Tuva.Asia / The New Research of Tuva

Dear Friends! We are offering to your attention a new special edition of our journal "Tuvan ethno-musicology:  Landmarks of history and bibliography" (in Russian only), which was prepared by a member of our editorial board, Doctor of Culturology Valentina Suzukei. This work represents a short overview of the history of Tuvan musicology; how it became an independent and interesting sub-discipline of  Tuvinology. It is intended for musicologists, anthropologists and other scholars and scientists who study  Tuvan traditional culture, as well as for students and people who are interested  in Tuvan culture. The special edition can be found in our electronic library and it is available for download and study. We would welcome your feedback, response and information regarding our new publications, which would enrich our bibliographic file on the subject.

Today marks 85 years from the day of birth of the famous Russian ethnographer and tuvinologist Sevyan Vainshtein (1926 - 2008). He was born in Moscow in the family of professor of philosophy Izrail Yakovlevich Vainshtein, who was the head of a department of the Moscow Aviation Institute. According to his son's reminiscences, he was a romantic, who deeply believed in the ideals of the Revolution. He defended it as a member of the First Horse Army during the years of the Civil War. Sevyan Izrailevich's mother came to the Soviet Union from Riga. She was enthusiastic about the idea of building a new world, taught German language, and wrote poems.

On 30 April 2011 at the House of  National Art, a charity concert of Sainkhoo Namchylak and group "Tyva Kyzy" will take place. This concert is dedicated to the construction of a Buddha statue on Mt. Dogee. Our celebrated artists will perform throat-singing in various styles. Each artist will take up her own niche at the performance. Sainkhoo Namchylak performs throat-singing in her own way, the group "Tyva Kyzy" also have their own niche; they perform throat-singing in various traditional styles. There will also be the National artist of Russian Federation Nadezhda Kuular, Honored culture worker of Republic Tyva Opal Shuluu,  and Honored artist of Republic Tyva Shonchalai Oorzhak-Choodu.

Soon, throat-singers may be equal in their rights with ballet masters and opera singers.  On April 6 president of Russia Dmitri Medvedev confirmed the list of  directives after a meeting with  cultural workers on March 24, 2011. The document contains a significant point concerning Tuvan throat-singers. The ministry of health care and social development and the ministry of culture of Russian Federation were given the task to  review the matter of giving vocal artists - Tuvan throat-singers - the right to receive their pension early and to take appropriate measures. The deadline is 1 September 2011.

The question about the necessity of  early retirement for throat-singers was raised by a well-known throat singer,  Honored artist of Russia Kongar-ool Ondar during a meeting of the president with culture figures.

As a basis for the initiative, he explained to the head of  the country about the work of the vocal cords, respiratory system and the resonator system of Tuvan vocalists.

In May of 2012, there will be an exhibition of the unique finds from the Scythian era burial, found in Tuva in 2001 by archeological expedition of the Hermitage, at the National Museum of Hungary, according to information of ITAR-TASS.

The agreement about exhibiting the Scythian gold from Center of Asia in Budapest was concluded by the Honorary Director of the Hungarian National Museum Fodor Istvan and the General Director Laszlo Csorba. Work has started in Kyzyl to prepare this export exhibition. Only a small proportion of the objects found in Tuvan kurgan Arzhaan-2 will be taken to Hungary. The Hungarians will see objects found in  Tuvan kurgan Arzhaan-2 - jewellery artifacts, chains and pendants made in the Scythian animal style, coins, dishes, weapons, knives, quiver for arrows and other belongings of the royal personages who lived in the 5^th century before our era.

At the 12^th Congress of the Khakass nation, which took place on 18 March, the participants confirmed a list of sacral locations in Khakassia. Director of Khakass scientific research institute of language, literature and history, Doctor of historical studies Valentina Tuguzhekova explained to the correspondent of "Abakan" why such a list is necessary and which objects are included on the list.

The creation of such a list is necessitated by socio-economic changes of the past several years. Today it is possible for private entities to rent huge territories (taiga, fields, etc.), where objects sacred to the Khakass people may be located. And it is necessary to do everything possible  for these places to remain accessible for performance of ritual practices. At this congress, we have confirmed this list of 96 sacral locations of the Khakass nation, and we will submit it to the Supreme Council of the republic. We hope that in the future, under the law about historical-cultural heritage, the sacral places of Khakass people will be taken under the protection of the government.

Respected colleagues, our journal's authors!

Because of organizational necessity, the next issue of our journal will be a double issue -  Numbers 2-3, which will be published on September 1, 2011. However, we will continue accepting material for publication during this period. Keep sending your articles and asking questions (see "Feedback") - we will be happy to answer every letter.

We would like to turn your attention to the fact that our publication is interdisciplinary and open not just to scientists and scholars, but also to writers, journalists, and anybody who would like to write about such relevant matters as social and cultural development of Tuva as well as of other national regions of Russia, and countries of SNG with Eastern, nomadic culture. For reporting to grants, we can issue receipts of confirmation to the authors about accepting the article for publication.

Active materials may be placed in the news strip of our site.

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."

At Tuvan State University, a final meeting of Tuvan scholars  with representatives of South Korean educational canal EBC ltd. Production Purme took place. At this meeting, the guests shared their impressions of Tuva after a two-week stay in the republic. Remember that the guests arrived to the republic at the end of February to film a fifty-minute documentary film about Tuvan culture, shamanism and way of life.

During their stay in our republic, Korean reporters visited a shepherds' camp at Aldy-Shynaa near the town of Shagonar, ascended to the top of Mt. Buura, met with shamans and learned about Tuvan folklore.

Today the head of Tuva, Sholban Kara-ool met with Japanese musicians who arrived in Kyzyl on the invitation of  the Center of Tuvan-Japanese Friendship  "Kargyraa". Yanagiya Koharu, Makigami Koichi and Udai Shika left Tokyo  next day after the earthquake. Sholban Kara-ool, first of all, expressed through them deep condolences to the entire Japanese nation.

-  We live right in the heart of Asia, and  we feel special pain for the tragedies that happen to our Asian friends, - said the Premier . - I have been to Japan, and I know what a courageous nation strong in spirit the Japanese people are. We, in our turn, are prepared to offer any kind of support and help to Japanese families who were impacted by the elements.

45 kilometers from Kyzyl in the west direction of Kyzyl-Shagonar highway by the Ulug-Khem river at the place "Balyktyg-Kharaar", there has been constructed an ethno-cultural complex  "Aldyn-Bulak" .  Yesterday, the official presentation of the complex took place; it is expected to become one of the strategic objects of tourism business, as well as to make a substantial contribution into the piggy-bank of tourist attractiveness of Tuva.   More than 30 million rubles has been allocated for its  construction out of the republic's budget. The finished ethno-cultural complex has become the last note of the Year of Tourism.

The school memorial museum of Nadia Rusheva published a set of postcards of the young artist's drawings - devoted to her illustrations to Mikhail Bulgakov's novel "Master and Margarita". This is already the second postcard set; the first was published in 2009 (for the occasion of  the 40^th anniversary of N. Rusheva's death), and consisted of reproductions of drawings of various of Nadia's series.

In the words of Natalia Usenko, the head of the museum, the aim of publication of the sets  is to make people acquaintanced with Rusheva's work or to give her fans an opportunity to see their  long-loved drawings. The series "Master and Margarita" was scanned at  A. S. Pushkin State Museum, where the drawings are kept.