is the former Tannu Tuva, a country in south Siberia first annexed by Russia in 1914 and then absorbed by the former USSR in 1944. Tuva was at one time an oblast of Russia, and then the Tuvinskaya ASSR, and is now a member of the Russian Federation.
Tuva extends from the coniferous forests of the taiga in the north to the rolling steppe of the south. 82% of the lands of the country is hilly and the rest 18% are covered with savannas. Tuva is an area of great variety, with almost every type of landscape: luxuriant meadows, boundless steppe, medicinal springs, beautiful lakes, rushing mountain rivers fed in spring by melting snows, dusty semi-deserts and snowy chains of mountains. The area is situated just north of Mongolia. The Sayan Mountains in southwest Tuva give rise to the tributaries that merge to become the mighty Yenisei, one of Siberia's major rivers flowing over 2000 miles to the Arctic Ocean. The Tannu-ula mountain chain that is the eastern border of the Altay Mountains is located in the southern part of the region.
The mountain ranges form its natural border and have long protected and isolated this region so that the railway network that reaches nearly all other parts of Siberia did (and still does) not enter the Republic of Tuva. Moreover, the Soviet Union kept Tuva closed to the outside world for nearly half a century, and most of this country is still remote and difficult to access.
So far, few foreigners have been to this remote land. Nonetheless, Tuva has been known to stamp collectors since its first issues in 1926. Today it is famous for its stamps, its singers who are able to produce two separate notes at the same time (See the Scientific American article published in 1999) and Scythian gold from burials mounds, which were discovered in 2002 in at an archaeological dig not far from the capital, Kyzy (see National Geographic article published June 2003.)
General tourist informationRegistrationNo matter where you got your visa registered prior to arriving in Tuva, in Kyzyl you need to register again before traveling around Tuva. Most Kyzyl hotels will do this for you, though some may be reluctant. Your Tuva registration is sometimes checked elsewhere by hotels in rural Tuva, and certainly by the police in Toora Khem where re-registering is ESSENTIAL on arrival off the boat from Kyzyl. If you come down the road from Abakan via Abaza to Ak Dovurak (daily share taxis around 6am), then you're supposed to register in Ak Dovurak, but I don't know the details of where to do this.
Getting There
To get to Tuva from Irkutsk the sensible way to go is to fly - every Saturday, 3300R one way (2002 price.) Saves LOADS of time.
From Krasnoyarsk on the Trans-Siberian line, take the train to Abakan and then catch a ride to Kyzyl. Buses to Kyzyl and shared taxis leave from the Abakan TRAIN STATION (not the bus station). There is a bus but don't bother. Shell out the extra money and take a shared taxi rather than a bus. It should cost 400눠R per person, but takes 5.5 hours instead of 9-11 by bus. And don't plan to rush along the Abakan-Kyzyl road by night bus - the scenery with views of the jagged Ergaki mountains is about the loveliest in all of Russia (except perhaps Kamchatka) and really should be seen by day. Shared taxis run from the Abakan train station and, sometimes, you can negotiate a sensible deal to go alone - i.e. pay 4 times the price - so that you can stop here and there along the route. But even the regular shared taxis are usually happy to stop once or twice for photos, if you ask nicely.
Svetlaya lake, about half way, looks great from the photos, and is popular for short treks and to go camping, but beware doing that alone. See below for more about safety issues.
If you plan to travel between Altai and Tuva, there's no need to go all the way back up to the Trans-Siberian railway. There are overnight trains between Abakan and Novokuznetsk (quite an intriguing city in itself). Then there are about four buses a day from Novokuznetsk down to Biysk, which has a small but interesting old city area. From Biysk, it's an easy hop to Gorno Altaisk, where you MUST register if you want to visit the mountains of the Altai Republic.
At the present time it does not appear that there is a border open between Tuva and Mongolia that can be tranversed by nonlocals. Theoretically, the border between Mongolia and Russia can be crossed from Altai with prior permission of the Russian authorities. And there is one site online that mentions the possibility of crossing from Ak Dovurak to Mongolia also with prior approval of the Russian authorities. OTOH someone reported (2003) trying to obtain such permission in Moscow and being told that it was not possible.
Touring and things to doThe landscapes are fabulous, wrestling is fun to watch and when you hear someone perform Syrygyt throat singing it's hard to believe that it's really coming from a human throat. Kyzyl is not lovely, but has pleasant tree-lined streets in the center, nice views across the river near the Shaman's totems, a Center of Asia monument, and 20 kilometers from town there's a pleasant, well equipped yurt-hotel if you can afford the 25 USD per night. Otherwise, however, yurts are much less common than in Mongolia.
If you catch a festival like Naadam it's way less touristy in Tuva than in Mongolia, and the other advantage is that although roads are bad in Tuva, at least there are some - unlike Mongolia!!! There's a new Mongolian consulate in Kyzyl giving visas almost on the spot, but plans to open the border at Kandaghaity (NOT Erzin) have yet to happen. The mini Naadam (in Tuva it is called Naadym) festival in 2004 will be held 10-12 September instead of the usual mid August dates in order to commemorate 60th anniversary of Tuva joining the Soviet Union.
In Kyzyl, do go to the tourist office. The people are very friendly and helpful, and not out to scam you (at least I don't think so!) Main trouble is finding the place as it's not marked and is inside government house facing the big theatre. Just go to the guards at the door and keep saying 'Turism' - hopefully they'll finally let you in and show you the way - to the left, upstairs then about half way along on the right. Some speak English in the office.
AccommodationsHOTELS IN ABAKANBest budget deal is Hotel Abakan ul Lenina 59 has basic but OK rooms for under 300R with shared but very clean bathrooms. Nicest hotel is Hotel Park-Otel ul Pushkina 54A - it's just set back off the main street (pushkina) in a little park behind a shop called 'Kristal' - but you'd never find it if you didn't know to keep asking! Suites cost as little as 600R. abtour@khakasnet.ru may answer...!Avoid the awful Hotel DruzhbaPersonally I prefered Old Minusinsk to Abakan though the hotel there (the Hotel Amyl, ul Lenina 74) is pretty tatty - 180 rubles per dorm bed.
HOTELS IN KYZYL
Nicest place to stay near Kyzyl is actually 20km to the north at Camp Ai (a set of riverside yurts) Call Artur (tel 3 89 00) to see if any are available - costs $25 including meals - hot shower and wc en site.In the city Hotel Kyzyl is a bit tatty but bearable Soviet sort of place from R170 and is very central.Hotel Kotedzh and (next door) Hotel Odugen have a few cheap rooms but typically charge around 700R+ en suite. Comfy enough, if still Soviet in conception.Hotel Mongulek right by the bus station seemed OK at first glance, but has a pretty bad reputation. And I wouldn't want to be there at night - though not having dared to, I can't say if you'd survive the situation or not... Still, play safe and avoid it (also they won't register your visa so no good for the first night, anyway!)
SafetyDon't underestimate the danger of drunks in Tuva and parts of Altai, especially after dark. West Tuva is one of the most lawless regions of Central Asia. Even local Tuvans are very nervous to travel in the west of Tuva without having a local friend - i.e. someone from the SPECIFIC town where you stay. The east, in contrast, is relatively safe, and the Todzha district is utterly different from the steppeland of Tuva - though only the Azas lake is really accessible if you don't have a major expedition.
ResourcesBe sure to contact the Friends of Tuva as this web site has the most comprehensive information about this area of Russia.
Note: This information was compiled from a collection of notes posted on the Lonely Planet TT
Tuva Autonomous Republic
source
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.
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.
How to get there
How to get there: The easiest way is to get to Tuva from Krasnoyarsk is to take a train or a plane (from Moscow) to Abakan (the capital of Khakasiya), and then take a local bus to Kyzyl (the capital of Tuva) from there. The train journey from Krasnoyarsk to Kyzyl takes about 10 hours, distance is almost 600 km. There's a daily train #124 departing Krasnoyarsk at 15.52 Moscow time and arriving at 2.23 Moscow time to Abakan. From Abakan there are a few daily buses to Kyzyl, the journey lasts about 4-5 hours. Web resources: There are not many internet resources about Tuva, but here's a list of a few interesting ones:Annual festival "Live Worldmusic and Interfaith Festival" - traditional music and ethnic cultures festival in Tuva, takes place every year on 3 to 10 July. See website for more info (in English!)Tuva Web Portal - The best web portal about Tuva in English made by students. A lot of general info about Tuva: http://www.tuva.bizMajor Tuva newspaper "Center of Asia": http://www.centerasia.dem.ru/ (in Russian)
Abakan
Khakasia Republic.
Khakasia republic is located to south-west from Krasnoyarsk. This region is interesting for rafting and trekking activities. The capital of Khakasia is Abakan and you can get there by daily train #124 departing Krasnoyarsk at 15.52 Moscow time and arriving at 2.23 Moscow time to Abakan (travel time 10 hours). The train back is #124 with the same departure and arrival times.
Abakan/Абакан (ABA): Location: 5 km/3 Miles NW of the city centre. By Bus: The airport is served by Bus #15, which starts at the airport and then goes along Prospekt Druzhba Narodov, Ulitsa Shchetinkina & Ulitsa Pushkina, and finally stops near the main bus station.
Khakasia republic is located to south-west from Krasnoyarsk. This region is interesting for rafting and trekking activities. The capital of Khakasia is Abakan and you can get there by daily train #124 departing Krasnoyarsk at 15.52 Moscow time and arriving at 2.23 Moscow time to Abakan (travel time 10 hours). The train back is #124 with the same departure and arrival times.
Abakan/Абакан (ABA): Location: 5 km/3 Miles NW of the city centre. By Bus: The airport is served by Bus #15, which starts at the airport and then goes along Prospekt Druzhba Narodov, Ulitsa Shchetinkina & Ulitsa Pushkina, and finally stops near the main bus station.
Also Called Tyva
Tuva republic (also called Tyva) is located about 600 km south from Krasnoyarsk. It is considered that Tuva is located in the center of Asia and that the geographical center of Tuva region lies exactly where the capital of Tuva is, Kyzyl.The region is completely unspoiled by industry (the main branches of economy and agriculture) and there are very few roads, which makes Tuva region not easily accessible, but very unique, authentic, and preserved.Most of the landscape is defined by mountains and taiga forests, which makes Tuva very attractive for active tourists. Such activities as rafting, mountain hiking, hunting can be practised here.Also, Tuva is the center of local ethnic culture. The main religions are shamanism and buddhism and, unlike many other Asian republics in Russia, Tuva people managed to retain their national identity and culture.In the capital of Tuva you can find traditional medicine centers, shaman schools, and buddhist centers.Only 60 years ago Tuva was still an independent state, however, it was joined to Russia in 1944. Nowadays Tuva has about 300,000 inhabitants, more than 70% are ethnic Tuvinians.Every year (usually July) there's a festival of worldmusic and religion held at Tuva republic.
KrasAir Airlines summer charter program
KrasAir Airlines will operate summer charter program since April, 20 till the end of October. In the frame of the program KrasAir Airlines present new routs to Agadir (Marocco), Izmir (Turkey), Tivat (Croatia). KrasAir Airlines will operate the charter flights from Moscow (Domodedovo airport), Krasnoyarsk, Novosibirsk and Irkutsk.
KrasAir Airlines will operate flights from Moscow to:
Turkey (Antalya, Dalaman, Istanbul, Izmir) – 15 times a week;
Egypt (Hurgada, Sharm-El-Sheikh) – 4 times a week;
Tunis (Monastyr) – 3 times a week;
Greece (Iraklion, Saloniki) – 4 times a week;
Spain (Barcelona, Tenerife, Alikante, Palma de Majorka, Malaga) – 6 times a week;
Bulgaria (Varna, Burgas) – 4 times a week;
Croatia (Pula, Dubrovnik, Tivat) – 3 times a week;
Marocco (Agadir) – once a week;
Italy (Ankona, Riminy) - twice a week.
Aircraft involved in KrasAir Airlines' summer charter program are Ilyushin Il-86, Tupolev Tu-154M, Tu-204 and also two new Boing-767 due to come in May 2004. Tupolev Tu-204 will fly from Krasnoyarsk, Novosibirsk, and Irkutsk. Others will take off from Moscow airports.
KrasAir Airlines will fly from Krasnoyarsk to Turkey (Antalya, Dalaman), Croatia (Pula), Ciprus (Larnaka) – once a week.
KrasAir major partners in charter program realizing are tourist operators Mostravel, UTE Megapolis group, Vremya Tour, Da-tour (Krasnoyarsk), Voyage, Vyahes Arturo, Azzuro Viadgy, Iness+, Intourist.
According to the results of the winter charter program 2003-2004 KrasAir Airlines have transported 128181 passengers – 39% more compared to winter 2002-2003. Flights to Egypt (Hurgada, Sharm El Sheikh) were the most popular. During this period KrasAir operated 8 flights a week to Egypt, 7 flights a week to Turkey, 5 flights a week to Spain (Tenerife, Barcelona, Alikante) and 3 flights a week to Italy (Verona, Ankona, Forli).
KrasAir Airlines will operate flights from Moscow to:
Turkey (Antalya, Dalaman, Istanbul, Izmir) – 15 times a week;
Egypt (Hurgada, Sharm-El-Sheikh) – 4 times a week;
Tunis (Monastyr) – 3 times a week;
Greece (Iraklion, Saloniki) – 4 times a week;
Spain (Barcelona, Tenerife, Alikante, Palma de Majorka, Malaga) – 6 times a week;
Bulgaria (Varna, Burgas) – 4 times a week;
Croatia (Pula, Dubrovnik, Tivat) – 3 times a week;
Marocco (Agadir) – once a week;
Italy (Ankona, Riminy) - twice a week.
Aircraft involved in KrasAir Airlines' summer charter program are Ilyushin Il-86, Tupolev Tu-154M, Tu-204 and also two new Boing-767 due to come in May 2004. Tupolev Tu-204 will fly from Krasnoyarsk, Novosibirsk, and Irkutsk. Others will take off from Moscow airports.
KrasAir Airlines will fly from Krasnoyarsk to Turkey (Antalya, Dalaman), Croatia (Pula), Ciprus (Larnaka) – once a week.
KrasAir major partners in charter program realizing are tourist operators Mostravel, UTE Megapolis group, Vremya Tour, Da-tour (Krasnoyarsk), Voyage, Vyahes Arturo, Azzuro Viadgy, Iness+, Intourist.
According to the results of the winter charter program 2003-2004 KrasAir Airlines have transported 128181 passengers – 39% more compared to winter 2002-2003. Flights to Egypt (Hurgada, Sharm El Sheikh) were the most popular. During this period KrasAir operated 8 flights a week to Egypt, 7 flights a week to Turkey, 5 flights a week to Spain (Tenerife, Barcelona, Alikante) and 3 flights a week to Italy (Verona, Ankona, Forli).
Krasnoyarsk Airport - Airport Details
Country Code: +7 ~ IDD Access Code: 810 ~ Domestic Prefix: 8 ~ Time Zone: GMT+3/13
Krasnoyarsk - Yemelyanovo Airport (KJA/UNKL)
Krasnojarsk, Russian Federation, 663021 KrasnoyarskTel: +7 (8)3912 63-51-10, (Commercial) +7 (8)3912 63-51-17Fax: +7 (8)3912 66-02-05, +7 (8)3912 63-51-19
e-mail: krasair@krasair.ru or belyanin@krasair.ru
Website: www.krasair.ru
SITA: KJAGD7B, KJACD7BAFTN: UNKLKOZX, UNKLZXZXManaging Director: Boris M Abramovich Operations Director: E A Ruzaev Finance Manager: Mrs E Korshunova +7 (8)3912 23-63-66 Marketing Manager: Andrei U Egorov +7 (8)3912 23-63-66 Public Relations Manager: Alena Markovitch Operator: Kras Air
Airport Data: International, Krasnojarsk 40km (24miles), Position 56°10´23"N, 092°29´36"E, Elevation 287m (941ft), 24 hours, 2 Passenger Terminals, 1 Cargo Terminal, 40 Aircraft StandsAirfield Data Navigational Aids: VOR-DME, NDB Runway 1: Heading 11/29, 3,703m (12,148ft), 070/R/B/X/T
Krasnoyarsk - Yemelyanovo Airport (KJA/UNKL)
Krasnojarsk, Russian Federation, 663021 KrasnoyarskTel: +7 (8)3912 63-51-10, (Commercial) +7 (8)3912 63-51-17Fax: +7 (8)3912 66-02-05, +7 (8)3912 63-51-19
e-mail: krasair@krasair.ru or belyanin@krasair.ru
Website: www.krasair.ru
SITA: KJAGD7B, KJACD7BAFTN: UNKLKOZX, UNKLZXZXManaging Director: Boris M Abramovich Operations Director: E A Ruzaev Finance Manager: Mrs E Korshunova +7 (8)3912 23-63-66 Marketing Manager: Andrei U Egorov +7 (8)3912 23-63-66 Public Relations Manager: Alena Markovitch Operator: Kras Air
Airport Data: International, Krasnojarsk 40km (24miles), Position 56°10´23"N, 092°29´36"E, Elevation 287m (941ft), 24 hours, 2 Passenger Terminals, 1 Cargo Terminal, 40 Aircraft StandsAirfield Data Navigational Aids: VOR-DME, NDB Runway 1: Heading 11/29, 3,703m (12,148ft), 070/R/B/X/T
Sunday, December 26, 2004
Moscow Airports and Airlines
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| Moscow has several air terminals, each servicing various domestic and international locations. The main international terminal is Sheremetyevo-2, located northwest of the city center, although the newly remodeled and more modern Domodedovo air terminal is beginning to attract international carriers.
In general, when getting to and from the airport in Moscow, it is advisable to take a taxi. While this can be the more expensive option, the overly crowded public transportation makes it all but impossible to negotiate with a lot of luggage. A taxi from the center of the city to Sheremetyevo-2 should run you roughly 300 rubles ($10), while a taxi from the airport to the center can run you anywhere from $20 to $40, depending on the hour of your arrival and your willingness to haggle with drivers. You can also ask the information desk at the airport to order a taxi for you. However, if you are traveling lightly, public transportation is a great option and will cost you about $1, though it will require using a combination of a bus and the metro. Look outside of the arrival areas for marshrutki, which are small shuttle vans that run between the airport and the nearest metro stations. In addition, public buses also run to and from the airport. Check-In Procedure at Sheremetyevo-1 differs from what you may be used to in other airports. First you have to proceed through Security Control. The Number of the Security Control Channel assigned to your flight is announced only in Russian and will appear on the Indicator Boards. Since all the Channels are located adjacent, it's best to ask someone else in the line which city this is for, example "Ufa?" Once you have cleared Security Control, you will be directed to the correct Check-In Desk. It's strongly advisable to ask at the check-In desk where to wait for boarding. | ||
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| 1) Your baggage limit is strictly imposed at 20kg and there is no discretionary limit. You will be charged Excess Baggage for even 1kg above your limit, and this will be collected in the most bureaucratic, time consuming way imaginable. It is strongly suggested that you try not to travel with more than your baggage limit if you want to avoid wasting time and_money.
2) Some domestic flights still have Unreserved Seating, which often results in pushing-and-shoving battles to get onto the plane first. You may have to participate in order to get your chosen seat. 3) You MUST KEEP YOUR BAGGAGE RECEIPT. You will only be allowed to reclaim your checked baggage in your destination if you can show the baggage receipt (usually printed on a piece of card) that you were given at Check-In. 4) Most domestic flights are non-smoking. Very few have any entertainment (music, film etc) during the flight- even on very long trips. It's wise to bring your own book, CD player, etc. 5) Many flights to distant or less-visited destinations now operate as "hub-and-spoke" from Moscow - you will change planes in another city en-route, very often Novosibirsk (Sibir' Airlines) or Krasnoyarsk (Kras-Air). Your baggage must be reclaimed and re-checked at the transit airport, as it will not be tagged through to your end-destination. Kras-Air's staff at Krasnoyarsk Airport participate in a scam to overcharge you on baggage, by claiming that your checked baggage allowance is 15kg inclusive of your carry-on bag. This is an on-going problem that seems to operate with the collusion of the airline's management at Krasnoyarsk Airport, and there is almost no way to avoid it, although a VERY severe argument and a lot of shouting has been known to work. In fact throughout Russia's provincial airports foreigners are seen as an "easy target" for over-charging on fake accusations of "excess" baggage, and you should assume that they will attempt to over-charge you, so prepare for this situation. 6) Forget any notion you had that you are a "customer". On Russian domestic flights, passengers - along with their views and their custom - are seen as slightly less important than hunks of meat, and are treated very much the same way, despite the high price charged for tickets. Listed below are the main air terminals located in Moscow, along with the telephone numbers of their respective information desks and public transportation routes to each terminal. | ||
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| Tel: 554-8073
Main destinations: (Russia and CIS): Cities in Central and Southern Russia, as well as Eastern Ukraine. Public Transportation: From "Aerovokzal" (air terminal): Tel: 155-0922, by express bus (time en route - 1 hour 20 min.). From Kazansky vokzal (train station), "Komsomolskaya" m.st.: by any suburban electric train going in the Ryazan direction to "Bykovo" station (time en route - 47 min.). | ||
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| Tel: 933-6666, arrivals and departures can also be checked online at www.eastline.ru/domodedovo
Main destinations: (Russia and CIS): All regions of Russia. In addition, this airport is serviced by Swiss Airlines, and British Airways plans to begin operations from Domodedovo in July 2003. Public Transportation: From "Aerovokzal" (air terminal): Tel: 155-0922, by express bus (time en route - 1 hour 20 min.). From "Domodedovskaya" m.st.: by bus 405 (time en route - 40 min.), or minibus 80 (time en route - 35 min.). From Paveletsky Vokzal (train station), "Paveletskaya" m.st.: by Express Train (time en route - 40.). One-way fare is 75rbls. Departure from Paveletsky Vokzal hourly from 7.00 till 21.00 Departure from Domedovo hourly from 8.00 till 22.00 At Paveletsky Vokzal there is a dedicated departure-lounge for the DME train - lower level (look for blue signs). Some airlines offer check-in for your flight directly at Paveletsky Vokzal: Sibir, Domodedovo Airlines, TransAero. Passengers of these airlines also travel for free on the Express Train. It is likely that British Airways will also offer this service when it begins operations from Domodevo. | ||
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| Tel: 552-9800
Cargo only. | ||
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| Tel: 578-2372
Main destinations: (Russia and CIS): Akmola, Alma Ata, Archangelsk, Baku, Irkutsk, Kaliningrad, Khabarovsk, Kiev, Kishinev, Krasnoyarsk, Magadan, Minsk, Murmansk, Nizhnevartovsk, Novosibirsk, Odessa, Omsk, Rostov-na-Donu, Samara, St. Petersburg, Tashkent, Vladivostok, Volgograd, Voronezh, Yakutsk, Yekaterinburg, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. Public Transportation: From "Aerovokzal" (air terminal): Tel: 155-0922, by express bus (time en route - 1 hour). From "Planernaya" m.st.: by bus 517 (time en route - 45 min.), or by marshrutki. From "Rechnoy Vokzal" m.st.: by bus 551 (time en route - 45 min.), or by marshrutki. | ||
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| Tel: 578-9101
All international destinations. Departure hall is on the second level. Public Transportation: From “Aerovokzal” (air terminal): Tel: 155-0922, by express bus (time en route - 1 hour). From "Planernaya" m.st.: by bus 850 (time en route - 45 min), or by marshrutki. From "Rechnoy Vokzal" m.st.: by bus 817 (time en route - 45 min.), or by marshrutki. | ||
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| Tel: 436-2414
Main destinations: (Russia and CIS): Georgia, North Caucasus, Ukraine, Eastern Russia. Public Transportation: From "Aerovokzal" (air terminal): Tel: 155-0922, by express bus (time en route - 45 min.). From "Yugo-Zapadnaya" m.st.: by bus 611 or by marshrutki. From Kiyevsky train station: by electric train to "Aeroport" (time en route - 49 min.). | ||
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| Address: Leningradsky avenue, 37, bldg. 9
Tel: 753-5555 Fax: 155-6647 Web: www.aeroflot.ru | ||
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| Tel: 723-8260
Fax: 723-8242 E-mail: bonus@aeroflot.ru Web: www.aeroflotbonus.ru | ||
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| Address: Leningradskoe hwy, 90, bldg 1, 2nd floor
Tel: 105-3030 / 3060 Fax: 105-3034 E-mail: aerotour@aerotour.ru Web: www.aerotour.ru | ||
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| Address: Malaya Pirogovskaya st., 18, bldg. 1, off. 406
Tel: 786-6827 Fax: 242-9564 E-mail: airbaltic@continent.ru Web: www.airbaltic.lv | ||
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| Address: Kuznetsky Most st., 1/8, bldg 5
Tel: 292-3387 / 5440 Fax: 292-5136 Web: www.airchina.com | ||
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| Address: Korovy Val st., 7
Tel: 937-3839 Fax: 937-3838 Web: www.airfrance.ru | ||
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| Address: Olimpiyskiy avenue, 18/1
Tel: 258-4074/75 Fax: 258-3621 E-mail: alitalia@sovintel.ru Web: www.alitalia-russia.de | ||
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| Address: Sadovaya-Kudrinskaya st., 20, off. 207
Tel: 234-4074/75 Fax: 234-4079 E-mail: talav@comail.ru Web: www.aa.com | ||
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| Address: Smolenskaya st., 5
The Golden Ring Hotel Tel: 995-0995 Fax: 725-2559 E-mail: auamow@aua.com Web: www.austrianairlines.ru | ||
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| Address: Sheremetyevo-2 Airport, 6th floor, off. 601
Tel: 956-4676 Fax: 578-2936 Address: 1st Tverskaya-Yamskaya st., 23 Tel: 363-2525 Fax: 363-2505 Web: www.britishairways.com | ||
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| Address: Sadovaya-Kudrinskaya st., 20, off. 207
Tel: 234-4076 Fax: 234-4079 E-mail: ekaterina@comail.ru | ||
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| Address: 2nd Tverskaya-Yamskaya st., 31/35
Tel: 973-1847 / 1745, 578-8220 Fax: 978-7961 Web: www.csa.cz | ||
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| Address: Gogolevskiy blvr, 11, 2nd floor
Tel: 937-9090 Fax: 937-9091 Address: Sheremetyevo-2 Airport, 6th floor, off. 625 Tel: 578-2738 Fax: 961-2056 Web: www.delta.com | ||
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| Tel: 504-0324, 323-8459 / 8379
Fax: 787-8636 E-mail: dmo_market@akdal.ru Web: www.akdal.ru | ||
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| Address: Domodedovo Airport
Tel: 795-3457 / 3537 Fax: 795-3535 E-mail: esl@eastline.ru Web: www.eastline.ru | ||
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| Address: Sheremetyevo-2 Airport
Tel/ Fax: 956-4636/23 Address: Kropotkinsky lane, 7 Tel: 933-0056 Fax: 933-0059 Web: www.finnair.ru | ||
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| Address: Kuznetsky Most st., 3
Tel: 921-6448 / 6648 Fax: 921-3294 Web: www.jal-europe.com | ||
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| Address: Kalashny lane, 4/1, bldg. 1
Tel: 745-8735 Fax: 926-4253 E-mail: jatcomrus@mtu-net.ru | ||
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| Address: Usacheva st., 33, bldg 1, 3rd floor
Tel: 258-3600 Fax: 258-3606 E-mail: klm.russia@klm.com Web: www.klm.com | ||
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| Address: Povarskaya st., 24
Tel: 203-7502 / 0814 Fax: 291-1207 E-mail: lal@lal.msk.ru Web: www.lal.lt | ||
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| Address: Tverskoy blvr, 26
Tel: 229-5771 / 7388 / 8525 Fax: 229-8829 Web: www.lot.com | ||
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| Address: Sheremetyevo-2 Airport, 2nd floor
Tel: 737-6415 Fax: 737-6416 Address: Balchug st., 1 Balchug Kempinsky Hotel Tel: 737-6404 Address: 1st Tverskaya-Yamskaya st., 19 Sheraton Palace Hotel Tel: 737-6405 Address: Olimpiysky avenue, 18/1 Renaissance Hotel Tel: 737-6400 Fax: 737-6401 E-mail: lufthansa@online.ru Web: www.lufthansa.ru | ||
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| Address: Sheremetyevo-1 Airport
Tel: 578-8880 Fax: 737-5380 Address: Tverskaya st., 22 Tel/Fax: 299-1940 E-mail: svo@pulkovo.ru Web: www.pulkovo.ru | ||
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| Address: 1st Tverskaya-Yamskaya st., 5
Tel: 775-4747 Fax: 730-4142 E-mail: sas@co.ru Web: www.scandinavian.net | ||
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| Address: Sadovaya-Chernogryzskaya st., 13/3, bldg 1
Tel: 937-5950 Fax: 937-5951 E-mail: saa@aviareps.com Web: www.flaysa.com | ||
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| Address: Paveletskaya sq., 2, bldg 3
Tel: 937-7767 Fax: 937-7769 E-mail: moscow.townoffice@swiss.com Web: www.swiss.com | ||
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| Address: 2nd Smolensky lane, 3/4
Tel: 241-4800 / 7676 Web: www.transaero.ru | ||
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| Address: Kuznetsky Most st., 1/8
Tel: 292-1667 / 5121 / 4345 Fax: 200-2245 E-mail: tkmoscow@turkishline.ru Web: www.turkishairlines.com.tr | ||
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.
A Journey in 2000
My First Journey to Tuva (31st of May to 29th of June, 2000)
If you are serious about höömei, I advise you to make at least one journey to Tuva or Mongolia. I myself travelled to Tuva last summer in June and I am already planning to make a new trip. I must now express my gratitude to Ralph Leighton, who wrote recommendations and arranged contacts for me. So I had contacts with Tuvinians all the way from Moscow to Abakan to Kyzyl. Tuva is rather far away from Finland where I live, so that although the prices there are moderate even in terms of a university student, one will have to be prepared to pay for some expenses. Mrs. Zoya Kyrgys, the directrice of the Khoomei Center, invited us and also arranged höömei instruction for us. We were precepted by Sergei Ondar, a höömeichi with already a 15-year career as a professional singer and teacher. He charged 10 dollars per lesson one lesson lasting three hours. As a matter of fact, this price is the official price of the Khoomei Center and it has been defined because of foreigners that occasionally come to Tuva to learn this art.
MORE HERE
An Old Cinema in Kyzyl
This is an old postcard depicting the outside of a cinema in Kyzyl . The cinema looks much the same today, although it is apparent that this is an old photo. Across the street, to the left in this photo, is the Kyzyl Hotel.
The Tuvinian People
The Tuvinian people embrace two groups: farmers from steppes and mountains of Western Tuva and hunters from the taiga of eastern Tuva. The western steppes and mountains are dry and desert-like where the pastorallist farmers live in wool yurts and make their clothes from domestic animal skins, felt and cloth. The hunter / reindeer herders of the taiga region hunt both for meat to eat and for furs that have been traded with the Russians since 19th century. These hunters live in “wigwam-style” hunts covered with animal skins or birch bark. In the region of where the taiga meets the steppe farmers / hunters live who move short distances corresponding to season changes and who also build wigwam-like structures and occasional timber houses. Leaving bows and arrows in 18th century Tuvinians learned to make their own gunpowder and the rifle has become a major part of Tuvinian hunting life-style. Common food sources are the roe deer, the musk deer, hares, reindeer, and elks, but for a poorer herdsman or less skilled hunter fishing has always been an alternative. Fish have historically been caught in two ways: either horsehair loops were lowered into water and used to pull fish from the water, or they were caught with bare hands. To do this the fisherman would lie down at the riverbank with his hand in the water while one assistant went upstream to push the fish toward the fisher and one went downstream to keep the fish from swimming by. As soon as the fish brushed against the fisherman’s hand, he would close his fist and throw the fish on to the bank. This was apparently a successful way of feeding the family.
Please be patient, our clients use more modern means of fishing
Please be patient, our clients use more modern means of fishing
Tuvan History
There is evidence that people have been living in the Tuva region since Paleolithic times, but the first identifiable culture found in the region has been termed the Kazylgan Culture that flourished in the 7th to 3rd centuries BC. These early peoples followed a semi-nomadic, pastoral way of life that still continues today. At that time as well as now, the Tuvinian people were a mix of Mongoloid and European tribes. It was not until the invasions of the Huns in the second century AD that the majority of Tuvinians were of Mongoloid type. To add future to the ethnic mix, Turkish tribes who specialized in animal herbing arrived in the region and left clear evidence of a nomadic life-style in the form of wool tents — yurts — and specialized saddles for herbing.
In 1207 Tuva came under the subjugation of Genghis Khan and would remain under Mongolian and Chinese authority until 1911 Chinese Communist Revolution. It was in this period that splinter group of Russian Orthodox colonized some of back-country areas of Tuva, in order to practise a life of simplicity. Now referred to as “Old Believers”, descendents of this group continue to live in Tuva, completely rejecting the 20th century. The second wave of Russian Settlers in the region was peasants from surrounding areas who came to Tuva around 1885. After Tuva was freed from Chinese rule it became a Russian protectorate until 1921 when Tuvinian People’s Republic was declared with Kyzyl as the capital city. This republic followed a path of socialist government and in 1961 was included in the former Soviet Union (now — Russia).
In 1207 Tuva came under the subjugation of Genghis Khan and would remain under Mongolian and Chinese authority until 1911 Chinese Communist Revolution. It was in this period that splinter group of Russian Orthodox colonized some of back-country areas of Tuva, in order to practise a life of simplicity. Now referred to as “Old Believers”, descendents of this group continue to live in Tuva, completely rejecting the 20th century. The second wave of Russian Settlers in the region was peasants from surrounding areas who came to Tuva around 1885. After Tuva was freed from Chinese rule it became a Russian protectorate until 1921 when Tuvinian People’s Republic was declared with Kyzyl as the capital city. This republic followed a path of socialist government and in 1961 was included in the former Soviet Union (now — Russia).
Another Tour Schedule
Day 1. Arrival in Moscow. Meeting at Sheremetevo Airport (20 miles from Moscow downtown). Transfer to the hotel or home. Dinner (Russian cooking).
Day 2. First overview of Moscow. Kremlin, Red Square, StBasil Cathedral, Lenin Mausoleum, Panorama of Moscow from Moscow University, Moscow metro. Option — Moscow River excursion on a boat. Transfer to Vnukovo Airport (24 km (15 miles) South from Moscow downtown). Departure at 11 pm. (See Moscow Gallery)
Day 3. Landing in Kyzyl. Helicopter to Kungurtuck, just West of Mongolia.
Day 4. Time at Kungurtuck village, preparation for expedition, safety instructions.
Day 5. Put-in the Balyktyg-Khem at the mouth of the Sayrig-Air River.
Day 6. Raft 42 km through the rapids of the Malzevsky cascade. Fishing.
Day 7. 12 km of rapids to the mouth of Malzevsky River.
Day 8. Explore the taiga on foot, steam bath (banya).
Day 9. 48 km to the mouth of the Im River.
Day 10. 16 km of rapids, camp on “Island of Idols”.
Day 11. Shchelka Gorge, 12 km of rapids to the mouth of the Kyzyl-Khem.
Day 12. 60 km to Baybalsky village, settlement of Russian old-believers.
Day 13. Day with the old-believers.
Day 14. 53 km to the mouth of the Ust-Buren River.
Day 15. 46 km to Boyarovka village, take-out.
Day 16. Return to Kyzyl.
Day 17. Breakfast. Departure to Moscow. Landing. Transfer to the hotel or accommodation with a Russian family.
Visit to the Izmailovo Art Market for buying Russian souvenirs or works of art. In the afternoon — visit to the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts (Western Art) or the Tretyakov Gallery (Russian Art). Tickets cost about $5.
In the evening — Russian circus. Tickets cost about $4 –6.
(See Moscow Gallery)
Day 18. Transfer to Sheremetevo airport. Leaving Russia.
Day 2. First overview of Moscow. Kremlin, Red Square, StBasil Cathedral, Lenin Mausoleum, Panorama of Moscow from Moscow University, Moscow metro. Option — Moscow River excursion on a boat. Transfer to Vnukovo Airport (24 km (15 miles) South from Moscow downtown). Departure at 11 pm. (See Moscow Gallery)
Day 3. Landing in Kyzyl. Helicopter to Kungurtuck, just West of Mongolia.
Day 4. Time at Kungurtuck village, preparation for expedition, safety instructions.
Day 5. Put-in the Balyktyg-Khem at the mouth of the Sayrig-Air River.
Day 6. Raft 42 km through the rapids of the Malzevsky cascade. Fishing.
Day 7. 12 km of rapids to the mouth of Malzevsky River.
Day 8. Explore the taiga on foot, steam bath (banya).
Day 9. 48 km to the mouth of the Im River.
Day 10. 16 km of rapids, camp on “Island of Idols”.
Day 11. Shchelka Gorge, 12 km of rapids to the mouth of the Kyzyl-Khem.
Day 12. 60 km to Baybalsky village, settlement of Russian old-believers.
Day 13. Day with the old-believers.
Day 14. 53 km to the mouth of the Ust-Buren River.
Day 15. 46 km to Boyarovka village, take-out.
Day 16. Return to Kyzyl.
Day 17. Breakfast. Departure to Moscow. Landing. Transfer to the hotel or accommodation with a Russian family.
Visit to the Izmailovo Art Market for buying Russian souvenirs or works of art. In the afternoon — visit to the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts (Western Art) or the Tretyakov Gallery (Russian Art). Tickets cost about $5.
In the evening — Russian circus. Tickets cost about $4 –6.
(See Moscow Gallery)
Day 18. Transfer to Sheremetevo airport. Leaving Russia.
Trek in Tuva and Sayan Mountains
Tuva and the Sayan Mountains have so far had few visitors and are touristically "unspoilt".The treks here are fully horse supported and have slightly exploratory character although we have now operated in the area since 1999.
Located in southern Siberia and on the northern edge of Mongolia Tuva extends from the coniferous forests of the Taiga in the north to the rolling Steppes in the south. Nowhere else in the world is so far from the sea; its capital Kyzyl has a monument proclaiming it to be the very center of Asia. Tuva is a country of great variety with almost every type of landscape: luxuriant meadows, green taiga, boundless steppes, medicinal springs, beautiful lakes, rushing mountain rivers fed in spring by melting snows, dusty semi-desert and snowy chains of mountains.
The high peaks and alpine lakes of the Sayan Mountains in southwest of Tuva give rise to the tributaries that merge to become the mighty Yenisei, one of Siberia's, major rivers flowing over 2000 miles north to the Arctic Ocean.
The mountain ranges that form its natural borders have long protected and isolated this region. Moreover, the Soviet Union kept Tuva closed to the outside world for nearly half a century, and most of this country is still remote and difficult to access. So far few foreigners have been to this remote land.
Predominantly, Tuvans are cattle-breeding nomads. For millennia they have tended to their herds of camels, reindeer, yaks, sheep and goats. Traditionally they live in yurts, felt covered circular tents, that are easily moved to different locations as they follow the seasonal pastures.
The Tuvan people have a mixed ethnic heritage reflecting the ancient powers that dominated this part of Central Asia. It is said that Tuva was the birth place of Ghenghis Khan and that Ghenghis Khan's mother was a Tuvan. It is the cradle of the Turkic language and its culture is strongly related to Mongolian. They have persisted in speaking their own language of Turkic origin even while the Mongols, the Manchu's and other groups ruled them. Even now after decades of domination by the Soviets they still remember their sacred traditions from their main religions: Buddhism and Shaman.
Shamanism was widely practised in Tuva until the forties and fifties when the Soviets enforced their campaign to eradicate religious practice. This brought a modern infrastructure of roads and systems of public education, medical care and communications to this remote part of Asia. Now after almost fifty years of communist rule interest in these ancient customs is growing.
We will meet in Moscow, then fly on to Kyzyl where we will spend a day to absorb some of these customs, to meet Lamas, Shaman doctors, to visit the National Museum and to see rock paintings and archaeological sites of ancient settlements and burial mounds outside Kyzyl.
From Kyzyl a good road leads to our trekking area in the western Sayan Mountains in the upper reaches of the Yenisei river. The area consists of series of narrow, sharp-topped ridges and of flat-topped, ridges between 2000 and 3000m high with steep slopes and strongly eroded upper sections.
The trek will pass through dense coniferous taiga of cedar, silver fir and pine, sparse larch forest and boulder fields on some of the plateaux. There are passes to cross, but not so steep as in the Fann, and rushing rivers to cross with the help of bridges, fords and perhaps even the horses. Most of the rivers lie in deep valleys with many rapids.
How to reach Krasnoyarsk?
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