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An influx of nomads has turned the Mongolian capital upside down.
Leggy models and a child acrobat wait offstage at a pop music concert in Ulaanbaatar.
An ocean of green, Mongolia is the most sparsely populated country in the world, with just under three million people in a landmass larger than Alaska. Mongolian culture—physical, mobile, self-reliant, and free—developed out here on the steppe. "When people move to Ulaanbaatar, they bring that mentality with them," says Baabar, a well-known publisher and historian.
A Nazi German eagle trails ink across the tattooed back of a former Buddhist monk, now unemployed. Inspired by the ferocity of Genghis Khan, a growing number of young people are turning to nationalism and fascist symbols to express their rage. They blame government corruption—and foreign business interests—for the sorry state of the country.
Children from the ger districts cool off in the polluted Tuul River. Even as billions in mining profits pour into the capital, infrastructure projects remain underfunded and jobs hard to find. Nearly half of all ger dwellers live below the poverty line
Almost a mile under Mongolia's south Gobi, miners tunnel into Oyu Tolgoi (Turquoise Hill), the world's largest undeveloped deposit of copper and gold. Once the mine begins production in 2013, Mongolia—through its joint partnership with foreign mining companies—stands to double its gross domestic product, supplying 3 percent of the world's copper.
Real estate magnate Bat-Erdene Khadbaasan instructs his racehorse trainer before Naadam, an annual festival outside the capital. "For an entrepreneur, UB is a great place to be," says Khadbaasan, who rose from chauffeur to tycoon through street savvy, good luck, and the willpower of a nomad.
Newcomers living in white gers—traditional round dwellings—and other small houses now make up more than half of the capital's 1.2 million people. Ger districts lack running water and other basic services. In the distance a coal-fired power plant helps make the city one of the world's most polluted.
Making his rounds on a subzero day, Dorjsuren, at right, sells firewood and coal in the ger districts east of downtown but returns to the steppe near Altanbulag every summer to tend his livestock. "Mongolians always go back because we need this countryside," says Baabar. "In our hearts, we're all nomads.
Ochkhuu Genen and daughter Anuka watch a video on an iPhone in a relative's ger on the outskirts of Ulaanbaatar. Until recently, the family lived on the steppe. An unusually hard winter convinced Ochkhuu and his wife that they should bring their two young children to live in UB, the nickname for the capital
A horde of spectators pushes forward to watch the finish of the Soyolon horse race, centerpiece of the Naadam festival of traditional Mongolian culture held each year outside Ulaanbaatar. The sweat of the winning horse is thought to bring good fortune.
A sculpture of a mother and baby wearing gas masks is a comment on UB's chronic air pollution in artist Munkhtsetseg Jalkhaajav's "S.O.S." at the National Modern Art Gallery. Mongolian artists are gaining international popularity, including in China, for taking on edgy subjects.
Well stocked with goods from Europe and Asia, the Mongolian supermarket chain Nomin has come a long way from its days as a state-run grocery store selling imports from Russia. After communism fell here in 1990, the company was privatized. As Ulaanbaatar's fortunes gradually improved, so did the selection..,
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,,,Leggy models and a child acrobat wait offstage at a pop music concert in Ulaanbaatar.An ocean of green, Mongolia is the most sparsely populated country in the world, with just under three million people in a landmass larger than Alaska. Mongolian culture—physical, mobile, self-reliant, and free—developed out here on the steppe. "When people move to Ulaanbaatar, they bring that mentality with them," says Baabar, a well-known publisher and historian.A Nazi German eagle trails ink across the tattooed back of a former Buddhist monk, now unemployed. Inspired by the ferocity of Genghis Khan, a growing number of young people are turning to nationalism and fascist symbols to express their rage. They blame government corruption—and foreign business interests—for the sorry state of the country.Children from the ger districts cool off in the polluted Tuul River. Even as billions in mining profits pour into the capital, infrastructure projects remain underfunded and jobs hard to find. Nearly half of all ger dwellers live below the poverty lineAlmost a mile under Mongolia's south Gobi, miners tunnel into Oyu Tolgoi (Turquoise Hill), the world's largest undeveloped deposit of copper and gold. Once the mine begins production in 2013, Mongolia—through its joint partnership with foreign mining companies—stands to double its gross domestic product, supplying 3 percent of the world's copper.Real estate magnate Bat-Erdene Khadbaasan instructs his racehorse trainer before Naadam, an annual festival outside the capital. "For an entrepreneur, UB is a great place to be," says Khadbaasan, who rose from chauffeur to tycoon through street savvy, good luck, and the willpower of a nomad.Newcomers living in white gers—traditional round dwellings—and other small houses now make up more than half of the capital's 1.2 million people. Ger districts lack running water and other basic services. In the distance a coal-fired power plant helps make the city one of the world's most polluted.Making his rounds on a subzero day, Dorjsuren, at right, sells firewood and coal in the ger districts east of downtown but returns to the steppe near Altanbulag every summer to tend his livestock. "Mongolians always go back because we need this countryside," says Baabar. "In our hearts, we're all nomads.Ochkhuu Genen and daughter Anuka watch a video on an iPhone in a relative's ger on the outskirts of Ulaanbaatar. Until recently, the family lived on the steppe. An unusually hard winter convinced Ochkhuu and his wife that they should bring their two young children to live in UB, the nickname for the capitalA horde of spectators pushes forward to watch the finish of the Soyolon horse race, centerpiece of the Naadam festival of traditional Mongolian culture held each year outside Ulaanbaatar. The sweat of the winning horse is thought to bring good fortune.A sculpture of a mother and baby wearing gas masks is a comment on UB's chronic air pollution in artist Munkhtsetseg Jalkhaajav's "S.O.S." at the National Modern Art Gallery. Mongolian artists are gaining international popularity, including in China, for taking on edgy subjects.Well stocked with goods from Europe and Asia, the Mongolian supermarket chain Nomin has come a long way from its days as a state-run grocery store selling imports from Russia. After communism fell here in 1990, the company was privatized. As Ulaanbaatar's fortunes gradually improved, so did the selection..,
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