“Danzanravjaa Preservation Project: Providing preservation facilities for the Noyon Khutagt Danzanravjaa Museum”.

Grantee: Arts Council of Mongolia

Period: 07/01/2005- 11/15/2006

About the project

The 1990’s revival of Buddhism opened the possibility for Z.Altangerel, the seventh generation caretaker of Danzanravjaa’s assets, to dig out all the boxes of Danzanravjaa’s belongings that survived the communist purge of the 1930’s. He was then able to establish the museum in Sainshand in 1992 that tells the unique story of one of Mongolia’s main educators, philosophers and religious leaders.

However, the museum space was not big enough to display all 64 boxes. Neither did the museum have any adequate storage facilities. Therefore about 30 boxes with books, paintings, theatrical costumes and things of daily and religious use have still been kept buried. 

The museum has about 300 manuscripts of poems, 100 songs and dozens of religious sutras. There is also a collection of theatrical and religious costumes and a large number of school stationary, paintings and various objects of Danzanravjaa’s personal use from as small as prayer beads, to objects of clothing and furniture.

Project Outcomes

• The creation of appropriate archival standard preservation facilities to house the collection at Noyon Khutagt Danzanravjaa Museum.
• Staff training conducted in the overall maintenance and preservation skills of the Danzanravjaa collection.
• Museum training kit developed, for future regional trainings.
• Museum items available and accessible for scholars and researchers.
• Museum collection safeguarded for the future.
• Broad marketing undertaken of the project locally and internationally creating a firm basis for the long-term visibility and self-sustainability of the museum