Batmönh
Basic information
Interviewee ID: 990125
Name: Batmönh
Parent's name: Ichinnorov
Ovog: Borjigin
Sex: m
Year of Birth: 1931
Ethnicity: Halh
Additional Information
Education: higher
Notes on education:
Work: Senior's association head
Belief: None, Buddhist
Born in: Hotont sum, Arhangai aimag
Lives in: Bayanzürh sum (or part of UB), Ulaanbaatar aimag
Mother's profession: herder
Father's profession: herder
Themes for this interview are:
(Please click on a theme to see more interviews on that topic)
cultural campaigns
childhood
education / cultural production
work
foreign relations
Alternative keywords suggested by readers for this interview are: (Please click on a keyword to see more interviews, if any, on that topic)
childhood
schoolchildren's life
relay station
student life
work appointment
construction worker
cultural campaigns
changes in household culture
To read a full interview with Batmönh please click on the Interview ID below.
Summary of Interview 080904A with Batmönh
Batmönh entered the elementary school of Hotont sum of Arhangai aimag in 1942. In 1946 he went to Ulaanbaatar and studied for four years in the trade vocational school and then worked at the central cooperative union. In 1958 he graduated from a school in Russia and worked in the construction department of the Construction Ministry of the city.
Before entering school I used to work at the relay station. About 30 ails used to work for a one- month period. If you didn’t take your good horses, you were punished. About 20 horses had to be ready a day, and there used to be 2 types of orders of entitlement to use the relay services – red and white. Also, we used to deliver the officials who had come on an assignment. One relay station was 30 km from the next. In 1948, the horse relay service was disbanded nationwide.
At that time people didn’t like to send their children to school. My father made me skip school for two years and sent me there when I was ten years old. During the school year (from 1942) I was taught a new letter (Cyrillic). We rode horses to the school and from home it was about one relay station distance to the school. At that time children who had completed the fourth grade were sent to teach. From among the thirty children who completed the fourth grade with me only two children continued their study. One was in Arhangai and I was the other one. I came to the city to join my older sister and I entered the trade vocational school in 1946. I’m one of the first cooperative accountants who graduated the school. It was difficult to find a job as an accountant in the city at that time. After graduation I didn’t go to the countryside, and my sister interceded for me so I could remain in the city, and I worked there for many years as a bookkeeper, a union cell darga and instructor. Having seen Moscow during 45 days of training I had there, I had a wish to study in Russia. So I pursued my desire, and two years later I went to school. At that time the young people were supported to go to study and a decree of the Central Committee had been issued. I took the exams and went to the school on behalf of the Construction Ministry. I studied as a construction engineer and also studied economics and I graduated from in 1958. After graduating in the Soviet Union, I worked for twenty years in the Ministry of Construction where I used to construct buildings and I also was involved in management. For the last ten years I worked there, and took part in constructing 19 meat storehouses in Hureltogoot.
In 1964, I went to Uvs aimag for 2-3 months for the cultural campaign's 4 ministries’ check up visit. At that time the countryside ails used to sleep on unprocessed hides of cattle, covering themselves with their deels. The cultural campaign was started to change this situation and to 'civilize' the countryside herders. At that time iron beds were distributed to the ails and later money was sent. Also, a campaign to acquire a brush, towels, curtains and bed sheets had been organized. Then, the execution of the tasks was checked. A commission with the representatives of four ministries (Ministries of Enlightenment [Education], Health, Construction and Culture) together with the aimag administration management went to do a checkup. The ails, also, prepared to be checked. The cultural campaign strongly flourished in 1964-1965. The people were very obedient, and they tried their best to carry out the directives. In the beginning there was a great lack of white ger coverings, blankets, beds, bedding and bowls. Nevertheless, after the cultural campaign the majority of the ails acquired ger coverings, white blankets, stoves, bed blankets and bedding, cauldron and the places to put the cauldron. They now washed their faces and slept in beds with blankets and sheets. It had a great influence in causing the people to get civilized and educated. Since 1960s the society had changed. The Soviets, also, assisted a lot.
