Vladimir Putin gone fishing in spectacular Tuva. Felix Light, Moscow Times, @felix_light, @CBS News, @Moscow Times
Sep 29, 2021, 11:52 PM
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Photo: A Russian stamp: "World Natural Heritage of Russia. Tyva Republic. Ubsunur Basin"
Tuva, once named Tannu Tuva, is a Vajrayana/Tibetan Buddhist territory south of the enormous Krasnoyarsk Krai in Russia. Tuva is due south of Khakassia, which is a subregion of indigenous Turkic peoples; north of Mongolia and adjacent to Buryatia, both also Buddhist. The exceptional American physicist Richard Feynman once found a Tuvan postage stamp, realized he had no knowledge of the country, and decided to visit. Under the Soviet Union internal travel was severely limited, and the distinguished Dr Feynman did not get there. In his effort, "Leighton and Feynman tried many ploys to get to Tuva. They even enrolled as delegates at a throat-singing conference to be held in Hovd, Mongolia. Throat-singing, a bizarre style peculiar to Tuva [and strongly Mongolian], involves making two notes simultaneously. Alas, the conference was cancelled at the last minute."
" . . . In 1988, Leighton and Feynman pulled off a coup, bringing to Los Angeles ‘Nomads of Eurasia’, an exhibition that included ancient Tuvan artefacts. The Soviet authorities would be sure to reward them with a trip to Tuva, they reasoned. But on 15 February 1988 – just three days before an invitation arrived – Feynman’s borrowed time ran out.
"Leighton went to Kyzyl without Feynman, and stood before the monument
to the centre of Asia. ‘It seemed like Richard’s grave,’ he says."
Tuva, once named Tannu Tuva, is a Vajrayana/Tibetan Buddhist territory south of the enormous Krasnoyarsk Krai in Russia. Tuva is due south of Khakassia, which is a subregion of indigenous Turkic peoples; north of Mongolia and adjacent to Buryatia, both also Buddhist. The exceptional American physicist Richard Feynman once found a Tuvan postage stamp, realized he had no knowledge of the country, and decided to visit. Under the Soviet Union internal travel was severely limited, and the distinguished Dr Feynman did not get there. In his effort, "Leighton and Feynman tried many ploys to get to Tuva. They even enrolled as delegates at a throat-singing conference to be held in Hovd, Mongolia. Throat-singing, a bizarre style peculiar to Tuva [and strongly Mongolian], involves making two notes simultaneously. Alas, the conference was cancelled at the last minute."
" . . . In 1988, Leighton and Feynman pulled off a coup, bringing to Los Angeles ‘Nomads of Eurasia’, an exhibition that included ancient Tuvan artefacts. The Soviet authorities would be sure to reward them with a trip to Tuva, they reasoned. But on 15 February 1988 – just three days before an invitation arrived – Feynman’s borrowed time ran out.
"Leighton went to Kyzyl without Feynman, and stood before the monument
to the centre of Asia. ‘It seemed like Richard’s grave,’ he says."
Vladimir Putin gone fishing in spectacular Tuva. Felix Light, Moscow Times, @felix_light, @CBS News, @Moscow Times