“Continue the press-tours to the attractions of the republic!” – such was the decision of the Expert council of the special project “Tos Ertine”, dedicated to the Year of Tourism. The co-ordinator of the special project, Anna Khadakhane, presented the summary of the work done during the summer. During the summer, groups of journalists visited 12 kozhuuns of the republic; materials have been prepared on 44 of the noteworthy objects submitted to the contest.
“Objects, about which there was very little prior information, became the focus of our interest. For example, even though Por-Bazhyn and Center of Asia are known both within the republic and outside it, such interesting places as Moren Cave in Erzin or Mt. Uttug-Durug in Chaa-Khol were familiar only to a very narrow circle of people. We decided to eliminate this “blank page”. Throughout the summer, residents of the republic and the internet-community have been able to travel to the remote corners of Tuva with the help of the journalists. A huge help with the organizing of the press-tours was shown by those who submitted the objects to the contest, as well as local administrators.
Remember that the original plan asked for the journalists’ tours to the “Treasures” to be finished by August 20.
“Unfortunately, we were not able to “encompass the non-encompassable” in the time provided, despite the busy schedule of the press-tours. Aside from that, there are places where access is very difficult, like Charash-Dash, where pebbles of wondrous shapes are born from the earth, in Bai-Taiga, or the arzhaan Choigan on the border of Todzha and Irkutsk region. The journalists would have to take a whole week or more, and that is not possible, and on top of that during the time of vacations.”
“The journalists themselves are discovering unknown Tuva, and are helping the residents of the republic to learn about unique corners of nature, as well as historical and cultural monuments. It is a very good start, and we have to continue,” – says Doctor of historical sciences, shamanologist Mongush Borakhovich Kenin-Lopsan, and a member of the Expert Council.
“As well as the national voting, we also have to bring this to the attention of the expert community for proper evaluation of the significance, attractiveness to tourists, exceptionality and inimitability of these noteworthy objects,” believes Oksana Belyayeva, another member of the Expert Council.
Remember that more than 230 entries were submitted during the first stage of the project. The experts selected 110 objects, which are now the subject of TV documentaries and magazine articles published in local media by the journalists.
