Oral sources are the most important source of study of the history of the Kazakh people and those that preceded them and other peoples of the Great Steppe Belt. Oral sources include epic poems, historical legends and legends, rhapsody, proverbs and sayings, other genres of oral folklore. They provide extensive information about the history of Kazakh and other steppe peoples, contain assessments of a certain event, their participants. The article attempts to analyze and interpret the myth-historical texts of the oral tradition of Kazakhs and other peoples of Central Asia, where the central figure is Dombauyl-mergen.

The article analyzes the views of the famous Kazakh historian Zh.O. Artykbaev on the problems of preserving and studying the historical and cultural heritage of the Kalmyks. In the works of the scientist, special attention is paid to archaeological monuments, Buddhist monasteries, memorial sites, cultural and natural landscapes associated with the ethnic history of the Kalmyks and Oirats, military events, and the life of prominent historical figures. The task is to develop systematically an integral concept for the preservation, actualization and scientific study of historical and cultural heritage as a new interdisciplinary field of knowledge at the intercountry, all-Russian, regional and local levels, taking into account the accumulated domestic and foreign experience, the optimal model of informatization of heritage, the use of environmental monitoring tools to modern the state of objects of historical and cultural heritage and unique territories. The national historical and cultural heritage of the Kalmyk people is the code of its self-identification. The essence of national self-identification is seen in the unity of inheritance and actualization of cultural knowledge and values accumulated by past generations. Today, more than ever, it is important to understand and realize the need to preserve knowledge about their cultural and historical past. The historical and cultural heritage of the nomadic civilizations of Central Asia, which includes a vast complex of old-written monuments, places of worship, archaeological artifacts and other various items of material culture, has a huge information potential and allows you to get to know the spiritual culture of nomads more deeply.

The article explores the relationship between the development of settlements and their potentially accessible natural resources. Particular emphasis is placed on soil quality as the basis of agricultural practices. Key attention is paid to the study of the Kalmyk steppe between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea in the early Middle Ages, when the first urban settlements appeared in the region. As a comparative material, we used the results of a study of the current state of soils and recent soil degradation processes and the condition of ancient soils, which were stored, for example, in graves (mounds), bollards, or in archaeological conditions.

The article is devoted to the analysis of relations between the population of Ancient Rus and nomads (Pechenegs, Torks, Polovzy) in the Xth – first third of the XIIth centuries. The relevance of this topic is due to the fact that for a long time in in historiography the attitude towards the history of nomadic societies, which were classified as non-historical, prevailed. Hence, the multilateral nature of contacts between sedentary and steppe peoples often was reduced to a description of the predominantly military aspect of these relations. In pre-revolutionary works, it was traditional to contrast the nomads, as barbaric, uncivilized peoples, with the agricultural population, who, according to some researchers, had a higher level of development and culture. At the present stage, historians, archaeologists, ethnologists, etc. are engaged in the study of nomads, an interdisciplinary approach is postulated. The article emphasizes that contacts between the nomadic and sedentary population of Ancient Rus were not limited to military confrontation, but were completed by peaceful forms of cooperation and interaction, which affected both the historical development of nomadic peoples and the formation of Old Russian State. The rivalry for political supremacy in Ancient Rus largely determined the originality of contacts between nomadic and agricultural peoples. Military alliances were supported by peace treaties, accompanied by the conclusion of marriage alliances, which later becomes a frequent event. The contact persons were practically all social strata (the highest aristocracy, the military, merchants, religious missionaries). More active interaction was observed in those regions where nomads and farmers lived mixed.

In the context of the transition of the Russian autocracy to absolutism, Kalmyk Khanate was introduced into the unified system of Russia in the first quarter of the 18th century, and changes in its legal status are gradually being made. As a result of the reforms carried out in the first half of the 18th century, Kalmyk Khanate lost its political status of autonomy and acquired the features of administrative autonomy, the legal status of its ruler changed in relations with the emperor to direct servants. After the migration of a large part of the Kalmyks to the province of Xinjiang of China, the remaining ulus were introduced into the Astrakhan province on the rights of the county and subordinated to its administration. As a result of administrative and political reforms in the early 19th century Kalmykia was elevated to the status of an internal region with elements of the subject of the state within the Astrakhan province led by the governor, then the chief usher appointed by the emperor. These reforms corresponded to both the national interests and, to a certain extent, the interests of the Kalmyk people.

The relevance of the study is dictated by the increased interest in regional history and the role of bureaucracy in the process of integrating national suburbs into the general imperial space. The purpose of this article is to study the process of construction of stationary buildings for Government officials who represented the imperial power on the territory of nomadic foreigners of the Stavropol province in the second half of the XIX century. On the basis of the analysis of documentary materials from the funds of the National Archive of the Republic of Kalmykia and the State Archive of the Stavropol Territory, by using methods of statistical analysis and historical reconstruction, the legislative regulation of the conditions of stay of bailiffs and trustees in the territory entrusted to them, as well as the process of construction of stationary buildings for Government officials who represented the imperial power in the territory of nomadic foreigners of the Stavropol province and their significance in the life of the nomadic population of the second half of the XIX century are considered. The author pays special attention to the aspect of financing the construction of stationary buildings, as a result, comes to the conclusion that large sums were spent on the construction of these public buildings, from the funds of public capital, which placed a heavy burden on the foreign population. Using their official position, the officials of the foreign departments deliberately inflated the amounts for construction work and the maintenance of the rates, while these funds, according to imperial law, were primarily intended to be directed to improving the quality of life of nomads and introducing them to a sedentary lifestyle. Despite some negative aspects, the rates represented the concentration of socio-economic and cultural life of the steppe, where settled settlements appeared, not only immigrants, but also representatives of the autochthonous population.

Arch literature of Kalmyk historians, published in the 2000s, highlighting the problem of nomadic Kalmyk society. The author, exploring a large array of scientific works on this issue, focuses on the most visible works of national researchers on the nomadic Kalmyk society in modern and recent times. The study reveals their main positions, assessments and interpretations of the specifics and level of socio-historical development of nomads, the formation and establishment of Kalmyk statehood in the Asian and Russian periods of history, the complex process of including nomadic Kalmyks in the all-Russian political, legal and economic space, in general Russian-Kalmyk relations over a long historical time and other issues of Kalmyk history in the nomadic period. Based on a comparison of assessments and opinions of national authors, a critical analysis of scientific papers on this topic is given. The study concluded that the works and articles of Kalmyk historians on the nomadic Kalmyk society, using pluralism of approaches, significantly deepened and expanded the scope of the study of the problems studied in the article.

There are many sources of Mongolian music in Mongolian and Chinese oral and written sources, including the Tsuur. ” Echoes cannot be imagined without the organ of speech, and this is the main feature of their color imitation. This is because the evidence that a person used to imitate the sound of music before making music and then used his or her speech organs as music can be clearly seen in Mongolian throat singing and whistling. The percussion music retains elements of both the harmonica and the whistle in the structure of the melody, and the percussion method is based on the whistle. Even today, it is interesting to see when and where the percussion was played and in what order. It is not used for small weddings, love affairs, or music, but is usually used only for large ovoo rituals and large-scale festivals. We are proud that this tradition has been preserved in an almost ancient form and passed down to us. It also needs to be preserved and developed, and the source material is still open.

The translation has been done from the edition: Schorkowitz D. (2020). Mobility and immobility in the Mongol empire. Mongolovedenie. Vol. 12. 3. 430-445. The translator’s punctuation is retained in the text.