Victor Chaika, mayor of Rivne, administrative centre of the Rivne region in the Western part of Ukraine, sent on the eve of the Victory Day an official greeting letter to the Tuvan war veterans who liberated Rivne and some of the Ukrainean villages from the Nazi's occupation in 1944. Vera Bailak, 83, and Kyrgys Chamzyryn, 87, are the only Tuvan war veterans who lived up out of the legendary Tuvan Cavalry Squadron numbering 208.

Tuvan People's Republic, since 1921 an independant state, took the Hitler's agression against the Soviet Union as its own disaster.

Today Tuva celebrates it Constitution Day. The present Constitution of the Republic of Tuva, the nineth in its history (the first one dates back to 1921, when a Tannu-Tuva People Republic was declared), was adopted at an all-republican referendum on May 6, 2001. The first post-perestroika Constitution was adopted by the revolutionary Supreme Soviet of Tuva at its session in 1993. It was written under Yeltsin's slogan 'Take as much sovereignity as you can swallow!'

Famous Tuvan music researcher Valentina Suzukei has finished her multifacetous study of Tuvan music culture in the XXth century. The scientist takes a closer look at the Tuvan musical phenomenon, analyses it in the context of the nomadic world perception, gives a full account of the ritual and labour musical practices, songs, instrumental music, Tuvan traditional instruments, makes a survey of both positive and negative consequences of the attempts to 'adapt' Tuvan music to European standards.

The number of forest fires in Tuva enlarged from 18 to 22 over the day and spread onto the area of 6,500 hectares, including 2,700 hectares covered with trees, commander of the Tuva forestry air wing Valery Leskov told Itar-Tass on Sunday. He said a wind exceeding 20 meters per second is fanning the fire.