Ulaanbaatar /MONTSAME/. On the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Khalkhiin Gol Battles, a photo exhibition “Two nations – One victory” opened at the Mongolian National Modern Art Gallery in Ulaanbaatar on September 2. The exhibition is being co-organized by MONTSAME Mongolian National News Agency and Sputnik news agency and radio broadcaster of the Russian News Agency Rossiya Segodnya and with a support from the Governor's Office of Ulaanbaatar city. 

More than 50 rare photographs taken during the Khalkhiin Gol Battles that took place from May 11 to September 16, 1939 and some other photos connected to the events of the battles as well as photos summarizing the milestones in the development of bilateral relations between Mongolia and Russia are unveiled at the exhibition. 

Around 20 photos that were kept at the MONTSAME News Agency’s photo archive, including ‘On the place where the enemy’s fighter aircraft crashed’”, “Mongolia and Soviet soldiers ahead of a battle”, ‘Marshal of the Mongolian People's Republic Kh.Choibalsan meets Soviet-Mongolian soldiers’ , ‘Personal belongings of Japanese soldiers captured during the battle” and ‘Selenge-2015 Mongolian and Russian armed forces’ joint drill against terrorism’ are being displayed. From the Russian side, 36 photographs are on display, such as ‘Commander of the first Soviet army unit in Mongolia Georgy Zhukov’, ‘An exhibition displaying the arms captured by Soviet and Mongolian soldiers during the battle’, ‘Japanese soldiers captured by the Red Army’, ‘Soviet officers interrogating captured Japanese soldiers’ and so on. 

The exhibition launch ceremony held today was attended by Minister of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia D.Tsogtbaatar, Director of the MONTSAME Agency B.Ganchimeg, Mayor of Ulaanbaatar city S.Amarsaikhan and Deputy Head of the Center of International Projects of the Rossiya Segodnya Ksenia Franchuk and Counsellor of the Russian Embassy in Mongolia Evgeny Lishtovanny. In addition, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Vietnam to Mongolia Doan Thi Huong was present at the event. 

Armies of the Mongolian People’s Republic and Soviet Union fought against troops of Japanese and Manchukuo Armies. The Mongolian-Soviet joint victory of the Khalkhiin Gol Battles has always been symbol of the friendly relationship of the Mongolian and Russian peoples until today. Furthermore, the victory of the Mongolian and Soviet armies had an enormous impact on the military and political history. Japan then abandoned its plans for an attack on the Soviet Union and Soviet–Japanese Neutrality Pact between the Soviet Union and Japan signed in April 1941, allowing the Soviet Army to concentrate its forces against Germany. 

The exhibition runs until September 5.