Hidde Meenhorst – Chavydak

This song is about a tractor driver called Chavydak (Чавыдак) who actually lived in Elegest in Tuva in the 1930s. During this time the Tuvan nomads were encouraged and forced by communists to change their nomadic life into a life at collective farms. Songs like these played a role in this transformation in the form of propaganda. The text, written by Stepan Saryg-ool, praises the strength of the tractor (and with that all of technological progression) in comparison to animal power. The melody was written by Rostislav Kendenbil.

Lyrics:
Элегестке аян туткан
Экиир үннүг тыракторну.
Экономга каадыржаан
Эрес кежээ Чавыдакты!

Шары буга кожуп алгаш
Тыракторга канчап деңнээр?
Чалгаа-шүшпең кижилерни
Чавыдакка канчап деңнеер?

Шойдан куткан ЧТЗ-де
Ширик хөрзүн чымчак-ла ийин,
Чолаачызы Чавыдакка
Чижек үле чиик-ле ийин.

Translation:
His bold sounding tractor
Hums along in Elegest.
He’s an economic veteran
Oh, heroic Chavydak!

How can you ever compare
A hitched-up bull with a tractor?
How can you ever compare
Lazy, shiftless people with Chavydak?

The turf and topsoil, so soft
On the cast-iron ChTZ
The harvest quotas
Are no problem for its driver, Chavydak!