Obelisk Center of Asia

Kyzyl Center of Asia

Kyzyl Center of Asia
Kyzyl, the capital city of the Tuva Republic, Russia. The name of the city means red in Tuvan. The geographical center of Asia - the point marking the geographical center of the world's largest region. The title of the geographical center of Asia, claim several places, depending on the method of calculation and conditions - whether includes remote island in the list of the extreme points of Asia, or not. One of the center is a place located 20 kilometers east of Kyzyl in the confluence of the Biy-Khem (the Big Yenisey) and Ka-Khem ( the Small Yenisey). The first sightseeing to visit here is the Geographical Centre of Asia. Built in 1964, the monument represents a big globe on which the contours of continents are marked.
A conditional obelisk Center of Asia was established on the banks of the Yenisei River in the central part of the city, but these coordinates are in fact the center of Asia is disputed (e.g., Ürümqi in China makes a similar claim). However, there is a monument labelled Center of Asia in English, Russian, and Tuvan which asserts this claim. Tos-Bulak is the area of open fields and mineral springs which lies immediately south of Kyzyl.
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Shamanism in a remote area of Siberia

SHOTLIST
Kyzyl, Tuva July 29, 2008
1. Wide of sheep and cattle graze in mountain field
2. Close up of cow grazing
3. Wide of sheep grazing with mountains in background
4. Wide of small Buddhist temple
5. Wide of Buddhist tent
6. Medium shot of clothesline full of colourful rags
7. Wide shot of three obelisks
8. Wide of temple with Kyzyl in background
9. Wide of pagoda in city centre
10. Medium shot of revolving part of pagoda
11. Wide of people sitting in front of Lenin statue
12. Wide set up shot of Kenin-Lopsan Mongush
13. Medium of sculpted stone
14. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Kenin-Lopsan Mongush, ethnologist and writer:
Throat singing, or khoomei, is our treasure. We want to preserve this culture but at the same time attract representatives of other nations to come and study here so they too can acquire the intonation of this most beautiful Tuvan language.
15. Wide set up of Enrique Ugalde as he hangs up folk instrument in woodshop
16. Close up of instrument being hung up
17. SOUNDBITE (English) Enrique galde, musician and khoomei student:
This is a particularly interesting one as it has a snake skin which is not usually done.
18. Close of snake skin instrument
19. SOUNDBITE in English Enrique Ugalde, musician and khoomei student
I am a friend of Aldar Tandym. I am a student of his, he's in Chirgilchin (tuvan khoomei group), and he's helped me in my throat singing studies and he's a really close friend. So I spend a lot of my time here, hanging out watching them make instruments and helping as much as I can.
20. Close up of hang strumming folk instrument
21. Wide of Ugalde throat singing
22. Wide of Kenin-Lopsan Mongush walking past sculpted stones
23. Medium of Mongush looking at stone
24. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Kenin-Lopsan Mongush, ethnologist and writer:
Here shamanism was the first religion of the ancient Turks. In Tuva it was banned until 1991 and now this pagan culture has been preserved in its original form and that's a great happiness for us and for all humanity because the shaman religion is mankind's first religion.
25. Wide of shamans dancing around fire
26. Close up of shaman banging drum
27. Medium of fire
28. Close up of shaman dancing and turning
29. Wide of shamans around fire
30. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Ulyana Ongush, shaman:
For the most part shamanism is passed from generation to generation. Sometimes it happens that the heavens themselves choose a person, sometimes the heavenly or earthly gods choose a person, that's called 'chayan'.
31. Medium shot of two shamans
32. Close up of Ulyana
33. Close up of drum
34. SOUNDBITE (Tuvan) Yuri Amhorzak, shaman:
When I see a patient the spirits tell me what ails them. I see dark spirits surrounding them which creates their unhappiness. I call the spirits my third eye as they tell me straight away what is wrong.
35. Wide shot of shamans walking towards yurt
36. Medium shot of shaman beating drum over praying woman
37. Close up of woman praying
38. Medium shot of shaman banging drum
39. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Tatyana Ondar, shaman
Of course it's difficult. People come to us with different illnesses, unhappy people and we have to help them. It's very hard sometimes. We have to suffer constantly ourselves to help them resolve their problems.
40. Wide of shamans dancing around fire
41. Medium of fire and shamans banging drums around it
42. Medium of shaman banging drum
LEAD IN:
The people of Tuva call their country the spiritual centre of Asia.
The culture and traditions of this small nation are based on its three treasures - nature, khoomei - the art of throat singing, and shamanism.
STORYLINE:
They say that Tuva is the most remote place on earth.
One such foreigner is Enrique Ugalde.


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