Bogd Khan

Bogd Khan, oficcially, the eighth Bogd Jebtsundamba Agvnluvsanchoijinnimadanzanbanchugwas born as a son of Gonchigtseren, Tibet's treasurer of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Lhasa, in 1869. He was announced as a reincarnation of Mongolian Bogd Jebtsundamba Khutugtu, the spiritual leader of Mongolia's Tibetan Buddhism and officially welcomed as religious leader in Mongolia 1874. Jebtsundamba VIII uas crowned as the Bogd Khan (emperor) and outright religious and political leader of Mongolia, from 1911 to 1921. After the 1921 people's revolution in. Bogd Khan was allowed to stay on the throne with a restricted monarchy until his death in 1924. He became a symbolic state figure and religious leader. He died at 55 years of age in 1924 due to ill health.

In 1925. years after his death, many of the possessions from his palace were sold at auction. He was spiritual leader in 1911 during the Mongolian national liberation revolution against Manchu Qing Dynasty, who ruled China and Mongolia. He considered himself as lineage of Chinggis Khaan because he was reincarnated from the first Bogd Gegeen Zanabazar. a direct descendant of the Great Chinggis Khaan.
Mongols crowned him as Bogd Khan of Mongolia in 1911 because no other nominee could gain such wide and public support that time. He was wealthy with many followers and although he was born a Tibetan, he devoted himself to Mongolia.

His role in urban development of Mongolia was vita! and he has been attributed with the introduction of telecommunications in Mongolia from 1915. He founded a zoo in Mongolia with many species of birds and an elephant. He was a supporter of arts. Many songs have been written about him. Writer. D. Baasanjav wrote that Bogd Khaan taught long-song to his imperial guards.
After his death, the Mongolian government declared there was no more reincarnations found and established the Mongolian People's Republic.

Bogd Khan's Palace turned into a museum
Following Bogd Khan's death, his Palace was turned into the 'Bogd Khan`s Palace Museum.' to exhibit his possessions and gifts. The Museum has more than 8000 exhibits with 72 stale certified irreplaceable, in the twentieth century.
The museum was Mongolia's first with a large collection of items from the life and times of the Eighth Bogd Gegeen and is in a complex of Summer Prayer Temples and the Winter Palace.
The Museum has abundant displays including unique historical and cultural heritage related to the 17th century to the early period of the 20th century. It includes bronze castings, silk paintings, mineral paintings and paper icons made by well-known artists and artisans of the period, among others, the first Bogdo Javzundamba Zanabazar and his school, as well as objects owned and used by the VIII Bogdo Javzundamba and his wife. Queen Dondogdulam. It includes royal clothing and equipment, gifts from domestic and foreign guests or representatives and items purchased by the king for his own interests. For example, the First Bogd Gegeen Zanabazar's immense fur cloak made of eighty black fox furs, a gift from the Qing Emperor, Kangxi (Enkhamgalan in Mongolian) with its wide collar decorated with 61 coral (lowers and 800 pearls.

Other items include a music box chair given to the last Bogd Gegeen VIII by the RussianTsar in 1910 which played a variety of classical tunes. There is' an unusual collection of stuffed animals, saddles, silver vessels, bowls, crowns, statues and Zanabazar's throne chair.
Museum director. D. Maygmardoij said. '"Most visitors to the museum, or 70 to 80 percent, are foreigners. According to a resolution from the Minister's for culture, ticket prices are Tgs2500 for foreigners and Tgs1000 for Mongolians. But we sell our ticket at Tgs500. Sometimes, we sell them at Tgs300 or less, for bulk reservation. Entry is free for the ciders and the disabled on a day of week." He said. "We put forward a proposal on flexible ticket prices to the Ministry to increase ticket prices to USD5 for summer periods or the peak season of tourism and reduce it in winter. But it hasn't been resolved yet."

He said it was necessary to insure 8000 museum exhibits worth Tgs1 billion. "It will be beneficial to museum and insurance companies. But we are wailing a decision from the relevant officers."
The museum caters for about 20.000 visitors annually.

Museum restoration needs more work
The Bogd Khan Palace, once the residence of Bogd Khan, was converted into a museum in 1924 and opened officially in 1926.
The current complex was constructed between 1893 and 1906 and it is eastern-style wooden buildings. The buildings in the museum have not been repaired for last 40 years. First significant repair was started in the library temple with a grant from the US-based World Monument Fund in 2002. Repair work, costing USD60.000 was successfully done between 2002 to 2003. Though the Naidan Temple (Temple of Faith in Learning) repaired by Suld uul Restoration Company from 2004 to 2005 remains uncompleted because of inadequate paint.
The Chinese State Administration of Cultural Heritage, donated 6 million yuan (Tgs830.000 million) for the restoration project and Chinese cultural heritage experts helped to restore three gales in front of the Museum: Yampai or 'Spirit Shield", Enkh-Amgalan or ‘eace Gate' and Asart Gate between 2005 and 2007.
Museum Director D. Myagmardorj said. "Chinese cultural heritage experts participated in the project because the buildings are Eastern-style. Five of the seven summer temples have been left in disrepair. We have requested the Chinese government to continue the restoration project. China pledged to continue it from 2008 if we. Mongolia, can fund 50 percent of the project. Then we applied to the World Monument Fund and the WMF accepted to fund the 50 percent of the project.'

He said, "The museum had no security guards until 2000. To improve security, we contracted a security guard company. We paid the guard's salary. We installed a camera surveillance system and connected to the internet. We invested Tgs60,000 to 70.000 million annually from our income for museum improvement. Our employees have conducted historical research on the Mongolian monarchy of the Bogd Khaan period in all Mongolian archive organizations. We have collected around 300 photos. We organize a photo exhibition in two aimags every year and have displayed exhibits in Germany. Austria and Hungary since 2001."

New facility to house museum exhibits
Tgs400 million has been budgeted in next year's budget to construct a new building to house and exhibit precious items m the museum. The building, meeting all requirements will be inside the museum courtyard. 13 percent of museum exhibits are now open to public and this new building will create a chance to display all exhibits. A domestic company, selected through lender, will do construction and tender has been announced. A tender for procurement has also been announced to supply up-to-date equipment from Austria and Germany.
Storage of the museum exhibits was adequate on a concrete floor and in a dark and cool environment. But specialists arc dissatisfied with the inadequate light. The new building will resolve these issues.

Interesting facts
In July of 1966. heavy floods affected all surrounding areas of the Bogd Khan Palace Museum but only the museum was left untouched, even though it is not elevated above the river's level.Some people said it was due to the accurate choice of location according to astrological estimations, while some believe that it was because the Palace was protected by spiritual temple guards.

Á. Oyundelger