Ölgii (city)

Ölgii was an ethnic Kazakh village before the founding of the modern nation of Mongolia in 1911. Kazakhs have been coming to the Altai region of Mongolia for at least 200 years. Many came as Kazakhs faced pressure from the expanding Russian Empire. These numbers increased significantly after the 1917 Russian Revolution and the rise of communism in China. It was the center of Islam in Mongolia before religious purges in the 1930s in which the mosque was destroyed and the imam was executed. Mongolia initially tried to suppress Kazakh language and culture before creating Bayan-Ölgii Aimag in 1939, with Ölgii as the seat of government.{{citation needed|date=January 2019}}

Much of the center of the city was built in the 1950s to 1980s. Ölgii developed less than the rest of Mongolia and was not connected by railroad or paved road due to its isolated location and lack of mineral resources. After the Mongolian democratic revolution in 1991 and the breakup of the Soviet Union, 25% of the population moved to newly independent Kazakhstan. Though, many later returned and the population has largely recovered. In recent years construction has increased significantly resulting in many new apartments, shops, restaurants, and hotels (most have been built since 2005), mirroring a construction boom throughout Mongolia.{{cite web|url=https://discover-bayanolgii.com/olgii-city/|title=Around Olgii|date=29 December 2012|website=Discover-bayanolgii.com|accessdate=7 January 2019}}Werner, Cynthia. [http://cynthiawerner.com/documents/publications/Werner%202009%20Mobility%20Immobility.pdf "Kazakhs in Mongolia"], Cynthiawerner.com; accessed 6 January 2019.

Like other post-communist cities, much of the industry closed down in the 1990s, although a large wool factory and many smaller animal related factories continue to process products from the 2 million animals in the aimag.{{citation needed|date=January 2019}}

The district is divided into 13 bags, which are:{{cite web|url=https://www2.1212.mn/tablesdata1212.aspx?tbl_id=dt_nso_0300_004v5&ln=en|title=Resident Population in Mongolia, by Bag/Khoroo|website=Mongolian Statistical Information Service|access-date=28 February 2025}}

• Bukhun-Uul
• Burged
• Ikh Bulan
• Jargalant
• Khar Sai
• Khotgor
• Khovd Gol
• Khukh Khad
• Khukh Tolgoi
• Khust Aral
• Nogoon Tugul
• Shine Ail
• Tsagaan Ereg

The center of the predominantly Kazakh region of Mongolia, Kazakh is the primary language spoken in Ölgii. The city is home to at least 4 mosques. The city is known for its Kazakh embroidery and art, Kazakh music, and hunting with eagles.[http://discover-bayanolgii.com/golden-eagle-festival/ Official Tourism Website of Bayan-Ölgii], Discover-bayanolgii.com; accessed 6 January 2019. Each October, Ölgii hosts the annual Golden Eagle Festival which showcases the ancient Kazakh custom of eagle hunting.{{cite web|url=https://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/forums/asia-north-east-asia/mongolia/golden-eagle-festival-oct-5-6-2013-mongolia|title=Thorn Tree - Golden Eagle Festival Oct 5&6 2013 Mongolia|website=Lonelyplanet.com|accessdate=7 January 2019}}

Ölgii experiences a subarctic-influenced desert climate (Köppen BWk, Trewartha BWlc) with long, very dry, very cold winters and short, mild to warm summers.

{{Weather box

|location = Ölgii, elevation {{convert|1720|m|ft|abbr=on}}, (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1959–present)

|metric first = Yes

|single line = Yes

|Jan record high C = 6.1

|Feb record high C = 8.6

|Mar record high C = 16.8

|Apr record high C = 27.8

|May record high C = 28.8

|Jun record high C = 31.6

|Jul record high C = 35.8

|Aug record high C = 34.1

|Sep record high C = 31.7

|Oct record high C = 20.9

|Nov record high C = 12.9

|Dec record high C = 8.5

|Jan high C = -10.8

|Feb high C = -5.4

|Mar high C = 2.2

|Apr high C = 10.7

|May high C = 16.6

|Jun high C = 22.4

|Jul high C = 24.1

|Aug high C = 22.2

|Sep high C = 15.9

|Oct high C = 7.9

|Nov high C = -1.5

|Dec high C = -8.9

|Jan mean C = -17.1

|Feb mean C = -12.9

|Mar mean C = -5.1

|Apr mean C = 3.8

|May mean C = 10.0

|Jun mean C = 16.0

|Jul mean C = 17.8

|Aug mean C = 15.7

|Sep mean C = 9.3

|Oct mean C = 1.4

|Nov mean C = -7.3

|Dec mean C = -14.4

|Jan low C = -21.9

|Feb low C = -18.8

|Mar low C = -11.8

|Apr low C = -2.9

|May low C = 3.6

|Jun low C = 9.9

|Jul low C = 12.2

|Aug low C = 9.7

|Sep low C = 3.0

|Oct low C = -4.3

|Nov low C = -12.0

|Dec low C = -18.8

|Jan record low C = −40.0

|Feb record low C = -36.1

|Mar record low C = −32.2

|Apr record low C = -23.9

|May record low C = -17.8

|Jun record low C = -5.8

|Jul record low C = 0.5

|Aug record low C = -2.2

|Sep record low C = -15.0

|Oct record low C = -24.2

|Nov record low C = −32.8

|Dec record low C = −38.9

|year record low C = -40.0

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation mm = 0.9

|Feb precipitation mm = 0.7

|Mar precipitation mm = 2

|Apr precipitation mm = 5

|May precipitation mm = 15

|Jun precipitation mm = 25

|Jul precipitation mm = 35

|Aug precipitation mm = 26

|Sep precipitation mm = 7

|Oct precipitation mm = 2

|Nov precipitation mm = 2

|Dec precipitation mm = 1

|year precipitation mm = 122

|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm

|Jan precipitation days = 1.3

|Feb precipitation days = 1.2

|Mar precipitation days = 1.6

|Apr precipitation days = 2.0

|May precipitation days = 3.3

|Jun precipitation days = 5.8

|Jul precipitation days = 6.7

|Aug precipitation days = 5.9

|Sep precipitation days = 2.8

|Oct precipitation days = 1.3

|Nov precipitation days = 1.5

|Dec precipitation days = 1.8

|year precipitation days = 35.1

|Jan humidity = 58.5

|Feb humidity = 51.6

|Mar humidity = 43.9

|Apr humidity = 38.6

|May humidity = 39.9

|Jun humidity = 44.8

|Jul humidity = 49.8

|Aug humidity = 49.7

|Sep humidity = 46.5

|Oct humidity = 47.8

|Nov humidity = 52.0

|Dec humidity = 56.0

|year humidity = 48.3

|source 1 = Pogoda.ru.net

{{cite web|url=http://www.pogodaiklimat.ru/climate4.php?id=44214|script-title=ru:КЛИМАТ УГЛИЯ|publisher=Pogoda.ru.net|language=ru|access-date=4 January 2015}}

|source 2 =NOAA{{cite web|url=https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/1.1/data/0-data/Region-2-WMO-Normals-9120/Mongolia/CSV/Ulgii_44214.csv|title=Ulgii Climate Normals 1991-2020|publisher=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration|accessdate=13 August 2023}}}}

• Central Library of Bayan-Ölgii Province

The Bayan-Ölgii Province longwave radio broadcast mast is located in Ölgii, and is Mongolia's tallest structure at 352.5 metres.

• Bayan-Ölgii Province General Hospital

{{unreferenced section|date=January 2019}}

The Ölgii Airport (ULG/ZMUL) has one paved runway. It offers regular flights to Ulaanbaatar and Khovd and irregular flights to Ulaangom in Mongolia and Almaty in Kazakhstan via Oskemen Airport.

Bayan-Ölgii has border crossings with Russia and China. The Tsaagannuur Border crossing with Russia is open year-round and is the preferred route for traveling to and from Kazakhstan. This crossing does not have immigration offices. People will need to acquire a visa before going to the border. The Taikeshken border crossing with China is only open during the summer due to high mountain passes that become difficult to pass during winter months.

There are few paved roads in Bayan-Ölgii outside of Ölgii. Half the distance between Tsaagannuur village (30 km from the border crossing) and Ölgii is paved. The government of Mongolia plans to pave the Tsaagannuur to Ulaanbaatar route through Ölgii, Khovd, Govi-Altai, and Övörkhangai Provinces by 2015. Currently only Övörkhangai to Ulaanbaatar is paved, or {{convert|600|km|mi|-1}} of the {{convert|1600|km|mi|-1}} distance.

Regularly scheduled buses connect Ölgii to Ulaanbaatar, with trips leaving 3 days a week. The non-stop trip is 48 hours under ideal conditions, though often lasting 3 to 5 days. Stops are made along the way for meals and restroom breaks.

• Darmen Hussein (Хузкейн Дармен) (born 1964), engineer and Democratic Party politician. A graduate of Zaisanov Secondary School and the Polytechnic Institute in Ulaanbaatar in electrical engineering in 1987, he began his career as an engineer working at Erdenet Thermal Power Station, before being elected governor of the province (airmag) three times.{{cite web|url=http://altai.bo.gov.mn/page/view/zdtg|title=Засаг даргын тамгын газар|publisher=altai.bo.gov.mn|language=Mongolian}}

{{Reflist}}

{{commons category}}

{{Wikivoyage|Ölgii}}

• [http://discover-bayanolgii.com/ Official Tourism Website]

{{Districts of Bayan-Ölgii}}

{{Provincial capitals of Mongolia}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Olgii}}