Древности и этнографические реалии Монголии в описании путешествий И. А. Ефремова («Дорога ветров», 1955)

Abstract

Introduction. I. A. Efremov (1907–1972) known as the science-fiction writer was first of all a prominent geoscientist and palaeonthologist. Goal. The goal of the article is to analyze the descriptions of antiquities and ethnographic descriptions of Mongolia in I. A. Efremov’s book “The Road of Winds” (1955), that represents the edited notes of the scientist’s paleonthological expeditions and travels in Mongolia in 1946, 1948 and 1949. Results. I. A. Efremov in his book follows the established tradition of the descriptions of travels along the steppes, mountains and deserts. The book contains the description of the old Ulan-Bator, Khangai Mountains, the characteristics of the roads in Mongolia in their conditions and historical perspective, the recordings of the anthropological and archaeological findings. The different observations of the scientist related to the Mongolian ethnography are of great value, the author often points out the cultural phenomena that were not found in ethnographic research. I. A. Efremov’s travel notes were influenced by the way of traveling in the country (during the expeditions people traveled by trucks) as well as the time of reorganization of the economy, culture and lifestyle in Mongolia.