Buzava

Anatoliy tells a story about the origin of the Baga Derbet and Iki Derbet clans. He also contends that Amursana (a Kalmyk nobility) gathered various Kalmyk groups and resettled them in the land of the Derbets which had good soil and rich vegetation. Anatoliy also recounts the names of several families of the Buzava clan. In the past, many Buzavas were livestock breeders.

The surname of Fedorov is known among practically all Kalmyk clans, including the Torghut, the Buzava and the Derbet. The Fedorovs  of the Derbet clan live in the villages of Troitskoe and Bol'shoi Tsaryn; those of the Buzava live in Elista, and those among the Torghut in Yashkul', Elista and Lagan'.

In the 1840s lived a Kalmyk man called Erenzhen Dambinov whose children died one after another. When his fourth child died, Erenzhen Dambinov was advised to go and see a monk. After a ritual performed by that monk, Erenzhen's wife gave birth to a boy who was named after a Cossack man called Fedor who had many children. The Kalmyk boy, Fedor Rentsenov, grew up into a good Cossack too. He participated in the Russo-Ottoman war in 1877-1878 and in the Napoleonic war of 1812. He had two sons, Bembya and Ulyumzha, who both adopted the surname of Fedorov and lived in the Chonosovsky aimak.

In the video Bembya shows the genealogical tree of his family. He also shows a picture of one of his ancestors, Ulan Aduchinov, who was the last abbot of the Chonosovsky temple and who was repressed in 1929.

Garya: From what I heard from knowledgeable people and read from newspaper articles, the Kalmyks consisted of the Torghuts and the Derbets. In the beginning, there were no Buzavas. I traveled many times to the land of the Buzavas and talked to them. People argue with each other and make various jokes about the Buzavas. One old man said to me: ‘The Buzavas did not exist as a tribe. Only the Torghuts and the Derbets existed’. How did the Buzavas come about? In the past, the Kalmyks lived poorly and traveled in search of work. So, a couple of families went to Rostov oblast where they found employment with wealthy Russians. Later these Kalmyks called their relatives to join them. The number of Kalmyk families went up. The Russians said to them: ‘You have already settled here. If you want to stay, live according to our traditions.’ ‘To live according to our traditions’ meant that the Kalmyks had to get baptized. The Kalmyk word ‘bu zuukh’ means ‘to wear a cross’ (the word buzava derives from bu zuukh). (After the Russian ultimatum) what did the Kalmyks do? They consulted with each other: ‘What is to be done? The Russians told us to live according to their traditions. They also told us to bring more Kalmyks’. The Kalmyks who were baptized came to be known as Buzava. That is what I heard from some people. Others say that this word derives from the river Buza where some Kalmyks lived. 

The Torghuts live in places such as Yustinskiy rayon, Erdnievskiy, Lagan’ and Komsomol’sk. The Derbets live in Maloderbetovskiy rayon and further. The Derbets consist of Bag Derbet and Ik Derbet. Here is a story about them: ‘Once upon a time there lived two brothers who traded livestock and grains. Over time as their trade expanded their land became too small for them. They went to see their uncle, who said to them: “You cannot carry on living like this, quarrelling with each other. Therefore, you should live separately”. Their uncle called a meeting and divided the property between the two brothers. Bag Derbet remained in his place, while Ik Derbet moved in the direction of Yashaltinskiy and Gorodovikovskiy rayon. 

Tsagan: What do you know about the Khoshuds?

Garya: The Khoshuds are the same as the Torghuts. They divided into two. The Khoshuds live in Sarpa. The Torghuts live further in Ulan Khol.

Ivan talks about two versions of the etymology of the ethnonym Buzava. This is his story:

I am already 80. I like to read books, talk to people and ask questions from the elders. You cannot find anything written about the Buzavas. Buzava is a nick name. The Buzavas are the same as the Torghuts and the Derbets. They lived with Russians and received education. The Kalmyks are warrior people. In the beginning, the Kalmyks were employed as door keepers, but later were taken into the cavalry. In the past, the Kalmyks wore long coats. The Buzavas are referred to as ogtr Buzava (i.e. Buzava with a short coat). Why is this so? Because it was not comfortable for cavalrymen to wear long coats. They cut their coats, and hence their nick name - ogtr Buzava. Buzava derives from the Kalmyk word bu meaning a ‘rifle’. Buzava means ‘a rifle carrier’. We, the rest of the Kalmyks, did not see rifles, but when we saw rifles the first time we called those Kalmyks ‘bu zaakh’ that is ‘those who carry rifles’. Some people say that there was a river called Buzava from where the Buzavas derive their ethnonym. I personally think that the version with rifles is more believable.

Ksenia talks about the formation of otok (clans) among the Kalmyks. 

Ksenia: In the past, there were only Torghuts and Derbets. The Buzavas did not exist. Once there was a big war. The Derbets had to decide whom between two brothers to choose as their military leader. When they chose the younger brother, the older one made a row. The Buzava derives from the Russian word buzit’ meaning ‘to make a row’. Furious, the older brother said that he and his people would live between the Kalmyks and the Russians. He left the Kalmyks and became baptized. All Buzavas are baptized, as you know.

Tsagan: What a history!

Ksenia: Yes. In the past, families had many children. Inheritance was divided among them. Various otok (settlements or clans) came about in the following way. Every person has a personal spirit-protector (burkhn). Today some people say: ‘I see there is a spirit-protector walking around you. You need to accept it’. No spirit protector comes to people like this, because all people already have one inside themselves. Those who say otherwise are liars. Such people perform various rituals of accepting spirit-protectors, but after such rituals their clients become sick, go crazy, or do bad things. Every person has a spirit-protector. Those people who have Buddha Shakyamuni as their protector form a separate otok (clan). Buddha Shakyamuni is the protector of their otok (clan). There is a clan called Daida Bagud. Their protector is Makhakala. The Kalmyks are divided among themselves according to otok (clans) affiliation each of which has its protector.

It happened many years ago. A Russian orphan boy showed up at the Ik Temple. Nobody knew where he was from. He stayed at the temple, worked there and ate their food. The lamas gave him a name khar kovun meaning ‘a lay boy’. He grew up and married a Kalmyk girl. They had seven sons. The lamas said to him: ‘Let your clan be named kharikhn (i.e. foreigners).’ Today there are many people in the Kharikhn clan. 

In Lagan one old man took his relatives with him, settled on a hill, and called themselves Bukhtimkh. The Bukhtimkh clan has such an origin. When Kalmyks meet they enquire about each other’s clan affiliation. People should pray to their clan’s protectors.

In the past the Kalmyks participated in many wars and conquests waged by Russia. During such military campaigns, the Kalmyks often reached the lands of the Cossacks with whom they developed friendly relationships. Among the Torghut nobility were those who were left without inheritance. Dugar and Bok were two such noblemen. They took their subjects and went to the Crimean Khan but later joined the Cossaks. There were also many Kalmyks who switched sides on their own. The Buzava were formed from these Kalmyks. After the collapse of the Dzungar Khanate, some Zungars also joined the Cossacks. The ancestors of Sanj were among them.

In the past Buzava settlements were called aimak. Being a part of the Cossack military units, the Buzavas were soldiers. Sanj's grandfather, for example, fought in the 1905 Russo-Japanese war. For military service the Buzavas were given land which they often leased to Russian peasants.

The Christianization among the Kalmyks was not successful. Even those who were baptized, did not know their Christian names. It should be noted that the Buzavas of Don had a very strong Buddhist tradition which made it difficult for the Buzavas to convert geniunely to other religions.

Sanj talks about the ethnonym buzava. There are several theories. According to one, buzava originates from the word baz 'cattle yard'. According to another, it comes from the words bu zav '(those who) showed rifles', which alludes to their military occupation.

Some Kalmyk scholars contend that Buzava have their own dialect. The Kalmyks who emigrated to Europe and the USA are mainly Buzava Kalmyks.

In the past the Khoyts comprised a separate aimak. In Kalmykia, the Khoyts can be found among the Derbet, Buzava and Torghut. Khoyts also live in Astrakhan oblast'.

The ancestors of Sanj were Buzava. They came to Kalmykia from Kok Nur (today the territory of China). Before they were defeated by the Manchus, the Kok Nur Khoyts were part of Dzungar Khanate. After the defeat, the Khoyts migrated westward and came to Volga under the leadership of Sheryan. Sanj knows well about his ancestors on his paternal side. His knowldege of his maternal ancestors is partial.

The Buzava consists of many sub-clans, including the Erkten, Chonos and so on. The Buzavas are those who went to Don and joined the Cossacks. Despite living among Christian Cossacks, the Buzavas kept Buddhist altars in their homes and wore Buddhist amulets.  Although Ubush's grandfather wore a cross around his neck, he did not go to the church.

The ethnonym buzava comes from the words bu zav '(those who) showed a Buddhist amulet'. Bu is a talisman that was given to Kalmyks who went to Don. Bu also served as a sign that the Kalmyk who wore it had not commited crimes and was therefore trustworthy. There is another explanation too. Bu in Kalmyk also means 'a rifle'. Hence bu zav can be understood as '(those who) showed rifles'. The Don Kalmyks were different from the Cossacks and Russians because they always wanted to improve and educate themselves. The Buzava were loyal to the tsarist power.

The Buzavas, however, did not see themselves as different from other Kalmyk groups. Buzavas, who knew Russian, helped other Kalmyks who did not speak Russian. For example, they helped to sell livestock to Russians.

The Zungars are the last among the Kalmyk groups to arrive in the Volga region in the 1740s. Some of them settled in Chilgir and others went further to join the Cossaks in Don. There were about 40,000 of them. In 1771 many Zungars returned to Dzungaria with Ubashi Khan.

In Russia during the Civil War following the Bolshevik Revoluton in 1917, the Zungars fought on the side of the tsarists. Many of them were either killed or emigrated to Europe. In Ubush's family only his grandfather remained in Kalmykia. Ubush does not know about the fate of others in his family.