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TravelTips24 : Europe : Russia : Siberia : Eastern Siberia : Tuva

Tuva

Tuva is a region in Eastern Siberia, bordering Altai (Republic) to the west, Khakassia to the northwest, Krasnoyarsk (region) to the north, Irkutsk Oblast to the northeast, Buryatia to the east, and Mongolia to the south.

Regions

Cities

  • Ak-Dovurak
  • Chadan
  • Kyzyl
  • Shagonar
  • Erzin

Other destinations

  • Arzhaan Shivilig — a "medicinal" spring near many cultural monuments
  • Azas Nature Reserve
  • Uvs Nuur Lake — Unesco World Heritage Site
    • Ubsunurskaya Kotlovina Nature Reserve
    • Lake Tere-Khol

Culture and History

Tuva is on the border with Mongolia and shares much in common with the adjacent Mongolian regions. Tuvans comprise the largest ethnic group (over 60%) in the region and Tibetan Buddhism, mixed with indigenous Shamanism, is the predominant religion. Perhaps Tuva's greatest offering for the visitor is its musical treasure: Khoomei. Khoomei, also known as throat-singing or overtone-singing, is a method in which the singer simultaneously produces a low drone and a series of higher melodies over the drone note. This music is utterly unique and a performance is said to be a powerful experience. Tuva is of interest for its diverse and impressive wild landscapes. Tuva's topography spans desert, grassy steppe, lakes, and snow-covered mountains, many of which are dotted with cultural monuments of the Tuvan and Schithian herdsman who have nomadized across the region for millennia.

Tuvan's suffered greatly under Soviet repression of their culture and religion, particularly at the incidents of 1929, in which shamans and Buddhist monks were ruthlessly arrested and killed in a large-scale act of cultural vandalism against the Tuvan minority. As a result, foreign tourists are likely to be greeted with an even warmer welcome than in most of Siberia, as they are seen as part of a new future for Tuva that values the region's traditions. Many of the Tuvans were forced by the Soviet government to abandon their nomadic lifestyle and to work on collective farms, but to this day Tuvan culture remains essentially rural and, to a lesser degree, nomadic. Accordingly, to experience the "real" Tuva, you will need to get out into the countryside, among the sacred peaks of the Western Sayan.

Talk

Tuvan is, along with Russian, the official language of the region and is widely spoken by ethnic Tuvans. Russian, however, is understood by nearly everyone in Kyzyl and larger towns, somewhat less in the more remote areas of Tuva.

Travel to Tuva & Visa Requirements

Tuva is pretty well cut off from the rest of Russia by its mountainous borders and as a result, there is no rail service to Kyzyl. The new railroad is now under construction, which is scheduled to finish by 2012. The best option is to take the train from Moscow to Abakan (76 hours), with one-way fares varying from approximately 4,000 Rub (US$160) to 9,500 Rub (US$390). The price changes according to peak tourist seasons in Russia: by far the cheapest day to travel is the 1st of January, while July is the most expensive.

It is possible to take a bus from Abakan in neighboring Khakassia. While a night bus is an option, don't take it! The route meanders through the gorgeous Sayan mountain landscapes of the Ergaki region, which would be foolish to miss. The train from Moscow arrives in Abakan at 6 AM, and apart from the bus, there will be plenty of taxi drivers offering to take you to Kyzyl (approximately 420 km from Abakan) for 1,000 - 1,500 Rub (US$40-60). There is a possibility that you may have to register at the Russian-Tuvan border - just hand over your passport to the police officer, there is no fee for the service.

Kyzyl Airport is small and offers flights to and from the Siberian center of Krasnoyarsk as well as Raduzhny, Khantia-Mansia for some odd reason. The direct flights from Moscow to Kyzyl have been resumed as of Fall 2007, the flight goes twice a week via Ufa, Bashkiria's capital, departing from Moscow on Sunday and Wednesday.

Tours & Getting around Tuva

Tuva attractions and sightseeing

Itineraries

Tuva city tours

  • Listen to famed Tuvan throat-singing, in which a singer produces a fundamental drone with multiple harmonic notes creating distinct and layered melodies and sound mimesis.
  • Attend a Tuvan wrestling match, Khuresh, in which one loses by touching the ground with a hand, knee or any other part of the body besides the feet.
  • Horseback riding
  • Attend horse and camel races
  • Appreciate views unobscured by tourist kiosks

Tuva Restaurants: cheap, moderate and expensive

Tuva nightlife, bars, clubs & pubs

  • Araka — the Tuvan national drink of fermented milk

Stay safe

Get out

Because of the general remoteness of the region, it is hard to get out from Tuva much any way other than the way you came in. But it is possible, provided your papers are in order, to continue south from Kyzyl into just-as-remote-northwestern Mongolia to explore more of the Uvs-Nuur region.

This page was last edited at 08:56, on 23 August 2008 by Marko. Based on work by Peter Fitzgerald and Wikitravel user(s) Shever-ool.

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