Rentsennorov
Basic information
Interviewee ID: 990579
Name: Rentsennorov
Parent's name: Nasan
Ovog: Borjigin
Sex: f
Year of Birth: 1943
Ethnicity: Halh
Additional Information
Education: tusgai dund
Notes on education:
Work: retired / librarian, women's advisor
Belief: Buddhist
Born in: Ömnödelger sum, Hentii aimag
Lives in: Herlen sum (or part of UB), Hentii 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)
democracy
privatization
environment
work
childhood
Alternative keywords suggested by readers for this interview are: (Please click on a keyword to see more interviews, if any, on that topic)
democracy
nature and environment
privatization
private business
children's upbringing
To read a full interview with Rentsennorov please click on the Interview ID below.
Summary of Interview 100539A with Rentsennorov
I was born in Ömnödelger sum of Hentii aimag. Starting in 1961, I worked in the collective, and from 1965 I was a librarian in Ömnödelger, and then from 1968 the aimag librarian and library manager. From 1983 I worked as an instructor in the aimag women’s council, as well as for the Senior Citizen's Council, and as a party cell boss and then retired.
When democracy came, I had a sick child and an average lifestyle. All of a sudden things became scarce and the currency exchange rate collapsed and there were times when I used to think ‘what a tough life we are coming to’. After democracy the quick-minded and those who had the desire to create something were able to find a way, but the majority of people were worn out through a lack of work opportunities. I think there was a great loss nationwide due to the advent of democracy without any preparations. There used to be a mothers’ recreation building in all sums, ‘Red Corners’, and hot water in each bag and brigade. We had a wonderful flour plant in the aimag. All of this has been destroyed, turning it to ruins without being able to make use of it all. If we cared and operated the things that had been built-up, we might have had more opportunities. After democracy there was a great difference between rich and poor. The people think that the state should look after them; the state gives a lot of assistance. Today there’s a mindset that says, “I will go if you give me something” when they are invited to participate the bag meeting. Though women take active part in democratic process there are few women at the top level.
I used to hear the privatization news from the people and also from the radio. The people who had been working in industry, livestock husbandry and administrative places got their shares during the privatization. My husband and I had been working in Ömnödelger so my husband had been given some livestock, but I didn't get any. Perhaps the men got slightly more as a family head. We lived in the aimag centre and our livestock had been tended in the countryside by other ails, and we ate the livestock up. We gave our pink and blue coupons to one place, and two and three years passed. There had been no benefits for us therefore we sold them for some money. Perhaps for the people who purchased them they were useful. When my husband was offered the chance to buy his vehicle, we didn’t do it thinking the petroleum price would go up and we wouldn’t be able to use it. At that time I worked in the Senior Citizen's Counil. There was nothing to be privatized there, either. I can’t say I got any benefits from privatization. At that time people talked mostly of conducting privatization and they didn’t explain to us the benefit of it in the future, therefore many people like us couldn’t get their share from the privatization. In fact, the privatization had been conducted among a few shrewd people, and I think not everyone could get something out of it. Let's take as an example the traders: a few people who had worked there got the shop and everything that was there, and the rest didn’t get anything. Also, when the apartments were privatized, those who had lived there got them. The Hentii flour plant, was sold to one individual and passing from one to another it has become a ruin now. And now they import a small flour mill from China. I think it is wrong. Those who couldn’t benefit from privatization became the first element of the poor. I think those who had been supervisors, those who had knowledge of the market economy and the quick-minded people gained. The workers and the public service people couldn’t get their share of the privatization. Even if they got a share, they couldn’t use it to their benefit. The majority of the people, namely the countryside people couldn’t find a use for their privatization coupons at all.
Besides the above main topics she talked in detail about the nature & environment of Hentii aimag, childhood, children’s upbringing. Also, she talked about making deel and clothes at home from 1990 thus making her living then.
