About the ensemble
Üch Sümer - is the second highest mountain of Russia (its absolute height 4'506m) and situated in the Ust-Koksa aimak (district) of the Altai Republic, which shares international borders with China, Mongolia and Kazakhstan. The Altai Republic is located in the vast Altai mountain range which extends into these three countries and therefore offers a beautiful panorama which extends into these gorgeous mountains. Üch Sümer is also well seen from the Kazakhstan side. This sacred mountain Üch Sümer ("three peaks"), an object of special reference for the indigenous people is also called "Kadyn Bazhy" ("Top of the Katun River") in the Altai language. It is also known as "Belukha" ("white"), a white ice cap covers it and that might explain the origin of the Russian name of the mountain. In the Buddhist legends one can find references to a sacred mountain Sümeru which is located elsewhere unknown in Central Asia but this promised land (also known as Sambhala or Shangri-la) is accessible only for spiritually developed people.

In the name of the ensemble "Üch Süme-R " we have a play of words (the name of the sacred mountain and two more semantic meanings). The words "üch süme" mean "three wisdom" or "three pieces of wisdom", at the same time semantic meanings of the words are "three souls" (="three men") as in the Altai language "süme" also means "soul", "spirit".

The Ensemble Üch-Süme-R (means three peaks) was founded in November 2000 and participated in the International Festival "Delphic Games" 2000 in Moscow and in the International Ethnic Festival "Zhivaya Voda" 2001 in Altyn-Köl (Teletskoye ozero - Golden lake) in Altai.

The repertoire of this ensemble comprises traditional folk songs from Khakassia and the Altai as well as the musicians' own songs. The ensemble recorded their first album "Kadyn Bazhy" (Belukha - means white mountain) in February 2001 in Abakan (means the Bear's Blood), Khakassia.

Since February 2001 the three musicians have been working with the Khakassian Puppet Theatre "Skazka" and performed within the "Altyn Ayakh" projects. They won together a prize at the theatre Festival "Kontakt-2001" in Torun, Poland and at the 4th International Festival of Puppet Art "Spectaculo Interesse" in the Czech Republic.

The Turkic peoples in Khakassia and in the Altai region were hunters and nomadic shepherds tending sheep, horses and sometimes camels. They bequeathed an extremely interesting culture to their descendants, the basic features which have been handed down from ancient times until the present day. One of the most important forms of Khakass and Altai art is the narration of epics in a falsetto voice to the accompaniment of the two-string lute khomys (topshur). In Khakassia they were also accompanied by chatkhan (jadagan) or rare yykh (ikili). Texts are usually enunciated in a low guttural bass register used by throat singers (khaigee).