The mosaic
A coloured ring.
Bernard Gagnon — CC0 · Bernard Gagnon — CC0 · Bernard Gagnon — CC0 · Bernard Gagnon — CC0
A memorial on a hilltop south of the capital, unveiled in 1971 to honour Mongolian and Soviet soldiers of the Second World War. It is a wide circular concrete ring whose inner face carries a long, colourful mosaic telling the history of friendship between the two countries. A long stairway of hundreds of steps climbs to it, with a symbolic flame at the centre of the ring and a tall monument of a soldier holding a banner beside it. The top gives the widest view over all of Ulaanbaatar: its modern towers and old districts, the Tuul River and the surrounding hills. The best time is just before sunset, when the city glows gold and then its lights come on one by one. At the foot of the hill are a park and a shopping centre. The memorial is free and open; the wind is strong at the top, so bring a jacket. June to September is the best time; winters are bitter, with temperatures far below freezing.
A coloured ring.
From the top.
Then the lights.
Zaisan hill, south Ulaanbaatar
Just before sunset, to see the city in golden light and then its lights, with a jacket for the strong wind.
