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2027 will be an interesting year for Mongolia as the presidential election kicks off. All the while there appears to be no clear incumbent on the ballot for the first time in years. Current President Khurelsukh Ukhnaa is constitutionally barred from a second term, and that vacancy has already set off quiet jockeying among the hopefuls in his party—there are few names that have been floated as potentials to represent the Mongolian People's Party. Anand and Julian break down the field: who's in contention for the MPP, who might champion the Democratic Party, whether the HUN Party has any credible play left after neutering its own outsider image while in the coalition, and even which personalities look to be absent from contention. Note: This episode was recorded before the dismissal of Justice Minister Amarsaikhan Sainbuyan. His candidacy is discussed here as an active possibility. As such, we will definitely revisit the topic a few more times before the election. Stay tuned for our follow-up coverage. If you have thoughts or suggestions, reach us at info[at]agulamedia.com Support the show at buymeacoffee.com/greatstatemural — it keeps us accessible to everyone. Pocketcast | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube Hosts: Anand, Julian Keywords: Mongolia | presidential election 2027 | MPP | Democratic Party | Khurelsukh Ukhnaa | Battsetseg Batmunkh | Zandanshatar Gombojov | Mongolian politics

A philosopher says, "There are no such people as Mongolians." Two weeks later, he's in pretrial detention. Molor-Erdene—a controversial Mongolian philosopher and public intellectual—was detained on September 2nd under Article 19.9 of the Criminal Code, which covers "undermining national unity," a charge carrying a sentence of five to twelve years. His alleged crime: stating on a Facebook talk show that "Mongolians" as a people don't exist, that Chinggis Khan wasn't Mongol, and that Mongolia's historical identity is a construction that holds the country back from thinking about its future. We break down what Molor-Erdene actually argued, and was his argument were sufficient to be detained. More importantly, we examine what this case reveals about the state of free speech in Mongolia: a "national unity" law loosely used to undermine freedom of speech, a Justice Minister with a pattern of deploying legal power against critics, and a political environment where the chilling effect may already be doing its job. We also ask: where was the Justice Minister when an MP was on attacking Mongolia's Kazakh minority with racist language? Why is abstract philosophical provocation a criminal matter, but concrete ethnic discrimination is not? NOTE: Minister of Justice, S Amarsaikhan was dismissed on Sept. 16 on unrelated issues discussed in this episode. Please comment and rate the show, And If you have suggestions for the show get in touch at info[at]agulamedia.com And you can support us at Buy Me a Coffee — buymeacoffee.com/greatstatemural — thank you. or Donate directly to our bank account: MN790015003105153063 Hosts: Anand, Dolgion, Julian Keywords: Mongolia | free speech | national unity | Molor-Erdene | Amarsaikhan | censorship | authoritarianism | Freedom of Speech | Chinggis Khaan|

COP17 is over. Nearly 200 parties spent two weeks in Ulaanbaatar trying to turn desertification pledges into actual action. Did the parties turn their pledges into unanimous binding declarations? We discuss how COP17 turned out, the major decisions, and the overall sentiment. We are joined by guests who know more about Rio conventions, Enkhuun Byambadorj of Breathe Mongolia, who worked with the UNCCD's Civil Society Organizations panel throughout, and Sainsanaa Amarsanaa, COP29 youth delegate and the host of the Beyond Greenhouse podcast. If you have suggestions for our show, please get in touch at info[at]agulamedia.com Support us on Buy Me a Coffee: The Great State Mural Local bank account: MN790015003105153063 Pocketcast | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube Hosts: Anand Tumurtogoo, Julian Dierkes Guests: Enkhuun Byambadorj (Breathe Mongolia), Sainsanaa Amarsanaa (Beyond Greenhouse) Keywords: COP17 | UNCCD | Mongolia | desertification | land restoration | civil society | drought | Ulaanbaatar

Mongolia has been facing fuel shortages since the start of summer. The conflict in the Strait of Hormuz and Ukraine's drone strikes on key Russian infrastructure have had their measure impact on Mongolia's fuel supplies. Even as reports show fuel being constantly transported into Mongolia, the country has had less than 20 days of reserves. Recently, the Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources went around Ulaanbaatar cracking down on petrol businesses that have been lying about running out of fuel. This has caused major disruptions across the country. This isn't the first time Mongolia has faced fuel shortages, but should this be a wake-up call for Mongolia to plan ahead, look for alternatives -- even look towards China's booming EVs and let go of its old fears of China? We discuss this with Telmen Altanshagai, an energy security specialist, and her recent article in The Diplomat. If you have suggestions for our show, please get in touch at info[at]agulamedia.com And if you're a supporter of us at Buy Me a Coffee, The Great State Mural — thank you for keeping the show going. Local Bank account for donations: MN790015003105153063 Pocketcast | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube Hosts: Anand, Dolgion Guest: Telmen Altanshagai Keywords: Mongolia | fuel shortage | energy security | Russia | Strait of Hormuz | Ukraine war | electrification | China

Simon Wickham-Smith joins us on this episode. Simon is the foremost scholar and translator of contemporary Mongolian literature into English, he's spent decades bringing Mongolian prose and poetry to readers who'd otherwise have no way in — work that culminated in Politics and Literature in Mongolia (1921-48), one of the only English-language studies of the period. Simon and we discuss his book and what Natsagdorj Dashdorj meant to Mongolians and why he is so revered and should he be revered. Here is the link to Simon's book: Politics and Literature in Mongolia (1921-1948) | Simon Wickhamsmith | Simon’s podcast conversation about that book on New Books Network: East Asian Studies And here is the link to read English translation of the Tears of Venerable Lama: TEARS OF A VENERABLE LAMA | Translation Studies If you have suggestions for our show, please get in touch at info[at]agulamedia.com And if you're a supporter of us at Buy Me a Coffee, The Great State Mural — thank you for keeping the show going. And if you live in Mongolia you can directly support the podcast by donating to our account: Pocketcast | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube Hosts: Anand, Julian Guest: Simon Wickham-Smith Keywords: Mongolia | Natsagdorj | Mongolian literature | Simon Wickham-Smith | 1921 revolution | Mongolian People's Republic | translation | poetry | Soviet literature

We sat down and spoke with Dorjpagma "Dono" from Modern Mongolia. Modern Mongolia is a page that tries to shed light on Mongolia's culture, both past and present. The page—and formerly the podcast—has helped many Mongolia enthusiasts understand the country's nuances, as well as the current developments in its culture. As this episode coincides with Mongolia's biggest holiday, it would be almost sacrilegious not to talk about Naadam: its significance for Mongolians, and how hard it can be for some of them to truly engage with the sporting events at the heart of the holiday. If you have suggestions for our show, please get in touch at info[at]agulamedia.com And if you're a supporter at Buy Me a Coffee, buymeacoffee.com/greatstatemural — thank you for keeping the show going. For anyone in Mongolia, you can donate to Agula Media’s Golomt Bank Account: MN790015003105153063. Pocketcast | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube Hosts: Anand, Julian Guest: Dorj Bagam (Dono — Modern Mongolia, @modernmongolia on Instagram) Keywords: Mongolia | Naadam | Eriin Gurvan Naadam | wrestling | horse racing | archery | cultural heritage | Modern Mongolia | tradition | child jockeys

For decades, Russia was the "big brother" — the country that built Mongolia's industry, schooled its elites, and shaped a century of its history. China gets the headlines now. But Russia never left, and the war in Ukraine has dragged the relationship back into the light. Social and cultural anthropologist Dr. Marissa J. Smith joins us to map where Mongolia stands with Russia in 2026. Holding degrees in anthropology and Russian from Princeton University and Beloit College, her research traces where post-socialist and Western communities of practice meet in rural space — exactly the terrain where Russia's hold on Mongolia is most tangible. We dig into what still binds the two countries: the 2016 Erdenet takeover and Mongolrostvetmet, fuel dependence, geography, and the long shadow of shared history. Then we turn to the present. How has the invasion of Ukraine narrowed Mongolia's room to maneuver? What was Putin's visit — staged under an ICC arrest warrant — really meant to signal, and to whom? Is the Mongolian public, and especially its younger generation, growing more critical of Russia than its government dares to be? And is Power of Siberia 2 the game-changer it's sold as, or a project still waiting on someone who needs it badly enough? Russia is still a counterbalance to China — but for how much longer, as the two neighbors draw closer? If you have suggestions for our show, please get in touch at info[at]agulamedia.com And if you're a supporter of us at Buy Me a Coffee, The Great State Mural — thank you for keeping the show going. Three Universals: The Big Brother The big brother helps us.The big brother tells us what to do.The big brother is still watching.Pocketcast | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube Hosts: Anand, Dolgion, Julian Guest: Dr. Marissa J. Smith Keywords: Mongolia | Russia | Ukraine war | Putin | Power of Siberia 2 | foreign policy | China | post-socialism

Mongolia's Parliament repealed Article 13.14 — the criminal defamation clause that haunted the country's journalists for years. A victory for press freedom? Not so fast. Duuya Baatar, founder and chairperson of the Nest Center for Journalism and Innovation Development and founder of the Mongolian Fact Checking Center, joins us to explain why the repeal is only a beginning. The numbers tell the story: between 2020 and 2024, more than 2,000 cases were opened under 13.14. Only 5% ever reached a court. Just 0.3% ended in a guilty verdict. The other 99.7%? Journalists dragged from police station to police station, district to district — too busy defending themselves to do their jobs. Intimidation by procedure. SLAPP, Mongolian style. And 13.14 was never the only weapon. Over 100 Mongolian laws regulate media or information in some form. Clauses 17.6 and Provision 19 are already being deployed against newsrooms. Now Parliament wants a replacement defamation law — one that defines AI-generated content as false information, grants special protection to public officials who simply deny the facts, threatens whistleblowers with disqualification from office, and covers even what you say out loud in a meeting or a classroom. A boy was already detained for making a meme. So what happens when a Press Freedom Bill regulates more than it frees? When the Constitutional Court hands civil society its strongest legal tool in decades, can advocates use it before lawmakers write the next sleeping provision? And why are Mongolia's politicians so afraid of criticism in the first place? The law is dead. What comes to replace it may be worse. If you have suggestions for our show, please get in touch at info[at]agulamedia.com And if you're a supporter at Buy Me a Coffee, buymeacoffee.com/greatstatemural — thank you for keeping the show going. Three Universals: The Three Sins of the State The gossipers of the khashaa have sinned.The bearers of truth have sinned.The writers of posterity have sinned.

On May 16th, Prime Minister Uchral Nyam-Osor dismissed Ulaanbaatar Mayor Nyambaatar Khisgee, citing his failure to control surging beef prices and alleged corruption in the Tuul Highway construction project. Nyambaatar fired back, saying that the charges are fabricated, the dismissal is political, and Uchral only has his job because he took away Oyun-Erdene's election victory. He vowed to fight until he ripped the three veins from his lungs. We break down what's really happening inside the MPP. Is this a legitimate anti-corruption move — or a factional purge? Who actually controls the party's money, and what does that mean for the 2028 elections? And if you're a supporter at Buy Me a Coffee, buymeacoffee.com/greatstatemural — thank you for keeping the show going. Keywords: Mongolia | MPP | Ulaanbaatar | Mongolian politics | Mongolia's Democratic Party | Inflation | budget deficit | Strait of Hormuz

The Democratic Party elects a former finance minister — once imprisoned on money laundering allegations tied to the Oyu Tolgoi deal — as their new General Secretary, and possibly their presidential candidate for 2027. Parliament debates holding hearings on the Epstein files, with two former Mongolian presidents named in the documents. A government ministry posts an AI-written condolence statement full of factual errors about a beloved writer, the minister deflects all blame, and the person who hit "post" loses their job — Mongolia's first documented firing over AI use. A 19-year-old conscript soldier dies in a hazing incident, the latest in a long pattern the military cannot seem to stop. A landmark Constitutional Court ruling against a criminal defamation law is being quietly replaced by something journalists say could be even worse. And Prime Minister Uchral fires the mayor of Ulaanbaatar in a very public market visit — a move that could signal the next round of civil war inside the Mongolian People's Party. If you have suggestions for our show, please get in touch at info[at]agulamedia.com And if you are a supporter of us at Buy Me a Coffee, The Great State Mural, you can access bonus content and help keep this show going. Host: Anand Keywords: Mongolia | Democratic Party | AI government | press freedom | military hazing | Ulaanbaatar mayor | Mongolian People's Party

Disinformation is not just a media problem. It is a democracy problem—and in Mongolia, it is becoming a crisis. Researcher and civic activist Batsugar Tsedendamba, board member of the Independent Research Institute of Mongolia (IRIM), joins us to unpack IRIM's landmark study on Mongolia's disinformation landscape. Who is spreading it? Who is funding it? And who is hurting from it? We examine domestic and foreign sources of disinformation and how social media has amplified its reach. If you have suggestions for our show, please get in touch at info[at]agulamedia.com And if you are a supporter of us at Buy Me a Coffee, The Great State Mural. You can listen to extra recordings as we dig further into Mongolia's civic space and what real democratic accountability might look like. [Three Universals] the "Fool": Fool me once, shame on you.Fool me twice, shame on me.Fool me three or more times—then I am not the fool, you are the fool! WHO is western propaganda. It is the vaccines that is how they control you. You are THE fool! Hosts: Anand, Dolgion Guest: Batsugar Tsedendamba Keywords: democracy | disinformation | civil society | media | politics

The morin khuur—the Horse Head Fiddle—is one of Mongolia's most recognizable traditional musical instruments and symbols: a bridge between the nation and the horse, a tool that invokes the Khiimori, and much more. Ethnomusicologist ⁠Kip Hutchins⁠, author of A Song for the Horses, breaks all of these aspects down. We speak with Kip about the morin khuur as a living tool in herding practice. Follow Kip on ⁠BlueSky⁠. If you have any suggestions for our show, please get in touch with us at info[at]agulamedia.com And if you are a supporter of us at Buy Me Coffee, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Great State Mural⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. You can listen to extra recordings as we briefly discuss the current status of the MPP's infighting and how it came about. Three Universals to “Defray Boasting“: The foolish man praises himself.The unfoolish man praises his wife.The least foolish man praises his horse.Show notes: New Book Networks podcast interview with KG HutchinsArtists mentioned during the conversation, roughly in order of their mention: Story of the Weeping Camel (film)⁠Bayan Mongol Variety Group⁠: Жалам хар (A Black Horse)The Hu⁠Soyol Erdene⁠⁠Altan Urag⁠Bold: Mongol Pop⁠Aryuna Nimaeva⁠: Эрбэд соохор (Erbed Sokhor)Jonon⁠Namgar⁠⁠Altai-Khangai⁠⁠Khusugtun⁠

Ulaanbaatar's mayor wants to build a $1 billion highway along the Tuul River—the city's last remaining river and the primary source of water for 1.7 million people. The mayor contends that the project is essential to alleviate Ulaanbaatar's congestion issues, and he has thoroughly evaluated all environmental risks. But experts can't get the data for the project. Where are the environmental impact assessments? Why wasn't the public consulted before approving the project? In this episode, we sit down with urban governance expert and civil engineer Anu-Ujin Lkhagvasuren, who has spent five years working with the municipality and the World Bank on Ulaanbaatar's transportation challenges. She breaks down why building more roads has never solved traffic congestion anywhere in the world, why the mayor's own numbers don't add up, and what she believes is really driving 24 simultaneous mega-projects in a city that can barely keep its lights on. We also get into Belt and Road debt traps, forged signatures on environmental documents, and whether the #SaveTuul movement can win. 52min Hosts: Anand, Dolgion Guest: Anu-Ujin Lkhagvasuren Date Recorded: April 2 2026 Original Release Date: April 4 2026 Keywords: urban planning | corruption | Ulaanbaatar

Recently Julian visited Mongolia, mainly Ulaanbaatar, in late March and early April. We discuss the things he noticed during his latest visit to the coldest capital in the world—Ulaanbaatar. 51min Hosts: Anand, Dolgion, Julian Date Recorded: Apr 10 2026 Original Release date: Apr 15 2026 Keywords: Ulaanbaatar | social change | art & culture Show notes: Blog posts: Change in Ulaanbaatar (regular notes since 2011)Foreign Policy UpdateProducts, Projects and Locations mentioned: OchironeRoomKukhnar Contemporary Art SpaceBird Jazz CaféHeritage WorkshopGer Lamp

Mongolia ranks poorly on some of the world's most cited democracy indices. But what do those rankings actually measure—and do they tell the real story of how the country operates? In this episode, we break down how international democracy indices score Mongolia. Are those scores misleading? And whether Mongolian leaders are using these benchmarks as genuine governance tools or political cover. We try to answer all of those in this episode. Three Universals “Three Universals of Indices“: The index of the pointing varietyThe index of the book varietyThe index of the measuring variety Date Recorded: Mar 25 2026 Originally Released: Apr 1 2026 Keywords: democracy | global indices | social science Show notes: Julian’s recent discussion of the uptick in VDem indices for MongoliaJulian’s Mongolia Scorecard collecting Mongolia’s score/rank on many different indicesV-Dem Graphing ToolsV-Dem MethodologyFreedom House Freedom in the World