Tuva.Asia / The New Research of Tuva

Why does the New Year in various countries have different names? Professor Nikolai Abayev has his own opinion about it.

-  It is necessary to realize  that this holiday of the nomads originated long before the advent of Buddhism, - said the professor. - And the first herdsmen-nomads based their  calendar on the realities of life. During many centuries, they attentively observed natural events and seasonal life cycles of various animals.

As a result of their observations, our ancestors determined, for example, that the fertility of various animal species cyclically increases. So, in the Year of the Hare, in correspondence with the 12-year and 60-year cycles, the fertility and the population of Hares sharply increases, but in the Year of the Bull (or Cow), the fertility of these animals grows, etc. so the Year of the Hare, Sheep, Horse, etc. showed up in the calendar of the nomads. And accordingly, people born in those years show the characteristics of these animals - the Masters or totems of those years.

The favorite of the whole country - "Genghis-Khan" Eduard Ondar, has just returned for a week's trip to Kazakhstan. He shared some good news - he is now confirmed for the role of the leader of Dzungarian army in a film by a prominent Kazakh director Akhan (Akan) Satayev.

Our compatriot went to the final confirmation for the role and to sign the contract. He is pleased with the way the things worked out: he got to know the film team better, found a common language with the director, which is very important for the work, and has started to "immerse" himself in the role.

And for that, he has to study…Old Dzungarian language; it is complicated - he will have to act in it.

The team is now in Mongolia, in Ulan-Bator, and is constantly in touch with the famous Tuvan actor, who will join them in April. Eduard will be filmed throughout the summer. By the end of this year, they should be able to finish the historical epic.

On the eve of Sagaalgan, a family couple from Ulan-Ude are releasing into production a unique product - tsampa.  This food, made by a special technology based on ancient recipes of nomadic people, will now become freely available. To release this "food of the gods" into mass production involved a long journey. Tsampa, talkan, Tibetan fast-food, Buryat muesli, talkanella  - there are many names for this food. But in any case, this food is unknown to the majority of residents of this republic. But for Altana Chadayeva, the taste of tsampa is a taste known and familiar since childhood. She was born and grew up in Altai, where this food is considered a national dish.

A new publication by Tuvan Institute of Humanitarian research of Government of Republic Tyva  "Tuvan Myths, Legends and Tales" of  a 60-volume bilingual academic series "Pamyatniki folklora narodov Sibiri a Dalneho vostoka" (Volume 28) with a compact disc (Novosibirsk, Nauka, 2010) has now been released.

The series was founded by a member-correspondent of Russian Academy of Sciences A. B. Soktoyev.

The participants in the preparation of this volume were Institute of Philology SO RAN and Tuvan Institute of Humanitarian Research of Government of Republic Tyva. The editing, and preparation of the texts, notes, commentaries and index by N.A. Alexeyev, D.C. Kuular, Z.B. Samdan, Z.M. Yusha.

Not so long ago, the musical community and then the entire republic heard the news - the newest  CD of world-famous group Yat-Kha was at the head of the European Union of radio stations hit-parade. The album Poets and Lighthouses, recorded in 2008 on Scottish island Jura, took first place in the  "ethno music" genre, but the permanent leader of the group insists that this concept does not reflect the album at all.

- Maybe one day some music critic will find a term that will accurately describe the genre, - explains Albert Kuvezin, - right now all I can say is that the album is very different fro the preceding ones. It was born quite spontaneously;

Nobody used to know about these things. And they could not have, but now the secrets of Tibetan monks are available for everybody. A descendant of a family of famous Tibetan doctors, Galsan Bagsha published a book about Tibetan deities in Russia.

Such a thing has never happened in Russia and in Buryatia before. This is the first time that the book "Buddhist Protector Deities" was published in Russian language. All these histories were gradually being forgotten after millennia, because earlier Tibetan lamas observed the strictest secrecy - everything than was connected with religion was transmitted orally only to their "spiritual sons", other  men in the religious orders.

A book co-authored by Russian and Mongolian researchers has been published in Novosibirsk under the title “The Eurasian World: Values, Constants and Self-Organization”. Its executive editor, head of the research team and one of the authors is Professor Yuri Popkov, Deputy Director for Research and Head of the Sector of Ethno-Social Studies at the Institute of Philosophy and Law, the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

The book, rethinking the heritage of the classical Eurasianism, provides an original treatment of a number of important issues, including the values, constants and problems of self-organization of the Eurasian world. The authors base their conclusions on empirical research in different loci of the Eurasian world (Southern Siberia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Kalmykia and the Eurasian communities abroad).

Dear colleagues! The organizing committee invites you to take part in III International scientifically-practical conference «Tengrianism and an epic heritage of Eurasian people: sources and the present» which will take place in Kyzyl, 1st July - 3rd July, 2011.

Following problems traditionally are supposed at conference discussion:

• Tengrianism and world outlook bases of the Turk-Mongolian people culture; 

• Dialogue of religious cultures of the people of the Central Asia and Siberia;

• Parallels of tengrianism and modern science: both natural and humanitarian.        

Application forms acceptance deadline - 1st February, 2011

Articles acceptance deadline - 1st April, 2011

It seems that the scientists successfully solved the riddle of Por-Bazhyn. What kind of building is it, when was it built? What was the purpose of Por-Bazhyn? The scientists promised to find  answers to these questions when they were carrying out archeological excavations at Por-Bazhyn in 1007-2008. Now there are answers, thanks to the co-operation of archeologists and geologists,  and with the use of latest methods of scientific research.

In 1980's a new interdisciplinary scientific field appeared - geoarcheology. Por-Bazhyn became practically the first geoarcheological project organized by the Cultural Fund "Fortress Por-Bazhyn", within the framework of activities of Russian Fund of fundamental research.

"The unique aspect of the scientific expeditions to Por-Bazhyn lies in their  complexity, - the scientific leader of the project "Por-Bazhyn", the head of archeology department of Institute of ethnology and anthropology RAN, Irina Arzhantseva. - It was the first time in my memory that archeologists had the possibility to form a united multidisciplinary team, which consisted not just of archeologists but also of  architects, restorers, and those in natural sciences - geophysicists, geomorphologists, hydrologists, soil scientists and permafrost experts.

Today is the 141^st birthday of Grigoriy Choros-Gurkin (1870-1937), a famous Siberian painter, a student of Ivan Shishkin.

From 1921 to 1952, Choros-Gurkin lived and worked in Tuva. Today his works, including the ones made in Tuva, hang in museums of Siberia, the State Russian Museum,(Sankt-Peterburg), in France and in Mongolia.

In 1937, as a supposed organizer of uprising activities (in favor of Japan), he was sentenced to death by shooting. Grigoriy Choros-Gurkin combined the traditions of realistic painting of the 19^th century with symbolistic influences. By crating epic paintings permeated by ancient mythological associations of his country, he became a powerful influence on the local culture. During the years 1917-1919, Choros-Gurkin was the head of the local Duma, which attempted to initiate self-government and to secure national equality for Altaians.

A new monograph  "Formation of the intelligentsia in Tuvan People's Republic (1921-1944))" by the candidate of historical sciences, Ramil Kharunov, was published in Abakan (Abakan2009). The publication was realized with support by RGNF (project 09-01-63002a/T).

The work is dedicated to the history of formation of Tuvan intelligentsia; it is based on a wide spectrum of historical sources and works. Problems of the elevation and establishing of cadres, which took place in the 30's,  is discussed in detail. Supported by numerous archival materials, the author showed the complicated process of teaching of Tuvan students at educational institutions of the USSR. The monograph includes previously unknown biographical data of representatives of political and intellectual elite of TNR.

This publication should be interesting to scholars of Eastern Studies and historians, as well as everyone who is interested in the more recent history of Tuva.

Dear friends! We would like to offer you congratulations on a forthcoming 2011^th new year! We wish you fulfillment of your desires, new inventions, joyful meetings, perfect impressions, creative inspirations! Be happy and wealthy – by ideas, friends, soul, health (and financial welfare will subjoin). We would like to thank our regular authors and readers for their interest, understanding and cooperation. Not only we thank them in words, but would like to offer presents to the most active authors of a newswire. We present books as most valuable of all we have. Editorial Board of The New Research of Tuva posts the latest offers of tuvinology to two of our authors in January, 2011: to Novosibirsk for the student Inna Tarbastayeva and in Kyzyl to the staff scientist of the Tuvan Institute of Humanitarian Research Valeria Kan. One package will be sent to the USA for Heda Jindrak – translator, doctor, anthropologist and simply to a very good person! Thank you very much, dear friends!

Our colleague Konstantin Kuksin is a geographer and ethnographer, director of the Museum of  Nomadic Culture in Moscow. We are drinking tea and talk in the visitors' yurt of the museum just before, we have caught an excursion about the traditions and way of life of the Kirgiz, which Konstantin conducted for schoolchildren. The schedule of the museum is very busy, and the fact that schoolchildren come here, to Aviamotornaya, all the way from Krylatskoye, is in itself an indicator.

Nomadic peoples with their way of life - that is not just an echo of long-ago centuries. They live in 21^st century together with us, and have preserved their modest existence, while many mighty empires have disintegrated, and only their chronicles and monuments of architecture are left for us.

Usually people start thinking about arzhaans closer to July, around the time when they "ripen". But we have several reasons to talk about healing springs in December. First, our ancerstors would start preparations for  a trip to an arzhaan six months ahead of time, to get ready, and think everything out in great detail. Second, the project "Nine Treasures of Tuva" is coming to a close, and we would very much like arzhaans to be among the treasures. And the main reason is that after a political period in her life, Kara-Kys Arakchaa, a scientist-chemist, an author of  the popular brochure "Story of the Arzhaans of Tuva" and a delegate  to the State Duma, returned to Tuva.

Buryatia is located on the Russian border, next to Mongolia. The history of  our region is for that reason densely interwoven with that of other nations, cultures, and languages.

Buryats and Mongols used to have the same Old Mongolian script. Its old cursive can be seen to this day on various souvenirs as an ornament.

Just like the other languages of other peoples of the USSR which did not have their own writing system, the Buryat language was systematized in 1931 into Latin alphabet, and in 1937 into the basis of Russian alphabet. But the Buryat nation was not illiterate. Old Mongolian script was not used only for religious purposes, but in secular activities of the Buryats in the steppe Dumas as well. These organs of Buryat self-rule were established according to “Constitution about ruling other nations” in 1822. The Taishi  ruled the Buryats under the control of East Siberian administration. The Czarist authorities liquidated the Steppe Dumas even before the revolution. The documents from the Dumas are kept in the National Archive of Buryatia. They are written in beautiful Mongolian cursive.