The population of Tunkinsky valley

Rather exact data about the population of Tunkinsky valley appear with the arrival here of Russian Cossacks- trail-blazers. They informed that in the valley, and also in the valleys of the rivers Belaya (“White”) and the Kitoy lived the Mongolian tribes which called themselves the Khongodory. At that time their number was approximately 2 thousand persons.

On the Irkut-river also lived the kin of Terte. To strengthen a southern border, the Siberian authorities considered it necessary to construct here a fort called “ostrog”. Both the Buryats and serving people also persistently asked to lock “the Mungal road ” as they named the road from Kultuk to Mondy. The fort was built and stood a siege of the Mongols time and again. The defense of the fort was held by Russian cossacks alongside with the Buryats.

By 1871 the population of Tunkinsky valley had been 4000 Russians and 1100 Buryats. Between these groups of the population there were friendly, often related terms. They were promoted by joint protection of borders, trade, mixed marriages, and also the Christianisation of the Buryat population.

In 1867 a famous Russian researcher Peter Kropotkin wrote about Tunka: “ Tunka is inhabited by three very various kins of people. Cossacks, descendants of ancient boundary cossacks, have lived here since 1709 and have already mixed with the native Buryat population, this type has a lot of Buryat, it is possible to meet half of Cossacks with Buryat faces; they speak the Buryat language not worse than in Russian, and have learnt this language from the early childhood. Now they are engaged in grain-farming and cattle- breeding. But though grain-farming is the main trade for them, nevertheless, there are still other collateral crafts serving as them as additional help, they are hunting and trade with Mongolia ”.

Russian travellers praised Buryat cossacks, marking their natural boldness and resourcefulness, perfect skills of warriors learnt in the Cossack armies, and also special courage. Besides, they often displayed very benevolent and friendly attitude to visitors and guests typical both for the Russians and the Buryats. Many representatives of Buryat people became good grain-growers, having adopted this occupation from the Russians. The Russians as well have learnt much from the Buryats, having adopted their ways of cattle breeding.

The traditions which have been kept up to our time were formed at that time. There are many kins in Tunka originated from the Buryat and Russian people.

Tunka valley is connected with many names known in Buryatia and beyond its borders. Wonderful nature and the history of Tunka become nourishing ground for the development of creative abilities of its inhabitants. Natives of Tunka were well- known poets, artists, national storytellers, statesmen. Among them are a national storyteller Sorokovikov-Magaj, oustanding art workers as Mejsan Alspeev, Shagdar Bajminov, D.Ajusheev and others. Tunka is sometimes called “ the native Land of poets ”.

More than 26 thousand people live in Tunkinsky region nowadays.The majority of them work in different fields, but the most part of the population especially in the tourist centres, gradually begin to specialize in tourism as the second, and in some cases as the first profession.There are all grounds for that. The sphere of tourism develops with very fast rates, and also the need for qualified specialists grows quickly. There are not many of them in the region yet, anyhow they have already appeared.

One of advantages of inhabitants of Tunka is that they quickly acquire new knowledge. In addition to it there is special inheritable feature of “Tunkinskoye” hospitality which obliges each inhabitant of the valley to be able to accept a visitor to show him all the best, to tell him about the past, history and beauty of native land.

Here come representatives of different cultures and different nations. There is an active process of a cultural exchange and information interchange. As a result of it in the sphere of service there are the forms of the service adopted in other famous resorts. This is also promoted by the fact that Tunkinsky valley attracts attention as the place of successful tourist business, many businessmen from Moscow, Irkutsk, Novosibirsk, Krasnoyarsk and other regions of Russia begin to come here and build new objects. The valley gradually becomes the advanced tourist area, and one of its reasons is readiness of the population for reception of visitors and their quickly growing cultural level.