The region of the Sayan Montains and Tuva is located in East Siberia and includes the southern part of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, the Republic of Khakassia and the Tyva Republic. It is vast mountain country covered by taiga with several large basins located between mountain ranges of the West Sayan, the East Sayan and the Kuznetsk Alatau. The largest basin is the Minusinsk Hollow known for its numerous archaeological monuments. The region is located in zone of the continental climate with cold long winter and warm summer. The average temperature is -20°C in January, +20°C in July.
Historically these territories were an area of Indo-Aryan and Proto-Turk migrations. The first detachments of the Russian cossacks began to penetrate to East Siberian in 1620s. The town of Kasnoyarsk was established in 1628. In period of the Golden fever in Siberia in early XIX c. Krasnoyarsk became large merchant city and the most important center of East Siberia. Now Krasnoyarsk is the top Eastern city in Russia with population more than million inhabitants.
Territories populated by the Khakassian people were included into Russia in 1727 accordingly to delimitation treaty between China and Russia. Territory of Tyva (Tuva) was a part of Mongolian Empire since early XIII c.. After its disintegration Tuva became a part of Dzungar Khanate. In 1758 Dzungar Khanate was defeated by Qing (Manchu dynasty) Empire and Tuva became a part of China. After Mongolian Revolution and Xinhai Revolution in China (1911) Tuva authorities several times asked Russian government to take Tuva under Russian wing and at last Tuva became protectorate of Russian Empire (1914). In 1921-1944 nominally independent the Tuvan People’s Republic existed (acknowledged by the USSR and its satellite Mongolian People’s Republic only). Since 1944 Tuva is a republic in structure of Russian Federation.
Multi-day fixed date tours offered by our company provide you with opportunity to explore fantastic virgin nature and original culture of the Sayan Montains and Tuva region.
