Portrait of a Kalmyk woman.
Photo by Aldar Kishtenov
The Kalmyks are the only ethnic group in Europe that traditionally practices Buddhism and speaks a language of the Mongolic group.
They are descendants of the Oirats (Western Mongols) from Dzungaria. The name "Kalmyk" itself is of Turkic origin and means "remnant" or "remained/separated".
In the 1630s, the Kalmyks, led by Kho Orluk, reached the shores of the Volga. Initially, they settled on the left bank but soon began crossing to the right (the "Nogai side"), which was historically considered the gateway to the Caucasus.
Before the arrival of the Kalmyks, the steppes of the North Caucasus and the Kuban region were controlled by the Nogais. A series of fierce clashes erupted between them. The Kalmyks, possessing a powerful and disciplined cavalry, displaced the Nogais.
The Russian government, recognizing the Kalmyks as a formidable military force, signed several treaties with them. The Kalmyks were officially allowed to nomadize southward as far as the Terek and Kuban rivers, on the condition that they protect Russia's southern borders from raids by the Crimean Khanate and mountain tribes.
hey father i loved your sermon but you forgot to preach about the part of the bible where God made Me a Holy Instrument of His Divine Wrath which is an odd thing to leave ourconsidering how often He compels Me to carry out His Awesome Holy Violent Will