Buryat folk songs. Culture of Buryatia Modern Buryats
When you travel around Siberia, there are many things that delight and bewilder you. You pass by a seemingly ordinary pole, take a closer look, and this is not a pole at all, but Burkhan, according to local residents. Here, it turns out, a holy place, near which you need to perform a special ritual - "burr", appease the spirits, otherwise expect trouble. Burhanyat as follows: in a glass of vodka you need to dip your ring finger, sprinkle in all directions of the world, drink and think about the good. You go further and wonder at the trees tied with multi-colored patches of fabric, and this turns out to be barisa- "place of power", here you can pray or make a wish. And if you ask the locals, they will take you to a real shaman or tarasun treat, that is, milk vodka. All these bizarre features are characteristic of the Buryat culture, which today has more than 460 thousand speakers, mainly living in the Republic of Buryatia, the Irkutsk region, and the Trans-Baikal Territory.
It’s a pity, of course, that today you won’t see beauties in traditional clothes, folding yurts new buildings were replaced, and the Buryat heroes moved from horses to cars, but the quiet echoes of antiquity still excite the minds of traveling residents of megacities.
Origin
The Buryat ethnos was formed from various Mongolian-speaking groups; Genghis Khan, Chinese and Russian empire. Being nomads, the Buryats were engaged in hunting, fishing and cattle breeding. Wanderings, civil strife, mixing of blood, and generally a stormy nomadic life complicate the study of the origin of this people. 
Modern Buryatia is a mix of national and neighboring cultures. So, for example, traditional shamanistic beliefs coexist with Christianity, Buddhism and their currents, and on the territory of the Republic of Buryatia there are two state languages - Russian and Buryat.
Family traditions
As told Andrey Kurkutov, a representative of the Buryat youth, a student from Irkutsk, who acted as one of our guides to the Buryat culture, now the traditions of various clans are not observed as often as we would like. "Modern youth aspires to the traditions of their ancestors, but they do not set this as a paramount task. Basically, once a year, everyone gathers in their small homeland with the whole family for various ceremonies, they do not wear costumes, because they do not consider it appropriate," - Andrey added. 
However, some traditions are still observed, apparently thanks to the older generation. For example, the Buryats of the shamanic persuasion annually hold an ancient holiday Tailagan where the rite of sacrifice to the Great Spirit was performed. It looks something like this: a horse's head, removed along with the skin and legs, is fixed on a pole, and the sacrificial meat is fried on a fire and served on the table along with tarasun - milk vodka
culture
If you are ever lucky enough to be in Buryatia, you should definitely look at the ancient and very colorful dance Echor. According to Andrey Kurkutov, Buryat youth gather together for the night of Ehor, put on traditional costumes, dance and have fun. 
At first glance, it seems that anyone can dance Echor, but, as a rule, a beginner cannot do it because of the uncomfortable swaying movement of bent arms. The dance looks very beautiful: the round dance of those gathered is similar to the Sun, everyone goes in a circle and sings. In ancient times, this dance had a sacred meaning and was performed only on special occasions.
Beliefs
Shamanism is a complex phenomenon and is often mistakenly equated with magic and sorcery. The priest of belief - the shaman, as is commonly believed, is able to fall into ecstatic trance, communicate with the spirits. Shamanism is aimed at direct perception of the world, comprehension of the relationship between nature and man. 
Some Buryat families, even in city apartments, perform simple shamanistic rites.
"Shamanists put arrows under the ceiling - ongons. I do not have exact data, but I think that about a hundred thousand people of the Buryat population profess shamanism in one form or another. This is about a third of the Buryat population," a hereditary shaman shared with us. Valentin Khagdaev.
"Holy Sea"
Baikal places have been considered sacred by the Buryat people since ancient times. Many songs, legends are dedicated to them, even some ornaments of clothes or dwellings repeat the waves of the lake.
Baikal, in the view of the indigenous population, is a separate living creature, with its own character and mood. Indeed, when you get to the lake, the weather next to it is completely different from that at the same time, for example, in Irkutsk. There are many legends about the lake that any local boy can tell you. The most famous tells about Baikal's daughter Angara, who tried to escape from her father to her lover, but he, trying to stop her, threw a rock after her, but missed. So the source of the Angara River from Baikal is marked by a huge rock - shaman stone.
This legend, as it turned out, is connected with two facts at once. Firstly, this is an explanation why 336 rivers and streams flow into Baikal, and only one Angara flows out of it. Secondly, the legend explains the special attitude of the Buryats to the Shaman-stone as a sacred place where they used to make sacrifices and leave criminals for the judgment of Baikal. If the waters took him away, then he was guilty, if not, then the people forgave him.
Baikal is of the same mysterious origin as the Buryats themselves. Scientists say that such old lakes eventually become overgrown with silt or turn into a swamp, but the water in Baikal is the cleanest on the planet.
Olga Morozova
Any of us sometimes want to escape from the usual daily tracks and relax. At such moments, everyone, as a rule, turns on some unusual music. Buryat folk songs are a great way to relax. They captivate the listener with their unusual rhythm and wide range of sounds. Turning on such music, you seem to be transported to a distant steppe. And this is not accidental, because it was the shepherds who composed almost all Buryat songs ..
From the history
The first collection of Buryat folk songs was published in 1852. The author of this work was I. G. Gmelin. Prior to this, songs were passed down orally from generation to generation. The Buryats were mostly shepherds, and this left an imprint on their culture. Most of their songs are drawn out and monotonous, with big amount ornamentation and rather whimsical rhythm. This is due to the fact that singers from time immemorial were in the steppe, which imposed a specific acoustic imprint on any sounds, including human voices. The plot of the songs mainly revolves around important historical events, rituals and various holidays.
National musical instruments played a special role in the development of Buryat folk, the most popular of which were limbe and beshkhur. Separately, it is worth noting the hangereg and damaari, which were used in shamanic practice and Buddhist cults. The portal site presents a large number of masterpieces of Buryat folk music, which can be downloaded for free in mp3 format.
Modern Russia breaks records in terms of the number of emigrants. Buryatia actively joins the great exodus of Russians to more comfortable countries for living.
Fourth wave of Putin
Every year, several tens of thousands of people leave for permanent residence in foreign countries, mainly in the USA, Israel and Europe. The most dramatic jumps in the number of people leaving began to grow in 2012, 2013 and 2014, immediately after the unrest of Bolotnaya and the famous decree against LGBT people. National minorities, gays, journalists and social activists - the main part of the political emigrants of Putin's wave. Russians are twice as likely to apply for political asylum as an extreme reaction to persecution and pressure in their native country. There has also been an increase in the number of famous people who do not hesitate to speak publicly about their decision. All this is reminiscent of the third wave of emigration from the USSR in the 60s-80s of the 20th century, when writers, dancers and scientists fled the country.
But, if in the days of the USSR for many people escape from the country was really vital, today more and more often it looks more like another way to improve their living conditions, embellishing and exacerbating the situation in the homeland in the eyes of society.
Political asylum, for example, is one of the most simple ways to get US citizenship soon, it is much easier than even fictitiously getting married or marrying a citizen, and even more so than finding a job in an American company and waiting a long time, progressively moving from a green card to citizenship, which can take many years, and even for life. Not to mention that the refugee has the right to receive financial and other assistance from the US authorities.
In most cases, to obtain refugee status, it is enough to provide evidence of harassment based on race, political opinions or sexual orientation. Photo - video materials of beatings, evidence of social and political activity, pages of social networks, news in the media, etc. and get interviewed.
In search of a better share
In Buryatia and other national regions, arguments are more often made about racial and religious oppression, as well as political motives associated with racial and religious oppression. Over the past few years, several well-known political figures and public figures have left for the United States for precisely these reasons.
Many people want to follow their example, especially young people. However, this desire is more often dictated not by real persecution, but by general dissatisfaction with the economic, political and other situation in the country and in the republic. Everyday nationalism and lack of work play a big role. As you know, outside the republic, especially in the capital, people with Asian appearance have a hard time. Therefore, only the border remains.
In theory, residents of Buryatia can claim asylum by providing evidence of the infringement of rights and freedoms in the form of the non-functioning Constitutional Court of Buryatia and the need to bring all laws and even the Constitution of the republic itself in accordance with federal law. That is, it is possible to prove the absence or inconsistency of the reality of those guarantees that are put to our subject as part of Russian Federation.
Persecuted Professor Vladimir Khamutaev
One of the most notorious refugees of recent times is Vladimir Khamutaev, a former employee of the Belarusian Scientific Center, Doctor of Historical Sciences, who emigrated in 2012. Vladimir Khamutaev requested political asylum immediately after he was fired from the scientific center for absenteeism. According to the scientist, his monograph “The accession of Buryatia to Russia: history, law, politics”, which was published after the celebrations of the 350th anniversary of the unification of the two peoples, contributed to the dismissal. The main idea of the monograph was that the accession was not voluntary. At the same time, many of Khamutaev's colleagues believe that the author was engaged in juggling facts and distorting historical events in order to lead to a pre-formulated conclusion. And the monograph itself turned out to be provocative in many respects. Also, the BNC denied the statement of the scientist that the dismissal was related to the publication of this work.
Nevertheless, immediately after leaving the BNC, Vladimir Khamutaev, with the support of the Buryat human rights center Erkhe, formed back in 2006 during the unification of the Ust-Orda Autonomous Okrug and the Irkutsk Region, requested political asylum in the United States for himself and his entire family. The main support for him was provided by the social activist Dorzho Dugarov, of whom Erkhe is today.
In one of his interviews, Dugarov called Khamutaev's emigration an evacuation, because he was allegedly threatened with criminal prosecution for inciting ethnic hatred under the "political" article 282. Although law enforcement agencies did not bring any charges against the scientist, there were no investigative actions in the form of interrogations and searches either.
Evacuation of Buryatia Dorzho Dugarov
The public learned the details of what the “evacuation of the Buryats” was much later, already during the discussion of the criminal case of the unemployed Ulan-Ude resident, panmangolist Vladimir Khagdaev, which was opened under article 282 (calls for separatism and inciting ethnic hatred), and the young man is also charged with storage drugs on a large scale. The investigation into the case has already been completed, and soon Khagdaev is awaiting trial.
After the media found out about Khagdaev, the same Dorzho Dugarov immediately offered his help. It consisted, as you probably already understood, in an escape. However, Khagdaev considered this option fantastic, especially since he could not leave his family.
“Most of all, I was“ enraged ”when this Dorzho suggested that I flee the country, knowing that I was under a subscription. He offered some fabulous options, as if he had a friend of the general of the Mongolian army who would meet me on the other side of the border, but we must definitely drive to the border in my car. As if he knows the former Prime Minister Byambasuren. There I will be escorted to the American embassy and evacuated in a military plane. It infuriates that they see perfectly, I am raising three children alone and taking care of an old grandmother, ”Vladimir wrote on his page on the social network.
To which Dorzho Dugarov was terribly offended and refused to further defend Khagdaev, explaining what he meant by “evacuation”.
“In general, evacuation is a standard back-up move in cases where a person who is persecuted in his country for political reasons cannot be saved from imprisonment. For example, something similar was used by us for the emigration of Vladimir Andreevich Khamutaev, albeit on a smaller scale, and other Buryat emigrants of recent years, ”he said in an interview with the site.
At the same time, the scientist Khagdaev himself never spoke of his departure as an escape. As well as about leaving for the USA through Mongolia.
“The asylum interview went very quickly. Again, American friends helped. Today, having already gone through this most difficult stage for many, I see that this is not such a difficult question. In vain, many dramatize. I need to write about it somehow. In general, there were difficulties that are common with any move - housing, unusual humidity for us, difficulties with money. At the same time, if you have wide eyes and a good heart, then America is the best country,” Khamutaev said in an interview with Novaya Buryatia.
Also, it is not clear what other political emigrants of recent years from Buryatia, whom he allegedly evacuated, Dugarov says.
Persecution of Rajana Dugarova
Another well-known activist of Erkhe, Rajana Dugarova, also lives in the United States today, but the social activist came to the country in a slightly different way. Before moving to America, Rajana lived in Poland for several years on a Pole's card and worked on research project for one of the Polish universities.
Our people are leaving Buryatia precisely because they are being persecuted because of their views, Rajana believes. - I experienced a feeling of paranoia a few years ago. This is the first thing that disappears when crossing the Russian border. And now I have ceased to be afraid to speak on the phone, to examine the visitors in a cafe when meeting with friends, to turn on the internal censor when writing articles or posts on social networks. Moreover, the situation has worsened many times over since Andrey Bubeev and Evgenia Chudnovets have been in jail for reposting. Stalin's repressions, when they imprisoned for a joke, they had already come! I never thought those times could come back."
It is noteworthy that in Russia there were no criminal cases, no searches, no interrogations against Rajana Dugarova either. Rajana, like Dorzho, became known thanks to the events of 2006 in the Irkutsk region during the unification of regions. “Erhe” then actively prevented this, actions, round tables and pickets were held against the policy of the Kremlin. Young scientists were also supported by Vladimir Khamutaev, speaking sharply about possible consequences, and also that, if Ust-Ordynsky district is united, then only with Buryatia.
One of the forms of protest was the screening of the recently released film “The First Nuker of Genghis Khan” by the Buryat film studio “Urga” in the villages of the Ust-Orda Autonomous Okrug. The film was supposed to somehow influence the national feelings of the Ust - Horde, as well as the results of the upcoming referendum. Predictably, filmmakers and social activists were reluctantly allowed into clubs and houses of culture, and somewhere they were simply kicked out. This was the reason for the political scandal on the eve of the referendum.
In the end, they tried to bring Radzhana Dugarova to justice, but administrative, for an unauthorized one-man picket during the Congress of Representatives of the Buryat People in the summer of 2006. However, the magistrate of the Savetsky district considered that there were no corpus delicti in Rajana's actions, and the girl had a legal right to a solitary picket without the permission of the authorities. Perhaps this was the only point that can be pulled up to the definition of “persecution for political opinions”.
Conflict of interest of Bulat Shagzhin
Even less plausible is the political emigration of the famous publisher Bulat Shagzhin. Recently, Bulat himself admitted on social networks that he left because of a “conflict of interest with the authorities.”
“People run away from Buryatia because of problems in public and political life, with crime, someone has problems in the service (this is how the Buryats are not allowed to move up, despite the best length of service, education, etc.). Not to say that I want everyone to rush here, someone has to work in the Motherland. But there are people who have no choice,” writes Shagzhin. - “We have a wonderful apartment with a swimming pool in the complex, an interesting hobby (making wooden furniture), the ocean and the Gulf of Mexico nearby, a warm climate, rich flora and fauna outside the doors of our house. And this would never have happened if it were not for dangerous circumstances. Such a shake-up helps to start the work of finding yourself anew.”
Bulat Shagzhin actively shares information on how to apply for political asylum and successfully pass an interview, talks about pitfalls and self-serving migration lawyers who charge too much. Bulat himself, in order to save money, received asylum on his own.
However, speaking about the conflicts and dangers that allegedly pursued him in his homeland, Bulat did not cite a single fact. In Buryatia, and in Russia as well, no criminal cases were opened against Bulat Shagzhin, there were no searches and interrogations. It is known that Shagzhin took part in several rallies, including in defense of philanthropist Valery Dorzhiev, who was arrested in the summer of 2014 and illegally taken to Yakutia, as well as in defense of BSU. However, Bulat was not the organizer of either the first or the second event, taking part on a general basis, when everyone could speak out. At the same time, the organizers and active participants themselves had no problems with the authorities and bodies. But, suddenly, they appeared at Bulat Shagzhin's.
In an interview with the site portal in 2015, Bulat said that he was being persecuted, that his publishing business had been beaten by financial checks, and that people in uniform were openly following him on the streets of Ulan-Ude.
The last straw, according to Shagzhin, was the pressure of the republican authorities and personally the head Vyacheslav Nagovitsyn, who allegedly banned the BNTs and BSU from cooperating with the publisher on the book “History of the Buryats”.
“Letters were sent out demanding that employees of these institutions stop working on the book and stop collaborating with the Buryaad Soyol publishing house in publishing this edition,” Shagzhin said, but, again, did not provide evidence of this.
Taken together, it was these facts that formed the basis of Shagzhin's political emigration to the United States. However, it is worth doubting whether this is the only reason. The suffering of Bulat Shagzhin looks too far-fetched and inflated against the background of the same Nizodkina and Stetsura, who were subjected to real persecution for their views, were convicted under Article 282, were in a real prison, were beaten at rallies, but returned to their homeland and continue to live in Buryatia. Maybe it's just the unprofitability of the business?
The whole world is a refuge
For those who do not see the US as their new homeland, Europe and Asia can also offer their protection. It is quite easy to get to Poland, for example, as Radzhan Dugarov. The Pole's card has many advantages and is not so difficult to issue. For the card of a Pole, you need the recommendations of the chairman of the local Polish organization or a close relationship with the Poles. It is necessary to know the Polish language at least at a basic level, to know history, culture, and traditions. The applicant for the card must pass an interview with the consul in Polish. If everything is in order with the documents and the interview, the applicant receives the documents in a month.
But if there is an opportunity not to go to Poland, it is better to choose another European country. This is explained by the fact that for migrants there are practically no conditions for living in anticipation of obtaining refugee status.
For example, you can choose the Czech Republic. Here a lot of young people from Buryatia receive higher education. From the point of view of migration, this country is almost ideal: proximity to the borders of Russia, a simple language for Russians, a low level of crime, strong human rights organizations - such a measured European country. But, as experienced people say, you won’t earn money here.
Or Germany. Various resources rate Germany as "moderately successful." This country is the leader in the number of appeals from political prisoners (anarchists, antifa, rightists, etc.) and LGBT activists.
But in terms of migration policy, European countries are overpopulated; France, Italy and Spain are facing this problem today. The situation is better in Sweden and Belgium. In the Netherlands, there are certain quotas for "humanitarian refugees" - these are residents of Syria, Somalia, Afghanistan. In the UK, you should not meddle without a consistently good income; in the country of Foggy Albion, only fugitive oligarchs have recently received asylum.
In the Baltic countries, there is a rather large internal outflow of the population. The most popular country is Lithuania, but there is no special social program and rather high unemployment and corruption. Latvia has approved a new asylum law that will regulate their rights. Estonia is less favorable for Russians.
But there is a chance to apply for asylum in South Korea. According to some information, a "Buryat contingent" of 30,000 people is permanently stationed in the Land of Morning Calm.
In addition to obtaining the refugee status itself, you need to think about integration. There are a number of countries where integration processes are very complex, and it is necessary to obtain citizenship there.
There are countries in which there is social security for a refugee during the integration period - benefits in one way or another, housing subsidies, assistance in finding employment, some rights to medical care, to study. But there are countries where there is none of this - a person receives a status and that's it. And he needs to somehow find housing, work, somehow learn the language.
In Finland, the applicant receives the usual unemployment benefit for the duration of integration, but can earn extra money, receiving an amount not exceeding the amount determined by law. If a child appears, then the integration period is extended by another three years.
Being a refugee is not easy. In most host countries, refugees are the most vulnerable and disempowered category of the population. Even the presence of a full package of documents cannot guarantee confidence in the future and the fact that one day you want to return home, but you can’t - the refugee status is immediately lost.
The culture of Buryatia is a combination of cultures of the peoples of Asia and Europe, the formation of which went in parallel with the development of foundations public life in Transbaikalia. Many tribes and peoples have made their contribution to this culture, replacing each other in this territory for thousands of years.
One of the most interesting layers of the culture of Buryatia is the culture of its indigenous people - the Buryats. A huge layer of culture belongs to Buddhism and the Buddhist tradition brought to Buryatia from Tibet and Mongolia. This layer includes Buddhist teachings, including philosophy, Tibetan medicine, astrology, Buddhist painting. On this basis, writing and printing developed in Buryatia. A great contribution to the development of relations between Buryatia and Tibet was made by the Russian artist Nicholas Roerich.
The culture of Russians in Buryatia has retained its traditional features thanks, first of all, to one of the most prominent groups of representatives of the Russian population - the Semeiskie (Old Believers). The art of the Trans-Baikal Cossacks is distinguished by its originality.
The modern layer of culture, which was developed as a result of the creation of institutions in Buryatia, whose activities were aimed at familiarizing the people with European culture, is represented by types of culture that use plots of both the past and the present of Buryatia. These are literature, opera and ballet, the art of drama, the art of cinema, the art of music, sculpture and painting, variety art, circus, and folklore.
The national art of other peoples living in Buryatia is represented by folklore ensembles of people from Korea, China, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Poland, Germany, and Ukraine. Buryatia has national cultural centers and public associations.
The most interesting examples of material culture are kept in the funds and exhibition halls of museums, samples of classical and modern art are presented in the activities of theaters, palaces and clubs, in the activities of the Buryat State Philharmonic Society.
The culture of Buryatia is in continuous development, it is enriched with new achievements, new directions and types appear in it, but at the same time it preserves the legacy of past eras. Myths and legends of Buryatia.
MAIN HOLIDAYS
Surkharban - a holiday-rite of honoring the Earth - took place in the summer and was considered the second most important holiday of the year among the Buryats. The ritual part of the holiday usually took place on the mountain, where sacrifices were made to the owners, the spirits of the area near the obo. After the prayer service in the steppe, it was the turn of games and competitions. They included archery, Buryat wrestling and horse racing. It was a truly national holiday, gathering crowds of people from all over the area.
In ancient times, targets for archery were made from a leather belt - “sur”, and the shooting competition “surkharban” became the name of the whole holiday. And not by accident. From time immemorial, bows and arrows hung in the yurt in a place of honor, no one was allowed to step over them. The arrow played an important role in the rituals of invoking fertility, happiness, and was a talisman-amulet.
Race participants competed at a distance of three to four kilometers. The owner of a race horse nursed her a month before the race. After the races, praise was given to the horse that came first.
The main celebration of the year is considered, as in the old days, Sagaalgan - the arrival of the White Moon. It is held according to the lunar calendar on the first day of the first spring month, more often in February, since 1990 it has become an official holiday in Buryatia. The cult side of the holiday takes place in datsans. On the 30th day of the last winter month, the “Dugzhuba” rite is performed with the burning of “Sora”, which symbolizes the destruction of everything negative with the outgoing year and the arrival of prosperity in the coming year. During the night and until the dawn of the first day of the new year, magtaals (praise) are read in the datsans to the protector of the Teaching, the goddess Baldan Lkhamo. Then when New Year comes into force, within 15 days prayers dedicated to the miracles of the Buddha are read.
In the national and everyday plan, preparation for the meeting of the New begins long before its onset - with the preparation national dishes, putting things in order and cleanliness in the house, acquiring updates and numerous gifts for all relatives and friends. On the first day of the new year, children, if they live separately, always come with congratulations and gifts to their parents or elders. Showing respect for elders is one of the main meanings of the Sagaalgan holiday.
Of course, it begins with the offering of a white hadak and white food - milk, cottage cheese, dried foam, rice porridge. “A month before the holiday, even earlier, preparations for it begin: they talk about the fun that awaits everyone, sew new clothes, stock up on wines, prepare gifts, and so on; but the use of khadak is especially remarkable,” wrote Dorji Banzarov in 1846.
The hadak is brought up like this: the younger one approaches the elder with it, holding outstretched hands on the palms, and puts it on the wrist, the elder puts the hadak on right hand the younger and connects his hands with him from the elbows to the hands.
Since 2008, the republic has launched an interregional tourist project "Fairytale Sagaalgan in Buryatia". To congratulate the inhabitants and guests of the republic with Sagaalgan, winter fairy-tale characters arrive from different parts of Russia. In Buryatia, where guests are greeted by Sagaan Ubgen (White Elder) and Evenki Mother Winter, have already been: Russian Father Frost from Veliky Ustyug, Kostroma Snegurochka, Lord of the Cold Chyskhan from Yakutia, Yamal Iri from Yamal. The project primarily has a social orientation. Guests congratulate children from orphanages and shelters on the holiday. And of course, meeting with such guests is a joyful memory.
MUSIC OF BURYATIA
Buryat music is represented both by performers from the Russian Federation (Republic of Buryatia, Aginsky and Ust-Ordynsky Buryat districts), and performers of Buryat origin from Mongolia and China.
Folk musical creativity of the Buryats is represented by numerous genres: epic tales (uliger), lyrical ritual, dance songs (the round dance yokhor is especially popular) and other genres. The fret basis is the anhemitonic pentatonic scale. The songwriting of the Baikal Buryats (Irkutsk region) is dominated by incomplete pentatonic, consisting of 3 and 4 sounds.
Eastern Buryat songs are characterized by a wide range, melodiousness, wide interval moves, and a full 5-step scale. In Western Buryat songs (segee zugaa) narrow-volume modes (angemitonics), variant-singing structure predominate, they are distinguished by whimsical rhythms, an abundance of ornamentation. Songs: ritual, historical, lyrical, laudatory, etc.
The folk tradition of singing the Eastern Buryats knows almost no dynamic nuances. Usually songs are sung "at the top of their voice", with a wide breath, with a strong open sound. This feature, apparently, is explained by the fact that from time immemorial Buryat vocal music-making took place in the open air in the steppe.
Such a lingering song is a product of a cattle-breeding shepherd tribe. The creators of the lingering song are shepherds grazing herds in the steppe.
The first records of the Buryat folk songs were collected and published by I. G. Gmelin (1852), then by I. S. Stahlbrass and K. Stumpf (1887), A. D. Rudnev (1909).
Namgar Collective
Among folk instruments, one can note such instruments as: wind instruments - limbe (a type of flute), beshkhүүr (bishkhur) (reed), aman khuur (vargan), stringed - morin-khuur and khuchir (bowed), chanza (shanza) and yataga (plucked ), as well as numerous percussion instruments.
In shamanic and Buddhist cults, khengereg, san, damaari, dynchik (percussion), үher-buree, ganlin, beshүүr (wind) and other instruments were used.
Lupsuntsyren and Atserzhab Zhambalovs are famous musical instrument makers.
LITERATURE OF BURYATIA
The Buryats have an important written heritage. These are primarily Buryat chronicles, including the history and traditions of the Buryats. The Buryats are the only people of Siberia that have their own historical written monuments.
The traditional literature of the Buryats included a number of semi-Buddhist, semi-shamanic works containing the stories of famous shamans and the rules for venerating shamanic deities.
The bulk of Buryat literature consisted of translated works of the Buddhist tradition. These were primarily translations from Tibetan into Mongolian of Buddhist sacred books, treatises on philosophy, medicine, etc., and Danjur, an encyclopedia of more than 200 volumes. The main centers of literary activity were monasteries-datsans, which included scientists-translators. Many of the datsans were equipped with libraries and printing houses, where books were printed by woodcuts.
The first theatrical play in the Buryat language is the play "Ukhyl" (Death), written in 1908 in Irkutsk by seminarian D. A. Abasheev. Before the revolution of 1917, plays by authors appeared: I. V. Barlukov, G. V. Bazaron, S. P. Baldaev. In total, before the October Revolution of 1917, the Buryats had 5 or 6 manuscript plays. Some of them were installed illegally. The main themes of early plays: noyonat, shamanism, lamaism.
After the revolution, the formation of the Buryat literary language began on the basis of the Latin alphabet, and then the Cyrillic alphabet and the Khori dialect. This meant a break with the previous literary tradition. At the same time, the development of European literary forms and mass secular education in Russian and Buryat languages went on.
In 1922, the first collection of poems by Solbone Tuya (P. N. Dambinova) “Color Steppe” was published. The first Buryat novels were written by Ts. Don (Ts. D. Dondubon): "The Moon in Eclipse" (1932), "Poisoning from cheese" (1935).
The first literary almanac in the Buryat language Uran-Ugun-Chimek was published in February 1927.
In the late 1930s, Buryat writers began to write books for children and folk tales. This is first of all literary tales B. D. Abidueva: "The Tale of the Baban the Goat", "Riding the Tiger", "Shalay and Shanai", "Cat Bator", "The Bat", "The Brave Baban the Goat". Following him, fairy tales by A. I. Shadayev and others begin to appear.
In 1949, the first Buryat novel, The Steppe Woke Up, by Zh. T. Tumunov, was published in Ulan-Ude. It was followed by the novels of X. Namsaraev "At the morning dawn" (1950), Ch. Tsydendambaev "Dorzhi, the son of Banzar" (1952), "Far from the native steppes" (1956). Zh. T. Tumunov in 1954 wrote his second novel, Golden Rain.
B.D. Abiduev H. Namsaraev
MUSEUMS OF BURYATIA
In Buryatia there are: 5 state, 19 municipal, more than a hundred settlement and school museums.
Museum of the history of the city of Ulan-Ude was established in 1990, and in 2001 the museum settled in a monument of architecture and urban planning, the house of a merchant, hereditary honorary citizen I.F. Goldobin in the historical part of the city at st. Lenina, 26. The Goldobin family took care of educational institutions and parochial schools, invested a lot of money in the maintenance of a shelter for prisoners' children. In 1891, the house was determined to receive Tsarevich Nikolai when he attended the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Transbaikal Cossack Host.
The museum displays expositions related to the history of Ulan-Ude: "Verkhneudinskaya Fair", "Family Life and Architecture of Verkhneudinsk", "Nostalgia", which presents antiquities of the 20th century; an exposition dedicated to the outstanding personality of XII Pandito Khambo Lame Dasha Dorji Itigelov. There is also a creative workshop for adults and children. And it helps to present the city and the townspeople of the 17th-20th centuries with the exhibition “The Citymen were” in a free presentation by the artist S.S. Yemelyanov.
National Museum of the Republic of Buryatia- a repository of cultural, historical treasures of the peoples of Buryatia. The museum consists of two largest museums of Buryatia: the Museum of the History of Buryatia named after. M.N. Khangalov and the Republican Art Museum. Ts.S. Sampilova.
History Museum- one of the largest museums in Siberia (founded in 1923). The ancestors of the peoples of Buryatia left an invaluable memory of the material culture of the region, the ancient civilizations of the Huns, Turkic-speaking and Mongol-speaking steppe nomads - evidence of the distant and recent past, the inseparable connection of times and peoples.
The museum's collections include unique vessels from the Ivolginsky Hun settlement, jewelry made of precious and semi-precious stones, beautiful products of the craftsmen of the ancient region, and many archaeological finds. The museum has items of clothing and paraphernalia of the shamanic cult. The rarities of the culture of Central Asia are stored here - the Atlas of Tibetan Medicine, Buddhist canonical treatises, a collection of Buddhist literature with philosophical and ritual writings on ethics and morality, medicine, poetic works of Indian, Tibetan, Mongolian and Buryat authors. A unique exhibit, the pride of the museum is the "Guarded Bible" (1580), published by the first printer Ivan Fedorov. The museum's ethnographic collection includes coral, turquoise, jade women's jewelry, and silver men's jewelry.
The collection exhibition "Buddhist Art" is the "golden fund" of the museum, here are sculptures and paintings by masters of Buryatia, China, India, Tibet, Japan; a collection of Buddhist wooden sculptures by the artist and monk Sanzhi-Tsybik Tsybikov.
Collections Art Museum- this is painting, graphics, sculpture, arts and crafts and jewelry. Permanent exhibitions: « Russian art XVIII–XX centuries”, “Buryat fine arts of the 20-50s”, “Decorative and applied art of Buryatia” (wood carving, bones, containers and tapestries), “The soul of the people in the jubilant song of silver” (unique silver products of Buryat masters of the last XX century), “Faces of the Geseriada” (works by artists of Buryatia dedicated to the Buryat epic “Geser”). Undoubtedly, the fine arts of Buryatia make a vivid impression. These are the works of Dashi Namdakov, Zhamso Radnaev, Alla Tsybikova, Zorikto Dorzhiev.
Artists not only reconstruct the picture of the nomadic world, but, really experiencing it, embody the universe of the nomadic civilization on canvas. The modern exposition of the museum opens with decorative and applied art of Buryatia. Many of their species have long become a national brand.
Museum of Nature of Buryatia- not only a repository of cultural values, natural science collections, but also a center for environmental education.
The exposition is located in five halls: exhibition, natural history, geology and minerals, landscapes of Buryatia.
The expositions include the remains of a woolly rhinoceros, a bison, a mammoth, confirming the theory of the evolution of life on Earth; the most interesting of the minerals of the republic, which geologists call the "Ancient Crown of Asia" are shown (precious semi-precious stones, jade of different shades are highlighted); the Red Book of Buryatia is shown (among the Red Book species, the bustard is the largest bird in Russia); landscapes of altitudinal zonation, natural protected areas are shown.
A special place in the exposition is given to Lake Baikal. The shape of the basin, the relief of the bottom are clearly visible on the model of the lake; Baikal endemics are also shown: the seal is the only mammal of the lake, the golomyanka is a deep-sea, viviparous and the most numerous fish of Baikal.
On the ancient land of Buryatia, tribes and peoples succeeded each other for centuries and millennia, and all of them left behind many monuments - dwellings and burial places, settlements and fortresses, defensive ramparts and places of worship, household items, crafts, combat and hunting equipment. The most expressive part of these monuments is collected in a unique open-air museum - Ethnographic Museum of the Peoples of Transbaikalia.
It is located in nature, in the picturesque valley of Verkhnyaya Berezovka, and consists of several zones-complexes, chronologically and ethnographically replacing each other. This is an archaeological complex (ancient tribes), the Evenk complex, the Buryat Transbaikal and the Buryat Cis-Baikal (there are household, household, and religious differences), Russian old-timer and old believer (locally - "semeisky", there are also differences in everyday life, economic, and religious), trade and craft, urban (Verkhneudinsk), wildlife zone.
THEATERS OF BURYATIA
Buryat State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre. G. Tsydynzhapova(architect A.N. Fedorov) was designed in the 30s as the Palace of Socialist Culture; it was built in 1952. The building is recognized as an architectural monument. Style - Stalin's Empire style with national decorative elements. Individual elements of datsan architecture were used in the decoration: chandeliers, sconces, colored stained-glass windows, ceiling, high relief inside and outside, national ornament, turrets. Above the central portal of the theater there is an artistic composition: horsemen with a banner on rearing horses. This is the work of AI Timin, the author of many sculptural compositions on the streets of the city.
State Russian Drama Theatre. N.A. Bestuzheva- the first professional theater in Buryatia. The theater repeatedly changed its address, but finally found a permanent place of residence. In 2007, the construction of a new theater building began, and in 2009 it already received its first spectators. The theater puts on plays of Soviet, Russian classical drama, world classics.
Republican puppet theater "Ulger" was founded in 1967. The theater puts on performances in Russian and Buryat languages, introducing young viewers to their roots and instilling love for their native Buryat language. His performances have already become laureates of the Golden Mask International Festival four times.
Buryat State Academic Drama Theatre. H.N. Namsaraeva- the oldest theater in Buryatia. In 1959 the theater was named after the writer Hots Namsaraev. In 2012 the theater turns 80 years old. The theater puts on its performances in the Buryat and Russian languages.
State Theater of Song and Dance "Baikal" shows the beauty and originality of ancient songs and dances, costumes and ornaments, preserving folklore in its original form and at the same time creating new forms and means of artistic expression. Demonstrates the development of the traditions of folklore and modern variety art.
