The primordial drevnetyurksky name – “бәдіз” (“badiz”), in some regions – “мүсін” (“musin”), but the most known – балбалтас. From the sacred Mongolian Orkhon River to the Caspian Sea it is possible to meet these stone soldiers, athletes and giants.

The political scientist Ierlan Karin was engaged five years in studying of balbal in the different countries – Mongolia, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, China and in different regions of Kazakhstan. With assistance of the Japanese company Mitsubishi Corporation it issued the photo album devoted to this research.