Tuva.Asia / The New Research of Tuva

The event took place in the conference hall of Student business-incubator of TUSUR at 15:00 hours. Scientific reports of ethnographers and students who research shamanism had been presented in the program. The guests learned about the stories of descendants of real shamans of Buryatia, Tuva and Yakutia, they saw scenes from documentary films about shamanism, were able to take a workshop in playing the khomus (jaw harp, vargan) and to try folk dishes, the recipes for which, according to the organizers, have been handed down from generation to generation.

The event was prepared by a group of Tomsk residents led by Elena Popova, representing an initiative group of the project "Center "Friendship of peoples", and Evgeniy Kurochkin, who represents an Art-partnership "Novaya zemlya".

79 years ago, in March of 1932, Buyan-Badyrgy was executed.

When he found out that we intended to go to the temple complex "Ustuu-Khuree", Vladimir Kombuy-oolovich was transfigured. His face became inspired and open, and his look even more good and respectful.

- That is good, even very good, - he said.  - Only be sure to get there before sunset.

The Chadan native Vladimir Kara-Mongush has a special relation to the Buddhist holy place. Ustuu-Khuree is not simply a place of pilgrimage for the believers, and the ruins of the temple's walls is not just a "wall of tears"; it is his clan's home territory. It was precisely here where the encampment of the last hereditary ruler of Tuva, Buyan-Badyrgy, was located. And Vladimir Kara-Mongush (according to his passport - Mongush) is Buyan-Badyrgy's grandson.

Famous Tuvan throat-singer, Merited artist of Russia Kongar-ool Ondar today, on 24 March, together with other prominent activists of the country participated in a meeting with President  Dmitri Medvedev. It took place at the multi-media art museum "Moscow house of Photography". The head of the state evaluated problems of development of contemporary art and culture.

As Kongar-ool Ondar informed gov.tuva.ru,  he presented  the problems of pension security for performers of Tuvan throat-singing, and was assured by Dmitri Medvedev that the matter will be studied. The artist  stated that he would like to initiate an amendment in Russian laws, which would permit an early retirement for throat-singers, and  pointed out that Mongolia has already compared its throat-singers to miners, and allowed early retirement for them.

It is quite possible that the 90^th anniversary of the founding of Tuvan people's Republic will be welcomed with a new national anthem. The necessity of composing a new chief song of the republic, with words and music that would correspond to contemporary realities was discussed at a common conference of the Soviets of the Government and the Supreme Khural, which took place on 21 March.

"Despite all the beauty of the folk song "Cedar-nut taiga" it simply does not sound like a national anthem. It should elevate the mood and spirit, unite the people in love of their native country and in their pride of it,"  - said Premier Sholban Kara-ool - to compose such a work is a serious task for professionals."