Abstract
The spiritual culture of Tuvans is an original, bright, invariably attracting attention phenomenon. The main directions in the religious discourse of Tuvan studies are equally the study of traditional spiritual practices using the methods and techniques of ethnography, and the theoretical understanding of Tuvan mythology from the perspective of philosophers and anthropologists; as “field” sketches of folklorists, and methodological studies on the role of tengrianism as an open worldview of the peoples of Inner Asia; as discussions about the role of buddhism in the formation of Tuvan statehood, and disputes about the place of shamanism (neoshamanism) in the concept of regional identity. At this time, the study of the spiritual culture of Tuvans is still in the phase of generating scientific knowledge, broad generalizations are still ahead, they will be made on a solid comparative foundation formed by modern researchers. An analytical review of the religious discourse of Tuva allows us to conclude that it is devoid of polemical coloring. The tolerance of Tuvans and the syncretism of tengrianism, shamanism, and buddhism in a single concept can become the hallmark of the region. Religious studies topics in the research space of Tuvan studies have broad prospects for development and can contribute to the formation of the concept of regional identity of Tuva.