iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

ᠮᠥᠩᠬᠡ ᠨᠠᠷᠠᠨ / Münkhnaran Bayarlkhagva @morientalist.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Mongolian-Japanese joint archaeological expedition "Script" is reporting that they found late 16th/early 17th century scroll of Chinggis Khan's primary teachings to his sons and brothers. Location - Uyanga county of Uvurkhangai province. montsame.mn/mn/read/409794

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ᠮᠥᠩᠬᠡ ᠨᠠᠷᠠᠨ / Münkhnaran Bayarlkhagva @morientalist.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

September 10 is the Day of Tribute to the Victims of Political Repression in Mongolia. On this day in 1937, Mongolian People's Republic & USSR NKVD, started a full-scale genocide of the country's clergy, nobility & intelligentsia. This year's Sep 10 prayer poster by Gandantegchinlen monastery.

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ᠮᠥᠩᠬᠡ ᠨᠠᠷᠠᠨ / Münkhnaran Bayarlkhagva @morientalist.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

I think anyone familiar with Mongolia in academic capacity knows about MIASU Cambridge, which is turning 40 this yr. At the 3rd Cambridge Mongolia Forum (Sep 24-25), I will be presenting on Mongolia's Buddhist Peace in the Intl order. Drop by or Zoom in ✌️ www.miasu.socanth.cam.ac.uk/events/3rd-b...

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ᠮᠥᠩᠬᠡ ᠨᠠᠷᠠᠨ / Münkhnaran Bayarlkhagva @morientalist.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

UN declared 2026 as the "International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists" & Mongolia is hosting the Global Pastoralist Gathering conference. Loved these photos by Montsame of the participants from around the World:

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ᠮᠥᠩᠬᠡ ᠨᠠᠷᠠᠨ / Münkhnaran Bayarlkhagva @morientalist.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

With the passing of Zhu Rongji, I wanna remind folks that he kicked off China's anti-desertification campaign in 2002 by instructing the building of "green wall" in Inner Mongolia. To local Mongol pastoral nomads, this was a land grab aimed at ethnic displacement. www.reuters.com/article/econ...

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ᠮᠥᠩᠬᠡ ᠨᠠᠷᠠᠨ / Münkhnaran Bayarlkhagva @morientalist.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

Today the 13th International Congress of Mongolists is kicking off in Ulaanbaatar. (I'm not taking part, only reposting) The keynote was delivered by David Sneath of Cambridge MIASU, who also received the "Order of the Polar Star" along with those like Michal Biran, Vesna Wallace, and Timothy May.

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ᠮᠥᠩᠬᠡ ᠨᠠᠷᠠᠨ / Münkhnaran Bayarlkhagva @morientalist.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

Today, Mongolia is celebrating its National Day - the Naadam Festival. Lately it has become a prime time for high level foreign dignitary visits. This year - South Korean President. At the same time, Mongolia initiated & got the UN to approve the World Horse Day on July 11th! Happy Holidays!

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ᠮᠥᠩᠬᠡ ᠨᠠᠷᠠᠨ / Münkhnaran Bayarlkhagva @morientalist.bsky.social · 21/06/2026

The National Palace Museum in Taipei will display the earliest known portrait of Chinggis Khan for the first time in 13 years. Painted in 1271-72 by the orders of his grandson Kubilai, the portrait will be displayed in the Northern Branch of the museum during July 10 - September 16. #mongolsky

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ᠮᠥᠩᠬᠡ ᠨᠠᠷᠠᠨ / Münkhnaran Bayarlkhagva @morientalist.bsky.social · 10/06/2026

Wanted to flag two concurrent platforms happening atm, which engage smaller but globally conscious proactive players as the Liberal International Order is rupturing. Pictured: Mongolia's foreign minister Battsetseg Batmunkh at the Nikkei Forum. Kenya's President William Ruto at Oslo Forum.

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ᠮᠥᠩᠬᠡ ᠨᠠᠷᠠᠨ / Münkhnaran Bayarlkhagva @morientalist.bsky.social · 05/05/2026

How #Decolonization looks in real life: Montsame says that 3,809 out of 5,581 Mongolia's public institutions (government bodies) are currently keeping official record-keeping in Mongol script. :))) montsame.mn/en/read/398104

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ᠮᠥᠩᠬᠡ ᠨᠠᠷᠠᠨ / Münkhnaran Bayarlkhagva @morientalist.bsky.social · 24/03/2026

Apparently, there is a really "wild" exhibition being held in Moscow. As Russian imperialism would, it is in conjunction with the "Year of National Unity" & contains many objects, some displayed for 1st time, from peak Mongol - Rus interaction. Gist: "Chingisids happily served Moscow" #MongolSky

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ᠮᠥᠩᠬᠡ ᠨᠠᠷᠠᠨ / Münkhnaran Bayarlkhagva @morientalist.bsky.social · 17/03/2026

I was eagerly waiting for this year's V-Dem Institute's report and democracy indices update. As expected, Mongolia has finally turned the corner of democratic backsliding. Having Russia & China as neighbors is never easy & Covid also had its impact. v-dem.net/documents/75...

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ᠮᠥᠩᠬᠡ ᠨᠠᠷᠠᠨ / Münkhnaran Bayarlkhagva @morientalist.bsky.social · 11/03/2026

"representative from Inner Mongolia, in a glorious blue silk robe, whether she had seen any policies that would be specifically helpful for Mongolians. “I haven’t,” she said “but forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation is the guiding thread & that’s good for all minorities.”

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ᠮᠥᠩᠬᠡ ᠨᠠᠷᠠᠨ / Münkhnaran Bayarlkhagva @morientalist.bsky.social · 03/03/2026

"Under the new Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress, while minority languages may still be taught as a second language, groups such as Tibetans, Uyghurs and Mongolians will no longer be entitled to use their native tongues for core subjects in schools and universities."

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ᠮᠥᠩᠬᠡ ᠨᠠᠷᠠᠨ / Münkhnaran Bayarlkhagva @morientalist.bsky.social · 17/02/2026

Since it is #TsagaanSar here are the screenshots of the opening and closing scenes of President of Mongolia's greetings. Both in Mongol Bichig: Wishing you all to ride through the year of fire horse with high Khiimori! ᠰᠠᠷ᠎ᠠ ᠰᠢᠨ᠎ᠡ ᠶ᠋ᠢᠨ ᠮᠡᠨᠳᠦ ᠳᠡᠪᠰᠢᠭᠦᠯᠦᠶ᠎ᠡ 🫶 🙏

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ᠮᠥᠩᠬᠡ ᠨᠠᠷᠠᠨ / Münkhnaran Bayarlkhagva @morientalist.bsky.social · 16/02/2026

Russian imperialism - the metropolitan racist elite that sucks out all the resources from the periphery & then makes the colonized poor fight its fascist wars. If you serve as the Tsar's private "oprichnina" like Chechnya does today, there is a temporary respite. But that is all to it.

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ᠮᠥᠩᠬᠡ ᠨᠠᠷᠠᠨ / Münkhnaran Bayarlkhagva @morientalist.bsky.social · 27/01/2026

Newly announced Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe's Platform for Dialogue with Russian Democratic Forces includes many indigenous names. This is a result of diligent work by the minorities themselves & criticism of the racist imperialists in "sheeps skin". pace.coe.int/en/news/1015...

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ᠮᠥᠩᠬᠡ ᠨᠠᠷᠠᠨ / Münkhnaran Bayarlkhagva @morientalist.bsky.social · 25/01/2026

🙏😊 slightly tangential, but a bit more context - there is a pop-culture reason why it goes viral & feels relatable. Star Wars' Padme Amidala's costume was inspired by Mongol woman's clothes - hence we see comments like "they look like galactic imperial royals" etc. Muscle memory kicks in :))

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ᠮᠥᠩᠬᠡ ᠨᠠᠷᠠᠨ / Münkhnaran Bayarlkhagva @morientalist.bsky.social · 25/01/2026

Apparently, internet is crowning Team Mongolia's Winter Olympic uniform for Milano-Cortina as the BEST, again. (1&2) Again - coz we "won" that category in 2024 Paris. (3&4) It is almost turning into a tradition & perhaps somebody at our Olympic committee saw this low-hanging fruit opportunity.

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ᠮᠥᠩᠬᠡ ᠨᠠᠷᠠᠨ / Münkhnaran Bayarlkhagva @morientalist.bsky.social · 19/01/2026

Galleria Borghese in Rome is hosting two works of Zanabazar - the Green Tara and his selfportrait as part of the "From Mongolia to the Global Baroque" exhibit thru Feb 22, 2026. Items loaned from the Chinggis Khan museum. #mongolsky

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ᠮᠥᠩᠬᠡ ᠨᠠᠷᠠᠨ / Münkhnaran Bayarlkhagva @morientalist.bsky.social · 16/01/2026

I always say Mongolian Gen-Z is better than its previous gens. A genre bending 8 min long clip by a rap artist ThunderZ gathers 1 mln views in just 2 days from a population of 3.5 mln. Inspired by Lodongiin Tudev's novel "A Monastery without a Spire" it is a somber reminder to our collective pain.

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ᠮᠥᠩᠬᠡ ᠨᠠᠷᠠᠨ / Münkhnaran Bayarlkhagva @morientalist.bsky.social · 11/01/2026

New report by CSIS on the question of Dalai Lama, has a juicy detail of how China-friendly ex-Prime Minister Oyun-Erdene Luvsannamsrai's government (2021-2025) raided & pressured 10th Bogd Jebtsundamba Khutughtu's family. It's a fact nobody in Mongolia dares to admit. www.csis.org/analysis/whe...

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ᠮᠥᠩᠬᠡ ᠨᠠᠷᠠᠨ / Münkhnaran Bayarlkhagva @morientalist.bsky.social · 29/12/2025

The 1911 Dec 29 must be seen as the formal end of the Manchu DaiQing Empire. From this greeting by Prime Minister of Mongolia Zandanshatar Gombojav we also see how Norwegian traveller Oscar Mamen's archives documenting the period, have quickly become part of modern Mongolian nation building project.

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ᠮᠥᠩᠬᠡ ᠨᠠᠷᠠᠨ / Münkhnaran Bayarlkhagva @morientalist.bsky.social · 24/12/2025

Horrified to see Mikhail Boyarsky on Norwegian Public Broadcaster in Xmas eve. In Russian art scene today you'd have search really hard to find a more pro-Putin and pro-war person. Nobody really likes him anyways in his native St.Petersburg due to his moronic behavior towards anyone he meets.

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ᠮᠥᠩᠬᠡ ᠨᠠᠷᠠᠨ / Münkhnaran Bayarlkhagva @morientalist.bsky.social · 10/12/2025

December 10, 1989 marks the official start of Mongolia's Democratic Revolution. Under the shadow of Tiananmen massacres, amid the violent transition in Romania, we managed something quite commendable. Many take it for granted but looking back - how lucky we were to have done it back then.

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ᠮᠥᠩᠬᠡ ᠨᠠᠷᠠᠨ / Münkhnaran Bayarlkhagva @morientalist.bsky.social · 13/11/2025

Physical Asia is a rare show allowing us - Asians, to see each other thru non-eurocentric gaze & it seems everyone is enjoying it. So fun to observe the different approaches to teamwork & national traits coming thru. Judging from socmed Team Mongolia is winning hearts & minds wide & deep. :)))

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ᠮᠥᠩᠬᠡ ᠨᠠᠷᠠᠨ / Münkhnaran Bayarlkhagva @morientalist.bsky.social · 03/11/2025

Mongolian Association for Manchu Studies is co-organizing a Manchu studies International conference w/ Eotvos Lorand University. Dunno if I mentioned it here, but National Library of Mongolia has a treasure trove of Manchu-language documents, w/out which "Manchu studies" is rather incomplete IMO 🤔

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ᠮᠥᠩᠬᠡ ᠨᠠᠷᠠᠨ / Münkhnaran Bayarlkhagva @morientalist.bsky.social · 24/10/2025

Apart from Dalai Lama, many Mongol diaspora organizations have been issuing statements of support for Sanae Takaichi, including the Ulaanbaatar based World Mongol Congress, headed by former President of Mongolia - Elbegdorj Tsakhiagiin, as well as the Southern Mongolian People's Party.

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ᠮᠥᠩᠬᠡ ᠨᠠᠷᠠᠨ / Münkhnaran Bayarlkhagva @morientalist.bsky.social · 21/10/2025

As a Mongolian I am pleased with Sanae Takaichi's election as Japan's PM. A decade ago, someone with such a voice on China's #humanrights record would have been 'too extreme" for PM. Today I was also told by a Nordic Japan expert that she "would have to tone down her hawkishness to govern" ...

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ᠮᠥᠩᠬᠡ ᠨᠠᠷᠠᠨ / Münkhnaran Bayarlkhagva @morientalist.bsky.social · 16/10/2025

President of Mongolia Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh's remarks in Mongol Bichig on a honorary guest notebook during his visit to India. Stresses "...70-yr anniversary of dip ties. Cooperation...based on the common values of Democracy, Freedom, and Justice...mutual trust of people...spiritual links"

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ᠮᠥᠩᠬᠡ ᠨᠠᠷᠠᠨ / Münkhnaran Bayarlkhagva @morientalist.bsky.social · 14/10/2025

Mongolian rikishis in the streets of London. 😀🫶 Left to right: Maegashira Tamawashi - Batjargalyn Munkh-Orgil Ozeki Kirishima - Byambachuluuny Lkhagvasuren Yokozuna Hoshoryu - Sugarragchaagiin Byambasüren (may he come out of the shadow of his uncle) Maegashira Onokatsu - Batjargalyn Choijilsuren

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ᠮᠥᠩᠬᠡ ᠨᠠᠷᠠᠨ / Münkhnaran Bayarlkhagva @morientalist.bsky.social · 12/10/2025

Cross-posting from Instytut Pekiński. I didn't know about this painting's existence "Autumn Hunting of Yuan people" & it is marvelous, to say the least. Smarter ppl are commenting on the exact date etc but Peking Inst says it is 1 of only 2 paintings of Yuan hunt - other being Kublai's. #mongolsky

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ᠮᠥᠩᠬᠡ ᠨᠠᠷᠠᠨ / Münkhnaran Bayarlkhagva @morientalist.bsky.social · 08/10/2025

Really like this title of an upcoming book. Hope we can do away with the whole "Marco Polo went to China" trope with this. press.princeton.edu/books/hardco...

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ᠮᠥᠩᠬᠡ ᠨᠠᠷᠠᠨ / Münkhnaran Bayarlkhagva @morientalist.bsky.social · 05/10/2025

Sanjaasürengiin Zorig (1962-1998) the "Golden swallow of Mongolian Democracy" pictured here in his MP office, under the painting of Chinggis Khan. (Starting from 2022, every public office in Mongolia is obliged to have such painting on their walls, under the presidential decree.)

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ᠮᠥᠩᠬᠡ ᠨᠠᠷᠠᠨ / Münkhnaran Bayarlkhagva @morientalist.bsky.social · 25/09/2025

Photos of a newly discovered Khitan inscription in Mongolia's North-Central Bulgan province. Credit: Japanese-Mongolian "Bichees" archaeological project between the Mongolian Academy of Sciences & experts from Otani, Osaka & Ryukoku universities. #mongolsky #khitan

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ᠮᠥᠩᠬᠡ ᠨᠠᠷᠠᠨ / Münkhnaran Bayarlkhagva @morientalist.bsky.social · 23/09/2025

Mongolia's and Finland's presidents meet at the UNGA. Pretty sure this was agreed during Battsetseg's visit to Helsinki and that Stubb got an invitation from Khurelsukh to visit next year. Like Polish President's visit in 2023, this will be another meeting of "sober" heads (on Russia).

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ᠮᠥᠩᠬᠡ ᠨᠠᠷᠠᠨ / Münkhnaran Bayarlkhagva @morientalist.bsky.social · 11/09/2025

So I am watching this doc called "Jens in Mongolia" on NRK, mostly to see how they portray Mongolia in Norway. Jens rides horses to places he could've just driven to & the whole thing is artificial "adventure" & "hardships" in totally fictitiously unnecessary contexts. Dunno if audience knew. 🤔

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ᠮᠥᠩᠬᠡ ᠨᠠᠷᠠᠨ / Münkhnaran Bayarlkhagva @morientalist.bsky.social · 10/09/2025

Sep 10 is the Day of Tribute to the Victims of Political Repression in Mongolia. Every year political & religious leadership hold low-key annual ceremonies that is part tokenism & part reminder of the absence of lustration, unfinished decommunization & decolonization of the country.

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ᠮᠥᠩᠬᠡ ᠨᠠᠷᠠᠨ / Münkhnaran Bayarlkhagva @morientalist.bsky.social · 05/09/2025

Sussan Babaie is going to give a public lecture at the Chinggis Khan Museum, next week on the legendary 1300s Ilkhanid Mongol bag. Glad that such knowledge is being shared with Mongolian audience as well (and not just stay within Western ivory tower). #mongolsky

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ᠮᠥᠩᠬᠡ ᠨᠠᠷᠠᠨ / Münkhnaran Bayarlkhagva @morientalist.bsky.social · 03/09/2025

The picture of Mongolian and Chinese leaders meeting. What is telling is how the Chinese side doesn't have any ethnic Mongolian on the table. For a long time Madame Fu Ying, ex dipomat and highest ranking minority official within PRC, was the mainstay of such meetings.

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ᠮᠥᠩᠬᠡ ᠨᠠᠷᠠᠨ / Münkhnaran Bayarlkhagva @morientalist.bsky.social · 02/09/2025

From the news coming from Beijing, it may seem like there is a breakthough in #PowerofSiberia2 & #SoyuzVostok pipeline. My belief is that this "legally-binding MOU w/ economics to be fleshed out separately", is just another way of saying "let's keep it on the stove". IMO project is stuck as ever.

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ᠮᠥᠩᠬᠡ ᠨᠠᠷᠠᠨ / Münkhnaran Bayarlkhagva @morientalist.bsky.social · 30/08/2025

If you know anything about Dinosaurs chances are you heard of Rinchengiin Barsbold Yunshiyebu (1935-2025). His 1971 discovery of velociraptor & protoceratops locked in deathly fight is legendary, which is only a snippet of his rich biography & as a kid I dreamed of becoming a paleontologist. RiP🙏

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ᠮᠥᠩᠬᠡ ᠨᠠᠷᠠᠨ / Münkhnaran Bayarlkhagva @morientalist.bsky.social · 13/08/2025

A very intimate Mongolian language interview of Selenge that came out today, titled "I'm the creation of all the love I've experienced". Ton of sweet photos & deep convo about idenity, culture, humanity and music. gogo.mn/r/4m07gm

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ᠮᠥᠩᠬᠡ ᠨᠠᠷᠠᠨ / Münkhnaran Bayarlkhagva @morientalist.bsky.social · 02/08/2025

Foreign Minister of Mongolia Battsetseg Batmunkh's note on Finland's State Guest Book, written in Mongol Bichig. #decolonization #mongolsky

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ᠮᠥᠩᠬᠡ ᠨᠠᠷᠠᠨ / Münkhnaran Bayarlkhagva @morientalist.bsky.social · 31/07/2025

Battsetseg meets Stubb. Diplomacy is "diplomacy" but personally not a big fan of the Finnish President, who as a Dean of EUI in Bologna, used to parrot racist/eurasianist tropes about the apparent selectively negative impact of the Mongol empire on Russia (gist: blame Mongols for Russian crimes).

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ᠮᠥᠩᠬᠡ ᠨᠠᠷᠠᠨ / Münkhnaran Bayarlkhagva @morientalist.bsky.social · 31/07/2025

Former President of Mongolia Elbegdorj Tsakhia, who is a fellow at the Hoover Institution now, gave a commencement speech this year at Hertie School. Was rather surprised by the choice but the speech itself speaks about the re-invention of his public role. x.com/elbegdorj/st...

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ᠮᠥᠩᠬᠡ ᠨᠠᠷᠠᠨ / Münkhnaran Bayarlkhagva @morientalist.bsky.social · 30/07/2025

Finland is hosting Helsinki+50 Conference to mark the founding of the OSCE. Interesting and laudable that Mongolia's Foreign Minister Battsetseg is taking part in the panel. Though I must admit the choice of the specific panel with a focus on Europe is a little tangential. um.fi/osce25fi/hel...

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ᠮᠥᠩᠬᠡ ᠨᠠᠷᠠᠨ / Münkhnaran Bayarlkhagva @morientalist.bsky.social · 27/07/2025

Treating myself at the end of a productive week with Airag from Yesunzuil - the birthplace of 1st Bogd Jebtsundamba Khutughtu Zanabazar. These days Mongolia is celebrating his 390th anniversary with a Danshig Naadam in his honor, with events in Yesunzuil & Arvaikheer of the Uvurkhangai province.

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ᠮᠥᠩᠬᠡ ᠨᠠᠷᠠᠨ / Münkhnaran Bayarlkhagva @morientalist.bsky.social · 22/07/2025

Apparently National Taiwan Museum is having a exhibit called "Kublai Khan and His Era" through October 12. #MongolSky

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