Kyzyl

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Kyzyl - The Center of Asia

Music-Drama Theatre in Kyzyl

Shaman dancing near Kyzyl

Kyzyl (Tuvan and Russian: Кызы́л) is a city in Russia, capital of the Tuva Republic. The name of the city means "red" in Tuvan (as well as in many other Turkic languages).

Kyzyl claims to be located exactly in the geographical center of Asia (coordinates 51°44′N, 94°26′E). 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. A monument was built in 1964 on the river bank to mark this.

Buildings of cultural and political importance in Kyzyl include the Tuvan Parliament building, the National Theater, and a Khoomei center (officially, the International Scientific Center "Khoomei") dedicated to studying and teaching khoomei, Tuvan throatsinging.

1 History
2 Population
3 Kyzyl and Tuva in Popular Culture
4 See also
5 External links

[edit] History

Kyzyl was founded in 1914 as Belotsarsk (Белоца́рск). In 1918 the town was renamed Khem-Beldyr (Хем-Белды́р) 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.

[edit] Population

2002 population—104,105.

Kyzyl is served by Kyzyl Airport.

[edit] 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 pilgrimage. It was titled Genghis Blues.