Fourteen years after the initial publication of the Holy Bible in the Tuvan language of south Siberia, IBT has printed a corrected and updated 2nd edition. The first-ever translation of the Bible into Tuvan was originally published in 2011 with the stamp of approval of the Institute of Linguistics of the Russian Academy of Sciences. 

Work on this translation lasted 21 years with the participation of well-known Tuvan writers Nikolai Kuular, Maria Kuzhuget, Eduard Mizhit and others. The presentation of the first edition took place in 2012 at the Aldan-Maadyr National Museum in Kyzyl. It coincided with the celebration of the 90th anniversary of the formation of the Tuvan People's Republic and became a significant event in the cultural and religious life of Tuva. 

About a decade later, IBT began work on a second, revised edition. We took into account the copious feedback that our Institute had received from readers over a decade. Despite the constraints imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, IBT staff members held a series of meetings in 2020 with representatives of the churches and wider community in Kyzyl to discuss the necessary revisions. Key contributions to the new edition were made by translator Nikolai Kuular and exegetical adviser and project coordinator Vitaly Voinov. 

The main focus of the revision project was stylistic revision and adaptation of the text to the modern norms of the Tuvan language. Outdated words were replaced by more modern and understandable variants. The edition was made more compact and convenient for everyday use. Many historical and cultural footnotes were added, and the glossary was significantly expanded. To help readers gain a deeper understanding of biblical history and culture, additional supplementary materials were provided at the end of the edition, such as calendars, timelines, new maps, and photographs of Hebrew and Greek manuscripts of Scripture. 

The new edition has a print run of 2,000 copies and will be distributed to churches, as well as to libraries throughout Tuva. 

The text of the revised edition is available on our website. 

Read more about the preparation of the second edition in the interview with V. Voinov.