Novye Issledovaniâ Tuvy (Feb 2016)
The world of children in the capital of Tuva
Abstract
The architectural specifics of the city of Kyzyl, capital of the Republic of Tuva (Russian Federation), have so far been understudied. This also concerns children’s playgrounds. Our article aims to analyze their specific features as objects of urban architecture, sculpture and sociocultural anthropology. Tuvans do not have a tradition for setting apart plots of land for children’s games. The construction of playgrounds in Tuva began after its accession to the USSR in 1944 by borrowing the already existing Soviet construction standards. In the absence of a railway linking Tuva to the rest of the USSR, playsets were made on the spot, of wood as the most easily available material. After the collapse of the USSR, centralized control over the federal education system, including institutions for children, weakened. Not only municipal agencies, but individuals as well could now get involved in urban improvement. A number of distinctively picturesque playgrounds appeared in the city in the 1990s and early 2000s, giving rise to a set of specific subjects of decorative sculpture featuring a plethora of ethnic imagery: wrestlers, cloth ornaments, folklore characters, Buddhist symbols, etc. Besides volunteer groups of amateur artists and builders, professional stonemasons also worked on playgrounds, utilizing the techniques of both monumental art and small outdoor statuary. In 2003 the federal Cabinet adopted a new state standard, which set clear demands for equipping children’s playgrounds. Outdoor sport facilities and playsets could now be constructed only by certified companies. This led to a change in aesthetics and a new set of imagery, where transport and machinery featured prominently. At the moment, Kyzyl still has a number of playgrounds with decorative structure, although they are clearly doomed. This understandable and irreversible change will nevertheless deprive the capital of Tuva of one of its most interesting and expressive architectural features. The article is illustrated with a large number of photographs of Kyzyl’s playgrounds and decorative sculpture, taken by the author during his trip to Kyzyl in 2003.
