Why did a Buryat merchant build such a grand building in Ulaanbaatar? This is the Tolovloj bui museum, formerly the Ulaanbaatar City Museum. It stands as a testament to the city’s rich and layered past. The building itself is a piece of history. Constructed in 1904 by Tsogto Garmayevich Badmazhapov, a Buryat merchant, it initially served as his private residence. Imagine the bustling city growing around this elegant structure. The Tolovloj bui museum’s story takes a turn in 1921. During the Mongolian Revolution, it became the headquarters of the Mongolian People’s Republic. Damdin Sükhbaatar himself resided within these walls, directing the nascent nation’s course. Later, the building served as the embassy of the Tuvan People’s Republic, a testament to Mongolia’s shifting political landscape. The Tolovloj bui museum also housed a museum dedicated to Sükhbaatar for a time. After Sükhbaatar’s death, the plan was to combine exhibits with those of Khorloogiin Choibalsan in a new museum. This plan never came to be. This grand building became a printing house, a vital part of the communist state. The story of the Tolovloj bui museum, as a dedicated city museum, begins in 1956. Initially a temporary exhibit about Ulaanbaatar’s history, it became a permanent fixture in 1960. In 1970, the building itself gained recognition as an architectural landmark, further cementing its place in Ulaanbaatar’s heritage. The museum boasts over 3,800 items, showcasing the city’s evolution from Zanabazar’s time to the present day. This building has been a home, a headquarters, an embassy, a printing house, and finally, a museum. The Tolovloj bui museum stands as a silent witness to the unfolding drama of Ulaanbaatar’s history.
Центральный дом работников искусств
Step through the grand wooden doors of the Central House of the Workers of Art, and you’ll be transported to