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*Happiness and peace this country has tasted.*

*Jangar, Oirat-Kalmyk Epic*

In April 2007, on my initiative (organizer and moderator), four round tables were held in the editorial office of "Khalmg Yunn" with the participation of the general public of Kalmykia. These were representatives of science, culture, veterans, students, heads of organizations, etc., over 60 people in total. All speeches were published in the national newspaper, the main topic was the preparation for the so-called "400th anniversary of the voluntary accession of the Kalmyk people to the Russian state". The result was the decision to hold the Congress of the intelligentsia of Kalmykia, which was originally conceived. A letter requesting support for this public initiative was sent to the Head of the Republic of Kalmykia, but the authorities were afraid of an open conversation with the people at a nationwide forum....

The story, however, was continued in the form of the article "KALMYKIA TOMORROW", which I wrote at the same time and later published in social networks. A lot of water has passed since then, but the questions remain. Unfortunately, for decades our republic has been ranked last in all the most important socio-economic indicators among all Russian regions. There are reasons for this, which should be the subject of a separate conversation, but now we are talking about something else. It is obvious that our plight suits the federal center and official authorities and we will have to wait for something good from them until, as our wise ancestors used to say, "the frog grows wool".

A new course is vital for the progressive development of the Republic, so I consider it my duty to "return to our sheep" and once again share with my fellow countrymen the thoughts aloud concerning the future of our people and our Republic. This is relevant, given the global processes that are taking place in the world today. Of course, no one can claim to be the truth in the last instance, but on the eve of the coming epochal events, it is high time for us to think once again about the bright Tomorrow.

There are several options for the development of our Republic, including independence, which, in my opinion, is possible in the form of creating a secular, democratic state, the Oirat-Mongol Republic. 
Why independence? Any nation can fully realize its full potential and reach the highest phase in its historical development only within the framework of a nation-state. That is why the first article of the UN Charter declares the right of every nation to self-determination and development and we are obliged to take advantage of this right and unique historical chance. 

Why Oirat-Mongolian Republic? Every nation, including us, the Oirats - the Western Mongols - relies on its own history, and for us it goes back into the darkness of centuries, it is mentioned in the first pan-Mongolian literary monument, “The Secret History of the Mongols.”

Три фактора в пользу «монгольского вектора»: 

1. **Preservation of ethnicity and territory.** Our people are faced with an acute demographic problem: the Concept of demographic development of the Republic of Kalmykia for the period until 2015 (Order of the Government of the Republic of Kalmykia dated July 3, 2002 N 336-r) notes a reduction in the total population ; Now the situation is even worse. The solution could be the migration of our fellows from Mongolia (External and Internal), as well as from the XUAR (China). For the Mongolian world, having another independent country is a necessary and far-sighted step, but for us it is important that there are more than ten million Mongols on the planet and this gives our people the opportunity to survive as an ethnic group, as well as preserve their territory.

2. **Preservation of the native language.** From 2012 to 2019, I worked in the Public Council for the Development of the Kalmyk Language and I know that here, as well as in many other areas, the picture is sad. Just one fact: the majority of Kalmyk language teachers are people of retirement age; Moreover, we do not train teachers of our native language, because The Department of Methods of Teaching the Kalmyk Language has been closed at KSU for a long time. The university is funded by the federal budget, and Moscow, to put it bluntly, doesn’t care about our problems. The issue could be resolved by opening a department (several jobs!) at the expense of the republican budget, but alas! - things are still there. In a situation where our youth and children, as well as middle-aged people, hardly speak their native language, we need to rely on the Mongolian language, science and culture. We have common historical roots, the same blood, the same faith, and the basis of our languages is also the same. The national script “Todo Bichig” also originates from the common Mongolian “Khuudm Bichg”. Russian, English, Chinese, Ukrainian will be working languages: we are open to the world.

3. **Economic development.** In order to occupy our niche in the world economy as quickly as possible, we can and must, first of all, rely on the dynamically developing economy of Mongolia and Buddhist countries. Taking into account modern technologies and communications, many projects in the field of economics, culture, education, sports, etc., will allow our people to closely communicate and be friends with the Mongolian (broader, Buddhist) world, stand firmly on their feet and look confidently into the future.

Thus, we have all the prerequisites to successfully resolve many serious issues; we have a ***picture of the future***. The main goal of an independent prosperous state is a qualitative improvement in the lives of our people. It is also very important that we be full owners of our home and leave our descendants a flourishing native land. World experience shows that the greatest economic success and high standard of living have been achieved by countries with developed democracies, where there is effective government and a strong civil society. Therefore, we have a path towards the West; there is simply no alternative. We are obliged to do this in the name of a happy life for future generations and fulfilling the cherished dream of our ancestors about the country of Bumbin Orn. Of course, in order for us to be on equal terms in international relations and for serious investments to come to us, our republic must be represented by handshaking people who, during serious trials, have shown themselves to be staunch supporters of peace, international laws and justice.

Today, our people have only one national socio-political organization - the Congress of the Oirat-Kalmyk people, the leader of which was recently elected the well-known political figure Batyr Boromangnayev. Over many years of tireless work, he showed himself to be an ideological fighter for democratic values and national interests. The Congress has international connections and close contacts with the national liberation movements of peoples held captive by Russian Federation, and, importantly, with government bodies and socio-political organizations of Ukraine. For its open anti-war position and defending violated national rights, the Congress of the Oirat-Kalmyk People was included in the list of extremist organizations by the Russian Ministry of Justice. This indicates that the Congress is really doing the real thing and can be the core of the entire national-patriotic movement in Kalmykia. We vitally need the consolidation of all the groups of our people, and the first step in this direction will be the preparation and holding of the World Oirat-Mongolian Congress. At this major international forum with the wide participation of representatives of our fellow people from many countries of the world, the most pressing issues in the life of our people will be considered and the DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY OF THE OIRAT-MONGOLIAN REPUBLIC, which includes three main directions, will be presented:

**I. Political program.**

**II. Economic program.**

**III. Creation of the Government of People's Trust of the Oirat-Mongol Republic.**
 
**I.** The political program defines the Oirat-Mongolian Republic as an independent secular democratic state of a parliamentary type, lays the foundations for the functioning of the state system, including self-defense forces, security agencies, internal affairs, prosecutors, customs, etc., as well as democratic institutions (independent parliament, court, media, two-party system, free elections, etc.).

**II.** The economic program provides that the economy of the Oirat-Mongol Republic will be multi-structured, market-based, with minimal government intervention in the activities of economic entities, with indicative planning, maximum protection of property rights, with diversity and equality of forms of ownership, and freedom of entrepreneurial activity. Among the most important, this program provides for the effective implementation of the following tasks:

1. Mass implementation of modern technologies in agricultural production; state support in financing and marketing of agricultural products, creation of effective cooperation among farmers.

2. Industry. Creation of modern enterprises for the production of microelectronics (chips), solar batteries, etc. – branches of Taiwanese, Japanese, Korean companies. As an example, the Elista hardware-electronic plant “Odn” (Zvezda) even in Soviet times had millions of US dollars in its accounts. Creation of companies for the extraction and development of local raw materials: limestone, clay, sand, clay gypsum, rare earth metals (scandium, yttrium), phosphorus, phosphates, etc.

3. Electric power industry: Building of an independent energy system based on modern technologies;

4. Water: Commissioning of a water canal from the Volga in the area of Tsagan-Aman, development of local water sources (ponds, artesians, springs, etc.).

5. Oil and gas: State regulation of exploration, development, production and transportation of oil and gas, replenishment of the republic’s budget from these areas in accordance with international standards, as well as processing of oil and gas products in the republic itself.

6. Transportation: Maximum arrangement of highways in the directions of Astrakhan, Volgograd, Stavropol, Rostov-on-Don; construction of international port on the Caspian Sea and Volga.

7. Ecology: Cooperation with the world's leading scientific organizations, foundations and companies in the field of combating desertification.

**III.** Holding open elections to the representative bodies of the new independent state of the Oirat-Mongol Republic is possible only after a transition period (3 - 5 years) and the creation of the necessary conditions for the real functioning of democratic institutions. During the transition period, all power functions should be in the hands of the Government of People's Trust of the Oirat-Mongol Republic, formed by delegates of the World Oirat-Mongol Congress.

The World Oirat-Mongol Congress is being held in New York City (USA) in September, 2024. A lot of organizational work will be required, however, there is no doubt that our people will find the strength and will to determine their own destiny. The main thing is to firmly follow the intended course. As the great leader of all the Mongols said: “If you are afraid, don’t do it; if you do, don’t be afraid.”

Why independence? Any nation can fully realize its full potential and reach the highest phase in its historical development only within the framework of a nation-state.

BRIGHT TOMORROW - OIRAT-MONGOL REPUBLIC

With the outbreak of war in Ukraine, a new impetus was given to national regional movements advocating separation from Moscow. Over the past year, six forums of the peoples of post-Russia have already taken place, new associations have been formed, and several militia groups of representatives of the Caucasian peoples are fighting on the side of Kyiv. At the same time, a number of analysts speak of a quite probable scenario for the collapse of Russia in the event of a turning point in the course of the war.

About the national movement in Kalmykia, the theses of the Kremlin propaganda, last year's wave of emigration and why the collapse of the empire is needed by the Russian correspondent Kavkaz.Realii spoke with Professor Maria Ochir-Goryaeva, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Corresponding Member of the German Archaeological Institute and Honored Scientist of Kalmykia.

> In 1999, she won the competition and became a fellow of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, and as a guest researcher continued her scientific research within the walls of the Eurasian Branch of the German Archaeological Institute. The first of four scientific monographs was published in German. Every year, the archaeologist returned to her homeland, conducting excavations in her native Kalmykia.

**Today in Russia it is customary to speak negatively about the support that Western non-profit organizations and scientific foundations provided in the 1990s to Russian scientists and the field of education in general. Like, through grants and training programs, they planted their values. Tell us about your experience and what such programs have given to Russian science.**

The rhetoric of Russian propaganda in general, and in this matter in particular, can only be called xenophobic. In the 1990s, when many state employees, including employees of the Russian Academy of Sciences, had not been paid  for months, grants allocated by Western foundations literally saved them. In addition to the material side, they demonstrated the significance of these specialists and their research. Only thanks to that support of Western and, later, Russian foundations, a number of scientists, including myself, remained in science.

As for "planting" one's own values, this is a distorted understanding of the purpose of such structures. Each foundation has its own goals and values; if they are scientific, then they remain so, regarding the fact that the West is imposing its own values. For example, I have been living in Berlin for 24 years and I know that here they don’t “implant” anything on anyone, but give them the opportunity to think and choose for themselves. Reality shows that people like freedom of speech and the opportunity to choose, it works: everyone is eager to live in democratic countries, and not in Iran, Afghanistan or Russia, from where they leave at the first opportunity.
Planting is carried out not by Western funds, but by the imperial approach of Moscow. The same Putin and his supporters who are unable to adapt to the ever-changing world and are trying by brute force to change the whole world to fit themselves, to fit it to their outdated stereotypes.

**Unfortunately, such inertia in thinking is demonstrated not only by the top of the country, but also by many Russians, including those who disagree with Putin.**

Agree. The wave of migrants from Russia, regardless of nationality, is no different from the population that remained there, in Russia. Just like there, only a small percentage of them are active. They organize protests and various events. At the same time, many of them are very afraid for themselves, so they put masks on their faces and hide their names. The rest are either simply indifferent or support Putin. Many have moved simply to maintain their level of well-being and continue to travel around the world. Of course, these are mostly Muscovites with a good income. That is, migrants here fully reflect society in Russia.

Two things disappoint me about migrants from Russia. First, few of them follow the news from the front and worry about the Ukrainians. Feelings of shame and guilt seem to be unfamiliar to them. So it turns out that in their conversations there is no topic of this at all. When I say something about the bombings or the front, they immediately say, we do not follow this and turn the conversation to something else.

![Maria Ochir. Anti-war rally in Berlin](/images/posts/maria_berlin.jpg)
<p class="text-sm">Maria Ochir-Goryaeva (left) at an anti-war rally in Berlin</p>

Secondly, this is xenophobia. Walking through the streets of Berlin, I have already heard more than once from Russian-speaking people who are indignant, and why the Germans tolerate that Muslims walk around in their headscarves, etc. . Another fact, my friends asked me to help them find an apartment in Berlin, but only in the area where they don’t live, as they said “blacks”, meaning the local residents of Arabs and Turks. They said even if it would be several hundred euros more expensive. As an Asian, this shocked me.
 
Therefore, unfortunately, many here do not assimilate the moral values of democracy and tolerance. They are simply transporting Russia with all its stereotypes and ideology to Berlin. Russians, with rare exceptions, are unable to understand the logic and value of democracy. Otherwise, neither Putin, nor these decades of trampling on freedoms in Russia, nor a terrible war would have happened.

**At the same time, Putin and his entourage say that the West is trying to rewrite and distort history.**

Frankly, I think it's too much honor to comment on propaganda. From the school curriculum, everyone knows that in the early Middle Ages there was a state of Kievan Rus, the center of which was the city of Kyiv, that is, the territory of modern Ukraine. Then, three or four centuries later, the Muscovite Principality was formed, gathering land around Moscow. This name was the most accurate and reflects the essence of both the territory and its population. Theoretically, it could be called Muscovite Rus'. After the conquest of the peoples in the north and east, south and west, it would be more correct to call this formation the Muscovite Empire. This state has its own history and traditions, like any other. The cities of the Golden Ring alone are worth something. There is no need to neglect so much, not to value your Moscow-Russian identity, your own statehood. We must study, preserve and be proud of the rich history of Muscovy.

Until a certain time, the Muscovites did not seek to ascribe Kievan Rus to their history. This happened later after Peter I declared himself emperor. Then there was a temptation to occupy not only the territory, but also the past of a foreign state.

Most of the space of modern Russia - lands forcibly attached to the Moscow principality and kingdom: the Volga region, Siberia, the Far East, the North Caucasus, they have nothing to do with Kievan Rus. These are the empire's colonies. So it is the inhabitants of the Kremlin who are engaged in the distortion of history for the sake of political ambitions and propaganda.

**In 2022, representatives of national movements from different republics condemned the war and emphasized that this conflict was not in the interests of the country's small peoples. There were sporadic demonstrations in Kalmykia, but there was no mass protest here. Was this reaction expected?**

Attitudes towards the war in Kalmykia, according to my data, are similar to the average Russian sample. Why should it be otherwise? If the empire has been pursuing a policy of Russification and unification for centuries, leveling national differences? There are critically thinking people in every republic, as well as regions, territories, but they are few. And almost all of them, especially actively in 2022, left the country.

It is clear that if the Oirats in the distant past had reached the shores of the Atlantic and stayed here, they would probably have been part of a democratic Europe. But since our ancestors founded their Khanate of Torgud on the banks of the Idzhil-Idel-Edel-Volga River, they shared the fate of the other peoples of the evil empire.

One can talk for a long time about the pros and cons of the arrival of the Oirats in Europe, the foundation of their khanate, the departure to Dzungaria, the peasant colonization of the lands of the khanate, the civil war ... But history, as you know, does not tolerate the subjunctive mood. And the Kalmyks have to live in those conditions, and, therefore, to be a cross section of the society in which they live today.

**In general, how realistic are the hopes for the independence of Kalmykia today. What will it depend on? Are the Kalmyks themselves ready for this?**

Independence is not only real, it is long overdue. This is a necessity. Leveling processes are always taking place within the framework of large states, therefore all regions of Russia, not only the republics, but also the territories, regions, must become independent, and then function like the European Union. This means that everyone has their own state, orders and administration, but in common issues - for example, environmental protection, future projects, such as artificial intelligence - to act together. And it's not about the size and number of the population. Montenegro, for example, in terms of territory is 5 times smaller than Kalmykia, a third of the territory is occupied by mountains, the population is 600-odd thousand, and neither Serbs nor Montenegrins make up the majority of the population. Since 2006 they have become a sovereign state, in 2008 they joined the EU.

And this is important for all the peoples in Russia, including Russians. After all, the interests and problems of Russians living in Siberia or the Far East are clearly different from the interests and problems of Muscovites. Moscow is currently ripping off all regions, not just national republics. Therefore, the Kremlin has so much money to wage a large-scale war and seize foreign lands, such as Transnistria, Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Crimea, Donbass. And if the money of the regions remained in the regions, then Moscow would not have such huge resources, and people in the Russian outback would live much better. All sectors of society suffer from this centralized system. The same regional governors who are 100% dependent on Moscow, this also humiliates them. They turn out to be puppets in the hands of the Kremlin.

As for the national republics, they are constitutionally considered subjects of the federation, but in reality they are colonies. Moscow not only robs them, just like the regions, but also pursues an openly colonial policy. For example, it redraws the borders, selecting the best lands. For example, the lands of the Buryats were divided into three administrative regions. Two districts were taken away from Kalmykia and the Astrakhan region was created from them. As a result, Kalmykia lost the entire coast of the lower reaches of the Idzhil-Volga River, only one village has access to the river. And industrial facilities are built anywhere, but not in the national republics. Accordingly, the economy of the republics is not developed, there are no jobs, specialists are leaving, the population is overburdened. I will give a few examples from those that I encountered as an archaeologist leading rescue excavations. In 2008, it was planned to build a gas processing plant in the village. Artesian. All research and development work was carried out: ecologists, biologists, signalmen and archaeologists conducted a survey and prepared all the documents. The project was closed. And a couple of years later they built it in the Astrakhan region. The project for the construction of the Iki-Burulsky water conduit from the Levokumsky reservoir was imposed from Moscow in order to increase the republic's dependence from outside and force the Stavropol Territory to pay for water. Although it was easier for the republic to stretch a branch from its village of Tsagan-aman and pump water for free from the river. Idzhil-Volga. For those big ones spent on the Levokumsky water conduit, it was even possible to develop a deep-well extraction of fresh water from a huge underground reservoir in the village of Gojur, located in the very center of the republic. The Tengiz-Novorossiysk oil pipeline is the longest in Kalmykia, but the Krasnodar Territory receives the rent money. And that's millions of dollars a year. People from the government complained that they could not change the terms of the contract, they went, went to Moscow, but they were adamant there. How can it be called? Robbery in broad daylight. The list goes on...

The population of Kalmykia, as well as the entire population of Russia, does not understand that Moscow is robbing them. Therefore, as elsewhere, there are different opinions. Not everyone sees the economic side, but, true, everyone sees that total Russification leads to the loss of language, identity, and traditional culture. Everyone sees this. I have never met a Kalmyk, either in Kalmykia or abroad, who did not want to develop his own Kalmyk.

I remember that in 1991, not all the population of Kazakhstan, Ukraine and other republics were for independence, and now all these peoples have appreciated their sovereignty, and Ukrainians are giving their lives to live without the dictates of Moscow. So it is not necessary that all polls in the republic were of the same opinion.

**In your opinion, why did the population of the republics, not only Kalmykia, but also others, so easily renounce the institutions of sovereignty and even independence obtained in the early 1990s?**

Easily retreated - you said it well! And what about two terrible wars against independent Chechnya? Kalmykia is close to Chechnya, we have not yet forgotten how not only people fled from the war to us, but even wolves and feral dogs. Seeing and hearing this, who would expose their people to such a risk? And how did they twist Tatarstan's arms? President Mintemir Shaimiev Putin and the KGB officer were not allowed out of his office for four days until they signed everything they needed. And here, in Kalmykia, back in Soviet times, what happened to Gorodovikov? (Basan Gorodovikov - Soviet military leader and statesman, in 1961-1978 the first secretary of the Kalmyk Regional Committee of the CPSU, under him Kalmykia achieved significant success - Note Ed.) He, an old general, a hero of the USSR, was taken out of the congress meeting room by the arms of the KGB officers The CPSU was immediately removed from his post, because he dared to hint at the return of the two selected regions. That is why after him, until 1990, only envoys from Moscow were the first person in the republic.

During archaeological expeditions, I traveled all over Kalmykia, the most remote settlements, my heart bleeds to see in what conditions and how ordinary people live in my homeland. The desire for independence among the conscious part of our people has never faded away.

Returning to your question, the curtailment of the independence of the subjects took place against the backdrop of two Chechen wars, all this happened very close. Moscow forcibly and harshly revived the imperial approach, any protest was severely suppressed. Nobody wanted a second deportation, to end up in Siberia again, so the Kalmyks actually had no choice.

**Practically in all socio-economic ratings, Kalmykia occupies the last places among Russian regions. So it was under Ilyumzhinov, and under Orlov, and under Khasikov. In your opinion, why did none of the heads of the republic manage to achieve a breakthrough in its development? Could they do it?**

Because colonial policy has never stopped, it is by definition impossible to make a breakthrough under such conditions. A colony is a colony, and construction, infrastructure, and the social sphere in it will be worse than in the metropolis. On its territory, only resources and specialists are being pumped out, total Russification is being carried out in all areas - from the language to the rewritten history. This is also imperial policy, when peoples are not allowed to study their own past, imposing only that interpretation of it that is beneficial to Moscow.

By the way, the regional elites are also well aware of this. Governors and heads of republics are forced to go to Moscow to bow, begging for money, which they themselves send in the form of taxes to the federal center. So the question of disintegration is ripe not only below, in the minds of the activists of national movements, but also among the local elites. It is also necessary for the Russian outback to understand that Moscow takes advantage of their political naivety and forces them to live in unworthy poverty. The consequences of the war with Ukraine may just be the match that will ignite this inevitable process.

![Maria Ochir. Anti-war rally in Berlin](/images/posts/maria_kalmykia.jpg)
<p class="text-sm">Maria Ochir-Goryaeva (left) at the archaeological site of a Bronze Age settlement with colleagues from the Protection of Monuments Center from Schleswig Holstein (Germany). 2012</p>

**There is an opinion that Russian society massively supports this war. In your opinion, as a person from the outside - is it so? What should and can be done to open the eyes of the supporters of the aggressive policy of the Kremlin?**

Of course, they provide massive support – people need to survive somehow, this is a top priority. Everything is decided by the state system and what values it promotes. During the Third Reich, the Germans massively supported the war. But when the system changed, the same people became democratic and repeat like a mantra "Nazis will never be repeated forever and ever." The same change can happen to Russian society, for this it is necessary that the system change. And the people in the masses easily change their minds and habits. I'll give you an example. For 8 years I have been excavating on the border of Kalmykia and the Rostov region, and dug two fortresses from the era of the Khazar Khaganate. They lived for months in a small village, where the entire population is Russian. Local men were taken to the excavations. And they don't just swear there, they practically talk obscenities. But I forbade them all to swear at the excavation site and make jokes on gender topics, otherwise I will kick them out of the excavation site without a daily salary. And they worked for me for months, all day long and did not swear. I'll say more. In this village, they are all nationalists to one degree or another, in the sense that they do not like Kalmyks. But since I treated them with respect and paid my salary every evening, they treated me and all the employees very cordially, although we were all Kalmyks. That is, the people are everywhere, even Russian, even German, they are masters of survival. So I don't think it's necessary to convince them verbally. The conditions will change, the people themselves will figure out how beneficial it is for them. There is no need to condemn the people, we must love them and create conditions for a decent life, regardless of nationality.





Independence is not only real, it is long overdue. This is a necessity. This is important for all the peoples in Russia, including Russians.

Independence is a necessity: a historian from Kalmykia about the future of the republic


Hello Dear Readers! 

Dear readers, my name is Davur, and I am an Oirat. On behalf of the Congress of the Oirat-Kalmyk people, [I spoke at the conference on Imperial Russia](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFl7tjiXC7o), organized by the "European Conservatives and Reformers" faction in the European Parliament in association with the Forum of Free Peoples of Post-Russia. On the sidelines were journalists from the ‘glad handing’ media of the “all-Russian agenda”, who, with gloomy faces, were observed scribbling furiously on their laptops. Last Friday, almost simultaneously, several materials were published about the conference (in Novaya Gazeta Europe, Meduza, TV Rain (Dozhd’), and so on), the general tone of which was reduced to disparaging the speakers and the agenda of Russia's disintegration. In several of them, dubious phrases were used, for example, the Bashkort Ruslan Gabbasov was called "an elderly balding man with glasses" in a report by Ilya Azar, who is, likewise, an elderly balding man with glasses. The most sincere member of the Navalny Team, Vladimir Milov, who does not mislead the audience and says everything that is spinning in his head (which are not the most complimentary nor humane thoughts), published a long segment in which he states that Russia cannot fall apart. For me, this manner of coverage of ‘The Imperial Russia’ forum and the entire discourse of criticism aimed at the regionalist movement testify to several fundamental theses that guide the so-called "Good Russians".

#### Thesis number 1. They do believe in Russia "from Kaliningrad to Vladivostok".​

The Soviet anthem stated that the peoples, subjugated by the Tsars, Bolsheviks and Communists *“have welded forever to stand"* by Great Russia. Politicians and public figures of the *“all-Russian agenda”* (for brevity, we use the term *“all-Russians”*) consider the entire space of the Russian Federation to be ethnically homogeneous (*“Russians live everywhere”*), an economically whole territory and which is not subject to disintegration. In their perception, Russia is a single entity, and the people living in Bryansk, Petrozavodsk, Elista and Kyzyl are all one people. How this differs from the concept of late Putinism regarding Ukraine and Belarus is not clear. In addition, the Good Russians of Moscow and St. Petersburg are sure that only they, with their wisdom and inflexibility, as well as their readiness to use repression, save us, non-Russians, or else *omnium contra omnes* (all against all). Since they declare we are incapable of making amends or of constituting our own states, I can declare this line of thought political primordialism.

#### Thesis number 2. They stigmatize us because they can't find a way to debate our agenda.

The rhetoric of the materials mentioned above is aggressive, targets personality and looks, and is not about arguing with the agenda. It should be noted that not all activists and national movements have adopted the idea of secession from Russia. For example, a representative of the Itelmens who was present at the forum called for protecting the indigenous way of life of his people, which is being encroached upon by the brazen business practices of the Moscow metropole and which violates all possible environmental standards. Nevertheless, all-Russians are trying to erase our differences and create an image of us that is depersonalized and, subsequently, convenient for stigmatization and obstruction; how this differs from the propaganda cliché of "Russophobe" or "Russian-cutter" is again not clear. The only funny thing is that there is, in fact, no answer regarding the national question on the agenda of the all-Russians themselves (Navalny Team, Mikhail Khodorkovsky etc.). Everything should be decided by "parliamentary rule". True, so far no one has given an answer as to how to ensure that the rights of the same Itelmens are respected in the all-Russian parliament. I can assume that the right of veto for them in the format of the European Council, where France and Germany are forced to conduct extensive negotiations with Poland, Lithuania and other states, is out of the question for all-Russians.

#### Thesis number 3. They dream of returning to February 23, 2022.

No matter how you slice it, it's true. I thought about this during my conversation with Akhmed Zakayev, the leader of Ichkeria. The terrible magic of numbers that is, given February 23 is also the date of the Genocide of the Chechens and Ingush. In a good way, in the Russian discourse of late Putinism, the all-Russians were satisfied with many things. Siberia and the Far East were under effective Moscow control, the Chechen fighters for freedom were either killed or expelled, and “liberal bureaucrats”still remained in the Putin system. At that time, they were seen as a plausible starting point for the much talked about “rift between elites”. The President of Russia was praised for the efficient reforms of the first years of his reign (taxation, land use regulation), and respected for the fight against "separatism". Allegedly, in the eyes of all-Russians it is enough to dismiss Putin, carry out several detentions and seizures of assets, and start to build the Great and Free Russia. Moreover, in all honesty, not every one of those who are considered to be Russian liberal democrats firmly and correctly answers the question "who owns Crimea?". There will definitely be preconditions like "well, people did vote there" or "if we give it away, it will cause resentment among the Russians." But on February 23, 2022, one could calmly perceive the temporarily occupied territories as Russian, one could talk about "another referendum" and even "the impossibility of returning it back to Ukraine." In other words, the all-Russians have no understanding that the past will no longer exist. The Russian project was given many chances both by European and US governments. I remember the time when "from Lisbon to Vladivostok", Pan-European projects arose. Russia received all-around support for their economy, visa-free travel and other things of global economic integration were widely discussed. The most terrible thing for all-Russians, perhaps, is that they cannot prove their right to have one more chance to modernize, democratize and preserve Russia as a geopolitical reality. The most daring all-Russians are accusing the "collective West" that it is they who are to blame for the rise of Putinism. How this differs from Russian state propaganda and its accusations about the "collective West" is, again, not clear.

So the best tactic for all of us, I think, is to reasonably ignore their insults. We should focus on the following: (1) make our own agenda more appropriate to new realities; (2) establish ties with foreign nations and develop our own political representation on an international level; and, finally, (3) create an image of the future for our peoples and nations. After all, in 1984, hardly anyone in the Soviet republics perceived liberation movements and their leaders as anything other than outcasts and rebels. They were either killed or locked behind bars in KGB camps. And then these men and women, being in the minority, defeated Russian Soviet imperialism. If disintegration of Russia is "beneficial to Putin and the Kremlin," as the Good Russians say, then I'd rather be "with the outcasts and rebels", who strive for liberty for their nations.

***Davur Dordzhiev, Member of the Congress of the Oirat-Kalmyk People***

If disintegration of Russia is 'beneficial to Putin and the Kremlin,' as the Good Russians say, then I'd rather be 'with the outcasts and rebels', who strive for liberty for their nations.

They Dream of Returning to February 23, 2022

The End of Empires

Many proposals have been made regarding ending Russian aggression in Ukraine. Many have offered off-ramps surrendering to Russia's and Putin's supposed need “to save face” thereby forging a frozen conflict. Ukraine has insisted that the only end of war reality is a return to January 2014 borders. Neither proposal is a solution in the long term. 

As long as Russia remains an empire, global security and Ukrainian sovereignty remain at issue.  Accepting the Ukrainian proposal means simply that the next Russian  aggression is temporarily postponed. People cannot live in constant fear.

Since the second phase of the war on February 24, 2022 at least three movements have evolved. The first was the Free Nations League, a coordinating body in Europe comprised of nations currently held captive within the Russian empire known as the Russian Federation. The second was an American association of nations within the Russian empire as well as several outside of it but within the sphere of continuous Russian pressure. And now these nations have agreed to join efforts with nations held captive or repressed by another evil empire, the Chinese People's Republic. 

“The end of evil empires” is the mantra of this joint effort. Looking back to a time during the Cold War when the United States in its wisdom with significant prodding by East European nations, passed legislation designating the third week of each July as a time to remember those nations that were a part of the Soviet Union or its satellites known as “Captive Nations”. Ultimately but not fully, this action prevailed. 

In July 2023 there will be a march in Washington from the Capital to the White House  displaying the flags of some twenty nations, currently suffering under Russian and Chinese oppression. The significance of this event lies predominantly in its creation. These are very different nations, entirely different cultures with little in common except for the desire to be free. 

Why should the United States pay any attention to this movement? The first reason is an obvious moral one. In this regard America has a role to play in view of its own history. 
However, even a cynic can find justification to support this cause.

Since World War II, a conscious effort has been made by the global democratic community to ensure global security. As the League of Nations faltered, the United Nations has ensued and persevered albeit not successfully on all fronts. Its purpose was multi-fold but its foremost goal was directed at global security. A monster, however, was forged, the UN Security Council. People throughout the world disparage the work of the UN and scoff at the waste of the UNSC. This is a lesson learned. 

However, the ridicule is misplaced or misapplied. I recently spoke with a representative of the Uyghur people who are being mercilessly and intentionally slaughtered by the Chinese in East Turkestan, known in China as  Xinjiang province. He laughed at the lack of efficacy by the UN. Rather, he suggested, the repressed nations should seek a dialogue with the United States, Congress and the White House. 

He is right and wrong. Freedom and global security need a champion, but the United States cannot do it alone. God knows we have our own problems. However, the United States must continue to lead the global community. It is easy to disparage international structures because so far in history they have proven to be feckless. However, international organizations and associations are the future. The Internet, the global economy, global environmental issues and poverty have proven that.

I refrain from domestic criticism because that merely evolves into bickering. I certainly wish that Ukrainians in America, Democrats or Republicans would wake up on a single issue. That issue is Ukraine and that issue ultimately mandates the end of the Russian empire. Let us widen our horizons and work towards the end of all evil empires. I certainly feel for the Uyghurs in China and pray that they feel for the plight of Ukrainians, suffering from Russian aggression. I try to stay away from John Lennon, but in this instance, the phrase “The world will be one,” resonates. But, John, there must be nations and religions because people need both. Imagine if there were no empires. The world will be free and secure and only then will it be one.


“The end of evil empires” is the mantra of this joint effort. Imagine if there were no empires. The world will be free and secure and only then will it be one.

THE ONLY SOLUTION

Martin Luther, the initiator of the Reformation in the Catholic religion, once said so. We, too, can say, “We stand here because we cannot do otherwise!”. Many other people would like to stand next to us, shoulder to shoulder, to say No to the Russian Empire. But the empire frightens people and fetters them with fear: for life, for property, for sources of funding.

###  Russia's war to seize Ukraine

The war of Russia against Ukraine is the war of the empire for the transformation of the sovereign Ukrainian state into a Russian colony. For us, the peoples of the national republics: Ichkeria, Ingushetia, Oirat-Kalmykia, Sakha-Yakutia, Tatarstan, Bashkortostan, Buryatia, all of us still in the internal colonies of the Russian Empire, it is especially clear that the Ukrainians’ heroic resistance is a struggle for freedom from the empire, for the right to live as they themselves want, and not as Moscow orders them to.

Since February 24, 2022, so many innocent Ukrainians have died: civilians and soldiers, so many cities and towns have been destroyed. And all this, only because the Russian Empire wanted to seize and make Ukraine its obedient colony. This Empire must be destroyed! The time for empire is over!

### How did the Russian Empire appear?

Until 1547, Moscow was small in territory and insignificant politically. It was called the Grand Duchy of Moscow. After the forcible annexation of Novgorod Republic in 1478 and the lands in the north, it became known as the Tsardom of Russia. The Tsardom of Russia began to be called an empire in 1721, when Tsar Peter I assumed the title of Emperor of All Russia.
  
In 1552, the troops of Ivan the Terrible took the capital city of the Kazan Khanate  and 4 years later the Astrakhan Khanate was conquered. So the Russian Empire has expanded its territories to the east to Idel River, which they renamed into the Volga, and still call it “the Great Russian River”, although seven different nations live on the banks of the Idel: Chuvashs, Mari El, Tatars, Udmurts, Bashkorts, Oirat-Kalmyks, Kazakhs.
 
In 17th-19th centuries, the territories of Siberia and the Far East, Central Asia and the North Caucasus were captured. Throughout history the empire led the conquest by fire and sword and enslavement of people.  

All nations put up a fierce resistance. For example, the Russian-Buryat wars lasted for 137 years. The Bashkorts raised numerous uprisings for several centuries. The empire waged a war for the conquest of the North Caucasus for more than 100 years. Only 3% of the population of Circassians remained after the war.

### How many non-Russians are in Russia?

For politicians and the world community, Russia continues to be associated only with ethnic Russians, Orthodox Christians, and white Europeans. While about 40 million people live in 21 national republics with the status of subjects of the federation, and in 4 autonomous national districts. Among the peoples there are representatives of all world religions: Buddhists, Muslims, Christians. Their native languages are Turkic, Mongolian Finno-Ugric, and Caucasian. Each of the national republics has a head of the republic, a government consisting of ministries and departments, its own parliament, its own coat of arms, flag and anthem. The borders of the national republics are recognized by law. Thus, the republics have all the signs of statehood. But this is all on paper, de jure, but in fact de facto, all national republics are colonies. Under Article 1 of the UN Charter, colonized peoples have the right to self-determination.
The territories of the republics and autonomous regions make up 75% of the total area of the Russian Empire, where more than 80% of natural resources are extracted. That is why the colonies are beneficial to Moscow, but is Moscow beneficial to the colonies?

### The collapse of the empire does not begin these days, it ends! Why?

The Soviet Union was much larger than today's Russia because it included 15 more unified republics. In addition, today's six Eastern European countries such as Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Poland and the GDR were shackled by the chains of the Soviet empire. They were called the countries of the Eastern Bloc. In 1991, 15 union republics: Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan became sovereign states. This allowed the countries of the Eastern bloc to get out from under the iron hand of the empire. In 1994, the last Russian troops were withdrawn from East Germany. Thus transpired the beginning of the collapse of the empire.

The completion of the collapse of the empire will happen, perhaps soon, when 21 national republics and a number of regions will exercise their right to sovereignty.

### Why is the collapse of the empire beneficial to the world community?

When, 30 years ago, in 1991, the collapse of the empire began and 15 union republics became sovereign states peacefully, this turned out to be beneficial for the democratic countries of Western Europe and the United States. Finally,  the arms race ended with the Soviet Union, because it was gone. Reducing military spending over the past 30 years has allowed the West to use the savings for peaceful purposes, for the well-being of its citizens. Three countries - Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan voluntarily renounced the deployment of nuclear weapons on their territories in order to make the world safer.

If the national republics and regions of Russia exercise their right to sovereignty, then these new countries will be small in terms of economic potential. They will never be able to pose a military threat to the whole world, which is the aggressor country Russia with its nuclear weapons. Mining in new countries will be limited to their small needs, which will have a positive environmental effect on climate and global warming. Moreover, a number of sovereign countries, such as Georgia, Moldova, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Mongolia, will finally be able to get out from under  the shadow of a strong neighbor and reach the second stage of decolonization. Finally, the time will come when these countries in their foreign and domestic policies will proceed from their own interests, and not voluntarily follow the instructions of Moscow. In the meantime, they have to do this under the threat of a military invasion or a hybrid war. The entire Eurasian continent will breathe freely. The number and political weight of democratic countries will noticeably increase throughout the world.

### So far, most Western politicians are still guided by the opinion of the Russian opposition elite, under the leadership of Khodorkovsky and Kasparov, as well as Navalny.

It is better to call this opposition elite the Moscow one, since it represents the interests of an exclusively privileged layer of the capital, prospering at the expense of the national republics and regions. The Moscow opposition elite is trying to promote its vision of a United, Indivisible Russia with Nuclear Weapons at the political and public levels. This position is 100% consistent with the desire of Putin and the Kremlin. Another common point, the Moscow opposition "sees no flaws in the Kremlin's national policy". This means that both Putin and Khodorkovsky want to preserve the Empire and continue to steal the resources of the colonies in order to obtain fabulous profits.

### Just like Putin, the Moscow opposition elite in the person of Khodorkovsky and the Navalny Foundation frighten the whole world saying that the collapse of Russia will lead to bloodshed and violence.

But at the same time they do not realize, in fact, the worst has already happened. What could happen worse than a war in Ukraine? What could be worse than what happened in Bucha, Irpen and Kramatorsk? What could be worse than the torture and burning of soldiers in Olenivka? What could be worse than a nuclear threat to the whole world coming from a single indivisible Russia?

No Russian Empire! Glory to Ukraine!

***Alga, Uralan***, free peoples of Adygea, Altai Republic, Bashkortostan, Buryatia, Dagestan, Ingushetia, Kabardino-Balkaria, Oirat-Kalmykia, Karachay-Cherkessia, Karelia, Komi Republic, Mari El, Mordovia, Sakha (Yakutia), North Ossetia - Alania, Tatarstan, Tuva, Udmurtia, Khakassia, Ichkeria, Chuvashia - Bulgaria.

Many other people would like to stand next to us, shoulder to shoulder, to say No to the Russian Empire. But the empire frightens and fetters people with fear

Opinions

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Independence is a necessity: a historian from Kalmykia about the future of the republic

Here I stand. I cannot do otherwise

THE ONLY SOLUTION

They Dream of Returning to February 23, 2022

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