nutag

The declaration of the start of "partial" mobilization in Russia on September 21, 2022 marked the beginning of a second wave of migration. Hundreds of thousands of Russians began leaving the country in mass exodus. Similar to the first wave, many headed towards Georgia, Armenia, Turkey, and Central Asian countries. However, new routes have also emerged. One of these destinations is Mongolia, primarily attracting migrants from Russia's ethnic regions such as Buryatia, Kalmykia, and Tuva. There, they were met with a warm and hospitable reception. Mongolians consider these Russian ethnic groups as kin, sharing a common history, culture, religion, and to some extent, language.

Alexander Maduev, an ethnic Buryat, emigrated to Georgia in September 2022. However, during the first days of mobilization, he was deeply compelled by the sense that he should be in Mongolia, where many of his friends and relatives from Buryatia were emigrating. He documented this significant historical moment for his people. The film prominently features the story of his friend, Bair Tarbayev, a rapper striving to establish an entertainment career in Mongolia. Observing people and dialogues with them gave rise to reflections on identity, culture, the disappearing language, emigration, war, and religion.

The film screening transitioned into a meeting of the production team with the audience. The viewers brewed Mongolian tea under Bair's guidance, discovering through conversations that his identity goes on beyond the film.

alexandr maduev