Por-Bazhyn translated from Tuvinian means “Clay House”. This architectural monument, which has an age of at least 1.2 thousand of years, is located on the island in the middle of the Tere-Khol Lake, where the river Yenisey begins. Even though the fortress Por-Bazhyn wondered archeologists in XIX and in XX centuries, excavations and restorations works will begin only next summer. The project initiator is the Minister for Emergency Situations of the Russian Federation Sergey Shoigu. His dream is not only to restore Por-Bazhyn, but to convert it into a “Russian Shoaling, where young people will be taught philosophy, Tibetan medicine, horse riding and martial arts”.

Sergey Shoigu about the project

This is not a “quirk” of a big boss

This project comes from the heart. This is not a caprice. This is not a “quirk” of a big boss. I have a sincere desire to make a lot of people all over the world know about my country, about its rich history ad culture. This year excavations will be conducted there and will be made an exact copy of the project. I will not speak on exact stages of works. It is important not to loose historic values, as it has happened with other large archaeological findings on the territory of Tuva, which remains only in pictures and descriptions of scientists. During the second and the third years after excavations we are going to restore the fortress. But Mintimir Shaymiev, for example, considers that we may not have enough time to do it. But with such activity we shouldn’t hurry up. We have to maximally approach it to what it used to be.”

Why exactly Por-Bazhyn?

”I have been interested in the history of my republic for a long time. During summer vacations I used to work in archeological expeditions. I remember a discussion in the city of Sagly (Oviursk district, Tuva)” between Aleksandr Danilovich Grach and Irgit U. Sambu: “We have excavated it, and what’s next?” Exactly the same question was raised after excavations of the famous Arjan 1 (Pij-Hemskiy district, Tuva). There was an idea to make a glass cupola above this unique king’s grave, but it remained unimplemented dream. I saw Por-Bazhyn on pictures made from an airplane, made during the fires in that region. I got interested. I showed them to my friends. The idea gradually grew in a concrete high cost project, which is impossible to realize to one person. The active work has already begun. By May we will have finished to build a bridge, which will connect the island with the territory of the district. We will purchase lumber in Kungurtuk (administration center of Tere-Khol district), they have a lumber workshop. The construction of a camp will begin at the end of March – beginning of April. Even now we can say about our needs in local human resources of drivers, cooks and superintendent. We need, e.g., a strong superintendent from locals, to which can be entrusted a large household, estimated for 250 people.”

Deputy Head of the administration of the Tere-Khol district, where the fortress is located, Sanaa Bayan has confirmed the readiness of Tere-Holians to offer any kind of assistance on the project “Por-Bazhyn”. He also pointed out a special need of the farthest districts of the republic – road Erzin-Kungurtuk and building of a small…