Mongolian Calligrapher – 2023: From National to International Contest
Society
The Awards
Ceremony was held on January 11, 2024, at the Mongolian National Modern Art
Gallery. The Contest was jointly organized by the Ministry of Education and
Science and the Ministry of Culture. The most popular Contest in Mongol Script
with its wide range of participants is also prestigious as the President grants
the awards, an indication of government encouragement to the spread of the
traditional national script.
This
year, 1,650 participants from 20 aimags, 9 districts of Ulaanbaatar and four countries,
for the first time, submitted their works.
In her
opening remarks delivered at the Awards Ceremony, Director General of MONTSAME
Mongolian National News Agency E. Sodontogos highlighted that MONTSAME
Mongolian National News Agency has expanded the scope of the Contest, having invited
foreign nationals, and making the Contest an International Contest.
People from the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of the People’s Republic of
China, Japan, and the Republic of Czechia competed in the 27th Contest, besides
participants from all aimags except Gobi-Sumber.
Traditionally featuring seven distinct categories, the 27th
Contest introduced an additional international category for non-resident
Mongols and foreigners, welcoming participants from all corners of the globe
who are proficient in writing in the unique Mongol script. Imazeki Toshiko from Japan won
first place in this category.
The
participants in the Innovative work category competed with their incredible
works made of various materials including glass, silk, bone, leather, and reed.
The winner in this category, 7th grade student of Chandmani-Erdene
School of Uliastai soum, Zavkhan aimag Mongoljingoo created a couple of
embroideries “Ochirvaani” and “Etugen” for two months.
The 27th
Contest also features the participation of some prisoners and students with
special educational needs, demonstrating the growing spread of Mongol script.
President
of Mongolia Khurelsukh Ukhnaa handed over the prizes to the winners of the Contest.
The President stated, "Mongol script, which has a history of more than
1,000 years of origin and development, is a precious intellectual heritage of
the Mongol nation and a valuable contribution of nomadic Mongols to humankind.
Since Great Chinggis Khaan made the Mongol script the state script of the Great
Mongol Empire, the history of our country, diplomatic relations with the
countries of the world, and many historical sources were recorded in the Mongol
script. This annual Contest makes an important contribution to the preservation
and spread of the Mongol script.”
As
stipulated in the Law on the Mongolian Language approved by the State Great
Khural in 2015, a decision has been made to conduct the Government services in
a dual script - the traditional Mongol script and the Cyrillic script from
2025. Therefore, the contestants underscored the significance of this kind of
contest in promoting and encouraging the youth to learn the Mongol Script.
The Contest's
award - the right to study at the National University of Mongolia and the
Mongolian National University of Education with a scholarship - has been
granted to six 12th-grade students. To date, over 90 students have been awarded
these scholarships.
The
exhibition of the best works of the Contest will be open at the Mongolian
National Modern Art Gallery until January 16, 2024.