Stalinist purges in Mongolia
Encyclopedia
The Stalinist repressions in Mongolia
had their climax between 1937 and 1939 , under the leadership of Khorloogiin Choibalsan. The purges affected the whole country, although the main focus was on upper party and government ranks, the army, and especially the Buddhist
clergy. One very common accusation was collaboration with supposed pro-Japan
ese spy rings. The number of people killed in the purges is usually estimated to have been between 22,000 and 35,000 people, or about three to four percent of Mongolia's population at that time. Nearly 18,000 victims were Buddhist lama
s. Some authors also offer much higher estimates, up to 100,000 victims. The closure of all but one monastery and destruction of all but a few meant that Mongolia's cultural landscape would be changed forever.
The Gandan Monastery in Ulaanbaatar was closed in 1938 at the height of the purges but reopened in 1944. It was the only monastery in Mongolia to remain functioning during the Communist era, and one of the very few that escaped destruction.
Mass graves were investigated in 1991 in Mörön, and in 2003 in Ulaanbaatar
. The corpses of hundreds of executed lamas and civilians were unearthed, all killed with a shot to the base of the skull.
The "Victims of Political Persecution Museum" in Ulaanbaatar is dedicated to the victims of the purges. It was once the residence of executed Prime Minister Peljidiin Genden. In 1996 his daughter Tserendulam turned it into a museum. One of the exhibits is a row of skulls with bullet holes dating from the time of the purges.
connected to Mongolia were imprisoned and killed during the purges
in the Soviet Union, among them:
Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...
had their climax between 1937 and 1939 , under the leadership of Khorloogiin Choibalsan. The purges affected the whole country, although the main focus was on upper party and government ranks, the army, and especially the Buddhist
Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism is the body of Buddhist religious doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and certain regions of the Himalayas, including northern Nepal, Bhutan, and India . It is the state religion of Bhutan...
clergy. One very common accusation was collaboration with supposed pro-Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese spy rings. The number of people killed in the purges is usually estimated to have been between 22,000 and 35,000 people, or about three to four percent of Mongolia's population at that time. Nearly 18,000 victims were Buddhist lama
Lama
Lama is a title for a Tibetan teacher of the Dharma. The name is similar to the Sanskrit term guru .Historically, the term was used for venerated spiritual masters or heads of monasteries...
s. Some authors also offer much higher estimates, up to 100,000 victims. The closure of all but one monastery and destruction of all but a few meant that Mongolia's cultural landscape would be changed forever.
Mass graves were investigated in 1991 in Mörön, and in 2003 in Ulaanbaatar
Ulaanbaatar
Ulan Bator or Ulaanbaatar is the capital and largest city of Mongolia. An independent municipality, the city is not part of any province, and its population as of 2008 is over one million....
. The corpses of hundreds of executed lamas and civilians were unearthed, all killed with a shot to the base of the skull.
The "Victims of Political Persecution Museum" in Ulaanbaatar is dedicated to the victims of the purges. It was once the residence of executed Prime Minister Peljidiin Genden. In 1996 his daughter Tserendulam turned it into a museum. One of the exhibits is a row of skulls with bullet holes dating from the time of the purges.
Notable victims
- Anandyn AmarAnandyn AmarAnandyn Amar , was the head of state of the Mongolian People’s Republic from 1932 to 1936 as well as prime minister from 1928–1930 and again from 1936-1939.-Early life and career:...
, prime minister of Mongolia from 1936 to 1939 - Peljidiin Genden, prime minister of Mongolia from 1932 to 1936
- Darizavyn Losol
- Gelegdorjiin Demid
Buryats
A number of prominent BuryatsBuryats
The Buryats or Buriyads , numbering approximately 436,000, are the largest ethnic minority group in Siberia and are mainly concentrated in their homeland, the Buryat Republic, a federal subject of Russia...
connected to Mongolia were imprisoned and killed during the purges
Great Purge
The Great Purge was a series of campaigns of political repression and persecution in the Soviet Union orchestrated by Joseph Stalin from 1936 to 1938...
in the Soviet Union, among them:
- Tseveen Jamsrano
- Elbegdorj RinchinoElbegdorj RinchinoElbegdorj Rinchino was a Buryat revolutionary and, during the 1920s, a Comintern representative in Mongolia.After working for a newspaper in Troitskosavsk, he traveled through Mongolia. He moved to Irkutsk in 1920...
- Dash Sampilon
- Erdene Batkhaan
See also
- Khorloogiin Choibalsan
- Mongolian People's Republic
- Great PurgeGreat PurgeThe Great Purge was a series of campaigns of political repression and persecution in the Soviet Union orchestrated by Joseph Stalin from 1936 to 1938...
- 1932 armed uprising (Mongolia)1932 armed uprising (Mongolia)The 1932 armed uprising was a revolt against the communist government of the Mongolian People's Republic. It covered four aimags in the northwest of the country and lasted from April-October 1932. The principal leaders were lamas, but a lot of lay people, among them party members and even members...
External links
- Prelude to Violence: Show trials and state power in 1930s Mongolia by Christopher Kaplonski
- A Forgotten Purge by Timothy May, Department of History, University of Wisconsin–MadisonUniversity of Wisconsin–MadisonThe University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...