TOM GILDON

Electricity pylon

Electricity pylon

Drunken teenager

Drunken teenager

Chasing butterflies

Chasing butterflies

Horse and tire shop

Horse and tire shop

I Love U

I Love U

Peace Avenue flowers

Peace Avenue flowers

Collecting pinecones

Collecting pinecones

Wedding at Government House

Wedding at Government House

Rolls Royce and Blue Sky Tower

Rolls Royce and Blue Sky Tower

Naraan Tuul market

Naraan Tuul market

The Tuul River

The Tuul River

Sheep selection

Sheep selection

Handstand

Handstand

Three wedding guests and Armani

Three wedding guests and Armani

Military parade, Sukhbaatar Square

Military parade, Sukhbaatar Square

Ulaanbaatar # 2

With a population of just over 1 million, Ulaanbaatar is growing at a rapid pace due to the a combination of economic development and a shift from a traditional nomadic to an aspirational urbanisation.

Most of the city is made up of the Ger district, which surrounds the developed city centre and is made up of thousands of plots of land divided housing a traditional felt ger or a brick built home. Much of the district is without electricity and sanitation, with running water available at community pumps.  Heating is provided by coal stoves that contribute to the record levels of pollution the city experience during the freezing winters.

This selection of photographs documents some of the interactions between the diverse population with their equally varied environment.