The Republic of Tyva or Tuva is a region of the Russian Federation
located in the very center of Asia, in the south of Central Siberia. The
national republic, stretching near the border with Mongolia, surrounded
by the Sayan and Altai mountains on all sides, is one of the most
inaccessible and unpopular tourist destinations in the country.
Geographical isolation made it possible to preserve the national
identity of Tuvans and preserve unique recreational resources. In fact,
ethnographic and natural tourism (fishing, water tourism), with due
diligence, can encourage sophisticated travelers to take an independent
trip, which, due to the harsh climate, is best planned for the summer.
Kyzyl
Ak-Dovurak
Azas Nature Reserve
Chadan
Erzin
Lake Tere-Khol
Shagonar
Uvs Nuur Basin
The official languages are Russian and Tuvan. Tuvan belongs to the
Sayan group of Turkic languages, and is practically incomprehensible to,
say, Tatars, Turks, Kazakhs or Uzbeks.
Despite the fact that
Tuvans make up more than 82% of the republic’s population, almost
everyone understands and speaks Russian, although there may be some
difficulties when communicating with residents from remote areas who do
not speak it well. Don’t be surprised if someone refuses to speak
Russian for ideological reasons, even if they know it.
By plane
There is a small airport in Kyzyl that can accommodate
some types of aircraft. There are daily flights (except Sun)
Kyzyl-Krasnoyarsk-Kyzyl. And Kyzyl-Novosibirsk-Kyzyl on Mon, Wed, Fri.
1 Kyzyl Airport (IATA:KYZ). Kyzyl city airport.
By train
There are no railways on the territory of the republic; the nearest
stations are in Khakassia and the Krasnoyarsk Territory, then by road.
2 Abakan city railway station. Railway station of the city of
Abakan.
By bus
3 Passenger ATP of the city of Kyzyl. Kyzyl
bus station.
By car
Along the M54 “Yenisei” highway from
Khakassia and the Krasnoyarsk Territory. The A162 highway passes through
the territory of the republic.
The main mode of transport in the Republic of Tyva is automobile. The
main highway is the federal highway R-257 “Yenisei” (until December 31,
2017, the previous registration number “M-54” is used at the same time)
- a federal highway (Krasnoyarsk - Abakan - Kyzyl - state border with
Mongolia). The Abakan-Kyzyl section is also known under the historical
name “Usinsky tract”. It is the main transport artery connecting Tyva
with all regions of Russia. Passes through the Sayan Mountains.
In the capital of the republic, the Kyzyl airport is located, through
which air communication is carried out with Moscow (since 2015),
Krasnoyarsk and Novosibirsk, as well as a number of remote areas of
Tuva.
It is assumed that after the upcoming comprehensive
modernization, the airport may receive international status in 2018.
Tuva did not have a railway connection, so the construction of the
Kuragino-Kyzyl railway line in conjunction with the development of
Tuva’s mineral resource base is of great importance for the republic.
The railway line was planned to be put into operation in 2020.
Tuvan cuisine is not for everyone, it is very fatty and high in
calories, and is replete with meat (mainly lamb) and dairy products, of
which there are more than twenty. The most common national drink is
Tuvan tea - green tea with milk and salt.
The list of the most
famous dishes of national cuisine includes:
Tuva Dylgan is a national
dish based on coarsely ground fried wheat (taraa) with sour cream (or
sarzhag, or any other butter), with the addition of sugar, aarzhy (small
fermented milk cheese), and sometimes jam. All this is poured with Tuvan
milk tea and mixed.
izig khan - blood sausage
bydaa - soup with
various grains and potatoes
manchylyg mun - soup with dumplings
byzhyrgan dalgan - fried flatbread
Munchy - dumplings
tsuiwan -
noodles with meat and vegetables
kara mun - lamb offal soup
The republic's nightlife, like the republic itself, is not developed. There are practically no nightclubs and fashionable establishments in cities and villages, except for Kyzyl. In Kyzyl there are quite a lot of nightclubs and establishments of various kinds, where there is a high probability of running into a drunken fight and other setups.
The republic has an increased level of murders and other crimes. Tyva
is one of the most criminally dangerous regions of Russia. Here, in
addition to murders, thefts and robberies, fights, and rapes are not
uncommon. Avoid moving under your own power in the dark, and on the
outskirts and in industrial zones even during daylight hours, especially
if you look like a Tuvan. Use official taxis, and even there, take a
closer look at the drivers. Try to look and dress “normally.” There are
especially many homophobes here (even among young people); dyed hair in
unusual colors, a non-standard hairstyle and even an innocent earring, a
T-shirt with a wide neckline, torn jeans or cuffs can cause attacks.
However, information about Tuvan nationalism is exaggerated by the
media; just avoid communicating with drunk, antisocial and aggressive
people.
After the Mongolian National Revolution of 1911, the Tuvan princes
were divided into three groups: some supported independence, others
proposed to become part of Mongolia, and the rest proposed to become
part of the Russian Empire.
After the Xinhai Revolution in China
(1911-1912), the Tuvan noyons ambyn-noyon Kombu-Dorzhu, Chamzy Khamby
Lama, noyon Daa-khoshun Buyan-Badyrgy and others several times appealed
to the tsarist government with a request to accept Tuva under the
protectorate of the Russian Empire. It was decided to grant the request,
and thus in 1914 Tuva voluntarily entered under the protectorate of
Russia under the name Uriankhai Territory as part of the Yenisei
province with the transfer of political and diplomatic affairs in Tuva
to the Irkutsk Governor-General. In the same year, construction began on
the capital of the region, which was named Belotsarsk in honor of the
“White Tsar,” that is, the Russian emperor.
On June 18, 1918, a joint meeting of the Russian and Tuvan congresses
took place in the Uriankhai region, at which the Treaty on the
self-determination of Tuva, friendship and mutual assistance of the
Russian and Tuvan peoples was unanimously adopted.
From July 7,
1918, the Uriankhai region was almost entirely occupied by Kolchak’s
troops. On June 14, 1919, the troops of the Badzhei Soviet Republic
under the command of A.D. Kravchenko and P.E. Shchetinkin moved from the
territory of Kansk and Krasnoyarsk counties to the Uriankhai region. On
July 18, they captured the capital of the Uriankhai region, Belotsarsk.
In mid-1921, Tuvan revolutionaries, supported by the RSFSR, decided
to proclaim the national sovereignty of Tuva, and the independent
People's Republic of Tannu-Tuva was formed. The Constitution, flag, coat
of arms were adopted, the gold reserves, budget and plenipotentiary
representations in the USSR and the Mongolian People's Republic were
approved.
Since 1926 - Tuvan People's Republic. The state was
recognized by the USSR in 1924 and the Mongolian People's Republic in
1926, but was not recognized by China and most countries of the world,
which considered Tuva part of China.
In 1932, an agreement was
signed on the border between the TPR and the MPR, which provided for the
transfer to the TPR of part of the disputed territories south of the
Tannu-Ola ridge (modern Mongun-Taiginsky, Ovursky, Tes-Khemsky and
Erzinsky kozhuuns). This agreement, concluded through the mediation of
the USSR, was received ambiguously in Mongolia and was not ratified by
it. In 1937, the Mongolian side declared the 1932 border agreement
“unfair” and concluded under pressure from the USSR and repeatedly
proposed to revise it, including after the accession of the TPR to the
USSR. However, all these proposals were rejected by the Tuvan-Soviet
side.
On June 25, 1941, the Tuvan People's Republic entered World War II on
the side of the USSR, declaring war on Nazi Germany, and became the
first state to officially ally the Soviet Union in the fight against the
aggressor.
From June 1941 to August 1944, the Tuvan People's
Republic supplied 50 thousand horses to the USSR, as well as about 750
thousand heads of cattle, of which almost 650 thousand were free of
charge. Thus, from each Tuvan family, which, as a rule, had an average
of 130 heads, 10-100 heads of cattle were supplied to the USSR. During
the war, Tuva supplied the Soviet army with 52 thousand pairs of skis,
10 thousand sheepskin coats, 19 thousand pairs of mittens, 16 thousand
pairs of felt boots, 67 tons of wool, 400 tons of meat, rye, barley
flour and melted butter, as well as tens of tons of honey, fruits and
vegetables. canned berries and concentrates, fish products, tons of
dressing bandages, alternative medicine, wax and resin, and
approximately 90% - free of charge; Also, at the end of the war, 30
thousand cows were transferred to the Ukrainian SSR, from which the
post-war revival of livestock farming in the de-occupied territories
began. The entire gold reserve of the republic was transferred to the
disposal of the USSR, and the production of Tuvan gold, in total,
amounted to 35 million rubles (at that time).
In 1942, the USSR
government allowed to accept volunteers from Tuva for military service.
Previously, the mobilization of Russian-speaking citizens into the Red
Army was announced. The first volunteers joined its ranks in May 1943
and were enlisted in the 25th separate tank regiment (since February
1944, a regiment as part of the 52nd Army of the 2nd Ukrainian Front),
which took part in hostilities on the territory of Ukraine, Moldova,
Romania, Hungary and Czechoslovakia.
In September 1943, the
second group of volunteers (206 people) was enlisted in the 8th Cavalry
Division, where they took part in a raid on the German rear in western
Ukraine. In total, during the war years, up to 8 thousand residents of
the Tuvan People's Republic and Soviet Tuva served in the ranks of the
Red Army, many of them were awarded orders and medals of the USSR and
the Tuvan People's Republic for military merits.
On August 17, 1944, the VII session of the Small Khural of the Tuvan
People's Republic adopted a declaration on the entry of the TPR into the
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and petitioned the Supreme Soviet of
the USSR to accept the Tuvan People's Republic into the USSR as an
autonomous region of the RSFSR.
By Decree of October 11, 1944,
the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR granted the petition and
invited the Supreme Council of the RSFSR to accept the Tuvan People's
Republic into the RSFSR as an autonomous region.
By the Decree of
the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the RSFSR of October 14, 1944
“On the admission of the Tuvan People's Republic into the Russian Soviet
Federative Socialist Republic,” the Tuvan People's Republic was admitted
to the RSFSR as the Tuvan Autonomous Region.
On October 10, 1961,
the region was transformed into the Tuva Autonomous Soviet Socialist
Republic.
On December 17, 1961, elections to the Supreme Council
of the Tuvan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic of the first
convocation took place.
In 1978, the first constitution of the
Tuvan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was adopted since joining the
USSR.
On December 12, 1990, the Supreme Council of the Tuvan
Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic adopted the Declaration of State
Sovereignty of the Soviet Republic of Tuva.
On May 24, 1991, the
Congress of People's Deputies of the RSFSR transformed the Tuvan
Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic into the Tuvan SSR, amending Art.
71 of the Constitution of the RSFSR.
After the August Putsch in
the USSR, on August 28, 1991, the Tuvan Autonomous Soviet Socialist
Republic was renamed the Republic of Tuva by the Supreme Council of the
Republic. This name was enshrined in the Constitution of the RSFSR as
amended on April 21, 1992.
In December 1991, the post of
President of Tuva was introduced, who is also the head of the government
of the Republic of Tuva.
In 1993, a version of the 1993 Constitution of the republic was
adopted with a new name for the republic: the Republic of Tuva (the
Tuvan language was specified as the “Tuva language”). The Constitution
of the Russian Federation, which came into force 2 months later,
established the name “Republic of Tyva”.
In the currently valid
Constitution of the Republic of 2001, the names “Republic of Tyva” and
“Tuva” have become equivalent. The Constitution, adopted in a referendum
on May 6, 2001, did not contain any mention of sovereignty and equalized
the rights of the Russian and Tuvan languages. Also, the 2001
Constitution abolished the post of president of the republic, and the
head of the region was declared to be the chairman of the government,
appointed by the president of Russia.
The current state symbols, coat of arms and flag of the Republic of
Tuva were adopted by the Supreme Council of the Republic on September
17, 1992.
The state coat of arms of the Republic of Tuva is an
image of a rider in national Tuvan clothing riding a horse towards the
rays of the rising sun on a blue background. At the base of the coat of
arms on a traditional white "kadak" ribbon is the inscription "Tyva".
The rider, horse, sun and its rays, the inscription "Tyva" are made in
gold (yellow). The image is enclosed in a five-petal frame with
alternating stripes of gold (yellow), white and gold (yellow) colors
along the contour.
The state flag of the Republic of Tuva is a
blue rectangular panel. From the side of the flagpole, from the upper
and lower corners of the flag, emanate slanted white and blue stripes.
When connected, the blue stripes form one stripe running along the
length of the flag, in its middle. Parallel to it, at the top and
bottom, are white stripes. The triangle formed by the white stripes
emanating from the upper and lower corners of the flag and its left edge
is gold (yellow).
In 1993-2011, the national anthem of the
Republic of Tuva was the folk song "Tooruktug dolgay tandym" (translated
into Russian as "Forest full of pine nuts"). The words and music are
folk, the text arrangement is by Ayana Mongush. In 2011, a new anthem
"Men - tyva men" ("I am a Tuvan") was adopted. Authors: Okay Shanagash
(words) and Kantomur Saryglar (music).
Shagaa (New Year according to the lunar calendar). The date of the
holiday is calculated by lamas according to the lunar calendar. The
celebration, as a rule, begins in the afternoon, on the eve of Shagaa.
Prayers are held in Buddhist temples, theatrical performances. The
holiday was established by the Law of the Republic of Tuva dated
February 12, 1999 No. 143 "On Holidays in the Republic of Tuva".
Constitution Day of the Republic of Tuva - May 6. The Constitution of
the Republic of Tuva was adopted on May 6, 2001, revised after the
referendum on April 11, 2010. This is the current, eighth Constitution
of the Republic of Tatarstan, the first of which was adopted on August
4, 1921 at the All-Tuva Constituent Khural when proclaiming the
independent Tuvan People's Republic.
Day of the Republic of Tuva.
Holiday, established by the Law of the Republic of Tuva dated February
12, 1999 No. 143 "On Holidays in the Republic of Tuva". Republic Day is
celebrated as the historical date of the foundation of Tuvan statehood
on August 15. In August 1921, the All-Tuvan Constituent Khural
proclaimed the formation of a sovereign state — the Tuvan People's
Republic (TPR). Russia took direct part in the preparation of this
event, supporting the Tuvan people in their quest for
self-determination. Later, on October 11, 1944, the republic voluntarily
joined the USSR as an autonomous region of the RSFSR.
Geography
The Republic of Tuva is located in the geographic center of Asia in
the south of Eastern Siberia, in the upper reaches of the Yenisei. The
maximum length of the territory from north to south is 420 km, from west
to east - 630 km, the maximum and minimum lengths are 720 km and 120 km,
respectively. The total area of the republic is 168.6 thousand km².
The republic borders: in the south and southeast - with Mongolia, in
the east - with the Republic of Buryatia, in the northeast - with the
Irkutsk region, in the north - with the Krasnoyarsk Territory, in the
northwest - with the Republic of Khakassia, in the west - with the Altai
Republic. Tuva is a mountainous region with alternating mountain ranges
and intermountain basins. Mountains occupy about 80% of the republic's
territory, and only the remaining part is flat steppe areas.
The
geographic center of Asia is located in Kyzyl, the capital of the
Republic of Tuva. The obelisk "Center of Asia" is installed on the
embankment 1 km below the confluence of Biy-Khem and Kaa-Khem on the
left bank of the Yenisei and is a landmark of the city.
The Republic of Tuva is in the MSK+4 time zone. The offset of the applied time relative to UTC is +7:00.
The climate is sharply continental. Summer is moderately warm in the mountains and hot in the basins. The average annual air temperature is -5.5 °C; absolute minimum/maximum -59/+38 °C. The average annual precipitation is from 200 mm in the basins, and up to 1000 mm in the mountains. The most favorable time of year is late spring and early autumn. The vegetation period is 150-160 days. Permafrost areas are widespread across Tuva.
The republic's relief is mountainous and basin-like. Mountains occupy
approximately 82% of its area, and only the remaining part is flat.
In the north and east of Tuva are the ridges and spurs of the Sayan
Mountains with peaks 2,000-3,000 meters above sea level. In the middle
part, the Academician Obruchev ridge system merges with the Eastern
Sayan. Where the Biy-Khem (Big Yenisei) begins, there is the
high-mountain basalt plateau Derbi-Taiga with 16 extinct volcanoes.
In the west of Tuva are the ridges and spurs of the Altai Mountains
with peaks over 3,000 meters above sea level. The highest of them are
Mongun-Taiga (3976 m), Ak-Oyuk (3608 m), Mongulek (3485 m), Kyzyl-Taiga
(3121 m).
The mountains act as a wall, isolating from external
influences, defining the climate of the republic as sharply continental,
characterized by frosty, windless winters, with little snow in the
basins.
Tuva has a rich potential for fresh water. Almost all the rivers
belong to the upper Yenisei basin, and only the southern slopes of
Tannu-Ola and Sangilen give their waters to the rivers of the endorheic
basin of the Big Lakes - a vast tectonic depression in the west of
Mongolia and the south of Tuva.
One of the largest rivers on the
globe, the Yenisei (Ulug-Khem), originates in Tuva. In the Tuva Basin
near Kyzyl, two rivers merge — the Big Yenisei (Biy-Khem) and the Small
Yenisei (Kaa-Khem). The rivers receive most of their water during the
spring-summer melting of snow and summer rains.
There are more
than 430 lakes in the republic, most of which are of glacial origin.
There are also 13 salt mud lakes and more than 50 healing springs, the
waters of which are successfully used to treat various diseases. The
republic is rich in underground and mineral waters of various groups,
such as carbonic (cold and thermal), siliceous thermal, radon, sulphide,
acidic ferruginous and without specific components. The largest of the
arzhaans, healing springs, are the Ush-Beldir (Northern arzhaan) and
Tarys (Southern arzhaan) hot springs in the mountains of eastern Tuva on
the Academician Obruchev ridge with water temperatures from +52 to +85
°C.
Tuva is a seismically dangerous region, in particular, on December
27, 2011, February 26 and June 6, 2012, three strong earthquakes and
many aftershocks occurred on the territory of the republic.
On
January 12, 2021, tremors from a magnitude 6.5 earthquake in northern
Mongolia and the aftershocks that followed were felt in Tuva. In Kyzyl,
the intensity of the tremors reached 4.5 points, the strongest tremors
(6 points) were recorded in the village of Kungurtug.
Tuva has a unique and diverse flora and fauna. Amphibians are
represented by six species from two orders. Reptiles - seven species.
The avifauna includes more than 348 species of birds. Mammals are 85
species from seven orders.
As of 2020, forests in Tuva occupy
8671.2 thousand hectares (51% of the republic's area), of which 8055.5
thousand hectares are part of the forest fund, the rest are on lands of
other purposes. Larch is the leader in the composition of forest
plantations, the second place is occupied by cedar, mixed with fir,
spruce and birch, occupying slightly less than half of the forest lands.
Pine forests make up 1.1%, and soft-leaved forests 3.4% of the total
forest area.
Sable, squirrel, fox, Siberian weasel, ermine, lynx,
roe deer, musk deer, red deer, elk, wild boar, brown bear live in the
taiga. Daurian rhododendron (called wild rosemary by the local
population) blooms in the spring. Medicinal plants are successfully used
in folk and Tibetan medicine.
About 30 species of fish live in
the reservoirs: salmon, grayling, pike, carp, cod. In the Yenisei River
basin: grayling, lenok and taimen live in the river system; pike, perch,
Siberian roach, ide, bream, whitefish live in backwaters and oxbow
lakes; whitefish, pike, ide, perch, roach, burbot, dace, grayling, peled
live in lakes. The Sayano-Shushenskoye Reservoir is home to roach,
perch, pike, burbot, bream, and ide. Eleven species of fish are of
commercial importance: lenok, peled, grayling, pike, roach, ide, burbot,
perch, and bream. Fishing is concentrated in the lake system, the
optimal commercial catch of fish is 600-700 tons per year, including
catches in the river system of up to 60 tons.
The dynamic
development of trade relations with China after the collapse of the USSR
led to changes in forestry and the environmental situation in the
region. Based on ten years of observations, it was concluded that the
volume of logging is many times greater than permitted and declared.
This has caused concern for the World Wildlife Fund. Sawmills and timber
warehouses owned by the Chinese play a key role in the spread of illegal
logging, while being the main area of interest in Russia for Chinese
organized crime. Poaching contributes to the reduction of rare animal
species; and the main direction of smuggling has become the export of
parts and derivatives.
According to Rosstat, the population of the republic is 337,544
people (2024). The population density is 2.00 people/km² (2024). The
urban population is 54.6% (2022).
The birth rate in the republic
for 2020 is 20.2, in 2016 this figure in Tyva was the highest among the
subjects of the Russian Federation.
The natural population growth
rate was 14.4 ‰ in 2015, 11.5 ‰ in 2016, 11.4 ‰ in 2018, 10.3 ‰ in 2019.
According to this indicator, Tuva ranked third in Russia in 2016 after
Chechnya and Ingushetia.
The Tuvans-Todzhins are an indigenous people in the mountain-taiga part of the north-eastern and south-eastern Republic of Tuva. Until recently, they were included in the Tuvan ethnic group. They were classified as indigenous peoples of the North by the decree of the Government of the RSFSR in 1991.
In 1992-1993, the People's Front "Khostug Tuva" ("Free Tuva"),
calling for the independence of Tuva and its secession from Russia,
provoked clashes with the Russian population. As a result, according to
media reports, more than 20 thousand Russians left Tuva.
In 1995,
ethnographer Viktor Ivanovich Kozlov wrote:
A much more acute
situation developed in Tuva, the territory of which (Uryanghai Krai) was
annexed to the Soviet Union only in 1944. The national movement among
the Tuvans, who make up almost two-thirds of the local population,
immediately acquired a separatist and largely anti-Russian character. It
even came to attacks by Tuvan armed groups on Russian settlers. It is
not surprising that many Russians left the territory of Tuva, and those
who remained do not feel safe here
By the end of the 1990s,
Khostug Tuva and its subsidiary People's Party of Sovereign Tuva, which
advocated for the economic isolation of Tuva from the Russian
Federation, practically dissolved themselves.
In April 2016, the
Tuvan public organization "Union of Russian-Speaking Citizens
"Rossiyane"" appealed to the President of Russia with a complaint about
the oppression of Russians in the republic. The appeal was not
considered on the merits, but in July of the same year, the head of the
Federal Agency for Nationalities I. V. Barinov expressed concern about
the high level of complaints from Tuvan residents about discrimination
based on nationality. According to the Meduza publication,
representatives of the Tuvan administration denied the relevance of the
problem of discrimination against Russians, and explained the continuing
outflow of the Russian-speaking population by the unfavorable state of
the republic's economy and the consequences of interethnic
contradictions that took place in the 1990s.
The traditional culture of the Tuvans, the main population of the
republic, is a nomadic culture. Due to its relatively isolated location
- the absence of railways, mountains surrounding the territory on all
sides - self-sufficient nomadic farms have survived to this day in Tuva.
Traditionally, Tuvans breed sheep and horses, and in the Todzhinsky
kozhuun, reindeer herding and hunting remain the main occupations of the
population.
The traditional religion of Tuvans is Tibetan
Buddhism, which is combined with elements of ancient shamanism. In
September 1992, the 14th Dalai Lama, who is the spiritual leader of
Buddhists, made a three-day visit to the republic.
Tuvan throat
singing has gained worldwide fame and has become an unofficial symbol of
the republic.
Among other symbols is the art of Tuvan stone
carving.
The annual Tuvan festival of livestock breeders Naadym,
the Ustuu-Khuree festival, the felt festival and the celebration of the
national New Year Shagaa are colorful and popular events that attract
people from all over the republic, and tourists from neighboring
republics and distant countries.
The archeology of Tuva has
gained great popularity. The symbol of ancient Tuva was a coiled bronze
panther from the 8th century BC, discovered during excavations of the
Arzhan-1 burial mound. In 2001, during excavations of the Arzhan-2
burial mound, a rich burial was discovered, called the first
archaeological sensation of the 21st century.
The main tourist attractions and cultural and ethnographic sites of Tuva include the Ubsunur Basin Biosphere Reserve, the ancient Scythian monument of the Arzhaan-2 burial mound, the remains of Uyghur fortresses, the Verkhnechadan Khuree (Ustuu-Khuree), the Orkhon-Yenisei script (about 150 stones with inscriptions), the "camel" rocks, the Genghis Khan road, Buddhist monasteries (khuree), and the Aldan-Maadyr National Museum.
There are 16 wildlife sanctuaries, 14 natural monuments, and two
nature reserves in the Republic of Tuva.
The Ubsunur Basin State
Nature Biosphere Reserve is a UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage
Site. It is located in the northernmost large closed water basin of
Central Asia, which is part of Mongolia (the Uvs Nuur Lake area) and
Russia (the Uvs Nuur Basin Nature Reserve) and is a nature conservation
area in both countries. The total area of nature conservation objects
in the Uvs Nuur Basin is 1,068,853 hectares.
The geographical
location of Tuva at the junction of the East Siberian taiga and Central
Asian semi-desert landscapes determines the richness of its flora and
fauna. More than 90% of the territory is hunting grounds. Sable, Sayan
squirrel, lynx, wolverine, ermine, bear, wolf, red deer, mountain goat,
musk deer live here. The snow leopard, listed in the Red Book of Russia,
also lives here.
Since 2011, the Kyzyl-Kuragino Archaeological
and Geographical Expeditions have been held every summer.
The Aldan Maadyr National Museum is located in the city of Kyzyl,
which has a rich collection of archaeological finds. In 2008, a new
museum building was opened. This allowed most of the collection to be
exhibited on 4 floors of the complex. The museum also stores the
"Scythian gold" and other finds from the world-famous "Arzhan 2" burial
mound.
Archaeological collections of the Scythian burial mounds
"Arzhaan" and "Arzhaan-2"
Photo negatives by V. P. Ermolaev
Tuvan
ethnographic collections
Tuvan women's and men's silver jewelry
Stone carving art of Tuva
Religious collections of shamanism,
Buddhism and Orthodoxy
Documents and books of the Tuvan People's
Republic (1921-1944)
Natural science collection
The National
Museum has several branches:
Museum of political repressions.
Nadia Rusheva Museum - the museum of graphic artist Nadia Rusheva opened
on August 11, 1993. In 1996, the exposition was moved to the Aldan
Maadyr National Museum.
Museum of Sports Glory.
Turan Museum of
Local History.
The city of Kyzyl is home to the Viktor Shogzhapovich Kok-ool Musical
and Drama Theater, where only the Tuvan troupe currently works.
The Tuvan State Puppet Theater is also active; it was founded in 2013 —
the first professional puppet theater in Tuva.
The city of Kyzyl is home to the V. M. Khalilov Tuvan State Philharmonic, founded on April 1, 1969. Currently, the V. Khalilov Tuvan State Philharmonic employs the following: the Viktor Toki Symphony Orchestra, the Miniature Theater pop and puppet group, the TUVA JAZZ BAND, the KANT Ensemble, the Live Music Club rock lab, and soloists of the V. Khalilov Tuvan State Philharmonic. The building of the Tuvan Philharmonic Society was declared unsafe and was left without a concert hall as a result of the earthquake that occurred in Tuva on December 27, 2011.
Science and education in the Republic of Tuva are under the
jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education and Science.
The Tuva
State University has been operating in the republic since 1995 and (as
of December 2020) about 530 educational institutions of various types.
The municipal education system of the republic consists of preschool
organizations, primary, basic, secondary comprehensive schools, lyceums,
gymnasiums, and centers for additional education.
At the
beginning of the 2015-2016 academic year, 180 general education
organizations operate in the Republic of Tuva, including 170 daytime and
10 evening schools with a total of 59.9 thousand people.
There
are 37 schools in urban areas and 143 in rural areas.
There are
also 40 organizations for additional education of children, including 38
municipal (17 youth sports schools, 21 multidisciplinary), and 2 state
organizations under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education and
Science of the Republic of Tyva.
There are 20 educational
organizations in the sphere of vocational education of the republic, of
which 13 are under the jurisdiction of the Ministry.
The number
of students is 12,987 people, including 4,241 people in higher education
programs, and 8,746 people in secondary vocational education.
Seven state scientific organizations are involved in the field of
science, of which 3 institutions are under the jurisdiction of the
Ministry. The number of scientists is 436 people, of which 397 are
candidates of science, 39 are doctors of science.
On August 14,
2014, by order of the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation,
General of the Army S. Shoigu No. 580 "On measures to implement the
order of the Government of the Russian Federation of August 9, 2014 No.
1487-r" in the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, the
Federal State Budgetary General Education Institution "Kyzyl
Presidential Cadet School" was established.
The grand opening of
the cadet school took place on September 6, 2014 in the capital of the
Republic of Tuva, the city of Kyzyl. The school is designed for 380
places (300 male students and 80 female students).
The most popular sports in Tuva are the national wrestling "Khuresh"
(Ayas Mongush, Eres Kara-Sal), various types of freestyle wrestling
(Chechen-ool Mongush, Opan Sat, Lorisa Oorzhak), archery (Mikhail Oyun),
boxing (Mergen Mongush), football, volleyball, table tennis. Honored
coaches of Russia (RSFSR)
Alexander Khertekovich Dorzhu (born
December 26, 1958, Barun-Khemchiksky District, Tuva Autonomous Oblast) -
Soviet freestyle wrestler, champion and prize winner of the USSR
championships, European champion, prize winner of the world
championship, winner and prize winner of the World Cup, Honored Master
of Sports of the USSR.
Elena Evgenyevna Dostai (08.03.1969,
Toora-Khem village, Todzhinsky District, Republic of Tuva, RSFSR, USSR)
- Soviet and Russian archer. Honored Master of Sports (archery).
European Champion (1994 — individually, 2002 — team), silver (1993,
1995) and bronze (1989) medalist of the World Championships in team
competition. Silver (2002) and bronze (2004) medalist of the European
Championships in individual indoor competition. Champion of Russia
(1996). Participant of the XXVI Summer Olympic Games in 1996 in Atlanta
(USA). Member of the national team of the XXVIII Olympic Games in 2004
in Athens (Greece).
Chechen-ool Mongush — Russian champion in the
52 kg weight class, World Cup bronze medalist (freestyle wrestling),
1996 Olympic participant 4th place
Opan Sat — Honored Master of
Sports of Russia, three-time European champion in freestyle wrestling
Lorisa Oorzhak — three-time European champion, two-time world
vice-champion, Russian champion (freestyle wrestling)
Mikhail Oyun —
gold medal in the team event at the 2012 Paralympics, bronze medal in
the individual event at the 2012 Paralympics (archery)
Ayas Mongush —
Honored Master of Sports of Russia, two-time world champion in sumo,
seven-time European champion in sumo and "Kuchuten" of the Republic of
Tuva, 17-time champion of Naadym
Kuular Kandemir Kan-oolovich —
Honored Master of Sports Russia, European Sumo Champion 2000, 2-time
prize winner of the World Sumo Championship, 4-time Russian Sumo
Champion, Head Sumo Coach of the Republican State Budgetary Institution
Center for Sports Training of National Teams of the Republic of Tyva,
President of the ROO Sumo Federation of the Republic of Tyva, Vice
President of the Sumo Federation of Russia. Eres Kara-Sal — Russian
champion and two-time European champion in sumo wrestling, master of
sports of Russia in freestyle wrestling and master of sports of Russia
of international class in sumo wrestling
Mergen-ool Mongush — boxer,
kickboxer, seven-time world champion, multiple boxing champion of
Russia, Honored Master of Sports of Russia
Oyun Mikhail Kara-oolovich
— (Tuv. Mikhail Kara-ool oglu Oyun; born May 17, 1980, city of Kyzyl,
Tuva ASSR) — Russian athlete in archery, Honored Master of Sports of
Russia, who won a bronze medal at the 2012 Paralympics
Chamyan
Dzhenny Maksimovna (1984) — Paralympic champion in judo, Honored Master
of Sports of Russia, five-time champion of Russia, silver medalist of
the World Championship, two-time silver medalist of the European
Championship.
Oorzhak Sergek Vasilyevich Honored Master of Sports of
Russia, three-time world champion, two-time European champion, World Cup
winner
Khertek Sayan Kaldar-oolovich (born September 5, 1987) -
Russian sambo wrestler and judoka, champion and medalist of the Russian
and world sambo championships, medalist of the European sambo
championship, winner of the World Cup in sambo, medalist of the Russian
judo championships, master of sports of Russia in judo, Honored Master
of Sports of Russia in sambo (2013)
Oorzhak Chayana Vladimirovna -
seven-time silver medalist, three-time champion of Russia from
2007-2017, silver medalist of the world championship (2012, Venezuela,
Caracas), silver medalist of the European championship (2015, Armenia,
Yerevan), fourth place in the world championship (2007 g., France,
Toulouse) and silver medalist of the XXIII Deaflympic Games (2017,
Samsun (Turkey).
Since July 22, 2013, the governor's project
"Sports to the Yards" has been implemented. The goal of the project is
to develop the infrastructure of sports and mass facilities at all
levels, starting with the capital's courtyards, where it is planned to
equip modern sports grounds, and to involve the population as much as
possible in physical education and sports. In the same year, 408
facilities were built and restored, 245 facilities in Kyzyl.
In
team sports, Tuva was represented at the professional level by only one
club - the volleyball "Vostok" from Kyzyl. At the same time, there were
more than 20 football teams in the republic (mostly based in Kyzyl), but
none of them managed to rise above the third division. Currently, there
is only one football club of the same name in Tuva, representing Kyzyl
and playing in the amateur championship of Siberia.
According to the data of the joint general meeting of the Russian
Academy of Sciences and the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences for
2004, published in the Bulletin of the Russian Academy of Sciences, only
the Republic of Tuva was included in the number of territories with a
low level of health, while all regions of Russia were placed in groups
with an elevated and average level of health of the population.
According to Rosstat, in the Republic of Tuva in 2022 there was the
lowest overall life expectancy in Russia and amounted to 75.98 years.
There are currently 33 medical institutions in the Republic: hospitals,
dispensaries, medical centers, a maternity hospital, and a sanatorium.
On May 22, 2014, the governor's project "Health Route" was launched,
the goal of this project is to ensure the availability of medical
services to the rural population. The "Health Route" road train consists
of two teams - adult and children's. Each of them has 10 medical
specialists.
According to the Republican Hospital No. 1, since
the beginning of 2014, the adult service has provided consultative and
diagnostic services to more than 7 thousand people, and the children's
service - more than 3.5 thousand children.
The population of the republic widely uses the cold arzhaans of
Shivilig, Uurgaylyg, Kogeen-Bulak, Khemchik, Kara-Sug, Torgalyg,
Ulaatay, Mannaylyg and others. For therapeutic purposes, steppe lakes
with salt water are used: Dus-Khol, Cheder. Mineral springs and lakes of
Tuva have unique healing properties and are located in very picturesque
places of the region.
Mineral waters of the Cheder and Ush-Beldir
deposits have been explored and are used for balneological use at the
republican resorts. The resort of Lake Cheder also uses therapeutic mud
and brine, the balneological resort of Ush-Beldir is known for its
unique hot springs. In addition, there are mineral waters suitable for
bottling.
Tuva is the poorest, subsidized region of the Russian Federation (the
poverty level in the Republic in 2017 was 41.5%). The Republic has an
unprecedented level of child poverty. The number of children in the
population structure is about 35% and due to the lack of employment,
most families receive benefits. Of the goods presented, the largest
share is occupied by agricultural products - 68%, industry - 23%,
souvenirs and other products - 9%. The unemployment rate (according to
the ILO methodology) for 2008 was 19.2%.
In the all-Russian
economic indicators, the share of Tuva is 0.1% (for 2007). For 2008, in
terms of industrial production - 0.0%, in terms of agricultural
production - 0.2%, in terms of retail turnover - 0.1%, in terms of
investment in fixed capital - 0.0%. The investment rating of the region
is 3D, which means low potential - extreme risk. Among the subjects of
the Russian Federation as of 2020, the region ranked 83rd (out of 85) in
terms of investment risk, and 82nd (out of 85) in terms of investment
potential. The lowest investment risk is environmental, the highest is
financial. The highest potential is natural resource. According to the
financial stability rating, the region belongs to the growth group,
according to the economic stability rating - to the stagnation group,
according to the social stability rating - to the moderate decline
group, and according to the comprehensive anti-crisis stability rating -
to the growth group.
There is practically no housing construction
in the republic. In addition, Tuva has a high level of corruption and
clannishness. The main industry is mining, which arose on the basis of
deposits of non-ferrous metals, asbestos, coal, gold and other minerals.
The food, forestry and woodworking industries are also significantly
developed.
To develop the economy in the republic, there is a
governor's project "One village - One product", which was launched in
2013. The volume of production of the project participants for 9 months
in 2015 amounted to more than 178 million rubles. Almost 16 million
rubles in taxes were received by the republic's budget, in 2014, for the
same period, tax payments amounted to 7.67 million rubles. The total
turnover of the exhibition dedicated to the results of 2016 amounted to
more than 5 million rubles, last year - 5.5 million rubles.
The subsoil of the Republic of Tuva is rich in ores of non-ferrous
and rare metals, coal, asbestos, iron ore, sapphire, chrysolite, gold,
mercury, jade, and various building materials.
The Ulug-Khem coal
basin and two large chrysotile-asbestos deposits are located on the
territory of the republic.
Between the Tore-Khol district and
Mongolia there are jade deposits, along the border of the Tes-Khem
district and the Tandinsky district there are deposits of colored stones
- sapphires, chrysolites.
As of the end of 2020, 15 power plants were operating in Tuva, including 14 thermal power plants and one small hydroelectric power plant, with a total capacity of 24 MW, of which only the Kyzyl Thermal Power Plant with a capacity of 17 MW operates as part of the unified energy system, the rest of the power plants operate in isolation. In 2020, the Kyzyl Thermal Power Plant produced 37 million kWh of electricity.
As of January 1, 2020, the rural population of Tuva was 150 thousand
people, about 46% of the population.
Agricultural land in farms
of all categories, according to the All-Russian Agricultural Census as
of July 1, 2006, amounted to 1,135 thousand hectares, or 7% of all land
in the republic, arable land - 57 thousand hectares, or 0.3%. In the
republic's agriculture, beef cattle breeding, sheep breeding, goat
breeding and horse breeding are developed.
The governor's project
"One village - one product" will be continued from 2015 on the
principles of the cluster approach. The first in importance is meat. The
anchor enterprise here is supposed to be the meat processing plant in
the village of Sukpak, Kyzyl district. The plant will be supplied with
raw materials by 2 slaughterhouses in the districts that have
traditionally been large livestock centers. In the south of Tuva - these
are the Erzinsky, in the west - the Dzun-Khemchiksky districts. The
Pii-Khem, Kaa-Khem and Dzun-Khemchik districts are being considered as
cluster centers for milk production and processing. It is proposed to
target the Todzhinsky district to specialize in fish production and
processing. A network of wholesale and logistics centers will be created
in the cities of Kyzyl and Chadan, which are major transport hubs.
Tuva is in 6th place among the regions in terms of sheep farming
development. At the beginning of 2020, Tuva contained 1,134,572 heads of
sheep and goats, out of 23 million in Russia.
As of January 1,
2021, the number of cattle in farms of all categories was 189.6 thousand
heads (+6.6%), of which 77.0 thousand heads of cows (-1.4%), 11.2
thousand heads of pigs (-10.6%), 1.25 million heads of sheep and goats
(-3.6%), 22.0 thousand heads of poultry (-71.9%).
In the
structure of livestock, households accounted for 75.5% of cattle, 83.5%
of pigs, 52.3% of sheep and goats, the number of poultry in agricultural
organizations in 2020 decreased by 99.4%, the number of cows increased
by 6.6%, pigs by 6.7%
In 2020, farms of all categories produced
20.5 thousand tons of cattle and poultry for slaughter (live weight)
(-5.5%), 65.0 thousand tons of milk, 6.7 million eggs.
On March 22, 2021, the phytopathological examination of spring grain
crop seeds continues by specialists of the branch of the Federal State
Budgetary Institution "Rosselkhoztsentr" in the Republic of Tyva. The
results of the phytoexamination show that the seeds of spring grain
crops are mainly infected with: alternaria; fusarium;
helminthosporiosis; mold fungi. A complex of diseases on grain crops
reduces yields by 15-18%.
In 2020, a total of 17 thousand tons of
grain were threshed from a sowing area of 11 thousand hectares, the
average yield was 16 centners per hectare. This is one centner more than
last year. And in 2018, the yield was 13.5 c/ha. The 2020 harvest
figures are almost twice as high as the average five-year values of
2004-2009 - 7-8 c/ha. The bulk of the harvest is wheat, of which more
than 10.5 thousand tons were obtained. 2.7 thousand tons of barley, 3.5
thousand tons of oats, 146 tons of millet and 60 tons of buckwheat were
also collected. The bulk of the grain crop was grown by farmers - 12,230
tons, or 72% of the total volume. Agricultural cooperatives account for
3,959 tons (23.3%). Private household plots of the population - 786 tons
(4.66%). The largest volume of grain was collected in the Tandinsky
district - 9,087 tons, or 53.5% of the gross harvest. In second place is
the Chaa-Kholsky district - 3,080 tons. The Piy-Khemsky district closes
the top three - 2,021 tons. During the Soviet era, the average annual
gross grain harvest was about 215 thousand tons, and the area under
grain alone reached 230 thousand hectares in Tuva.
If you choose
the right variety of any agricultural crop, the yield increase can be up
to 200%. Therefore, selection is of great importance. Thus, a hybrid of
winter wheat and rye, winter triticale "Bashkirskaya-3" showed a yield
of 87 centners per hectare in the Tyumen region in 2017. The yield of
naked oats in the "Ofenya" variety zoned in Tuva reaches 60 centners per
hectare. According to the results of the 2020 harvesting campaign, the
"Extra" spring wheat variety, which was created by employees of the Ural
Research Institute of Agriculture, showed a yield of 56 centners per
hectare in farms in the Krasnoyarsk Territory and Novosibirsk Region. In
the Kemerovo and Sverdlovsk regions, 50 and 49 c/ha, respectively.
In 2012, under the initiative of the Head of the Republic, Sholban
Kara-ool, the program "Development of Antler Maral Breeding in the
Republic of Tyva for 2013-2017" was developed to develop an economically
efficient and socially significant industry. A year later, in July 2013,
the State Unitary Enterprise "Maral Breeding Farm "Turan" was created;
the Piy-Khemsky District was chosen as the location for marals.
At the end of February 2014, the first batch of marals purchased in the
Altai Republic at the Abaysky breeding farm arrived in the republic, in
the amount of 182 heads - 121 calves and 61 female marals aged 3-6
years. In July, 61 male stags were delivered. In total, as of September
29, 2014, there were 243 marals in the Turansky maral farm. The
management of the farm plans to purchase another 300 heads of breeding
animals. With the increase in the number and productivity of reindeer
herding, the task of developing and introducing new science-intensive
technologies and means of mechanization of deep processing of antlers
and discarded antlers of northern deer, which are valuable raw materials
for the food, medical and cosmetic industries, is becoming more acute.
As of January 10, 2018, 7,096 business units were registered in the
Unified Register of Small and Medium-Sized Businesses in the Republic,
an increase since the beginning of 2017 amounted to 308 SMEs.
The
average headcount of employees of small and medium-sized businesses,
according to the tax service as of January 10, 2018, was 8,423 units.
The predominant share of the small business sector (98%) is
microbusiness, which provides for the sale of goods and services.
Over the past 5 years, a sharp increase in the number of small and
medium-sized businesses has been recorded.
The total timber reserves in Tuva exceed 1 billion m³. There are more than 50 thermal carbonate springs on the territory of the republic. Most of the rivers are mountainous and have high hydro resources (more than 8 GW).
The main mode of transport in the Republic of Tuva is automobile. The
main highway is the federal highway R-257 "Yenisei" (until December 31,
2017, the previous registration number "M-54" is also used) - a federal
highway (Krasnoyarsk - Abakan - Kyzyl - state border with Mongolia). The
Abakan - Kyzyl section is also known under the historical name "Usinsky
tract". It is the main transport artery connecting Tuva with all regions
of Russia. It passes through the Sayan Mountains.
The capital of
the republic is home to the Kyzyl airport, through which air traffic is
carried out with Moscow (since 2015), Krasnoyarsk and Novosibirsk, as
well as a number of remote areas of Tuva.
Tuva had no railway
connection, so the construction of the Kuragino - Kyzyl railway line in
conjunction with the development of the mineral resource base of Tuva is
of great importance for the republic. The railway line was planned to be
commissioned in 2020. In 2021, construction was resumed, but due to
COVID-19, construction was postponed for five years until 2026.