Introduction. The article examines the biography of the first Lamyn-gegen Luvsandanzanzhaltsan and his activities in spreading Buddhism in Khalkha-Mongolia in the 17th century. As it is known, biographies of Mongolian lamas are valuable sources not only on the history of Buddhism, but also on general history of Mongolia, which contain information about certain events that have not been preserved in other historical chronicles or documents. The Mongolian lamas Ündür-gegen (1635–1723), Luvsandanzanzhaltsan (1639–1704) and Zaya-pandita Luvsanprinlai (1642–1715) played an important role in the successful spread of Buddhism in Khalkha Mongolia. If the life and activities of Ündür-gegen and Zaya pandita, their role in the history are well studied, the same cannot be said about Luvsandanzanzhaltsan, known as Lamyn-gegen. The purpose of this article is to fill in the gaps about the initial stage of the spread of Buddhism among the Khalkha-Mongolian principalities and about Luvsandanzanzhaltsan, one of the key figures in this process. Materials and methods. Mongolian-language translations of his biography written in Tibetan by Luvsanprinlai, published archival documents on the history of Mongolian monasteries and historical chronicles, publications by D. Dashbadrakh, R. Byamba, D. Ganzorig, S. Soninbayar, S.-I. Yundenbat, containing information on the subject, have been the main sources for the article. Their analyses became the basis for estimating his contribution to the spread of Buddhism and his role in the history of Mongolia in the second half of the 17th century. Within the framework of the study, a set of general scientific and special historical methods was used, which allowed us to consider the role of Lamyn-gegen in connection with the history of Mongolian society of the period under consideration. Results. The biography of Lamyn-gegen, the stages of his studying and becoming a major religious figure are considered. His role in the preparation of lamas and the construction of monasteries is described and brief information about his subsequent reincarnations is given. Attention is paid to the economic basis of the existence of his monasteries and the formation of the institute of shabinars. Conclusions. The results of the study allow us to conclude that Lamyn-gegen has made a great contribution into the spread of Buddhism in Mongolia, alongside with distributing Buddhist teaching and achievements of the centuries-old experience of medieval scientific knowledge of the East. He was the first Mongolian astrologer and emchi-lama, doctor, who has laid the foundation for the study of the heritage of Indo-Tibetan medicine and the creation of its Mongolian branch. He was also a translator of many treatises from Tibetan into Mongolian and a prominent scholar, whose works have been published in 4 volumes.

Introduction. The article examines the biography and works of the 5th abbot of Aginsky datsan (Dechen Lhundublin) Galsan Zhimba Tuguldurov. The relevance of the study is determined by importance of the personality of G.-Zh. Tuguldurov. He was one of the most significant Buryat Buddhist leaders of the 19th century. Tuguldurov was one of the bright representatives of the Buryat priesthood, expert in Buddhist philosophy, astrology, medicine and lexicology (he compiled the first Buryat Tibetan-Mongolian dictionary Despite the weight of his multifaceted personality and the presence of works reflecting his activities, the information about the details of G. Tuguldurov's biography and writings continues to remain little known. The purpose of the article is to provide historiographic overview of researches on his biography and creative heritage, introduce some new information into scientific circulation. This information was obtained from archive documents written in Old Mongolic script from the preliminary translation of not studied before biography (namthar) of G.-Zh. Tuguldurov in Tibetan language. The title of the namthar is “The biography of Galsan-Zhimba Balzangpo — the abbot of the datsan Dechen Lhundubling (bde chen lhun grub gling gi khri pa chos rje skal bzang spyin pa dpal bzang po’i rnam thar gyi sa bon bzhugs)”. Materials and methods. The research is based on the works of Russian and Mongolian authors written in different times, archival data from funds of the State Archive of the Republic of Buryatia, Center of Oriental Manuscripts and Xylographs of the Institute for Mongolian, Buddhist and Tibetan studies of the SB RAS and namthar of G.-Zh. Tuguldurov in Tibetan language (archive of Aginsky datsan). The following methods were used: collection, analysis and processing of data, historical-systematic and retrospective analysis. The results of the research helped to restore the chronology of activities of G.-Zh. Tuguldurov. For the first time the biography of G.-Zh. Tuguldurov with additional and clarifying information has been put into scientific circulation. Therefore, the restored biography of G.-Zh. Tuguldurov can make a significant contribution into academic researches, especially into reconstruction of the spread of Buddhism in the region.

Introduction. The article reveals the issues of the organization of the service of the Buddhist clergy on the Don in the second half of the 19th century, implemented during the reform of the administrative and territorial administration of the Kalmyk nomad. In this sense, this article is a continuation of the article published in the previous year in the 3rd issue of the scientific journal “Mongolian Studies”. The purpose of the article is to show the socially useful activities of the Buddhist clergy, its introduction into the administrative management system of the Don Army region, its role in the development of education, the complete, final transition of the Don Kalmyks to a settled life and management. Results. A major reform of the land system in the Kalmyk nomad and the service of the Buddhist clergy with a change in the status of its main hierarch occurred in the 1870s. The Buddhist clergy experienced its c

Introduction. The article is devoted to the personality of a prominent orientalist, the first doctor of Philology of Kalmykia, Tseren-Dordzhi Nominkhanov. The purpose of the article is to analyze and introduce into scientific circulation little-known and previously unknown data on the biography of  Tseren-Dordzhi Nominkhanov from the first years of his activity (before 1930th). The materials for the study were both individual documents and data from surveys conducted in different years in Kalmykia. The information obtained as a result of the interviews provides an opportunity to expand the understanding of the difficult life path of the scientist and the fate of his people, testifies to the relevance of using an integrated approach in biographical research. Results. To date, there are different spellings of the scientist's name in the scientific literature, which is due to his use of both variants in the early and late periods of his activity, as well as the peculiarities of the Kalmyk onomasticon. The authors pay attention to the environment in which the formation of Ts.-D. Nominkhanov took place, and a possible influence on the subsequent formation of the researcher. The data of surveys containing new information about the life of Ts.-D. Nominkhanov, as well as data from archival materials, testifying to the difficult initial path of becoming a scientist, are presented.

Introduction.  At present, when there is an intensification of cultural exchanges, political and economic contacts between Russia and Asian countries, it may be useful to study the experience of the history of relations between Buddhist organizations of different countries in international non-governmental organizations in the post-war decades. The purpose is to study some details of the international activities of the Buddhist clergy in the 1950s–1970s, namely: the features of interaction between Soviet state bodies and the Central Spiritual Administration of Buddhists and some aspects of the history of the participation of Soviet Buddhists in international non-governmental organizations. Materials. The main sources of the article were materials of the State Archive of the Russian Federation, as well as other archives of the country. A number of archival documents are being introduced into scientific circulation for the first time. Conclusions. The institutionalization of Buddhism was carried out under the full control of the Soviet state, but at the same time it contributed to its development and spread, albeit in a limited form in various regions of the country. The direct foreign policy activity of Soviet Buddhists, in the conditions of the Cold War, was subordinated to the guidelines of the party, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the relevant competent departments. The Buddhists of the USSR were the agents of state policy in the international arena in the East. Since 1970, after the formation, on the initiative of the Soviet government, of the international organization “Asian Buddhist Conference for Peace”, Mongolia has become a key Buddhist diplomatic partner of the USSR. In the context of the formation of a “new world order,” people’s Buddhist diplomacy today can become one of the main actors in international relations.

This paper aims to provide an analysis of the development of the Mongolian script in the sociocultural context of the Baikal region in modern times. The main purpose of this article is to characterize the key trends in society from the point of view of sociolinguistic processes. Materials and methods. The research is based on a thorough examination of official data from the Government of the Republic of Buryatia, government departments of the Irkutsk region and Transbaikal region, as well as publications in the media and field materials gathered through an expert survey of heads of educational centers and language activists. The authors have adopted a systematic approach and applied a range of general scientific and special methods, including comparative historical and statistical methods, to conduct this study. Results and conclusions. It has been revealed that the Mongolian script has significant role in performing various socio-cultural functions. Mongolian script has gained widespread popularity in the form of calligraphy in the Baikal region. Furthermore, the language is deeply embedded with ethno cultural symbolism, making it a valuable source for the development of the Buryat language and culture as a whole. There is a growing interest in analyzing the language situation in Mongolia and the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of the People’s Republic of China, particularly in terms of the implementation of state language policy in perspective. The status and functional role of Mongolian script in these regions are of utmost importance in understanding its impact on the overall language landscape. 

Introduction. The collection of manuscripts and printed books in the Oirat Сlear Script, stored at St. Petersburg State University, is of great importance for the study of the history and culture of the Oirats, especially the Kalmyks. Although the collection of books on “clear Script”, stored at St. Petersburg State University, is one of the best in the world, the history of its formation and composition has never been the subject of special research. Meanwhile, this collection was collected by outstanding orientalists of the 19th century, and although the origin of some manuscripts is obscure, this fact does not make them less valuable. Therefore, the main purpose of this article was to find out the history of the formation of the collection to give an overview of the materials contained in it.  Results. This collection brought together in the 19th century by the efforts of such outstanding Russian Mongolologists as A. V. Popov, V. P. Vasiliev, K. F. Golstunsky and A. M. Pozdneev. The collection mainly contains Buddhist books. The manuscripts collected by V. P. Vasiliev belonged to the seventeenth son of the Kangxi Emperor (reigned 1661–1722) Yunli (1697–1738) and are mostly unique or very rare. In 1860, K. F. Golstunsky handed over to the university library the manuscript of the “Biography” of Zaya Pandita (Calm C 20), written in gold on dark paper, which became a “calling card” of the Kalmyk Foundation. An important place in the collection is occupied by personal archival materials of scholars G. S. Lytkin and N. A. Lebedev. G. S. Lytkin stayed in the Kalmyk Steppe in 1859–1860 and during this time collected extensive historical and ethnographic materials. N. A. Lebedev was a translator in the Asian Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and translated medical writings into Kalmyk from Russian, as well as laws and educational books. Conclusions. The collection of books in Clear Script, kept at St. Petersburg State University, is a collection of the most valuable sources for studying the history of the Kalmyks and their spiritual culture. Buddhist writings make up the bulk of the collection. Russian and Kalmyk parallel texts, as well as Russian texts with Kalmyk translations of separate words and expressions, are valuable sources for studying the vocabulary of the Kalmyk language. Many texts are valuable legal documents date back to the first half of the 19th century.

Introduction. The collection of Oirat manuscripts by the famous Buryat scientist P. B. Baldanzhapov presents samples of Oirat texts collected by him during expeditions to Mongolia in the 1960s–1970s. Among these texts, along with hymns, praises of the deities of the Buddhist pantheon, sutras, fortune-telling books, descriptions of incense rituals, dharani texts (tarni) and texts against slander are presented. The purpose of the article is to present a description of the handwritten collection BM 574 in the Oirat language from the collection of P. B. Baldanzhapov, stored in the collections of the Central Historical Research Center of the IMBT SB RAS. Materials. The collection in question includes two texts: Xutuqtu biligiyin cāna kürüqsen tabün yoümiyin xürāngγüyin züreken kemēkü (“Holy [dharani], called ‘The Heart (Essence) of the Assembly of Five Mothers Who Have Achieved Transcendent Wisdom‘”) and Xutuqtu xara ama kele amurli ülün üyiledüqči kemēkü yeke külgüni sudur (“The Holy Mahayana Sutra, called “Pacifying Slander”). Results. Based on the analysis of the texts of the collection under consideration, their transliteration and translation into Russian in comparison with a number of published texts similar in topic, it was concluded that these texts are evidence of the existence of the Buddhist tradition among the Mongolian peoples, allowing one to get an idea of the thematic diversity of texts that have been circulating among believers. The texts considered shed light on the ritual side of Buddhist practice, aimed at eliminating various types of disasters and negative phenomena in the daily life of believers. 

Introduction. The article is devoted to the concept of “steppe”, which is important for the Kalmyks' worldview. The purpose of the article is to study the implementation of the concept of “steppe” in a literary text. Tasks: a) identification and comparison of the meanings of the verbalizers of the concept “steppe” in the Russian and Kalmyk languages; b) analysis of the representation of the concept «steppe» in the text of the novel-chronicle by A. M. Amur-Sanan “Mudreshka’s Son”. Material: the text of the novel-chronicle by A. M. Amur-Sanan “Mudreshka’s Son”, written in Russian in 1925. Research methods: lexical and semantic analysis of linguistic units, comparative analysis of the linguistic data obtained. Results. The verbalizers of the concept of “steppe” in Russian are the lexemes “steppe” and “field”, in Kalmyk — teg, köödä, keer. Common semes of the concept actualizers in the Russian and Kalmyk languages are ‘vastness’ and ‘desolation’. Conclusions. The text of the chronicle novel uses a variety of visual and expressive means of the Russian language, revealing the characteristic features of the concept “steppe”. “Steppe” is described as a type of terrain characterized by vastness, desolation and monotony. Such a deserted, boundless, uninhabited space contributes to the formation of a feeling of loneliness, uselessness, abandonment in the hero's mind, affects his psychological state. This gives reason to believe that in the chronicle novel by A. M. Amur-Sanan “Mudreshka’s Son”, “steppe”, artistically meaningful, becomes a topos that affects the psychological state of the hero.

The review was devoted to the monograph by E. A. Gunaev (Kalmyk Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences) “National Autonomies of the South of  Russia in the Soviet period: Territorial Structure and Management System (on the example of Kalmykia)” (Elista: KalmSC RAS, 2022. 400 p.). The monograph was written on the basis of a wide range of sources and literature, including 30 files from 6 funds of 3 state archives, 425 publications of documents and research. E.A. Gunaev identified three stages in changing the administrative-territorial structure and management system in the national autonomies of the South of Russia: 1920–1943, 1944–1976, 1977–1991. Each stage is presented in a separate chapter of the monograph. The author proposed a historical and legal analysis of the problems under consideration with an emphasis on the study of regulatory aspects. Of significant interest is the study of the problem of legal succession between national autonomies, recreated after the rehabilitation of repressed peoples, and their national-state formations before forced eviction. E.A. Gunaev distinguishes between the categories of continuity, legal continuity and succession, and analyzes the possibilities of their use within the framework of the issue under consideration.