Tuvan journalists are learning about “Treasures” of Ulug-Khem

Press-tours of local journalists to the objects enteredinto the “Nine treasures” contest continue. Group of journalists from TV company “Tyva”, newspaper “Plyus Inform” and “Tuvinskaya Pravda”, headed by Anna Khadakhane, the co-ordinator of the project, with organizational support of Ulug-Khem department of culture employment center visited arzhaan Senek, viewed the ruins of ancient Shagonar fortified town, and appreciated the startling beauty of the secluded canyon Kyzyl-El near the foot of Ush-Mooruk mountain.

The entry for “Tos Ertine” contest, reporting the Senek arzhaan was submitted by Saynaa Salchak, lecturer of the local center of children’s and youth tourism and excursions “Khaiyrakan”. Until 2004, as this regional expert tells us, the place was abandoned. Then it was cleaned up, the shaman woke up the spirit of the arzhaan, and now the ritual of sanctification of the Senek spring is performed every year. And enclosure was built, which has now been renovated and painted. The local enthusiasts are planning to build a toilet and set up a rubbish container.

The ruins of Uighur military camp of VIII-IX centuries were introduced ti the contest by the head of an arat farm, Mariya Damchai. Among the hills and hillocks, the journalists recognized only with trouble the contours of Shagonar fortifications, which at one time served as defense form enemy raids. “Not everybody can get to Por-Bazhyn, the route is very complicated, it is very difficult to access, - says Mariya Damchai. – But here, certainly, you can go on horseback or on foot. And we are prepared to welcome tourists, take them on excursions, if you’d like. These are unique fortification structures. It would be necessary just to clean off one of the walls from the earth,, and hang up a plan of the fortified town, so that you could understand what it looked like in the ancient times. And our sheepherding station is nearby, we could even serve traditional dishes and offer horseback tours.” Mariya Mongushevna speaks with enthusiasm, using arguments, with a light in her eyes. She is hoping to generate interest in her small native place – Kok-Chyraa settlement. She is certain that the Great Silk Road passed through this area. Otherwise, how would pieces of silk show up in the kurgans.

The Kyzyl-El canyon is another one of local wonders, consisting of vertical vivid cliff faces of red sandstone and rocks. “There are three versions of its origin, - explains Boris Baldan,a schoolteacher from Aryg-Bazhy, who reported this local attraction into the “Tos Ertine” contest. – According top one version, the canyon was formed as a result of an impact by a cosmic object. The second hypothesis is that the Chinese were searching for Genghis-Khan’s grave, dug up a kurgan, and this, suddenly turned into a canyon. Well, and the third version avers that after the great Mongol was buried, his people diverted a river stream to confuse their tracks and hide the place from searchers of the grave, and the river then excavated this canyon.

The canyon could very well become the “center of growth” of the locality, attracting tourists. That is why the employment center of Ulug-Khem kozhuun performed a clean-up of the road to the canyon, removing fallen trees with the help of the unemployed the cleaned up also the adjacent areas. A local enthusiast, Eduard Khurag-ool, who is currently unemployed, has plans to set up a small base here, offering horseback trips to tourists. The starting capital for the beginner businessman will be an investment of 58 thousand rubles, which is offered by the republican program “Decreasing the strain of the work market”. “We try to support such initiatives, - says the director of the employment center, Vyacheslav Makal-ool. – More so, because Eduard’s reputation is impeccable. He is a sportsman, non-drinker, keeps to a healthy way of life. And he is prepared to offer services to curious and physically active residents of the republic.”

One of the main guides of the press-tour in Ulug-Khem kozhuun, Mergen Kyrgys, “our minister of culture”, as the local residents call him, also has a spontaneous relationship to the “Treasures”.  He is the author of the stupa on the mountain pass of  Mt. Khaiyrakan.  “I have a feeling of pride because my work is needed by people. Those going through the pass stop by the stupa to pray for a good road, for themselves, for those close to them, - says the artist. – Good thoughts and intentions are born next to that stupa. And that is the most important thing.”

Press-tours associated with the special project continue. At the end of June, the journalists are planning to visit the Baruun-Khemchik kozhuun, and in early July – Mongun-Taiga.

Remember that the special project “Tos Ertine” started on January 13 and is dedicated to the Year of Tourism. 338 attractions were reported for the contest to March 15. since there were duplicate entries, the actual number of reported objects was 219, out of which 110 were selected by the  expert council.

Until August 20, these categories of the contest will take place:

- for the best community action in clean-up and arrangement of the entries;

(notify the Org. committee about the planned action before starting)

- for the best press material about the attractions of Tuva;

- for the best photo material about the entries;

- for the video recording about the “Treasures”

-  for the best radio program about the objects and

- for the best theme itinerary that includes the entered objects;

- for the most active municipality.

In the fall national Internet voting will take place to determine the main attractions of Tuva.

In the fall, the ceremony of awards to the winners of the various categories of the contest will take place, of the first and the most active participants; in December, as results of Year of Tourism, a map of the attractions and noteworthy objects of the republic, and the catalog  “Nine Treasures” will be published, which will include all the main pearls of Tuva.

Contacts of the:

Official site of project “Tos Ertine”: www.tosertine.ru

Organization Committee  phone/fax: 8(39422)21227, 21119; email: tosertine@yandex.ru;  postal address: Kyzyl, 667000, ul. Chulduma, 18, cabinet 319, 324.