Kalmyks

Kalmyks are a Mongolic ethnic group of Oirat origin, primarily living in the Russian Republic of Kalmykia, with smaller communities across Russia and abroad. They speak Kalmyk, a variety of the Oirat branch of the Mongolic languages, and many are bilingual in Russian.

Origin and history: The Kalmyks descend from Oirat tribes that migrated south and east in the 16th–17th centuries and settled along the lower Volga. They formed the Kalmyk Khanate, a semi-autonomous polity under the suzerainty of the Russian Tsardom and later the Russian Empire. The Khanate endured until 1771, when Catherine II ordered the dispersal of Kalmyks to other parts of the empire after military conflicts.

Twentieth century: In 1943, under Stalin, the Kalmyks were deported to Siberia and Central Asia as part of mass ethnic expulsions. They were allowed to return beginning in 1957, and Kalmykia was re-established as a republic within the Russian SFSR, with Elista as its capital.

Religion and culture: Kalmyks have traditionally practiced Tibetan Buddhism, especially the Gelug school, and continue to preserve Buddhist institutions, including the Golden Abode of the Buddha Shakyamuni in Elista, completed in 1992. They also maintain traditional shamanistic and folk customs, with distinctive music, dress, and cuisine.

Language and identity: Kalmyk is an Oirat Mongolic language written in Cyrillic script; most Kalmyks are bilingual in Russian. The Kalmyk people are recognized as a distinct ethnic group within Russia, with ongoing cultural revival in the post-Soviet period.