Mondy

Mondy is the last settlement of Tunkinsky valley situated in front of the border on Mongolia. The village is located in a picturesque valley of the Irkut - river, in the place of its narrowing before the valley turns into the gorge. The panorama of the mountain unit Munku-Saridak is well observed from the settlement.

Between the village and the frontier there is an astrophysical observatory of Irkutsk institute of solar and terrestrial energy of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Science. The road from Mondy to the border has the turning to the left that leads to the observatory. This turning is 1 km far from the frontier point. So to visit the observatory one should take a special permission in the frontier station about the entrance the frontier area. The observatory occupies the extensive area with some administration buildings, and also buildings in which devices for scientific researches are established. Tourists are allowed to visit one of them – a building in which the solar telescope is settled. Other buildings are closed for visitors.
For the arrangement of regular trips to the observatory on excursions, the conclusion of the contract with the Administration of the institute is recommended.

The rocky drawings referring to VII-XIV centuries found by archaeologists near Mondy testify to the fact that this area had been inhabited by people for a long time. Before the October Revolution the settlement of Mondy was the place of Mondy missionary camp, its task was to spread Orthodoxy among the Buryats and in the area of Khubsugul in Mongolia.

Behind Mondy the road bifurcates. The left road leads to the frontier with Mongolia and to Lake Khubsugul, the right one - upwards the valley of the Irkut-river to Okinsky region. The village has a gasoline station, but it often doesn’t have petroleum products, therefore those who are going to far distances to Okinsky region or to Mongolia should refuel in Kyren.