History & Information -- Article 01

BRIEF HISTORY OF KALMYKIA
The Kalmucks come from the Central Asia. The Kalmucks’ ancestors, the Oyrates, are renowned by their warlike character since the epoch of Genghis Khan. Part of the Oyrates left the main ethnic entity and came to live in Russia. According to the agreement signed in 1609 by Vasily Shuisky and Kalmuckian Khan Kho-Urlyuk, the Kalmucks were given lands between the rivers Volga and Ural where the Kalmuckian Khanstvo was established.

The Kalmucks have had a long tradition of written language.  The so-called ‘Clear Scripture’ or ‘Todo Biching’ was proposed in the XVII c. by the great Kalmuckian.  The Kalmucks’ principal religion is Buddhism, Gelukpa.  Under the Soviet regime many priests were subject to repression, and all the temples, over 100, were destroyed.  On December 28, 1943 the whole people was deported to the Eastern regions of the country, and the Autonomous Kalmuckian Republic was liquidated.  There were no exceptions.  The exile lasted for 13 years... In the late 50s the Kalmucks returned to their Motherland.