Tuva (Russia)

Tuviniâ, Tannu Tuva

Last modified: 2006-07-29 by antonio martins
Keywords: tuva | error | tyva |
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Тува / Танну Тува

• Presentation of Tuva
• Discription and meaning of the flag
• Tuvan Government flag law
• Incorrect design reported
• Coat of arms
• Historical Flags of Tuva

• Tuva in the Soviet Union, 1944-1992
• pre-Soviet Tuvan flags, 1921-1944
• Russia
• Russian subnational flags (overview of the subdivisions, list of federation “subjects” and clickable map)
• Siberia

• http://www.FOTuva.org and http://www.TuvaTrader.com,
  for Tuva oriented people.
• alt.culture.tuva USENET Tuva discussion group
• NEJV Tuva Page

Presentation of Tuva

(Note: You need an Unicode-aware software and font to correctely view the cyrillic text on this page. See here transliteration details).

• Name (english): Tuva • (russian, short form): Тува | Tuva • (russian, long form): Республика Тыва | Respublika Tyva • (local, short form): Танну Тува | Tannu Tuva
  
• Local official language: Tuvian
  
• Capital: Кызыл | Kyzyl
• Area: 170 500 km² (≅65 800 sq.mi.) • Population: 311 200 inhabitants in 2000
• Status: Republic (Республика | Respublika) within the Russian Federation
• Federal District: Siberia • Economic region: East Siberia
• License plate code: 17 • Ham radio code: TU • ISO 3166-2 code: TY
• Flag adopted on 1992.09.17 • Coat of arms adopted on 1992.09.17

Tuva broke away from Mongolia in 1921, and retained its independence until incorporation into the USSR in 1944. In 1961, it became an ASSR. In 1992, a new flag of light blue, yellow and white was adopted.
Stuart Notholt, 25 Nov 1995

Tuva is currently an autonomous republic of Russia, but was previously independent. The area is near the border between Siberia and Mongolia, and is also claimed by China (I think that Taiwan even has a representative in their legislature for Tuva, or at least they used to).
Annie Platoff

Tuva borders Mongolia to the south and has a short border with Buryatia to the east. Tuvinian is a Turkic language and is most closely related to Uighur, spoken in the Chinese region of Sinkiang.
Vincent Morley, 19 Nov 1997

Discription and meaning of the flag

The original Tuvan flag adopted in 1918 was also blue, yellow and white. Today, the colours are said to represent courage and strength in blue, prosperity in yellow and purity in white.
Vincent Morely, 19 Aug 1997, quoting [udk97]

Present flag of Tuva was designed by Oyun-ool Sat 18 September 1992. White suggests silver (clean thoughts) and the silver streamers draped over a hostess’ arms as she greets guests. Yellow suggests gold (riches) as well as Buddhism. Light blue suggests the courage and firmness of the nomadic herdsmen (and the big blue Tuvan sky!). The stripes represent the confluence of the Bii-Khem and Kaa-Khem rivers at Kyzyl, where they form the Ulug-Khem (Yenisei).
Dave Martucci 15 Mar 1998, quoting Kerry Yackoboski

The Pantone colours proposed by The Flag cabinet (Jiri Tenora, Berlin) are: B- (PMS 285), Y (PMS 116).
Pascal Vagnat, 03 May 1998

Jiri Tenora’s proposal for the blue is too dark. The many potographs we have show a lighter shade: PMS 292 or even 291 is more correct. (The picture above shows the colors very good).
Ralf Stelter, 27 Jun 1999

Tuvan Government flag law

Ordinance on the state flag of the Republic of Tuva (approved by the resolution of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Tuva on the 17th September 1992, n°354)

1.  
   • The state flag of the Republic of Tuva [RT in the rest of the text] consists of a rectangular light blue cloth. From the upper and lower corners near the hoist are going some oblique white and light blue stripes. On the point where the stripes are meeting, the blue stripe is becoming one only stripe which cross the middle of the flag until the fly. The white stripes are parallel to it on its upper and its lower side.
   • The triangle being created by the white stripes, the upper and lower corners near the hoist and the width of the flag is gold (yellow).
   • The ratio width/length is 1:2.
   • The distance between the hoist and the intersection of the white stripes is equal to one third of the length of the flag. The width of the light blue stripes going from the upper and lower corners near the hoist is 1/18th of the width of the flag. The distance between the external side of the two white stripes along the length of the flag is equal to 1/6th of the width of the flag.
2. The state flag of the RT is hoisted permanently:
   • on the buildings where the Supreme Council of the RT, the president and the governement of the RT are sitting.
   • on the buildings of the local councils of the people’s deputies and of the local administration.
   • on the aircraft and ships for inland waterways belonging to the RT.
3. The state flag of the RT is hoisted temporarily:
   • on the building where the sessions of the supreme council of the RT are taking place, during the sessions;
   • on the buildings where the sessions of the local councils of the people’s deputies are taking place, during the sessions;
   • on the building of ministeries, state comitees and services, states organisations and communities, firms and offices, on official holydays and during solemn events;
   • on the buildings where are working vote commissions and where the elections are taking place, on the election and referenda days;
   • in sport stadions - during the championship of the Republic, the regional and international competitions and during the delivery of medals to the victorious athlets of the RT;
   • on the cars carrying high personalities of the RT - the president of the Supreme Council of the RT and the President of the RT as well as other official delegations of the RT;
   • in other cases by order of the Supreme Council of the RT or of the governement of the RT.
4. It is allowed to use the reproduction of the state flag of the RT for decorative purposes so that there is respect shown towards this state symbol.
5. It is possible to hoist the state flag of the RT with the agreement of the governement of the RT during ceremonies and solemn occasions non regarding the status of the organizers.
6. If the flag of the RT is hoisted at the same time as the national flag of the Russian Federation or the national flags of other states, the hoisted flag shall have the same dimensions.
7. The enforcement of the present ordinance shall be regulated with the instructions of the government of the RT.

Incorrect design reported

This (in medium blue) flag is listed under number 122 at the chart Flags of Aspirant Peoples [eba94] as: «Tuva Ulus (Tuvinian Mongols) - South Siberia». Similar to the real flag, but no white stripe between the yellow triangle and the blue field.
Ivan Sache, 15 Sep 1999

I wander if the missing white stripe is simply an error or if it has a meaning as a variation of the Tuvan flag — for what is worth, "Tuvinian Mongols" are simply Tuvans (or Tuvinian).
António Martins, 16 Sep 1999

Coat of arms

This emblem is remarkably similar to the one on the 1933-1941 flag.
António Martins, 15 Feb 2000

Historical Flags of Tuva

According to “State Flags and Coats of Arms of Tuva” by Prof. V.A. Sokolov [sol83a], which appeared in the Flag Bulletin, [tfb] issue 100 (May-Aug. 1983), there were seven flags used between 1921 and 1944, although only five were legally adopted. Add to that the two ASSR Flags and the present flag, making 10 flags in all since 1921.
Dave Martucci, 15 Mar 1998

Anything below this line was not added by the editor of this page.