Category Archives: Culture

The Tsagaan Sar – Mongolian New Year

Mongolian Lunar New Year

Mongolian New Year or Tsagaan Sar is one of the most celebrated holiday among Mongolians. Tsagaan Sar means “White Moon” in Mongolian language and refers to the first day of the year, according to the Mongolian traditional lunisolar calendar when the new moon rises. Even the date changes every year, the Mongolian system of combining […]

Features of Mongolian Traditional Folk Song – the Urtiin Duu

Urtiin duu

In 1994, the world-famous music band “Enigma” from Germany released the single “Age of Loneliness” as one of the four singles in its second album “The Cross of Changes”. This single was peculiar in a way of containing the unusual female voice singing an extraordinary song in a strange non-western language. Listeners had no idea […]

Exotic Morin khuur, the horse head fiddle and the legend of Namjil the Cuckoo

Perhaps the most exotic bowed string instrument in the world is the Mongolian Morin khuur with the headpiece made in a shape of a horse’s head and an unusually deep and rich sound that can even imitate a horse neighing. The exact timing of the emergence of Morin khuur is still unclear, but there are […]

Mongolian epic of Jangar, the ruler of the fairy Bumba kingdom

Jangar

In the Middle Ages during long winter evenings Western Mongolians gathered at the storyteller and listened to his fascinating epic song about the exploits of Jangar, loyal and brave ruler of the fairy Bumba kingdom. From the storyteller-jangarchi’s mouth, people learned that Jangar was orphaned at the age of two when a cruel devil Guljin […]

Mongol artist who became as famous as Russian Raphael

Alexei Yegorov

It is believed that Alexei Yegorov, a famous Russian artist, whose contemporaries are called the Russian Raphael, was born in 1776 near the Volga river bank, located in the former Kalmyk Khanate. The Kalmyk Khanate was an Oirat or western Mongols khanate, established the Eurasian steppe in 1630. It extended over modern Kalmykia and surrounding […]

A distinctive pattern of the Mongols royal blood – Tavan nuden

Tavan nuden

In the Middle Ages, a pattern called Tavan Nuden (means Five Eyes) could only be used by people with Mongols royal blood, of which, the descendants of Chinggis (Genghis) Khan. No one, even highly rank state men, had the right to use this privileged symbol. During the times of the Yuan Dynasty (1271–1368), which was […]

Mongolian Naadam Festival or Three Manly Games

Mongolian Naadam Festival

From immemorial times, the Mongols have had a tradition to hold a festival in the summer called Naadam. According to Chinese chronicles dating back to the 2nd century BC, it was written that the Huns, the ancestors of the Mongols had being spent a great holiday with wrestling, horse racing and archery in the summers. […]

Traditional Mongolian boots-The exotic Gutals

Mongolian boots

Without a doubt, one of the most exotic and colorful boots in the world is Mongolian gutals. The main feature of the Mongolian boots is their unusual shape with upturned toes and various ornaments, which are so different from modern and western shoes. Mongolian gutals may seem crockery, bulky and uncomfortable for younger generation or […]