Photos about life in Mongolia. Beautiful places in Mongolia. Tax and insurance

I am married to a citizen of Mongolia. My wife and I used to live in Russia, but last year she had to return home for a long time on business. I went with her.

Six months ago, I received a temporary residence permit in Mongolia. I’ll tell you how we live here and why I don’t really want to return to Russia.

Why go to Mongolia

Mongolia is the largest and most sparsely populated country in the world. Only 3 million people live in it, and half of them live in the capital, Ulaanbaatar. In the rest of the country, the population density is 1 person per 1 square kilometer.

Previously, Mongolia had continuous pastures, yurts and herds, but now skyscrapers have been built in the capital, solar power plants have appeared outside the city, and new iPhones are brought here earlier than in Russia. But traditions are still strong here. Coca-Cola is advertised on TV by shepherds, on holidays everyone dresses in national clothes, and in the city you can easily meet a man on a horse - and this will not surprise anyone.

Mongolia is a normal country if you are a freelancer and work remotely. It is inexpensive, tasty and a little bureaucratic. The main attractions are natural. Be sure to visit the Gobi, Mongolian Altai, ancient mountain monasteries, lakes. If you are interested in Lamaist Buddhism, this the best place for enlightenment. There are hundreds of datsans - local monasteries, educated monks-lamas and thousands of relics.

And Mongolia is also the birthplace of dinosaurs. The largest skeletons were found here. In the photo - the skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus in the hall of the shopping center "Hunn-Mall" - there is also a branch of the Mongolian Dinosaur Museum, while its main building is closed for reconstruction

Visa

Russian citizens can come to Mongolia without a visa for 30 days. So that I could stay longer, my wife issued me an invitation. They gave him a visa for three months. With her, I entered the country and applied for an analogue of our temporary residence permit.

It is much easier to obtain a residence permit in Mongolia than in Russia. The whole process took several hours over a couple of days. There is no need to confirm knowledge of the language, apostilles and notarized translations are also not needed. Two months later, they took the ready-made permit without queues, nerves, heaps of papers and certificates. In Russia, issuing a passport will take more time and effort.

I can renew my residence permit every year. I can work with him in Mongolia and even get state health insurance.
I have not encountered bureaucracy here. When I applied for a residence permit, I made a mistake and brought the wrong piece of paper. They called me and said that required document I can bring when I go get my permission.

All documents must be submitted in person, but it is very easy to get them. 25 types of certificates are issued by a special terminal: about divorce and marriage, no criminal record, a temporary passport. You pay 1000 tugriks (24 R) and receive a document with a seal. Such machines are in every state institution and at the post office.

Terminal for inquiries

Money and banks

The national currency of Mongolia is tugrik. The exchange rate of the tugrik to the ruble is about 40-43 tugriks per ruble. Cards are accepted in almost every store. But cash is still needed to pay the taxi driver or buy groceries on the market.

The easiest way to pay bills is through banking apps. The two main banks are Khaan-Bank and Golomt-Bank. A foreigner needs a passport to issue an account and card.

Screens of the banking application of "Khaan-bank"

Withdraw money from Russian card you can at any ATM. If you withdraw amounts from $ 100 from a Tinkoff Bank card, then there are no commissions at all.

Everyone among our family and friends has loans. The most popular are car loans and mortgages. The average rate on consumer and car loans in Mongolia is 20-30% per annum, on mortgages - 8%.

Work

The easiest way is to stay in the country on a work visa. Local businesses need engineers, builders, programmers. Schools and universities employ foreign teachers. I was interviewed to work as a history teacher at a Russian-language school in provincial town, but changed his mind at the last moment: the salary there is not high.

42 tugrik cost 1 R when I wrote the article.

The highest paid is the labor of technical specialists - 5-10 million tugriks (119,000-238,000 R). The most appreciated foreign employees with knowledge of English in mining and construction companies. They are paid several times more than a Mongol of the same qualifications. The earnings of such specialists are from 5 to 10 thousand dollars per month.

The salary of a foreign teacher in Ulan Bator is 2-4 million tugriks (47-95 thousand rubles), in a provincial city - up to 1.5 million tugriks (36,000 rubles).

The average salary in Mongolia is from 600 thousand to 1 million tugriks (14,000-24,000 R) in the province, 1-1.5 million tugriks (24,000-36,000 R) in the capital. According to statistics, Mongolian women have an average salary of MNT 200,000 less than men.

24 000 R is the average salary in the province.

In Mongolia, I write texts and articles for Russian websites. The wife works as a translator.

Capital

In Mongolia, as in Russia, the capital and the provinces live very differently. All business, culture and work are concentrated in Ulaanbaatar. Therefore, capital prices are several times higher than provincial ones. Outside Ulaanbaatar, life is slow, poor and cheap.

We lived in Ulan Bator for several months, but then we moved to small city Darkhan. Living in the capital is unhealthy because of the environment.

The main reason for the poor ecology of the city is yurts and private houses. They are popular because they are cheap to live in: maintenance costs will amount to about 100,000 tugriks (2,400 R) per month. Ulan Bator is located in a valley between low mountains, so the wind blows through the city poorly. There are private areas on the slopes - in them everyone lives in yurts and houses, and they heat their homes with coal and wood. All the smoke goes down into the city and does not go anywhere.

Of the 1.4 million inhabitants of Ulan Bator, 350 thousand live in yurts, 450 thousand - in simple houses, and only 600 thousand - in apartments. Living in a yurt is cheap - you only spend on firewood, coal and electricity. Often, after the wedding, newlyweds move to a yurt to save up for a mortgage

The environmental situation is worsened by enterprises and 230 thousand cars and buses. It's hard to breathe outside: a sore throat. In winter, clothes absorb the smell of smoke, which cannot be eliminated. People wear protective masks. The concentration of harmful substances in the air of the most polluted areas is 24 times higher than the norm.

According to Mongolian statistics, 20% of Ulaanbaatar residents die from air pollution: respiratory tract infections, blockages of the lungs, heart attacks, strokes, lung cancer.

The haze below is not clouds, but smog

Everyone who has money tries to live outside the city, closer to the forests and away from the city smog. But you still have to go to work in Ulan Bator. Families often move out of town at the end of pregnancy to give birth and raise children in a normal environment.

Once Ulan Bator was small in the Soviet way cozy city... In the 90s, it began to chaotically and thoughtlessly build business centers, ugly residential complexes and shopping centers. The Mongolian capital has a poorly developed urban infrastructure. There are constant traffic jams and terrible buildings without normal yards, parks and walking places.

Due to the ecology and uncomfortableness of Ulan Bator, we moved to the small town of Darkhan with a population of only 100 thousand people. It takes three hours to get to Darkhan from the capital by car.

The monument to Genghis Khan in Tsongzhin-Boldog is the largest equestrian monument in the world, its height is 40 m. There is a staircase and a museum inside, and an observation deck on the horse's head. Photo by Stanislav Fursov

Provinces

Most of Mongolia's cities are small settlements that resemble Russian urban-type settlements. Besides Ulan Bator, the developed cities are Darkhan and Erdenet.

Darkhan has fresh air, no traffic jams and is several times cheaper than in the capital. The city is small and quiet. There is a swimming pool and fitness rooms, stadiums, shopping centers, coffee shops, although the Mongols drink little coffee. The town is small and very quiet.

View of Darkhan. In the photo - the main area of ​​the city and the center

City Park. There are almost no trees in it: they grow poorly in Mongolia and grow short

Lodging

You can rent a one-room or even two-room apartment in Darkhan for 250-400 thousand tugriks per month (6000-9500 R). For comparison, the average price in Ulan Bator is 400-700 thousand tugriks (9500-16 700 R).

Apartments are usually rented unfurnished, the payment is taken 3-6 months in advance. Furnished apartments can be more expensive by 100-200 thousand tugriks (2400-4800 R). We pay MNT 400,000 (R 9,500) for a furnished two-room apartment. The owner wrote in the ad: "I rent an apartment with furniture for foreigners."

Studio with furniture in Ulaanbaatar for 550,000 tugriks (13,000 R) per month

It is best to search for housing on Facebook and "negүe". These are the two main sites in Mongolia. "Үnegүy" is the main bulletin board, but announcements appear in Facebook groups more quickly. We found our apartment on Facebook.

Employment agreements are not very common here. All basically agree in words. There are no special requirements for the tenant, the main thing is to pay the fee. The owner only asked for a copy of my passport.

9,500 RUR per month we pay for the rent of a furnished two-room apartment.

We pay utility bills only according to the counters. Electricity and water are more expensive than in my native Voronezh, but there is no rent for living quarters. Therefore, the amount is approximately the same as in Russia: in winter we pay about 140,000 tugriks (3300 R).

4,000 tugriks (95 R) per month cost to clean the entrance and take out the garbage. The cleaning lady knocks on the door during the day and picks up the garbage bag. Many tenants simply leave garbage in the stairwell in the morning. I barely explained that I would take out the trash myself.

Now we want to buy an apartment in Mongolia. average price a two-room apartment in Darkhan - 30-50 million tugriks (715,000-1,190,000 R). In Ulan Bator, you can buy a one-room apartment for this amount, and prices for two-room apartments in the capital start at 90 million tugriks (2,140,000 rubles).

In the summer, a man on a horse comes to our yard in Darkhan every morning. He sells fresh milk. From 8 in the morning begins to shout under the windows: "Buy milk!"

But the residents of Darkhan themselves, who live in the private sector, also have cows.

Tax and insurance

Foreign employees pay the same taxes and insurance coverage as local employees. I do not pay local taxes because I earn money in Russia.

Income tax for an employee is progressive - 10-25%. If you earn 3.5 million tugriks per month (83,000 R), the tax is 25%. My friends from Russia, who work as teachers in Mongolia and earn 2 million tugriks a month (50,000 R), pay 15% tax.

Voluntary medical insurance costs me 8400 tugriks per month (200 R). Cadre employees pay 2% of the salary, the employer pays another 2% for them.

200 R per month I pay for health insurance.

Medical insurance will cover the costs of up to 1.32 million tugriks (31,400 R) in public clinics and up to half of the costs in private clinics. With insurance, you can get a 50-80% discount on medicines in state pharmacies according to a certain list - there are 380 items in total. Emergency surgeries like removing the appendix are free. If the case is difficult or you are in the hospital, it is customary to thank the doctors.

There is no need to attach to polyclinics - where they come, they will be served there. It is only important to show the policy.

Social insurance is deducted by the employer - 10-12% of the salary before taxes. To receive a pension, you need to pay for insurance for 20 years.

Cashback for everyone

It is customary to store all checks in Mongolia. Each of them has a quar code and a numeric code. If you scan them with the special app Ebarimt, at the beginning of next year, 20% of the paid VAT will be refunded. VAT in Mongolia is 10%, so at the end of the year you will be refunded approximately 2% of the amount spent. During the year, we have run over 80,000 tugriks (1900 R). Most small shops don't issue checks, and neither do the markets. That's why most of purchases are still not backed by receipts.

Once a month, money is raffled among all checks - from 10 thousand to 1 million tugriks (240-24,000 R). We have not won even once, but our relatives once won 20,000 tugriks (480 R).

Quar code check and Ebarimt app

Transport

All Mongols dream of a car. Used Japanese foreign cars are cheap here. Within 4 million tugriks (95,000 R), you can buy a 10-year-old Toyota or Hyundai Sonata. Not so old Toyota Prius will cost 10 million tugriks (238,000 R).

Most cars in Mongolia are right-hand drive. The most popular model is the hybrid Toyota Prius. It feels like every third or fourth car in the country.

It is inexpensive to own a car in Mongolia. Gasoline A-95 costs 2050 tugriks (48 R) per liter. For the same Toyota Prius, my wife's brother pays a tax of 51,000 tugriks per year (1200 R). Compulsory insurance will cost 1% of the cost of the car per year. The fines are small: the average fine is MNT 20,000 (R 475), for example, for wrong parking or riding without a belt. There are practically no traffic police outside the city. Paid parking there is only in Ulan Bator - 500 tugriks (12 R) in half an hour.

1200 R per year - tax on Toyota Prius car. This is the most popular car in Mongolia.

To decrease traffic flow, in Ulaanbaatar there is a restriction on driving cars with certain numbers on specific days of the week. If the car number ends in 7, it cannot be driven on Tuesdays; at 5 - on Fridays. For violation - a fine of 20,000 tugriks (475 R).

We don't have a car: we don't need it in the city. A bus ride in Ulan Bator costs 500 tugriks (12 R), in Darkhan - 200 tugriks (5 R). In Darkhan, I have never traveled by bus: it rarely runs.

Darkhan is a small town, and here you can walk everywhere or ride a bike in 10-15 minutes. There are few bicycles here. Basically everyone drives illegal taxis... You go to the side of the road, and the drivers themselves stop to give you a lift. The fare is 500 tugriks per person (12 R). There are usually other passengers in the cabin, three in the back seat. Taxis in Ulan Bator are more expensive, but still inexpensive by Russian standards: we have never paid more than 10,000 tugriks (240 R) for travel from the city center to the outskirts. Short trip will cost 2,000 tugriks (50 R).

You can order an official taxi by phone, but why should it, if at any time of the day or night hundreds of passing drivers will gladly give you a ride cheaper. Several times in Ulaanbaatar on bus stop the drivers offered us to go with them along the way for the bus fare.

You can travel between cities by car, train or plane. Trains are few, but very cheap. You can travel 500 km from Ulan Bator to Gobi for 10,000 tugriks (240 R). The bus between the capital and Darkhan costs the same. Most often, we travel with privateers, whom we find in groups on Facebook. A trip with such a driver will cost the same MNT 10,000, but it will take 3 hours instead of 4 by bus. If there is no time to look for a driver, there are always other long-distance taxi drivers at the bus station, but they will take you for 15,000 tugriks (350 R).

When you need to leave the city for nature, somewhere away from the main roads, it is better to take a car. We take from relatives. Here they recognize internal Russian rights, but there are almost no Mongolian traffic cops outside the city. For a year I was not stopped even once.

Prices

The income of 50,000 R is enough to indulge in almost nothing in a provincial town, buy a used Japanese car, rent an apartment and save money.

50,000 R a month is enough to not deny yourself anything in Mongolian Darkhan.

Appliances, clothing and household items made in China and Korea are 1.5-2 times cheaper than in Russia. For example, jeans will cost 30,000 tugriks (715 R). We try to buy warm clothes and accessories from Mongolian. They are normal and inexpensive, made from natural fur and leather. It turns out several times cheaper than in Russia. A women's sheepskin coat here costs 200-400 thousand tugriks (4750-9500 R). The skin is mainly cow, sheep fur.

Communication and Internet

I have a SIM card "Unitel", with a special tariff for mobile internet... For 15,000 tugriks (350 R) per month, I have 15 GB and 20 minutes of calls.

In order to make cheap calls to Russia, I subscribe to a special service for 5000 MNT (120 R), according to which I have 30 minutes a month for calls to Russia.

The easiest way to top up your account is through the banking app. There are no payment terminals in Mongolia. You can buy a prepaid card or top up your account through an intermediary - most often it is a seller in a store. The intermediary enters into a contract with the operator. When you give him money, he writes an SMS to the operator with your number and the amount of payment. The money is credited to your account, and the intermediary receives a small percentage.

350 R per month I pay for the phone.

In all cities and villages where I was, I caught 3G. Free Wi-Fi is available on buses, in most cafes and shopping centers. Home Internet is available in almost every family, even in yurts - via a satellite dish.

Cooking in Mongolia is simple, but insanely delicious. The local cuisine is based on meat and dough. There are 20 times more cows and rams in Mongolia than people. Therefore, they eat a lot of meat. Everyone's favorite dishes are the same: buuz (analogue of manti), tsuiwan (noodles with meat and vegetables), hushura (analogue of chebureks), suute tse (salty tea with milk). Standard lunch or dinner: tsuiwan, soup and rice with meat and vegetables.

Tsuiwan in the foreground, huushury in the background

I am from Voronezh. They say we make first-class meat. But it loses to Mongolian meat: local meat is much tastier and juicier than ours. Mongolian farmers attribute this to the fact that Mongolian cows graze in wild pastures, eat a variety of grass and generally lead a happier life than animals in barns.

A kilogram of beef on the market costs 6,000 tugriks (140 R). If you agree with the shepherds, you can buy meat in bulk from them at 3000 tugriks per kilogram (70 R). We eat 3-4 kg of meat per week, and here it does not seem like a lot. Almost every Mongolian family has a separate freezer for meat - in Russia they sell ice cream. In winter, boxes and packages of meat are stored on the balcony.

My wife and I eat 4 kg of meat a week in Mongolia.

Two refrigerators in a Mongolian family are absolutely normal. The second refrigerator is filled with meat for the summer. And in winter, from October to March, it is easier to store meat on the balcony.

The choice of other products, even in large Mongolian stores, is modest. Fruits do not grow in Mongolia, so they are twice as expensive as ours: a kilogram of apples costs from 6,000 tugriks per kg (140 R). Chinese fruits are inexpensive but tasteless.

The cheapest way to buy is from the markets. Everything there is the same as in stores, but about 30% cheaper. Pasteurized milk in a package costs 3000 tugriks (70 R), fresh milk in a bottle costs 800 tugriks (19 R).

Cereals, fruits, sweets, household chemicals, cosmetics, canned food in Mongolia are 1.5-2 times more expensive than in Russia. It is more profitable to shop in the Russian border town of Kyakhta - there is a huge Absolute hypermarket 200 meters from the checkpoint. It takes two hours to get to him from our house, not counting the border crossing. You can cross the border in an hour, or you can stay for 6 hours. The queues are always only on the Russian side.

There are no many products familiar to Russia in Mongolia at all, for example, cottage cheese and kefir. A very small selection of fish, they are not well versed in it. On local canned food they write: "Fish".

Lunch in an ordinary canteen costs 5,000 tugriks (120 R), in an average restaurant it is 2-3 times more expensive. The portions are huge. You only need to order one dish. If the menu says “chicken,” that means chicken, rice and a few salads will be brought to you. We have never managed to spend more than 60,000 tugriks (1400 R) for dinner at a restaurant.

1400 R is the maximum amount that my wife and I paid for dinner at a restaurant in Mongolia.

Leaving a tip is not accepted. If you do, they will most likely be returned to you. Tipping is more or less accustomed to only in large metropolitan restaurants, which are often visited by tourists.

For this lunch in a canteen in the center of Ulan Bator, we paid 12,000 tugriks (285 rubles). There are about half a kilo of beef and lamb

Medicine

In free clinics there are queues and appointments for procedures weeks in advance. It is cheaper and easier to visit a paid doctor for 20,000 tugriks (500 R).

Most of the doctors we encountered here seemed to us more professional than their Russian colleagues. Many of them studied in Korea and China, speak foreign languages ​​and read recent scientific publications.

500 R costs a doctor's appointment.

But the people do not always trust doctors - many prefer to be treated with folk methods, it is popular to appeal to shamans. Traditional medicine here is based on meat and milk, not herbs. “If the pancreas hurts, you need to eat groundhog meat. Mare's milk helps with coughs. For women in labor, there is nothing better than lamb meat. "

There are many Korean, Chinese, German medicines in pharmacies. I haven't seen a single homeopathy shelf in a year.

An unpleasant thing: Russian medicines in Mongolia are twice as expensive as in Russia. For example, the ACC in Mongolia costs 12,000 tugriks (280 R), in our country - 120 R; antibiotic ciprofloxacin - 2000 tugriks (48 R), we have 12 R.

Language and communication

I don't speak Mongolian. I know several hundred words and several dozen expressions. This is enough to talk to the seller, taxi driver or a neighbor at a feast. I go with my wife to communicate with government officials.

It is better to speak to older people in Russian, to young people in English. Young people in Mongolia know English better than most of their Russian peers. An American school teacher is in the order of things here. In the 90s, they came as volunteers. Everyone got used to them, and to make them come more often, they began to pay 1-2 thousand dollars. Spending in Mongolia is small, the country is exotic, so many come with families.

If you master at least basic colloquial Mongolian, you will be respected by everyone around you. Trying to speak Mongolian is enough to inspire sympathy. I learned phrases to say hello and ask how you are doing: “How do you meet New Year?", "How's your work?" - people are pleased that I try.

Nature and climate

Mongolia is very beautiful. There are mountains, steppes, forests, deserts. If you love out-of-town trips, there will be a place to go every weekend.

This is what you can see after driving 50 km from Ulan Bator. Photo: Stanislav Fursov

But this can be seen if you drive away from Ulan Bator for 500-1000 km. Photo: Oleg Ermolov

The climate in Mongolia is continental: summers are dry and hot, and winters are sunny but frosty. Due to the dry air, Mongolian -25 ° C is more easily perceived than Voronezh -15 ° C. I wear the same warm jacket that I wore in Voronezh, and I am not cold. But sometimes in winter the temperature drops to -40 ° C - here it is better to dress warmly.

The main plus of the Mongolian climate: it is almost always sunny. Rarely rainy days are perceived as a holiday.

It was me in the national outer clothing - dele - who went to the hill for spring water. I am very hot, although it is -30 ° C outside

On weekends, I walk on the nearby hills - these are such small mountains. The hills are not high - 100-400 meters - but until you reach the top, your head will freshen up for a whole week.

There are many wild animals in Mongolia: wolves, marmots, snakes, deer. Walking in unfamiliar areas can be dangerous. A particular danger is dogs in the private sector and near lonely yurts in nature. Almost all yurt dwellers keep huge dogs to protect their homes and herds. In yurt districts, dogs huddle in flocks. Several times I was almost bitten while jogging along the surrounding hills.

You cannot swim in local rivers in unfamiliar places. Rivers in Mongolia are almost all mountainous, with a fast and unpredictable flow. In each village you will be told about people who were sure that they could swim well, but they were carried away by the current and were not seen again.

Bayan-Ul. My wife spent her childhood here

I often walk outside the city. Here are the standard landscapes 10 minutes walk from the outskirts of Darkhan

Typical yurt outside the city. The shepherd and his family live in it all year round. Not visible in the photo, but there are solar panels behind the yurt. The house has electricity and satellite TV with dozens of channels

Family ties

For Mongols, family is the main value in life. Not just dad and mom, but all relatives at once: uncles and aunts, cousins ​​and brothers, husbands and wives of distant relatives.

In the summer we went to a meeting of the relatives of my grandfather's wife from my mother's side. Gathered 150 people. Relatives with whom we constantly keep in touch and see each other - 50 of them. I grew up as an only child in a family, and such a number of relatives is unusual for me.

The first few months after the wedding, I always got to know someone and ate a lot: each family set itself the goal of feeding the Russian son-in-law better than anyone else.

Eventually

There are more pluses than minuses in life in Mongolia for me.

I like being part of a big Mongolian family: I don't have that in Russia. Like wild nature a few dozen meters from the city. In Mongolia, I can take a quick trip to the desert, mountains or lakes - and these will be very inexpensive trips. With a small income in Mongolia, I can afford any leisure, car and savings. If I earn 2-3 times more, I can buy myself a two-story house outside the city.

I resigned myself to the minuses. In cold weather, you need to dress warmer, and you can leave the city from the smog of Ulan Bator. But I really miss the cozy streets, normal sidewalks and tall trees.

We do not plan to leave yet. I love watching Mongolia develop and change. In 10-20 years the country will not be recognized, and I want to see the path that it will take.

Mongolia is a country of forever blue skies, endless emerald steppes and vivid impressions... In the homeland of Genghis Khan, travelers will find an amazing mix of contrasts: traditional yurts here border on modern skyscrapers, a hot desert with snow-capped peaks, and a dry hot summer comes to replace the harsh winter with -40 ° C on the thermometer, when the thermometer inexorably stretches to the + mark. 40 ° C. There are 13 brave horses per inhabitant of the country, so you can meet shepherds here more often than clerks. In the treasury of Mongolia there are many amazing sights that are able to amaze, surprise and fall in love at first sight.

See photos of the best sights of Mongolia, all pictures are supplemented with descriptions:

1. Monument to Genghis Khan (Golden Whip) - the majestic statue of Genghis Khan, which is considered the highest equestrian statue in the world. Around the 40-meter monument, 36 columns have been installed, which symbolize the 36 khans who ruled after Genghis Khan. According to legend, it was in this place that the history of the Mongol Empire began: at the top of the hill, young Temujin found a golden whip, which symbolized good luck. It was a sign that the gods bless the future khan to unite the nomadic Mongol tribes.

2. Gorkhi-Terelzh - national park, spread out in a ring of granite rocks, which human imagination turned into a "sleeping dinosaur", "a man with a book" and "a huge tortoise Melchiy-khal". In Gorkhi-Terelj you can also visit the dinosaur sculpture park, Buddhist temple Aryaabal, photographed against the background glacial lake Khagin-Khar and walk along the wooden bridge over the Tola River.

3. Choijin Lamyn Sum is huge temple complex in the center of Ulan Bator. This is the former residence of the famous oracle Luvsanhaidava. Today the Museum of the History of Religion is located here.

4. Gobi is a huge desert stretching from Altai to Nanshan. She describes the whole of Mongolia in a sandy arc. The Gobi seems to be drawn by nature itself from yellow sand, salt marshes and rocks, between which hot air vibrates

5. Bogdo-gegen Palace is a magnificent complex of buildings in the center of the capital. This is the temple of the "living Buddha" and the residence of the head of the Buddhist community. The complex consists of a winter and summer palace, within their walls there are numerous museums, in particular “ National Museum Mongolia ".

6. Gandan Monastery - one of the nine wonders of Mongolia. The Gandan Tegchinlin Hiid complex, whose name translates as “The Great Chariot of All-Encompassing Joy,” includes temples, suburgans, pagodas and a Buddhist University.

7. Khubsugul is the most deep lake countries with crystal clean water which is drinkable raw. The lake formed in a crater extinct volcano... He is often called “the younger brother of Baikal”.

8. Manjushri-hiyd - Buddhist monastery, the residence of the Donkhor-Manjushri Khutukhta Khubilgans.

9. Historical complex "Mongolia of the 13th century" - a museum under open air where you can see the country through the eyes of Genghis Khan. The park is located in the small homeland of the legendary commander.

10. Khustain-Nurtu - the national park in which he lives the largest number horses in the country. The trick of the park is that any visitor for $ 100 can give a name to a newborn stallion.

11. Erdene-Zuu is the most ancient Buddhist monastery in Mongolia that has survived to this day. Its name translates as "Hundred Treasures". During the construction of the monastery complex, which consisted of 62 temples, materials from the fires and ruins of the glorious capital of Karakorum were used.

12. Museum of Fine Arts of Zanabazar - the first museum in Mongolia, founded in the residence of Bogdo Khan. Here you can see the walls of caves with petroglyphs painted by primitive people.

13.Elyn-Am is a picturesque deep gorge in national park Gobi-Gurvan-Sayhan, named the Valley of the Eagles after the bearded vulture.

14. Sokhbaataryn Talbai - central square the capital of Mongolia, dedicated to Genghis Khan. The square is surrounded by the Government Palace, the Museum of Mongolian Statehood, the Palace of Culture, the Lenin Club, the Opera and Ballet Theater. In addition to the monument to Genghis Khan himself, there are monuments to Samba, Zoriga and Marco Polo, as well as a stele with an engraved text and the melody of the national anthem.

15. Buddha International Park is located at the foot of Zaisan Hill - observation deck, which overlooks the entire Ulaanbaatar. The main decoration of the park is a 23-meter statue of Shakyamuni Buddha, made of yulaet.

Mongolia is located in the central part of Europe. The borders of the state are landlocked. However, the state has an interesting political and geographical history.

The official religion of the country is Tibetan Buddhism. This is reflected in both religious architecture and the mentality of the population.

But in the cities of the country there are also numerous temples for Christians, Muslims and people of other religions.

Ulaanbaatar

This glorious city was founded at the beginning of the 17th century and today is the capital of the state. It is interesting for many things, at least for the life of the townspeople.

In the cultural and political center of Mongolia, some people live in yurts and use horses for transport. But about a quarter of the total population of the country lives here, and the city has a sufficiently developed modern infrastructure.

One of the most beautiful and favorite places for tourists is the central square, where the Peace Bell is located. You can also see the memorial erected in honor of Genghis Khan, on the site of which the mausoleum of Sukhe-Bator used to be.

It had political significance, since this national hero declared the country's independence from China. Beautiful also Winter Palace the last emperor and the largest active monastery in Mongolia, Gandan.

In addition, Ulaanbaatar is home to numerous interesting museums, in particular the Museum of National Toys and the War Museum.

Khubsugul

Rich in beautiful natural sites and scenic spots the city is often called the "Blue Pearl". This nickname is due to the fact that on the territory of Khovsgul there is a lake of the same name, which is about two million years old.

It is deepest in Central Asia and is connected with Lake Baikal through the Selenga. Tourist bases are concentrated in the Khankha region. Arvan-Gurvan-ob shamanistic sanctuary is located in its vicinity. This religious and historical site is located on a rocky promontory.

In this beautiful place, numerous obo are found, which were used by shamans for witchcraft and testimony of sacrificial rituals of worshipers.

Karakorum

From the point of view of history and archeology, the city of Karakorum can be considered the most beautiful place in Mongolia. The ruins of this ancient capital The Mongol Empire are found southwest of Ulan Bator. It was a political center for only 40 years. After that, the capital was moved to Beijing.

From the ancient buildings, the palace of Khan Ogedei, quarters of artisans and numerous religious buildings, which are still being investigated by archaeologists, have been preserved. Not far from it is the famous Erdene Zuu monastery.

It is one of the largest medieval Buddhist buildings of this kind. In the vicinity of the city you can also see Beautiful places where dinosaurs once lived. Numerous evidences of their habitation in the form of bones have been found. Bronze Age rock paintings have also been found here.

Khovd

The city of Khovd is located to the west of Ulan Bator. It is connected with the capital by bus routes. The settlement founded by pastoralists later became large shopping center between Mongolia and Russia. Today the city is a large industrial center. From there, you can start exploring western Mongolia.

At the end of the 18th century, the Manchu commanders erected a fenced-in settlement of the conquerors here. Nowadays, it is presented in the form of beautiful historical ruins. The beautiful areas north of the ruins are usually preferred for hiking. Tourists often walk along rugged and dry hills.

You can also visit the Khovd History Museum, which displays various exhibits from the pre-Mongol and Buddhist eras. Such values ​​will surprise every person who visits them.

Darkhan

This city is practically of no value for lovers of historical monuments. Tourist places Not everyone can call them beautiful. However, Darkhan is the second largest city in Mongolia and the country's industrial center.

It can be interesting for inspecting the infrastructure. This is a typical Mongolian concentration of industrial facilities. Numerous factories and plants can be seen walking along the city streets or from the observation deck.

Also laid here railways of international importance, modern telecommunications and energy sources.

The city is an excellent showcase for modern architecture and industry. Due to its importance in the development of the country, this city rightfully belongs to one of the most significant places in Mongolia, distinguished by its original beauty.

The country of ancient nomads - Mongolia - has been changing rapidly in recent years. For centuries, the Mongols lived mainly in the wild, leading a nomadic lifestyle. However, civilization with all its pluses and minuses came to them. Locals from the steppes they began to move to cities. Modern Mongolia- what is she? See the series of photographs "Mongolian (urban) families" by French photographer Lucile Chombart de Lauwe.

20 PHOTOS

1. Mongolia is indeed changing. “This country is in a 'transitional phase',” wrote French photographer Lucile Chombart de Lauwe on her website, who has been documenting the changes for several years now. (Photo: Lucile Chombart de Lauwe).
2. “Changes are happening very quickly, they are not related to the seasons, weather or the habits of nomads, but to the rapid development of the market economy,” writes the author of these photographs. (Photo: Lucile Chombart de Lauwe).
3. The photographs taken by Lucille show the process of transformation and urbanization that is taking place today in Mongolia. (Photo: Lucile Chombart de Lauwe).
4. The Mongols for centuries lived in yurts in the vast expanses of the steppe, and not in tenement houses. For many of them, moving to cities was not an easy step. (Photo: Lucile Chombart de Lauwe).
5. “In my photo project, I focused on the attitude of Mongolian families to their new environment. In other words, I just watched how the Mongols feel and use the new space, ”the photographer writes. (Photo: Lucile Chombart de Lauwe).
6. Lucile Chombart de Lauwe first visited Mongolia in 2007. Even then, she was amazed at how quickly the cities grew there. (Photo: Lucile Chombart de Lauwe).
7. Interestingly, more than half of Mongolia's urban population living in cities does not live in multi-storey buildings or houses, but in settlements in traditional yurts. (Photo: Lucile Chombart de Lauwe).
8. The photographer wrote that she had no problems communicating with the Mongols. She stressed that they are extremely friendly and open people. (Photo: Lucile Chombart de Lauwe).
9. Settlement of yurts in the suburbs of one of the Mongolian cities. (Photo: Lucile Chombart de Lauwe).
10. Lucille started her photography project in Mongolia in 2011. (Photo: Lucile Chombart de Lauwe).
11. Less than half of the Mongols who have settled in cities live in multi-storey buildings. (Photo: Lucile Chombart de Lauwe).
12. The elderly people of Mongolia are not used to living in large settlements. (Photo: Lucile Chombart de Lauwe).
13. Traditional Mongolian yurt. (Photo: Lucile Chombart de Lauwe).
14. Inside one of the yurts visited by photographer Lucile Chombart de Lauwe. (Photo: Lucile Chombart de Lauwe).
15. House of a Mongolian family. (Photo: Lucile Chombart de Lauwe).
16. Yurts are often equipped with modern houses... (Photo: Lucile Chombart de Lauwe).

In general, it is amazing how a country that many centuries ago created the largest empire in the history of mankind, tilted many strong civilizations and forced to pay tribute to itself, today looks so wretched and poor.
Everything connected with the life of people is sad here. Moreover, this repents not only of the remote province, but also of the capital ...
Ulan Bator is as sad as the whole country as a whole, at least some here and here on Geliki.
Maybe this is the lot of all once powerful civilizations - first to be at the peak and rule the world, and then slide to the very bottom, vegetating in mud, poverty and hopeless ...?
Who knows ... But that's exactly what happened with Mongolia. See for yourself.

2. Mongolia is the 11th largest country in the world. But only 3.5 million people live here. 3 times less than it lives in the rest of the world !!! All who can leave Mongols from their country.
There are only a few asphalt roads in the country. The rest is the most common primer.
The roads that exist look the same as the roads in any Russian village ...

3. Near the border with Russia, even houses in villages look Russian ...
Traditionally, Mongols live in yurts, roaming the steppe. But many in our time, long ago settled in small towns and villages, located, as a rule, along asphalt roads. It is understandable, at least there is life near the road, not like in a remote endless steppe.

4. Most of the buildings that you meet along the road look very neglected. The building was built many years ago, and no one looks after it.
What is there to look after, they don't even repair it. So buildings are falling apart over time.

5. All these photos were taken in Sukhe-Bator, rather large locality not far from the Russian-Mongolian border.
And here everything is solid sadness-sadness

6. Home of a wealthy person by local standards.

7. Barn .. Although it may be residential building... Anything can be here.

8. And this is just a residential building ... But what? After all - a roof over your head.

9. Conveniences, as usual, in the yard.

10. Mongolian deli

11. Multi-apartment residential building.

12. Typical Mongolian village. Half of the fences are not around houses, but around yurts.

13. Most of the villages along the highway are quite small - they consist of several houses and one electric pole.

14. Mongols are so used to their yurts that even houses are often built in the same style.

15. Mongol thinks ...

16. I noticed that there are practically no stray dogs and cats in Mongolia ...

17. But Mongolia has amazingly photogenic children !!! I even talk about them.

16. Such inscriptions can be found on every second house along the route. For sale. Everyone wants to sell their house or fence and move to a more prosperous country. They mainly go either to neighboring China or to Russia ...

18. But Mongolia is not rich in despondency alone. Endless steppes and stunning landscapes!
That is what attracts here and will continue to attract thousands of travelers.
And I want to come back here again, but with completely different goals and program.
For example, in the fall ...

Now, right in my blog, you can quickly book a hotel or buy flights

My previous photo reports and photo plots: