Kyzyl
Kyzyl is a city in
Russia, capital of the
Tuva Republic. The name of the city means "red" in Tuvan .
Kyzyl claims to be located exactly in the geographical center of
Asia . Whether these coordinates are in fact the center of Asia is disputed. However, there is a monument labelled "Centre of Asia" in English, Russian, and Tuvan which asserts this claim.
Kyzyl is situated on the
Yenisei River. Most development is south of the river and follow the curves of the river, with the highest development centered where the two headstreams of the Yenisei, the Bolshoi Yenisei and the Malyy Yenisei, meet.
Encyclopedia
Kyzyl is a city in
Russia, capital of the
Tuva Republic. The name of the city means "red" in Tuvan .
Kyzyl claims to be located exactly in the geographical center of
Asia . Whether these coordinates are in fact the center of Asia is disputed. However, there is a monument labelled "Centre of Asia" in English, Russian, and Tuvan which asserts this claim.
Kyzyl is situated on the
Yenisei River. Most development is south of the river and follow the curves of the river, with the highest development centered where the two headstreams of the Yenisei, the Bolshoi Yenisei and the Malyy Yenisei, meet.
Buildings of cultural and political importance in Kyzyl include the Tuvan Parliament building, the National Theater, and a Khoomei center dedicated to studying and teaching
khoomei, Tuvan throatsinging.
Kyzyl was founded in 1914 as
Belotsarsk ; in 1918 renamed
Khem-Beldyr , and in 1926 renamed Kyzyl.
In September 2004 Kyzyl celebrated its 90th anniversary as a city and the 60th anniversary of Tuva joining the
Soviet Union.
2002 population—104,105.
Kyzyl is served by Kyzyl Airport.
Kyzyl and Tuva in Popular Culture
In the late 1980s, Kyzyl was visited by Ralph Leighton, who had made it a quest to reach Tuva with his friend, the
Nobel prize-winning physicist
Richard Feynman. Though Feynman died before they reached Tuva, the journey is chronicled in Tuva or Bust!.
Inspired by Feynman's quest and the desire of a blind blues performer,
Paul Pena, who learned Tuvan
throat singing by listening to his
shortwave radio, to compete in the Tuvan throat singing competition. A film was also made of this pilgrimmage. It was titled
Genghis Blues.
See also
External links
