16 Facts About Kalmyks

Kalmyks are a Mongolic ethnic group living mainly in Russia, whose ancestors migrated from Dzungaria.

Kalmyks wrote that the Torghuts owed their name either to the memory of the guard of Genghis Khan or, as descendants of the Keraites, to the old garde de jour.

Kalmyks sought to acquire modern weaponry and build small industry, such as metal works, to supply his military.

The Kalmyks became Russian allies and a treaty to protect the southern Russian border was signed between the Kalmyk Khanate and Russia.

Over time, the Kalmyks gradually created fixed settlements with houses and temples, in place of transportable round felt yurts.

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The majority of the Don Kalmyks sided with the White Movement to preserve their Cossack lifestyle and proud traditions.

The Don Cossacks, including the Don Kalmyks, experienced heavy military and civilian losses, either from the fighting itself or from starvation and disease induced by the war.

On 28 December 1943, the Soviet government accused the Kalmyks of collaborating with the Germans and deported the entire population, including Kalmyk Red Army soldiers, to various locations in Central Asia and Siberia.

Since no Kalmyks lived there any longer the Soviet authorities changed the names of towns and villages from Kalmyk names to Russian names.

The resulting upheaval caused many young Kalmyks to leave Kalmykia, especially in the rural areas, for economic opportunities in and outside the Russian Federation.

The move was precipitated by the desire of these Kalmyks to pursue better educational and economic opportunities and continues today.

Kalmyks are the only inhabitants of Europe whose national religion is Buddhism.

Kalmyks migrated to territory annexed by the Tsarist government and were subject to this policy as long as they remained in this territory.

One of the earliest converts were the children of Donduk-Ombo, the sixth Khan of the Kalmyks who reigned between 1737 and 1741, and his Circassian-born wife.

In 1944, the Soviet government exiled all Kalmyks not fighting in the Soviet army to Central Asia and Siberia, accusing them of collaborating with Nazi Germany.

Consequently, the younger generation of Kalmyks primarily speak Russian and not their own native language.