Oorzhak* and Bolat A. Shagzhy Tuvan State University 36 Lenin Str., Kyzyl, Republic Tyva, 667000, Russia Received 19.07.2016, received in revised form 25.09.2016, accepted 13.11.2016 There are more than 40 nations in the Russian Federation. <...> They differ in their state status and socioeconomic development and act as the main creators of the human cultural fund. <...> The study attempts to discover social functions of the Tuvan folk sports (“Khuresh” wrestling, archery, horse racing). <...> The systemic analysis considers the problem as a social phenomenon regarded in the context of all aspects of public life. <...> Person-directed education and development are social functions providing a great opportunity not only for physical development and athletic improvement; they also imply moral, aesthetic, intellectual, and labor education, as well as spiritually-moral qualities. <...> Social functions implementation depends not only on the traditional sports but also on the orientation of the entire educational system and social development. <...> Educational potential results not only through educational opportunities themselves, but through a system of social relations emerging in the sphere of physical culture and sports. <...> Introduction The issues of the national culture are currently urgent for the theory of culture. <...> The people have equal rights, and their opinions Kherel-ool D-N. <...> Theoretical framework To understand the nature of national culture, its structure and social function, content and form, as well as regularity of its origin, formation and development it is necessary to have a clear understanding of what culture is in general. <...> In this regard, firstly, the paper presents the status of the Tuvan people’s national physical culture regarding its social ethno-pedagogical basis. <...> These resulted in the development of a special course “Physical Culture as a Kind of the Tuvan People’s Culture” (Oorzhak, 1995, p. 110). <...> Physical culture and sport are of great social and socio-pedagogical value in the life of a person and society. <...> The main social effects and importance of physical education and sport are manifested in personal and social aspects. <...> A social aspect shows the improvement of a person’s social activity under the beneficial influence of physical culture and sports and his / her contribution to social progress and social production to satisfy the needs of the society. <...> Methods As the main <...>