Mongolia Focus

@mongoliafocus

Commenting on developments in contemporary #Mongolia and announcing new blog posts offering such analyses. mongoliafocus.com with >900 posts since 2011. @dierkes.bsky.social posting here.

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Mongolia Focus@mongoliafocus· May 12

Lese gerade S Erdene "Die Frau des Jägers". Spannend wenn ein (Chalk, ist aber nicht ausdrücklich erwähnt) Mongole, der selber in der Jurte auf dem Land lebt, Zaatan begegnet und sich an der Einfachheit ihres Lebens(stils) erfreut.

"tan zum ersten Mal begegnet, dem kommen die vor wie Wilde. Doch dann begreifst du, dass sie inmitten dieser Urwälder hat nicht anders sein könnten. Es gibt kein Tier, das dort besser zum Reiten geeignet wäre als das Ren. Die Menschen bekleiden sich mit den Fellen der Tiere, die sie gejagt haben, und ernähren sich von ihrem Fleisch. Sie brauchen diesen ganzen Kram nicht: diese Truhen und Schränke, Wagen und Schlitten. Die nehmen ihr Zelt auseinander, laden die Felle auf ein oder zwei Rentiere, ihre Kleidung und was sie sonst haben, stecken sie in einen Fellsack - fertig. So ziehen sie die Gebirgsgrate entlang, und kein Pfad ist ihnen zu steil."

Mongolia Focus@mongoliafocus· May 9

Outdoor pool tables something that has disappeared in #Mongolia that I miss. Here, captured in 2009 photo book.

Book cover.
Mongolia - Travelling with a Sheep
Irene Martin | Peter Fischer.
Cover shows a rusted bus, sitting on the ground, no wheels, apparently integrated into a fence.

Book page.
Black and white photo looks down a pool table at a young man with a queue, maybe ten balls scattered across table. Many people in the background, public square.

Mongolia Focus@mongoliafocus· Apr 15

Regularly, but intermittently returning to Ulaanbaatar, there are always observations that have me buzzing upon return. Some of these, I share in conservation w/ @ananddairtan.bsky.social & Dolgion in most recent episode of The Great State Mural podcast. www.agulamedia.com/podcast/e025

Mongolia Focus@mongoliafocus· Apr 15

I was in Ulaanbaatar recently and discuss impressions from my visit on the newest episode of The Great State Mural. pca.st/had8rd45

Mongolia Focus@mongoliafocus· Apr 10

Souvenir from Ulaanbaatar: New ger lamp shining a light into my living (room).

Mongolia Focus@mongoliafocus· Apr 8

Sadly, another glorious Mongolia trip comes to an end. Farewell!

Mongolia Focus@mongoliafocus· Apr 7

Was thrilled to meet Great State Mural listeners in Ulaanbaatar last night together with @ananddairtan.bsky.social

Mongolia Focus@mongoliafocus· Apr 7

Looking forward to meeting Great State Mural listeners in two hours at News Café!

Mongolia Focus@mongoliafocus· Apr 6

In addition to Podcast Meet-Up tomorrow, also joining in a discussion abt @vdeminstitute.bsky.social democracy indices on #Mongolia, tomorrow 16:30h in Ulaanbaatar, see attached.

Mongolia Focus@mongoliafocus· Apr 3

Yes, food trucks in Ulaanbaatar. The mayor banned small shops, so people moved to trucks to park then permanently where the shop was. #Mongolia

Hindomaru Japanese food. Sorry of a wood cabin look.

Mongolia Focus@mongoliafocus· Apr 2

Yes, April is protest season in Ulaanbaatar. At the same time, another group at side entrance. Didn't catch their cause, probably Tuul highway!? #Mongolia #MGLpoli

Sukhbaatar Square in the middle of Ulaanbaatar. Photo taken from one edge of the square, looking west. Grand facade of government house would be to the right. In the background: done higher and a construction carcass. A group of about 20 people assembled between Sukhbaatar statue and government house entrance. Some small placards, a microphone.

Mongolia Focus@mongoliafocus· Apr 2

Ulaanbaatar version of attempt to combat rental scooters thrown about everywhere in cities... Note: no scooters here, but perhaps not the season for scooting, yet.

Photo of Ulaanbaatar sidewalk. On the paving stones, there are rectangular stalls in white paint with the image of a stand-up scooter, a sit-down scooter and a "P". In the frame there are six stalls. In the background, roadside greenery, still winter- brown.

Mongolia Focus@mongoliafocus· Mar 25

In case you're wondering what that "Great State Mural - #Mongolia Portrayed" crew of hosts looks like, here's us during a recording session. www.agulamedia.com/podcast 🎙️🇲🇳📷

Screenshot of three hosts in an online recording "studio". From right to left: Anand, Dolgion, Julian. We all managed to look at the camera and are kind of smiling. Julian's hair is crazier than the others'. Photos show mercifully little of the background.

Mongolia Focus@mongoliafocus· Mar 18

Notable uptick across all democracy indices with @vdeminstitute.bsky.social for #Mongolia. Had been puzzled by steady declines (see mongoliafocus.com/2025/12/self... for implications), now I fail to be able to point to any factor in past 18 months that should lead to improvement. #vdem

Graph of all five subindices included in VDem as democracy indicators. Generated at https://v-dem.net/data_analysis/CountryGraph/. Here, time restricted to 2010-2025. All indices take downturn in second half of 2010s, notable uptick from 2024 to 2025.

Mongolia Focus@mongoliafocus· Mar 17

Academic Freedom Index continues to decline for #Mongolia. Last year, I took a closer look. mongoliafocus.com/2025/05/asse...

Academic Freedom Index through 2025 for Mongolia.

Mongolia Focus@mongoliafocus· Feb 4

Continues to be a bit of a thrill to see this notification... open.spotify.com/episode/6K6l...

Screen shot of Spotify notification for new episode of our "Great State Mural" podcast on Mongolia's energy crisis.

Mongolia Focus@mongoliafocus· Dec 8

Holiday reading has arrived. @songsforhorses.com

Photo of book testing on a keyboard.
Book title: A Song for the Horses - Musical Heritage for More-than-Human Futures in Mongolia
Author: KG Hutchins

Mongolia Focus@mongoliafocus· Nov 22

O Corff über 100 Jahre mongolische Verfassungen bei der Jahrestagung der 🇩🇪🇲🇳Gesellschaft. Interessanterweise besonders auch ästhetische Aspekte.

Foto des Vortragenden vor einer Folie die das Manuskript der Verfassung von 1960 zeigt.

Mongolia Focus@mongoliafocus· Nov 2

Und ich dachte die mongolische Volkspartei sei die einzige Fleischpartei (MAXHam), die SED offensichtlich auch, zumindest in Schmogrow, laut Jochen Schmidt ("Phlox", S. 246)

Foto von Textabschnitt.
"Nachdem die SED gegründet worden war, warb die Bürgermeisterin [...] für diese Partei, deren Mitglieder auf ihre Lebensmittelkarten eine größere Zuteilung von Fleisch bekamen, mit den Worten: 'Wollen Se Fleesch? Immer rin in die Fleeschpartei!'"

Mongolia Focus@mongoliafocus· Oct 23

Ich warne meine Kolleg*innen öfter dass in der Fakultät immer mehr Mongolei auftauchen wird. Eine Pferdekoppel haben wir noch nicht, aber erste Anzeichen auf dem Flur und das war ich nicht einmal.

Ein Poster in einem Schaukasten.
In der Mitte, im Fettdruck "Exkursion"
Darüber das Foto eines Hirten in einem fliederfarbenen Deel vor einer Kamelheerde.
Darunter Listen von geplanten Exkursionen nach Kirgistan, Kazakhstan und, ja, in die Mongolei.

Mongolia Focus@mongoliafocus· Jul 13

Deutsch-Mongolische Kulturtage für Nachhaltigkeit in Stuttgart. #Mongolei

Tengerton Ensemble spielt mongolische Musik. Selbstverständlich Pferdekopfgeige.

Mongolia Focus@mongoliafocus· Jun 29

President and Prime Minister jumping on the 3x3 women's basketball hype train.

Mongolia Focus@mongoliafocus· Jun 26

First communications initiative (on Insta) from new #Mongolia PM Zandanshatar: 🇲🇳 esports team...

Mongolia Focus@mongoliafocus· Jun 18

Oh, but I do think there is some news there...

Screen shot of website of Mongolian Ministry of Mining and Heavy Industry. Under "News" an empty tile that says "Nothing found"

Mongolia Focus@mongoliafocus· Jun 16

Natl Stats Office #Mongolia reports on trade Jan-May 2025. Minerals compared to Jan-May 2024: Coal 📉 42.2% (in value) Copper 📈 61% Cu thus catching up to coal in value: US$1.85b vs $2.2b Fluospar & Zinc have also jumped up in value. nso.mn/en/dissemina...

Mongolia Focus@mongoliafocus· May 20

I offer more of an assessment of #AcademicFreedomIndex derived from @vdeminstitute.bsky.social data on #Mongolia. mongoliafocus.com/2025/05/asse...

Mongolia Focus@mongoliafocus· May 16

Having listened to podcast interview (newbooksnetwork.com/the-historic...) looking fwd to reading Vitale's "Historical Writing of Mongol Invasions in Japan".

Inner book cover of "The Historical Writing of the Mongol Invasions in Japan"
Judith Vitale
Published bz the Harvard University Asia Center
Distributed by Harvard University Press
Cambridge (Massachusetts) and London 2024

Mongolia Focus@mongoliafocus· May 13

Since I continue to think abt #AcademicFreedom in #Mongolia, here's the corresponding graph for 2019-2024, period of decline in the Academic Freedom Index components. Note relatively (compared to 🇹🇷) even shape, pointing to, again relatively, high degree of academic freedom across all 5 indicators.

Mongolia Focus@mongoliafocus· Apr 29

On visits I always take notes (since 2011) on what's new and what's disappeared in Ulaanbaatar. For the newest addition see mongoliafocus.com/category/ula... #Mongolia

At some Ulaanbaatar intersections there are now strips of light embedded in the sidewalk. The photo shows a green strip in the foreground while the partly visible strip in the background (perpendicular direction) is red with some people waiting behind it.

Mongolia Focus@mongoliafocus· Apr 28

Farewell, Mongolia! I hope to be back soon.