evidence: Tuva or Tyva (Russian and Tuvan: Тыва́ tyh-VAH) is a region in Eastern Siberia, bordering Altai to the west, Khakassia to the northwest, Krasnoyarsk (region) to the north, Irkutsk Oblast to the northeast, Buryatia to the east, and Mongolia to the south. [...] Tuva has a distinctive culture that sets it apart from the rest of Russia; Tuvans don't have Russianized surnames, most Tuvans are adherents of Buddhism, and Tuvan and Mongolian culture share a number of similarities and commonalities. [...] People [edit]Tuva is one of the least populated federal subjects of the Russian Federation.