MOVING TO THE FUTURE WHILE ERASING THE PAST
One way to erase the past is to remove every trace of it – scrap everything as if it never happened or existed. Mongolians seem to be very good at wiping out the “not so important” past. For example, there used to be countless onestorey timber buildings of historical and cultural value throughout the capital, but before we know it, they were replaced with tall, glass towers or apartment complexes. As time passes, people forget the original timber building along with its history and are gradually getting used to the process.
HISTORIC-CULTURAL SITE NEED STATE
SUPERVISION AND PROTECTION
A good example of a site of historical and cultural value on the verge of demolishment is the small wooden building that was home to the eighth Prime Minister Ts.Jigjidjav, who was one of the founding members of Parliament of Mongolia. It’s been several months since steel frameworks had been put over the building.
Apparently, this significant building had been privatized several years ago and had been approved for expansion and renovation by the Ulaanbaatar Property Relations Agency (UPRA) on June 7. At present, steel frameworks have been built over the building.
The former home of Ts.Jigjidjav is said to be the only historic-cultural building not under the ownership of the state, capital or district administration. Out of 22 structures of such significance, 11 have been put under government protection to some extent. Even so, the building should be kept under the district and district council’s supervision, according to the Law on the Protection of Cultural Heritage.
Due to this, the owner decided to preserve the building in its current state but make use of the land by building another building on top of it.
State inspector in charge of cultural sites at UPRA Ch.Dariimaa stated, “Cadastral mapping was made for all historic monuments and structures in the capital and up to 100 meters around their premises in 2008 and 2013. At the time, former Prime Minister Ts.Jigjidjav’s home was included. However, its cadastral mapping wasn’t inputted into the Land Information Database. As it’s a cultural heritage, a permit is essential for building something on its land.”
She said that a working group will be assigned from UPRA and Chingeltei District Mayor’s Office to inspect the site, and later, submit an official letter of demand to the city administration to have the historiccultural building urgently put under supervision.
“A historic building is at a risk of damage and demolishment. An urgent measure is required,” inspector Ch.Dariimaa underlined.
NEITHER THE STATE NOR INDIVIDUAL CAN AFFORD TO MAKE USE OF CULTURAL
SITES
There are quite a few historic sites in Ulaanbaatar with unstable future. The two-storey building that everyone is used to calling “Goojingiin Undur” has degraded to the extent it could collapse any day now. The building, located in the 6th khoroo of Bayanzurkh District, used to be considered one of the tallest buildings in the city and was said to have confined Bogd Khaan’s army for nearly two months.
Until privatized in 2006, the building has been used for various purposes, including as the main building of the Ministry of Finance, accommodation for Russian military trainers, jail, General D.Sukhbaatar’s office, communist leader Yu.Tsedenbal’s home, and student dormitory. Currently, the owner is determined to demolish the building and construct something else instead, while associated authorities insist on keeping the house. Reportedly, the owner is demanding a billion MNT if authorities don’t want the building to be demolished. According to an official, the city nor the state has an overflowing budget capable of providing this much money whenever someone demands it.
Mongolia's first European-style building, located right next to Kino Uildver, the central film studio of Mongolia, has already been privatized and turned into a hotel. Just like this two-storey building, the first office of Russian generals in Mongolia has been re-envisioned into a branch of Batbaigali Bakery. The home of Chin Van (Prince) Khanddorj, a prominent early 20thcentury Mongolian independence leader and the first Minister of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia, is being used to operate a restaurant although it’s under the authority of the Ministry of Foreign Relations.
Head of the Cultural Division at the Ulaanbaatar Department of Arts and Culture M.Munkhsaikhan commented, “There are 22 buildings registered as a historic-cultural site in Ulaanbaatar. Eleven of them have been put under the state protection, five under the city authority’s protection, and three under district protection. The Law on the Protection of Cultural Heritage was revised in 2013. Besides the fact that cultural heritages of historic significance must be under the control of the respective district mayor, the legislation doesn’t specify how or who has to oversee such sites. According to the law, such buildings and monuments can’t be demolished based on personal discretion. The Ministry of Education, Culture, Science and Sports can give permission to demolish a historiccultural site only if the building or structure is to be restored to its original state.”
Quite a few sites of historic and cultural value was privatized in recent years and their new owners demand a huge sum of money which the state and district administrations can’t afford, reported B.Davaatseren, a cultural policy specialist at the Ministry of Education, Culture, Science and Sports.
“As people put their personal interests first, conflicts are arising between the state and individuals. The state can’t forcefully take authority of private properties. The individual can’t afford to demolish and use the (historic-cultural) site as they please. If they do so, they will be charged with a crime. It becomes hard to resolve the issue. The state, of course, will prioritize the protection of such sites,” she said.
The specialist also complained that the annual budget allocated for the protection and restoration of cultural sites is too small compared to the amount of work that needs to be done.
NO GUARANTEE THAT REMAINING CULTURAL SITES WILL BE PROTECTED
How many historically and culturally important buildings have we lost so far? Another lost site that carried memories of many people is the first stone building that used to be School No.4. Now, the Teacher’s Development Palace is operating on its land.
The current UN House was once the first office complex for embassies, but most people have already forgotten them. The architectural monument, located on the eastern side of the Ministry of Foreign Relations, used to be called the Children’s Library once, but it was demolished years ago.
There’s an arch in every capital. Ulaanbaatar used to have two large archways but they were destroyed due to a powerful figure’s greed over their lands.
The Natural History Museum has already been approved for demolishment, while officials are considering the same for the National Library and small theaters.
“The Mongolian University of Life Sciences used to operate at the Natural History Museum. The museum needs a new building. It was shut down due to health and safety risks, high possibility of the building collapsing, and inadequate storage for exhibits. We only took preventive measures,” stated state inspector Ch.Dariimaa.
After conducting a census of sites of historic and cultural importance in Ulaanbaatar in 2015, around 60 sites were reportedly removed from the list, including the National University of Mongolia, State Academic Theater of Opera and Dance, State Academic Theater of Drama, Ministry of Foreign Relations and Mongolian Stock Exchange. UPRA hasn’t taken care of the remaining sites to this day.
IN NEED OF POLICY FOR RESTORATION, NOT ABANDONMENT
Historic sites, especially small villages and battle sites, are constantly restored and well-maintained in well-developed countries as they understand their value. Moreover, these sites are strategically used to attract tourists and promote the nation’s culture worldwide.
It’s good to develop the city and build new and unique structures, but the state needs to take control of historic-cultural sites and preserve them for the longterm. These sites will demonstrate and remind people of the 21st century the image of the capital in 10, 20, 50 years and more years to come.
D.Bat, the deputy president of the 60-year-old Union of Mongolian Architects, stressed the importance of preserving historic and culturally valuable buildings.
“Historic structures and buildings are unique and one-of-a-kind monuments that people can view for a long time. Most people wouldn’t go through books and archives to see what kind of things Mongolians built in the 1920s and 1930s. They will see it through the sites around the city. Hence, the state must pay attention to preserving historically and culturally valuable sites,” he said.
D.Bat added that Mongolia doesn’t have a legislation for architectures because state officials doesn’t consider architectures as cultural heritages.
“Because the protection and use of architectures aren’t legislated, people are able to freely use, purchase, and even demolish valuable sites,” he said. Apparently, the union has been trying to get this type of law passed since 2013, but has been unsuccessful to this day.
As mentioned by D.Bat, there is a need for Mongolia to improve its policy regarding the protection of historic sites, train specialists, restore these sites, and support protective measures. If the state has eyes and ears, it needs to urgently take action as valuable buildings and structures full of memories are on the verge of destruction.