Russia's E Siberian constituent region marks 20 yrs since foundation.

GORNO-ALTAISK (Itar-Tass) - Russia's constituent Republic of
Khakassia, which is located on the banks of the Yenisei River in the south
of Eastern Siberia, is marking the 20th anniversary since its foundation.
July 3, 1991, the Supreme Soviet of the then Russian Soviet Federative
Socialist Republic passed a law on transforming the Khakassian Autonomous
Region, previously subordinated to the Kranoyarsk territory, into a
republic.
Since then, Khakassia has always been an independent constituent
region of the Russian Federation.
The jubilee date underpins all the mass events in the republic this
year, although the official celebrations of the date began just a few days
prior to July 3.
As part of the festivities, the authorities held a public ethnic forum
titled "The Historical and Cultural Heritage as a Resource of the Region's
social and cultural development.
Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Zhukov took part in it.
Saturday, thousands of spectators came to the Sagai Clearing in the
Askiz district of the republic to welcome the Khakassian national holiday
of Tun Pairam that symbolizes the arrival of the summer.
Sunday, the festivities move from the rural areas to the regional
capital Abakan. At night, the world-famous tenor Jose Carreras will give a
free concert on the city's Pervomaiskaya Street.
Carreras arrive in Khakassia the republican president's invitation. He
will sing as part of a grand concert 'Altyn Chirim', which means 'The
Golden Land of Mine.'
Khakassia has a population of 584,000 people. The titular nation, the
Khakassians, belong to the Turkic group of Indo-European language. The
ethnic Khakassians make up some 10% of the region's population.