Ed_Haynes

We all know Gotov, though unfortunately I don't have his signature here to scan (can someone add?) and we all know his picture from Battushig's book.

Battushig has seen this medal. He didn't like it for a number of reasons, some very complex. When he say it, it had no mintmarks. These have presumably since been added. Run away from this one. Run very fast.

As of March 2007, there is only one living Mongolia recipient of the Hero Star, the cosmonaut Gurragchaa.

Responses to questions:

1- Kev: "Plastic Irish Pub" - UB, like many cities, is infested with several "Irish" "theme pubs". Marketing. No Guinness, lots of Chengiz Khan Draft.

2- Benis: collectors meetings - There is a mixed coin-stamp-medal club, meets Sundays noon. Today is Sunday. Guess where I'm going.

3- Lukasz: new ribbons/medals - Not any (yet) everything except the Hero is still being awarded (simply no opportunity to do so?). (Though the nasty bronze Red Banner of Labor -- type 2.2 -- has never been awarded, current awards are still silver pinbacks, type 2.1 -- all type 2.2s we see are unawarded "escapees".) Apparently, there were supposed to be three classes of the new Order of Chengiz Khan (Battushig A 19), though no one seems to have remembered that. There is still occasional talk of the "need" for new awards but, so far, nothing has been done, Good!

And.

Most visitors today come either for the shamanistic stone cairn behind the memorial (shown in a few photos above, covered in goats helping themselves to food offerings) or for the views of Ulanbaatar.

Well, the view is nice . . .

And the central eternal flame recepticle, like most of the remainder of the monument, has fallen victim to the bane of monuments in the contemportary age, grafitti.

The site used to be well visited and was a mandatory stop for the Young Pioneers on holidays. Today, it is fairly unvisited and the central eternal flame turned out not to be eternal.

And.

And.

And.

Inside the surrounding ring, some nice socialist realist murals.

And.

And . . . .

The outside ring shows some image familiar to Folks Like Us.

The soldier.

A few more from yesterday.

The Zaisan Memorial, a general memorial to Mongolian and Soviet war dead.

More to come tomorrow.

And the hilt of the Choibalsan-special sword.

OK, a couple more before I collapse of jet-lag . . .

Still at the historcal museum, some clothing. Choibalsan's overcoat in the center. While it LOOKS like what we see on Battushig's p. 20, it shows no signs of having had any awards (no holes, punctures, etc.).

A few more badges.

Some badges.

More early (ish) orders.

A nice display of two of the "EARLIES".

Said to be Tsedendorj's own Order of Literacy (not "Literary") Merit Order (not "Medal").