Tuva Things to Do

Tuva's Naadym

by Ekahau

In 1993 I went to the Tuvan Naadym, the biggest national festival which is celebrated every year 15 August, the national day of Tuva. I would strongly recommend this as a thing to do it is where you have people from all over Tuva show up to sing, horse race and wrestle (khuresh). The wrestlers meet in a nine round single-elimination tournament. Tuvan Khuresh wrestling is not timed and the wrestlers win if they make the other guy touch the ground. It is sort of looks like Japanese sumo in style and dress. The Tuva Naadym is held on the fields of Tos-Bulak which is only about 5 miles south of Kyzyl, Tuva.Their I meet a family from Shagonar located on the bank of the Yenisei 95 miles west of Kyzyl and I journed with them and my guide to the town which had about 10,000 to 12,000 people.

Museum Aldan Maadir

by jorgejuansanchez

Excellent museum with two floors. It is mainly dedicated to the Communist period but it also has a folkloric part and the fauna and flora of Tiva Republic. You just say odin (one) and will pay only 30 rubles, as a Russian. Otherwise foreigners pay much more for the ticket.

Sayan Mountains by horse

by Ekahau

Houseback riding in untouched area of the Sayan Mountains of Tuva is a very nice thing very nice indeed -- if you really want to get away from it all - really away. Only 15 years ago did the first dirt road even go into this area of the World. The Sayan Mountains raise out of the Mongolian plateau in a gentle ascent with no industry no pollution just small remote nomadic enclaves of people living as they have for thousands of years (if you discount the satellite dish and the truck next to the yut). This is really a trip back in time

Uvs Nuur Lake

by Ekahau

Uvs Nuur Lake is a World Heritage Site and one amazing lake and Basin. If you are interested in seeing the Steppe this is considered the best preserved natural steppe in the world. This Uvs Nuur Basin is in fact the largest land area for a World Heritage Site and has This something like 180 species of birds and 50 plus types of mammals. Uvs Nuur Lake basin is inhabited and has been used for nomadic pastoralism for thousands of years, the mountains, forests, steppes and deserts are extremely important habitats for a wide range of wild animals, many of them threatened or endangered like the snow leopard and the ibex.

Kyzyl the capital

by Ekahau

Throat SingingOne of the ancient traditions of the Tuvinians still practiced is throat singing. It has become very popular and famous in this area and abroad. According to unanimous admission of musicologists, Tuvinian throat singing bears aesthetic supply of great emotional energy. The art of Tuvinian singers has enraptured traditional audiences in huge concert halls all around the world.Tuva's capitol, Kyzyl, is situated in a wide valley where the Bolshoy (big) Yenisey and the Maly (little) Yenisey rivers meet. Kyzyl is the Russian-given name simply meaning "Red" in Tuvan. (Many would like to see the city return to its original name, Khem Beldir, meaning "river confluence".) Tree-lined streets are wide and clean, and buildings show a distinct diversion from the typical Soviet architecture. It's a small town atmosphere, with virtually everything in walking distance. The open-air...

Grand Theater, Kyzyl

by jorgejuansanchez

It is originally built, with a Tibetan wheel in front, in the Lenin square, just besides the market.

'Sayan Mountains south-west Tuva flowers

by Ekahau

Sayan Mountains south-west Tuva yak

by Ekahau

Sayan Mountains south-west Tuva3

by Ekahau