Mount Konkai

In the Karazhartas mountain range, on the western bank of the Targyn River, there is Mount Konkai. The villagers create various legends about this mountain. Let us dwell on the legend “Why is the mountain called Konkai?”, recorded by our fellow countryman, local historian Zeinolla Kaysenov and published on January 21, 1997 in the Didar newspaper.

During the Dzungar War of the 18th century, the Kalmyks, ousted by the warriors Barak and Tanash, fortified themselves on a certain mountain and offered fierce resistance for several days. When the resistance was broken and some of the Kalmyk warriors fled, others were defeated, only one Kalmyk warrior Konkai remained on the mountain. Two days later, Konkai, who had run out of ammunition, medicine, and food, climbed to the top of the mountain, mounted the black stallion he had tied the day before, and rode up the mountain ridge. Therefore, the villagers still call this mountain “Konkai Mountain”.