HUNNS, ANCESTORS OF NOMADS FROM INNER ASIA

Lately it was made a lot of archaeological excavations in the burials of Hunns (sometimes they called Hunnu or Xionnu) on Mongolian territory. Also Mongols celebrated the 2200 years anniversary of Foundation of Hunn Empire in Central Asia as their descendants. Study in genes of Hunn people remains in their burial approved it but also showed interesting result that their genes now in the nations like evenks, tungus (mancurians) and hungarians besides mongols. So their genes widespread throughout Northern Asia until Central Europe.

Hunn princesses and queens looked like that. Impressive, isn't it?

How ancient Hunns looked like? In Chinese annals written that first Chinese Emperor Tsin Shi Huandy had his first success in battles against Northern barbarians after dressing his men like Hu (Hunn) people and training them just like nomads or Hunns. Also noted that the poems, melody of Hu people was in fashion then in palace of emperor besides nomads costumes. Indeed Chinese adopted nearly a dozen of musical instruments from Hunns. Among Mongols left long song (Chinese chronicles say that Hu people sang songs like howling of wolves) and overtune singing besides other heritages left by ancient nomads.

Rich archaeological findings helped in restoration of dresses of Hunns' chieftains, warriors and women. The Mongol Costumes (www..mongolcosumes.mn) could do this hard work. It is left just to thank them.

The Realm of Ger District of UB

O. Darambazar. Hill of Gandan.  35 cm X 16 cm. Pastel.

Of course Ger district in UB is archaic and outdated. The main reason of existing this rudiment in conglomerate is heavy migration of herding families without animals due to degradation of pasture and mass mining in one side. In other hand these families in ger district have not enough to buy apartments. But it has some charm in the eyes of artists. I brought here an example. 

Here it is a work of a veteran of Mongolian art, which depicted ger district around Gandan Lamasery. It looks interesting even charming. But reality is...terrible air pollution, unrecoverable soil pollution and crimes in brief.

ANOTHER VERSION OF 8 HORSES

HORSES OF HAPPINESS 2. Acrylic on canvas. 43 cm X 67 cm. SOLD

Here is another version of "8 horses of Happiness". It is decorating already an office of successful business woman.

MONGOL HORSES

Nomadism and freedom is inseparable. You can observe it from Mongolian horse behaviour. Actually they are feeding themselves in the steppe and mountain pasture. And they have to protect themselves also from wolves. That is the price of freedom.

Another feature of Mongolian horses is homesickness. Usually horses sold or separated from herd or home tend to go back. Because it herders have to tie together new horse with one of his own horses until adaptation or accepting new surround by new horse. It was case, one of Mongolian horses delivered to Vietnam during their war with Americans came back.passing thousands miles through rivers, channels,plantation, highways and settlements... In tradition of nomads, if lone horse or animal is making way through their pasture area they shouldn't capture or hunt down these lone animals struggling to their homeland or to their herds.

Horse spirit, Acrilic on canvas

WHO IS SHAMAN

As a product of socialist ideology, I was fully atheist or non religuous. I acted as translator and guide for westerners since 1988. And in the mid of the first decade of 2000 I started to receive requests from my clients to organize meeting with shaman(s). In that period of time I was absolutely pessimistic about revival of shamanism in Mongolia. It is because after absolute domination of lamaism (branch of Buddhism) over 300 years  and total clearing of communists until 1930's there was no trace of shamanism in Mongolia.
Thank to British musician, who studied overtune singing or throat singing in Western Mongolia, I involved in the process or became interested person in shamanism as he asked me to organize meeting with shaman. Actually he was interested in shaman through of his study of Mongolian throat singing (lately Chinese are pretending for ownership of this art) and playing on horse peddle instrument. So while translating his interviewing with shaman I started to realize that it was possible to reviving shamanism back in Mongolia.
As it happens everywhere in the world, revival of shamanism in Mongolia is followed by charlatans. Only this fact is making shadow on revival of shamanism in right way.

Mirror or reflector of shamans, which is protecting shamans from evil or bad things. Also ancient Mongolian warriors used such mirror as a part of their ammunition. But we understand today that it was protection not only from arrows and pikes. Actually ancient warriors were shamans also. That is because always few Mongols survived and win over numerous and much more powerful opponents in the arena from Korea in East until Syria in the west and in Javan islands in the South until Hungary in North west.

Mouth harp is used for calling spirits

If you follow Chinese ancient chronicles or annals, you can find the historical episodes in which say that when Chinese regular army pursued ancient Huns (Xiongnu) called by them as Northern barbarians, the nomads could cause snow storms or heavy rains on Chinese soldiers then they could easily got over on them. That is fact left in Chinese chronicles like the fact of using cannon or artillery first time.by Northern barbarians or our ancestors. It is another history.

SEPTEMBER PAINTING

Morning at the bank of Kherlen River, Oil on canvas 35 cm X 25 cm

Red Hot Artist

Today I want to introduce works of Mashbat Sambuu (artists call him Mashka, however it sounds rather feminine). He graduated from Art Institute in Bulgaria in 1986.

Red temple (oil on canvas, 68 cm x 45 cm

His works dominated with warm or hot tones like red, orange and sometimes blue.








His personal exhibition is going to open in the Art Gallery of Union of Mongolian Artists (UMA) in 28 August 2011.

Fountain Ulaan Tsutgalan (Oil on cancas 65 cm x 45 cm)

 You can contact him at: anima_art2002@yahoo.com

PUPPET LEADERS

We are small nation with rich country, may be richest country, if we share our resources to the human population. But Mongolian leaders and Government are making agreement with China, Russia and multinational corporations, which can make Mongolia like African countries.

ABOUT FRIENDSHIP

Mongolia is a sandwich country between Russia and China or buffer country for Russia. When there was cooling or freezing phases in friendship between Russia and China, Mongolia or Mongols felt better. When they found common languages, not only Mongols but other nations or regions in between them suffered. For example Eastern Turkestan (today's Sintsian Uighur Autonomic Region of China). They made success in their independence movement in 1950's. But after meeting of Stalin and Mao Tse Dong, KGB organized plane crash beheading movement (leaders of Eastern Turkestan was invited for meeting in Tashkent, Uzbekistan). 

And next discussion was between Stalin and Mao, concerning Mongolia.
Mao:- Comrade Stalin, we are now  friends for a thousand years in building socialism and communism. So give back to China Outer Mongolia, please!
Stalin:- No, we need buffer country. Germany and Japan will raise again very soon. You'll see...    

HORSES OF HAPPINESS

Eight Horses of Happiness. Acrylic on canvas. 80 cm x 60 cm

 Mongolian artists depicted in various way this 8 HORSES OF HAPPINESS. Actually 8 horses symbolized luck and happiness in Feng Shui in China. Mongolian artists brought wider meaning expressing horses in different attitude and motion as they have lifestyle tightly related with horsemanship. So each horse symbolizing certain meaning like freedom, friendship etc.

Edelweiss Field. Acrylic on canvas. 57 cm x 38 cm

Edelweiss is still abundant in Mongolia. I heard this flower included in Red Data Book in Europe. Edelweiss symbolizes eternal love for Europeans.

FELT CARPETS

From ancient times, Hunns (Nomads, established their Empire in North Eastern Asia in 220 B. C.) made felt carpets. It is still continuing among Mongols. 







Now in fashion such a hand made carpets among travelers, shamans and meditating people. For sewing decorations and ornaments it is used animal hair. So these creations are hundred percent natural or ecological.

Modern Nomads or City dwellers in Mongolia

Ulaanbaatar, the capital city of Mongolia reached 1.5 millions of inhabitants already. Besides Post Soviet style downtown of the city and modern luxurious apartment houses and townhouses, the suburb of UB filled with ger district. Yesterday's herders, who had no chance to continue their lifestyle in steppe due to pasture degradation caused by mining, desertification and licensing under mining survey, they are filling hillsides around UB with their yurts or gers. So ger is also good for transition from nomadic lifestyle to urban living. It is solution for squatters. Indeed I've seen Dutch squatters with yurts moved in empty church yard in Belgium after trial to settle in France. So in Europe you can see nomads.

You can see on image that ger can be fitted easily in any landplots or in corners.




But inside yurt, always amazingly comfortable

You can see ger district is fitting to all curves of landscape with their problems.

Some Decoration Example of Yurts

This door is decorated with the painting of dancing deity from masked dance Tsam

Support decorated with dragons and tangka on top wheel. Might be too heavy decoration....

The door decorated with Mongolian scenes

Support design

Ger in Gent, Belgium

In decoration used mostly Mongolian ornaments including some Oriental details. Sometimes Buddhistic styles or motives prevailed...

Few Words more about Ger

The whole structure of yurt/ger is supporting constant air circulation while keeping the bottoms of yurt open in warm period. It means that you will be under refreshment or under non stop air stream.

Also we shouldn't forget the possibility to receive cosmic energy through the upper hole or top wheel of yurt. Especially shamans say that human needed to expose all time his head or brain to the sky for exchange of energy or information with Upper World.

You can see here the carcass of yurt adapted to harsh continental climatic changes of Central Asia. Round shape without corners helps yurts to keep stability during strong winds. When storm is too strong Mongols hang balance or heavy thing from the center of top wheel (toono). It helps standing yurts while storming.

City Mongols are using yurts while ceremonies or in emergency cases as supporting dwelling besides their apartments. I made these shoots among apartments of Ulaanbaatar city in the midst of cold December.








Probably for this family this yurt needed for cooking or residing extra guests or visitors while funeral. For them it was enough to erect this yurt half hour or probably less. You can see if you have a yurt or several yurts, you don't need to rent banquet room or restaurant.









 Indeed you can see in countryside Mongolia everywhere ger canteens and big ger restaurants in resorts.

After making fire in stove ger is becoming comfortable immediately. In this case you can see smoke from chimney, which means already comfort came in this yurt.

Ger-Architectural Heritage left by Nomads

Ger or yurt is more and more popular in today's world. With appearing conglomerates or metropolises people are loosing their ties with nature. Consequently we are dependent from heated and sealed sphere and more and more fragile. Only way to escape from concrete jungles is having yurt or ger and to put it wherever you want outside big cities or towns while you are having time and mood for escaping from embrace of city. Or you can put it on the roof of house or in your garden to be able to hear birds and to observe starry night sky.

As I know aged Mongols, who are descendants of herders in cities and towns, prefer to spend their lives at least during summer months in gers. It is because all their organisms absorbs fresh air and energy together from surroundings.

I was able to visit Dutch ger producers in Chaam, Holland. Actually I met Mr. Maarten Stam, handy man mastered gers if not better than some Mongolian carpenters but not worse. I'm bringing here their words, which are illustrating yurts clearly and in short way 's Zomers lekker koel 's Winters lekker warm