The Nomadic Way Meets Generation Z in Modern Mongolia 
Photographs by Adam Ianniello
Text by Hayley Smith

From the passenger seat of an old Toyota van, Mongolia’s scenery seems to change with the breeze: Rocky lunar landscapes give way to rolling grasslands, while purple mountains crumble into flaming red cliffs. It is not uncommon to see herds of roaming camels or wild horses running in the distance.

I soon learn that the nomadic way runs deep in Mongolia, especially in the countryside. For centuries, nomads have lived in yurts, called gers in Mongolian, which still dot the landscape today. Nomads move several times a year and live only off of what they can bring with them. Agriculture is rare, and most meals consist of mutton, milk, and bread cooked in makeshift ovens fueled by cow manure.

One afternoon, as supper cooks and a hot wind blows through the ger camp, I watch Adam and Aldar play with three nomadic boys who have appeared out of the dust on the steppe. Their families’ gers are just down the road. Over the next several hours, the boys ride their bicycles, chase goats, and sword fight with sticks. At sundown, their parents round them up for dinner.

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