BECOMING URBAN

For thousands of years, Mongolians have been living in gers —circular structures of timber and wool felt wrapped in stretched white canvas and pulled taught with horsehair rope. The ger is a highly evolved design object, easy to disassemble, move, and reassemble in a matter of hours without any tools or fixings. For these reasons it is a perfect dwelling for nomads who move up to 500 kilometers each year in search of seasonal pastures.1 Historically, however, the ger has been a part of all forms of Mongolian settlements, urban or rural, and it remains the most affordable form of dwelling today.

Mongolia’s 1990 democratic revolution and the subsequent collapse of Soviet state control precipitated a rapid rise in migration into the capital city of Ulaanbaatar, which saw its population increase 280 percent between 1989 and 20202 while its area extended to 35 times its original size.3 The influx of people has resulted in the sprawl of settlements known as ger districts, which extend outward from the city, carpeting the valleys and hillsides with a mix of one- to two-story brick houses and traditional gers. This sprawl comprises thousands of individual plots, each surrounded with a two-meterhigh fence (6.6 foot) wall made from wooden posts or salvaged metal. When walking the dirt roads of the districts, these barriers block views into each home, where typically a dog barks vociferously as you pass.

The summers in the countryside were beautiful. The days were long. Back then we milked the sheep and goats twice a day. The grown-ups herded the sheep and goats while the children herded the lambs and the kids. We used to take them to the river and play all day. We took turns herding them, but mostly we just played at the banks of the river building mud gers.

Being a herder requires a lot of skill and intuition. It’s not just work for the unemployed. The Mongolian heritage is truly in being a herder.

O yunbat