Political crisis which has been tearing Tuva for the last 6 months since illegal cancellation of the vote results in October 8, 2006 parliamentary elections seems to be over. Sherig-ool Oorzhak, 64, who has been running the republic for the last 17 years, has been not nominated for the new term by President Putin, as the head of the republic and his team beleived. Sherig-ool Oorzhak's 3d term expired on March 17, but no candidature was put forward what signalled that the Kremlin could not make the decision.

The Finnish Throatsinging Society, that celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2007, invites all those interested to an international photo exhibition "Pictures from throatsinging lands”, which is to open on April 4 in the the gallery of the Finnish Environment Institute, Helsinki. The majority of the pictures are from Tuva.

Musicians and a word about their voices and instruments

The line-up of the Tuva Ensemble has varied since the group was founded in 1988. In 2000 it was represented on a Japan tour by musicians called Mergen Chayan-Khoo, Nachun Choodu, Ayas-ool Danzyryn and Shonchalai Oorzhak with Mrs. Zoya Kyrgys, the head of the Khöömei Centre in Kyzyl,Tuva, and Ms. Kira Sergeyeva. With the exception of Mrs. Kyrgys, these musicians are unknown to me. I was told that Shonchalai Oorzhak is a grand daughter of a khöömei innovator called Oorzhak "Funasital-ool", which I suspect to be a misspelling of Oorzhak Khunashtaar-ool, a well-known late master of khöömei.

A large archeological camp in the Tere-Khol district of Tuva is getting ready to host over 1000 people this summer. Preparation works are under way. The camp will be based on the former fish-storage place 8 km away from the Kungurtuk village, administrative center of the Tere-Khol district. A bridge 1250 mtr long made up of 167 chains on the wooden carcasse will link the island with the ancient uyghur fortress to the district territory. Students' recrutement into the summer expedition from universities in Moscow, Saint-Petersbourg, Kazan, Krasnoyarsk and Kyzyl is also under way.