The Great State Mural - Mongolia Portrayed

2027 will be an interesting year for Mongolia as the presidential election kicks off. All the while there appears to be no clear incumbent on the ballot for the first time in years. Current President Khurelsukh Ukhnaa is constitutionally barred from a second term, and that vacancy has already set off quiet jockeying among the hopefuls in his party—there are few names that have been floated as pote...

A philosopher says, "There are no such people as Mongolians." Two weeks later, he's in pretrial detention. Molor-Erdene—a controversial Mongolian philosopher and public intellectual—was detained on September 2nd under Article 19.9 of the Criminal Code, which covers "undermining national unity," a charge carrying a sentence of five to twelve years. His alleged crime: stating on a Facebook talk show...

COP17 is over. Nearly 200 parties spent two weeks in Ulaanbaatar trying to turn desertification pledges into actual action. Did the parties turn their pledges into unanimous binding declarations? We discuss how COP17 turned out, the major decisions, and the overall sentiment. We are joined by guests who know more about Rio conventions, Enkhuun Byambadorj of Breathe Mongolia, who worked with the UN...

Mongolia has been facing fuel shortages since the start of summer. The conflict in the Strait of Hormuz and Ukraine's drone strikes on key Russian infrastructure have had their measure impact on Mongolia's fuel supplies. Even as reports show fuel being constantly transported into Mongolia, the country has had less than 20 days of reserves. Recently, the Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources w...

Simon Wickham-Smith joins us on this episode. Simon is the foremost scholar and translator of contemporary Mongolian literature into English, he's spent decades bringing Mongolian prose and poetry to readers who'd otherwise have no way in — work that culminated in Politics and Literature in Mongolia (1921-48) , one of the only English-language studies of the period. Simon and we discuss his book a...

We sat down and spoke with Dorjpagma "Dono" from Modern Mongolia. Modern Mongolia is a page that tries to shed light on Mongolia's culture, both past and present. The page—and formerly the podcast—has helped many Mongolia enthusiasts understand the country's nuances, as well as the current developments in its culture. As this episode coincides with Mongolia's biggest holiday, it would be almost sa...

For decades, Russia was the "big brother" — the country that built Mongolia's industry, schooled its elites, and shaped a century of its history. China gets the headlines now. But Russia never left, and the war in Ukraine has dragged the relationship back into the light. Social and cultural anthropologist Dr. Marissa J. Smith joins us to map where Mongolia stands with Russia in 2026. Holding degre...

Mongolia's Parliament repealed Article 13.14 — the criminal defamation clause that haunted the country's journalists for years. A victory for press freedom? Not so fast. Duuya Baatar, founder and chairperson of the Nest Center for Journalism and Innovation Development and founder of the Mongolian Fact Checking Center, joins us to explain why the repeal is only a beginning. The numbers tell the sto...

On May 16th, Prime Minister Uchral Nyam-Osor dismissed Ulaanbaatar Mayor Nyambaatar Khisgee, citing his failure to control surging beef prices and alleged corruption in the Tuul Highway construction project. Nyambaatar fired back, saying that the charges are fabricated, the dismissal is political, and Uchral only has his job because he took away Oyun-Erdene's election victory. He vowed to fight un...

The Democratic Party elects a former finance minister — once imprisoned on money laundering allegations tied to the Oyu Tolgoi deal — as their new General Secretary, and possibly their presidential candidate for 2027. Parliament debates holding hearings on the Epstein files, with two former Mongolian presidents named in the documents. A government ministry posts an AI-written condolence statement...

Disinformation is not just a media problem. It is a democracy problem—and in Mongolia, it is becoming a crisis. Researcher and civic activist Batsugar Tsedendamba, board member of the Independent Research Institute of Mongolia (IRIM), joins us to unpack IRIM's landmark study on Mongolia's disinformation landscape. Who is spreading it? Who is funding it? And who is hurting from it? We examine domes...

The morin khuur—the Horse Head Fiddle—is one of Mongolia's most recognizable traditional musical instruments and symbols: a bridge between the nation and the horse, a tool that invokes the Khiimori, and much more. Ethnomusicologist ⁠Kip Hutchins⁠ , author of A Song for the Horses , breaks all of these aspects down. We speak with Kip about the morin khuur as a living tool in herding practice. Follo...

Ulaanbaatar's mayor wants to build a $1 billion highway along the Tuul River—the city's last remaining river and the primary source of water for 1.7 million people. The mayor contends that the project is essential to alleviate Ulaanbaatar's congestion issues, and he has thoroughly evaluated all environmental risks. But experts can't get the data for the project. Where are the environmental impact...

Recently Julian visited Mongolia, mainly Ulaanbaatar, in late March and early April. We discuss the things he noticed during his latest visit to the coldest capital in the world—Ulaanbaatar. 51min Hosts: Anand, Dolgion, Julian Date Recorded: Apr 10 2026 Original Release date: Apr 15 2026 Keywords: Ulaanbaatar | social change | art & culture Show notes: Blog posts: Change in Ulaanbaatar (regula...

Mongolia ranks poorly on some of the world's most cited democracy indices. But what do those rankings actually measure—and do they tell the real story of how the country operates? In this episode, we break down how international democracy indices score Mongolia. Are those scores misleading? And whether Mongolian leaders are using these benchmarks as genuine governance tools or political cover. We...

In this episode, we sit down with Robert Ritz from the American University of Mongolia, who also runs Data.mn . Robert has been working in Mongolia for over a decade and is one of the few people actively teaching data literacy and championing the importance of data in the country — and he also happens to be our biggest supporter of the podcast. Beyond that, we dive into how Mongolians perceive and...

The Mongolian People's Party started its spring cleaning. The party wants to shake off its bad apples, mainly the former prime minister’s wing — members who tried to oust the current prime minister. President Khurelsukh Ukhnaa has introduced a draft law to recall members of the State Great Khural (Parliament). The proposal is aimed at strengthening accountability by allowing MPs to be removed if t...

In this special episode of The Great State Mural: Mongolia Portrayed , in celebration of Tsagaan Sar, the Mongolian Lunar New Year, we have a more lighthearted episode. We talk about what Tsagaan Sar means to us, our experiences, and some tips for those who are maybe celebrating it for the first time. If you have any suggestions for our show, please get in touch with us at info[at]agulamedia.com A...

In this episode, we discuss why Mongolia’s power grid has been under strain for nearly two decades. Despite repeated development plans and infrastructure proposals, the country has struggled to modernize its aging energy system. As a result, widespread power outages in Ulaanbaatar throughout January highlight deep institutional issues in Mongolia’s electricity network and raise urgent questions ab...

Mongolians have rarely had any connection to Venezuela—aside from a brief moment in the 90s, when a Venezuelan soap opera unexpectedly captured all of Mongolians' attention. But with the following capture of Venezuela’s president Nicolas Maduro by U.S. forces, "MERGEN Takes" took hold in Mongolia, with commentators, pundits, columnists, and social media users issuing predictions and warnings that...

In this episode, we talk about recent hearings of Oyu Tolgoi mines and their licensing agreements that have sparked controversy and kicked off the parliament oversight hearing. For the longest time, Mongolia has had a lovers-to-enemies relationship with Rio Tinto, the majority shareholder in the Oyu Tolgoi copper mine. Over the years, a trail of hearings, deals, and renegotiations has led some pol...

In this episode, we talk about corruption in Mongolia — a topic every Mongolian thinks about every day and night. Mongolians often feel that all politicians are corrupt, the system itself is corrupt, and that corruption is part of culture and everyday life. But how bad is corruption in Mongolia, really? Has it reached an endemic stage, or is there still a path back? To unpack these questions, we’r...

Mongolians have been obsessed with Netflix's hit show Physical: Asia. The Mongolian team not only received support from Mongolians but also from all over the world because of how well they performed. Their achievement represented the story of underdogs and also served as a true reflection of the potential that Mongolians possess. We discuss the achievements of the Mongolian team, dive into the cul...

In this episode, we discuss the new appointment of Uchral Nyam-Osor as the party chair of the Mongolian People's Party. Why was he chosen? why wasn't Zandanshatar chosen as the new party leader? Moving forward, what implication does his appointment have for the grand scheme of Mongolian politics. If you have any suggestions for our show, please get in touch with us at info[at]agulamedia.com And if...

Winter has come, and air pollution has started to plague Mongolia again. For more than two decades, residents of Ulaanbaatar have endured and protested against the city’s air pollution. Despite repeated government promises of cleaner air, little has changed. Each winter feels like Groundhog Day — citizens demand action, policymakers pledge solutions, and yet, year after year, Mongolia’s air qualit...