Ulaanbaatar
Czech Scholar Who Traveled 13,000 km Across Mongolia by Car, Steamship, and Plane
Society
Ulaanbaatar, March 10, 2025 /MONTSAME/. Pavel Poucha, a renowned Czech Orientalist, translated "The Secret History of the Mongols" into Czech in 1955, five years after diplomatic relations were established between the Mongolian People's Republic and Czechoslovakia.
Pavel Poucha's visit to Mongolia aimed at closely studying and documenting Mongolia's daily life, traditions, historical culture, social conditions, and developmental progress. His comprehensive observations were published in his 1957 book titled "Třináct Tisíc Kilometrů Mongolskem : autem, parolodí a letadlem" (Thirteen Thousand Kilometers Across Mongolia: By Car, Steamboat, and Plane).
During his exploration, he was guided primarily by the renowned Mongol scholar Rinchen Byamba, who, like Poucha, was born in 1905. Together, they traveled as far west as Bayan-Ulgii aimag.
Rinchen Byamba showed Poucha various historical landmarks, including cave paintings, ancient burial sites known as khirgisuurs, and city ruins, assisting him with photography and measurements. Their expedition helped introduce the rich cultural heritage of Mongolia to European Academic Circles, elevating Mongol Studies internationally.
"The expedition took place during winter, in harsh weather conditions. Despite these challenges, they traveled extensively in the GAZ-69 off-road vehicle and experienced many remarkable sights. On their journey from Uvs aimag to Bayan-Ulgii aimag, local residents gifted Poucha a hat," recalled Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Enkhtur Ochir in an interview with MONTSAME.
Ambassador Enkhtur further noted, "In his book detailing the 13,000 km journey across Mongolia, Poucha thoroughly described the conditions of local industries, trade items through Khankh soum in Khuvsgul aimag, and livestock numbers in each visited aimag and soums. He also provided detailed accounts of life in Ulaanbaatar City in 1955, vividly capturing the everyday experiences of Mongols at that time."
