Recently Julian visited Mongolia, mainly Ulaanbaatar, in late March and early April. We discuss the things he noticed during his latest visit to the coldest capital in the world—Ulaanbaatar.

These are some of the recommendations for you, the listeners, from his latest visit:

1. Street Artist Ochirone https://www.instagram.com/ochirone
2. Four artists exhibiting in the Mongolia pavilion at the Venice Biennale, part of exhibit at Khaan Art Gallery
3. The room, a cafe next that showcases lots of contemporary art https://www.instagram.com/room_ave
4. Khukhnar Contemporary Arts Space https://www.instagram.com/khukhnar.cab
5. For music the Magnolian and Enji
6. Bird Jazz Cafe as little brother to Fat Cat? https://www.instagram.com/birdjazzcafe
7. "OI Heritage" is a heritage workshop for young people keen to learn more about and experience their roots, both antique and contemporary.
8. Design: Olympic uniform from Goyol cashmere and Zanbaazar Ger lamp.

If you have any suggestions for our show, please get in touch with us at info[at]agulamedia.com

And if you are a supporter of us at Buy Me Coffee, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Great State Mural⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. You can listen to extra recordings as we briefly discuss the current status of the MPP's infighting and how it came about.

Ulaanbaatar's mayor wants to build a $1 billion highway along the Tuul River—the city's last remaining river and the primary source of water for 1.7 million people. The mayor contends that the project is essential to alleviate Ulaanbaatar's congestion issues, and he has thoroughly evaluated all environmental risks. But experts can't get the data for the project. Where are the environmental impact assessments? Why wasn't the public consulted before approving the project?

In this episode, we sit down with urban governance expert and civil engineer Anu-Ujin Lkhagvasuren, who has spent five years working with the municipality and the World Bank on Ulaanbaatar's transportation challenges. She breaks down why building more roads has never solved traffic congestion anywhere in the world, why the mayor's own numbers don't add up, and what she believes is really driving 24

simultaneous mega-projects in a city that can barely keep its lights on. We also get into Belt and Road debt traps, forged signatures on environmental documents, and whether the #SaveTuul movement can win.

If you have any suggestions for our show, please get in touch with us at info[at]agulamedia.com

And if you are a supporter of us at Buy Me Coffee, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Great State Mural⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. You can listen to extra recordings as we briefly discuss the current status of the MPP's infighting and how it came about.

Mongolia ranks poorly on some of the world's most cited democracy indices. But what do those rankings actually measure—and do they tell the real story of how the country operates?

In this episode, we break down how international democracy indices score Mongolia. Are those scores misleading? And whether Mongolian leaders are using these benchmarks as genuine governance tools or political cover. We try answer all of those in this episode.

If you have any suggestions for our show, please get in touch with us at info[at]agulamedia.com

And if you are a supporter of us at Buy Me Coffee, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Great State Mural⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. You can listen to extra recordings as we briefly discuss the current status of the MPP's infighting and how it came about.

The Mongolian People's Party started its spring cleaning. The party wants to shake off its bad apples, mainly the former prime minister’s wing — members who tried to oust the current prime minister.

President Khurelsukh Ukhnaa has introduced a draft law to recall members of the State Great Khural (Parliament). The proposal is aimed at strengthening accountability by allowing MPs to be removed if they commit serious ethical breaches, violate their oath, or are legally convicted of crimes. This marks a significant effort to increase public oversight of lawmakers and enforce their responsibility to voters. However, how legitimate and well thought through the draft proposal is remains iffy.

Last week, the Mongolian People’s Party (MPP) held its congress, where the party chair, Uchral, stated that the party will start the removal of four members. These members include the speaker and deputy speaker, a former energy minister, and a major PR person for the party. The announcement at the congress reflected ongoing tensions over leadership, party cohesion, and the consolidation of party leadership.

And if you are a supporter of us at Buy Me Coffee, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Great State Mural⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. You can listen to extra recordings as we briefly discuss the current status of the MPP's infighting and how it came about.