The Eye of Tengri: May 2015

Children's Day makes a fitting end to the school year

June 1 is recognized worldwide as "International Day for Protection of Children" and consequently is the most popular day in many countries for celebrating children. In Mongolia it is called "Children's Day," or Хүүхдийн баяр (Hüühdiin bayar). As you may recall, баяр refers to a celebration or holiday. Officially, the day is known as Эх үрсийн баяр (Eh ürsiin bayar), which means "Mother and Children's Celebration" in rather formal Mongolian.

The biggest party, of course, is in Ulaanbaatar. Thousands of parents and children from around the country gather for a ceremony in Sühbaatar Square, and other activities. However, smaller parties happen in сум's and аймаг's. Naturally, they are usually hosted at schools.

The Mongolian school year conveniently runs from September through May, so Children's Day makes a fitting unofficial end for the school year. In honor of Children's Day 2015, please enjoy some pictures from Children's Day 2014.

Children line up by the school to watch the ceremony

A little Mongolian boy checks his trading cards

Children's Day parties at schools provide a chance for students to show off their talents. Unlike most student competitions, which are dominated by high school students, on Children's Day the participants are mostly kindergarten or elementary school children.

Girls get ready to dance

Typical displays of skill include dancing and singing performances. Talented young artists get their drawings displayed on school walls. One year when I visited UB on that day, even the State Department Store (Mongolia's biggest mall) displayed children's drawings in the store window.

Singing is popular at many holidays, including Children's Day

On Children's Day, small children can sing too.

Opportunities for play include games like darts and шагай, and drawing on the ground with chalk.

Playing with sheep anklebones

Older children playing darts

Children drawing with chalk

Of course, winners get certificates.

At the end, everyone gets their picture taken.

Say Hi.

More photos

Take some photos from the other direction

Adults also find time to celebrate themselves too. Here teachers pose for a photo op in front of the school.

More Mongolian monuments, this time outside of Ulaanbaatar.

Camel in Terelj

Shaman on the western highway out of Ulaanbaatar

Shaman

Цонжин Болдог - Tsonjin Boldog

OK, in the last piece about monuments, I said that Sühbaatar's statue was the most famous, but this one below may be more famous now - at least among foreigners, who've seen it in the news somewhere. (Sühbaatar's statue, being almost 70 years old and from a time when Mongolia was largely closed to the Occident, is unknown to most foreigners, even if it has emotional resonance for Mongolians.) Tsonjin Boldog is a vast and interesting historical 'village' of sorts, but the centerpiece, of course, is the massive, massive statue of Chingis Khaan on a horse.

The giant statue of Chingis Khaan at Tsonjin Bodlog

Smaller equestrian statue guarding the way to Chingis

The statue is so massive, in fact, that you can climb the stairs inside it and walk out onto the horse's head.

Chingis Khaan's face, seen from the top of his horse's head

Chingis Khaan's whip

Covered in glistening metal and sharp angles, and wearing a frown, this Chingis statue projects a hard, rough image. It's appropriate given his reputation as a warrior, but also quite different from the effect of the mellow, aged-bronze Chingis who watches the government building like a wise ancestor. Tsonjin Boldog's statue is bigger and better-known, but the one in Parliament is a better statue, in my opinion at least.

Эрдэнэт - Erdenet

Erdenet is the second-largest city in Mongolia.

The Russian-Mongolian Friendship Monument. (Найрамдал is 'friendship' in Mongolian. Дружба must be 'friendship' in Russian.)

Large Buddha statue outside town.

Bulldozer in Erdenet

Turtle? Maybe? I really don't know.

Anandyn Amar (Анандын Амар), 1886-1941. Early leader of the Mongolian People's Republic who was purged by Choibalsan.

Anandyn Amar

Odd-looking tower. I couldn't find out what it represents.

Хархорин - Kharhorin

Kharhorin: better-known in the outside world as Karakorum, once the capital of the Mongol Empire.

In front of City Hall

Stylized 'lion' guarding the bridge over a stream. This is on the way to City Hall and the post office.

More lions at Erdene Züü (Эрдэнэ Зүү) Monastery.

Цэцэрлэг - Tsetserleg

Viktor Stanislavovich Kiyakovsky (Виктор Станиславович Кияковский), 1899-1932. The other side reads: Монголын ард түмний эрх чөлөө, тусгаар тогтнолын төлөө амь насаа зориулсан зөвлөлтийн эрэлхэг чекистэд, "To the gallant Soviet secret service member who dedicated his life to the freedom and independence of the Mongolian people." Google turned up only a single English search result for him [1].