Ongiin Khiid (monastery ruins in the Gobi)

the ruins of Ongiin Khiid (khiid meaning monastery in mongolian) are situated on the two sides of the river with the same name (Ongiin Gol, the latter meaning river in mongolian), in a magnificent little valley harbouring even trees. it had been constructed in two phases, the south side (Khutagt Khiid) in 1760 and the north side (Barlim Khiid) one century later.

the monastery had up to 1,000 monks before being completely destroyed by the russians in 1937 (a fatal year for all monasteries in mongolia - fatal also for most of the monks). mongolia's ruler at the time, Choibalsan, led a ruthless policy against religion (copied from the soviet union). the years of repression culminated in the spring of 1937 when the government dispatched its army to destroy religion in one fell swoop. within a few months, nearly all of mongolia’s 700 monasteries had been destroyed and some 17,000 monks arrested and never seen again, with a total victims of about 27,000 persons (3% of mongolia's population at that time). the victims, mostly monks, were forced to dig their own graves before being shot in the back of the head. thousands of others were arrested and sent to Siberian labour prisons

freedom of religion was eventually restored in the country when the democracy movement took hold in 1990.


Khorloogiin Choibalsan was a former monk at Gandantegchinlen Khiid in UB and later a great hero of the 1921 revoluation. he became mongolia’s leader in 1928, allegedly assassinating rivals in the process. like his russian mentor Stalin, Choibalsan was ruthless and launched the great purge in 1937. even after the purge, he kept the country in a state of fear. midnight arrests and executions for anyone suspected of treason continued for decades afterwards. he died of cancer in 1952, one year before Stalin.

although Choibalsan’s regime has been heavily criticised by modern mongolians, he is still surprisingly well regarded because of his efforts to protect mongolia’s independence, in particular by resisting mounting pressure to join the USSR.


today, around 14 monks are living again in the monastery ruins, with one stupa remaining and one small temple recently having been reconstructed.


coming into the valley at the riverbend.





the Ongiin Gol on whose both sides the monastery ruins are situated.





view onto the ruins on the north side of the river.





the one stupa and the one temple remaining today.





view onto the ruins on the south side of the river.



the ruins on the north side of the river.