Buryats and Mongolian Buryats
Buryats are the largest Mongolian ethnic group in Siberia. There used to be three administrative units there. The Northern one is Usti Orda Buryat Okrug, which merged with Irkutsk oblast on January 1, 2008. Next is the Republic of Buryatia, which surrounds Lake Baikal. In the Chita region, there was Agiin Buryat Autonomous Okrug, which was merged on March 1, 2008 with Chita oblast, and it became Zabaykalskii Krai.
Interestingly, the Republic of Buryatia was formed in 1923 as the Buryat-Mongol Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. In 1958, the word Mongol was removed from the name and it became the Buryat Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic with the capital located at Ulan Ude.
The name Buryat was mentioned as the name of the forest people for the first time in The Secret History of the Mongols (possibly 1240).
The Buryats lived along the Angara River and their component, Barga, (Buryats, who now live in Inner Mongolia) appeared both west of Baikal and in northern Buryatia’s Barguzin valley. The land and people were annexed to the Russian state by treaties in 1689 and 1728, when the territories on both sides of Lake Baikal were separated from Mongolia.
After Buryatia was incorporated into Russia, Buryats in the Irkutsk region adopted a more Russian lifestyle, and Buryats in the Chita region were still nomadic. Therefore, most Buryats in the Irkutsk region and Buryatia spoke Russian. Even in socialist times, in their central town Aginsk, most people, including Russians, communicated in the Buryat language.
In terms of religion, most Buryats are followers of the Dalai Lama and they practice Tibetan Buddhism. Even in socialist times, Buryats were sent to Mongolian to study Buddhism at the Mongolian Buddhist School at Gandan monastery. One famous Buryat, Agvan Dorzhiev was even the spiritual adviser to the 13th Dalai Lama. In more recent times, another famous deceased Buryat buddhist was Dashi-Dorzho Itigilov, best known for the lifelike state of his body, which is not subject to decay. Now many Mongolians travel to Buryatia on pilgrimages to see his body.
Many Buryats, such as Jamsrangiin Teseveen, were around at the beginning of the creation of the Mongolian People’s Republic and Mongolian science and culture.
He also attempted to reconcile a reformed modern Buddhism with communist principles. The current Dalai Lama made the same attempts when he was young.
After Stalin’s purges, many Buddhist Buryats moved to Mongolia to avoid persecution, however they still suffered from that persecution here; well noted in history as the incident of Lhumbee.
The second movement of Buryats to Mongolia was after World War II. This was primarily by Buryat women who married Mongolian students. One old Buryat lady once told me that many Buryat men died in the war and after that, there was no chance to get married.
During socialist times, it was common for Mongolian Buryats to hide their Buryat origins. Therefore, during those days many Buryats wrote “Khalkha” on their applications for their passports in the space for “origin.” Nevertheless, several Buryat statesmen served during those times such as Dondogiin Tsevegmid, D. Maidar and a few others.
The collapse of socialism brought many Mongolian Buryats to the Mongolian Democratic Party. In the past, Dornod aimag was represented by three Buryat Members of Parliament. Unfortunately, one of them was Mr. S. Zorig, who was the victim of a political murder in the new Democratic Mongolia. Another, Mr. D. Enkhbaatar was sent to jail due to a casino case. Nevertheless, there are currently two prominent Buryats in the Mongolian parliament: Mrs. S. Oyun and Mr. E. Bat Uul.
Two half Buryat politicians are former Prime Minister S. Bayar and former President N. Enkhbayar. However, sharing an ethnicity isn’t enough for these two former leaders as they are well known for disagreeing with each other. It is quite difficult to predict how this battle will end. Since 1994, there has been an annual cultural festival of Buryats, which is called Altargana. This year it was held in Ulaanbaatar. Buryats have had a very interesting and very often tragic history. But along with other Mongolians, they are helping to build a new modern Mongolia
Interestingly, the Republic of Buryatia was formed in 1923 as the Buryat-Mongol Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. In 1958, the word Mongol was removed from the name and it became the Buryat Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic with the capital located at Ulan Ude.
The name Buryat was mentioned as the name of the forest people for the first time in The Secret History of the Mongols (possibly 1240).
The Buryats lived along the Angara River and their component, Barga, (Buryats, who now live in Inner Mongolia) appeared both west of Baikal and in northern Buryatia’s Barguzin valley. The land and people were annexed to the Russian state by treaties in 1689 and 1728, when the territories on both sides of Lake Baikal were separated from Mongolia.
After Buryatia was incorporated into Russia, Buryats in the Irkutsk region adopted a more Russian lifestyle, and Buryats in the Chita region were still nomadic. Therefore, most Buryats in the Irkutsk region and Buryatia spoke Russian. Even in socialist times, in their central town Aginsk, most people, including Russians, communicated in the Buryat language.
In terms of religion, most Buryats are followers of the Dalai Lama and they practice Tibetan Buddhism. Even in socialist times, Buryats were sent to Mongolian to study Buddhism at the Mongolian Buddhist School at Gandan monastery. One famous Buryat, Agvan Dorzhiev was even the spiritual adviser to the 13th Dalai Lama. In more recent times, another famous deceased Buryat buddhist was Dashi-Dorzho Itigilov, best known for the lifelike state of his body, which is not subject to decay. Now many Mongolians travel to Buryatia on pilgrimages to see his body.
Many Buryats, such as Jamsrangiin Teseveen, were around at the beginning of the creation of the Mongolian People’s Republic and Mongolian science and culture.
He also attempted to reconcile a reformed modern Buddhism with communist principles. The current Dalai Lama made the same attempts when he was young.
After Stalin’s purges, many Buddhist Buryats moved to Mongolia to avoid persecution, however they still suffered from that persecution here; well noted in history as the incident of Lhumbee.
The second movement of Buryats to Mongolia was after World War II. This was primarily by Buryat women who married Mongolian students. One old Buryat lady once told me that many Buryat men died in the war and after that, there was no chance to get married.
During socialist times, it was common for Mongolian Buryats to hide their Buryat origins. Therefore, during those days many Buryats wrote “Khalkha” on their applications for their passports in the space for “origin.” Nevertheless, several Buryat statesmen served during those times such as Dondogiin Tsevegmid, D. Maidar and a few others.
The collapse of socialism brought many Mongolian Buryats to the Mongolian Democratic Party. In the past, Dornod aimag was represented by three Buryat Members of Parliament. Unfortunately, one of them was Mr. S. Zorig, who was the victim of a political murder in the new Democratic Mongolia. Another, Mr. D. Enkhbaatar was sent to jail due to a casino case. Nevertheless, there are currently two prominent Buryats in the Mongolian parliament: Mrs. S. Oyun and Mr. E. Bat Uul.
Two half Buryat politicians are former Prime Minister S. Bayar and former President N. Enkhbayar. However, sharing an ethnicity isn’t enough for these two former leaders as they are well known for disagreeing with each other. It is quite difficult to predict how this battle will end. Since 1994, there has been an annual cultural festival of Buryats, which is called Altargana. This year it was held in Ulaanbaatar. Buryats have had a very interesting and very often tragic history. But along with other Mongolians, they are helping to build a new modern Mongolia
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