Tuva.Asia / The New Research of Tuva

In Kyzyl, the capital of Tuva, on the picturesque shore near the confluence of the Bii-Khem and Kaa-Khem rivers, which give the origin to the Great River Ulug-Khem, there stands a majestic obelisk: Center of Asia”. There is deep significance in the name of the obelisk: Tuva is at the maximum distance from the world’s oceans; it means that it is at the geographic center of the Asian continent. Since times immemorial, this area has been the crossroads and meeting place of cultural traditions of the East and West, of the North and South; this is where mutual influence and mutual enrichment of different cultures took place.

In connection with the recent presentation of the seven-volume anthology  “Uriangkhai. Tyva Depter.”,  edited by Sergei Shoigu, I would like to demonstrate the value of this entire project by a single example of a rare publication included in this anthology – namely a translation of Otto Maenchen-Helfen’s book “Journey to Tuva”. The anthology presents, together with other interesting scholarly works, the first published translation into Russian language of the book of an Austrian German, Otto Maenchen-Helfen, who was a social democrat in his political convictions. It can be stated without any exaggeration that the author of this relevant translation, aide to the Chairman of the Government of Republic Tuva, Dina Oyun, produced a magnificent contribution to the study of a multitude of problems in the more recent history of Tuva. She translated the” Foreword” to the 1992 USA edition, written by the Austrian scholar’s wife, Anna Maenchen, from English, and the entire book “Journey to Tuva” from the German original, which was first published in Berlin almost 80 years ago.

We are observing 98 years from the birth of prominent Russian historian – ethnologist, poet, translator, founder of the passionary theory of ethnogenesis, researcher of nomadic cultures of Eurasia, Lev Gumilev. He was born in Tsarskoye Selo on October 1, 1912. He was son of poets Nikolai Gumilev and Anna Akhmatova. As a child he was brought up by his grandmother in Slepnevo of Bezhetsk district of Tver gubernia. From 1917 to 1929 he lived in Bezhetsk, and from 1930 in Leningrad. During the years 1930-1934 he worked in expeditions in the Sayans, the Pamir and in Crimea. From 1934 he matriculated at the department of history of Leningrad University. In 1935 he was expelled from the university and arrested, but after some time he was released. In 1937 he was reinstated at the university.

There are few musical cultures left on the planet that take us to a deeply primal place and even some of those cultures, mainly hailing from indigenous people have been swallowed up by electronic music or turned into popular culture in the form of world music. But for any of you who have listened to an a cappella Saami yoik, a traditional Navajo chant, Aboriginal didgeridoo, Tibetan nomadic music, or Tuvan throat-singing have experienced that deep primal place. Your root chakra opens. Shamanism and music were wedded to each other hundreds of thousands of years ago. The first flutes, drums, harps, etc were put to shamanic use, as were many of the early singing traditions. These shamans knew about the power and intent of sound and put it to good use either healing others in some way or put it to bad use through sorcery to trip up an adversary. But even without any prior knowledge of shamanism or ancient musical practices, a music listener can experience their rootedness to the natural world listening to primal music. This certainly proves true with the Tuvan quartet Huun Huur Tu’s latest recording, Ancestors Call.

When we went to Tuva on a business trip, we never even suspected that we would have an audience with the president of Tuvan shamans. For that reason, we were totally unprepared for such a meeting. Personally, I know absolutely nothing about shamanism, and even more so, I have no idea how to behave during an interview with a representative of this culture. The President for life of Tuvan shamans, Mongush Kenin-Lopsan lives in Kyzyl, in a small one-story wood cabin. He is already 85(!) years old. The little room where he receives visitors holds many shelves with books, and strange incomprehensible pictures hang on the walls. Most of the books were written by Mongush Borakhovich himself. They contain myths and shamanic lyrical poetry. They have been published several times in America and in Europe.

The Tuvan State University has celebrated its 15^th anniversary. As part of the anniversary celebrations, the Pedagogical Avenue of the University was opened, and a ceremonial assembly of the collective was held. Also on October 5, the Museum of History and Material Culture of Nomadic Peoples of TyvGU was opened. It is located in one of the suites of the Department of History building of the university. Currently, five glass cases of archeological specimens, as well as ethnographic materials and photographs are on exhibit. Many of the specimens have been collected by the professors and students of the university during various expeditions. In addition, two yurts have been erected in the courtyard of the History building. One of them is Mongolian, from the time of Genghis Khan; the other is a traditional Tuvan yurt with household objects and utensils. The management of TyvGU and the senior professors became the first visitors to the museum.

On October 1, 2010 in the Tuvan Institute for Research in the Humanities under the Government of the Republic of Tuva a celebrated ceremony took place. It was dedicated to the 65^th anniversary of the TIRH and was organized with the participation of representatives of the authorities, scientific and educational communities of the Republic. The partakers recalled the landmarks of the history of the Institute and rendered the tribute to the memory of the scientists, presented reports, honoured the veterans, and awarded the staff members. The director of the TIRH Kaadyr-ool Bicheldei delivered the main report “The Tuvan Institute for Research in the Humanities for 65 Years: History, Problems and Development Prospects”. Doctor of Science (in the field of history), main scientific fellow of the History Sector of the TIRH Nikolay Mollerov was conferred with the title of the Honoured Science Worker of the Republic of Tuva according to the edict of the Head of the Government of the RT Sholban Kara-oola. A memorial plaque in honour of the first director of the Tuvan Institute for Scientific Research in Language, Literature and History (TISRLLH) Leonid Chadamba was unveiled in the alley at the same day.

academic secretary of the TIRH

Thousands of Kazakhs are competing to prove their descent from feared warlord Genghis Khan, as a revival in Kazakh nationalism brings renewed prestige to the country's former aristocracy. In the last three years, more than 300 Kazakhs have sent gene samples to be tested at a US lab and thousands of contenders lobbied to be included in last year’s book Chingizids, which detailed Genghis’s Kazakh heirs. Arman Ahmuhanov, a 39-year-old horse trader from Almaty, recently sent a sample to FamilytreeDNA, a company in Houston, after being encouraged to do so by Chingizids’ author Gizat Tabuldin.

The co-chairman of the highest council of the “United Russia” party, the head of Ministry of emergencies of RF, Sergei Shoigu has become a laureate of the State Prize of Republic Tuva. Yet another prize has been added to Sergei Shoigu’s many awards – he has become a laureate of the State Prize of Republic Tuva for his great contribution to the development of his small native country. The award was presented on Monday, 27 September, by the head of the republic Sholban Kara-ool during a ceremonial presentation of the anthology “Uriangkhai. Tyva Depter.” (“Tuvan notebooks”), which took place in the building of the Theatre of Music and Drama, which just re-opened after a capital renovation.

Yesterday, Eduard Ondar, an actor of the theatre of music and drama flew to Kazakhstan, where he was invited for casting of the next, this time Kazakh, film about Genghis Khan. Being a superstitious person, he did not say what kind of a film it is to be, or even who is filming it. “I don’t want to jinx it”, - he smiled. But his eyes were shining with fire and gave the actor away: he was going to Astana with hope. He will be trying out for both the main role and a secondary role in this historical film. - After being in the film of Yakut director Andrei Borisov “By the Will of Genghis Khaan”, I always willingly agree to any proposals to act in a film. Why? To stick my head again into the profession, and to hang out with real and permanent masters of their craft. It isn’t just a course in increasing one’s qualifications, but also a powerful charge of creative energy, thanks to which you stay in form and even transmit it to other colleagues.

A grouse, singing in sunlight, a black bear, trophies won at international exhibitions, diplomas, petroglyphs, showing the most ancient human occupation – you can see all that at the exhibition of hunting trophies, which opened at the National museum on September 16. This date was not selected at random; on the eve of the republican holiday of animal herdsmen, hunting trophies can show like nothing else how the herdsmen live here in the old ways just like many centuries ago. At the opening, the Chairman of the Government of Republic Tyva, Sholban Kara-ool, said: “Today we have the opportunity to see what hunting means to the people of international Tuva. We are proud of our endless expanse of space, that we have almost 16 thousand hectares of hunting areas. This means that we have a wide scope to occupy ourselves, together with many other activities, with this truly manly sport. Today, at this exhibition, multiple winners of competitions of Russia are present, which are held among those who own many hunting trophies. This fact yet again confirms not just our resources, but it also bears witness to the attractiveness of Tuva as a region which has a tremendous tourist potential.

The materials of International Scientific and Practical Conference “Regions for Sustainable Development: Education and Culture of Nations of the Russian Federation” (Novosibirsk, March 25–27, 2010) were issued in a substantive volume of 1144 pages in Novosibirsk. Some members of our magazine’s editorial board (Chimiza Lamazhaa and Marianna Kharunova) participated in this conference. They took part in a panel discussion “Sociocultural Neotraditionalism and Sustainable Development of Russian Regions”. Some of the articles from this “round table” have already been published in our magazine (No 2–3 2010). In this collected volume all articles by the participants of the conference were published. As the compilers note, the publication is aimed at contribution to the process of population’s raising awareness on cultural diversity of Russia and the role of “cornerstone” that the segment of culture plays in the UNESCO international decade “Education for Sustainable Development” (2005–2014). The volume was printed in 500 copies.

The National Council for Eurasian and East European Research (NCEEER) is pleased to announce, as part of its National Research Competition, the availability of funds for summer research proposals on the indigenous peoples of Russia. This fellowship supports collaboration of postdoctoral scholars and graduate students at universities in the United States with demonstrated experience in scholarship and/or outreach with indigenous communities and populations. Such scholars and students will conduct research at the Gorno-Altaisk State University (GASU) in the Altai Republic in Russia, a leading Russian university for the support of research on the indigenous peoples of Russia. Research may be conducted at other Russian universities, but only if the proposal demonstrates clear and established contacts for placement at the Russian university. All applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Projects involving the participation of Native American graduate students are particularly encouraged.

During these days the 

Tuvan Institute for Research in the Humanities is preparing for its 65^th anniversary celebration. On October 1, 1945 the Tuvan Research Studies Institute of Language, Literature and History (TRSILLH — presently the TIRH) was established on the basis of the Scientific Committee of the Tuvan People’s Republic. On October 1, 2010 a solemn meeting will take place in the TIRH. It will be dedicated to the anniversary of the institute. Its veterans will be honoured. In the newspapers of the TIRH — “Ertem sozu” and “Slovo Plus” — some memoirs and materials on the history of the institute are being published. They have started the preparation for the opening of memorial plaque devoted to the first director of the institute Leonid Borandaevich Chadamba who was a prominent socio-political figure of Tuva. He was the head of the institute in 1945–1951.

Every year, for one week, shamans from various regions of Russia and from other countries gather in Irkutsk region, which borders on Tuva, Krasnoyarsk Krai, Yakutia, Chita and Buryatia. They perform the most powerful of all existing rituals. And the goal is nothing more or less than to save the world! A correspondent of “Vesti” visited the convention this year…The place where the shamans meet is the Olkhon Island in the middle of Lake Baikal. This lake is called “the heart of Siberia”. According to legend, it was here where, long ago, the god of Heaven, Tengri, through his oldest and strongest son Khan Khute-Baabai, divulged the mysteries of shamanism to people.  He chose the sacred Olkhon cape Burkhan as his dwelling place, tamed three eagles, and they carried the mystical knowledge to humans.