Ulanov, M. (2024) The Phenomenon of Religious Identity of the Kalmyk Ethnosis – МЕЖДУНАРОДНЫЙ ЖУРНАЛ ИССЛЕДОВАНИЙ КУЛЬТУРЫ

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Mergen S. ULANOV
Kalmyk State University named after B.B. Gorodovikov
11, Pushkina st., Elista, Republic of Kalmykia, 358000 Russian Federation
Head of the Department of Philosophy and Cultural Studies
Doctor of Science (in Philosophy)
e-mail: ulanov1974@mail.ru
ORCID: 0000-0002-6749-7424

Ulanov, M. (2024) The Phenomenon of Religious Identity of the Kalmyk Ethnosis

Abstract: The article is devoted to the phenomenon of religious identity of the Kalmyk ethnic group. Primordialist and constructivist approaches to understanding identity are analyzed. It is concluded that the constructivist approach is more consistent with the understanding of religious identity. The origins of the religious identity of the Kalmyks are considered in the context of Tengrism and shamanism. It is indicated that shamanism and pre-Buddhist beliefs among the Kalmyks were assimilated by Buddhism, as a result of which the Buddhist identity dominated among them. The author comes to the conclusion that Buddhism was a key factor contributing to the preservation of the ethnocultural identity of the Kalmyks. The fact that the Kalmyks were the only people in the Lower Volga region who professed Buddhism had a double consequence: on the one hand, it contrasted them with the surrounding Orthodox and Muslim ethnic groups, on the other, it protected them from assimilation. The ethnonym “Kalmyk” was, apparently, directly related to the religion of the Kalmyks, who, having found themselves in a foreign language, foreign cultural and religious environment, were able to preserve their Buddhist identity. The article also examines the religious identity of Kalmyks who lived outside the Kalmyk steppe and felt the influence of Orthodoxy and Islam. It is noted that Buddhist identity was preserved not only among the bulk of Kalmyks who roamed the Kalmyk steppe of the Astrakhan province, but also among small groups of Kalmyks who were influenced by Orthodoxy and were considered formally baptized. At the same time, the Kalmyks, who underwent Islamization, did not retain their Buddhist identity and were assimilated by neighboring Muslim ethnic groups, which was due to the specifics of the Muslim religion, as well as the similarity of the nomadic life of the Kalmyks with neighboring Muslim ethnic groups. In the twentieth century, the Kalmyk ethnos was forced to undergo a serious transformation, which damaged the Buddhist religion and the level of religiosity. However, despite all the difficulties, the Buddhist identity of the Kalmyks was preserved. The modern stage of development of the Kalmyk ethnic group is marked by the revival of the Buddhist religion, which is beginning to play an increasingly important role in the socio-cultural life of society. It is characteristic that the religious factor in the ethnic identity of the Kalmyks is beginning to come to the fore today due to the fact that the role of the Kalmyk language as a means of everyday communication has noticeably decreased, while most Kalmyks self-identify themselves as Buddhists, attend Huruli and periodically participate in Buddhist rituals.

Key words: religious identity, Buddhist identity, primordialism, constructivism, Kalmyks, Oirats, religion, Tengrism, shamanism, Buddhism, Islam, Orthodoxy.

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For Citation:

Ulanov, M. (2024) The Phenomenon of Religious Identity of the Kalmyk Ethnosis. International Journal of Cultural Research, 3 (56). 113–127. DOI: 10.52173/2079-1100_2024_3_113

DOI: 10.52173/2079-1100_2024_3_113