Is it true that Genghis Khan was actually born… in Russia?
Russia and Mongolia are currently disputing the right to be called the homeland of the great commander.
The great conqueror was born in the Delun-Boldok Valley on the banks of the Onon River. This is known from the 13th-century historical chronicle ‘The Secret History of the Mongols’ and the works of a Persian scholar named Rashid ad-Din. However, the exact location of this valley remains a matter of debate.
The Onon River flows through Russia and Mongolia and both countries dispute the honor of being the birthplace of the great military leader. According to one account, he was born in the Dadal soum (district) in eastern Mongolia, near the border with Russia. According to another, he was born on an island near the Russian village of Kunkur in Transbaikal Territory.
Natalya Vikulova, the Minister of Science and Professional Education of the Transbaikal Territory and an archaeologist, is skeptical of the theory that Genghis Khan was of “Russian” origin: "So far, there's no reliable data or evidence that this happened there. I think that if we start using geophysical equipment to study the banks of the Onon River, survey its riverbed and look for evidence, maybe we'll confirm it, but if not… Well, if people like to believe that Genghis Khan was born there, that’s fine; we can't stop them."
Alexander Konstantinov, an archaeologist with a Ph.D. in history, dismissed these disputes as insignificant: "These are all his native lands, his ancestral lands. And both countries can use this fact to their advantage."
