Tuva is a small region in Russia located in the geographical center of Asia. It is like a small independent state with its culture, history and inimitable atmosphere. Logistically it is not so easy to get to the region so any trip there is like an expedition. The easiest way to get there is to fly from Moscow to Abakan and then drive to Kyzyl, the capital of the Tuva republic. Once you decide to visit this mysterious place don’t forget to do the following:
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Located on a very small territory (only 168 000 sq. km) the region possesses almost all the natural zones: from deserts to tundra. So travelling around Tuva you can easily meet both camels and reindeers. |
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Definitely visit the concert of the throat singing. The peculiarity of the Tuvian throat singing is that the singer sings two or even more music pitches at a time which makes his singing so unique. One of the legends of the origin of the throat singing says that it appeared as the result of Tuvinian love to nature and desire to imitate the natural sounds – birds’ singing; animals’ yelling; leaves moving on the wind even the sound of stirrups when the horseman rides. |
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The population of Tuva is quite religious. The original shamanism was forced out on the back burner with Buddhism in 13th century but it is still very popular and according to the latest statistics 8 per cent of population believe in powers of the nature and practice shamanism. |
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You won’t forget your visit to one of the nomads camps. There are many horse breeders, camel breeders and reindeer breeders among the nomads. |
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In the east of the region you can find the settlements of Old Believers. The majority of Old Believers don’t like strangers but there is quite a number of people whose rules are not that strict and you can visit them. The Tuvian Old Believers are mostly very religious people and their religion determines their way of living comparing with the Trans-Baikal Old Believers who are not that religious and just want to live the way their fathers and grand-fathers used to live. Some of their traditions may leave us perplexed. For example, they don’t save their children believing that the god will save them if it is necessary. The god gives life and he takes it back. You will be amazed how the technical progress came to these settlements – you can find a hand-made tractor made from wood. But when visiting the Old Believers’ villages please don’t take photos of them; they are superstitious that photos take away the magic power of things and people. |
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