Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (ORAL HISTORIES): Recent Episodes
Cambridge University
Oral histories are stories about events that have taken place in the recent past or are still in the process of unfolding. Stories about pre-Soviet nomadic lifestyle, the demolition of Buddhist temples in the 1930s, the deportation of the Kalmyks in 1943, the subsequent return of the Kalmyks from exile, life in post-exile period, are few examples. To this can be added stories about places, famous people, notable objects, encounters with ghosts and spirits, adventures, and many others.
Lev talks about the famous Kalmyk writer David Kugultinov who was from the same village as he.
Lev talks about how his village was occupied by German soldiers in 1941 and about the deportation of the Kalmyk people in 1943.
Lyalya says that the Kumsk Kalmyks lived in the territory of Levokumskiy rayon in Stavropol Gubernia. They were engaged in cattle breeding and agriculture, growing wheat and vegetables. The community descends from about a hundred families that arrived in that place. Lyalya’s uncle was a monk who had many Buddhist objects. After his arrest, Lyalys’s family kept no religious objects at home, fearing that they could also be arrested. In 1943, the Kumsk Kalmyks were sent into exile to Siberia. After exile, many families settled in the village of Kumskiy in Gorodovikovskiy rayon of Kalmykia.
Yuriy says that in the village of Sarpa there were many people who knew Kalmyk folklore well, including such names as Erdnin Lidzhin Pokin and Leezhnia Chonyn Anga.
Yuriy says that in the village of Sarpa lived a descendant of Prince Begali Onkorov. This descendant died aged 62 in 2011. People of noble origin (or of ‘white bones’), according to Kalmyk astrology, have difficult lives and suffer a lot because they are expected to accomplish great deeds.
Maria says that her grandmother smoked a pipe. In the past, many old people, irrespective of gender, either smoked or chewed tobacco. During celebrations such as weddings people usually exchanged their tobaccos and socialized by smoking together.
Maria says that during exile in Siberia Kalmyk families cooked their food together because it was cheaper that way. She also reminisces about how they made various dishes: meat with noodles, segsrdg (dough boiled in water), bulmg (flour fried in butter), and shuurmg (cottage cheese).
Maria relays a story that happened to her family when they lived in a place called Nyukyun near the village of Chilgir. One day they had their horse stolen, which made Maria’s mother cry. The next day, however, the stolen horse was returned to the family. It turned out that the thief had his leg broken, and thinking that Maria’s mother had powerful spiritual patrons decided to return the horse before things became even worse.
The Orusov brothers reminisce about a large vegetable garden that their family kept in Siberia where they grew potatoes, carrots, rutabaga and cabbage. Their diet was also supplemented with berries and mushrooms collected from the nearby forest. For the winter, the family salted mushrooms and cabbage. The family also kept pigs.
Maria says that not far from the village of Zunda-Tolga there is a mound called Ochan Ozna which derives its name from a man called Ochan Ozna who was a livestock thief from the clan of Dzhedzhikin. After a long chase, representatives of the Soviet government cornered him to the mound where he refused to surrender by killing himself. Maria also says that two clans, Iki-Burul and Baga-Burul, descended from two brothers. The village of Iki-Burul was restored by Basan Gorodovikov in 1965, and Baga-Burul in 1966. People from the Baga-Burul clan consider the land where their temple stood as a sacred place.
Narma was 9 when the Kalmyks were sent into exile to Siberia. Narma reminisces that on the day of deportation her father quickly slaughtered a sheep but did not have time to cut the carcass into pieces which he did once inside the carriage on their way to Siberia. The carriage was for fit animals and was very cold inside and without saniation. At stations people relieved themselves in front of the carriages. In Siberia, Narma’s family was sent to a poor collective where they starved. Warned that the Kalmyks were cannibals, the local people did not open their doors to them. Rarely, some people would toss a potato to begging Kalmyks. In the spring, the local people, seeing that the Kalmyks were not cannibals at all, began to socialize. While her parents toiled on the collective farm, Narma looked after her younger siblings. The first Kalmyk deportees were mainly women, the elderly and children. Kalmyk men who were fighting in the war joined their families later. Narma’s father who returned from the front earned a living by doing odd jobs as a blacksmith or carpenter. When Narma reached adulthood she was married off to a man whom she had never met before. At the end of the interview, Narma sings a song about exile.
Vera says that Bosya Kharaeva, a famous Kalmyk singer, is from the same village of Dzhalykovo as her. She reminisces about how Bosya used to tell people to observe customs. One of these customs involves tossing white and yellow coins into water when people visit their native villages. Prayers should include not only Buddhas but ancestral spirits as well.
Sergei says that traditionally Kalmyk children wore only long shirts until the age of 7. Usually it was the only clothing that they had. Children were kept close to their homes and were not allowed to play on the other side of the village. Sergei himself grew up in the village of Mogata. The village is named Mogata, or ‘With Snakes’, because there were many snakes around. Sergei’s mother was originally from the village of Gakhata which was situated in a place with reeds. Wild boars ate the reed – hence the village was named Gakhata, meaning ‘With Pigs’. In times of famine people also ate reed roots. After the Kalmyks returned to Kalmykia from exile, Sergei went away to study. During vacations, he spent a couple of days with his mother before going fishing with his friend who was from the village of Basta. The village of Basta was tiny and had several houses only. The old villagers spoke perfect Kalmyk and chewed tobacco.
Tseren recounts villages in the Privolzhkiy ulus: Keryad, Nitsian, Small Nitsian, Bolshaya Moga, Kyuktya, Barkasnyi, Iki-Aryl, Chapchalgan, Adun, Batud (this village was called Noidud in the past), and Kesing. The temple in Kyuktya was destroyed in 1933 and its monks arrested. The village where Tseren lived was 40 kilometers off Astrakhan. To get to Astrakhan, people walked and then took a bus. Kalmyks did not live in Astrakhan itself, but lived in Kalmbazar, which at that time was part of the Privolzhkiy ulus of Kalmyk USSR. Afterwards, Kalmbazar became part of Astrakhan.
Nadezhda says the following: After they occupied our area, the German soldiers set out to search for Communists. Those who were captured were either shot dead or tortured. A man called Delikov Avsa, who was the zaisang Lapin’s relative, defended his people. When the Soviets came to power after the Revolution, they began to dekulakize the rich. Out of the 500 families from the Akhnud clan, only 60 were left after that. The rest were sent to Siberia, some fled to Ukraine, Kabardino-Balkaria and other places.
Nadezhda says the following: The zaisang Lapin had two houses. One of them was used as a dormitory for teachers, but now is destroyed. Several years ago people built a Buddhist stupa on its place. The second house survived and was used as a school where I studied.
Maria says she was born in Tersk. Among the local Kalmyks there were no Buzavas or Derbets. The Kalmyks used Russian to communicate with their neighbors, including Chechens and Cossacks. Kalmyk and Chechen men get along well and they drank vodka together. 20 kilometers from where they lived was the so-called Mozdok Bazaar where traders were mainly Cherkassy. It took about 3 hours to get there by horse from where Marie lived. The Kalmyks in Tersk kept livestock: sheep, cows, horses, and camels. All wore traditional clothes. Since childhood, Maria played the dombra. At parties the youth only sang and danced; nobody drank. People also played on the flute. Mutton was the staple. Kalmyks also ate chicken and baked bread inside hot ashes. Maria’s family moved to Kalmykia in 1942. The journey on carts took about a week.
Maria says she was the only child in her family. She spent her childhood and youth in Siberia where she got married. She has a son, a daughter, 7 grandchildren, and 10 great grandchildren. She says that her family was deported to Siberia on 28 December 1943. She does not remember how long she was on the train. Upon arriving in Omsk, all the Kalmyks were sent to a bathhouse and then to the nearby collective farms. Maria worked on a farm and collected potatoes. In Siberia Maria and her mother lived in Salsk. Kalmyks exchanged their clothes for food, but many people died of starvation. Maria begged for food herself. When her mother died in 1943, Maria went to live with her aunt who also died soon after. For about 5 years Maria lived with an elderly couple who did not have children, looking after their sheep. When she reached 18, Maria left the old couple. At her wedding Maria had 10 guests who arrived on carts. They made alcohol from sugar beets. Since the groom was also an orphan, he had only his uncles and aunts by his side. Maria’s relatives were scattered across Siberia, and no one could send her wedding gifts. Maria herself bought a matrass and a blanket. After the wedding, she moved to live with her husband. In 1957 the whole family returned to Kalmykia where Maria worked as a milkmaid. Her daughter was born in 1958, and her son in 1961.
Yefrosinya says that after each childbirth she used to take her baby to show it to her and her husband’s relatives who uttered well-wishes and gifted the baby with clothes, money and other gifts. She also reminisces that in 1941 her family moved from Elista to Bashanta where they witnessed the German occupation of the town. The Germans killed Communists. Later her mother learnt that their whole family was on the German list of people to be shot, because their father was a Communist.
Yefrosinya says that during World War II when the Red Army liberated Kalmykia her grandmother, Vankina Burakysh Byurbeevna, sheltered a Mongolian monk in their house. The monk read religious texts and taught Efrosinya, then 9, Mongolian prayers. Now, 85, she says that she has already forgotten the Mongolian prayers.
Petr says that his generation had a Communist education, and rode horses instead of driving private cars. People were happy as long as they had something to eat. Although people lived poorly, they were valued by the state which gave them medals. Petr himself has medals and letters of gratitude for building the Astrakhan-Kizlyar railway. People of his generation dedicated everything to work.
Sanal talks about the bonne-setter Modla who lived in the village of Shatta. Modla, himself a shepherd, often cured sheep that had bone dislocations. He knew well about human anatomy and constantly improved his knowledge. He had many patients who came to see him from far away.
Sanal talks about the famous healer Namka:
Namka lived in Altsynkhuta and cured sick people. He knew how to treat various diseases. People came to see him not only from Kalmykia but from other parts of Russia. A kind and generous man, he helped people not only as a doctor, but also as an astrologer. People often came to him for advice. He had medicine that were sent to him from the Caucasus, Mongolia and Tibet. He kept his notes in Tibetan or Todo Bichig (Clear Script).
Klara talks about her friend Timofei Alexeev, who was a famous actor in Kalmykia. She recounts how she met him, how they studied and worked together, and what he was like as a person and actor.
Dordzhi says that General Zhukov had two reasons not to like Kalmyks: The first reason. When he was a child, two Kalmyk-Cossacks came to Zhukov’s village. One of them wanted to slash Zhukov with his sword, but at the last moment spared the boy’s life. The second reason. In Tambov, a peasants revolt was instigated by two brothers who were accompanied by two Kalmyks. Zhukov was ordered to suppress the revolt, during which he was wounded on his shoulder with a sword used by a Kalmyk.
Dordzhi says the following: Since aristocrats were believed to have been of divine origin, ordinary people did not use their real names when talking about them. There is a place called ‘the burial place of Balvatan Khan’. In fact, Balvatan was not his real name. His real name was Donduk Ombo Khan. Names ending with ‘tan’ such as Balvatan or Jigiten were supposed to be treated with respect. Another example. Prince Gumbo-Dorji was called Gyungyuten.
Alexandr talks about the village of Godzhur and how he learnt to read the Kalmyk script:
Alexandr talks about Roma people who came to his village and about how Kalmyks do matchmaking:
Olga reminisces that it took two weeks for the Kalmyk deportees to reach Tyumen by train. The train that transported Olga’s family consisted of twelve carts. A lot of people died on the way. People were fed only once a day. At stations, it was old people who were let out of the carts to fetch food: others had to stay inside the carts. Porridge was brought in two baskets and divided among all. Upon their arrival in Siberia, many more died. The local morgues were filled with corpses. Olga and her mother spent the exile years in Tyumen. In Siberia bread was rationed, and people suffered from acute malnutrition. Olga’s mother did sewing which helped them to survive. When the Kalmyks were allowed to return to Kalmykia, Olga’s family settled in Vlasovka. Once they were even visited by a famous monk, Ulanov Sanji. There Olga worked as a milkmaid. Her mother was already blind by then.
Khoshun-Bator talks about his native village and why Kalmyks gave their children foreign names.
Ivan talks about how in the past monks were suppressed and exiled during anti-religious campaigns.
Ivan says that stories about evil spirits were abundant before World War II. After the war people stopped talking about it, although when the Kalmyks were exiled to Siberia there were tales about people disappearing. After the Kalmyks returned from Siberia, there were no old people left around to give advice and tell stories about evil spirits.
Sangadzhi-Garya reminisces about how in 1942 he worked on the construction of the Kizlyar-Astrakhan railway, which was regarded as a project of strategic importance by the Soviet government.
Sangadzhi-Garya talks about the traditional life of the Kalmyks. In the past, there were no doctors, and people could not correctly diagnose diseases. The average lifespan was between 40 and 50. The dead were wrapped in a blanket and buried in a shallow hole. In the spring, graves were sometimes washed away by the rain, revealing corpses.
Sangadzhi-Garya says that in his youth Kalmyks celebrated the same holidays as they do now, including Tsagan Sar and Zul, during which people paid each other visits and had fun. Kalmyks were also very fond of nyar (celebrations). In his native village there was a small cultural club where people gathered in the evening. After work, people played on the dombra and the Saratov accordion and sang songs at this club. At the end of the interview Sangadzhi-Garya plays on the harmonica.
Nikolai talks about a TV show, the idea of which he came up with. It is called Altn Shaha (Golden Ankle Bone). The rules of the game are as follows. The sheep’s ankle bone has different sides that have different names. The player throws an ankle bone, and the TV host looks at which side the bone has landed on. Then the host asks the player various questions about Kalmyk culture, history and so on. A TV manager whom Nikolai approached found this game very interesting but said that they did not have the money to produce it because they did not have funds to buy gifts for winners. Nikolai is worried that his idea may not materialize.
Dmitry talks about how in their ancestral land some people found an old box that contained the ashes of a monk. Almost all those who found it, ended up badly. Scared, people erected a stupa on that spot and prohibited anyone dig that land. After that, misfortunes stopped. Later people built a temple there, which was consecrated by Telo Tulku Rinpoche. As for the ashes of a monk, it was buried back where it was found. Today no one remembers that place anymore.
Alexandra reminisces about her teacher Sandzhi Alekseevich Kenzeev who taught her Kalmyk.
Dmitriy talks about how people behaved during fasting days (matsg) in the Soviet period.
Mikhail talks about what happened in the 1930s in Kalmykia through the example of several manuscripts that were appropriated by a NKVD-linked scholar.
Khongor reminisces about the relatives of the famous Kalmyk writer David Kugultinov who were from the same village as he was.
Ivan talks about Iki-Burulskiy rayon where he lived since its establishment in the 1960s.
In this video Yuriy talks about how he is related to the Dzhogaevs, who were of noble zaisang origin, and how this title was inherited among the Torghuts. If a ruling zaisang did not have an heir (i.e. a son), the right to inherit his ulus territory passed to his relatives, which is what happened between the clans of the Bembeevs and that of the Dzhogaevs.
Yuriy recounts the Kalmyk names for Kazakhs, Tatars, Circassians, Kabardians and other neighbouring peoples. He talks about Kalmyk ethnonyms.
Mergen recounts a story about his legendary grandfather, Vasiliy Khomutnikov, who travelled to Tibet in the early 1920s.
Alexandra reminisces about how her family lived in Altaiskiy krai in Siberia. Her brother used to sing the Russian songs ‘Tramp’ and ‘Katyusha’ in Kalmyk. Her mother adopted a couple of Russian children who returned with them to Kalmykia when the Kalmyks were pardoned. Altaiskiy krai had rich soil and people grew wheat, potatoes, and beets there. People also used plants to make tea or soup.
Ubush began to work when he was 12. Along with his older sister he worked on the construction of the Astrakhan-Kizlyar railway where they carried sand and building materials on a stretcher. All workers there were Kalmyk. The construction site was often bombed by German planes. After work, the starving children used to go food searching.
My mother used to say: ‘Do not spend too much time on the street. Ghosts walk there. You have been on the street for too long, that is why ghosts entered your belly!’ What happens? Ghosts enter our bellies and heads, and as a consequence we do bad things. That is the whole story about ghosts.
In this interview Maria recounts her encounter with a big snake that she claims was the spiritual master of a local place.
Maria recounts three stories about a legendary man called Bok Tukha who was famous for his strength.
In this interview Alexei talks about a temple that was in his native place, about the origin of the Bagud clan whose members used that temple and about digging wells in Lagan’.
Vladimir says that Gakhaev, who was the lord of Bolshederbetovskiy ulus, grew up as an orphan. Later he participated in Russo-Ottoman wars and married the daughter of one of his commanders. The capital of his ulus was Bashanta where he built many building that stand to this day. He was buried along with his daughter on a river bank near Bashanta.
Yuriy relays a story about a secret mantra. When the Dalai Lama XIV visited Kalmykia for the first time, a certain Kalmyk lama was asked to go and see the Dalai Lama.
Sangadji says that when he was a child, his grandfather told him stories about the Siberian exile of the Kalmyk people. His grandfather was deported to Omskaya oblast. Unable to recall many stories when his grandfather died, Sangadji decided to videotape old people who could still remember the exile period. With this aim in mind, in 2014 he and his friends set up a video documentation project called ‘They Could, and We Can’. Today the project has a wide collection consisting of around 1,000 video interviews. All the interviews are different from each other: some are tragic, others uplifting. Many interviews are in Kalmyk. By watching these videos the viewers can get knowledge first-hand. Sangadji concludes that, ‘our grandmothers and grandfathers could survive and keep our culture, language, spirit, national identity and memory. Therefore, it would be a crime for us, Kalmyks, to forget all these’.
Alexei reminisces about how farmers grew cotton in Kalmykia. In his kolkhoz, called ‘Revolyutsionnyi Trud’ (Revolutionary Labor), the farmers planted mainly cotton. First, cotton seeds were planted, watered, and when the cotton grew its leaves were trimmed. The farmers collected cotton on 1 September. Having put on aprons with pockets, they collected cotton by hand.
Maria says that the first train with Kalmyks from Krasnoyarskiy krai arrived in Divnoe, Stavropol oblast, in 1957. There are no documents left today pertaining to this event. Maria, who was on that train herself, recalls that the journey took 17 days which she spent singing with the others. Among the passengers was the singer Ulan Barbaevna Lidzhieva who was sick. Everyone in the train tried to help her. At Divnoe station they were welcomed by the ensemble Tyulpan (Tulip). The arrivals were transported to Elista by car. In Elista Maria worked as a stonemason. She built houses, a post office, the Drama Theatre, the cinema Druzhba and many other buildings. In 1960 several builders from Kalmykia, including Maria, were invited to work on the construction of the Palace of Pioneers in Moscow. Maria worked in Moscow for a month.
In Maloderbetovskiy rayon there is a hill or mound called Khar Kurya which is a burial place of a Kalmyk nobleman who died in a war. The nobleman was buried along with military equipment. It is also believed that this mound is where the spiritual master of that place resides who looks after livestock and crops. Buddhist monks perform rituals of offering in order to appease all the local spirits. It is said that during such rituals all local spirits come, including the one from the burial place.
Elza recounts a story about Miitr Noyn who miraculously escaped from his Russian captors on his way to execution. He fled to Korea where he married a local woman.
Galina talks about how a Russian soldier who came to their home to send them into exile advised that they take warm blankets. The Kalmyks were sent to Siberia in freight carriages sitting on the floor. The warm blankets that Galina’s family wrapped themselves with, saved their lives. Upon their arrival at the place of exile, Galina’s mother sold the blankets for a sack of potatoes. Both Galina and Klavdia’s families were deported to Omskaya oblast’.
When Bulyash was small, Kalmyks lived in nomadic yurts. Bulyash talks about the yurt, including its structure and the traditional furniture kept inside. For example, in the middle of the yurt was the hearth. A horse harness was kept on the left side. The middle of the yurt was considered to be the older people’s area, whereas the sides of the yurt were associated with children. Dogs were not allowed in. Goat kids and the young of sheep were not kept inside the yurt either, but in special external shelters made of straw. The yurt was tied around with three ropes made of wool. The yurt was waterproof and was covered in a thick layer of felt. Bulyash also talks about how felt was processed in old times. Kalmyks used felt to make socks but not boots. The wealthy gave their daughters bride wealth, which included a yurt and a horse with a harness.