winter riding

It's not cold in winter here in case you are dressed in warm Mongolian sheepskin coat, boots and fox hat. Riders are a Swedish girl and a Honkong boy. Guide is Bor, a man who lives between sand dunes of Mongol Els and rocky mountains of Hugnu Khaan in central-western Bulgan Province. Mr.Bor was living all his life here but a 3-year miitary service.
"Teme"-s or Camels in Mongolian are also dressed in winter in their heavy warm wool coats. Riding camel is soft, warm and comfortable. Photo taken by me, Bolod.

coco

Wow!!! Better than Coca Cola!!! The juice of cheese they are drinking seems to be much tastier for them than expensive foreign juices sold in shops of village where the older boy certainly has to go to by September for study. But it's still many days to do it although it's important not to forget too much of those have been learnt in classes while having a lot of fun like this on daily basis during 3-months school holiday. As usual, I'm thinking of return of the photo to the kids when I go again in the area. The area where the boys live is near Mongolia's historically significant Herlen River. 03.8.2012. Photo taken by Bolod N Mukhadi.

PRISON BOX

July 25th, 2015. A Mongol woman allegedly sentenced for adultery to die of starvation in box-prison inherited from Manchu-Chinese rulers. Photo by Stephane Passet. Whatever crime she commited, it's a horrible abuse to human and woman's dignity. It's a horrible and shame atrocity in Mongolia which was just freed from foreign colony. Manchu Empire that controlled over China, Mongolia, Tuva and a part of Xingiang for 300 years was declared over in 1911. Since 1911, Outer Mongolia was ruled by Tibetan-born king called Bogd Khaan...

ge dotor

20.6.2014. In a traditional style ger of Mongols. Till 1930-40s, Mongol ger had this style. Like this one, the gers or mobile tents of Mongols used to be visibly higher than most gers today. It was easy to produce them massively with lower roofs. But, gers with lower roof require additionally more waterproof coverings. I believe, it was un  a wrong initiative in central Mongolia. Traditional style gers have widely survived in Inner Mongolia of China and western Mongolia. Unfortunately, gers in most of Mongolia got low roofs. Photo taken by Bolod.

horseriding in mongolia1

Two young Finnish people riding horses in Mongolia. Man is sitting on traditional Mongolian wooden saddle while girl is on soldier's saddle or "russian saddle" which is more liked by foreigners. Mongols, themselves prefer wooden saddle and they exclusively ride on it during festivals. 12.11.2015. Photo taken by Bolod.

ranges

Shooting a sniper rifle SVD\Sniperskaya Vintovka Dragunova\ at a military cp. Next weapons that the man may try are AK-47, Maxim mashine gun, Makarov pistol, RPG...

Shooting instructor was himself a top-ranked sniper in army before retirement.

hirg

An ancient grave covered by stones is found at 10km to south from historically significant Hukh Nuur or "Blue Lake" where in 1189 a convention of Mongol tribe leaders took a place and elected 28 year-old Temuujin as Chingis Khaan. Photo taken by Bolod.

hirgisuur

An ancient grave or khirgisur\kyrgys khuur\ found at about 10km to south from Hukh Nuur or Blue Lake in eastern Mongolian Hentii Province. The grave is surrounded by a square fencing. Thousands of these graves spread throughout Mongolia have 2 types of fencing: round and round like this one.

What's about the name of Kyrgyz here? If Kyrgyz people lived in this area? No, they didn"t. Instead Kyrgyz nomads who were ancestors of Kazakhs and Kyrgyzs shortly lived in the far-western Mongolia, around Hyargas Lake there. Photo taken by Bolod.

 

 

caravan1

The latest and one of the most successful monuments in Ulaanbaatar. Camel is called 'teme' in Mongolian. Here is a newly built monument of caravan\=temen jin\ on Chingis Khaan Square. It looks very beautiful and very Mongolian!!! Camel caravan was a centuries-long transport of Mongolian nomads based on two-humped animals. Photo taken by me, Bolod.

mongol way of riding

Mongols never ride horses in the same way. May be there are at least 1000 ways of horseriding. Photo taken by me, Bolod.

kult

Head Monument of Kultegin\684-731\, a military leader of ancient Turks. Don't mix them with Turks from Turkey. These Ottomans have nothing to do with these Mongoloid nomads who lived in Mongolia. Descendants of the Turks are now living in Sakha-Yakutia, Russia's northern Siberia. They are now called Sakhas or Yakuts and still speak ancient or archaic Turkic. This head sculpture of Kultegin was unearthed from depth of 6 meters by Mongolia-Chekhoslovakia archeology expedition in 1958 in Hushoo Tsaidam, Arkhangai Province.

In 2013, Kazakhstan issued a banknote of 1000 tenge with the Kultigin's sculpture, although till 1923, the Kazakhs were known as  Kyrgyzs. The Kyrgyzs were nomadic in great Kyrgyz Steppe and  Yenisei Basin.

I always wonder why this military ruler looks a woman.

camel cart

22.6.2014. Although pick-up tracks are now main transport "animals" in Mongolia's couuntryside, some herders still use camels for transportation-bringing water, moving camp to new place. Photo taken in Hentii Province by Bolod. In order to understand more about happiness and sadiness of 10-12 mln. Mongols divided in 5\Mongolia, China, Russia, Afghanistan ang Kyrgyzstan\ countries, it's good also to "The Land of The Camel" by Schuyler Cammann. 1950. Ronald Press Company. New York. 

mongol beauties

Mongol beauties near their ger camp where they are growing up. The girl said she was a student at Law School in Ulaanbaatar. Of course, I don't know yet who will be the little girl when she grows up. I hope she will stay in countryside. Otherwise, who will raise animals and love herder-men? I wish more Mongolian girls stay in their nomadic areas rather than settling in Ulaanbaatar-a concrete jungle.

Two men and a woman are seen to go to milk mares for airag. So far nomadic culture of Mongols is still alive. But, exodus of rural population for Ulaanbaatar is horribly high since 1990. Photo taken by Bolod. 

two

10.10.2015. Two friends. Name of 3 year-old rider is Munkhbat or "Eternal Firm". The "rider" is not a girl, child is a boy because untill age of 3, the Mongols don't children's hair. It's a long standing tradition. Baby goat has no name. Although Mongols give names to dogs, they never name horses, goats, camels and goats. Instead they identify the animals  by age, color or distinctive feature. Photo taken by Bolod.

miner

07.10.2010. A 16 year-old boy helping private miners to excavate coal from depts of 80 meters near Nalaikh Town.  He is a nice and friendly boy. He graduated the 7th class at school. Family of the boy came from far-western Uvs Aymag\Uvs Lake province\ a few years ago. As he says he and many other people from the town come everyday here to collect plastic bottles and canes in garbages dumped in huge mining cuarries. As Nalaikh coal mine was closed in 1995, workers immediately became unemployed. Miners and their  family members started scavaging coal privately for suburban families in Ulaanbaatar. 

Photo taken by Bolod.