The photo exhibition “Memory of the steppe past. Mongolia, XX century” was prepared by Prof. Sławoj Szynkiewicz from the Institute of Ethnology and anthropology of Polish Academy of Science, a world-class expert on Mongolian culture and a member of the Polish ethnographic expedition in the 1960s and 1970s, documenting the lives of nomadic shepherds. Inspired by the author’s rich commentary, the posters show that life on the steppes has changed considerably in the material dimension since the 1960s and 1970s, although the attachment to tradition, that defines Mongolian cultural identity, remains permanent.

The exhibition takes place on 6–9 May 2018 and  accompanies the Second International Mongolian Conference “Mongolia and the Mongols: Past and Present” in Warsaw.

The event has been organized by: the Department of Oriental Studies of the University of Warsaw, the Asia and Pacific Museum, the Institute of Archeology and Ethnology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, with the financial support of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Science and Sport of Mongolia.

Posters of the exhibition present selected issues of Mongolian culture. These are:

1. the yurt and functional organization of family life

2.the  ritual possession of the surrounding space

3. the monastery as the centre of spiritual life

4. human status as an element of the hierarchical composition of interpersonal relationships and its external attributes

5. housework, the position of a woman and her symbolic distinction

6. ceremonial family life, feasting and social recognition of prestige

7. daily entertainment and free time

8. the ritualisation of annual holidays as a form of collective entertainment and social relaxation

9. the place of history and patriotism in national identity.