EN060504A living space Living Space, Interview 1 Batbaatar Byambajav The Oral History of Twentieth Century Mongolia 2006-05 mn XML Male Övörhangai, Taragt sum 1942 060504 Byambajav Well thank you very much for accepting my invitation to this talk… and giving me this interview. Batbaatar Yes. Byambajav There are two things to seek your views before starting the interview and receive your permission. Batbaatar Yes. Byambajav If you wish you may keep your name in secret. Or if you wish you can use it without concealing. Batbaatar Yes. Byambajav At some place … will you keep your name in secret? Or will you proceed without concealing it? Batbaatar No concealing. No need. Byambajav Well, thank you. There is one more thing to ask. If you ask what is it then all information contained in your interview will be used …. by scholars and researches as research material after ten years, may twenty years. It may be used as reference material on TV and radio, as well as it might be… printed in newspapers and journals. Batbaatar Yes. Byambajav So is it possible for us to use what you told us, all the information contained in your interview in this way? Batbaatar You may. Byambajav Well, thank you. Batbaatar It is a history. Byambajav Aan hn. Therefore, since what you will tell me is a piece of history will you please tell us the history of your life, your recollections from the childhood years? Batbaatar Yes. ??? Byambajav Ааn hn. Batbaatar I was born in1942, in Baga Uizen kohshuu of Sain noyan khan aimag ??? (0-01-42), the present day Targat soum of Ovorkhagai aimag, in the family of Charantai Danjinii Dargia. My father was Dargia, my mother was Dolgor. I am the only child of that family. Actually I was the second one. When my father went to the war in Khalkhyn gol in 37, apparently our life was hard. So my parents gave my elder sister for adoption to the family of Shindeg and father went to the war.(0-02-40) my mother, after him, came (to the town). After the war my father came back and served as the secretary of the Taragt soum, literacy apparently was what he learned in the military service and as such he became the secretary of the soum, by today’s understanding he was, to my mind, in public service…so he was doing that job. I was born during that period, in 42. After that soon father had to move to here (the city), he was one of the four children, they were all boys. Three of them were in military service and went to(participated in) war, the eldest of the brothers Ishdanzan was left behind … to take care of their mother and father, and they, it seems to me, also moved to the town. So we began our new life in the city. Life was very hard at that time, father was the one who was literate. And father served as the chief of personal at “Modern meat factory” named after Stalin. This is the history how we started our life in the city. As for the memories of my childhood years, this a history that I don’t remember now that well. There are a few things that come my mind, I was too young that’s why I don’t remember. When he was working at that Meat factory….when he was the chief of personal … the factory was situated at the site of the present Flour mill, father later showed and told me that our family lived on the site now occupied by the Flour mill. There was a house for the workers (of the meat factory). When we came to the city I was very young, it seems to me that we came in 45. Well, father was originally a military man, I don’t know whether he was still in the military service at that time, any way, he was awarded during the war with order of “Red Banner of military merit”. And he came from the front as a member of the Mongolian People’s Revolutionary Party, it was mentioned in the book of remembrance. Father told me that he was admitted in the party in trench (at battle line). There is a what … a book, I think it is called something of the war veterans, there is a list. After living there (in the soum) he came to the city, after being here for a while he wanted to become a photographer at the Mongolian Photographic Office and he became a photographer of that office, as a photographer he was present and took photos at all official government meetings, at arrival of official delegates and on similar occasions. I now remember, my father used to bring photographs sometime in 50’s (0-06-19) for more than ten days to look through them at home. There were not many photographers at the Mongolian Photographic Office, the photo studio was situated at cinema factory, now in this building which later housed Philharmonic orchestra. The very same building which now those women wants to take in their possession, that is a house built long ago, in 30‘s, it is now very old. So they want to own it the elders don’t want to give it, that building could come down, most of the elders should be aware of it, they should be given a new house instead of that building. Yes, father was working in that building and our life was good, now it is not that bad at all. My life, my childhood years began from there, first I was sent to a day nursery (chrèche) in ar uul, Uuliin am(lit. mountain mouth, glen), from there I was transferred to kindergarten, the day nursery I was attending was the best and exemplary one in the Khuree (previous name of the capital city), it was actually the very first nursery to be established. That day nursery was situated at the back side of the opera house at that time. So I went from the nursery to kindergarten, from kindergarten to school all the time with a slip of transfer. There was the slip of transfer and I was the for the first time enrolled in the second 10 year school of the capital city. At that time there were not many schools, probably, there were four or five schools. I don’t know how many other schools were outside of the Khuree, I only know the schools that were situated in the Khuree, in Ulaanbaatar. There were the first 10 year school, second and third school and there was the fourth primary school. Then later the number of schools started to grow. Well, then schools were divided as the schools to north and to the south of the main road, whenever, a new school was opened the students were sent to the school. The third school moved to new location I was sent from the second school to school number 21, as the child to the south of the road. However, I finished third school there, school No.3. That time it was unlike today every one was told to enter in institute but those who are like me had no plan to do that. But any way I entered the department of journalists of the University, however, after two months I decided not continue the studies and left it. I wanted to work. When I graduated from 10 year school in 64, there were already many people who were the disciples (meaning those who learned photographing under his guidance) of father. I went to one of them and worked temporarily as the correspondent of the newspaper “Poineriin unen” (Truth of Pioneers) (0-10-06) which actually meant I worked as trainee. The photographer was a man by the name of Dorj, who was a disciple of my father. I spent there sometime and began my working life as a photographer at the Office of the Presidency Academy of Sciences. As for the childhood years that is it, after that I became a worker. It is all I can tell about my childhood, of course, in one’s life you see many things, various things happened, and then it was a different society, in those days it was good for us. (0-11-02) May be the salary was not that much. When I was working in the Academy I had many good friends and young scholars. Now most of them had departed. I worked together with many learned scholars and sages whom I venerated like gods, I contributed to the work of many young scholars in their becoming recognized scientists. Many things happened, to defend their thesis they had to have printed the summary of their findings and conclusions, I used to make it for them and became good friend of many. (0-12-03) In 60 something the Second Congress of Mongolists (of Mongolian studies) was held so I produced minutes of the meetings daily. It contained the reports delivered by them. Our noted scientists all attended the congress. Ri (Rinchin)teacher, Damdinsuren teacher, Sh. Luvsavandan and S. Luvsanvandan were both outstanding linguist scholars, in general, there were mostly linguists such as Luvsambaldan, Tsogoo, Tserensodnom, Sumiyabazar. There were so many of those renown scholars. And then historians, geographers, zoologists, astronomers and scholars of various filed delivered their lectures. They met in various sections. There was no such big buildings like today, there was a rather small meeting hall in room No.104, no in room 405 at the second floor of the Academy of Sciences, now at the second floor of the Stalin Library. All the meetings were held there. That was it. There was one president, our Shirendev guai, one Tsedev, no Tserev was the Vice-president. It was a wonderful time. I am very happy that I met those nice people and was working under the refuge of those wonderful people. To tell the truth my work over there gave me a lot, I had traveled abroad, I had been to almost all aimags of Mongolia, speaking frankly, I had accompanied Badamkatan on his expedition to study sustainable life (mode of life?, could be a wrong transcription) of old people (he apparently meant something else, probably, anthropology) and I had been almost to all aimags of Mongolia. That was not a very pleasant job. It studies the ancient what…the origin of men…. Byambajav Burials…., Batbaatar Oh yes, we excavated that very thing, we did not excavate it during the day, did the job in the night times. Byambajav Why? Batbaatar During the days it was windy and I don’t know may be they were cautious that something could be blown away. Then the locals would not like what we were doing, they would hate us for disturbing the burials. The locals had plenty of louse, in their tent, they would not kill the louse found in their sleeve take them off and put into their boot, if we behaved ourselves like them only then we could win their trust. Once a funny thing happened two of us spent a few days in the tent of an old woman who had several kids. We had a travel bag, it was not really a travel bag but a soldier’s back pack, at that time it was made from tarpaulin of green colour, nothing to compare with the present back pack. It contained two human head bones wrapped in newspapers. One day when two of us were away those very children searched the bag and the bones rolled out, so we took the bones and were driven away by the old woman who threw soil after us, that was how we found ourselves in an embarrassing situation. And then those people ate flesh of wolf, meat of the hind leg of wolf. Even today life of those people is not very good, according to what people say I haven’t been there myself. (he is, apparently, referring to an anthropological expedition made by Dr. Badamkhatan to the northern taiga’s of Khuvsgul aimag) That was how I lived in my youth, I had very good relations with Ri teacher, he would call me sonny Bataa. In 1969 I was recruited in the military service. I was recruited into the military service rather late it was 66 no in 69. When I was recruited Ri bagsh said OK you go I’ll find some way out. Not because he did not want me to serve in military, since I was a citizen of Mongolia I had serve in the army. But he was planning to do plenty of things and he accomplished many different things. I would not to talk about it after all people are well aware of it. 20 soldiers were recruited from Ulaanbaatar. There were four regions, there were no districts as today. So 5 soldiers from each region were recruited. It was a time when the boarder troops were reestablished after being disbanded. So it was reestablished, in 67 when China and Russia was at odds. They(The Chinese) did not want to celebrate the anniversary October(revolution), just before that the boarder troops were reestablished and now it was reinforced and a new unit was organized in Zamyn Uud. (southern boarder town) A new detachment was set up under the command of Colonel Choindon, his deputy, the political leader in charge of education was one Sharavkhuu, the commander of the Boarder troops was General Tsedenish, now this old man is 105 years old or something of this sort, that old man is a an outstanding personality. So I was recruited in army as a photographer, people of various professions were recruited. Among them there were singers and musicians (0-19-08), painters, sportsmen. And even a young man-trainer of dogs was among them. So a special detachment was formed and it was stationed in Zamyn Uud. Then that winter the detachment was moved to Erdene soum and it was called the detachment of Ulaan Uul, this is that very settlement now called Erdene soum. Then one day I was summoned by the commander of the detachment, the commander looked like a bit angry. Well, I was a soldier and how can I ask him why he was angry. He said you should leave by the international train tonight, now settle your accounts. His wife was the accountant, there was an officer in charge of supplies, the provisions of an officer in army is good. If in the city officers received 6 tugrug for daily food provisions over there we received over ten tigrug, that was the allowance of soldiers. I received that for two, three months, well, two months, for two three I was in military service, then during October celebration, no, not the October celebration but after the October celebration, around new year I came to the city and went to the headquarter of the boarder troops, when I was at the headquarter I was told to go to the office of the region, at the office of the region I was told to go to my office, all of them received me rather chilly, with some irritation. Then what happened was that Ri teacher applied pressure here on Tseden-Ish general who is a buriat and since they are of the same tribe, he called him and harassed him until he ordered to bring me back, he persistently continued to harass him and finally managed to call me back. When I came back (to the office) he told me to wait for him and he came in, shook my hand and tapped on my shoulder, he was a man who never kissed someone, may be it was a custom of buriats. He said did you travel well, it is good that you came back. And asked whether I was tired, even if I was tired how I could say I am tired. Then he gave a very nice deel (traditional national robe) and an invitation to new year celebration. In those days a big official new year celebration party was held, it was called the new year celebration of young shock workers. He gave an invitation to that party, the celebration took place at the Sports palace. I received his presents and was told to rest well for two, three days. So everything was arranged, I was still quite young, so as a young guy (0-22-37) I traveled to the north, arrived in Moscow and became a staff of the Asia and African institute and worked there, in the meanwhile I was now learning something that was like the cinema. What Ri teacher had in his mind, at that time, was to publish for the first time Ganjuur and Danjuur in Mongolia. These scriptures were published in China, Japan and in India. But the genuine original was kept in Mongolia, the original was extremely old and it was hard to read specially what was on the corners, they were in bad shape, and I think they are still in that shape, these manuscripts should be restored, now it would be easier since science and technology have progressed a lot. He was hoping to publish them but did not succeed, poor man. He brought a few pages of the Ganjuur and Danjuur to me and I did restoration of two, three pieces, working together with him. He took the first page of it and went to the Central committee of the party, (Heads of ) Academy and was trying to get the approval to publish the manuscripts, poor old man, If he succeeded in convincing them and finished the work, it must have been an outstanding achievement of Mongolia, he could have done it at that time… Byambajav What was the reason for the failure? Batbaatar It was the absence of resources, the capital, it was a huge project. Our capacity would have allowed implementation of the project in four, five years and I was the one who should have been doing the job. Our capacity was very weak and it would have taken years to publish them in its entirety, in developed countries it(the capacity) was awesome. At the end I saw one of our President to receive Danjuur, I think from Japan, and he was touching it by his forehead, it was, a big green book, printed truly beautiful. Originally, it should been published in our country, it must have been the first edition of the manuscript, I was participating in such and such endeavours. Many things happened, they were both good and bad, during the work we even had serious disputes. As for my youth and the work I was doing this is what I can recount, then when I was working in the Academy my mother and father got their old age pension, I am the only child of my parents. And my mother decided to live a bit away from the town and have a milk cow. So they moved to Byantsogt state farm, it was a farm for procurement of livestock, as you know military people can not sit idle they are always busy doing something my father was head of an economic unit. Mother used to travel to the city once, twice, three times a week. She traveled from Bayntsogt to Dundkhurt state farm and would dismount on the road to it. In earlier days Bayntsogt was known as the dry Bayantsogt (0-26-38) because it had only one well and it did not work. Then father fell ill so they moved to Bird, Poultry farm, it had an eight time bus services to the city. And my mother also fell ill, therefore I had to be near and take care of her, therefore, I had to quite my work. So I was living at the side of my mother, nearby a construction work was going on, my friends were working on the construction, so I got acquaintances at the construction, I came to know the managers and eventually I myself had become a construction worker. Byambajav From which year is it? Batbaatar It was in around seventy eight and nine, my mother died in eighty. After my mother died I embraced the life of the construction worker. Life of construction worker is wonderful. It was a time when students of 7th, 8h grade who were not very successful in studies were frightened by the threat that they would be sent to Technical vocational schools. As small children were used to be scared “Beware there is a monster”, it was thought to be so scary, no it is not such a terrifying work, it is not true, look, now there is such a great demand for construction workers. One should learn to be builder, now all the Technical vocational schools are gone. That is how I became a builder and had been through fun and adventure until now. I had been about ten, almost ten years at the construction, I worked for the state in aggregate 36 years. There were a year or two when I was at fault. Yes, I did wrongs. Aa, there were years when I was at my best, had achieved fame and merit, well, this is my life, I am not the one whose life is so outstanding and before the eyes of others. As for my married life, when I was working at the construction I came to know my wife who was a widow with several children. Should I put it this way I came to know her, I was a sort of small boss in lower rank. Our technical assistance trust carried out construction work the capital town. Mainly where there was some construction of industrial enterprise, we were there. We did not specialize in building schools and kindergartens or hospitals as did the city construction trust. (0-30-10) We always worked at construction of building of industrial enterprises where ever it was. It was such an organization. It is not there anymore, it is finished. When I worked there I came to know my poor old woman, and if you look from the brighter side it was the beginning of the best years in my life, if you look at it from the negative side I took on my shoulders extra burdens of suffering, that was what I did. If now I were to marry a woman with so many children then I would have truly hit mud with my face, it is the truth of life. Her husband died, he was our worker, his name was Ochirbat, a very good guy who did not drink or smoke, because of a quarrel between relatives someone hit him. I did not see it happen myself and don’t know. Thus he died that poor man. So looking at herI thought this woman was suffering and pitied her and we got acquainted. I knew her earlier, she was our worker, so I married her and brought up these children to what they are now, the youngest one is studying in the Art University. Aa all of them, the eldest is now over forty, our Namjaa and others, well, these eight or nine children were without the bread earner, of course others will not think exactly the way I do for example, I have my own as well as others children. Byambajav It is true. Batbaatar Well, there is certain good quality in character of Mongol man. Even there is an anecdote. In forty’s, during the war at a meeting of a bag (county)this happened. Though it is an anecdote it shows the kindness of the character of the Mongol man. They were told that Russian red army was winning the war, the heroic Russian soldiers were prevailing over the enemy, the fascist Germany was being annihilated, oh yes it was a meeting to collect contributions, livestock were given as contribution, this was an usual campaign that was going on throughout the country and our people contributed livestock to the red army. Then an old man said the following: “Let’s don’t waste too much time, obviously those people are truly suffering, if that red army is winning and is strong write down that I am giving a sheep. Then the other, that you call Germany or fascist is losing the battle and seems to be suffering even more, note down that I’ll give two sheep to them.” So goes the anecdote. But this actually illustrates the kind heart of Mongols. They always come to the assistance of the disadvantaged, of course foreigners will not appreciate it. That man was unaware of the real meaning of the fight but he wanted to help the disadvantaged and asking note down that he was giving a sheep or two. Mongols had the kindness of heart of that man, our people have such a kind heart. They always help each other, even now it is still there, but it has almost disappeared, become less noticeable… Byambajav Yes, Batbaatar Speaking of human kindness, it would have been better if the Mongols retained their born natural characters, yes there is such nice quality of man, that is the calm and serene nature of Mongol man, it was there during the Chinggis time. What we now call avilgal (corruption) was at that time was alms but it had now became corruption originally it was alms. It was a form of assistance to give away a certain number of livestock. Now, taking away the livestock had become er er, heh, heh, it is called corruption. Well that is it, it is the life of my youth, it was like that. Well, actually life as such, there is a saying that life is far more difficult than the fiercest enemy, my father used to repeat it to me. What it means is this: you can shoot and kill an enemy, to live you have to fight with it for many years, yes, it is a real battle. It is just like something you don’t have. Even if there is a big ingot of gold in the mouth of the lion a man can not snatch it away, an attempt would be foreboding of to lose your hand, if you can’t snatch it instantly. Just like that anything you don’t have is a problem, my father taught me many such lessons of living. They were truly nice people, those grand old folks, I try to live without hurting the feelings of each other, however, right now, for me who is left penniless, it is hard. Really, it is truth of life, it is the predestination of my life, my partner of life died, my mother and father died. The most precious thing in man ‘s life is the partner of your life, well, of course you can’t say that your mother and father were less important in your life, they reared and brought us up and then became gods (died), I always remember my mum and dad, they don’t come so often in my dreams, but my wife will often come to me in my dream, specially when I am tired I long very much for my late wife but not that much for my mother and father, I have seen this. 64 might be below the average age in our country, but compared to the nice grand old people my age is not that much. But as the people say one is overcome by long road you traversed in your life, I feel somewhat tired, that is the truth, no I am not completely ruined nor hit the dirt by my nose and turned into a beggar, but one should understand that the time you get tired will come, don’t think that the road before you will always be bright. Even members of the same family have disputes. As people say you sometimes fight raising the dust but kiss each other until you sweat. Yes, it is true, this is how life goes, even when both of you are already weak in sight you walk hand in hands, it is the life, that is it. If you have any questions I’ll reply. Byambajav Hn. Your father participated in the war at the Khalkhyn gol, did he tell you his memories about that event? Batbaatar Yes, there are the memories. Byambajav Could you tell about them? Batbaatar My father went to war in Khalkhyn gol, he was how old when we went, wait may 19, twenty, probably, father was born in 16. So how old was he? If he went when he was twenty would it be around 1936? No? Byambajav It would be twenty when he went. Batbaatar He went to war when he was around twenty, he was in 8th division of Matad, General Nynataisuren, oh no it is not true Colonel Nyantaisuren was the commander of the division(0-39-23) they say. He was under his command, the company commander was Choidon Dugarjav, hero of Mongolia, Nyantaisuren guai was also a hero. Choin Dugarjav was a subject of Ongon soum of Suchbaatar aimag, a heroic man of small height with suntanned skin. Long ago during one of their reunion he came to us and spent a week in our home, when they were alive and well soldiers of that company met every year. Byambajav Hn. Batbaatar And on every Tsagaan sar they had the tradition to gather for a reunion in the home of one of them that year it was the turn of my father and they came to visit us. So I listened to their conversation, my father was a commander of a group in the reconnaissance unit, he was an officer low in rank, he carried out reconnaissance missions and according to them he accomplished an outstanding feat, if he did not he would not have been awarded with the order of blood (military) merit, it is called the order of red banner of military merit, it is a level high above the order of red of banner of labour, in those days the bearers of the order received monthly allowances. That time the title of Hero of the state did not exist, the order of Suchbaatar was not there either. The title of Hero was one step below that order. So they fought the enemy there. Now their photographs are displayed in the Museum of Revolution, photos of handsome young guys. And they were nice grand old folks, now none of them are alive. May be there is one man still live and well, he must be somewhere at Yarmag (former site of fairs), I can’t visit him, he was the commander of a squad, squad commander, he should be there, he was there, now he is rather old, if my father was alive he would have been ninety years old, he would have been. My father’s two brothers were also serving in the army and he recalled many events of the war, father never lied… Byambajav Will you tell about the recollections of your father? Batbaatar As for my father he was working in the photo studio, er… it was under the direction of the Ministry of Culture, he was planning at that time to introduce colour printing in Mongolia, it was probably, the state policy of that period. Then from 56, from 55 to 58 he lived in China, but I don’t know very well, obviously, he was serving under a cover, I think if you carefully observed him he was on a special mission over there. Byambajav Aan hn. Batbaatar Yes, I don’t know very well, but anyway I used to visit him during my summer holiday. Father’s house (flat) was on the premises of the former compound of our Embassy in China, That is why there must have been something else, that was a nice building, that former premise of the Embassy, I usually spent a month in China and came back. My father was such a nice man, there are many disciples of my father, in cinema factory, I myself worked in cinema factory in photo studio, at the time father was working there, there were many good technicians. Father left the photo studio and gave his work a man by the name of Khicheengui and he took up the job in the printing house in that printing house he worked for many years. My father retired on his old age pension from the printing house, frankly speaking I am proud of my father, he could sing very well, and could wrestle very skillfully, he was not a good wrestler but was very skillful. He was a very nice man, with plenty of friends, he had many old friends both good and bad, he used to drink a bit but later when your health deteriorate these people stop drinking, apparently, it is not the case with me ha, ha… Byambajav You said you participated in the second congress of Mongolists in 60’s, could you share your recollections of that period? Batbaatar That is the following; the Mongolian Academy of Sciences was an independent body and there was no Ministry of culture and sciences as today, I don’t know with which Ministry it was affiliated, Academy was an separate body, a special organization, These many institutes of today did not exist and the (Academy) Office before the Officer’s Palace have appeared long after that. The Academy was housed in the Stalin Library and around it, and mostly at the institute of agriculture which is situated in Zaisan, various institutes of the Academy found office spaces over there, there were only two, three small rooms, from such body it later grew into a centralized organization thanks to the emergence of several factors, it was not established yet during the second congress. Byambajav How many scholars attended the congress at that time? Batbaatar Well, I don’t know that well, a woman came from England, she had a big nose, I don’t remember her name, ha, a woman came who spoke Mongolian. From Hungary, from Majaar came Khara Dorj, from north the Ulan-Ude came someone, as far I remember, called Damchaev and many more from other countries. There should be such a thick book I made which contains the materials of the Second Congress of Mongolists, in that book, I think I have it in my home, also this Shaagaa should have two, three copies, our Shaagaa is a very nice man, I don’t know very much that thing, I had two, three copies, without back cover, of that book but I gave them to Shaagii saying take, make covers for them or wrap them in something or take the contents. He took them, of course it would be useful to his children. Shaagaa is the only right hand man (a faithful aid) of Ri teacher, the only trusted man of him Bazar vaani khumbad (words of maani ), there was one Dorjsuren, he was also a very intimate disciple of him. Ri teacher made all his disciples, at least, highly skilled typists, who can type using ten fingers. They typed with their ten fingers, he himself was such an industrious person he could type with his ten fingers and the others could do the same. Shaagaa and others are highly skilled as typists, they type various reports and papers on this No.1 office size paper, now in stationary shops a sheet of the paper costs one hundred or ten tugrug, 21 lines were typed on that sheet, then calculation of printed pages were based on 21 lines on a page, Ri teacher typed 42 lines, he’d type in single spaces, he had a small typewriter, in which country it was produced I don’t know, he typed on that typewriter. He lived in the house just behind the State University no on the opposite side, on the ground floor apartment, he had small office full of books, he had a single small chair poor man, if one sat at it briskly one could fall off from that chair, he taught people to be so economical, two pages of Ri teacher was counted as one page of the author, two kg of that paper, that time, was worth about only four, five tugrug, but, in a way, he was saving the paper, he write in black ink and then the so called transcription was inserted, that was in English… Byambajav Hn, Batbaatar Transcription was written in blue, then that very text was written on the side in Mongolian with red ink. How the Tibetan text was written, probably, in the same manner, Mongolian and the Tibetan texts were both written by hands, Tibetan text was written in black ink, one word was written in several classifications, in English, well in Latin, Mongolian or in Uigarjin (old) Mongolian, in Tibetan, all separately in brackets, how much time he devoted to this, such a hard-working and great man he was, I would not have done that, he was doing enormous amount of work, they were indeed marvelous people I venerate them. In that printing shop of the Academy we had two such big rooms, on one side there was a stationary camera (0-50-15) we had two cameras vertical and, horizontal, I took the photos of the ready materials and printed on papers, there were photos of (various instruments of?)craftsmen, various images whatever they bring to me I developed and printed, we used big amount of chemicals for developing the films. All the photos were taken of films. The room before the laboratory, where there was a big table, it was virtually a sort of meeting room for them. Byambajav Did you see many scholars come and meet there? Batbaatar Well, of course, they met in our room Byambajav Right. Batbaatar Oh, very important events happened there… Byambajav For example? Batbaatar For example Ri teacher would come and sit, Dandinsuren teacher would come, Sh. Luvsanvandan would sit there and they start discussing various interesting issue, domestic life or any other isues of interest, progress of science, what is new in this field and eventually they come to the book on agenda, I did not quite follow the discussion, how could I, they were Doctors of Sciences. I prepared a good tea and gave them in the measuring glasses, I gave only black tea, they never complained about it nor they asked for tea with milk or coffee as one would do today, I had a teakettle a bit darkened after long use and I boiled the tea on the electric stove. They drank a few cup of tea. I had no porcelain cups or glass cups, I had many measuring glasses, after all it was a sort of laboratory, there were a few two or three small enameled mug with handle, they did not mind and drank tea. Then they would write down something on papers and start arguing that it would be or not be done this or that way. Ri teacher would roll his cigarette, he did very skillfully, he never inhaled but simply blew the smoke out, Damdinsuren guai would fill his pipe, one writes the words the way he wants to be written or transcribed on the back of the page the other his own version and push to each other the page after a while Dandinsuren guai would get angry and leave, may be he was…somewhat quick tempered or something, he leaves first, then Ri teacher would sit for awhile looking at the ceiling and leave also Shi teacher would grab those papers. Shove then into his portfolio and go after them. Luvanvandan was a person who wrote a lot of research works on linguistics, now there is this Mrs. Manaljav… Byambajav Hn Batbaatar He is her father, when he defended his Ph.D. dissertation I printed is papers for him. They were very nice people, the next day, they would be laughing and joking with each other as if nothing had happened and I had not listened to them. They used to come to my room very often, rooms on the other end of the corridor were occupied by our superiors, head of the printing and financial section, our side was known to contain poisonous chemicals and films sensitive to light, we had a “No outsiders” sign on the door. It had become a habit of me whenever I entered the room to switch on the red light so that an outsider would not disturb, people were also reluctant to come into the laboratory, I was also afraid if I were to leave the room open someone might come in and expose the films to light, then it will would impossible to restore them again. That was why it had become my habit to switch the light on as soon as I entered, so I was working in the laboratory. I had truly wonderful teacher, a marvelous teacher… Byambajav What kind of personal advice did Rinchin guai give you? Batbaatar Of course he told me many things, he insisted that I learn and study more, what a wonderful person, he never looked down at me, but I were never become a scholarly person, what I learned did not bring me much benefit. Any way, he was marvelous person. Now I can only say he was a good person, what else can I do. He sent me abroad and opened my eyes to the world. When I first traveled to Moscow, I had been there 4 times, he asked from me “well, sonny Bataa”, he never called me by my full name only sonny Batbaatar, our people all knew that, would you like to travel by plane or by train. I said: “I would like to travel by train teacher, I would like to see the country.” He said OK, OK it will take four, five days, see the country as soon as you arrive someone will receive you. So I arrived and was met (at the station), by a buriat women who was the chairman MONTSAME (Mongolian Telecom Information agency). My knowledge of Russian was bad, I could barely pronounce a few words nothing more, then someone was passed me asking was there anyone from the Mongolian Academy of Sciences, I wanted to say “I am here” but could not, even if I wanted I couldn’t utter a word. So I was standing there then the train rolled away, that very woman came again and asked was there any one (from Academy) I said I was the one. She said oh, I thought an elderly person would come but it was you and somewhat looked down at me, she thought I would be a man with bald head , in fact I had shaven head because I was just demobilized from the army, the soldiers of those days had no haircut as today’s soldiers do. So she took me and brought to the hotel “Central”. The Asian-African institute was at Sokol (Sokolnik), we met the chief of personnel and he received me (as a visiting researcher). Ri teacher said well, now sonny Bataa had arrived and told me we would do such and such work over there. (?0-57-49) We mostly went to work in Lubertsyk (may be Liubertsy). In those days all the offices in Moscow were serviced by car from a single depot on order, may be those heads of departments and others had official cars, in general, heads of divisions had no official cars, they had a certain limit on the use of car, you call and order the car and it arrived. And when you finished the work at a certain place, you had to place a call again for a car and it arrived to pick you up, a completely different car would arrive. That way an integrated depot served all the small offices. That system was introduced in our country once but lacking the organizational capability we had to drop it. I was told that I can use the car, but can not abuse it, I have to be careful, the car was provided free of charge I could use and I used the car, however, since I was young, I did not take the car on most occasions. So I was doing my job there, doing the job we had to report to the office I worked on what and had done what, what I had accomplished, that was it, and I was neither reprimanded nor praised, because what I had done was not bad, the old man once a while patted on my shoulder. What I had done apparently was quite good, I don’t know, today no body seems to be interested what a staff is doing and even I doubt they read the work account. Well, I was doing for quite some time such a work. Byambajav You lived in a ger then, Batbaatar Yes, I lived actually for… Byambajav What was your impressions when you for the first time moved to an apartment house? Batbaatar Until 19 no, even before that until 57 I constantly lived in a ger, we moved to an apartment in 57, father received an apartment from the Ministry of Culture in this 50 myangat (50 thousand sq.m.), I lived in the 1st building, 1st entrance, in apartment No.2, in the 1st entrance the brother of the famous Auysh lived(he may be referring to a brother of hero of war in China Auysh). I became good buddies with my friend there, there was also very good guy by the name of Tumenbayar. He also died, that was how I began to live in an apartment house. After that I lived in 50 myangat, then the government apartment house for 64 families, since then I changed many apartment. Living in an apartment is very convenient and very nice, the only thing is you become rather lazy, nothing else. Living in a ger is difficult, for living it is difficult in the first place, secondly as the only child in the family I had to do everything single-handedly, I had to cut firewood by saw, for a lone man to cut the firewood by saw was a difficult task, there was no person on the other side so you have to pull the saw back and forth yourself. My poor father was bending a willow branch on the wood, I did not know what he was doing and thought if you just bend and press it under the timber it would become curved. But father was making a fire. And he hold the willow for a while on fire and bending it little by little, a willow branch about the size of my head. So not knowing what he was doing I took a willow and started to bend, made a curve out of it but snapped with sound of “tag”. But father knew that when you bend the willow on fire and smoke it could be and curved. So after that he fastened that bow shaped willow at two ends of the saw with iron wire, now the saw could cut the wood without problem pulling just from one side, that was how bow shaped curve he made for me worked. My mother used to come home rather late, she was the director of the day nursery No.11, now there is a tall building at the side of the Ministry of Foreign Affaires, we were living there.