Friends of Tuva

Kyzyl Weather

Friends of Tuva (FoT) was conceived by accident in 1981 to commemorate Tuva's 60th anniversary as a distinctive splotch on the world globe. Because FoT is a brainchild of Ralph Leighton, it is impossible that it could even resemble an organization. Rather, it has been a clearinghouse of information about Tuva and its "patron saint," Richard Feynman, who collected Tuvan stamps as a boy — and as an adult wondered,

"Whatever happened
to
Tannu Tuva?"

FoT is unfunded and so has no affiliation with any government or religious institution. As there are no dues, meetings, or even a membership list, those who would like to consider themselves as Friends of Tuva should simply spread the word about this magical country, and celebrate Richard Feynman's spirit of adventure.

Remember to follow our news feed for updates!

News

Christmas Eve, 2012:

A message from Ralph Leighton, founder of Friends of Tuva, and author of Tuva or Bust!: [edited January 5 to remove links to purchase the e-book]]

While we're thinking of Santa Claus riding his sleigh powered by flying reindeer, let's hear the legend of ONDAR THE GROOVIN' TUVAN -- the original reindeer rider!

Here's where you can get the whole story: -- it's a music video masquerading as a children's book (perfect for an iPad), full of fascinating possibilities for what might have been.

All income from the sale of the Ondar the Groovin' Tuvan video book goes directly towards paying Ondar's costs in participating in the January 1, 2013, Rose Parade in Pasadena, California.

December 2012: Follow Kongar-ool Ondar on Facebook!

December 2012: On January 1, 1993, three Tuvan horsemen and musicians rode down Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena, California, as part of the Rose Parade. Kongar-ool Ondar, Kaigal-ool Khovalyg, and Anatoly Kuular were accompanied by their friend and translator Rada Chakar at a time when Tuvan culture was almost completely unknown in North America, outside of a few persistent fanatics.

Since that time, Tuvan culture has become part of western pop culture, appearing everywhere from Hollywood movies (Geronimo), late night TV talk shows (David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Chevy Chase) and TV situation comedies (Big Bang Theory). Tuvan musicians have toured the world countless times and have recorded with musicians too numerous to mention, notably including Bela Fleck and the Flecktones as well as Frank Zappa, after meeting him on their trip to Pasadena for the Rose Parade.

To mark the twentieth anniversary of that epic journey from Tuva to California, the Rose Parade organization has invited Kongar-ol Ondar to ride in the Parade on January 1 2013, with two wrestlers accompanying him on foot.

If you can't watch the parade in person, you can always try to catch it on TV!

You can help support Ondar's visit (which is funded entirely through personal donations) by making a donation yourself!

One-time donation:

Recurring monthly donation:

Ondar has established a relationship with Creative Visions Foundation that allows him to accept charitable donations to support his artistic endeavors in the USA. Creative Visions Foundation is a publicly supported 501(c)3, which supports Creative Activists who use the power of media and the arts to affect positive change in the world. All donations are tax deductible.

October 2012: Check out our news feed where you can sign up to receive news via email or via your favourite RSS client!

For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations,
for Nature cannot be fooled.
--- Richard P. Feynman

	Current Tuvan News Available Here

Follow Ondar on Twitter: @GroovinTuvan

This page last updated Sunday January 20, 2013.