Sodnomdarjaa
Basic information
Interviewee ID: 990397
Name: Sodnomdarjaa
Parent's name: Jamiyansüren
Ovog: Jamiyansüren bicheech
Sex: m
Year of Birth: 1938
Ethnicity: Halh
Additional Information
Education: elementary
Notes on education:
Work: retired
Belief: Buddhist
Born in: Tsenher sum, Arhangai aimag
Lives in: Tsenher sum (or part of UB), Arhangai aimag
Mother's profession: herder
Father's profession: herder
Themes for this interview are:
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work
environment
keepsakes / material culture
collectivization
cultural campaigns
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Summary of Interview 090637A with Sodnomdarjaa
He was born in the winter months of 1938 in Hotgotyn Ih Oruulga of Iher Bulgan sum of Orhonbold land of Tsenher sum, Arhangai aimag. He was born in the year of tiger. In 1947-1951 he attended elementary school and acquired a fourth-grade education. In 1956 he became a member of Mandah collective. In 1957-1968 he was a farm manager and in 1969-1976 he worked as a brigade darga on a basic livestock unit.
At first a big radio called Mother Country -51 with three batteries was under the authority of the bag darga. He used to hang the batteries from the saddle and carrying the radio on his back he visited the ‘ails’ letting them listen to the radio. Intensive work on strengthening and developing the collective was conducted. A collective member wasn’t supposed to be unemployed, so he was made to do any kind of work like digging the ground, working with stones, farming and the like. The senior agitators, seniors and the managers of the farming settlement were responsible for all propaganda and other works on the farm. They estimated the planning and the work norm and gave out the salary. In case someone got sick, they took care of each other. From 1965-1966 the collectives have started to possess machinery and technology. The brigade darga had a salary of 500-600 tögrögs depending on the number of the head of livestock and additionally he was responsible for state work for which he was paid additional 50 tögrögs as an administrative executive. He rode a horse to execute his work duties.
At that time the people acquired a four-year education and went to the countryside. The countryside people considered those who had served in the army very experienced people and they respected them. In fact, at the time when his father was an agent, there was an objective to use everything from the livestock except its breath. Bone, hair, pancreas, even the dung and the urine were used to prepare dried dung. All raw materials from the livestock were taken and two kg of flour for making tsagaan sar cookies was given to a family via a coupon. In the 1950s the so-called thick flour or the second rate flour started to come in. The brigade work demand was high, the party assignment, responsibility and the discipline had very high requirements. A socialist competition has been announced among the herders and the breeders of young animals and their work was evaluated monthly, quarterly and annually. His brigade was selected as the best by the main work indications like raising of young animals, fulfillment of the meat and milk plans, and he had the structures for an office, a red corner, a hospital, a bath and an auto garage built and helped them acquire communication equipment.
By the requirements of the cultural campaign each ail painted their ger poles and acquired a wooden floor, three chairs, towels, soap and tooth brushes. The women acquired white gowns, aprons and oversleeves. The ‘ails’ acquired white bed sheets and big laces hanging from the front of the beds and they started to become civilized. There were various venereal diseases in the old times but the cultural campaign took care of them.
