The organizing committee of the international benefit festival of live music and faith, “Ustuu-Khuree”, decided on the dates for the event as July 5 – 8. As “FederalPress” was told by the leader of the committee, the director of the Tuvan State Philharmony Igor Dulush, currently the matter of guests for the festival is being evaluated. Boris Grebenshchikov and the members of “Akvarium” group could be among them.

As part of the “Treasures of the North. Northern Civilization – 2010”, fair, which is currently taking place at the All-Russia Expo Center in Moscow, an original photographic project by Mikhail Genis and Anastasia Veshchikova “Evaporating Worlds”, about the life of reindeer herders – Tuvans-Todzhans (Tuva), and Baunt Evenks (Buryatia), will be presented on April 15 – 19.

The remote sound of the shaman’s drum, which carries the agent of the spirits into other worlds, attracts more and more of those who are searching for the mysteries of the universe. Many scholars, scientists, ethnographers, graduate students and schoolchildren come to study shamanism in Tuva as one of the world’s main religions, following the “call of the drums.”

Mongolian delegation headed by the minister of education, E. Otgonbayar held discussions with China about the questions of cultural heritage and concluded an agreement. According to the signed document, now, in a case of submitting an application about entering a cultural heritage into the UNESCO list, both sides are expected to discuss it and come to an agreement, using flexibility and showing respect to one another’s spiritual and cultural heritage.

The show “Kys-Khalyyr”, a diploma production of the students of Tuvan Studio of GSII (State Specialized Institute of Arts), was recently presented to the Muscovites.

It is an idea-project thought out by Galina Dorzhu, based on Tuvan legends, traditions and customs hundreds of years old. Galina Dorzhu is one of the graduates of well-known Tuvan group “Shchuka”, which gave many famous talented artists to Tuva; she now is an instructor at the GSII in acting and stage speech.

Today, as part of the cinematic festival “Kinematograficheskii Chekhov” , in the “Klassika” hall (Ezenshtein Library, Moscow), National Artist of SSSR Yuri Solomin and other participants of the film team will introduce the film “Dersu Uzala”(Mosfilm 1975), based on the writer and traveler Vladimir Arseniev’s book of the same name. The film showing is dedicated to the 100^th anniversary of the great Japanese film director Akira Kurosawa.

Within the Russian House of Science and Culture in Berlin, a great venue for presenting Russian regions to Germany’s capital, the European tour of the Republic of Tuva made a two-day stop on March 15 and 16 to give us a glance into the exotic culture of the very center of Asia – in 2010, the “Year of Tourism” of Tuva.

Last Friday, people and visitors of the Austrian capital Vienna had a unique opportunity to learn about Republic Tuva – a presentation of this Russian region in the center of Asia took place at the Russian Center of Science and Culture (RCNK).

Those who gathered at RCNK met shamans of the “Bear Spirit” association. In full shamanic regalia - picturesque leather clothing and with ancient drums in their hands – they performed ritual dances accompanied by burning of special herbs.

On March 1 – 3 in the Russian Center of Science and Culture in Helsinki, a presentation of the program “Regions of Russia. Republic in the center of Asia – Tyva.” Republic Tyva is located right in the center of Asia, as evidenced by the obelisk “Center of Asia” in Kyzyl, the capital of the republic. The traditional culture of Tuvans is a culture of nomads. On March 1, the opening of the exhibitions tookplace: black and white photographs “Tuva in the early 20^th century” (author V. Yermolayev); “Archeology of kurgan “Arzhaan-II” of the Scythian period”; souvenirs and national Tuvan costumes; “Religions in Tuva” – ritual paraphernalia of shamanism. Afterwards, a concert was performed on the stage of RCSC. The head of the consulate, T.S. Kleyerova welcomed the Tuvan guests and the audience.

Merited artist of Republic Tyva, Sainkho Namchylak, who received this title in December, 2009, has branched out from the realm of musical experiments into the realm of visual arts.

Now she draws with tea, coffe and kefir.

And not just on paper, but even on goat skins.