Kyzyl, Capital city in Tuva Republic, Russia
Kyzyl sits at the meeting of the Great and Little Yenisei rivers on a high plateau at 630 meters altitude surrounded by mountains and steppe. The city extends along both riverbanks with residential blocks on the gentle slopes and administrative buildings closer to the center near the water.
The settlement was founded in 1914 as Belotsarsk during Russian colonization and was later called Khem-Beldyr. In 1926 it received its current name after the founding of the autonomous Tuva region within the Soviet Union.
The name means red in the Tuvan language and appears in many elements of architecture and public design throughout the settlement. Visitors often see local dress and hear traditional throat singing at cultural events in the downtown centers.
The airport lies outside the city with regular connections to Krasnoyarsk and Moscow via the M54 federal highway. Most places in the downtown area are within walking distance while shared taxis cover shorter trips between different neighborhoods.
An obelisk on the riverbank marks the calculated geographic center of the Asian continent right at the confluence of both Yenisei branches. This symbolic point draws visitors who often take photos before the sculpture and walk along the adjacent promenade.
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