This episode is in Mongolian.

It reflects on a form of life that quietly persists across Mongolia, yet remains largely absent from the language of art. The presence of stray dogs and cats is neither new nor invisible.

What remains underdeveloped, however, is the framework through which these lives are observed, interpreted, and ultimately represented within cultural and creative practices.

Rather than proposing solutions, this conversation considers how attention is structured — how certain subjects enter the field of visibility, while others remain at its margins.

It examines the role of artistic perception: how filmmakers, photographers, and creators select, frame, and assign significance to particular forms of life, while others continue to exist without narrative, without documentation, and without sustained engagement.

In this sense, the discussion moves beyond the subject itself, and toward a broader inquiry:

what determines whether a life becomes visible within the language of art?

This is not a critique, nor a call to action.

It is an invitation —

to reconsider the boundaries of attention,

to observe more deliberately,

and to reflect on the ways in which art may, or may not, become a voice for those lives that remain largely unarticulated.

Монгол хэл

Энэ дугаарт бид Монголын орон зайд чимээгүй оршсоор буй,

гэвч уран бүтээлийн хэлэнд ховорхон илэрхийлэгддэг

амьдралын тухай эргэцүүлнэ.

Эзэнгүй нохой, муурны оршихуй нь шинэ үзэгдэл биш.

Харин тэдний тухай анзаарал, дүрслэл, өгүүлэмж нь

соёлын түвшинд хараахан бүрэн тогтож амжаагүй байна.

Энэхүү яриа нь асуудал дэвшүүлэх зорилготой биш,

харин анзаарал хэрхэн үүсдэг,

юу харагдах, юу харагдахгүй үлдэхийг

ямар хүчин зүйлс тодорхойлдог тухай

онолын болон гоо зүйн үүднээс авч үзэх оролдлого юм.

Бид уран бүтээлчдийн хараа

ямар оршихуйг сонгож,

ямрыг нь дэвсгэр болгон үлдээдэг талаар

бодолцоно.

Мөн урлаг нь бодит байдлыг өөрчлөхөөс илүү

түүнийг хэрхэн харагдуулах вэ гэдэгт

ямар үүрэг гүйцэтгэдгийг эргэцүүлнэ.

Энэ утгаараа,

энэ подкаст нь шүүмжлэл биш,

бас уриалга ч биш.

Харин

харах тухай,

анзаарах тухай,

мөн зарим амьдрал

яагаад урлагийн хэлэнд

хараахан орж ирээгүй байгаа тухай

нээлттэй эргэцүүлэл юм.

Theme music: “Selenge” by Céline Dessberg. Courtesy of That’s Love Records. Used with permission.

In this episode, we explore the quiet and enduring presence of the Pallas’s cat, also known as the Manul.

This small wild cat has existed for millions of years, shaped by the harsh landscapes of Central Asia. It was first formally described in 1776 by the naturalist Peter Simon Pallas, whose name it now carries.

In Mongolia, the animal has long been known as Manul, reflecting its deep connection to the region’s history and environment. For generations, it has lived quietly across the steppe and mountainous terrain, rarely seen yet widely present.

Today, the Pallas’s cat can be found across Mongolia, China, Russia, and Kazakhstan, continuing its life in some of the most remote and unforgiving landscapes.

This episode is not a scientific discussion, but a simple and thoughtful reflection—blending origin, history, and presence, while considering what this quiet animal represents in a fast-moving world.

Theme music: “Selenge” by Céline Dessberg. Courtesy of That’s Love Records. Used with permission.

How does a dog breed go from a symbol of strength and loyalty to one of the most neglected?

This episode explores the story of the German Shepherd, a breed that originated in Germany as a disciplined working dog, and later spread through military systems into the Soviet Union and Mongolia during the socialist period.

Media played a powerful role in shaping this image. One example is the TV series Four Tank-Men and a Dog, which was actually produced in Poland between 1966 and 1970. The show featured a loyal German Shepherd named Szarik alongside a tank crew during World War II. Although Polish, it became extremely popular across the Soviet Union and other socialist countries, reinforcing the image of the German Shepherd as a heroic military companion.

At the same time, dogs were also used as symbols of scientific and political power. Laika, a stray dog found on the streets of Moscow, was selected for the Soviet space program because of her resilience and ability to survive harsh conditions. In 1957, she became the first animal to orbit Earth aboard Sputnik 2. However, the mission had no plan for her return. Laika experienced extreme stress during launch, and she later died from overheating just a few hours into the flight.

These stories are not just history. They show how animals were shaped by human systems, including war, media, and ideology.

In Mongolia, during the socialist era, strong political and cultural ties with the Soviet Union influenced which dog breeds became popular. The German Shepherd came to represent strength, discipline, and status.

But popularity led to overbreeding.

And over time, overbreeding led to neglect.

Today, the same breed that once symbolized power has become one of the most commonly neglected dogs in Mongolia.

This is not just a story about dogs. It is about how media, politics, and culture can shape real lives, often with unintended consequences.

Theme music: “Selenge” by Céline Dessberg. Courtesy of That’s Love Records. Used with permission.