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Kalmyk: history that can dissapear

Author: Danila Emelyanov, blogger Baye

08.12.2025

Tags: #kalmyk #europe

Introduction

Hello there! Today we will talk about the Kalmyk language, which is spoken in Republic of Kalmykia, Russia. Meet blogger Baye, who helped me with today’s article. I interviewed her, so let’s begin!

Interviewing Baye

Could you briefly introduce yourself?

My name is Bayrta, I am a year 4 student of university. I was born and grew up in Elista, Republic of Kalmykia, but upon graduation I’ve moved to Moscow, because I got accepted into university. Currently I’m a university graduate and I make ASMR videos on YouTube as my hobby. Mainly my channel is about informative lectures. I like learning elements of different cultures and people and dedicate them my videos, but I love recording videos about our Kalmyk culture. I pay special attention to it, due to the fact that I’m not really aware of different subtleties, so I’m interested in diving into my culture.

How many people speak Kalmyk now?

Previously, in the first half of the XX century, there were not a lot of literate kalmyks who could speak and write Russian fluently, as the majority of population spoke Kalmyk. The negative effect had one historical event. During the WWII (December 28th 1943) Kalmyk people (and many others) were persecuted and excluded to Siberia. This event led to the language shift towards Russian. Kalmyks had to switch to Russian as they lived among other Russian-speaking people, so they had to do this because their life depended on it. After the war Kalmyks were allowed to come back, but the language wasn’t that widespread. Soviet times, as you see. At the moment, Kalmyk is spoken by not many people. Mainly older generations and people of particular areas in Kalmykia. To explain the point, I’m going to provide an example - generation of my grandmothers and grandfathers (60-80 years) understands and speaks it fluently, whereas generation of my parents (40-60 years) understands it, but it’s tough for them to converse in it. My generation neither understands nor speaks it. That’s sad, but that’s true.

What people think of you supporting the Kalmyk language?

I receive the positive feedback and a huge support from my compatriots and not only. People often show their gratitude in the commentaries section of my videos, because I popularize my culture and my language in particular. I’m surprised that besides my compatriots other representees of ethnicities find interesting my videos. I couldn’t even think that my videos would be interesting for not Kalmyks.

Does the modern Kalmyk language have dialects?

Yes, the Kalmyks have about 3-4 dialects, which are determined by geographic location. There are several tribal groups of the Kalmyk people: the Dorvyuds, Torguds, Khoshuts, and Buzavas. They live in different parts of Kalmykia, which is why the language varies slightly. More precisely, the pronunciation of the same words changes. I think intonation and pronunciation are largely influenced by territorial differences. For example, the Torguds, who live closer to the Caspian Sea, that is, near the water, have a distinctive intonation—they speak more singsong-like, their speech like the flow of water and soft. But the Dorvyuds, in my observations, speak more abruptly and abruptly, clearly pronouncing all consonants. Unfortunately, I can’t comment on the peculiarities of the Khoshuts and Buzavas. Dialects exist, each of them is unique, and this has its own charm.

How would you describe the current situation of the Kalmyk language?

It’s lamentable, to be honest. Now it is literally our last chance to prevent it from disappearing completely. Our grandparents are the last generation of native speakers who preserved true knowledge of the language and while they’re alive, we must use this opportunity to revive it.

How did you first become interested in Kalmyk?

Initially my subscribers asked me to tell them more about myself and my culture, so I made a video about Republic of Kalmykia in general, not just the Kalmyk language. It started getting a lot of views, and in the comments, more and more people supported my idea to make a separate video in which I would teach my viewers the Kalmyk language in ASMR format. So I started preparing, called my grandmother for advice to avoid any mistakes and we wrote a script for the video together, after which I recorded it. The video is now on my channel and many subscribers are eager for more. So, speaking of the blog, my interest in popularizing the Kalmyk language was caused by my viewers.

What inspired you to support the language?

First and foremost, I was inspired by the interest of my audience, as I already mentioned. But I also had a personal interest, of course. I thought that since I have the opportunity to communicate with so many people and bring useful information to the masses, why not address such a pressing issue in my videos? It was something I cared about, and I wanted to make my own contribution, albeit small, to the development of the Kalmyk language.

What difficulties may appear when learning Kalmyk?

The biggest problem for anyone wanting to learn Kalmyk is the lack of an environment where they can practice it. If someone were to move to England, they would, at best, be forced to speak English, but in Kalmykia, this is impossible, as in everyday life, you’d have to find someone who not only understands you but also engages in conversation. Nowadays, even grandparents are forced to speak mostly Russian, as, for example, young workers in stores don’t understand them. Furthermore, there aren’t many Kalmyk teachers with a pedagogical education. They exist, but they’re few and that’s another problem, in my opinion.

What does speaking Kalmyk mean to you personally?

Speaking Kalmyk for me is maintaining a connection with the ancestors whose blood flows through me. Every word, every phrase, carries the unique code of my culture. Although I don’t speak Kalmyk fluently, when I use everyday expressions, proverbs, and phrases in Kalmyk, I think and feel differently, and I feel a deeper sense of belonging. Every time I say hello and goodbye, thank you in Kalmyk, or sing Kalmyk songs, I do a small but important thing - I keep it alive.

How do you support the Kalmyk language?

Actually, I’d like to support it more. For now, the simplest thing I do, and something anyone can do, is use everyday phrases every day: say hello, goodbye, thank you, declare your love, ask for help, joke in Kalmyk. Follow people on social media who promote the Kalmyk language and repost their posts so as many people as possible learn about these accounts and public pages. Watch lectures on the Kalmyk language (for example, on the VKontakte community “Radio Bumba”). For my part (as someone with a decent following), I try to popularize my culture through my blog. While it’s not a huge contribution, it’s still better than nothing.

Which of your projects are you most proud of?

I’m proud of my videos about the Republic of Kalmykia, the Kalmyk language, and Buddhism. The statistics confirm that it’s not in vain! These videos have received the most views on my channel.

Is Kalmyk used online?

I know there’s an online version of the newspaper “Хальмг Yнн” which is published in Kalmyk. Also, ordinary internet users communicate in Kalmyk on social media. Again, this is primarily the older generation, so I think Kalmyk is more prevalent on Odnoklassniki, VKontakte, and WhatsApp.

Do you collaborate with other activists?

Not yet. I know their names and follow them on social media, but that’s all. Perhaps I’ll get around to it in the future.

How do you see the future of the Kalmyk language in 10-20 years?

It’s hard to say… I don’t want to think it will disappear, but I do want to believe that it will still exist, that more members of the current younger generation will recognize the scale of the problem, begin to popularize and study the Kalmyk language, and pass on all the information to their children. But if this doesn’t happen… then we will simply lose our last chance to save it, and the language will go extinct. For Kalmyks, as a small people without their own state outside of Russia, language is one of the main pillars of identity. When a language dies, the risk of complete assimilation becomes critical. So now there is a struggle for language, a struggle for the right of the Kalmyk people to their own voice and a unique way of being in the world.

Can schools help preserve the language?

Yes, I think they can. I think the language teaching methods need to be slightly adjusted. Our schools currently devote very few hours to native language lessons. I’d like to see more. It would be great if they started opening national schools so that everything would be taught in the native language from the earliest grades. But I can’t say for sure what problems might arise during implementation (and they most likely will). And, recalling my school years, I’d like to say that too much attention is paid to spelling and theory with almost no practice, and very little regular conversational moments. Although, in my opinion, these are initially more important.

I think it has become more popular over the past 10 years. I’m increasingly seeing zetlanders finding the Kalmyk language interesting, launching projects to study it, trying to support it and attending events dedicated to their native language. This is certainly encouraging and I’d like to see more young people join in and make the language more popular.

What would you say to people who want to participate in preserving their language?

I think it’s important to start with yourself first. Try to immerse yourself in the Kalmyk language, then maybe gradually introduce it into your daily life, start speaking with family, friends, and loved ones. And introduce it to children properly, not as a foreign language to be learned simply because you have to. Instead, introduce it as part of your routine, part of life, something easy and simple, something you truly enjoy.

Do you have a favorite word or expression in Kalmyk? What does it mean?

Yes, my favorite phrases are “байрта харhджай/харhий” which means “see you soon” “байрджанав” - “thank you” and “би чамд дуртав” - “I love you.”

How do you feel when you hear Kalmyk?

I have mixed feelings. On the one hand, it’s a bit awkward because I often don’t understand what’s being said. On the other hand, even if I don’t understand, sometimes I still get a warm feeling (and even a pleasant shiver). It’s surprising, but it’s a purely physical, instinctive reaction. I don’t understand the language, but something inside me just shivers.

By the way, I just returned from the theater and immediately sat down to write this. Today’s performance was dedicated to the poet Dzhangar Nasunov, who was born in Siberia and therefore wrote in Russian, as he didn’t speak his native language. Many in his life told him that if he wanted to write about Kalmykia, he should do so in Kalmyk. But he didn’t know it, so all his poems about his love for his homeland are saturated with pain, as he could only express his feelings in a foreign language. The performance was great. Each poem touched my heart, brought a lump to my throat, and brought tears to my eyes. I understand his pain, and thanks to his work, I am healed, because I feel myself in it.

What advice would you give to those who want to support their regional language but don’t know where to start?

I would recommend watching Kalmyk language lessons from Radio Bumba. It would also be great to reach out to your grandparents and practice with them every day. The main thing to remember is that language learning doesn’t happen overnight. It’s important to stay motivated, take it slow, but keep going every day, and never stop. Everything will work out; the most important (and most difficult) thing is to just start.

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I hope you liked today’s article. I would like to express huge gratitude to Bayrta that she agreed to participate.

Pay attention to your regional languages and take care of yourself. See you!

Article is also available in:

Русский