Tuva.Asia / The New Research of Tuva

Dear friends! Our electronic library has just increased by some unique material - the first edition of  the book by the first traveler in Tuva - Otto Maenchen-Helfen "Journey to Asiatic Tuva" (Berlin, 1931) in German language. As Marina Mongush writes about this work, this book, as well as D. Carruthers' book "Unknown Mongolia" (first volume - "Uriangkhai Krai") remain to this time the most demanded books about Tuva,  which were at one time published in the West (New research of Tuva. 2010, No. 2).

In M. V. Mongush's overview, there are these data: Austrian of German extraction O. Maenchen-Helfen was a sinologist by education. He studied at universities in many cities of Europe - including Vienna and Leipzig. 

Judging by everything, Nikolai Fedorovich Katanov was a really exceptional personality. To this day, he is remembered by Khakass, Bashkir and Tatar people. For the first, he was the first Khakass scholar in history, for the second - he created the "Alphabet of Bashkir language", an as far as the third are concerned, his fundamental pedagogic work took place at Kazan University. There, in Kazan, he also participated for many years in the activities of Sobriety Association. Nikolai Fedorovich Katanov (childhood name - Pora) was born on 6 May 1862 in a steppe place Izyum (Uzyum), 17 km northeast of Askiz of Turakhov ulus (now Askiz district of Republic Khakassia)) on the left bank of Abakan river. His parents belonged to two main tribal subdivisions of  Khakass people: his father was a Sagai, and mother was Kachin. Fedor Semyonovich Katanov ( his Khakass name - Khyzyl Katanov), was a scribe for the ulus. No information was preserved about the mother.

In Yakuts, in an ordinary apartment building, there is a museum of world significance. It is the museum of the khomus - a national musical instrument of the Yakuts. Analogs of this instrument are known to many nations of the world - from Portugal to Papua New Guinea. But a museum of this instrument is only in Russian Yakutia. Correspondent of Pravda.ru visited the museum and talked with its leaders. The excursion for Pravda.ru was kindly led by Elizaveta Varlamova, the head of the scientific section of the museum and khomus-player - improviser. She warned us that the voyage through the world of khomus will be long.

Last Saturday, on 10 December, representatives of Foundation for Shamanic Studies in Europe, Roswitha and Paul Uccusic and translator Isolda Schmitt, arrived to the center of Asia. Even though it is the second time in Tuva for Isolda, it is the sixth time for the Uccusic spouses! True, this is the first time that they made the difficult journey from Vienna to Kyzyl in winter. The program for their visit is very saturated: to see their old friends, to visit with shamans, educators, and students. But the main thing is to tell about Mongush Kenin-Lopsan's book "Myths of Tuvan shamans", which was just published in German language thanks to involvement of these guests of the republic.

Dear friends and colleagues!

We are happy to inform you about the release of the newest issue of  "New Research of Tuva" journal - No.4 for 2011. The issue, as usual, contains a lot of research material about Tuva and other regions with nomadic culture, brand new articles concerning current research grant projects, as well as those that were already published in print as limited editions. We have new authors - eleven research workers in various fields of scientific and scholarly research (philosophers, historians, lawyers, philologists, geologists).  There are other innovations - new appearance of the issue, which is available for download in the PDF format. The volume of  the current issue in this version consists of 287 pages.

We continue to accept materials for the following issue of the journal - No.1 for 2012, which will be released in early March 2012. We are also prepared to accept preliminary announcements of publications, according to agreement with the authors.

Moscow publishing house "MOBY Publishing" released a book by Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor of TuvGU, Nikolai Abayev 'Influence of Tengrianism on ecologic culture and ethnogenesis of Turko-Mongol people of Altai-Baikal region". The book is meant for all who are interested in the history of culture and religion of Turko-Mongol people of Central Asia and Sayan-Altai. New research about spiritual-cultural foundations of Eurasian nomadism is written in a literary language that is sufficiently accessible, and will be interesting not just to scholars specializing in the area of nomadic cultures and comparative religion, but to a wide spectrum of general readers as well. The monograph discusses philosophic-methodological aspects of study of Tengrian civilization in the light of  the theory of  auto-organization and social synergetics, it investigates problems of influence of Tengrianism on ethno-culturogenesis of Turko-Mongol people of Central Asia and Sayan-Altai region,  on formation and evolution of  ecological culture in "nomadic" civilization.

China and Mongolia have become the location for field research of a group of scientists from TIGI, in the framework of the project: "Tuvans of Tsengel: folklore and literature" (2002-2011).

International folklore-ethnographic expedition to Xinjiang- Uighur autonomous region of  people's Republic of China and Kobdo aimak of Mongolia of  TIGI scientists U.A. Dongak, Z.B. Samdan, B. Bayarsaikhan and doctor G. Zolbayar (Bayan-Ulegei institute of sociologic research of Mongolian AN) is a continuation of this scientific project which began in 2002 at TIGI as "Tuvans of Altai: folklore and literature", in cooperation with Bayan-Ulegei science center for sociological research of AN of Mongolia. In 2006-2007, the work was performed with support of RGNF grant.

A presentation of photo-album "Black and White Tuva. Unfinished history…", which was published on the initiative of Sergei Shoigu with the support of Russian Geographic Society, took place at the National Museum of Tuva. The event had additional ceremonial aura because of the presence of  artists from the National theatre of Music and Drama in historical costumes; Kaigal-ool Khovalyg, National khoomeiji, played the igil. Huge numbers of photographs from personal archives of travelers and residents of Tuva were collected in the album, but the majority belongs to the first director of Tuvan State Museum Vladimir Yermolayev.

The album encompasses a century - from 1889 to 1989. It includes six sections, including photographs from the time of Uriangkhai Krai, Tannu-Tuva in 19818-1940, expeditions of the Imperial Geographic Society to Uriangkhai Krai until 1917, and other significant periods in the history of our republic.

Tuvan singer  Sainkho Namtchylak, who has long been living abroad and who conquered world renown, will conduct a throat-singing workshop at the Museum of History of Ulan-Ude on 19-20 November.

As the government press-service of  Buryatia explains, Sainkho Namtchylak, who is a singer-experimenter, improviser,  composer, sound-poet, and specialist in archaic singing techniques, vocal techniques of people of Siberia and Far East, represents a unique phenomenon of world vocal culture.

The music she performs includes avant-garde jazz, "electronic music', contemporary composition, Tuvan heritage, Tibetan chanting and music of the peoples of the world.

There will be a concert of Sainkho Namtchylak at the Youth Art Theatre on 23 November.

Yesterday at the Moscow University of Humanities, a successful defense of  dissertation seeking the scholarly degree of Doctor of Philosophy by the founder of our site, its Editor-in-Chief and the main inspiration, Chimiza Lamajaa. She presented for evaluation her dissertation "Archaisation of society in the period of social transformations (socio-philosophical analysis of Tuvan phenomenon)", (in the specialty 09.00.11 - social philosophy).

The scientific consultant was - Doctor of Philosophy, Professor, Merited  science worker of RF, Valeriy Lukov.

The main organization which prepared the expert conclusion regarding this work is the Institute of Philosophy of RAN.

First-hand about the "Kyzyl - Kuragino" expedition. Minister of Emergencies and President of Russian Geographic Society tells us how to get into an archeological expedition, shares his memories of his past in the field, and offers advice to neophytes. -  Why was this place in Tuva in particular chosen for excavations? Why has everything been calculated for four years? -  There are three combined reasons. First - vital necessity, because this is where the "kyzyl - Kuragino" railroad will be constructed. All the expert evaluations have been done already, the project is ready, and the construction should begin soon. According to all the rules and laws, both ours and international ones, until the entire route is studied from the point of view of archeology and history, until all the archeological and historical monuments are discovered, studied or preserved for later times, the construction in that area can't begin. Second - the sheer volume. The volume is huge, and it is impossible to get all of it done in one year, otherwise we lose the quality, and won't be able to study everything thoroughly. In four years, we would like to leave a good record both in the railroad construction and in the history of Krasnoyarsk Krai, Khakassia and Tuva.

In the Sayans, not far from the well-known mountain pass, an expedition started studying the habitat of the rarest and most mysterious large cat in the world - snow leopard. Before the start, expedition members gave some new, unique photos of  the irbis to the Russian Geographic Society. The snow leopard, or irbis, is the only permanent resident of the high mountain zone among the large cats. It personifies the majestic, mysterious and brutal world of Central Asia mountain ranges. Russia is the possessor of the northernmost population grouping of  this practically unstudied species, which inhabits the mountain ranges  of South Siberia, Altai, Sayans and Tuva. The irbis population her, according to various evaluations, numbers about 70-150 individuals. Three to five individuals live in various districts, more rarely nine to twelve. The habitat of snow leopard in Russia comprises 2% of the contemporary range of the whole world, and the irbis population is also about 2% of the world total snow leopard population.

In Mongolia, Kazakhstan and Mongolian archeologists discovered a mausoleum of an ancient Turkish emperor. The find, dated to 7^th century, is sensational in itself, as scientists of the world confirm. The mausoleum was preserved in the original state and was not damaged during the excavations, which is due in many ways to a new method invented together with Mongolian scientists. Karzhaubai Sartkozhauli, Doctor of philology, professor, and director of Gumilev scientific research center "Turkology and Altaistics" of  ENU called it a skill of scientists of two countries. "Turkic culture has not changed much in centuries. As you know,  our ancestors built yurts in such a way that the entrance  faced south-east. The door of the corridor leading into the mausoleum also faced south-east. 

They were permitted to go back to their original lands only in 1982. They had to start all over again, to clear the pastures, to teach their children herding skills. That was 29 years ago. It is a short time span in the life of a nation, but the Tuvans managed to re-establish much during that time.

In the place of Honor  - Flag and heraldic crest of their Historical Homeland

To this day, they keep the customs of  their ancestors regarding introductions. Meeting a guest, they always ask from which tribe and clan he is, and his age. A person's age is very important for the carriers of the traditions - it serves to determine the etiquette of behavior with the stranger.

Because of the predominance of other language populations in the places where the Tuvans live, their language has many words borrowed from Kazakh, Mongolian, and Chinese languages. It shows, in particular, in the phonetic and lexical peculiarities of their daily speech. 

Tuvans in China live in the Altai aimak of Xinjiang -Uighur autonomous region of Chinese People's Republic, in picturesque mountains and steppes of the Altai Mountains. This territory borders in the north with Russia, in the west - Kazakhstan, and  east - with Mongolia.

Representatives of various ethnic backgrounds mingle in the Altai aimak: Chinese, Kazakhs, Dunkans, Mongols, Uighurs. Many Kazakhs can be counted in the compact Tuvan settlements (Ak-Khaba, Khanas, Khom, Ala-Khaak, Kok-Dogai). Tuvan families also live in towns Altai, Burchin, and Khaba.

Igor Irgit, who was the head of State committee for foreign economic connections at the time, was the first one to visit the Chinese Tuvans in 1992, and Marina Mongush, the scholar - ethnographer, visited them in1993.