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Tuva (Russia)

Tuviniâ, Tannu Tuva

Last modified: 2020-02-23 by rob raeside
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Тува / Танну Тува

Flag of Tuva image by Antonio Gutierrez, 25 Jun 2006
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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


Description 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 [rya97]

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 photographs 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

The legislation about the State flag of the Republic of Tuva, of 17 September 1992 was superseded by the Law About the State symbols of the Republic of Tuva No. 697 of 31 December 1996 (Chapter III devoted to the flag), with no changes in the description or measures. The Law About the State flag of the Republic of Tuva No. 1302 of 8 February 2002 establishes new proportions 2:3, remaining the construction details untouched. This Law abolished Chapter III of the previous Law of 1996.
Antonio Gutierrez, 25 Jun 2006


Previous version

Flag of Tuva image by Vincent Morley, 19 Nov 1997

Incorrect design reported

Incorrect Tuvan flag image by Vincent Morley and António Martins, 12 Apr 2000

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

CoA of Tuvaimage by Eric Slone

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