Moscow – Asia offers a vast geological phenomenon, as well as a diverse home to numerous ethnic groups. In particular, one of the subgroups of the Mongols lives in the north of the Russian–Mongolian borders near Lake Baikal. Here, the colorful culture and rich history of the Buryats remain. The memories of their strong leaders and the distinct features of a community that has survived many years of struggle and resistance are there for the younger generation to see. However, throughout the years, this group has become a minority in their own land. How can they regain their native culture and language before they cease to exist?
Origin of this northern beauty
Based on historical findings, the earliest people who were definitely Mongolian lived in the Lake Baikal basin, the Tunken Valley of the Eastern Sayan Mountains, and the Angara River valley. Back then, in Buryat mythology, these people were called the Burte Chino (Blue Wolf People). In this story, the community’s great ancestor was a man named Burte Chino and his wife, Goa Maral (Beautiful Red Deer). These two main personalities were said to have given birth to the Mongols as well as the most prominent clan of Genghis Khan.
Aside from this myth, researchers have found that the Buryat’s origin is a diverse mixture of Mongol, Tungus, Turkic, Samoyed, and other Ural-Altaic people. A closer look at this group’s economic type, habitat, history, and language reveals a great similarity to the Khalkha Mongols of Outer Mongolia, the Mongols of Inner Mongolia, the Kalmyk, and the Manchuria. Nevertheless, by convention, the Buryats are still classified as nomadic pastoral people.
However, even with this diverse ancestry, the consolidation of the tribes and groups of the Buryats took place under the conditions of the Russian State. Moreover, by the Treaty of Nerchinsk in 1689, their land was ceded by China to the Russian Empire.
Lost identity and struggle
As the years pass, the changing worldviews and political powers around the region have also affected the local communities. With the Russian rule and the growing global movement for economic stability and united political reign, the Buryats have become more of a minority than a major group within their own country.
Consequently, the Buryats have started reviving their religious affiliations (i.e., Buddhism) to further connect the different Mongol subgroups in the area. They have decided to work on regaining both native culture and language influences to solve their current ethnic problems. This approach is also an initial movement to establish contact with the Buryats who live outside their republic. The only concern now is if they will be able to succeed or even connect well with their people.
Even though the Buryats have a strong historical role as leaders of the Mongols, the modern communities are not able to fully unite the others to form a strong political force. Moreover, economic restraints have derailed this movement. Recent years, however, have been crucial to the Buryat Mongolian history. Efforts have been made to preserve the traditions and improve the culture of the ethnic group in the future.
Image from Arkady Zarubin, https://www.flickr.com/photos/90375814@N08/
