The Buryats are a Mongolic ethnic group native to southeastern Siberia who speak the Buryat language. They are one of the two largest indigenous groups in Siberia, the other being the Yakuts. The majority of the Buryats today live in their titular homeland, the Republic of Buryatia, a federal subject of Russia which sprawls along the southern coast and partially straddles Lake Baikal. Smaller groups of Buryats also inhabit Ust-Orda Buryat Okrug and the Agin-Buryat Okrug which are to the west and east of Buryatia respectively as well as northeastern Mongolia and Inner Mongolia, China. They traditionally formed the major northern subgroup of the Mongols.
Ust-Orda Buryat Okrug, or Ust-Orda Buryatia, is an administrative division of Irkutsk Oblast, Russia. It was a federal subject of Russia from 1993 to January 1, 2008, when it merged with Irkutsk Oblast. It also had autonomous okrug status from September 26, 1937 to 1993. Prior to the merger, it was called Ust-Orda Buryat Autonomous Okrug. It is one of the two Buryat okrugs in Russia, the other one is Agin-Buryat Okrug in Zabaykalsky Krai.
Buryatia, officially the Republic of Buryatia, is a republic of Russia located in the Russian Far East. Formerly part of the Siberian Federal District, it has been administered as part of the Far Eastern Federal District since 2018. It borders Irkutsk Oblast and Lake Baikal, the deepest lake in the world to the north, Zabaykalsky Krai to the east, Tuva to the west and Mongolia to the south. Its capital is the city of Ulan-Ude. It has an area of 351,300 square kilometers (135,600 sq mi) with a population of 978,588. It is home to the indigenous Buryats.
Buryat or Buriat, known in foreign sources as the Bargu-Buryat dialect of Mongolian, and in pre-1956 Soviet sources as Buryat-Mongolian, is a variety of the Mongolic languages spoken by the Buryats and Bargas that is classified either as a language or major dialect group of Mongolian.
The state flag of Tuva in Russia is a light blue field with a white-fimbriated pall of the same color bordering a yellow triangle on the hoist.
The Buryat Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, abbreviated as Buryat ASSR, was an autonomous republic of the Russian SFSR within the Soviet Union.
The flag of Kalmykia consists of a yellow field with a sky blue circle in the center containing a lotus. The yellow stands for the sun, the people and the religious faith of the nation. The blue represents the sky, eternity, and steadiness. The lotus is a symbol of purity, spiritual rebirth and happiness. Its five upper petals represent the continents and the lower four stand for the quarters of the globe. Together, they symbolize the will of the Kalmyks to live in friendship and to cooperate with all the nations of the world.
The state flag of Agin-Buryat Okrug in eastern Russia is a vertical tricolour of blue, yellow and white. The flag is charged with a yellow partial Soyombo symbol at the upper end of the blue band. The Soyombo is a cultural symbol of the Mongol people and is also present on the flags of Mongolia and Buryatia.
Ust-Orda Buryat Autonomous Okrug was an autonomous okrug of Russia within Irkutsk Oblast. After a 16 April 2006 referendum, in which almost 90% of participants voted for unification with Irkutsk Oblast, the autonomous okrug was merged into the oblast on 1 January 2008. The territory has since been administrated as the Ust-Orda Buryat Okrug of Irkutsk Oblast.
The Soyombo symbol is a special character in the Soyombo alphabet invented by Zanabazar in 1686. The name "Soyombo" is derived from Sanskrit svayambhu "self-created". It serves as a national symbol of Mongolia, to be found on the Flag of Mongolia, the Emblem of Mongolia, and on many other official documents.
The People's Khural of the Republic of Buryatia is the regional parliament of Buryatia, a federal subject of Russia. Its 66 deputies are popularly elected every five years. Half of the deputies are elected through a proportional system, and the other half are elected in single-member constituencies with majorities. Independent deputies are self-nominated.
The head of the Republic of Buryatia,, is the highest state office within the Republic of Buryatia, Russia, as it is the head of state and government. Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, three people have served in this position.
Bauntovsky District is an administrative and municipal district (raion), one of the twenty-one in the Republic of Buryatia, Russia. It is located in the northeast of the republic. The area of the district is 66,816 square kilometers (25,798 sq mi). Its administrative center is the rural locality of Bagdarin. As of the 2010 Census, the total population of the district was 9,667, with the population of Bagdarin accounting for 49.0% of that number.
Ivolginsky District is an administrative and municipal district (raion), one of the twenty-one in the Republic of Buryatia, Russia. It is located in the center of the republic. The area of the district is 2,660 square kilometers (1,030 sq mi). Its administrative center is the rural locality of Ivolginsk. As of the 2010 Census, the total population of the district was 37,983, with the population of Ivolginsk accounting for 19.4% of that number.
Kurumkansky District is an administrative and municipal district (raion), one of the twenty-one in the Republic of Buryatia, Russia. It is located in the northeast of the republic. The area of the district is 12,450 square kilometers (4,810 sq mi). Its administrative center is the rural locality of Kurumkan. As of the 2010 Census, the total population of the district was 15,007, with the population of Kurumkan accounting for 36.4% of that number.
Tarbagataysky District is an administrative and municipal district (raion), one of the twenty-one in the Republic of Buryatia, Russia. It is located in the center of the republic. The area of the district is 3,304 square kilometers (1,276 sq mi). Its administrative center is the rural locality of Tarbagatay. As of the 2010 Census, the total population of the district was 16,476, with the population of Tarbagatay accounting for 26.2% of that number.
Buddhism in Buryatia, a region in Siberia, Russia, has a deep-rooted history dating back to the 17th century when Tibetan Buddhism first arrived in the area. Initially adopted by ethnic groups like the Selenga and Zede Buryats, Buddhism gradually spread throughout the Transbaikal region. In 1741, it gained formal recognition as an official religion in the Russian Empire, with the establishment of Buddhist monastic universities known as datsans. Despite facing significant challenges during the Soviet era, including persecution and the closure of religious institutions, Buddhism in Buryatia has persisted and experienced a revival in the post-Soviet period.
The State Anthem of the Republic of Buryatia is one of the state symbols of Buryatia, together with the flag and coat of arms of the Russian federal subject. It was first used unofficially for the Buryat Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, between 1983 and 1990 titled "Song of the Native Land" with original lyrics in Russian.
The coat of arms of the Republic of Buryatia is one of the official symbols of the Republic of Buryatia—a federal subject of Russia. It was adopted on 20 April 1995.
The Free Buryatia Foundation is an advocacy group focused on the Russian federal subject of Buryatia. The foundation is located in Alexandria, Virginia, United States.
