Museum complex

Heads of dragons

Mongolia
XIII – XIV centuries
Granite; carving
Length 68 cm
Open storage

Architectural details in shape of dragon heads come from the manor of a great Mongolian feudal lord of the XIV century. In Eastern Transbaikal in 10 km to the south from the village Kondui (Chita oblast) the remains of a large Palace complex, which was, apparently, the center of a large settlement or city were placed. This historical site became known under the name “Konduisky town”. In 1957-1958 the remains of a large Palace complex, similar to the earlier Palace of the Khan Ogodei (Ugedey) in the first capital of the Chingisids’ Empire – Karakorum in Mongolia, were excavated there.
Once in the middle ages a magnificent palace was standing on a two-meter high poured platform and was surrounded by two-tier verandas. The upper veranda was fenced in by a wooden balustrade covered with red varnish. A similar balustrade was in the lower veranda. Granitical statues imitating heads of dragon-like monsters with faces turned out were placed on it.

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Architectural details in shape of dragon heads come from the manor of a great Mongolian feudal lord of the XIV century. In Eastern Transbaikal in 10 km to the south from the village Kondui (Chita oblast) the remains of a large Palace complex, which was, apparently, the center of a large settlement or city were placed. This historical site became known under the name “Konduisky town”.
The first plan of ancient buildings’ ruins was made in 1798 and the first mention in literature about the “Konduisky town” is dated 1818. Systematic excavations of the complex were held under command of famous soviet archeologist and researcher of ancient and medieval history of Siberia and Central Asia Sergey Vladimirovich Kiselev in 1957-1958.
Once in the middle ages a magnificent palace similar to the earlier Palace of the Khan Ogodei (Ugedey) in the first capital of the Chingisids’ Empire – Karakorum in Mongolia, was standing on a two-meter high platform surrounded by two-tier verandas. The upper veranda was fenced in by a wooden balustrade covered with red varnish. A similar balustrade was in the lower veranda. Granitical statues imitating heads of dragon-like monsters with faces turned out were placed on it. The palace had three halls with colons inside wrapped with fabric and covered with red varnish. Walls of the palace were decorated with frescos. The “Konduisky palace” was covered with tile. During excavations were found pieces of tile covered with yellow and red glaze that indicates that the palace belonged to the members of emperors family as only them till the XVIII century had a right to decorate their roofs of palaces with yellow and red tile. Human figures in Buddhistic clothing, phoenixes, chimeras were placed in corners of the roof and crests of the roof were decorated with heads of dragons with wings. The “Konduisky town” was destroyed in the end of the XIV century by a fire.
In 1806 Kozaks of the village Kondui used for building fragments of the “Konduisky town” – bricks, granite bases of the columns and statues of dragons of the main palace, that were placed on the facade of the church with its front side to the outside.

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