Where is Tannu Tuva located ?

Answer 1

The Tuvinian People's Republic (People's Republic of Tannu Tuva) (1921-1944) was a state in the territory of the former Tuvan protectorate of Imperial Russia, also known as Uryankhaisky Krai (Урянхайский край).

Following the Russian Revolution of 1917, Communist troops took Tuva in January 1920. The chaos accompanying this era allowed the Tuvans to again proclaim their independence. On 14 August 1921 the Bolsheviks (supported by Russia) established a Tuvinian People's Republic, called Tannu Tuva until 1926. The capital Belotsarsk (Белоцарск) was eventually renamed to Kyzyl (‘Red’, in Turkic languages; Russian transliteration: 'Кызыл'). A treaty between the Soviet Union and the People's Republic of Mongolia in 1926 affirmed the country’s independence.

Tuva’s first Prime Minister was Donduk Kuular. Kuular made Buddhism the state religion and tried to limit settlers and propaganda coming from Russia. He also tried to establish ties with Mongolia. Russia became increasingly alarmed by these initiatives and eventually, in 1929, Prime Minister Kuular was arrested and later executed. In Russia meanwhile (in 1930) five members of the KUTV (Communist University of the Toilers of the East) the same group that executed Kuular, were appointed commissars extraordinary for Tuva. Staunchly loyal to Joseph Stalin's government, they purged the Tuvan Communist Party of about a third of its members and pushed collectivisation in the traditionally nomadic country. The new government set about trying to destroy Buddhism and shamanism in Tuva, a policy encouraged by Stalin. Evidence of the success of these actions can be seen in the decline in the numbers of Lamas in the country: in 1929 there were 25 Lamasaries and about 4,000 Lamas and Shamans; in 1931 there was just one Lamasery, 15 Lamas and approximately 725 shamans. The attempts at eradicating nomadism were more difficult. A census in 1931 showed that 82.2 % of Tuvans still engaged in nomadism. Solchak Toka, one of the commissars extraordinary mentioned above, was made General Secretary of the Tuvan People’s Revolutionary Party in 1932. He would stay in power in Tuva until his death in 1973.

Tuva entered World War II with the Allies on 25 June 1941, three days after the USSR. On 11 October 1944, with the approval of Tuva’s Little Khural (parliament), Tuva was included into the USSR as Tuvan Autonomous Oblast, although there was no Tuva-wide vote on the question. Toka was given the title of First Secretary of the Tuvan Communist Party. Tuva was an autonomous republic (Tuva ASSR within the Russian SFSR) from 10 October 1961 until 1992.

The Tuvinian People's Republic is now formally known as Tyva Republic within the Russian Federation. While there have been talks about restoration of the sovereignty of Tuva (which is formally possible), they have had no impact to date, influence so far for various reasons, including the heavy national dependence on the of economy on Russia and Russification of the population (although over 75% are ethnic Tuvinians).

Answer 2

In 1977 Nobel Laureate (Physics) and raconteur Richard Feynman asked "What ever happened to Tannu Tuva?" One of his friends, Ralph Leighton, helped Feynman turn their search for information on this country into a real adventure, as explained in Leighton's book "Tuva or Bust".

Feynman's interest originated in the 1930's when Tuva, in a philatelic orgy, issued many oddball stamps memorable for their shapes (diamonds and triangles) as well as their scenery (men on camels racing a train, a man on horseback with a dirigible above him, and so on).

When they looked Tuva up in the atlas, they saw that the capital was Kyzyl, and decided that any place with a name like that must be interesting! They also soon found out that a monument near Kyzyl marked the centre of Asia, and that some Tuvans sang with 2 voices - one voice usually a lower drone and the second voice a high pitched flute-like sound, both from the same person. This information piqued their curiosity and things snowballed.

Unfortunately Feynman never made it to Tuva. He died in 1988.