These images are all stored as compressed JPEG's. Be patient; although most of the
files are small it may take some time for these to transfer. They're full colour and
rather large. Click on either the thumbnail or the hyperlink to get a larger version of
the same image.
 This is an old postcard depicting the outside of a cinema in Kyzyl .
The cinema looks much the same today, although it is apparent that this is an old photo.
Across the street, to the left in this photo, is the Kyzyl Hotel.
 Here's another photo depicting traditional wrestling (khuresh) ,
taken at Ak-Dovorak on the day of the local wrestling championships, to determine who
would proceed to the national tournament at Kyzyl the following week-end.
Also at Ak-Dovorak, on the edge of town, is a open asbestos mine and factory that we visited. Our
guide in the area, Maadyr-ool Khovalyg, had, at one time, worked in this mine and factory but had since
become an author and was trying to start up a tourism business. Ak-Dovorak was a boom
town, built in the days when asbestos was a mineral that was in demand, and the city has
fallen on hard times in recent years. Falling demand for asbestos means that workers are
paid so little and so late that inflation has taken a bite out their pay between the time
it is earned and the time it is received.
 When we were in western Tuva, we
chanced upon a herd of yaks by
the side of the road, north of Ak-Dovorak and towards the Ak-Sug. The yaks are large, and
they move quickly. They shied away as we got near, but if they wanted to they could have
easily run us down and crushed us. It's hard to tell in this photo, but their hair is long
and smooth and looks almost silky. We didn't get close enough to find out how silky it is.
 Here's a photo of the family who lived at Ak-Sug and
who acted as our wonderful hosts during our stay there.
 I haven't seen this mentioned any
where else; this is a 1994 Russian
stamp showing the obelisk marking the Centre of Asia in Kyzyl . My Russian is not
very strong, but I think this stamp is commorating the fiftieth anniversary of Tuva
joining Russia in the Soviet Union.
 Here's a
picture of Aldynai Seden-Khurak flying a
plane over Virginia . Aldynai is well-known to readers of the alt.culture.tuva
newsgroup as one of the Tuvan graduate students spending the 1994-1995 academic year in
the USA. Aldynai was studying and teaching in Charlottesville. Here's a photo of of all those involved in arranging this flight .
 When Huun-Huur-Tu performed in New
York City on the tour supporting the ``Orphan's Lament'' album, a few Friends of Tuva were
on hand for a celebratory dinner. Here's a photo recording the occasion, with (from left
to right): Ted Levin, Alexander
Chaparukin, Aldynai Seden-Khurak, Alima Mongush (a Tuvan studying in the USA), all of
Huun-Huur-Tu, Bill Loewy, Jeff Cook, and an American couple who were hosting Alima (names
unknown).
Return to The Friends of Tuva Page.
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