Tuva Republic (twice the size of Portugal) is located in southern Siberia on the border to Mongolia. It is said to be the geographic centre of Asia; as far from the sea as it is possible to get. The Tuvins live here – a Turkish speaking, formerly nomadic people with ethnic roots among Uyghurish, Kyrgiz and Mongolian people. Tibetan Buddhism is the dominant religion, but shamanism and other nature religions are practised here as well. Tuva is located on the borderland between the Siberian taiga and the Central Asian semi-desert, and 80 percent of the land is covered with mountains, with Mongun-Tayga (3970 m) as the highest point. Most Tuvins today are settled in villages or in the capital Kyzyl, but out in the west in the Sayan Mountains, there are still families of herders, who during the summer walk up into the mountains with their sheep and cattle to live in yurts or small wooden houses. The pictures here are from a summer trip in 2007 to upper Yenisei River and the western Sayan Mountains.
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 Local fishermen from Shagonar (upper Yenisei River). |
 Sheep and cattle are grassing in the lush landscape around the river. |
 A newly built Buddhist temple. |
 Many Tuvins still work as shepherds. |
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 Fresh caught fishes from Upper Yenisei River. |
 The fishes are caught in big nets. |
 The fishes are cleaned and sold
to the local prison. |
 A part of the catching is grilled over the fire for the guests. |
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 Heading for the mountains by hiking upstream along one by numerous rivers of Sayan Mountains. |
 On our way to the foot of Mt. Mengulen (3485 m). |
 Sunset in Sayan Mountains. |
 Above the upper tree boundary
a rocky landscape takes over. |
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 Cows and other cattle are grassing above the upper tree boundary. |
 The herd boys stay in the mountains during the summer
to look after the cattle. |
 The Sayan Mountains reach many thousands kilometres northeast towards Lake Baikal. |
 In the mountains you can walk
for several days with meeting any other
people than shepherds now and then. |
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 It can be difficult to imagine, but sometimes in the winter at this place, the temperature drop to minus 50 degrees Celsius. |
 The boys herd the sheep together every evening. |
 Local herder’s family in Khemchik Valley. |
 The woman claims that she has given birth to 15 children. |
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 Tuva is an Eldorado for small pigs. |
 The children learn to ride a horse from they are very young. |
 Happy and satisfied! (they got two delicious cans with fish for free). |
 Khemchik River – big, wild and foaming. |
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 Children in the village Baj-Tal. |
 A monument for the border between the Tuva and Khakassia Republics. |
