Few Westerners have heard about the Buddhist Tuva Republic in southern Siberia - even fewer about the Todzhan Tuvans who live in the northeastern corner of Tuva, near the border with Mongolia. Here, a few hundred nomads keep a thousand-year-old tradition of reindeer herding alive by milking the animals and using them for transport when hunting and moving between the camps. Despite a substantial reduction in the size of the reindeer herds following the collapse of communism, the Todzhan Tuvans are closely linked to their reindeer, and together with the Dukha people of Mongolia, they are among the southernmost reindeer nomads in the world. |
 The main road south towards Tuva |
 Prayer Wheel in the center of Kyzyl, the capital of Tuva |
 Wedding party on the banks of the Yenisei River in Kyzyl |
 Centre of Asia Monument in Kyzyl |
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 Wedding couple at the Centre of Asia Monument in Kyzyl |
 Soviet architecture in Kyzyl |
 Buddhist stupa in Kyzyl |
 Shared taxa between Kyzyl and Toora-Khem, the main city of the Todzha region |
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 Crossing the Yenisei River, last stop before Toora-Khem
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 Toora-Khem |
 Toora-Khem |
 Toora-Khem |
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 Lenin is still standing in Toora-Khem |
 Toora-Khem |
 The airport in Toora-Khem |
 The airport in Toora-Khem |
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 Refueling before driving up in the Mountains to the reindeer nomads |
 Walking with the driver and his assistent the last part to the reindeer nomads |
 The nomad family's tent in the mountains |
 The nomadic family with whom I stayed |
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 The nomads' children are not used to seeing tourists |
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 A curious look into my tent
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 Family portrait |
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 The Todzhan Tuvans ride their reindeers |
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 Small twigs from willow bushes are used as firewood |
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 Together with one of the big bulls |
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 Todzha is located in Siberia's endless taiga |
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 Collection of firewood for the stove
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 Roasting cones from Siberian Pine |
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 The Siberian Pine cones contain small nuts, which can be eaten |
 The reindeer are milked every morning and evening |
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 The children learn how to ride a reindeer from their early childhood |
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 Ready for hunting |
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 Baking bread on the fire |
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 Teabrewing on the fire |
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 The reindeer are tied up every night not to run away from the camp |
 Three in a row |
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 A proud milkmaid |
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 Bad weather building up |
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 Milking reindeer |
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 A part of the milk is reserved for the reindeers' own calves |
 The nomads are using a saddle on the reindeer when riding long distances |
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 Ready for departure! |
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 Family portrait |
 Going down from the mountains |
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 The path through the forest is not always easily passable |
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 Unlocked hunting cabin at the end of the road |
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 On the way back to Toora-Khem by a flooded road |
 Crossing a river back towards Toora-Khem |
 Stranded truck on the road. The driver sleeps it out inside the cab |
