Baldorj
Basic information
Interviewee ID: 990113
Name: Baldorj
Parent's name: Damdinsüren
Ovog: Borjigon
Sex: m
Year of Birth: 1942
Ethnicity: Halh
Additional Information
Education: higher
Notes on education:
Work: engineer, retired
Belief: Buddhist
Born in: Bayan-Uul sum, Govi-Altai aimag
Lives in: Nalaih sum (or part of UB), Ulaanbaatar aimag
Mother's profession: trade worker
Father's profession: herder
Themes for this interview are:
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family
authority
democracy
education / cultural production
work
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Summary of Interview 090205B with Baldorj
Before Nalaih coal mine was established in 1922, there was plain steppe there that had no animals except marmots. At that time a Chinese man called Bayansan, a person called Barnei, and an old man enclosed a piece of land together and settled down there. It is said that since that time, many people with their family from every corner of Mongolia moved to there in order to work in mining, consequently, a big village called Nalaih was established.
Baldorj got married in 1970 and raised a family. His wife worked for the education sector her entire life. They have 3 children. His wife was mainly responsible for all the household affairs because Baldorj had no time to shuffle around the home making it cozy for his family when he was working for the mine. Sometimes he was away for 20-30 days, and his little children asked their mother about their father, and he missed his children a lot. Difficulties like this occurred many times in his life.
For him, the most difficult thing was that a variety of accidents happened in mining. Baldorj went to the accident sites in person because he was mining industry director. Working deep in a mine is hard. Miners used a self-contained air respirator because there was no air deep in the mine. Igniting fire in such environment was strictly prohibited. If there is a spark, it will mix with the air and cause an explosition. One of other difficulties is water. If water pours into the shaft of mine when miners are working underground, miners are at risk of death in the flooded mine. Generally, water and fire are the most dangerous factors. Miners who worked in such condition became brave hearted and patient men.
An accident that occurred when he worked there left an unforgettable trace in his life. Once he was called after a collapse at the coal mine and several miners were trapped there. He entered into the depths of the mine and it was not possible to have light. It was dangerous. But one of people who went together with him used a light occasionally and his one eye lost sight forever because he was looking directly at the light. Even though he was injured in such a way, he liked his work and the mine, and he kept working there until he retired in 1990.
