evidence: In all honesty, Tuva enjoys a dismal reputation. It closes, by far, the overall ranking of Russian regions for its socio-economic situation, with the worst rates of crime, poverty, life quality and expectancy and one of the worst in terms of unemployment and alcoholism. The birth rates, interestingly, are the highest in Russia, though. [...] Tuva has a troubled history. Formerly dominated by Mongolian nomads, placed under Chinese imperial aegis from 1758 to 1912, and later integrated into the Russian Empire, it also experienced independence, under the name of Tannu Tuva (1921-1944), before becoming part of the USSR and then, the Russian Federation. [...] Tuva is also home to stunning landscapes, marked by a pronounced relief and steppe immensity. Only 10 minutes away from the center of Kyzyl, hikers can admire an ocean of hills and mountains that seem to melt under the merciless sun.