BuryatMongol

Buryat-Mongol is an ethnolinguistic designation used for the Buryats, an indigenous Mongolic people of Siberia. The largest concentration lives in the Russian Republic of Buryatia, with smaller communities in Irkutsk Oblast and Zabaykalsky Krai. Smaller populations are also found in Mongolia and China. The term reflects historical and cultural ties to both the Buryat and Mongol worlds.

The Buryat language belongs to the Mongolic language family and is spoken in several dialects, including Northern and Southern/Buryat varieties. In Russia, Buryat is typically written in a Cyrillic alphabet and is taught in schools and used in local media, alongside Russian. The language is closely related to other Mongolic languages and shares features with Mongolian, though mutual intelligibility varies by dialect.

Historically, Buryats developed within the broader sphere of the Mongol world and were influenced by Buddhist and shamanic traditions. Their social organization and traditional livelihoods centered on herding, animal husbandry, and seasonal migrations. In the 17th century onward, Buryatia came under Russian imperial rule, and in the Soviet era the Buryat Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was established in 1923. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, it became the Republic of Buryatia within the Russian Federation.

Culture among the Buryats blends Tibetan Buddhism with indigenous shamanic practices, along with distinctive music, crafts, cuisine, and festive customs. Modern Buryats participate in national political life, education, and economy while also preserving language and cultural heritage through revival programs and community organizations.