Kyzyl

Kyzyl (Russian: Кызы́л kyh-ZYHL) is the capital city of Tuva and is the geographical center of Asia.

• National Museum — located about 500 metres west from the National Theatre, down the main road. It features exhibits on the Tuvan flora and fauna, religion and traditions, archaeological findings from the Stone Age and the Scythian era, as well as exhibits from World War II and the Tannu Tuva Independent Republic. Surprisingly, the museum also features paintings of renowned Russian and foreign artists, including Shishkin and Reynolds. Entry costs for Russians, and for foreign tourists. The museum is open until 18:00, and is closed on Mondays.
• National Theatre — In summer, the Theatre hosts different festivals (traditional dance, throat singing, etc.) so keep an eye out for posters and advertisements around town. Tickets cost around . Large Buddhist ceremonies open to all are held here.
• The Centre of Asia Monument — located on the picturesque bank of the Yenisey River, where the Small and Big Yenisey Rivers join into the Great Yenisey. It is quite easy to find — just walk north from Hotel Kyzyl until you hit the river bank, then turn right and keep walking until you see it.
• There is also a tourist office near the monument.
• Shaman Centre — located to the left of the Centre of Asia Monument. For a small fee, you can have your fortune told or an illness cured by a Tuvan Shaman. In summer, the government puts up a decorative yurt (traditional nomadic house) next to the centre.
• National Theatre — located on the main city square opposite the White House (Government Building). Note the wooden carvings on the building, which were hand-crafted in the traditional Scythian 'animal' style.
• Lenin monument — located on the main square, next to the National Theatre.
• The old museum, Aldan Maadir, which is quite quaint.
• There is also a semi-secret Museum of Soviet Repression, but it is not often open
• Not far from the bus station is the Institute of Humanities where the front garden is home to some ancient Turkic anthropomorphic stone sculptures, also some stones with Turkic runes.

• Drive across one of the bridges in Kyzyl and take the back-road to the other bridge to see many eagles in their natural environment
• Across the newest bridge turn left to a popular holy spring to respectfully see the prayer flags and offerings, and taste the water; be discrete if a shamanistic ceremony is taking place
• Climb the mountain overlooking the town from the north, with its huge Buddhist mantra 'Om Mani Padme Hum' written in white stones
• Make a Yurt home visit, first hearing the explanation of the customs of the yurt, then tasting salt tea from a bowl, araka (alcoholic sour milk), pine-kernels and throat-singing and after dark visiting the spirit world under the guidance of a shaman, sitting around a bonfire on the steppe
• Drive south to the giant Arat statue overlooking the steppe around Kyzyl and the confluence of the Yenisei headwaters
• On August 15, enjoy the annual Nadym national festival held nearby at Tos-Bulak, with wrestling (Khuresh), long-distance horse-racing and archery
• Stay in the Yurt-hotel just north of Kyzyl along the Greater Yenisei valley (Bii-Khem)

National Museum — located about 500 metres west from the National Theatre, down the main road. It features exhibits on the Tuvan flora and fauna, religion and traditions, archaeological findings from the Stone Age and the Scythian era, as well as exhibits from World War II and the Tannu Tuva Independent Republic. Surprisingly, the museum also features paintings of renowned Russian and foreign artists, including Shishkin and Reynolds. Entry costs for Russians, and for foreign tourists. The museum is open until 18:00, and is closed on Mondays.

National Theatre — In summer, the Theatre hosts different festivals (traditional dance, throat singing, etc.) so keep an eye out for posters and advertisements around town. Tickets cost around . Large Buddhist ceremonies open to all are held here.

The Centre of Asia Monument — located on the picturesque bank of the Yenisey River, where the Small and Big Yenisey Rivers join into the Great Yenisey. It is quite easy to find — just walk north from Hotel Kyzyl until you hit the river bank, then turn right and keep walking until you see it.

Shaman Centre — located to the left of the Centre of Asia Monument. For a small fee, you can have your fortune told or an illness cured by a Tuvan Shaman. In summer, the government puts up a decorative yurt (traditional nomadic house) next to the centre.

National Theatre — located on the main city square opposite the White House (Government Building). Note the wooden carvings on the building, which were hand-crafted in the traditional Scythian 'animal' style.

Lenin monument — located on the main square, next to the National Theatre.

The old museum, Aldan Maadir, which is quite quaint.

There is also a semi-secret Museum of Soviet Repression, but it is not often open

Not far from the bus station is the Institute of Humanities where the front garden is home to some ancient Turkic anthropomorphic stone sculptures, also some stones with Turkic runes.

• Visit one of the Buddhist temples — a nice small one is well situated on the steppe on the other side of the Yenisei, it may be seen in the distance opposite the Centre of Asia monument — and give the prayer wheel on Arat Square a whirl
• Attend a concert with traditional throat-singing, and dancing, and see national holiday displays in Lenin Square
• In winter, try the ice-slides, see the coloured ice sculptures and eat frosted buckthorn-berries with sugar
• Near the park you may meet some students from the next-door university Department of foreign languages (English, French, German) who may like to practice their language skills with you in their little cafe there — your treat
• Visit the town park towards the eastern end of town
• Go to the open air disco at the stadium
• Make a picture on one of the tanks near to the old temples in the center

• Visit the traditional agalmatolite-stone carvers in the Artists Union near the centre, and buy souvenirs
• Look around the central and suburban indoor and outdoor markets: fur hats
• There are some souvenir shops and you might buy a flag or postcards, and, if the post is opened, some new stamps from the Republic of Tuva.

Visit the traditional agalmatolite-stone carvers in the Artists Union near the centre, and buy souvenirs

There is a night-club with strip-tease.

3G connection works very well inside the city.

• Mongolia Mongolia, Internatsionalnaya street, 9, +7 39422 10-445, +7 39422 10-430.

Mongolia Mongolia, Internatsionalnaya street, 9, +7 39422 10-445, +7 39422 10-430.

Many parts of the Tuva region request a special permit, to be obtained one year in advance with the Russian authorities. The fees are low if you get caught, but probably a foreigner is easy to be spotted in those areas and so you will be asked to drive back to Kyzyl.