5 Jul Kalmykia for the first time celebrated Republic Day. The festival is established for the 100th anniversary of the Kalmyk Autonomous region. 5 July 1920 obsecurity the first Congress of Soviets adopted the Declaration of the rights of labor of the Kalmyk people, which declared the establishment of an Autonomous region within the RSFSR. How free nomadic people of Kalmykia came to the 100-year anniversary and the Republic lives now?
Dried by the sun a vast plain. Kalmykia — a piece of Asia within European Russia. A unique region, where people celebrate the birthday of two times per year, and Buddhist philosophy — is the official religion.
the Morning prayer service in the “Golden abode of Buddha Shakyamuni”. This is one of the largest in Europe khuruls (temples), and it was built by all the people.
“It was a popular construction, when almost no family in the country, Kalmyk is not only not left out,” said yonten-gelung, the administrator of the Central khurul “Golden abode of Buddha Shakyamuni”.
Unity in the construction of the Kalmyk khurul themselves often compared to the most historic event — the formation of their own autonomy in the young Soviet Republic. In 1920 the disparate nomadic people became one.
History you can touch. These log walls — more than a century. Old house in the village of Chilgir. It is from here began the Kalmyk autonomy. Here from the 2nd till the 9th of July was held the first obsecurity Congress of Soviets.
the Mongols-Oirats came to the Caspian steppes in the seventeenth century. Voluntarily joined the Russian Empire, protecting its southern border. Gained fame as fearless warriors of the steppe. In the century XX begins a completely different life — sedentary. To build the capital of the Republic Elista.
Riding a camel or horse and now knows how to ride almost every boy. Livestock, as well as 100 years ago, is the basis of economy of the Republic. On the steppe pastures are grazed more than 400 thousand heads of cattle and livestock oveC and goat long crossed over two million.
Fleece — the Golden fleece of Kalmykia. In this economy employs almost the entire village. Plenty of work and young and pensioners. Now the hottest time haircut.
Fresh water is a real deficit. Sometimes, to find it, drilled a 100-meter wells. But there are salt lakes, breathtaking in its beauty and attracts thousands of tourists. The biggest — Manych. This is the territory of the national reserve. Under the protection of the rare flora and fauna of the steppes, including business card Kalmykia endangered antelope.
Plenty in the desert is enough wind and sunlight. The climatic features are used here with the benefit of converting into electricity. These windmills is the largest in Russia.
On the steppe wind and the hot sun songs of Vladimir Karaeva. A former engineer today — people jangarchi, a storyteller, a performer of ancient Kalmyk epic. Ancient legends, shamanic chants, but there is a separate song – “Siberia” — about the most difficult period of the history of the Kalmyk deportation of 1943. The report of the NKVD about the unreliability of the Kalmyk cavalrymen at the front recognize a big mistake, but years later. The link will be exposed to the whole nation.
“Our nation was able to survive, to survive and to preserve a sense of self-esteem, desire for life to go on and develop,” — said the head of Kalmykia Batu Hasikov.
because of the epidemiological situation is not a simple celebration, dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the autonomy in the Republic suffered. But an important date is celebrated in a family. On the table — Mahan of lamb, crispy borcoci and, of course, Kalmyk tea.
In an important day Kalmyks and come to a lonely old tree in the middle of the desert. According to legend poplar planted one Buddhist monk, who returned from Tibet. For the Kalmyks this place — a sacred totem, because they are so similar — a tree growing in fact, without water, under the scorching sun, and Mallochislandy the people of Russia, which was the most difficult historical trials and could preserve their culture and identity.
Text: “News of the week”