[ Vladimir Kuzmin ] Mongols are very tolerant, it goes back to Genghis Khan
[ Vladimir ] He decreed that all religions should be treated equally
[ Mongol ] So, the Russians have come to us, the Russians have come!
Yes, we're Russian citizens
Thank you for visiting us today
It shows respect, I love you!
[ Anthony ] It's hard to define the Russian community
[ Anthony ] We have both White emigrant and Soviet era settler ancestors
[ Vladimir ] My grandparents were brought to Mongolia by their ancestors
during the civil war, all Old Believers
[ Vladimir ] When our children were little, they spoke only Russian with me,
and only Mongolian with their mother
[ Vladimir ] It's the same with our grandkids
[ Elena ] I just fell in love with the country
[ Vladimir ] These places touch your soul,
and you're definitely drawn back here, to this sunshine, this wind
[ VO ] When winter ends, the great Gobi Desert becomes a destination, both for locals and tourists.
[ VO ] Once a year, the Camel Festival brings nomadic families from far and wide.
[ VO ] Spectators escaped the cities in search of an exotic experience,
and our friends, a Russian family from Allan Bator,
are no exception.
[ Vladimir ] Come over here!
[ VO ] Vladimir Kuzmin, his wife Elena, and their daughter, Aksinia.
[ VO ] The head of the family sees himself as a hopeless romantic,
and wants to show his wife the beauty of the country
in which he was born and raised.
[ Vladimir Kuzmin ] I was born in Mongolia. I consider myself Russian
[ Vladimir ] When I was born here, the Soviet presence was felt very deeply
[ Vladimir ] We lived as if in the Soviet Union
[ Vladimir ] The grandfathers and grandmothers were
brought to Mongolia by their ancestors
when they were six years old, in 1918
[ Vladimir ] Why did they come?
[ Vladimir ] I suppose they were under a certain amount of pressure
in the civil war, as Old Believers
[ Vladimir ] Old Believers, you know who Old Believers are?
[ Vladimir ] They don't even accept similar people from the outside world
[ Vladimir ] It's changed now, of course, but back then, they honoured such things
[ Vladimir ] They lived in their own settlements
[ Vladimir ] They were subsistence farmers and were completely self-sufficient,
totally self-sufficient
[ Vladimir ] I was forbidden
by my parents to mix the blood
[ Vladimir ] My wife is Russian, I met her through the internet
[ Vladimir ] She came here on a business trip, and we met for the first time
[ Elena Krivova ] I don't know the language or culture, and I had no one to socialise with,
and so we met and started hanging out,
and ended up a family
[ Elena ] We didn't wait too long to get married
and two years later, we had a child
[ Elena ] Honestly, I knew nothing of Mongolia,
and when I first arrived, we went on a trip to the Gobi Desert,
[ Elena ] I just fell in love with this country, the nature is incredibly beautiful
[ Elena ] It won't let you go, it's just breathtaking
[ VO ] These nomadic brothers hail from the heart of the desert.
[ VO ] They've moved their yurt and herds closer to the city of Dalanzadgad.
[ VO ] In preparation for taking part in the camel festival,
they hope to win a cash prize or even a car.
[ VO ] If they happen to win, of course.
[ VO ] One of the brothers has brought his little son,
Otgun Adinyi, who's roaming with them since he was born.
[ Voice ] Watching your flock? [ Mongol ] Yes, half my sheep are coming here
[ Mongol ] You see, there?
[ Mongol ] There
[ Mongol ] Where that dark spot over there is? [ Voice ] Yeah, I see it
[ Mongol ] The flock's coming our way. How many do you have?
[ Mongol ] There it is, the flock
[ Voice ] But how many are there?
[ Mongol ] I don't count them
[ Vladimir ] He doesn't count
[ VO ] At dawn, the nomadic family heads for the camel festival.
[ VO ] A journey that takes them through the streets of Dalanzadgad.
[ VO ] Camels and cars sharing the motorway. It's a common sight here.
[ VO ] For a quarter of a century,
herders from all over Mongolia
have competed here in the Gobi Desert.
[ VO ] The program includes a camel parade, races,
and a kind of camel polo.
[ Elena ] He almost fell off
[ Elena ] One's screaming
[ Vladimir ] That one. It must be its first time
[ Elena ] It's in a lot of pain
[ Elena ] Poor little thing!
[ Elena ] I'm sorry for the animals
[ Elena ] They're hitting them!
[ VO ] As well as skillful camel control, the rider has to hit the ball with his mallet
and score by driving the ball into the opposing team's goal.
[ Vladimir ] Goal!
[ Vladimir ] That's it, we won! Yellows won!
[ Vladimir ] You enter this camel festival every year?
[ Mongol ] The last one was two years ago
[ Vladimir ] Will you enter the competition later?
[ Mongol ] No, we won't compete in that event
[ Mongol ] We'll enter the camel race and the beautiful couples contest
[ Vladimir ] Oh, I see
[ Vladimir ] Thank you
[ VO ] This competition is called 'The Perfect Couple.' The herder puts on a traditional national costume
but also dresses up his camel. Not only the man's costume is judged, but the camel's appearance too.
[ VO ] The herders make their own costumes
and some of the entrance compete on white camels.
[ VO ] A rare breed.
[ VO ] And in the end, they win the beauty pageant.
[ Mongol ] Behind them! Behind them!
[ Mongol ] Get behind them!
[ VO ] Our heroes aren't discouraged,
despite being outdone by their camel parade rivals.
[ VO ] It's not the winning that counts, but the taking part.
[ Elena ] The owners are very colourful, right?
[ Elena ] They're so unusual, and the owners
[ Elena ] The costumes are pretty
[ Aksinya ] The wind!
[ VO ] The competition under the scorching sun and in the dust storm literally
wore 3-year-old Otgon-Erdene out. He fell asleep in his father's arms.
[ VO ] Nomad children are raised in Spartan conditions from birth.
[ VO ] All through the competition, the three-year-old didn't even get to drink any water, and never cried once.
[ VO ] Preparing a camel for the race is an art in itself.
[ VO ] Contrary to popular belief, they don't eat sorns
but prefer dates, honey and eggs.
[ VO ] A camel's diet must include a variety of vitamins.
[ VO ] Often children become jockeys because of their weight.
[ VO ] Falls and injuries are not uncommon, but there are no accidents this time.
[ VO ] The winner looks no older than 14.
[ VLADIMIR ] How are you doing?
[ Mongol ] Win some, lose some!
[ Mongol ] He's an honoured aimag rider, and next to him, one from the sum
[ Mongol ] He's a performer too
[ Mongol ] He went to the Higher Whiplash School
[ Vladimir ] What school did you say? [ Mongol ] The Higher Whiplash School
[ Mongol ] Let me write that down! I've never heard of that college
[ Vladimir ] What's not to understand?
[ Mongol ] He's a herder, a top-ranking amateur performer
[ Mongol ] He has merit badges, but not with him this time
[ VO ] The competition is over. The tie of nomads return to their yachts out in the past. One
day, this boy, too, will be a jockey, perhaps very soon, because jokies have to be light.
[ VO ] Even though it's dangerous past time, children compete in these races from a very early age.
[ Mongol ] OK, the Russians have come to us
the Russians have come
[ Vladimir ] Yes, we're Russian citizens
[ Vladimir ] A gift for your family [ Mongol ] Thank you
[ VO ] For Vladimir Kuzmin, it all looks very familiar. After all, these are his
customs and language, but to Elena, literally everything brings new amazement.
[ Mongol ] And who's this with you? [ Vladimir ] That's my family
[ Vladimir ] May I ask, will you show my camera what you're wearing?
[ Mongol ] I'll explain it all at once
[ Mongol ] It's very simple
[ Mongol ] All right... This pipe was passed down to me through three generations
[ Mongol ] From my great-grandfather
[ Mongol ] He fought in two wars
[ Mongol ] The last was in the Khalkhin Gol battles
[ Vladimir ] May I smoke it? [ Mongol ] Yes. A man is allowed to
[ Elena ] Alright, give it back!
[ Mongol ] He's a Mongolised fellow
[ VO ] This little kid, Dene, has never had his hair cut. It has grown quite long, and his dad now has to braid it.
[ Vladimir ] He's a good boy
[ Mongol ] Boys get their first haircut when they're 3 to 5 years old
[ Mongol ] Families get together...
for the occasion
and have a party
to celebrate his first haircut
[ Mongol ] It's a shame...
the mother's not here
[ Mongol ] She left him and went away
[ Mongol ] He lives with his father, we support them
[ Mongol ] His father's probably here
[ Mongol ] Oh, all right, you can go
[ Mongol ] Go, go, go. Take him outside [ Mongol ] He wants to play?
[ Mongol ] He probably does [ Mongol ] He's a restless kid, I guess,
running in and out
[ Mongol ] He's frisky
[ Mongol ] Yeah, he won't sit still
[ Mongol ] Daddy doesn't want to [ Mongol ] He's both the daddy and mummy
[ Mongol ] He hasn't had a mum since he was little, he grew up with me
[ Vladimir ] Oh, I see
[ Mongol ] I'm his mum and dad [ Vladimir ] Is he ever sick?
[ Mongol ] No, never, he's never sick, it's no problem
[ Mongol ] There are no problems because, unlike in the city,
here, he spends all his time outdoors,
it's as though he grows off nature's energy
[ Vladimir ] He's a sturdy lad
[ Mongol ] What does 'sturdy' mean?
[ Mongol ] I've heard it before... [ Mongol ] Sturdy?
[ Vladimir ] It means tough, strong and manly
[ Mongol ] It sounds very familiar
[ Mongol ] I once worked with two Russians, in 1985
[ Mongol ] They must have used the term
[ Mongol ] When I worked with the Russians,
I noticed they ate a lot of...
bread...
onions...
and pork lard
[ Mongol ] And they were quite suspicious of our meat
[ Mongol ] When I used to cook some fatty meat,
they just hung around and looked at it
[ Mongol ] So, I'd eat it,
but they didn't want to touch it, they'd only offer me onions
[ Elena ] If I knew the language, it would probably be easier because
my husband can talk to anyone,
when he talks with friends and acquaintances, or we go anywhere,
clearly, I understand nothing, and he translates
[ Elena ] If you want to live here...
you must be born here, yes
[ Aksinya ] This is my friend and classmate
[ Aksinya ]We live near each other
[ VO ] The Kuzmins sent their daughter Aksinya to a local school so that she
would be raised in a Mongolian environment. Aksinya has made friends and
talks easily with them in Mongolian. Her dad picks her up from school. He
often also picks up her classmate, Yalalt, whose family lives next door.
[ VO ] The neighbours have no qualms about entrusting their son to the Russians.
[ Yalalt ] Octagon! [ Aksinya ] It means?
[ Elena ] The child learns Mongolian
because we saw that, if you don't know Mongolian,
children's clubs and activities are naturally closed to you
[ Elena ] We purposefully wanted her to know Mongolian
[ Vladimir ] Do you still go to gymnastic classes?
[ Yalalt ] Yes
[ Vladimir ] You enjoy it?
[ Yalalt ] I go twice
[ Vladimir ] Every week? [ Yalalt ] Yes. And three during holidays
[ Vladimir ] What do you want to be when you grow up?
[ Yalalt ] A footballer
[ Vladimir ] He'll be a footballer
[ Vladimir ] You'll be a football player?
[ Aksinya ] The thing is...
for studies, I...
[ Aksinya ] I'll finish school here, then university in Russia
[ Aksinya ] What will I study? I haven't decided yet
[ Aksinya Kuzmina ] Everyone is a nomad because they move from one place to another
[ Vladimir ] We go to Russia every year
[ Vladimir ] We long for it and have for a long time
[ VO ] Even the emigrants’ descendants, born in Mongolia, have a longing for Russia. Perhaps this is what brought Vladimir to Orthodoxy.
[ VO ] He and his family attend Trinity Church in the centre of Ulaanbaatar.
[ Vladimir ] Faith... I did have to find it, and it came with age
[ Vladimir ] It wasn't from my parents
[ Father Antony ] I'm Father Antony, Rector at Holy Trinity Church in Ulaanbaatar
[ Father Antony ] I've been here for four years
[ Father Antony ] The history of Holy Trinity Church dates back to the late 19th century,
when a Russian Consulate was set up in the town of Urga, in Ulaanbaatar
[ Father Antony ] The parish ceased to exist in 1921 because
the Russian Revolution had a huge impact, and up until 1995,
there was no church here
[ Father Antony ] Russians here have kept their Orthodox faith, a few of them,
and people asked His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II to send a priest here
[ Father Antony ] It's hard to define the Russian community
[ Father Antony ] We have both White emigrant and Soviet era settler ancestors
[ Father Antony ] Some of them married Mongols and stayed, that happened too
[ Father Antony ] Some stayed after battles, all different people
[ Father Antony ] But we call them all the Russian community
[ VO ] Vladimir Pavlov was born in Mongolia. He is a descendant of white emigrants. He
has taught philosophy of language at the National University of Mongolia for many years.
[ Vladimir Pavlov ] These are young guys
[ Vladimir ] They're all about thirty-something, half my age
[ Voice ] Are they teachers or students? [ Vladimir ] Teachers
[ Vladimir ] Many of our compatriots worked at the National University of Mongolia
[ Vladimir ] But today,
I can basically say with certainty that
I'm the last...
of us working at the National University of Mongolia
[ Vladimir ] We have 3 children: 2 sons, 1 daughter, and 6 grandchildren
[ Vladimir ] When they were little, our kids spoke only Russian with me,
and with their mum, only Mongolian
[ Vladimir ] It's exactly the same with our grandkids
[ Vladimir ] You see, I'm from a Russian family
[ Vladimir ] There were 5 of us in the family, and we were brought up
with Russian traditions, following Russian customs
[ Vladimir ] I graduated from a Russian school, actually a Soviet school
[ Vladimir ] I got my surname from my mum,
who came here with my grandma in 1928-29
[ Vladimir ] They crossed the Mongolian border, which was very porous at the time
[ Vladimir ] The move across the Mongolian border was prompted
by the situation in Russia
[ Vladimir ] They were probably in search of a better life
[ Vladimir ] At that time, we were referred to in a derogatory way
[ Vladimir ] We were called, 'The remnants of Ataman Semyonov',
but he wasn't in Mongolia
[ Vladimir ] Baron Ungern was here. Semyonov was somewhere around Harbin
[ Vladimir ] At that time, there was prejudice against Russians
[ Vladimir ] They were regarded as 2nd class folk
[ Vladimir ] Until 1970, compatriots who lived in Mongolia
weren't allowed to live in the Soviet Union
[ Vladimir ] We could travel to...
the USSR to visit relatives,
but even in that case, we had to have papers to go there
[ Vladimir ] Many of us didn't even have a passport
[ Vladimir ] Somewhere around 1975, relations began to warm up,
and many of our compatriots moved to the Soviet Union
[ Vladimir ] Have you ever seen how buuz is made?
[ Vladimir ] Let's make it together
[ Voice ] Do Mongolian men help with the cooking?
[ Vladimir ] This is my son. He's Mongolian now, he got Mongolian citizenship
[ Vladimir ] He does help. It depends on upbringing and stuff
[ Solongo Chunagsuren ] We're making the filling for the buuz
[ Solongo ] It's a dish served to the most honoured guests
[ Solongo ] It's a very healthy meal. It helps to relieve fatigue
[ Solongo ] Especially in the springtime, it's very nourishing
[ Vladimir ] We teach kids this from an early age:
how to roll out the dough and make buuz
[ Vladimir ] For example, when we celebrate Tsagaan Sar,
the holiday of the 1st lunar month, a lot of guests come,
and we have to make from 500 to 1,000
[ Solongo ] We met when I was a first-year student
[ Solongo ] We were friends, and didn't get married until I was in my fourth year
[ Solongo ] My parents didn't object
[ Solongo ] My mother-in-law was a very intelligent woman,
and we got along just fine
[ Solongo ] She treated me wonderfully
[ Vladimir ] In the 1990s, changes began to sweep across the world
[ Vladimir ] Mongolia was also affected. Here they also began to look for an enemy
[ Vladimir ] Who became that enemy? The Soviet Union!
[ Vladimir ] In Sukhbaatar Square, young people gathered. They were about my age
[ Vladimir ] I was in my thirties. These young people demanded
that everything Soviet and Russian be removed from here
[ Vladimir ] The army withdrew in one day
[ Vladimir ] It was then stationed along the border with China
[ Vladimir ] All houses and buildings under construction here were put on hold
[ Vladimir ] All the specialists left. More than 50K returned to the Soviet Union
[ Vladimir ] Many negative remarks were made about the Soviet Union
[ Vladimir ] I think all that was done at the behest of European countries
and the US embassy
[ Vladimir ] I even participated in this democratic revolution myself
[ Vladimir ] So much time has passed
[ Vladimir ] You know...
I remember the times of socialism fondly,
when rights such as the right to housing, the right to health
were all ensured. That's why I remember those times so fondly
[ Vladimir ] And because I have lived in two different eras,
I have my own view of the past, and, of course, the future
[ Vladimir ] The 1990s were very challenging because we were rationed
[ Vladimir ] My eldest son used to go and stand in queues
[ Vladimir ] We ran out of bread the day we got it
[ Vladimir ] There wasn't even half a loaf. Not even a half!
[ Vladimir ] I remember I found a card that we used every day to get bread
[ Vladimir ] There were long queues, starting from 6 am
[ Vladimir ] In summer, we'd climb through a window and hide under the counter
[ Vladimir ] When people began to rush in, we got out from under the counter
[ Vladimir ] Pavlov ] Because of the changes that had taken place in Mongolia,
they began to marginalise Russian and fire Russian teachers
[ Vladimir ] Many Russian teachers had to train for a new profession
[ Vladimir ] My wife finished her English courses
[ Vladimir ] After the 1990s, the gap left by the Russian language
was filled with Asian languages, such as Korean, Chinese, Japanese,
European languages, and many others
[ Vladimir ] Today, many study English, French, or German
[ Vladimir ] I work in the department of European languages
[ Vladimir ] All these languages are available
[ Solongo ] Now, schools and universities prioritise English
[ Solongo ] English classes have increased substantially,
while Russian is given very little time
[ VO ] Those who are now 40 and who studied at Russian schools,
grew up on Soviet literature, films, and music, many of
them received free education in Soviet universities, and for them, Russian culture became a window to the wider world.
[ VO ] Entire blocks with intact buildings of the Soviet era, both residential and municipal, have
survived to this day. They were built by Soviet professionals. Mongolian families now living.
[ Solongo ] Of course, as my husband is Russian,
I'm for everything Russian-related, and my soul is open to Russia
[ Solongo ] I do speak Russian. But these days, because I teach English,
my Russian's become a little rusty
[ Solongo ] My colloquial Russian is OK, and I can speak the language
[ Solongo ] We observe both Russian and Mongolian customs and traditions
[ Solongo ] I'm not a religious person, but I have my own faith nonetheless
[ Solongo ] Our capital has Buddhist temples
[ Solongo ] I visit once in a while and order a prayer service
[ Solongo ] Our children are Mongolian citizens
[ Solongo ] Our priority is to give them a good education
[ VO ] Children in the Russian–Mongolian Pavlov family speak Russian fluently.
[ VO ] Grandchildren, too, were sent to a Russian school. Education here is not free,
but many families, even purely Mongolian ones, have preferred to send their
children here. Knowledge of Russian is considered prestigious in Mongolia.
[ Vladimir ] Because they attended Soviet schools and kindergartens in our family,
they have a very high regard for the Russian language
[ Vladimir ] Folk want their kids to have some kind of Russian upbringing
and to know Russian. They realise it's very important
[ Father Antony ] When we came here, we showed our kids some YouTube videos
about Mongolia. My eldest daughter burst into tears, saying:
'Dad, I'm not going there! It's awful! I want to stay at home,' etc.
[ Father Antony ] My wife was very anxious too. But, after the kids
went a couple of times on holiday, they said:
'Dad, we want to go back! We're tired of home, let's go to Mongolia!'
[ Father Antony ] The language is quite hard. When I came here, I even hired a tutor
[ Father Antony ] But I never actually got fluent in Mongolian
[ Father Antony ] First of all, due to many speaking Russian fluently, the Mongols I mean,
I cut myself some slack
[ Father Antony ] All speak Russian! Why should I learn Mongolian?
[ Father Antony ] But as a pastor, it's bad,
because I should speak to my flock in Mongolian
[ Father Antony ] Some people in my parish don't speak Russian
[ Mongol ] What a beautiful bird!
[ Vladimir ] Ever been to a festival like this? [ Mongol ] No, it's my first time
[ Father Antony ] We baptised this guy and named him Seraphim
[ Father Antony ] His dad, who speaks Russian fluently, came to us, saying:
'My son wants to be baptised, but he doesn't know Russian
[ Father Antony ] So, I'd like to help him somehow'
[ Father Antony ] We began preparing for his baptism
[ Father Antony ] Seraphim went through a long catechesis and was baptised
[ Father Antony ] After a while, his dad, Zorigt said:
'I've decided to get baptised too.' And he did
[ Father Antony ] Their grandmother was Russian
and had passed on Orthodox traditions to them
[ Seraphim ] My grandma was an Orthodox Christian
[ Seraphim ] She never lied
[ Seraphim ] She's the best example of spiritual honesty
[ Seraphim ] Every time I went out, she blessed me for the road
[ Seraphim ] After I graduated from university, I was in some kind of stress
[ Seraphim ] Taking part in some events was unpleasant for me
[ Seraphim ] I was more and more drawn to Orthodox Christianity
[ Seraphim ] I told my dad about it several times
[ Seraphim ] Every time I go out, she wants to…
[ Voice ] Does she want to run away, or run to you?
[ Mongol ] She wants to go outside
[ Zorigt Sunder ] We weren't religious as kids
[ Zorigt ] However, when the market-driven economy came,
everyone suddenly got religion, and all Mongols became Buddhists
[ Zorigt ] In fact, there are hardly any real believers
[ Zorigt ] There are would-be believers spinning beads and whispering mantras
[ Zorigt ] I wasn't into that. It wasn't for me
[ Zorigt ] I didn't care for it
[ Zorigt ] I have a friend who's a Buddhist monk
[ Zorigt ] He sometimes read mantras to me
[ Zorigt ] We even went to a temple, but it didn't move me
[ Zorigt ] My grandparents lived in Leningrad during the blockade
[ Zorigt ] Grandfather studied at a military medical academy,
and my grandmother finished a medical college
[ Zorigt ] They left here to study, my mum was born in Leningrad
[ Zorigt ] When I went into a church, I knew and understood the language,
and I really felt this was for me
[ Zorigt ] This was what I'd been seeking and longing for all those years
[ Zorigt ] I realised my soul and my thoughts were closer to Orthodox Christianity
[ Zorigt ] It might have something to do with
me living among Russians since childhood,
and my heart and soul have become Russian
[ Zorigt ] Anything Russian is dear to me
[ Zorigt ] There are only two of us: my son and I
[ Zorigt ] He's single, and my wife, his mother, left us for another man long ago
[ Zorigt ] Anyway, it doesn't matter
[ Zorigt ] It's just that there's no one to do the cooking but us
[ VO ] Zorigt Sunder is the sole bread-earner in the family. Working at a
small private TV company, he supports himself and his son, who is a student.
[ Zorigt ] This is how I come to work in the morning
[ Zorigt ] The studio is called 'Enlightener'
[ Zorigt ] I turn on the lights
[ Zorigt ] And, here is where we make our programmes and record interviews
[ Zorigt ] This is our equipment: lights, cranes...
[ Zorigt ] We record the show here in the yurt
[ Zorigt ] We bring the crane in there, that's how we work
[ Zorigt ] The broadcasting equipment is also here
[ Zorigt ] Here, we have two servers, you can see our logo in the upper corner
[ Zorigt ] I keep track of the live broadcast on the monitor
[ Zorigt ] Then...
if everything's alright, I make some coffee...
and edit the recording
[ Zorigt ] I treat Russians with great respect
because my parents and grandparents studied in the USSR
[ Zorigt ] I studied in a Soviet school since I was 7,
and professionals were invited to teach there,
which was a great stepping stone for me
[ Zorigt ] So, I owe all this to the Russians
[ VO ] The walls are decorated with Buddhist attributes. After all, Mongolia
is a country professing Buddhism. There is a portrait of Genghis Khan on the
wall. After the democratic revolution in Mongolia, he was again considered a
national hero, and his portraits must hang in every office. It's a rules now.
[ VO ] Ulaanbaatar seats on the northern slope of the Bogd Khan Mountain. The mountain is sacred. An ancient legend
says that the mountain saved Temüjin by hiding him from
enemies and, becoming Genghis Khan, he commanded to honour it.
Mongols believed that the armor and weapons of the great khan were hidden somewhere on the top of the mountain .
[ Vladimir ] I subscribed to some hiking enthusiasts
[ Vladimir ] They have 14- to 18-kilometre
trails through preserved areas here
[ Vladimir ] I'd like to hike with them some day
[ Vladimir ] For now, I'll just hike here a bit with my backpack
[ Father Antony ] When you move somewhere far from home,
you're basically alone,
so you start looking for friends and a social circle
[ Kid ] Dad, when will we visit Uncle Amar? [ Father Antony ] We'll go there to celebrate Easter
[ Father Antony ] We'll ask Aunt Naron to cook some yummy stuff
[ Kid ] Pelmeni! Fried ones! She told me the next time we visited she'd make everything vegan
[ Father Antony ] We spend our life visiting friends
[ Father Antony ] Our closest friends are fellow Russians,
but we have Mongolian ones too
[ Father Antony ] Liturgical activity doesn't cover all the parish's expenses,
but, thank God, we have a gym right here at the parish that we rent out
[ Father Antony ] This is also a social project
because we give lots of children an opportunity to train for free
[ Father Antony ] Our judo section is led by Luvsandemverel,
a champion and wonderful man
[ Father Antony ] We have a lot in common
[ Father Antony ] Mongols are friendly and kind-hearted
[ Father Antony ] They don't hold knives behind their backs
[ Father Antony ] If they like you, they like you
[ Father Antony ] If they don't, they'll tell you
[ Father Antony ] This sincerity is captivating
[ Father Antony ] More than once,
cab drivers have refused to take money just because we're Russian
[ Father Antony ] They just glowed with friendliness
[ VO ] Baganuur city, Mongolian schoolchildren are putting on a performance. One, you remember, is a descendant
of Russian immigrants. Vladimir Zimirov, Baganuur was built by Soviet professionals and almost 30 years ago.
Zimirov himself took part in that large-scale construction
program. Russian speech was heard everywhere here. Vladimir's
ancestors came to Mongolia to work in agriculture and build
communes. He switched from being a geologist to being a builder.
[ VO ] Vladimir Zimiryov's ancestors came to Mongolia to raise agriculture
and build communes. As for him, he went from a geologist to a builder.
[ Mongol ] Here's the theatre...
[ Vladimir ] Your great-grandfather lived not far from here
[ Vladimir ] My father came to Mongolia in 1922 with his mother when he was 9
[ Vladimir Zimiryov ] Russians were to help build communes for Mongols
[ Vladimir ] He grew up and married a Russian girl
who had also come to Mongolia with her parents
[ Vladimir ] The Zimiryov family began to grow
[ Vladimir ] We had 10 children in our family:
5 girls and 5 boys
[ Vladimir ] I live here with my wife
[ Vladimir ] She's a Mongolian citizen
[ Vladimir ] We met...
in a curious way, as decreed by fate itself, apparently
[ Vladimir ] Our fathers knew each other in 1942
[ Vladimir ] One day, they were sitting at a table,
and my wife's father told my father,
'A Russian guy is courting my daughter
[ Vladimir ] He studies at the National University of Mongolia...
a guy in glasses who visits sometimes'
[ Vladimir ] My father asked, 'His name?' 'Volodya,' "He's my son!"
[ Vladimir ] That's how we got married
[ VO ] Ulaanbaatar is a city of contrasts. In its centre,
there are skyscrapers, in its outskirts — thousands of yurts.
[ Vladimir ] Ulaanbaatar is heavily populated now
[ Vladimir ] Before 2000, its maximum population was estimated at 500,000 to 600,000
[ Vladimir ] You might have noticed the traffic jams we have here in Ulaanbataar
[ Vladimir ] That's because half of Mongolia lives here
[ Vladimir ] The city is covered in smog and haze, the air used to be much cleaner
[ Vladimir ] In fact, this city was once called the 'White Beauty of Asia'
[ Vladimir ] Ulaanbaatar is a city of contrasts: there are skyscrapers,
as well as yurts
[ Vladimir ] Yurts are the national housing of Mongol nomads
[ Vladimir ] This is a unique structure
[ Vladimir ] It consists of five walls with poles fixed to a circular ceiling window,
which is called a 'ton'
[ Vladimir ] Using these poles and sunrays, the Mongols can tell the time:
whether it's time to go out and do the milking, and so on
[ Vladimir ] The yurt towns are growing bigger and bigger,
both from the east and west
[ Vladimir ] Many villagers come to Ulaanbaatar, and they all bring their yurts with them
[ Vladimir ] Good day to you all! Happy belated Tsagaan Sar!
[ Mongol ] Good day to you!
[ Mongol ] Look what guests we have here!
Is this family really from Uvs aimag?
[ Vladimir ] That's right, we're from Uvs
[ Vladimir ] And your name is? [ Batbilek ] My name's Batbilek
[ Vladimir ] Look, yurts consist of poles
[ Vladimir ] There should be 88 of them
[ Vladimir ] The left side is for women, the right side for men
[ Vladimir ] And that's the 'ton' I mentioned:
the ceiling window supported by the poles
[ Vladimir ] Mongols have built their own yurts for centuries
[ Vladimir ] They're quickly assembled and disassembled
[ Vladimir ] By the way, this family is from aimag,
where I used to work as a geologist
[ Vladimir ] Today, this man is visitng his older brother, the yurt's owner,
to celebrate Tsagaan Sar
[ Vladimir ] Tsagaan Sar can last almost a whole year,
until people see each other
[ Batbilek ] Maybe we should cook some buuz for our guests?
[ Batbilek ] Boil them over high heat for 20 minutes and they're done
[ Vladimir ] Look, the buuz go in here,
and this is also where they put the mutton rump for Tsagaan Sar
[ Vladimir ] It's in there
[ Vladimir ] Have you tried buuz yet?
[ Vladimir ] How did you celebrate Tsagaan Sar?
[ Vladimir ] And this is a snuff bottle
[ Vladimir ] During Tsagaan Sar, men give each other snuff bottles
[ Vladimir ] There's snuffing tobacco in here
[ Vladimir ] I close it like this? [ Batbilek ] Yeah, good
[ Vladimir ] I wish you all the best!
[ Vladimir ] I wish all the kids good health and hope your spouse finds a job soon!
[ Batbilek's Wife ] My husband and I have 6 kids already!
[ Vladimir ] My brother plans to have 4 more kids
[ Vladimir ] I'm the 9th of 10 children
[ Vladimir ] There were often many children in Russian families, too
[ Batbilek ] Are you related to Lenin?
[ Vladimir ] No, no relation
[ Vladimir ] But my name is Vladimir
[ Batbilek ] You look a bit like Lenin
[ Vladimir ] It seems to him I'm some distant relative of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin
[ Vladimir ] 'You look alike', they say
[ Vladimir ] I have to try this part because this is 'uuts'
[ Vladimir ] This is a Mongolian national dish: botz
[ Vladimir ] In Russian they say 'buuz', but in Mongolian it's 'botz'
[ Vladimir ] It's meat dumplings with some seasoning
[ Vladimir ] Delicious!
[ Vladimir ] My wife makes great buuz, too
[ Vladimir ] She's a Mongol from Ovorkhangai aimag
[ Vladimir ] They say they'll steal the shirt off your back there
[ Batbilek ] May I speak as the head of the household and the owner of this yurt?
[ Batbilek ] I appreciate that you, our Russian brothers, have come...
to visit us here today
[ Batbilek ] You have visited and shown us respect
[ Batbilek ] I love you
[ VO ] The Mongol youth go to all parts of the world to study. Some
of Vladimir Zimiryov's family members make a career abroad too.
[ Vladimir ] I think my older granddaughters will come work in Mongolia
and help it develop, each in their field
[ Vladimir ] I think somehow, someday, they'll move here and live in Mongolia
[ Vladimir ] When the children wanted Mongolian citizenship, I didn't stand in their way
[ Vladimir ] As Mongolian citizens,
they'll have clearer career paths, and so on
[ Elena ] I haven't seen a more hospitable or kinder people anywhere else
[ VLADIMIR ] Yes, here and now, I'm happy
[ VLADIMIR ] The beauty, sun, wind, the beauty of mountains...
it definitely inspires