One of his books became the best children’s book of Russia in 2007. He is a Doctor of Buddhist philosophy, who studied in India at the Drepung Goman University. He graduated from the department of psychology at one of the colleges in Moscow. He has been visiting Tuva these past few days, accompanying the monks from the “Drepung Goman” monastery on their Russian tour. His Buddhist name, which was given to him by the Dalai-Lama XIV, is Tepchoy, which is short for Tenzin Choyzin – Keeper of the dharma and knowledge.

- The stories you write are very unusual. Tell us, please, how you started to write.

- I started writing five years ago, because there was an obvious need for literature for children. Everybody liked the first book, “Stories for baby elephant Lanchenkar”.

Last August, Kyzyl residents Eres and Natalia Dambar-ool became witnesses of a tragedy which clearly demonstrated the brutality of the law of survival among the denizens of wild nature.

The family was traveling towards Shagonar. Suddenly they both noticed that a raptor bird nearby was shaking something viciously.  As they got out of the car, the bird flew away, abandoning its prey. Eres and Natalia approached closer and found out that the bird’s victim was a tiny manul kitten. (Manul cat, Pallas’s cat, Otocolobus manul, Felis manul). The Dambar-ool family did not think of leaving him there in such a condition, and decided to save the mangled kitten and bring it with them.

The history of one of the most famous photographs from the war years, which has been a part of the exhibition dedicated to the Great patriotic War in Kyzyl, and which has become the main symbol of the Moscow exhibition “Tuvinian People’s Republic – everything for common victory!” was finally revealed today.

The photo was often exhibited without any captions at all. The caption in Tuvan museum was brief: Boris lama and Usov. And even though there was a lot written about Boris Shombulovich Lama, the orderly of the commander of Tuvan cavalry squadron, Adyg-Tulush Kechil-ool, there was nothing at all known about the other hero of the photograph.

The co-chairman of the highest council of the “United Russia” party, the head of Ministry of emergencies of RF, Sergei Shoigu has become a laureate of the State Prize of Republic Tuva.

Yet another prize has been added to Sergei Shoigu’s many awards – he has become a laureate of the State Prize of Republic Tuva for his great contribution to the development of his small native country. The award was presented on Monday, 27 September, by the head of the republic Sholban Kara-ool during a ceremonial presentation of the anthology “Uriangkhai. Tyva Depter.” (“Tuvan notebooks”), which took place in the building of the Theatre of Music and Drama, which just re-opened after a capital renovation.

Life is not simple when you are under pressure because of prominent positions and authority of those close to you. To be somebody’s sister, daughter or wife is enough to give some people a feeling of pride and of one’s own significance. Larisa Shoigu has had the opportunity to feel this kind of pressure on two levels. At first, at the level of Tuva, it was because of the authority and prominence of her father. Later it was on the level of the entire Russia – because of her brother, who is the Minister of Emergencies and a Hero of Russia.

Nevertheless, this slender woman with an elegant boyish haircut has always made certain to be herself – an independent personality, who does not live on the fame and merit of her relatives.