L.N. Gumilyov writes: "The most ancient Mongols had nothing in common with the blondes who inhabited Europe. European travelers of the 13th century did not find any similarities between the Mongols and themselves." But, nevertheless, as he reasonably explains, not even the most "ancient Mongols (that is, the tribesmen of Genghis Khan and their ancestors) were, according to the testimony of chroniclers and frescoes found in Manchuria, a tall, bearded, fair-haired and blue-eyed people. Modern appearance, as well as the language that we now call Mongolian, their descendants acquired through intermarriage with undersized, black-haired and black-eyed tribes, which the neighbors collectively called the Tatars.
But LN Gumilyov did not say everything, taking into account the political situation in the country, regarding the time by which the tribesmen of Genghis Khan "acquired the appearance and language, which we now call Mongolian." Also, the Great Eurasian of the Soviet era was forced to remain silent about whether all representatives of the "ancient Mongols" ethnos acquired the appearance that we call "Mongoloid" and, accordingly, the Khalkha-Mongolian language.
Therefore, let's not be mistaken about the fact that this "change in appearance and language" did not happen with all the "ancient Mongols", or otherwise, the Tatars of Genghis Khan, and by no means before the "era of the Mongols". These changes occurred much later and only with individual individuals of this ethnic group, left after the complete destruction of a significant part of this people living in the eastern part of Eurasia, in China and Mongolia. That is, the corresponding changes in the "look and language", complete assimilation, occurred with individual descendants of the Mongol-Tatars who remained among the "black-haired and black-eyed tribes" of Mongolia after the genocide carried out against this people by the Chinese of the Ming dynasty. And this happened only after the collapse of the Mongol state, more precisely, at the end of the XIV century.
Lev Nikolaevich Gumilyov could not write this openly in his time.
But most importantly, L.N. Gumilyov still did not keep silent, but indicated the point of view of academician V.P. Vasilyev that Genghis Khan comes "from the Tatar tribe", and gave a link to the works of this Russian academician, so that readers could personally compare them with the works of LN Gumilyov himself.
V.P. Vasiliev writes that approximately in the 6th - early 7th centuries, part of the inhabitants of Manchuria, who lived independently of the Khitans, without submitting to them, migrated to the Yinshan mountains and became known as the Tatars. Neighbors, "the black-haired tribes surrounding them," called this people "yellow-headed."
"The Caucasoid anthropological race of the first order can be traced in Central Asia and Siberia from the Upper Paleolithic and genetically goes back to the Cro-Magnon type, being a special branch that developed in parallel with the races of Europe and the Middle East" (L.N. Gumilyov, "In Search of a Fictional Kingdom").
Also, L.N. Gumilyov cites information that in the second half of the 1st century AD. after the devastation of the principality of Cheshi, allied with the Huns, located in the Tarim Basin (Turfan oasis - the territory of modern Uighuria), "the Xiongnu chanyu gathered the rest of the Cheshi people and resettled them on the eastern outskirts of their state." Thus, among the "emphatically Mongoloid peoples of the Amur basin" an ethnos appeared, consisting of representatives of the "eastern branch of the Indo-Europeans."
Apparently, the "remnant of the people" was still quite numerous in order to retain their abilities for state organization and other skills and abilities, for example, a penchant for "growing", the ability to make tools from iron, copper, and other properties inherent in highly developed at that time. time for the peoples. We also note that most likely this people, judging by the fact that they were "an ally of the Huns", and were close to them in language.
It must be assumed that mixed marriages also took place between settlers from the Tarim Basin and representatives of the local population, the ancestors of the Manchus and Khalkha, but the ancestors of the "ancient Mongols", apparently, did not have their own anthropological features, like their language, level of development and other properties of the ethnic group. lost. Migrating from the Amur basin southwest to the Yinshan mountains, these "ancient Mongols" were already known to their Chinese neighbors as Tatars. And it is not surprising that at the same time they became allies of the Uighurs and the Shato Turks, which can be explained by the closeness of their languages and the similarity of their appearance, which is how they all differed from the Chinese (Han) and other inhabitants of the east of Eurasia, the ancestors of the Khalkha and Manchus.
And not only did the "ancient Mongols" become allies of the Uighurs and the Turks of the Shato, but began to "mingle with them and told them their name," as V.P. Vasiliev writes, giving rise to the birth of a new ethnic group under the same name and self-name "Tatars."
The medieval Tatars did not lose their anthropological and other signs and properties, which sharply distinguish them from the inhabitants of China and Mongolia, during the time of Genghis Khan and much later. For example, the tribesmen of Genghis Khan "distinguished green or bluish eyes, Chinese historians called them" glass ", and blond with red hair", "the Borjigins (genus of Genghis Khan) have blue-green or dark blue eyes, where the pupil is surrounded by a brown rim. " In support of the above, L.N. Gumilyov refers to data from the work of Abul Gazi, translated and published in 1874 in Paris, and other information from the works of French Orientalist historians, published in 1896.
A sufficient idea of the appearance of the representatives of the Mongol-Tatar ethnic group can also be obtained from the medieval portrait of Genghis Khan, in which he is depicted, most likely, most similar to himself. The portrait was painted on silk either during the lifetime of Genghis Khan himself, or during the reign of the Mongol-Tatars in China. And it is unlikely that anyone would have portrayed at that time the founder of the State with a Caucasoid appearance or the appearance of a Khalkha (or Chinese) for the sake of someone's political interests, but to the detriment of truth. It is clearly seen that the portrait depicts a man with a thick beard and mustache, Caucasian appearance. Also appearance Mongol-Tatars is reflected quite clearly in the drawings of the XII-XIII centuries.
"The Tatar nation for the most part was not tall, no higher than five feet with two or three inches, and there are also no fat and fat between them. Their face is wide, flat and quadrangular with protruding cheekbones" (V.P. Vasilyev "History and antiquities of the eastern parts of Central Asia, from the 10th to the 13th centuries).
Note that from the foregoing it is impossible to conclude that the Tatars of Genghis Khan were "short" dwarfs compared to other inhabitants of the medieval world, given that the statesman of the Sung Empire (South China), whose text is quoted by V.P. Vasiliev, possessed a sufficient outlook and had, presumably, a sufficient understanding of the anthropological features of many, many peoples of the world. "Five feet with two or three inches" (150-160 cm) is the average height for the period under review. By the way, Knight armour of medieval Europe are designed just for people of about the same build. This is explained by the fact that in the Middle Ages the average height of people was much lower than that of their modern descendants.
Marco Polo also left valuable information that the medieval Tatars of Genghis Khan were representatives of the Caucasoid race. He compares the characteristic appearance of the Chinese, who, as is known, belong to the Mongoloid race of the continental type, with the appearance of the medieval Tatars: "the Chinese are by nature without beards, while the Tatars, Saracens (here we mean Persians) and Christians (Europeans) - with beards" . Here "beard" is mentioned as the most important feature by which the Chinese were supposed to distinguish their own from others during the fighting. Since during the uprising, which was prepared by the "noble Chinese" against the Mongol-Tatars, the rebels had to "kill all the bearded ones" throughout China.
At the same time, it should be noted that Marco Polo knew many Tatars "scattered all over the world", moreover, he lived and served with the Tatars of the Great Khan of the Mongol state Kubilai in China for 17 years, and, apparently, he learned to distinguish Tatars and other Caucasians from the Chinese and their kindred peoples.
For the Chinese, the Tatars seemed to be people of "very disgusting appearance", most likely precisely because of their dissimilarity. By the way, the Arabs also believed that the Russians were "a people of ugly appearance", there were enough differences in the appearance of both, although these differences are much less than in the case under consideration.
And there is, at first glance, a rather strange fact. Meng-hung's notes note the absence of "upper eyelashes" among the Tatars. Many facts contained in Meng-hung's notes are "not noticed" by Eurocentric historians, but this example of the "lack of upper eyelashes" is often copied from one work "on the history of the Mongol-Tatars" to another precisely as evidence of a kind of "ugliness" of the Tatars. No one can explain the reason for this "shortcoming", but everyone constantly quotes this very place from Meng-hung's notes, they will never ignore it.
Most likely, it was the difficulties of translation or a change in the language over the centuries that caused a distortion in the translation of the exact meaning of the quoted words of Meng-hun about the absence of "upper eyelashes" of the Tatars, Genghis Khan's tribesmen. Otherwise, the Chinese military diplomat, who was extremely careful, as can be seen from the content of his notes, would not fail to explain the reasons for this strange "shortcoming" of the Mongol-Tatars, or to make a reservation, they say, such and such a group of Tatars have no eyelashes, but others have it in stock.
INFORMATION FOR TOURISTS
RELIEF, GEOGRAPHICAL ZONES
Mongolia has an area of 1,564,116 sq. km and is mainly a plateau, elevated to a height of 900-1500 m above sea level. Above this plateau rises a series of mountain ranges and ranges. In the south and east of the country there are vast hilly and ridged plateaus, crossed by individual hills. The average height of the territory of Mongolia is very high - above sea level 1580 m. There are no lowlands in the country at all. The lowest point of the country - the Khukh Nuur basin - lies at an altitude of 560 m. Forests mainly grow in the forest-steppe zone located in the northern part of the country. The area of the forest fund is 15.2 million hectares, i.e. 9.6% of the entire territory.
To the east and south of Ulaanbaatar towards the border with China, the height of the Mongolian plateau gradually decreases, and it turns into plains - flat and even in the east, hilly in the south. The south, southwest, and southeast of Mongolia is occupied by the Gobi Desert, which continues into north-central China. According to the landscape features of the Gobi - the desert is by no means homogeneous, it consists of sections of sandy, rocky, covered with small fragments of stones, even for many kilometers and hilly, different in color - the Mongols distinguish especially the Yellow, Red and Black Gobi. Surface water sources are very rare here, but groundwater levels are high.
Natural conditions of Mongolia extremely diverse - from north to south (1259 km) taiga forests, mountain forest-steppes, steppes, semi-deserts and deserts are replaced. Researchers call Mongolia a geographical phenomenon that has no analogues anywhere. Indeed, within the Mongolian People's Republic there is the southernmost center of permafrost distribution on Earth, and in Western Mongolia, in the Great Lakes Basin, the world's northernmost border of dry deserts passes, and the distance between the permafrost distribution line and the beginning of deserts does not exceed 300 kilometers. In terms of temperature fluctuations, both daily and annual, Mongolia is one of the most continental countries in the world (the maximum annual amplitude of temperature fluctuations in Ulaanbaatar reaches 90 ° C): Siberian frosts rage there in winter, and summer heat in the Gobi can only be compared with Central Asian. These are truly paradoxical physical and geographical phenomena, coupled with the vastness of the territory (length from west to east in a straight line 2368 and from north to south 1260 kilometers), a clear delineation of geographical zones (from taiga to steppe and from steppe to desert), with sharp height differences and a clear predominance of mountainous relief create a peculiar face of the country, define and explain its wealth.
HIGH MOUNTAINS
Mongolia is a mountainous country. Mountains occupy more than 40% of its total area, highlands (over 3000 m) - about 2.5%. The highest of the mountain ranges of Mongolia is the Mongolian Altai with mountain peaks up to 3000-4000 m high, stretching in the west and south-west of the country for a distance of 900 km. Its continuation is the lower ranges that do not form a single massif, which received the common name Gobi Altai. The highest point is the peak Kuyten-Uul (Nairamdal) with a height of 4370 m. It is located in the Mongolian Altai at the westernmost tip of Mongolia near the border with Russia.
Along the border with Siberia in the north-west of Mongolia there are several ranges that do not form a single massif: Khan Khukhei, Ulan Taiga, Eastern Sayan, in the north-east - the Khentei mountain range (2800 m).
In the center of the country are the Khangai mountains, about 700 km long and 2000–3000 m high (the highest is 3905 m, Otkhon-Tengri), divided into several independent ridges.
The highest mountains of Mongolia
In mountainous areas, vertical zoning of the soil is manifested. With an increase in height, chestnut soils are replaced by chernozem-like and in some places chernozem, then mountain-meadow and partially peaty. The southern slopes of the mountains, as a rule, are sandy and rocky, the northern slopes are with more dense soil, clayey. The steppes are dominated by loam and sandy loam, the colors of ripe chestnut and light chestnut.
TAIGA
The taiga zone, which covers only 5 percent of the territory of Mongolia, is located predominantly in northern Mongolia, in the Khentii Mountains, in the mountainous landscape around Khuvsgul Lake, the back of the Tarvagatai mountain range, in the upper reaches of the Orkhon River and parts of the Khan Khentii mountain range. The taiga zone receives more rain than other zones in Mongolia (12 to 16 inches annually).
The northern mountain-taiga zone abounds in forest; forests cover the northern slopes of the mountains and consist of Siberian larch, cedar, pine, birch and aspen. The inhabitants of this zone are the same as in the Siberian taiga - marals, elks, wild boars, lynxes, bears, sables, wolverines and other animals. Reindeer are also found here.
FOREST-STEPPE
The mountain steppes of the middle steppe belt lie between the ranges of Khentei, Khangai and Mongolian Altai. There are gazelle antelopes, wolves and foxes, and in the alpine zone rare cat predators are common, such as the snow leopard - irbis, lynx, tiger, which hunt for wild goats and wild argali sheep.
In the forest-steppe and steppe zones the most widespread are various chestnut soils, which make up almost 60% of all soils in the country.
STEPPE ZONE
In the mountains, the Mongolian steppes rise to a height of 1500 m or more, and with an increase in moisture in the mountains, the proportion of herbs increases in the vegetation cover. On the northern slopes of the mountains of Mongolia (precipitation 500 mm or more), predominantly coniferous forests of Siberian larch, cedar, and pine grow.
Unlike the European steppes, the zonal soil type of the Mongolian steppes is not chernozems, but leached chestnut soils. They are formed on sandy and gravelly parent rocks and are not solonetsous. There are chestnut, dark chestnut and light chestnut soils. The intensity of their color depends on the specific gravity of humus. IN top layer dark chestnut soils have from 4% to 6% humus, light chestnut soils from 2% to 4%. Various types depending on the predominance of certain plant groups. The Mongolian steppes are poorer than the steppes of Russia and Kazakhstan. Grass in them is lower, there is almost no continuous coverage. Formations of tyrsovye, serpentine, serpentine-tyrsovye and others dominate. Of the shrubs, there is especially a lot of small-leaved caragana (Caragana microphylla), of semi-shrubs of wormwood (Artemisia frlgida). With the approach to semi-deserts, the role of low-growing feather grasses and onions intensifies.
SEMI-DESERT
Semi-deserts occupy more than 20 percent of the territory of Mongolia, stretching across the country between desert and steppe zones. This zone includes the Great Lakes Depression, the Valley of the Lakes, and much of the area between the Khangai and Altai mountain ranges, as well as the eastern Gobi region. The zone includes many low-lying areas, soils with salt lakes and small ponds. The climate is arid (frequent drought and annual rainfall of 4-5 inches (100-125 mm). Frequent strong winds and sandstorms greatly affect the vegetation of the area). However, many nomadic herders of Mongolia occupy this area.
A yurt is a mobile building in which nomads live. Structurally, it consists of a frame and a coating, which is often made of felt.It is used by nomads in Mongolia, Buryatia, Kalmykia, Tuva and even in distant Tibet.
Design: The Mongolian type of yurts are built flat, squat, this is due to the strong winds in that area. The dome-shaped flooring rests on special walls arranged exactly in a vertical position, the shape of the dome is supported by a framework of special poles. The roof itself resembles a cone. In the center of the Mongolian yurt there are supporting pillars.
Advantages and disadvantages: The Mongolian yurt stands out because it is much easier to make and assemble. As for the cost, it will be significantly cheaper than the Turkic one, but less practical. Such yurts cannot withstand large snow loads, and their additional load-bearing columns can cause some inconvenience.
Used in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan.
Design: Its essential difference from the Mongolian one is the shape of the supporting poles to support the dome. In this case, they are curved, so the shape of the dome is a hemisphere and looks more elegant. Thanks to the curved poles, the weight can be redistributed so that there is no need to install additional supports. The poles themselves are fixed on the hoop along all the walls. Thus, in the Turkic yurt, more usable area and free space are obtained.
Advantages and disadvantages: The Turkic yurt requires special professional knowledge when assembling and more quality materials. It weighs much less, is taller and much stronger than the Mongolian. All these factors, combined with more complex assembly technology, of course, increase the cost of the Turkic yurt.
Yurt felt
Since ancient times as a flooring and thermal insulation material nomadic peoples used felt, which they produced themselves. Now this is not necessary. The production of yurt felt was put on stream, it is produced on an industrial scale at professional equipment.
Our felt factory "Horizon-Fetr" produces in accordance with the requirements. The material with a thickness of 8 mm and a density of 0.25 g/cm 3 has low thermal conductivity and high noise insulation and is excellent for insulating yurts. You can read more about the use of yurt felt
The most characteristic sign of the Mongoloids is a combination of very dark, coarse hair and a special cut of the eyes, in which the upper eyelid hangs over the inner corner, making the eyes narrow and slanting. Most often, representatives of this race are recognized precisely by these features. It should also be noted that they are characterized by brown, sometimes almost black eyes and a yellowish or brownish complexion.
Looking more closely at the representatives of the Mongoloid race, one can notice other signs. The nose of such people is usually either thin or moderately wide. Its lines are clearly defined, and the bridge of the nose is slightly shifted down. The lips of the Mongoloids are not too, but not too thin. Another feature is prominent, very clearly defined cheekbones.
Representatives of the Mongoloid race are also distinguished by poorly developed body hair. So, Mongoloids rarely see hair growing on the chest or in the lower abdomen. Facial hair is also quite rare, which becomes especially noticeable when comparing the appearance of representatives of this race with the appearance of Caucasians.
Different variants of the appearance of representatives of the Mongoloid race
All representatives of the Mongoloid race are usually divided into two types. The first - continental - includes people with a darker skin tone, thin lips. The traits of representatives of the second type - the Pacific - are a relatively bright face, a medium-sized head, thickened lips. In addition, it should be borne in mind that the second type is characterized by a very slight, almost imperceptible protrusion of the upper jaw above the lower one, while in representatives of the first type the jaw does not stand out in comparison with the general outlines of the face.
Geographically, the Mongoloids are divided into northern and southern. Representatives of the first type are Kalmyks, Tuvans, Tatars, Buryats, Yakuts. They tend to have fairly fair skin and round, somewhat flat faces. The second type includes the Chinese, Koreans and Japanese. They are often distinguished by shorter stature, refined, medium-sized facial features, and a special section of the eyes. It should be borne in mind that many representatives of the second type have clear signs mixing with Australoids. Due to this, the features of their appearance become more diverse, so it can be somewhat difficult to accurately determine their belonging to the Mongoloid race.
The territory of Mongolia is a huge plateau, which is elevated above sea level. Mountains with a height of 1500-3000 m occupy at least 40% of the area of the country from the area of the whole country, and its high-mountainous sections with a height of more than 3000 m - about 2.5-3%. Mongolia ranks 17th in the world in terms of its territory.
An interesting fact: Mongolia is the smallest country in terms of population density, its density is approximately 1.7 people / sq. km. And the total population reaches about 3 million people.
Mongolia is a country where you can travel hundreds of kilometers and not meet a single person. In a number of areas, such as deserts and highlands, the population density reaches a minimum threshold - from 0.01 to 1%.
In his great history ethnic groups Mongolia has gone through a great many different periods of formation. As a result, with the formation of a single, cohesive Mongolian people, the Greatest Mongolian state appeared. It was a great world empire, which to this day has no equal. Arin V.D. Russia and Mongolia at the turn of the 19th-20th centuries: economics, diplomacy, culture / V.D. Arin.--Irkutsk, BSUEP, 2013.--402 p.
In Mongolia, there is the world's tallest statue of a rider on a horse, which is an hour's drive from the capital. The Mongolian capital Ulaanbaatar is the coldest capital in the whole world.
25% of all snow leopards living on our planet permanently live in Mongolia.
Mongolia country with ancient history, and is fraught with many mysteries from the past.
An interesting find was announced in Mongolia. A Scythian warrior was found. It was discovered in the Altai Territory at an altitude of 2.6 kilometers. And the most interesting thing is that it was completely undamaged in the burial mound. Obviously he was a wealthy man, for he was covered in beaver and sable fur, and he also wore a sheepskin. The body of the warrior was covered with many tattoos.
And the main feature of this find was the warrior's hair, he was blond. True, some scientists say that the hair could have become this color even after his death.
Near the grave, 2 horses were found, on which were richly decorated bridles and saddles, as well as weapons, a vessel made of clay and animal horns. They were placed in the grave next to the mummy so that they could accompany him to the other side of life.
The rivers of Mongolia are born in the mountains. Most of them are the headwaters of the great rivers of Siberia and Far East carrying their waters towards the Arctic and Pacific oceans. The largest rivers of the country are the Selenga (within the borders of Mongolia - 600 km), Kerulen (1100 km), Tesiin-Gol (568 km), Onon (300 km), Khalkhin-Gol, Kobdo. The most full-flowing - Selenga.
In Mongolia, there are many permanent lakes and a much larger number of temporary lakes that form during the rainy season and disappear during the drought. In the early Quaternary period, a significant part of the territory of Mongolia was an inland sea, which later divided into several large reservoirs. The current lakes are what is left of them.
Next, consider the climate of Mongolia. Mongolia has a sharply continental climate with harsh winter and dry hot summers. In the capital, the city of Ulaanbaatar, located approximately in the middle between the mountain ranges of the northwest and the desert arid zone of the southeast of the country, the temperature ranges from minus 25 - 35 degrees in winter to plus 25 - 35 degrees in summer. Ulaanbaatar is one of the coldest winter capitals in the world: the coldest month is January. The warmest month is July.
In mountainous areas, in the north and west of the country it is often cold. Most of the country is hot in summer and very cold in winter, with January averages dropping to -30 degrees.
Let us consider in detail the administrative division of Mongolia.
Mongolia is divided into 21 aimags, which in turn has 329 soums. The capital Ulaanbaatar is an independent administrative unit.
Mongolia has an interesting address system. Due to the large number of temporary settlements (yurts) in the country that change spatial position over time, traditional address systems (city, street, house) are not very suitable for Mongolia.
On February 2, 2008, the Government of Mongolia decided to adapt the technology of the Universal Address System (Universal Address System) for the needs of the country, that is, the use of the Natural Area Code for addressing objects on the ground. This system allows you to address on the ground within the Earth, both entire regions and cities, individual houses and even small objects with an accuracy of up to a meter. The more precisely the address is specified, the longer its code. For example, the address of the city of Ulaanbaatar as a whole is RV-W QZ, and the address of the monument in the center of Sukhbaatar Square in Ulaanbaatar is RW8SK QZKSL.
Although more people live in cities, Mongolia's economy is concentrated in industries such as mining and Agriculture. Mineral resources such as copper, coal, molybdenum, tin, tungsten and gold make up a significant part of industrial production countries.
In the period from 1924 to 1991, the MPR received large financial and economic assistance from the USSR. At the peak of this assistance, one third of its GDP is accounted for. In the early 1990s. years and in the next decade, the Mongolian economy experienced a strong decline followed by stagnation.
Exports: copper and other non-ferrous metals, fluorspar, uranium ore, coal, petroleum, clothing, farm animals, wool, hides, animal products, cashmere. The main buyers in 2011 are China (85.7%), Canada (6.3%) in 10th place is Russia (3%).
Imports: machinery and equipment, fuels, automobiles, foodstuffs, industrial consumer goods, chemicals, Construction Materials, cigarettes and tobacco products, Appliances, soap and detergents, sugar, tea. The main suppliers in 2011 are China (43.4%), Russia (23.3%, mainly oil and electricity), South Korea(5.6%), Japan (5.1%).
Mongolia is a member of the World Trade Organization (since 1997). The main trading partners of the country are China and Russia, and Mongolia's economy is largely dependent on these countries. In 2006, 68.4% of Mongolia's exports went to China, while imports accounted for only 29.8%. Mongolia imports about 95% of oil products and part of electricity from Russia, which makes the country extremely dependent in economic terms.
In 1578, Tibetan Buddhism was officially adopted in the country, but shamanism continues to be practiced by a small part of the population (primarily in the north of the country). By the time of the People's Revolution of 1921, there were 755 Buddhist monasteries and 120,000 monks and priests in the country (with a total population of 650,000 people).
As a result of repression, by the end of the 1930s. years, all the monasteries were closed or destroyed, and their property was nationalized.
In 1949, the only monastery was reopened in Ulaanbaatar, but the freedom of religion declared by the 1960 constitution was ensured only in the late 1980s. years and the revival of traditional Buddhism, shamanism, Islam (among the Kazakhs) began. From the beginning of the 1990s, foreign Christian missions, Baha'is, Munists and Mormons began their activities. Baabar History of Mongolia: From world domination to the Soviet satellite / Baabar. - Kazan: Tatarstan, 2010. - 543 p.
The culture of Mongolia is heavily influenced by the traditional Mongolian nomadic lifestyle, as well as Tibetan Buddhism, Chinese and Russian cultures. Love for one's lineage and family is valued in Mongolian culture; this manifests itself in everything from old Mongolian literature to modern music. Another characteristic and most important feature of the steppes is hospitality. The yurt is an important component of the Mongolian national identity; up to the present time, many Mongols live in yurts.
Education is one of the priorities of Mongolia's domestic policy. To date, illiteracy in the country has been virtually eliminated, thanks to the creation of seasonal boarding schools for children from nomadic families.
Since 1990, social changes and improvements in health care have been taking place in Mongolia. The healthcare system includes 17 specialized hospitals, four regional diagnostic and treatment centers, nine district hospitals, 21 aimag and 323 somon hospitals. In addition, there are 536 private hospitals.
Some of the earliest examples of Mongolian fine art are rock carvings and bronze and copper weapons depicting animals. There is also a stone stele from the Iron Age. Mongolian art was strongly influenced by the visual canons of Tibetan Buddhism, as well as Indian, Nepalese and Chinese art. At the beginning of the 20th century, a tradition of secular painting began to develop in Mongolia; Baldugiin Sharav became its founder. After the revolution, for a long time the only acceptable style in Mongolian painting was socialist realism, and only in the 1960s did artists get the opportunity to move away from the canons. The first representatives of modernism in Mongolia were Choidogiin Bazarvaan and Badamzhavyn Chogsom.
The oldest literary and historical monument is the Secret History of the Mongols. One of the founders of modern Mongolian literature is the writer, poet and public figure Dashdorzhiin Natsagdorzh, the first translator of Pushkin's works into Mongolian.
The instrumental ensemble occupies an important place in Mongolian music. Folk instruments: amankhur (harmonica), morinkhur and limbo ( bamboo flute). There are traditional pieces for key instruments in Mongolian music. Vocal art also has a long tradition. Baldaev R.L. public education in Mongolian People's Republic/ R.L. Baldaev. - M.: Mir., 1971. - 230 p.
IN modern types Mongols are traditionally strong in single sports. This is boxing, freestyle wrestling, judo, bullet shooting. In terms of the number of Olympic awards per capita, Mongolia is ahead of many highly developed countries. Quite exotic sports for the Mongols, like bodybuilding and powerlifting, are developing at an active pace.
population armed forces 10.3 thousand people (2012).
Manning is carried out on conscription, the service life is 12 months. Men are called from the age of 18 to 25 years. At present, the army of Mongolia is undergoing a reform aimed at increasing the combat capability and updating the technical fleet of weapons and military equipment. Russian, American and other specialists take an active part in this process.
Since 2002, Mongolia has been participating in peacekeeping activities.
