Who Are the Buryats?
The Buryats are a Mongolic people numbering approximately 500,000—the largest indigenous group in Siberia. They live primarily in Russia's Republic of Buryatia (around Lake Baikal), plus Irkutsk Oblast, Zabaykalsky Krai, and northeastern Mongolia (50,000+). They speak Buryat, closely related to Mongolian. The Buryats were historically pastoral nomads; some adopted Tibetan Buddhism (17th century) while others maintained shamanic traditions. Russian conquest (17th century) and Soviet policies transformed their society, but cultural revival since the 1990s has strengthened Buryat identity, Buddhism, and connections to broader Mongolic heritage.
Lake Baikal
Lake Baikal—the world's deepest, oldest, and largest freshwater lake (by volume)—is sacred to Buryats. Traditional belief holds that Baikal is alive, inhabited by spirits, and demands respect. Shamanic rituals are performed at sacred sites around the lake; offerings (vodka, coins, ribbons tied to trees) honor lake spirits. Baikal sustains unique biodiversity including the endemic nerpa (freshwater seal). Environmental threats—pollution, proposed pipelines, climate change—concern Buryats who see the lake as ancestral heritage. The spiritual connection to Baikal distinguishes Buryat identity and motivates environmental activism.
Dual Religion
Buryats practice a distinctive dual religious tradition. Western Buryats largely maintained shamanism—belief in spirits inhabiting nature, ancestor veneration, and shamanic practitioners who mediate between worlds. Eastern Buryats adopted Tibetan Buddhism (Gelug school) in the 17th century, building monasteries (datsans) and developing a Buddhist clergy. Many Buryats practice both—consulting shamans and visiting datsans, viewing the traditions as complementary rather than contradictory. Soviet suppression (monasteries closed, shamans persecuted) was followed by post-1990 revival of both traditions. The Ivolginsky Datsan is Russian Buddhism's headquarters; shamanic practice has also revived.
Geser Epic
The Geser (Gesar) epic, shared with Tibetans and Mongols, is a major oral tradition recounting the deeds of King Geser—a culture hero who battles demons and injustice. Buryat versions, among the most elaborate, were performed by specialized bards (ülgerchi) over multiple evenings. The epic encodes Buddhist and shamanic elements, historical memory, and ethical teachings. Soviet folklorists recorded extensive versions; the 1,000th anniversary of Geser's birth (1995, a somewhat arbitrary date) sparked celebrations across the Mongolic world. Revival efforts have trained new performers, though full mastery of long versions remains rare.
Contemporary Buryatia
Post-Soviet Buryatia has experienced significant cultural revival—Buddhist monasteries rebuilt, shamanic practice restored, Buryat language promoted. However, Russian remains dominant; language shift among urban youth concerns activists. Economic challenges include limited development beyond resource extraction and agriculture. Buryatia's location between Russia and Mongolia creates geopolitical sensitivities. Some Buryats feel closer to Mongolia than Russia culturally; pan-Mongol sentiment exists but Russian authorities discourage it. How Buryats maintain distinctive identity while navigating between Russian citizenship and Mongolic heritage defines their contemporary situation.
References
- Humphrey, C. (1998). Marx Went Away—But Karl Stayed Behind
- Bulag, U. (1998). Nationalism and Hybridity in Mongolia
- Bernstein, A. (2013). Religious Bodies Politic: Rituals of Sovereignty in Buryat Buddhism