Vladislav Terentyev

The article considers the official dating of the establishment of Russian-Mongolian relations, measured in 2021 to be a century old. The author defines the logic of the official state rhetoric, which limits the
diplomatic relations of the two countries to one century. Given the long-term nature of the Russian and Mongolian statehood, as well as the nature of the ties established in the XIII century, between the Russian
principalities and the Mongol Empire, the question is raised about the adequacy of such an assessment of this historical period. Alternative options for calculating the duration of diplomatic relations between
Russia and Mongolia are proposed.

The essay describes the author's personal memoirs related to the scientific and pedagogical activities of the famous ethnographer and museologist V.M. Kimeev. It considers the key role of V.M. Kimeev in the growth of the author as a researcher. Valery Makarovich's understanding of ethnicity as the «state of the soul» and his attempts to put this into practice by implanting, personifying and playing the image of the last tulber are outlined.

The article examines the social effects of distance learning in Mongolia introduced in connection with the quarantine measures. The Mongolian education system was quite successfully transferred into an online format from the start. A positive factor in this regard was the unified system of textbooks operating throughout the country. Gradually, negative trends became noticeable - a decrease in quality of education. Special qualitative and quantitative international studies on this topic appeared in a remote format almost a year later. They testified the existence of colossal technical and intellectual inequalities and the dissatisfaction of most parents with the existing system. A large role in attitude change towards e-learning has played its lengthy duration. For University students, the prolonged distance learning has caused dissatisfaction in education quality which led them to demand lower tuition fees. The most negative effects of distance education in Mongolia includes a drop in the real quality of knowledge, formation of technical and intellectual inequality. Due to the implementation of distance learning for such a long time, Mongolia's educational system is in a serious downfall. The situation becomes is even more fragile as a result of its continuous reforms combined with prolonged distance learning according to some Mongolian researchers.

The article examines the current structural problems of the Mongolian state and society, emerged during the fight against the new coronavirus. The strict government quarantine measures and the Mongolian citizens’ response to them reveal the specifics of a quasi-democratic political system, the importance of nationalist rhetoric for social cohesion, the ineffectiveness of distance learning for most students the current state of the economy, which depends on the PRC terms of export. Provided that quarantine measures are lifted by mid-2021, a number of social benefits will also be canceled, which in the long term may provoke a conflict between certain categories of citizens and the state, since the end of the coronavirus crisis will not end the complex socio-political problems in Mongolia.

The sociocultural specificity of Mongolia resides in the interleaving of some elements of the nomadic culture and the results of current aggressive westernization that may seem quite distinctive and unusual to a sided observer. This specificity results in the sustained turning of the Mongols, both as individuals and as a nation, to the medieval era of its history associated with the classical period of the Empire’s existence. Such an appeal occurs throughout the diversity of social, cultural, political and economic practices of the population. As an explanatory model of what is happening, the concept of medieval intellection as one of the characteristics of the national identity is proposed.

Using a specific example of B. Manduhai’s work, the article critically examines the language,
argumentation and essence of the postcolonial approach taken in the study of the socialist past of Mongolia. The
aspiration of “post-colonial authors” to identify exclusively negative stories in the past and to interpret the positive
experience of Soviet-Mongolian cooperation as traumatic is noted. The reasons for a kind of post-colonial syndrome in
contemporary Mongolian studies are noted. The rhetoric of brotherhood, which is considered by some Western authors
to be the secretive basis of the “colonial” policy of the Soviet Union in the MPR, is considered separately

The article presents the specifics of distance learning in a Russian school abroad. Taking into account the ethnocultural environment, positive and negative sides of the remote educational system are determined. The main problem of such education in a school abroad is the lack of a language environment.

This article examines the Ulaanbaatar phenomenon. The capital city of Mongolia actually contains all the external ideas about the country, but in essence it is not Mongolia, being a kind of city-state that exists separately in the country's socio-cultural space. The author defines the significance of the metropolitan ethnocultural space, its images and meanings in the self-identification practices of modern Mongols. A brief historical overview of the urban planning tradition of the Mongols is offered, which shows an active external influence and an almost complete absence of local character in this process. This is not unique to the nomadic culture, which denies any urban settlement, static and immobile. Based on opinion polls and qualitative observations, attention is drawn to one important paradox of the modern Mongolian society. It boils down, on the one hand, to the stable appeal of the older generation to nomadic, pastoral traditions as the basis for the existence of the modern Mongolian nation and civilization. On the other hand, it is associated with the desire to organize the life of their descendants in the city and not pass on to them the values of the nomadic society. In conclusion, it is summed up that it is the city that enables the former Mongolian steppe, who moved here to a potential permanent residence, to feel in its entirety the identity of a nomad, not limited by the framework of livestock farming, but filled with images and ideas about their own traditional culture. These are the ideas about their culture, expressed most often in the understanding of nomadism as a mobile pastime, that determine the current ethnicity of the Mongols.

The presented article, on the example of Mongolia, addresses a problem of teaching history according to Russian educational standards in foreign schools, whose students perceive the discipline taught as a history of alien states. The urgency of this problem lies, firstly, in the need to adapt the educational programs to the national specifics of the country, secondly, in the hypothetical inclusion of history in the list of mandatory Unified state exams. A systematic approach is used as the methodological basis of the study. This approach considers the education system as a multi-level integrated complex of interrelated phenomena. The methodology of the study: personal active observation, analysis of statistical data and regulatory framework, analysis and synthesis. The article notes of a reduction tendency of Russian educational system in Mongolia. A specific number of students, who are enrolled in schools that fully carry out Russian educational program, is given. It indicates a number of schools that partially teach academic subjects in Russian. The essence of the problem declared in the article is as follows: Starting from the 5th grade, children are interested in the history of their country, which will be taught only in the 9th grade. For this reason, the only way to motivate students to study «alien» history is the method of analogy: a parallel comparison of universal and Russian history with the history of Mongolia. With this approach, children will form an idea of history not as a process lying in one plane, but as a space of processes. In the Russian history course, which is taught to foreign children inadequately as the history of their Fatherland, it is necessary to creatively interpret the model and the results dictated by the federal state educational standard of the second generation. According to the standard, the teacher should form Russian civil identity among the citizens of Mongolia. The teacher must take into account the historical, cultural and ethnic qualities of the region. There can be three results from teaching Russian history abroad: Firstly, replacement of their own history with a history of a neighboring state. This will lead to erosion of civic and national identities. Secondly, rejection of a foreign history or awakening of their own cultural superiority. This could potentially lead to the formation of ethnic nationalism. Thirdly, the formation of historical thinking, the principle of historicism and understanding of Mongolian history inclusion in the global historical process. While working abroad, the teacher is obliged to focus on the last result. Ultimately, in our practice in history lessons we educate citizens of Mongolia.

The article describes formation of general cultural and civil identities among foreign school children in Russian schools abroad. A position of Russian educational system in Mongolia is characterized. Also features presence of a high degree of civil identity, due to the deep traditionalism inherent in Mongolia. The possibility of forming a common civil identity through the use of analogy method is shown. The article notes that the students abroad perceive the history of our fatherland as a foreign country history.

The article examines the problems of changing mentality and identity of the nomadic Mongols, who at the beginning of the XXI century actively moved to a relatively permanent place of residence in the capital of the country – the city of Ulaanbaatar. The process of transforming urban space by yesterday's nomads and the technology of transmitting specific cultural stereotypes from the steppe to the capital is described in the article. When moving to the city from provincial immigrants from the rural areas, images and ideas about nomadic culture become more relevant. However, these images cannot truly function in the context of urban life. This happens in isolation from the tradition and through its rethinking of nomadic life. These circumstances are extremely specific in the conditions of urban everyday life and manifest through nostalgia for motherland and nomadic culture. The theoretical and methodological novelty of the study is the experimental use of the conceptual model of «non-place» (anonymous places) by the French anthropologist M.Auge. The article attempts to explore Mongolian culture from the inside through emic analysis (emic standpoint). The no ownership of Ulaanbaatar is confirmed firstly by the fact that the provincials perceive the city as a seasonal camp from which it is necessary to migrate to another camp (abroad or back to the provinces). Secondly, Ulaanbaatar is not perceived by its inhabitants as a small homeland. The images of small homelands and discourses about these images are the basis for the identity of an any modern Mongolian.

The article examines the images of Russia and the Russians existing in the national consciousness of the contemporary Mongolians. The transition from the image of the USSR as an older brother to the modern models of interpretation of our country. Popular image of the older brother in the socialist period in the Mongolian People's Republic is losing its relevance, along with the passing of the «Soviet» Mongols generation who were educated in USSR or in Soviet educational institutions in Mongolia. Nevertheless, the conditions that form the positive image of Russia are: proverbs and sayings related to the theme of brotherhood, the people's memory, the activities of Russian official organizations (the Russian Embassy in Mongolia, the Russian Center for Science and Culture in Ulaanbaatar). As well as, the objective geographical location of Mongolia, bordering in the north with the Russian Federation and in the south with the PRC affects the positive image of Russia. In the widespread Sinophobic conditions in Mongolia, Russia acts as a neutral (more profitable) partner, a reliable defender against potential Chinese aggression. The modern images of Russia and the factors influencing their formation are analyzed as follows. First, the image of Russia as a northern neighbor (a positive-neutral assessment) is considered as a strategic partner. Secondly, the image of Russia as an aggressor country (negative assessment) was formed due to Internet and nationalist discourses. In conclusion, the conditions that will influence Mongolia's choice of the actual image of Russia and the Russians, is outlined.

The article explores one of the main components of the ethnicity of modern Mongols – the representation of the small homeland or native nomadic. Various ways of interpreting this concept and the situational nature of the perception of the image of the homeland among the Mongols are analyzed. Three groups of sources on the topic are considered. Particular attention is paid to the literary and song creativity of the Mongolian authors of the 20th – early 21th centuries. Here nutag’s image becomes universal, non-specific, but traditionally preserving the connection with the native landscape of each Mongol-nomad. In conclusion, the dual essence of modern notions about nutag is emphasized: external abstractness and internal individual imagery and association with a specific locality, natural objects and spirit-masters of the native space.

The article discusses the various attempts made at producing ethnic classifications of groups of Western Mongolians which have always been the population minority in the country. I outline and examine three periods in which the search for the language of ethnological description took different forms: the eve of the 19th–20th centuries; the socialist period (1924–90); and the contemporary period (from 1990 onward). I suggest possible ways of resolving the terminological quandary that researchers are experiencing today. I argue that the issue is to be viewed in the context of a broader research challenge – namely, that of diagnosing the state of ethnic identity in smaller communitiesand working out methods for studying it as well as the politics of constructing it if it is not manifested strongly

The article describes the current status of the Russian language in Mongolia. The image and place of the Russian language is characterized on materials, made by personal observations and statistics in the context of the popularity of English, Chinese, Korean and Japanese languages in the educational process of Mongolia. It is known that the Russian population continues to perceive the modern Mongolia as the former «sixteenth satellite Soviet Republic» and believed that the Russian language is still widely spoken here. However, young Mongolians prefer to study other languages in reality under geopolitically and ethnoculturally changing situations. At the same time, part of the Mongolian elites are still interested in the language of the «northern neighbor». Therefore, it is necessary to create needs for Russian-speaking personnel and cadres as well as to expand presence of Russian education under a new phase of development in Mongolia.

The paper analyzes the highly topical problem of the relationship between medieval ethno-political associations and their modern descendants in the Eurasian steppes. Often, such a connection can be proved only by the fact of having the same ethnonyms at different time sections. As an example, analyzes the ethnic composition of the Western Mongols in order to determine the place and role of the ethnonym Oirat in modern ethno-cultural environment of Western Mongolia. History Oirats full of unresolved issues, due to the insufficient number of sources. This fact allows researchers in some cases a free interpretation of events, and relatively arbitrary identification of the ethnic composition of the medieval ethno-political associations. Since the chronicles reflect, mainly, political processes, and the main actors in them are the ruling family, headed by the leaders of the then judge the true «ethnic» part of the medieval association is extremely difficult. The paper refuted a direct link between Oirats and western Mongolia, analyzed all the modern interpretation of the ethnic composition of the latter. The conclusion is about the impossibility of applying modern ethnonym Oirat to their descendants, because this name is not in the everyday existence of ethno-cultural environment

The Political division of Western Mongolia in the mid 18th – early 20th century as a factor of consolidation of ethnic groups.
The article defines the role of the political division of Khovd District in the process of consolidation of ethnic groups in the western Mongols. It analyzes the history of the formation of the system of administration of western Mongolia to the mid-18th to early 20th century, a description of the composition of the «wings» Khovd District, indicate lists khoshuns – the basic units of the Political divisions. The law «Code of the Chinese Chamber of External Relations» was controlled by nomadic khoshuns system. Khoshuns boundaries marked on the ground and marked on the map. It was all the factors that affect the formation of the ethnic self-identification and territorial identity of ethnic groups in Western Mongolia.

The article examines the factors having an impact on the transformation of ethnic identity among today’s Western Mongolians. Drawing on the own field research data, the author discusses a variety of causes that led to the emergence of territorial and local ethnic identities as significant markers among the people who used to think of themselves as a socialist nation and whose most important identity was that of citizens. The article focuses on a range of issues such as ethnic mobilization of the Mongolians, their ethnic and cultural surroundings, and ethnic stereotypes.

Mongolia is on the border of two countries only, namely Russia and China. Images of northern and southern neighbors take important place in Mongolian national mentality. After the collapse of soviet block Mongolian authorities became to develop new kinds of external relationships with «third neighbor» (set of Western Europe states, USA, Southern Korea and Japan). An image of new player and western construed democratic values was successfully integrated in national mentality. New foreign policy of «third neighbor» is interpreted as an attempt to secede of Russian and Chinese influence.
An idea that China and Chinese are «unfamiliar» for Mongols have real historical matters. Military confrontation between nomadiсal and civilized worlds had being continued up to 18th century when Mongols was totally incorporated in Qin empire. Qin colonial policy in Outer Mongolia was enforced in the beginning of 20th century by increasing military contingent and Chinese migration. This policy inspired the resistance movement and proclamation of independence of Mongolia in 1911. Negative attitude to Chinese merchants gradually became the factor of solidarity of all Mongols through the ages up to our times. In some sense it became one of the core factors constituted Mongolian national identity.
Chinese offence is a stable fear of contemporary Mongols. In fact poverty, problems with national medicine, corruption and other negative trends are associated with China in common. However not all population represent southern neighbor in such way. According to Mongolian authors China have an intention to subordinate Mongolia through culture policy. They insist that China try to register original objects of material and spiritual Mongolian culture in UNESCO as their own.
At the same time positive image of China is exist in Mongolian society. China «soft power» policy plays a great role in forming of this positive image. Some of the main instruments of this policy are Confucius Institute was opened in Mongolian National university in 2007 and “Centre for Chinese culture” in Ulan Bator. Today Mongols have image of «two China»: civilized and uncivilized.
Traditional negative attitude to Chines reduce subethnical identities of Mongolian people. Common premise to construe internal problems as a result of China influence inspire xenophobia especially through undereducated citizens. Despite popular «Chinese fears» many Mongols wish to study in PRC and work after. Personal interests to survive in difficult socioeconomic environment have power to displace ordinary negative attitude to southern neighbor to the background of national mentality.

Traditional naming of socio-political events that have occurred in Outer Mongolia in 1911-1921 years the «National liberation movement» implies unified Mongol nation. The main objective of the article is critics of approach based on the identification of ethnic consciousness of western Mongolia. For these purposes we analyze theories about the origin of Mongolian Nation: during the existence of the Hunnu State (3rd century BCE); in the era of Chinggis Khaan (13th century); during the period when the territory of Mongolia was a part of the Qing Empire (middle of the 15th century - 1911); at the beginning of the XX century, under socialism (1924-1990). Some scientists have questioned the existence in Mongolia cohesive nation today. The feudal leaders of events 1911-1912 were not intended to fundamental change in the development of society, and the «left intact the archaic social and economic relations in the country» (E.A. Belov), therefore these events cannot be used the concept of «revolution». Apart the joining factors (religion, writing and negative attitudes towards Chinese merchants) there were divisive ones: tremendous social and stratification of Mongolian society. The nature of the Mongolian opposition elite and Qing administration indicates the critical state of the Mongolian society and the lack of focusing of actions of different social groups of the Mongols. Ethnoregional especially western Mongolia are added. It is believed that in the liberation movement were the main driving force Khalkhas so interesting features of perception of the events in the west of the country. In western Mongolia, in parallel with the main processes began to appear the idea of separation from the Khalkha region or of their own autonomy. On the atmosphere of indifferent attitude of most Western Mongols to t. n. «National liberation» colorfully report publication A.V. Burdukov, is a direct participant of the events. His recordings have been criticized by I.J. Zlatkin who accused first «superficial judgment», «simplistic interpretation of important political events», «underestimate the scope... of the national liberation movement of the Mongols». In order to avoid seeing in the analyzed processes united Mongol nation logical to call these events «liberation movement». On the Assembly of Derbet peoples in 1915, the Western Mongolia expressed their desire to have their prince. So it demonstrated their sense of otherness in contact with Khalkha Mongols. It had the ultimate nature of «desire» or threat in case of failure to the agreement and they threatened to join to China or Russia. It is said the lack of a sense of national solidarity among all groups of the Mongols, which has yet to formed.

The article is about a discussion on some of the sources of building a modern Mongolian nation: crisis of a socialist ideology, the revival of the Chinggis Khaan image and the Mongolian Empire at the 13th century, USA’s influence to Mongolia, perception of «Chinese threat» as well as Law on Language.

The article is analyzed the Mongolian’s nomadic culture specificity of adaptation to urban conditions basing of author’s personal field observations. The choice of topic concerns with thesis about the shortly nomads’ disappearance as a special form of economy. Moving to a permanent place of residence in the capital of Mongolia – Ulan Bator – yesterday’s nomads carry out ideological and personal stereotypes. The paper studies the nomads’ ways of understanding urban space, orientation system and local urban toponymy as a result of these processes. Some ethnic groups who lived before relatively absently, being in a close city (in terms of a nomad) refuse from the former sub-ethnic identity in favor of nationwide one. New citizens, as one of the foundations the forming today Mongolian’s civil nation, at the same time, is a party in the traditional conflict between native inhabitants and newly arrived ones. The contradictions are settling down gradually in result of assimilation urban norms of behavior.

The paper analyses modern theoretical approaches to comprehend a nature of the Turkic ethnic groups revitalization processes in Southern Siberia, that dominate among national elite representatives. The practical way of an ethnocultural heritage conservation is proposed through ecomuseum creating in aborigines’ locations. This variant is the most logical and productive to avoid constructivist national political discourse and to optimize state national policy.

This paper describes a wide-spread modern derbet tradition of unbloody cattle sacrifice via it's consecration. Analysing the field samples and multiplicity of published papers we tell about main subjects of this phenomenon and identify historiographical points of view.

In this article the main themes are: the modern mechanisms of forming general civil and Mongolian identity and Mongolian national consolidation. The main component of these processes is unlimited introduction the image of Chinggis Khaan in all social spheres of life. The author named it the «Chinggis Khaansation». In terms of proper field data the contradictory character of « Chinggis Khaansation» is analyzed in political and ethnocultural areas at Mongolia. The area of civil and ethnic nationalism is also analyzed. The place and the role of Khan are shown in perception of ordinary citizens. Particular perception by Mongols and new ritual practice are connected with dissemination of Chinggis Khaan's State cult. The actual examples is illustrated the eclectic character of modern Mongolian identity. It is based on partly relevant images of socialistic past, which are continuing to stay in present. It is also based on new-born imperial signs and symbols, which are proclaimed in «Mongolian democracy».

The paper briefly tells about modern condition of the Oirat investigation, gives proof of medieval ethnopolitonym transformation to modern ethnohistorical community name, analyzes some recent processes in Oirat ethnocultural unity reconstruction and tries to discover modern ethnic borders of the Western Mongolians who are the Oiraats descendants.

The article discusses the results of a sociological survey conducted in September 2019 in the Bayanzurkh district of Ulaanbaatar by a random sampling method. The goal is to determine the relations between contemporary Mongols and representatives of Orthodoxy, Buddhism and Islam. The study was carried out on the basis of the scale of the social distance of E. Bogardus and the method of included observation, carried out since 2013, which allows to understand qualitatively the figures obtained from the survey. Along with the results of the questionnaire, the text discusses some of the problems of Mongol religious identity. The reasons for the current situation and the nature of religion in Mongolia are determined.

The article discusses factors of the transformation of identity among modern Turkic peoples of Pritomye: the influence of the administration, the role of the national-political elite and the processes of «revival». The role of ecomuseums in preserving and transmitting the ethnocultural heritage among the Shorians, Teleuts and Kalmaks is substantiated

This article attempts to answer the question about the reasons of the modern Mongols' departure from their traditional ecological behavior. Based on personal observations and surveys we suppose that the main factor forming Mongolian ethnicity is the idea of «native place» (in Mongolian: «nutag») and as a part of last one the idea of the nature of the native land. Distancing from the «small homeland» affects the perception of the natural environment as a stranger (or not at all native). Act of throwing garbage in Ulaanbaatar is probably due to this perception. It is important to understand, in the capital live the half the country's population, and people often come here to visit relatives and friends in rural areas. The reasons for changes in ecological behavior is added «economic nationalism» unfolded in Mongolia generated by extractive riot. Since the beginning of development of large deposits of gold and the appearance of information about a variety of gold-bearing areas of the country the population has formed a myth about the prospect of rapid enrichment, if become illegal miners. This class of people became known as the Ninja. Probably, ninja do not take the land, where they work, as part of its nutag. The article concludes with idea that it is Important to distinguish the facts of the traditional ecological behavior and perceptions of it.

On the basis of field supervision it is considered a modern use of archeological monuments the western Mongols. There are the examples of using the stones from barrow embankment for economic purposes and the episodes of asking the Turkic sculptures in concrete occasions (Naadam, Tsagaan-sar).

A collection of documents and materials related to the life and work of the outstanding Russian diplomat, Consul General in Mongolia Ya.P. Shishmarev (1833–1915) is being analyzed. In addition to his active work in the diplomatic field, the book shows his contribution to the study of the ethnography of Mongolia, assistance to Russian scientific expeditions, his organizational role in strengthening the diplomatic and cultural presence of Russia in Mongolia. This includes the construction of the Consulate General building and the Orthodox Holy Trinity temple, as well as the formation of a school of translators and work to increase the number of consular missions in Mongolia, which at that time was part of the Qing Empire. It is worth noting that all the work of Ya.P. Shishmarev in Mongolia lasted 50 years – a unique fact and, despite its apparent fame, worthy of attention of Mongol studies internationally and the diplomatic community.
The collection of documents includes introductory articles by authors-compilers, publications by Ya.P. Shishmarev, archival materials on the topic. The book has been prepared for publication by well-known historians A.I. Shinkovoi and Yu.V. Kuzmin from Irkutsk. The book emphasizes in its structure two periods in the biography, the period when he worked near the Amur river and the period of work in Mongolia. The review notes the importance of publishing the collection as a way to draw attention to the biography of Ya.P. Shishmarev – a pioneer in the development of modern Russian-Mongolian relations. This fact is especially noteworthy in a year when the controversial 100th anniversary of Russian-Mongolian relations is celebrated.

Рец.:  Гарри  И.  Р.,  Сабиров  Р.  Т.,  Цыремпилов  Н.  В., Родионов В. А., Дондуков Б. Ц., Дрейфус Дж., Вэйжун Ш., Эльверског Й., Бернштейн А. Буддизм и национализм во Внутренней Азии. Улан-Удэ: Буряад-Монгол Ном, 2021. xii+324 с.

Book review: Garri I. R., Sabirov R. T., Tsyrempilov N. V., Rodionov V. A., Dondukov B. Ts., Dreyfus G., Weirong Sh., Elverskog J., Bernstein A. Buddhism and Nationalism in Inner Asia. Ulan-Ude: Buryad-Mongol Nom, 2021. xii+324 p.

The review observed the monograph by A.G. Bolshakov and N. Nyamdorzh, dedicated to the problem of urban development of the Mongolian capital Ulaanbaatar. The importance of such studies, continuing the tradition of domestic works, and emphasizing the problem of the development of modern cities are noted. Interest in Ulaanbaatar is caused, first of all, by the consistent non-observance of the plan for the construction and development of the city, which leads to disastrous consequences that can be observed already now.