Street Naming in the City of Kyzyl (Tuva)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25178/nit.2025.4.11Keywords:
Kyzyl; Tuva; history of Tuva; street name; toponym; politics of memory; nominationAbstract
This article presents a study of street naming policy in Kyzyl, the capital of the Republic of Tuva. The authors analyze a wide variety of urban toponyms, including not only streets but also lanes, squares, avenues, and parks, considering them as components of the city's hodonymic landscape. The research employs an interdisciplinary approach, integrating philology, linguistic and cultural studies, geography, history, political science, and sociology. The sources for this study include the official database of addressable objects from the Kyzyl City Hall, normative documents issued by city authorities, materials from the National Archives of the Republic of Tuva, as well as local history research and publications in regional mass media.
Several street name classification schemes are reviewed. Identified categories include: neutral Russian-language names (44%); anthroponymic names (17.3%); Soviet names (14.7%); toponyms based on Tuvan geographical names (11.3%); heroic (military) names (5.3%); names containing Tuvan words and concepts rooted in Tuvan culture and history (5.4%); toponyms based on place names of the country and world (3.2%); and names referencing personal names (mostly Tuvan) (1.3%). Linguistic classification shows that street names with Russian terms and personal names comprise the majority—73.8%, while those with Tuvan names and terms account for 27.4%.
The analysis examines street names through the perspective of significant Russian-Soviet influence, while also noting the emergence of local Tuvan names in recent years. The study highlights the situational nature of street naming policy, which has remained largely unchanged over time.
The results make it possible to assess the degree of preservation of ethnic and historical specificity in contemporary urban toponymy of Kyzyl and to identify key trends in the politics of naming urban objects.
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Lamazhaa Ch. K., Markova E. A., Buribayeva M. A. Street Naming in the City of Kyzyl (Tuva). New Research of Tuva, 2025, no. 4, pp. 190-209. (In Russ.). DOI: https://doi.org/10.25178/nit.2025.4.11
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Author Biographies
Chimiza K. Lamazhaa, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University
Doctor of Philosophy, Chief Researcher, Scientific Research Institute of Turkology and Altaic Studies, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University.
Postal address: 71/27 Al-Farabi Ave., Almaty, 050000, Kazakhstan.
E-mail: lamazhaa@tuva.asia
Elena A. Markova, RUDN University
Candidate of Philological Sciences, Associate Professor, Department of Foreign Languages, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, RUDN University.
Postal address: Off. 502, 10 Miklukho-Maklay St.,117198 Moscow, Russia.
E-mail: abellen@yandex.ru
Mainura A. Buribayeva, Korkyt Ata Kyzylorda University
Candidate of Philological Sciences, Vice-Rector for Research and International Relations, Korkyt ata Kyzylorda University.
Postal address: Office 303, 29A Aiteke bi St., 120000, Kyzylorda, Kazakhstan.
E-mail: buribayeva.mainura@korkyt.kz
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