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Steve Elkins

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Tuva, Siberia, and Moscow

From travels in March 2014, living with neutrino physicists on the frozen surface of the world’s oldest, deepest lake (located in Siberia), who risk their lives daily to hunt for an obscure particle that will allow them to peer into the subatomic fabric of space-time. Followed by journeys to interview Tuvan throat singers, shamans, and hunters in remote villages near the borders of Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and China. For more about these experiences: https://www.steveelkins.net/Interviews/On-Music/Tuva/

Ted Trager also chronicled the trip in the following blog posts.

Moscow: http://tedandmelissafurlife.blogspot.com/2015/06/a.html?m=1

Siberia: http://tedandmelissafurlife.blogspot.com/2015/07/blog-post.html?m=1

Trans-Siberian Railroad: http://tedandmelissafurlife.blogspot.com/2015/07/trans-siberian.html?m=1

Tuva (part one): http://tedandmelissafurlife.blogspot.com/2015/09/part-one.html?m=1

Tuva (part two): http://tedandmelissafurlife.blogspot.com/2015/10/part-two.html?m=1
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  • Moscow

    Moscow

    Person jumping on the top of a bridge.

  • A shaman brought us to this ovaa one of our first nights in Tuva. An ovaa is a sacred place of concentrated spiritual power which are often in mountain passes. The shaman performed a ceremony on Melissa involving fire, milk, and wolf mimesis.

    A shaman brought us to this ovaa one of our first nights in Tuva. An ovaa is a sacred place of concentrated spiritual power which are often in mountain passes. The shaman performed a ceremony on Melissa involving fire, milk, and wolf mimesis.

  • While staying with neutrino physicists in Siberia on the frozen surface of Lake Baikal, there was no running water. So, no toilets, no showers...the physicists don't shower at all for two months, so we didn't for the five days we were here either. We got all our water from a small hole in the ice, which usually had to be broken apart with a spear each morning after it froze again.

    While staying with neutrino physicists in Siberia on the frozen surface of Lake Baikal, there was no running water. So, no toilets, no showers...the physicists don't shower at all for two months, so we didn't for the five days we were here either. We got all our water from a small hole in the ice, which usually had to be broken apart with a spear each morning after it froze again.

  • Untitled photo
  • Untitled photo
  • Siberia

    Siberia

  • Yurts (Tuva)

    Yurts (Tuva)

  • Tenz Arakchaa in Tuva

    Tenz Arakchaa in Tuva

  • Tenz Arakchaa

    Tenz Arakchaa

    Sayan Mountains (Tuva)

  • Filming Assistant (Siberia)

    Filming Assistant (Siberia)

  • Tenz Arakchaa

    Tenz Arakchaa

    Sayan Mountains (Tuva)

  • We drove 40 kilometers across the frozen surface of Siberia's Lake Baikal, the world's oldest (25 - 30 million years), deepest (three Empire State Buildings stacked on top of each other would vanish without a trace), and largest lake (bigger than Belgium and containing 20% of the world's fresh water), to reach the ice camp where physicists' are trying to capture neutrinos from deep space. We stayed with them on the frozen surface of the lake for a week. The convulsive water beneath the surface causes the ice to break up into cracks and ridges. If the cracks are no more than two feet wide, then the driver speeds up to launch across them (we spun out a couple times and were certain the van would flip). If they're bigger, planks of wood stowed on top of the car are used as a makeshift bridge. March 2014.

    We drove 40 kilometers across the frozen surface of Siberia's Lake Baikal, the world's oldest (25 - 30 million years), deepest (three Empire State Buildings stacked on top of each other would vanish without a trace), and largest lake (bigger than Belgium and containing 20% of the world's fresh water), to reach the ice camp where physicists' are trying to capture neutrinos from deep space. We stayed with them on the frozen surface of the lake for a week. The convulsive water beneath the surface causes the ice to break up into cracks and ridges. If the cracks are no more than two feet wide, then the driver speeds up to launch across them (we spun out a couple times and were certain the van would flip). If they're bigger, planks of wood stowed on top of the car are used as a makeshift bridge. March 2014.

  • Tuvan Shaman Near Kyzyl

    Tuvan Shaman Near Kyzyl

  • While taking us out for a day in the Tuvan countryside, Алдар Тамдын (pictured here) brought us to a camp of yurts he built, one of which had a restaurant in it. He ordered us sheep's head soup and boiled blood. Алдар also builds musical instruments, carves totems for shamans, and hunts bears. Did I mention he recorded a record with Lou Reed? Tuva's Minister of Culture happened to be eating at the restaurant when we arrived, and Алдар introduced us.

    While taking us out for a day in the Tuvan countryside, Алдар Тамдын (pictured here) brought us to a camp of yurts he built, one of which had a restaurant in it. He ordered us sheep's head soup and boiled blood. Алдар also builds musical instruments, carves totems for shamans, and hunts bears. Did I mention he recorded a record with Lou Reed? Tuva's Minister of Culture happened to be eating at the restaurant when we arrived, and Алдар introduced us.

  • Aldyn-Bulak, Tuva

    Aldyn-Bulak, Tuva

  • Tuva

    Tuva

  • Siberia

    Siberia

  • Moscow

    Moscow

    Ted, Melissa, Steve (right to left)

  • Siberia

    Siberia

  • Moscow

    Moscow

  • Moscow

    Moscow

    Dostoevsky in the subway.

  • Moscow's Museum of the History of Drunkenness.

    Moscow's Museum of the History of Drunkenness.

  • Moscow

    Moscow

    Ted, Melissa, Steve (right to left)

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    Tenz Arakchaa
    We drove 40 kilometers across the frozen surface of Siberia's Lake Baikal, the world's oldest (25 - 30 million years), deepest (three Empire State Buildings stacked on top of each other would vanish without a trace), and largest lake (bigger than Belgium and containing 20% of the world's fresh water), to reach the ice camp where physicists' are trying to capture neutrinos from deep space. We stayed with them on the frozen surface of the lake for a week. The convulsive water beneath the surface causes the ice to break up into cracks and ridges. If the cracks are no more than two feet wide, then the driver speeds up to launch across them (we spun out a couple times and were certain the van would flip). If they're bigger, planks of wood stowed on top of the car are used as a makeshift bridge. March 2014.
    Tuvan Shaman Near Kyzyl