Dateline - A Shaman's Prayer

Tuva is one of Russia's poorest and most dangerous republics, with high alcohol and drug addiction and low employment. It's a place where neither communism nor the free market economy has worked, so people are looking further back in time to when traditional ritual beliefs ruled their lives.

They've returned to worshipping the natural spirits around them - earth, wind, fire and water - which have shaped Tuva's beautiful landscape, and believe it'll trigger a shamanist renaissance for the world's indigenous communities.

Video journalist Nick Lazaredes captures a culture rich in healing powers, spiritual music and affinity with nature, but can Tuva's traditional past free its 21st Century future?

See Nick's report, which included a very personal experience for him, at the top of the page.