Genghis Khan Equestrian Statue

Genghis Khan Monument on the outskirts of Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, is an equestrian statue of the founder of the giant empire that has broken all world records for its size. In the country where the brutal conqueror is recognized as a national hero, there are many monuments to Genghis Khan, but they all pale against the background of the steel giant towering over the steppe.

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Video: Monument to Genghis Khan

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History of the monument’s appearance

In the XIII century Genghis Khan hurricane swept across the steppes, conquering peoples. And it all began in the foothills of the Khentei Mountains, east of modern Ulaanbaatar. Here, in the region of Tsonjin-Boldog, on the mountain Burhan-Khaldun, sacred to the Mongols, was born Temuchzhin, at the height of influence received the name of Genghis. On its slope in 1227 and buried the great khan, and then his son and grandsons. Their names are not so well known, but their historical significance is great. Grandson Munkae, for example, in his campaigns reached the Adriatic Sea, and his brother, known in European literature as Kubla Khan, founded the Mongol Yuan dynasty in China. To protect the posthumous rest of the khans, over their graves was constantly on duty a thousand guards who did not allow gawkers. As a result, inaccessible to man neighborhoods overgrown with grass and trees, and in time immemorial the burial place was lost.

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In the same places young Temujin received a sign – he found a gilded whip, a symbol of future power over the world. This gave him the strength to get out of the poverty to which the family was doomed after the death of his father, to attract companions and begin his victorious march across Asia. Over time, the founder of the Mongol Empire was forgotten, but in the twentieth century his image was pulled out of oblivion and put on the banner of the struggle for independence from China. The heroic figure did not last long: Soviet Mongolia banned the veneration of Genghis Khan, and his images were to be destroyed. Since the 1990s, the cult of Genghis Khan has been restored, and he is now a source of pride for Mongolians, although young people are well aware of his ambiguity.

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In 2006, the country celebrated the 800th anniversary of the empire and decided to create an unprecedented monument to the founder. Under the construction was allocated vacant land in the place where he, according to legend, once found a whip. The project of the complex was developed, and in 2008 the monument to Genghis Khan was presented to the audience. By now, the monument itself is completely finished and the arrangement of the park around it has begun.

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Geographical location of the monument to Genghis Khan

The complex is separated from the capital by an hour by car, but visitors get the feeling that the XII century continues and somewhere far away on the vast hilly steppe nomads roam. Nevertheless, traces of civilization are present in these parts. In 15 km to the south-west from the monument to Genghis Khan there is an airfield “Nalaikh”. From 1968 to 1989 a Soviet helicopter regiment was stationed here, now the airfield accepts civilian charter flights. 20 kilometers to the south-east is the village of Erdene, surprisingly reminiscent of the Russian countryside. The only difference is the yurts standing somewhere in the yards. There are small stores with the most necessary things, a pub with karaoke is open in a tiny house. Between the complex and the village there is an asphalt road of good quality.

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Most tourists see the monument to Genghis Khan on the way to the national park Gorkhi-Terlezh, lying 20 km to the north. The scenery here is more varied: deciduous forests, small rivers and streams, rocky peaks, grassy hills. Climbs to the mountains are gentle, accessible without special training and tourist equipment. Several dozens of bases and rest houses have been built in the southern part of the park, restaurants, souvenir shops, children’s playgrounds, and the country’s first spa center. Travelers will be offered to hunt, ride horses and camels. For fishing it is recommended to go further into the mountains, as the Tuul River flowing near the monument to Genghis Khan is polluted with industrial emissions and human waste.

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Architectural features of the complex

Travelers enter the complex through a triumphal arch crowned with figures of mounted warriors. Passing a spacious parking lot, guests approach a wide long staircase and climb up to the monument to Genghis Khan. You can take a detour along the cobblestone paths and admire the life-sized figures of Mongol warriors pushing their horses.

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The Monument to Genghis Khan rests on a circular base with 36 columns – symbols of the khans of the Mongol Empire from Genghis to Ligden, who ruled in the 17th century. Formally it is a classical European rotunda without the slightest hint of national coloring, although the authors of the project, both sculptor D. Erdenebileg and architect J. Enkhzhargal are Mongolians. A powerful 10-meter base hides two floors with museum exhibits, toilets, a restaurant with horse meat dishes and an unexpected entertainment in the form of a billiard room. The most interesting objects are a 4-meter gilded whip and a 9-meter leather boot with a sharp bent nose, which was used to spur horses and bright national embroidery. The souvenir shop offers tourists knives with bone handles, hats trimmed with fur. From the post office inside the pedestal, which is open on weekdays, you can send a postcard home. Professional guides, including Russian-speaking guides, work with tourists.

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Statue of Genghis Khan

The monument to Genghis Khan can be seen from afar – so shiny is its 250-ton steel coating. The stocky warrior looks at his land, leaning on a whip found in the steppe. Despite the 40-meter height of the monument, there is no feeling of flight – on the contrary, the powerful figure visually presses on the ground, emphasizing the strength of the conqueror. From inside the statue there is an elevator that lifts the guests to the observation platform on the horse’s mane. It can accommodate no more than 8 people at a time, so it is better to arrive early for good pictures, before the appearance of tourist groups.

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Development prospects

According to the initial project, there should be yurts around the monument, separated by green areas. They will be equipped with restaurants, mini-hotels, souvenir shops. Now a few dozen yurts have already been put up, and a monument to Genghis Khan’s mother has been erected in the distance. The developers have not yet gotten to the planned landscaping, as 28 billion tugriks have already been spent on the ambitious project. By 2020, 10,000 riders will be standing around their lord. The organizers have come up with a curious way to find investors: they offer to make a three-dimensional cast of the client’s face for $900 and give his features to the next rider.

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Tourist information

Access to the complex is open year-round, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the summer and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the winter. In winter, severe frosts are common in the steppes, in summer it is warm, even hot, but the wind softens the heat. The main flow of tourists comes to the monument to Genghis Khan in the warm season to continue their rest at the tourist centers of natural parks of Mongolia. The cost of visiting the museum is 7000 tugrik, the cost of renting a national costume with armor and weapons for photographing in the museum is included in this amount. Near the complex you can take a picture with tame birds of prey: owls, eagles, vultures – for about 4000 tugrik. This service, as well as the trade in small bronze souvenirs, is offered by the residents of the surrounding villages.

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How to get there

Local airlines fly from Irkutsk, Aeroflot flies from Moscow to Genghis Khan International Airport near Ulaanbaatar. Excursion minibuses go from the capital to the monument to Genghis Khan. You can rent a cab for a day for about 80 dollars or save money by getting to Nalaih on a shuttle bus and only then taking a cab. There is no regular public transportation to the complex yet.

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