Mongolian Book Presented at ELTE University in Budapest
Edited by Anna Popper
To mark its 5th anniversary, the Ergelt.mn news website – part of the Oyunlag Ergelt Media Group and recipient of the Baldorj Award and the Mongolian Journalists Association’s Golden Pen Award – published “The Last Nomads” in Mongolian and English. The official book launch took place in Budapest at Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE) on 12 November 2025 and was jointly organised with ELTE’s Department of Mongolian and Inner Asian Studies, and with the support of the Embassy of Mongolia in Hungary.
The book offers international readers vivid, documentary-style portraits of contemporary Mongolians who continue to live in harmony with their nomadic heritage amidst modern life. Across 32 documentary profiles, The Last Nomads captures extraordinary lives and quiet heroism: four elderly friends who have been extracting salt together for 40 years in the remote Mongolian steppe while protecting their land and strengthening their bond; a legendary female tracker capable of detecting even the faintest traces of humans and animals, and whose skills supported national security operations; discoverers of world-renowned mineral deposits; exceptional craftspeople; and schoolchildren from small rural schools who dream of becoming global innovators.
Distinguished Guests and Partners
The launch brought together diplomats, scholars, journalists, and friends of Mongolian–Hungarian relations. Attendees included: H.E. Baatarjav Sainnyambuu, Ambassador of Mongolia to Hungary, Professor Ágnes Birtalan, Head of the Department of Mongolian and Inner Asian Studies, ELTE University, E. Khurelbaatar, Editor-in-Chief of Ergelt.mn, H.E. Mihály Gálosfai, former Ambassador of Hungary to Mongolia, H.E. Miklós Jaczkovits, former Ambassador of Hungary to Central Asia and Mr. István Soós, Chairman of the Hungarian–Mongolian Friendship Association.
Program Highlights
The event opened with introductory words on behalf of S. Chuluun, Director of the Chinggis Khan National Museum of Mongolia, emphasizing the cultural value of documenting and preserving contemporary Mongolian life, especially stories rooted in steppe traditions.
This was followed by a musical welcome featuring a young artist performing on the morin khuur (horsehead fiddle), the traditional Mongolian bowed string instrument widely regarded as a national symbol. The morin khuur is inscribed by UNESCO as an element of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Professor Ágnes Birtalan then delivered opening remarks, welcoming guests to ELTE and underscoring the enduring importance of academic and cultural cooperation in strengthening understanding between Hungary and Mongolia. She highlighted the value of platforms where Mongolian voices and lived experiences are directly heard – through scholarship, translation, and documentary storytelling.
The program continued with a presentation of The Last Nomads by Editor-in-Chief E. Khurelbaatar and an introduction of the authors. He explained the book’s concept and described how each profile was shaped through in-depth reporting, close observation, and a commitment to capturing authentic voices – often from remote regions and communities rarely represented in international publishing. He also spoke about their motivation for producing an English edition to make these remarkable stories accessible to an international audience.
About the Book
“The Last Nomads” is a collection of 32 documentary profiles that capture the beauty and complexity of Mongolian life today, published in English and Mongolian.
Created by 11 contributors, the book offers a glimpse into the simple yet extraordinary world of Mongolia’s nomadic communities through intimate, character-driven stories. In these 32 untold stories, readers encounter compassion, courage, endurance, patience, and love – qualities reflected in the daily lives of humble and proud people of the grasslands. At the heart of the collection is the nomads’ profound connection to nature, revealing a way of life shaped by the seasons, the land, animals, and tradition.
Based on lived experience, the stories explore themes such as hardship and survival, craftsmanship, discovery, and aspiration. The featured profiles include:
“I Think Mongolia Is the Biggest Country in the World” (Students of Khanui Elementary School), “Shoot the Guardian of the Forest on Sight – Mercilessly” and “The Eleven Days That We Spent in the Forest” – by Editor-in-Chief E. Khurelbaatar
“The White-Robed One Amidst the Snow” and “The Promise He Gave to His Daughter” – by journalist B. Tsogtbayar
“The One-of-a-Kind Morin Khuur” and “The Puzzle Found in Grandmother’s Chest” – by journalist N. Otgonbaatar
“The One Who Reads the Sky’s Moods” and “The Two Brothers Who Ride to School on Horseback” – by journalist D. Byambasuren
“Forty Years Carrying Salt” and “The Millionaire of the Garbage Mountains: S. Chuluun, a Leading Figure of the Stock Exchange” – by journalist D. Chantsaldulam
“D. Jamsran – Who Survived Having the Skin Torn from His Face by a Bear and Receiving More Than 200 Stitches” and “The Doctor Who Gave a Second Life to a Frozen Boy Whose Heart Had Stopped” – by journalist B. Gunjid
“The School’s Stoker” – by journalist O. Erdenetungalag
“The Old Sledge Driver with His Chestnut Horse” and “There Is No Greater Happiness Than Watering a Herd of Ibex Among the Brown Hills of the Gobi, Brother” – by journalist Kh. Dorjpalam
“Through Snow and the Harsh ‘Winter’ of Life” and “Tulgaa, the Water Boy” – by Executive Editor B. Enkhmart
“The Life Story of L. Sukhee, the Legendary Border Scout” and “A Camel Caravan Journey from the Foot of the Eternally Snow-Capped Kharkhiraa Mountain to Khar Tarvagatai Ridge” – by journalist B. Badralmaa
“The Hunter Who Befriended an Eagle: The Story of Kh. Ardak” – by student journalist Kh. Anargul
The English edition of “The Last Nomads” was translated by diplomat and translator Ch. Burenbayar and edited by E. Sodontogos, an international political scientist, translator, economist, and former Director of the MONTSAME News Agency. Positioned not only as compelling documentary storytelling but also as a reference for international readers, writers, and researchers seeking meaningful human stories from Mongolia, the publication is also described as the first English-language profile documentary collection dedicated to presenting the unique lives of Mongolians.
Continuing Work in Long-Form Journalism
The anniversary also highlights Ergelt.mn’s broader publishing work. Between 2021 and 2025, four issues of the Ergelt Journal – Mongolia’s highest-page-count investigative journalism magazine – were released, aiming to embrace diverse forms of journalistic writing and long-form reporting.
With the publication of The Last Nomads, Ergelt.mn and its authors reaffirmed their commitment to documentary journalism that preserves living heritage, elevates human stories from across Mongolia, and builds bridges between Mongolia and international audiences through truthful, deeply reported narrative, while also inviting readers to discover Mongolia as a country well worth visiting for its singular landscapes, living nomadic traditions, and warm hospitality.
The event also honoured the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Hungary and Mongolia, celebrated in 2025 in both countries in the spirit of mutual respect and cooperation, strengthening diplomatic, cultural, and economic ties.
More information: www.Ergelt.mn
Source: Embassy of Mongolia in Budapest
Photos from the Embassy of Mongolia in Budapest; and Diplomatic Press Agency
