The Tunka valley

The Tunkinskaya valley is considered to be one of the natural pearls of Buryatia. It is the continuation of the Baikal hollow and having stretched almost 200 kms long, it occupies the territory bigger than the territory of Belgium.

The valley was inhabited by people for a long time who were attracted here by picturesque nature, rather warm climate, the fertile grounds, fine pastures for cattle. Archeological finds testify to it. In vicinities of the village of Tunka on sandy hills along the rivers Ahalika and Tunka various stone, bronze and iron tools of the primitive human, the remains of pottery and also bones of ancient animals were found, i.e. the mammoth, the rhinoceros, the primitive bull. There are finds and in other places.

The valley has received its name from the ethnonym "tunken", known since XIII century. The name is connected to the missed tribe of Kerait-Tunkaits.. These tribes lived on the banks of the rivers Onon, Кerulen (Mongolia), Selenga, and probably the Irkut. The information about the Tunkaits is rather poor. Owing to the records of Rashid-ad -Din it is known, that under the order of Chingis - khan these tribes were gathered in his troops under his banners and participated in his campaigns.

The history of Tunkinskaya valley is connected with history of the Mongolian world and it contains plenty of unknown pages. Some of them are described by historians and regional specialists, the information about others is contained in legends. All the population of the valley used буряткаto be submitted to Great Mongolian empire. The Mongolian troops and aristocracy frequently visited these places, therefore, many places of the valley have names originated from the Mongolian language. In those times already the Mongols used this valley for rest. Some of local sights are connected to to the name of Chingis-khan, one of such places is “ the Throne of Chingis-khan ”. It is a picturesque sizable boulder (3 X 2 м) at the bottom of the mountain Aryun Мundarga. According to the legend Chingis-khan liked to have a rest and make the rituals here devoted to spirits of mountains. Probably, he really used to be here, but it can be only a legend.

The valley has the places connected to the name of a national hero, who became then in consciousness of people the god – Shargay –Noyon - the liberator of local population from the Mongolian sovereignty. Cult places as "Burkhan-Baabay”, “Tamkhi-Baryasha” and others are connected to the name of Shargay-Noyon.

The Mongols had brought with them Shamanism which became the religion of the Buryats, the the Khongodors and Soyots for a long time, but thus ancient pagan beliefs of local tribes didn’t disappear completely. Their elements came in the cult practice of Shamanism and later Buddhism when Buddhist missionaries came here.. In the foothills of the Eastern Sayan mountains one of the main relics - the totem of Buryat people - the mountain-bull, Buha-Nojon is located. In different periods this place was sacred both for the Shamanists, the Buddhists and the Orthodox Christians. Nowadays it is esteemed by everybody independently on creed.

Closer to Baikal the valley extends from 20 up to 40 kms. Along it flows the Irkut-river which rises in two sources and runs into the river Angara. The city of Irkutsk is named after this river. Many tributaries flow in the Irkut. In some places the valley forms a line of the closed hollows crossed with spurs of the Eastern Sayan вулканmountains. The largest are the Turanskaya, the Khoytoglskaya, the Tunkinskaya, the Torskaya with a great number of lakes (about 210). The north-western part of the valley is occupied by the Koymorsky lakes. According to geology some millions years ago the valley had been a couch of a huge lake, but as a result of geological disaster water of the lake broke the crosspiece and flew to the Baikal.The tops of 9 extinct volcanos remind us about it towering above a flat relief of the valley. Some volcanos are named as Khara-Boldok(volcano of Chersky), Shandagatay, the Talskaya top, the others are known under the common name "Bugry". Closer to Baikal the bottom of the valley goes down from 1200 up to 550 above the sea level. From the north the valley is limited by rather abrupt slopes of highland of Easern Sayan mountains, from the south by more gently sloping ridge of Khamar-Daban. According to the forecasts of scientists in the remote future, in some millions years the valley again should turn into the crouch of the ocean, and waters of lake Baikal and lake Khubsugul are to merge together. It will take place when the Euroasian continent will be splitted by the tectonic break which once had formed Baikal.

The climate of the valley is sharply continental, in winter frosts reach 50 degrees C. In the first half summer is hot, the temperature of air reaches 40 degrees, in the second half it often rains. Droughts here almost never happen. The valley surpasses the southern coast of the Crimea in amount of sunny days per year. Special climatic conditions are very convenient for astrophysical supervision, therefore here solar observatories in the villages of Mondy, Badary, Zun-Murino have been functioning for a long time function, in 2004 a new powerful telescope was established in Badary.

The valley is crossed by the motorway connecting v.Kultuk on the southern end of lake Baikal with the village of Mondy situated on the Russian - Mongolian border and also with other settlements of Mountainous Oka. The distance from settlement of Kyren - an administrative centre of Tunkinsky region to the city of Ulan-Ude is 490 kms, to city of Irkutsk - 215 kms.

A plenty of natural and historical-cultural sights in the valley makes it attractive for tourism and rest.It became rather an independent tourist area, closely adjoining to other tourist area – the Mountainous Oka. These areas are closely connected in the natural-geographic, cultural and recreational features. Several tourist centres were founded here, they organize the movement of tourists in different directions. The tourist specialization of Tunkinsky valley is the following: health-improving and cultural- cognitive tourism, rest in boarding houses, excursions and sports tourism.

The traditional material and spiritual culture of people is represented not only in cult constructions, but also in museum expositions. Very interesting museums work in the valley, among them are

• a hystoric-ethnographic museum in the village of Hoytogol,
• a museum of history of the Buddhism in the village of Zhemchug (Pearls),
• a local lore museum in the settlement of Kyren.

The culture of people is kept in the holidays originated from the past. The most interesting holidays are a patrimonial holiday of the Khongodors, a holiday “ The tree of the consent ”, Surkharbaan.

The original national culture is kept in amateur national folk activities. The creative work of national ensembles "Sayany”, "Khengerge”, "Zhemreg", "Naran-Duran”, a folk theatre, a Cossack ensemble "Kalinushka” are well-known in the valley.

The Buddhist datsans had been built long since in the valley, with the arrival of the Russians appeared Orthodox temples. Russian cossacks came here more than 300 years ago. In 1647 the group of cossacks led by the ataman Stepan Kostyrev came here from Irkutsk, and in 1676 in the mouth of the river Tunka “the boyarsky (seigniorial) son” Ivan Perfilyev established the first ostrog (fort-jail) here which protected Prybaykalye from the attacks of the Mongolian khans. Before the October revolution the Tunkinskay valley as well as other remote places of Siberia was the place where the tsar government of Russia exiled the political enemies among whom were also the Decembrists V.S.Tolstoy and Yu.K. Lyuublinskiy.It was also the place of exile for the future founder and the leader of the Polish state, Hetman Pilsudskiy. In 1918 the troop of Nestor Kalandarashvili passed the valley with battles and many of his sldiers were lost here.

Tourism In the valley there are some deposits of hot and cold mineral waters which caused the appearance and successful development of resorts. Among them the resort of Arshan is the most popular. The resort of Nilova Pustyn (Desert) also gradually restores, good prospects are expected for the development of health-improving places as Vyshka (near v.Zhemchug) and Khongor-Uula.

Since 1991 the whole valley, and also a part of the mountainous areas which are included in the borders of Tunkinsky region became the territory of the State National Natural park "Tunkinsky”. This fact limited the development of economic activities, therefore, one of the basic directions of the development of the regional economy became tourism. The Tunkinskaya valley has specific geographical resource, it connects lake Baikal and lake Khubsugul (Mongolia). That’s why it gradually becomes one of very interesting tourist directions. The number of tourists is not so great yet, but when on theRussian - Mongolian border, Mondy – Khankh, a passenger transition will be constructed, this flow can increase appreciablly. Two unique natural complexes which territorially belong to Okinsky region are situated very close to the valley. They are the valley of the river Shumak in Eastern Sayan mountains and the highest point of Eastern Siberia – the mountain Munku-Saridak.

In 2004 the Aimed Program of the development of tourism adopted in Tunkinsky region began to make it more ordered.

The settlements of the valley has some visit - information centres where one can receive the information about the sights and tourist-excursion programmes, to be served, to buy tickets,and advertising production.

In the settlement of Kyren the search and rescue group of the Ministry of Emergency Measures of the Russian Federation operates.

The Administration of the region has the department of tourism.

The department of the recreation works in the State national park "Tunkinsky”.