Mongolica. Vol. XXIX, No. 3 / Ed. by I. V. Kulganek (editor-in-chief), D. A. Nosov (secretary), M. A. Kozintcev (deputy secretary). St Petersburg, 2026. 86 p. ISSN 2311-5939.

On the 60th Anniversary of Ágnes Birtalan — 5

PHILOLOGY

Igor A. Alimov. “Dong Jing Meng Hua Lu”: The Night Market — 8
This article focuses on the unique 12th century Chinese text “Dong jing meng hua lu” by Meng Yuan-lao — an unparalleled written source in Chinese history providing comprehensive information on urban life during the Northern Song period. It constitutes the sixth publication in a series of works dedicated to “Dong jing meng hua lu”, and includes a complete annotated translation of the sections “The Night Market at Zhouqiao Bridge” and “Streets and Alleys at the East Corner Tower”.
Keywords: China in the 10th–13th centuries, Song era, Chinese city, Meng Yuan-lao, “Dong jing meng yua lu”.

Serjee Munkhsaikhan. Phonetic Features of Middle Mongolian Consonants: Evidence from Chinese-Transcribed Records — 14
Historical linguistic studies have been solving ambiguous and debated issues of Mongolian language studies with the help of the written records that have been passed down to us, providing solid evidence to contemporary Mongolian studies. However, the Mongolian language records, which were noted in Chinese characters, are the part that has a crucial role but has been studied relatively less. In particular, the documentation of phonetic dynamics within live spoken language serves as invaluable evidence for the study of historical phonological evolution. In this article, certain features of Middle Mongolian consonants were examined, primarily utilizing examples from The Secret History of the Mongols. These findings were further corroborated by data from historical sources including Mongol yi yu 蒙古譯語 (MY.) /1264/, Hua yi yi yu 華夷譯語 (Hua.) /1389/, Bei lu yi yu 北虜譯語 (BLY.) /1598/, Lu long sai lue 盧龍塞畧 (Lu.) /1610/, and Bei lu kao 北虜考 (BLK) /1621/. From these, an in-depth investigation was conducted into phenomena such as the weakening and elision of consonants, as well as consonant gemination, occurring in Middle Mongolian. Research results indicate that some of these phonetic phenomena were transitory; specifically, the elision of syllable-final consonants within the flow of speech was identified, the traces of which remain present in modern Mongolian. Furthermore, the formation of long vowels — resulting from the weakening and loss of intervocalic consonants — is recognized as a historical phonetic development that led to corresponding structural changes in Mongolian words.
Keywords: Middle Mongolian, Chinese-transcribed Mongolian texts, consonants, consonant weakening, consonant gemination.

Vasiliy Z. Tserenov. Bogdo Mountains in the Caspian Lowland (Variants of a Legend) — 21
The article is devoted to the study of a legend associated with two mountains located in the Lower Volga region — Big Bogdo and Little Bogdo. The mountains served as an object of cultic veneration among the Kalmyks, whose ancestors settled in these places in the 17th c. Legends about the mountains are reflected in the travelogues and literary works. The article presents variants of legends recorded in various works, which, in all likelihood, have a single source of origin, owing their birth to the interconnected spiritual world of the Turkic-Mongol peoples of Eurasia. Unfortunately, the legend in question has not been recorded in the Kalmyk language. A written record might have contained additional details. In the Kalmyks’ consciousness, Big Bogdo still retains its sacred significance and possesses a special energy, appearing every day in a new form. The author concludes that the oral tradition has linked these elevated areas to Mount Kalmak-Tologoi (Sar-Tolagai), located near Lake Zaysan in eastern Kazakhstan.
Keywords: Bogdo mountains, Baskunchak lake, Kalmak-tologoi mountain, Zaisan lake.

HISTORIOGRAPHY

Gansukh Enkhtaivan. “The Hoshuu Festival”. А Study Comparing the Characteristics of Racehorses in the Painting — 26
The article analyzes the features of the appearance and build of racehorses as depicted in the painting “Khoshun Festival” by the 20th-century Mongolian artist S. Luvsansharav. The painting, which is a significant work of Mongolian visual art, is now preserved in the Zanabazar Museum of Fine Arts. Its title derives from the word khoshun, which denoted a territorial unit in old Mongolia. On the canvas, the artist, masterfully reflecting the cultural and everyday features of his time, conveyed the atmosphere of the Ovoo festival and, in particular, demonstrated various types of racehorses. As part of the study, the features of the horses depicted in the painting are compared with the characteristics provided in the “Racehorses sutra” from the 17th century.
Keywords: racehorse, S. Luvsansharav, traditional painting, iconography.

RELATED DISCIPLINES

Anvarbek M. Mokeev, Kayrat Belek, Nursultan Abdimitalip uulu. The Origins of Asan Kaighy’s Philosophy of Compassion — 37
One of the medieval Kyrgyz thinkers whose name has been preserved in the monuments of Kyrgyz oral folk art is the legendary steppe philosopher Asan Kaighy. He is believed to have lived during the period of the disintegration of the Golden Horde and acted as a spokesperson for the social ideals of his time, promoting ideas of compassion for defenseless animals. In Soviet-era academic literature, it was suggested that the roots of Asan Kaighy’s philosophy of compassion trace back to the teachings of Manichaeism, a religion that was widespread among the population of Kyrgyzstan and the neighboring regions of Eastern Turkestan. However, a more thorough study of a broad range of historical sources and literature on the doctrine of Manichaeism and its deep connections with the philosophies of other religions, shows that the founder of this religion, Mani, saw himself as a successor to the founders of several Eastern religions — Zoroaster, Gautama (Buddha), and Jesus Christ. Therefore, his teaching had a syncretic nature and contained elements of all the aforementioned religions. The ideas of compassion, care, and protection for animals are, above all, a cornerstone of Buddhist philosophy, which holds that if a person commits bad deeds in life, they are reborn as an animal, whereas harmless and gentle animals are, in turn, reborn as humans. This article demonstrates that in the Middle Ages, the cultural life of the Kyrgyz tribes of the Semirechye region was significantly influenced by the ideas of the Buddhist philosophical school of Yogachara founded by Asanga. Uighur monks of Yogachara played an important role in spreading the ideas of this school among the Kyrgyz tribes. Often supported by the rulers of Moghulistan, the monks actively promoted the ideas of their school among the population of Semirechye and Eastern Turkestan. The materials presented in this article show that there is an inseparable connection between Asan Kaighy’s philosophy of compassion and the ideas of the Buddhist school of Yogachara.
Keywords: Asan Kaighy, Semirechye, Buddhist philosophy, Yogachara, Buddhism in Central Asia.

Maxim V. Fionin. Margarita M. Elizarova’s Manuscript Translation of “The Testament of Abraham”: Textual Basis and Translation Strategy — 47
The article presents a continuation of the study and publication of Margarita M. Elizarova’s translation of the Testament of Abraham. Manuscript of the translation is preserved in Elizarova’s personal archival collection kept at the Archives of Orientalists of the Institute of Oriental Manuscripts of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The material discussed here covers the second part of the translation, including Abraham’s heavenly journey, the vision of judgment, and the encounter with Death. The paper examines the textual basis of Elizarova’s work and argues that her translation was based primarily on M. R. James’s edition of the longer Greek recension, while also reflecting her acquaintance with Mathias Delcor’s interpretation of the text. Particular attention is paid to the problem of the supposed Semitic background of the Testament of Abraham. Although Elizarova worked within a scholarly tradition deeply shaped by the search for Semitic originals of Jewish Pseudepigrapha, the evidence for a Semitic prototype of this particular work remains unconfirmed. The analysis of her lexical and syntactic choices shows that the manuscript should be read not as a polished literary translation but as a working philological draft, preserving traces of textual interpretation, hesitation, and revision.
Keywords: Margarita Elizarova, Testament of Abraham, manuscript translation, Greek Recension A, textual criticism.

ACADEMIC LIFE

Mark A. Kozintcev, Irina V. Kulganek. The Sixth International Academic Conference “The Turko-Mongol World: Past and Present” (St. Petersburg, March 16, 2026) — 64

TRANSLATIONS

Regina V. Ivleva. Sengiin Erdene. Dsanabadsar (preface, translation from Mongolian, notes) — 71
The publication continues the translation of Sengiin Erden’s novel “Dzanabadzar,” which is dedicated to the 17th century Mongolian Buddhist leader, the brilliant sculptor and artist, and the creator of the Soyombo script, who had a tremendous influence on Mongolian culture — Gombo Dorjiyn Danabazar. In the first chapter of the novel, the author introduces the reader to the young years of the main character, presents the main psychological traits of his character, and reveals the young man’s feelings, experiences, hopes, and aspirations. The author pays great attention to recreating the historical and cultural traditions and the religious situation in Mongolia in the 17th century, creating a broad panorama to depict the subsequent events. In the second chapter, the novel’s plot becomes more complex; it features intricate and unexpected twists and gripping moments. The narrative becomes more dynamic and dramatic. As in the first chapter, the author examines and analyses the historical context of the events in detail, immersing the reader in the social, cultural, and linguistic milieu.
Keywords: modern Mongolian literature, Buddhism, Mongolia, Tibet, Lhasa, Buddhist visual arts.

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