WHERE
is TUVA? It...
...is
said to be the geographical centre of Asia. It is surrounded by
mountains, the Sayani at the North the Tanni Loa at the South
and the Altai at the west (the highest in all Siberia). There
are lots of fast icy cold rivers that flow into the valleys that
then flow into 3 of the main rivers - Kaa-Khem, Bi-Khem and Khemchik.
"Khem" means river and together theymake the Ulug Klem
or Great River (knows in Russian as "Yenisei"). Around
these rivers are lovely woods and beyond that the steppe where
animals like cows are very happy.
Tuva
is - 51º N + 94º E ( as north as Britain and as east as Bangladesh).
Look for the river YENISEI at the artctic ocean and followit back
up to the headwaters. That is Tuva.
<map>
The
history of Tuva stretches back to Chinese
and Persian accounts from Rashid ad din. Get Alan Leighton's fantastic
translation of Otto Maenchen-Helfen's book about a journey through
Tuva in 1928. It is packed with great information and extra insights.
RECOMMENDED.
Tuva
is a poor place, that is dependent on the Russian rouble to keep
the modern Soviet infrastrcuture going - hospitals, schools etc..
There are often great shortages, pensions and wages are not paid
and adult life expectancy has fallen dramatically since the fall
of Communism. It is worst for young people who have no jobs, no
future and no ideals or ideas about what they are meant to do.
Already the villagfes are breaking up and people are crowding
the city looking for work. The same old story...
Alcohol
is another big problem and is good friends with unemployment.
An
example is the situation in Aldyn-ool's village Mogur
Aksi.
glossary
- what does that Tuvan word mean?
other tuvan, khakass, mongol and altai music
history
TUVA
has a long history, plenty of archaeology, petroglyphs (rock paintings),
stone circles, eveidence of extensive irrigation and because of
the water and air and pasture has been a place of human habitation
for a very long time. It just missed the Ice Age as well (or so
Albert says and who can disagree?). More recently it was part
of the Kyrgyz KAGANAT 1500 years ago and in between was part of
Ghenghis Khan's efforts to rule the world and in the 19th century
was part of Mongolia - called "Urian-hai". And then
it became unclear and after a period of Bolshevik vs. Menshevik
warlords toughing it out it became an Independent State with its
own currency, stamps and Latinised script (like modern Turkish).
This was Tanntu Tuva that inspired many left-field philately experts
with the first ever diamond shaped stamps (legend has it).
Good
Books are:
Otto
Maenchen-Helfen - 1929 "Reise ins Asiastisches Tuva"
- Alan Leighton translated it (FANTASTIC BOOK!)
Also,
"Tuva or Bust" by Ralph Leighton! This is a very exciting
account of one of the most important physicists EVER and his trip
with Ralph to Tuva (only Ralph made it).
Ossowski
- 1922 "Beasts, Men and Gods"
others:
please email info@yat-kha.com or go search the web! and if anyone
knows more than the poor little amount shown here please let us
link this page to that.
