The Republic of Tuva is one of the southernmost regions of Russia. But, despite this, the climate in this region is quite severe with very cold, sharply expressed winters. The indigenous people of the republic, the Tuvans, were originally nomads. Even now, such tribes have survived in Tuva. Their number has decreased. But these people continue to maintain their self-sufficiency due to the fact that the republic is located very separately. The area is surrounded by mountains on all sides. Not a single railway leads there. True, it is now planned to build a route that will connect the village of Kuragino with the main city of the republic. This is Kyzyl - the capital of Tuva.
Briefly about the capital
Kyzyl, in which more than 110 thousand people live, is the main city of the Republic of Tuva, its capital. It was founded at first as an ordinary village. This happened relatively recently: in 1914. That is, Kyzyl is now a little over 100 years old, which is very small for Russian cities. Initially, it bore a different name. The capital of the Republic of Tuva, Kyzyl, underwent two renaming. Initially, the village was called Belotsarsky. But in 1918, after the revolution, it was renamed Hem Beldir. And after 8 years, the city was given the modern name - Kyzyl. Translated into Russian, this word means "red."
Climatic features
Interestingly, due to its location, the Republic of Tuva is equated with the regions of the Far North. This is explained by the fact that in these parts the continental climate is very sharply expressed. Winters are extremely harsh. In addition, the capital of the Republic of Tuva almost never sees snow. Due to the fact that severe frosts begin in October or early November, you can not plant any crops for the winter. They will not have snow cover protection, so they will simply perish.
After a harsh winter, with a complete absence of thaws, summer sets in pretty quickly. Spring time is very short. In May, the temperature begins to rise sharply and is set at +25 o ... + 30 o C. Hot weather lasts all summer until the next cold snap.
National Museum. Aldan Maadyr
The capital of the Republic of Tuva is rich in museums. In one of them you can see the collections of various historical finds. They were discovered during archaeological excavations. Not so long ago, in 2008, the national museum was completely renovated, making it possible to exhibit so many interesting things. Its complex now has 4 floors. The museum boasts an exposition of finds from the mounds, including the “Scythian gold”. Coming here, you can learn a lot about Tuva. Kyzyl is a city whose population honors its history.
Museum of Nadia Rusheva
In addition to the historical, in Kyzyl there is a museum of Nadia Rusheva. This girl is known for being very talented. Born into the family of an artist and a ballerina, Nadia began to paint at a very young age: from the age of five. Interestingly, this type of creativity was not taught to her. She herself had learned to read before school. She drew a little, only about half an hour a day. But once in one evening she made 36 illustrations for her favorite work of Pushkin, "The Tale of Tsar Saltan." She drew while reading a work aloud to her. Unfortunately, the girl did not live very long. At 17, she died due to illness. Her grave is in Moscow.
Museum of Political Repression
In addition, the city has a museum of political repression. It is very remarkable already only because it was in this building in the thirties of the last century that the NKVD department was located. Under Stalin, many were exiled to Tuva. More than a hundred people were shot. The exhibits of the museum are letters exiled, various documents and records. The visitor will be able to learn more about the history of that time. The museum has a separate exhibition, which is dedicated to people who served in the NKVD. Those who conducted interrogations and investigations in the building of the current museum.
Cultural life
The capital of Tuva will delight guests of the city with cultural life. On its territory there are three theaters: musical and drama, puppets and a young audience. Every day, stunning performances are staged in each of them. The theater of the young spectator was founded in 1964. Its founders are considered one of the first directors who graduated from the Institute of Culture in Moscow. For their production of “My Friend is a Golden Deer,” young theatergoers received a “Laureate Diploma” at an international festival in Moscow. And this is not the only reward. The Blue Bird Festival is held every two years. And the Kyzyl residents received their prize in 2012. In the theaters of the city of Kyzyl, performances are not only in Russian. Often the productions are conducted in the national dialect of the republic - Tuvan.
Religion
The capital of Tuva unites people of several religions on its territory. The most pronounced 3 directions. In addition to Orthodoxy, there is Buddhism and even shamanism. The city has a religious organization called “Tos deer”. Shamanism is an ancient direction. Its essence lies in the fact that a conductor in a certain state can communicate with spirits. This behavior is called trance.
sights
The capital of Tuva has one of the most important attractions, which is not located in the city itself, but 20 kilometers away from it. At the confluence of two rivers: the Big and Small Yenisei. It is here that a stele is installed, which designates the center of Asia. In addition, in Kyzyl itself there is a monument to the Red Partisans and a memorial built in honor of the victims of World War II. On May 9, almost all the inhabitants of the city come here. A monument to the teacher was also erected in the 21st century.
There is one rather funny and interesting case in history. Richard Feynman, an American physicist, at the end of his life wanted to visit the capital of the Republic of Tuva. He explained his interest in this small city by the uniqueness of the name. Indeed, in the word Kyzyl there are no vowels. Unfortunately, he did not have time to realize his desire.
The capital of Tuva - how to get there?
You can now get to Kyzyl by road or by plane. In addition, the republic’s airport is an important transport point in Russia. It is thanks to him that the capital is connected not only with the large cities of Siberia, but also with those settlements that are almost impossible to reach by land.