Mongolian Military Museum — Attraction in Ulaanbaatar

The Mongolian Military Museum (MMM) is, as you can see from the map, not centrally located but easily accessible by bus so I wouldn't call it "out of the way". Its lack of centrality and pomp, though, provides a bit of contrast to ones in other countries. It takes its mission of educating about the history of warfare in Mongolia quite seriously: if there's something foreign in the museum, it's because it was brought to and used in Mongolia. This is why they have a few Mauser C98s and a Lewis Gun on display.

One wing is dedicated to the Mongolian Empire, as one would expect as the great heyday of Mongolian militarism and the big pull for visitors. Everything is well-presented with a logical flow; artifacts are labeled in Mongolian, Russian, and English but the explanatory notes are limited to Cyrillic characters. Based on my own amateur mil-history knowledge it felt quite comprehensive.

The other wing and the atrium between them look back to the military's glory days in the Mongolian People's Republic. The uniforms of the first Marshals of the People's Republic are on display more-or-less front and center as you walk in, vying in prominence with the tapestries of the great Chinggis Khan himself on the far wall. The modern wing is filled not only with the usual artifacts--guns, uniforms, et cetera--but the sort of military kitsch that is endemic to modern forces but is rarely preserved: pen holders made by some artisans under a general's command. You can see awards and desk art assembled from wire and perspex commemorating some change in command back in the 1980s. These are the sorts of things most other military museums either lack or push off to the side as minutiae and ephemera, but they humanize subjects and here they are given more of the spotlight.

This was my first visit to a country on the opposite side of the Cold War that informed my childhood. Just like a museum in the States has common vehicles sitting out in the weather, the MMM does similar for kit that would be babied by some specialist museum here. There's nothing inherently special about a T-34/85 or a MiG-21 given the numbers of both produced, but they're rare in the States and therefore held in reverence. At the MMM I got right up to them and as long as I didn't literally crawl all over them no one cared. I got right up close to the landing gear bays of the MiG-21 and took reference pictures of the mechanisms for my own personal and professional edification. I took pictures of the identification and instruction plates on the SA-2 because when else am I going to get the chance. I did this with a bit of a thrill because I know that within my own living memory I would've been shot for doing so. So that's really cool.

A final note: all credit due to museum's modelmakers. It has some very impressive dioramas, particularly of the Battle of Khalkhin Gol. I took lots of pictures of that one for my model-making armor nerd of a Dad...

The Military Museum is a great place and certainly should be on your plans to visit when you come to UB and to Mongolia. The museum does have English placards and some of the staff have a basic understanding of English. The museum is fairly large and, you could get through it fairly quickly if you are in a rush, but I took my time and I am planning on returning because of my background. The staff was friendly and responsive to questions. The interior and exhibits were much better than I anticipated given the quality and type of photos...

Great military museum. Do not let the humble, run-down exterior fool you, the collection inside is high quality and worthwhile. As a military officer who served with Mongolians in Afghanistan, I really enjoyed the history of their service. Disappointed they did not allow for photographs to be taken, as most will only see the outside and judge the book by its...