Is there a treasure in Kalmykia? Anomalous zones and mysteries of Kalmykia. Kirsan Ilyumzhinov and aliens

Marat UALI and Maral TOMPIEV
After our publications about traveling around Kazakhstan, our fellow allies appeared. They turned out to be some amateur archaeologists. Reading our articles in the magazine “Wind of Wanderings”, they followed in our footsteps, and even found “Kalmyk treasures”. These finds, as well as our previous travels along Saryarka, the Shunak Mountains, and the Mointy River, made it possible to reconstruct the route and some details of the Kalmyks’ passage across the Kazakh steppes in 1771...

KALMYK TREASURES
It turns out that Kazakh amateur archaeologists are also looking for traces of the past in the Kazakh steppes, and even find Kalmyk treasures. We know about two groups of search engines (it is possible that there are more). Both groups found copper coins on the banks of Balkhash, and one group found lead bullets in the upper reaches of the Mointa River.
They even sent us our “share” - a dozen Russian coins. All coins are copper, issued before 1769 inclusive, and were found in three places on the northwestern coast of Balkhash. These finds, we assume, mark the route of movement of the Kalmyks in June-July 1771 under the leadership of Ubashi. The coins were found on the very shore, at levels 343 m, 347 m, in places that were covered in the past with water and became shallow after the retreat of Balkhash, which is why they were preserved. This suggests that the Kalmyks threw coins into the water, apparently “for luck” or as a sacrifice to the spirit of the lake, and also that our assumptions about the high level of Balkhash in the past (~348–350 m) are confirmed.
Our colleagues in the search for traces of the past do not like to be called “black archaeologists.” One of them, under the nickname “Search Engine,” quite rightly wrote:
“We do not open graves or conduct searches at historical monuments. Our finds are “lost items” that were lost under various circumstances. The places where we are searching do not have any architectural structures or remains of buildings, we are looking in an open field, archaeologists will never go there for the sake of a dozen coins that have no historical value, and for us this is a hobby comparable to picking mushrooms or fishing. Of course, everyone has their own hobby: some fish with a fishing rod, some play football, and some travel through the Kazakh steppes in search of traces of the past. Another hundred years will pass, and those copper coins and iron arrowheads that we cannot find (we cannot save from corrosion) will turn into pieces of unidentified metal. For example, not long ago, on the shores of the Bay of Kashkanteniz, my friends found a cauldron with coins. The copper coins were so corroded that they turned into a solid piece of copper covered with a thick greenish crust. It had to be scrapped."

KAZAKHS VS KALMYKS. LAST FIGHT
It is known in Kazakh history that in the summer of 1771, the last battle with the Kalmyks in the 250-year Oirat-Kazakh confrontation took place on the Mointy River. The Kalmyks walked through the territory of Kazakhstan for six months and in June reached the upper reaches of the Mointa. Here they were met by a united Kazakh army led by Ablai Khan. Between the Otar and Shunak mountains and the Mointy River there is a relatively waterless valley. The Kazakhs, having occupied all the dominant heights, could control the entire area. There, in a “waterless and sandy” valley, the Kalmyks were forced to stop and fight. At first the battles went on with varying degrees of success. Then the army of Nuraly Khan approached, and the Kalmyks realized that they would not get rid of the Kazakhs so easily. But they did not crave bloodshed, since they were not going to fight the Kazakhs, but to go to the empty lands of the former Dzungaria in the Ili and Tarbagatai valleys. The leader of the Kalmyks, Ubashi, requested a respite and agreed to the return of prisoners and payment of tribute. And disputes began among the Kazakhs - what to do with the Kalmyks?
Opinions were divided. Ablai Khan was a supporter of the passage of the Kalmyks, and Nuraly Khan and some of the irreconcilable warriors thirsted for the blood of the eternal enemy. For three days, disputes and disagreements raged in the Kazakh camp. During the truce, the Kalmyks, just in case, began to exchange their belongings, armor, and weapons for Kazakh horses. Then, sensing that the protracted disputes among the Kazakhs would not end well for them, they decided to act. At night they lit fires and began to sing and dance, creating noise and distracting the Kazakh guards. Meanwhile, the main part of them, under the cover of darkness, quietly gathered and went around. After the departure of the Kalmyks, the coalition of Kazakh zhuzes disintegrated. Ablai Khan apparently convinced Nuraly Khan to stop the persecution. Only for some irreconcilable Kazakh warriors were the words of the khans not a decree. Their separate detachments continued the pursuit on their own.

The Kalmyks were divided into two parts. The Dzungars who were part of them, originally from Tarbagatai, under the leadership of Tanji Noyon, went east along the southern edge of Saryarka. The other part, led by Ubashi, went south to Ili. On both sides of the Mointy River there are two hills with the same name Karaulshoki. The slopes of both hills are full of mass graves. Apparently, the departing Kalmyks left barrage detachments on these hills, which, at the cost of the lives of suicide soldiers, delayed the pursuit of the Kazakhs. The northern group of Kalmyk-Dzungars, fleeing from the warriors of the Orta Zhuz, according to Kazakh legends, poisoned the water by throwing dead dogs into wells. As a result, several famous Kazakh warriors were poisoned and died: Bayan, Itkara, Zhantai... In the end, the Dzungars, having crossed Ayagoz, reached the Emel River, where they were met by advanced Chinese pickets.
Parallel to Mointy, another river flowed into Balkhash, flowing from the Shunak Mountains and flowing into the Kashkanteniz Bay. We saw its dry bed in the Shunak Mountains, and then found it under the name Ergentu on an old map from 1777 by the Russian cartographer Islenyev. By the way, it shows the Kazakh name of the lake - Tengiz and the Kalmyk name - Balkhash, and Mointy is designated as Moupty. From this map, as well as from other maps and numerous testimonies of travelers, it follows that Balkhash is still a Kalmyk (Oirat) name. The southern group of Kalmykovs could go to Balkhash only between the Ergentu and Mointy rivers. Their sites on Balkhash are recorded by finds of Russian coins at the mouths of these rivers on the shores of the Kashkanteniz and Saryshagan bays, at the mouth of the Kyzylespe River (near the Zhastar railway station), but then are lost in the sands of Taukum...
We, too, moving on our trusty tulpara from the Shunak Mountains, went to the place where the Mointy River emerges from the Ozenzhal Mountains onto the Balkhash Plain and flows to the south, separating Saryarka from Betpakdala. We stop at the Kiik railway station and leave our guide Vovchik there. Then the road leads south, past Mointy station, along the Mointy River. Here, 242 years ago, the Kalmyks moved along the Novala valley towards Balkhash...

SPIRIT OF BALKHASH-NOR
The Kalmyk leader Ubashi rode in the rearguard of the kosh. Beneath him was a black horse, several noyons were riding next to him, and a little ahead, on a shabby camel, sat the Bogdolam Dzhalchin. Another part of the Kalmyks, under the leadership of Noyon Sheren, moved to the right, along the Ergentu River. Ubashi wiped the sweat from his forehead with a silk scarf and, languishing with thirst, recalled the blue Volga and the white Yaik: “These are fertile places where grass could hide an adult ram, and there was enough water for people and cows, where our fishermen caught carp the weight of a lamb... And we have abandoned everything and are going unknown where, unknown where. Even in Naryn Sands the land is more fertile than here. How long does it take for the Khasagi to live here? It’s not for nothing that they are so angry and furious.”

Gradually the sultry air smelled of the approach of big water. The Moupty River, flowing to the left, has widened, turned yellow with clay soil and slowed its flow. Rare thickets of reeds appeared along the banks. Everything indicated that Balkhash-nor was already close. Suddenly, a cloud of dust appeared ahead, and after a while a young man sent from the vanguard in front jumped off his horse in front of Ubashi. He said that Balkhash was about ten miles away and the path ahead was clear. Ubashi knew about this even without him, but still threw him a pouch of tobacco for the good news. The news spread to other ends, and the whole crowd picked up speed.
About three hours later, the blue waters of Balkhash sparkled in the sun in the distance, and the Kalmyk Kosh, in a wide front from Moupta to Ergentu, came to the shore of the lake. Along the surface of the bay into which Moupty flowed, the east wind drove small waves, twisting and foaming the tops, as if a herd of sheep were swimming through the water. Dirty yellow river water, flowing into the bay, created bizarre stains of either yellowish or clean layers. Shouts of joy were heard among the women and children. And the warriors, seasoned in battles and adversity, stopped, tightly squeezing their sun-burnt lips, and only hope for the end of the hard journey shone in their eyes. The Kalmyks knelt down and disciplinedly waited for the command. Two young men - bandi - were the first to run into the water and, scooping clean water into a large cauldron, brought it to the bogdolam. But Jalchin did not drink it, but went into the water, folded his palms at his chest and read the mantra in Tibetan for purifying karma from all types of misfortunes. Having finished it, he shouted three times: “Om mane padme hum,” washed his face and drank Balkhash water from his folded palms. All the Kalmyks repeated the main Buddhist mantra after him, and the words “Om mane padme hum” echoed far over the shore. Only after this did the Kalmyks begin to fill their cauldrons with water. Ubashi also approached the water and tried to appease the spirit of the lake:
– Oh, these blessed waters of Balkhash-nor. You washed the Dzungar lands, you watered the Dzungar warriors and their horses, you saw my ancestors. Be favorable to me and my courageous people. Spirit of the lake, help us find a homeland on the former Dzungarian land and show us the path between the Khasags and Buruts. We will donate to you everything we have left.
He threw the remains of the arza out of the leather bottle-borkha into the water, and then took out a copper coin and threw it into the lake. The Noyons followed suit. Actually, he had prepared a Russian silver ruble for the victim in advance, but at the last moment a fit of greed forced him to pull out a nickel of the same size. Many ordinary Kalmyks also began to throw their coppers as a sacrifice to the spirit of the lake. Then preparations for parking began along the entire coast from bay to bay. Soon the smoke of the dung, mixed with the sour smell of arza and boiled meat, floated over the shore of Balkhash.

The stay near the lake lasted several days. The Kalmyks rested, watered their cattle, and they themselves drank arza and relaxed after a difficult six-month trek across the Kazakh steppes. It seemed that the hardest part was already behind us. Here it is, nearby, the native Dzungarian lake, and behind it the empty Dzungarian lands. They began to call the hospitable bay with yellow streaks from the Moupta River Shar-Tsagan/Yellow-White. Ubashi called the old Gelyung and asked for advice. The monk replied: “Just as a beautiful girl is never lonely, so rich pastures are never empty. Well, my advice is this: fear the Buruts more than the Khasags.” Gelyung's words alarmed Ubashi. After all, he had already reached an agreement with the Kazakhs, and the barrier detachment would detain the intractable warriors. Are the Buruts worse than the Kazakhs? And where did they come from? After a meeting with the noyons, Ubashi ordered the rest to end and get ready to set off.
Noyon Sheren suggested going through the Kuyel Karatau mountains, where he knew wonderful pasture places. But on the slopes of the Chu-Ili mountains and in the Sarybel valley they were met by the Burut Kirghiz. The Kalmyks did not engage in battle with them, but left the barrier detachment and turned to Ili, to the strip of water glistening in the east. But the spirit of the no longer Dzungarian Balkhash was not favorable to them. The strip of water turned out to be a huge bitter-salty puddle (Lake Itishpes), so that even the dogs did not drink this water, and the waterless Taukum desert stretched around... This is where the “berries” began for the Kalmyks, and Ubashi more than once regretted that he had saved the silver ruble . But even a gold piece thrown into the lake would not have helped the Kalmyks. The spirit of Balkhash has long ceased to be Dzungarian. Only the Dzungarian name reminded of the previous owners. And the ancient Turkic spirit of Tengiz Kol returned to the lake, and the Kalmyks were clearly superfluous here. For ten days they wandered through the desert, suffering from thirst and losing the remains of their livestock. Upon reaching the Kurty River they were again met by the Buruts. According to the Russian sinologist N. Bichurin, “the bloodthirsty and predatory Buruts tormented the poor Torgouts right up to the Chinese border.” Before the Chinese pickets on the Tamga River (the left tributary of the Ili, just east of Charyn), the last Kalmyks left by the end of August.

THE SPIRIT OF TENGIZ KOL
We drive south along the railway and the Mointa riverbed. The Ergentu River no longer exists, and Mointy is lost in the sands, in the place Sulyzher covered with reeds, not reaching Balkhash 20–25 km. A country road leads to the Saryshagan railway station on the shore of the bay of the same name. Having passed the station, we drive out onto a good asphalt road leading to Priozersk. Once it was the busy and crowded capital of the Saryshagan training ground, and now it is an ordinary and half-empty city on the shores of Balkhash. While it is still light, we drive up to the water, and from the huge stones on the shore of Saryshagan Bay we throw a coin into the lake to appease the spirit of Tengiz Kolya. After all, we will return to the lake more than once.

In the Ketchenerovsky region of Kalmykia, while excavating steppe mounds, archaeologists discovered rare burials dating back to the Early Bronze Age.

ON THIS TOPIC

As Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor of Kalmyk State University Petr Koltsov told Interfax, during excavations they discovered burials of the Catacomb culture of the Bronze Age and Yamnaya culture(2-3 thousand years BC).

Archaeological scientists from Saratov universities, as well as graduate and undergraduate students of Kalmyk University. In particular, archaeologists have discovered the burial of a master gunsmith"in a horseman's pose." His remains were covered with ocher. A whole set of tools and tips, as well as various workpieces, were found nearby.

"The uniqueness of the finds lies in the fact that they can be used trace the entire process of making primitive tools- from the first blow on a pebble to the finished product," the professor is confident. According to him, the mound groups near the villages of Shatta and Altsinkhuta will be continued. The Yamnaya culture dates back to approximately 3600-2300 BC. The Catacomb culture dates back to a later time - 2000-1500 BC. This archaeological culture of the Eneolithic - Early Bronze Age in the Caspian-Black Sea steppes occupied the territory from the Southern Urals to the Dniester and from the Ciscaucasia to the Middle Volga region.

The main feature of the Yamnaya culture- funerary monuments, burials under mounds. At the early stage of the Yamnaya culture, burials with skeletons lying on their backs and painted with ocher with their heads facing east were common. Then burials appear on their sides with their heads towards the west, and copper items appear.

We jumped out on the weekend and raced across the Kalmyk steppes in the morning. I’ll just say it’s sunny and warm near Stavropol. How surprised we were when we arrived at the place. It was cold, windy, but at least nothing fell on our heads. The places were so beautiful, there was no limit to our joy. And so it began. It turned out that during the night the earth had become so covered that the earth had turned to concrete. By lunchtime the weather cleared up, as can be seen from the photo. The earth had moved away, we walked around the village with the interesting name Akhnud, it seemed like there were some finds, but it was a little pleasant... and then unexpectedly. A car drives up to us and gets out of it, whoever you think... Mr. Comrade Major with a pestle and in uniform, the first time he saw the Uskoglazov policeman... He clearly explained to us that we are scaring the local residents and he is a local police officer here and he doesn’t need us here. To our question, what if we move to the next beam, he said, of course, move there, it’s not my plot. It’s beautiful. According to the findings, there are not enough photos for planting. A couple of pennies, one in the photo, the second with a stone finally. A dozen or two coins they sour in soap By the way, who understands them, one two-room car from 1902. In a word, adventure. I also forgot to mention about the riders on black kakunas with carbines behind them who jumped out of the darkness, it was scary. Kalmyks fly around the steppe like crazy... If you drive past a kashary, close the windows in the car .The dogs come up such that they don’t need to stand on their hind legs to look out the window.heh.so.

From the 7th century to the 9th century, on the territory of modern Kalmykia, the center of one of the early state formations of Eastern Europe - the Khazar Kaganate - was located. The masters of the Eastern European steppes over the next three centuries were the Pechenegs, Torques and Cumans. In the 13th century, the territory of the Volga-Don interfluve came under the rule of the Golden Horde, after the collapse of which the Nogai roamed here. The last wave to reach the Lower Volga steppes were the classic nomads of modern times - the Kalmyks or Oirats.

The ancestors of the Kalmyks are the Western Mongols-Oirats, immigrants from Central Asia and Western Mongolia. At the beginning of the 17th century, part of the Oirat rulers of the uluses (ulus is a territorial unit) moved to Russia. In 1608, their ambassadors were received by the Russian Tsar Vasily Shuisky, who gave a positive response to their request to accept Russian citizenship, allocate places for nomadism and protection from the Kazakh and Nogai khans. Gradually they settled in the lower reaches of the Volga, on the territory of the modern Republic of Kalmykia. Since 1664, there was a Kalmyk Khanate, which was liquidated in 1771, after part of the nomadic people, dissatisfied with the increasing oppression by the Russian government, made an unsuccessful attempt to return to their historical homeland. The lands were colonized by the Russian Empire and divided between the Astrakhan and Stavropol provinces. Kalmyks received autonomy only after the October Revolution of 1917.

Historical heritage

Modern economic activity on the territory of the Republic of Kalmykia threatens the safety of historical heritage monuments, so rescue archaeological excavations are being organized. Finds from steppe mounds allow us to explore the world of ancient nomads: to understand and imagine the way of life that nomadic tribes led in the distant past, to find out what religious ideas they had.

According to official data, there are about 200 thousand ancient mounds in the region (according to other sources, many times less - several tens of thousands), which are archaeological monuments of different eras, from the Bronze Age (V-IV millennium BC - end of the 2nd millennium AD .e.) until the Golden Horde time (second half of the 30s of the 13th century - mid-15th century). Burials of the Maykop culture are also found here (second quarter of the 4th millennium - second half of the 4th millennium - beginning of the 3rd millennium BC).

On the territory of Kalmykia there are 341 historical and cultural monuments, of which 51 are archaeological monuments. According to estimates, between 1929 and 1997, 3,885 burials and 1,289 mounds were excavated on the territory of the republic.

Research

The first period of studying archaeological monuments on the territory of the then Kalmyk Autonomous Region began in 1929 under the leadership of the director of the Lower Volga Regional Museum (Saratov), ​​professor of Saratov University P.S. Rykova. The archaeological and ethnographic expedition carried out reconnaissance work and excavations in the area of ​​the villages of Kalmytsky Bazar (now Privolzhsk, Astrakhan region), further, through Yashkul, to the then village of Elista, to Lake Khanata. These were the first archaeological finds and ethnographic objects collected during the expedition on the territory of Kalmykia. The exhibits are now stored in the funds of the Saratov Regional Museum of Local History. Works published following the excavations have also been preserved.

In 1932, in the newly proclaimed capital of the Kalmyk Autonomous Region, the city of Elista, the Historical and Ethnographic Museum of Kalmyks was created. Before the start of the Great Patriotic War, 124 mounds with 250 burials were examined, but none of the pre-war exhibits survived. Some of the items made of precious metals - 271 kg of gold and silver - were sent to the Defense Fund for melting down by order of the Soviet government. The remaining exhibits disappeared without a trace during the fascist occupation of Elista and during the years of deportation of the Kalmyk people.

The second stage of archaeological research began in the 60s of the 20th century. The city of Elista was slowly rebuilt after the destruction of the war, people were returning to normal life after the difficult stage of deportation. In the Kalmyk Republic, which again received autonomy status, along with the construction of schools and hospitals, a decision was made to organize the Kalmyk Local History Museum.

The revived republic was actively being built: the region needed a railway and a reservoir, so a large number of rescue archaeological expeditions were carried out in a short time. The first expeditions of the early 60s were organized by professor of the Kalmyk Institute of Language, Literature and History U.E. Erdniev, together with Saratov University professor I.V. Sinitsyn. During the second stage of archaeological research, 2192 burials were discovered. Human remains from the mounds were studied by scientific institutes in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Almost all the materials were published, the archaeological finds were transferred to the Kalmyk Museum of Local Lore, the Saratov Museum of Local History and the State Historical Museum, where they are kept to this day.

The third period of large-scale excavations dates back to 1977. Since that time, rescue expeditions have become almost annual. They were carried out in the zones of the “construction projects of the century”: KAROS - Kalmyk-Astrakhan rice irrigation system and KVCH - the Volga-Chogray canal, the Tengiz-Novorossiysk oil pipeline. During these studies, unique material was obtained. Field reports were submitted to the scientific archive of the Kalmyk Institute, and after 1992 - to the archive of the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow.

Currently, the National Museum of the Republic of Kalmykia named after. N.N. Palmova has 70 thousand storage units and occupies two buildings. The exhibition area of ​​the museum is more than 1500 square meters. m.

In 2008, a monograph by archaeologist, candidate of historical sciences, employee of KIGI RAS Maria Aleksandrovna Ochir-Goryaeva “Archaeological monuments of the Volga-Manych steppes” (a set of monuments studied in 1929-1997) was published, which is a unique reference book on archaeological research in Kalmykia.

Research by anthropologists, based on the study of bone material from Kalmykia, has made a significant contribution to expanding ideas about the racial type, ethnic differences, diseases and appearance of the ancient population of the Eurasian steppes. The Kalmyk steppes have still not lost their attractiveness for scientists. The introduction of modern computer research technologies into archeology, such as geographic information system methods, makes it possible to study monuments located at a considerable distance from each other, and with the help of navigation instruments, space and aerial photographs, it is possible to establish the most accurate geographical coordinates of objects and plot them on maps. New technologies make it possible to study archaeological sites on a larger scale and in depth, both geographically and chronologically.

Exhibits

In the Kalmyk Local Lore Museum named after Professor N.N. Palmova in the city of Elista houses several unique collections, including a collection of archaeological objects. For example, well-preserved clay vessels from the Bronze Age of the Catacomb culture (late 3rd millennium BC - mid 2nd millennium BC). Ceramics from burials of this time are distinguished by a wide variety of sizes, shapes and ornaments.

From necropolises of later times - items made of precious metals. Parts of harness were found in a burial near Yashul, which are real works of ancient jewelry art. Objects of bridles or entire sets of bridles discovered in burials of the Scythian-Sarmatian period (VI century BC - IV century AD) are considered by archaeologists as symbols of horses that accompanied the deceased to the afterlife to serve him there. In the life of nomads, a war horse was not just a riding animal. He played a key role in everyday life, and in mythology and religious beliefs he was one of the main characters.

The museum contains unique women's gold pendants with garnet inserts, found in a rich women's late Sarmatian (late 1st century - 4th century AD) burial in the town of Arshan Zelmen, in a box with other jewelry.

The Kalmyk Museum of Local Lore also contains three stone statues and fragments of two incompletely preserved statues from Polovtsian burials. In archeology, the name “Stone Women” was assigned to them, as they were called in Russian chronicles (from the Turkic word “babai” - ancestor). They were symbols of ancestors; ceremonies were held around them dedicated to the ancestors of a clan or even an entire tribe. They were built on any elevated places, including, of course, on mounds. From the stone sculptures one can judge the anthropological type of the Polovtsians. “Stone Women” are excellent examples of Polovtsian costume, jewelry, and weapons.

At the National Museum of the Republic of Kalmykia you can learn the complete history of the Kalmyk people. Rich ethnographic material is collected here, a collection of Buddhist religious objects is exhibited, and modern fine art of Kalmykia is presented.

Posted Sat, 08/07/2017 - 08:40 by Cap

The Kalmyk Republic is located next to desert lands located in the Astrakhan region, as well as fields in the Stavropol region. If we look at a map of the country, its outline looks like a horse rearing up. This is a kind of symbol of the nomadic peoples living on the territory of the republic, who have been accustomed to the saddle for a long time.

If we talk about the natural monuments of the republic in question, we cannot fail to mention the Sarpinsky lakes, which once arose from the oxbow lakes of the Volga River. Sarpa and Tsatsu are considered to be the largest, but they are filled to the full only in the spring, and they can often be seen drying up in the summer, in the heat. Notable are the Baer mounds, which are located in the steppe.

The Caspian lowland is famous for its elongated hills that have a regular, uniform shape. Kalmykia, whose attractions are quite diverse, is also known for the Yalshata salt lake. The mud from this reservoir is healing and superior in its properties to other similar ones, despite the fact that they are even more famous.

The capital of the republic is a modern city where traditions are not forgotten. Arriving here, you can feel the atmosphere that speaks of what Kalmykia is like. The sights of Elista are associated with famous people who lived there, as well as the religious and cultural life of the region. In addition, the Stupa of Enlightenment is considered famous. This is a religious Buddhist building with many relics of the region that are valued by Buddhists.

UFOs roam the skies of Kalmykia
In December, unidentified flying objects began to actively plow the sky over Elista, the capital of Kalmykia, the ex-head of which, by his own admission, once already communicated with humanoids in yellow spacesuits, after which he urged the public not to be shy about talking about aliens.

In December, hundreds of city residents observed the appearance of a UFO every ten days. The last phenomenon on the 22nd was noticed in several microdistricts at once: from approximately 15 to 19 hours, two luminous concentric circles were seen in the sky. The inner circle rotated clockwise, the outer circle rotated counterclockwise. And before that, some observed a triangular object from which rays of light emanated.

Both events were captured on video camera. The footage was shown on local television. Journalists commented that these could be completely terrestrial physical phenomena, but promised to “work through all versions” and report the results in future news releases.

Many residents of the Kalmyk capital took such miracles quite seriously, even such a serious official, distinguished by a realistic view of the world, as the press secretary of the head of the republic Buyancha Galzanov, the publication notes.

The former head of the republic, Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, received the news of the appearance of a UFO over Elista without surprise. He expressed confidence that such cases will be recorded even more often and not only in Kalmykia. “They’re popping up everywhere now. UFOs are seen both near Moscow and in other places. Every year NASA records more than four thousand cases of UFO sightings. It is no coincidence that the UN introduced the post of ambassador for relations with extraterrestrials,” said the President of the International Chess Federation (FIDE).

He is confident that the current belief in aliens is no less natural for people than several thousand years ago - belief in gods and supernatural forces. At the same time, Ilyumzhinov regards disbelief in aliens as a manifestation of human pride and selfishness. “The aliens told me: “You people have not made any contribution to the development of civilization, you eat your own kind.” Isn’t this a manifestation of madness - there are people like you?” - the newspaper quotes him.

Scientists cannot yet give clear explanations for what is happening and give extremely cautious comments. The head of the department of theoretical physics at Kalmyk State University, Badma Mikhalyaev, in an interview with republican television, did not rule out the possibility of the existence of alien intelligence, although he did not see its unambiguous manifestation in the luminous circles.

Meanwhile, ufologists began to successfully fill the void of scientific explanations. Well-known UFO researcher in the Lower Volga region Gennady Belimov noted that the mysterious episode recorded in December over Elista is not the only UFO phenomenon in the Lower Volga region over the past few days.

Thus, a resident of the city of Volzhsky in the Volgograd region told a ufologist that on the evening of December 20 she observed a “rainbow ribbon” around the Moon. Her words were confirmed by other witnesses. According to their stories, the phenomenon lasted about 30 minutes.

Let us recall that Ilyumzhinov, while still the head of Kalmykia, spoke about the details of his meeting with aliens in a television interview with Vladimir Pozner this spring. According to him, on the evening of September 18, 1997, he came to his Moscow apartment, read a book, watched TV, was already falling asleep, but then he felt that the balcony had opened and someone was calling.

When Ilyumzhinov approached the balcony, he saw a translucent pipe there and entered it. Inside were people in yellow spacesuits. Communication with humanoids took place at the level of thought, “because there was not enough oxygen.” The aliens turned out to be friendly, gave a tour of the ship and released the Kalmyk leader. They stated that they were not yet ready to meet the rest of humanity, so they did not come into direct contact.

A few days after this interview aired, State Duma deputy Andrei Lebedev (LDPR) sent an appeal to the President of Russia with a request to look into the contacts of the head of Kalmykia. Lebedev became worried that Ilyumzhinov was hiding something and actually gave “secret information” to the humanoids, and did not just walk around their ship. (“Nevs”).

Kirsan Ilyumzhinov and aliens

The presidents of the republics that emerged in the post-Soviet space do not really like to talk about their attitude to the topic of aliens and UFOs. The only exception is the President of Kalmykia, Kirsan Nikolaevich Ilyumzhinov. On July 22, 2001, in the “Face to Face” program of Radio Liberty, Ilyumzhinov made a sensational confession. Three journalists interviewed the president: program presenter Karen Agamirov, Moscow correspondent for the Danish newspaper Jutland Posten Fleming Rose and Ilya Kolosov from the TVC channel. I will quote the fragment of interest to us in full:

Fleming Rose: Would you fly into space?

Kirsan Ilyumzhinov: We have a planet, and Ostap Bender had an idea to hold intergalactic competitions, but, to be honest, now there is no time - to go into space. I flew once already, in September or October 1997. It happened before. Well, once is enough. True, not with our Russian spaceships, but with aliens. Once they took me into space.

Fleming Rose: Who took it?

Kirsan Ilyumzhinov: Well, they flew in on a plate, took me away, and then I was in space for a day.

Karen Agamirov: Did you write about this?

Kirsan Ilyumzhinov: No, I haven’t written yet. Well, I think they just took him for a crazy person. When the time comes, we'll write.

Ilya Kolosov: PR campaign or are you telling the truth?

Kirsan Ilyumzhinov: No. I think that maybe my book will be published this year, and there, perhaps, I will describe this moment. Maybe I was sleeping, maybe I wasn’t sleeping... We’re having a frank conversation. I say, people fly in their dreams, and I flew, I was in space, and I described everything as if in reality, everything is clear that I saw there.

Kirsan Ilyumzhinov: From my apartment... They flew in and took me away. They were in yellow spacesuits. I remember such a moment: we entered the spaceship, and there was not enough air and oxygen. They also gave me a spacesuit, and I didn’t have time to think that there wasn’t enough air, but a comrade - I don’t know what to call him - the alien pointed to his chest: twist it a little here, well, adjust the oxygen. Adjusted. And what’s most interesting is that they didn’t seem to notice me. I didn’t understand why they took me. That is, they didn’t specifically take us around the spaceship, they showed it there. The ship was huge. There, one of the cabins was the size of a large football field. There were portholes. And we landed on one of the planets and took some equipment. And everything was told to me in detail, explained by those who drove me, the captain of the ship or whoever. I remember that I asked to be returned to Earth as quickly as possible. Why? Because in two days I was supposed to spend a week of youth self-government in Kalmykia, and I made this request several times. But then they brought me back, and then everything was fine.

Fleming Rose: What year was this?

Kirsan Ilyumzhinov: This was in 1997, at the end of September.

Karen Agamirov: Who are the aliens? What did they look like?

Kirsan Ilyumzhinov: Well, as people - this is how they looked.

Karen Agamirov: Healthy, two meters long, as they are often described?

Kirsan Ilyumzhinov: No. Don't take me as a schizophrenic. I'm just saying I saw them. The way we communicate is normal, that’s what I saw. And then I laid it out. Two of my assistants noticed this: where did you go? It was in the evening. My body left and then came back. But I described everything, and my two assistants noticed my absence.

Karen Agamirov: But in fact, there is nothing so strange here. It's not you alone. You're not the first to talk about this. Did they give you any parting words? Programmed for further?

Kirsan Ilyumzhinov: No. Nothing. I still didn’t understand, then I walked around for several days and thought: why did they take me? And I scolded myself for not asking them questions... But maybe it’s not yet time for these extraterrestrial civilizations to meet. By the way, in my book I answer the question of whether we need to meet now, I think it’s not necessary. Morally, we have not yet reached the level where we can meet with these civilizations, with aliens...

On April 26, 2010, when the host of Channel One Vladimir Pozner asked Kirsan Ilyumzhinov in his program:

I have never met a person who himself said that he had been on an interplanetary alien ship. Did this really happen?

Seriously, yes, it was,” answered the head of the Republic of Kalmykia. And he briefly told his amazing story about the first and last contact with representatives of extraterrestrial civilization, which happened in Moscow in his apartment on Leontyevsky Lane.

Were there any repetitions? - Posner clarified.

There were no repetitions,” Ilyumzhinov assured.

The historical meeting took place late in the evening of September 18, 1997, when Kirsan Nikolaevich was going to bed after reading a book and watching TV. And suddenly he noticed that the balcony door had opened. Came out. And there is a translucent pipe stretching to the balcony. In the pipe are aliens in yellow spacesuits. Name: The Kalmyk leader flew away with them. On an alien ship, of course.

For some reason, Vladimir Pozner’s broadcast of these downright sensational memoirs by Kirsan Ilyumzhinov did not immediately shock the civilized world. And a few days later. And only after the State Duma deputy from the LDPR, Andrei Lebedev, drew attention to the revelation contained in it. He sent a deputy letter directly to the President of the Russian Federation, where he expressed concern that the head of the Republic of Kalmykia, being the bearer of secret information, could blurt it out to representatives of an extraterrestrial civilization.

After such a “presentation” the Western press has already exploded. I appreciated the sensation. Hundreds of newspapers around the world have recognized that the communication of the President of the Republic with aliens is a unique case. But no one understood why he told about this. And in Russia, there will probably be people who will think: “A strange act for the head of a subject of the Federation.”

Posner asked, I answered, Ilyumzhinov explained his behavior.

People close to ufology are, of course, aware: this is not the first time that the Kalmyk leader talks about his contact with aliens. And they no longer shake with delight. Moreover, he does not say anything new. Not everyone knows that Kirsan Nikolaevich first revealed the miracle of revelation on July 22, 2001, speaking on Radio Liberty.

And no one then, excuse me, pulled his tongue with a leading question. He himself, talking about chess prospects, suddenly complained: “Ostap Bender had an idea to hold intergalactic competitions, but, frankly speaking, now there is no time - to go into space. I have already flown once... True, not with our Russian spaceships, but with aliens. Once they took me into space.”

Who took it? - asked the presenter.

Well, they flew in on a “plate”, took me away, and then I was in space for a day,” Ilyumzhinov clarified.

At the time of his speech, Kirsan Nikolaevich was already the current president of Kalmykia, elections for the next term were only a year later. He has been FIDE President for 6 years now. And he doesn’t want to go anywhere else. That is, an unexpected and strange revelation is by no means PR. So it's an obsessive thought.

When asked what the aliens looked like, Ilyumzhinov, slightly excited and feeling distrust on the part of the presenters, replied:

Well, like people. This is what they looked like.

Healthy, 2 meters? How are they often described? - asked him to clarify.

Not really. Don't take me as a schizophrenic. I'm just saying I saw them. The way we communicate is normal, that’s what I saw.

Did they give you any parting words? Programmed for further?

No,” answered Ilyumzhinov. - Nothing... I still didn’t understand... Then I walked around for several days and thought: “Why did they take me?” And I scolded myself for not asking them questions... But maybe it’s not time yet for these extraterrestrial civilizations to meet... And do we really need to meet now? I don't think it's necessary. Morally, we have not yet reached the level where we can meet with these civilizations, with aliens.

What is Ilyumzhinov’s opinion of Putin? “A strong politician and a strong president,” said the head of FIDE, noting that he has known Putin since 1993. “Perhaps Russia needs a strong president like this, because he knows what he wants to do.” Ilyumzhinov added that he would like to meet with Putin “to inform him about my visit to Dharamsala and discuss the idea of ​​inviting the Dalai Lama to Russia.” China objects to the Dalai Lama's visits, he recalled.

“Has anyone in the Russian government ever tried to get you not to talk about your encounter with aliens?” - asked the journalist.

"No. In September 1997, when I had an alien encounter, I informed President Yeltsin, but he was not interested. There has been no reaction since 1997,” Ilyumzhinov said.

"I am not crazy. I'm a chess player. I have a normal brain,” he added.

Let us recall that at the beginning of 2010, Ilyumzhinov told the public about his meeting with aliens and about visiting their ship. And in December, television channels and officials reported mass UFO sightings in Elista.

Ilyumzhinov accepted this fact without surprise. “These aliens didn’t come to me. They are appearing everywhere now. UFOs are seen near Moscow and in other places. Every year NASA records more than 4 thousand cases of UFO sightings. It is no coincidence that the UN introduced the post of ambassador for relations with extraterrestrials,” Ilyumzhinov said.

In his opinion, disbelief in aliens is a manifestation of human pride. “Humanity is selfish, it believes that it has a monopoly on reason. Although there are 200 million stars in our galaxy alone... The aliens told me: “You people have not made any contribution to the development of civilization, you eat your own kind. Isn’t this a manifestation of madness - there are people like you?” Ilyumzhinov expressed confidence that cases of UFO sightings will be recorded even more often and not only in Kalmykia.

Buddhism and Mysticism

This material was compiled on the basis of conversations with Candidate of Historical Sciences, Associate Professor of RUDN University Batr Kitinov

Religion presupposes mysticism, embodied in crude and ugly forms. What remains of Buddhism if mysticism is eliminated?

It should be noted that in Buddhism, mysticism and supernatural abilities are given appropriate attention. True, I call the mentioned qualities concepts that actually carry a different meaning in Buddhism, but so be it. There is even such a concept as “riddhi” - these are special powers and abilities that can be obtained through mystical trance and meditative exercises.

True, the Buddha himself spoke negatively about such abilities. He said: “Since I see danger in the practice of these mystical miracles, they disgust me and disgust me - I am ashamed of them.” But this does not mean that Buddha was their opponent and forbade such “tricks”. Here, you see, the matter is roughly in the same vein as is sometimes noted, saying that Buddha was against the caste system. This is wrong. Buddha said that castes and Varnas are not a decision of the gods or some higher powers, but an invention of people.

We must understand that the point here is different: Buddha, as an all-seeing and enlightened man, understood that for others to achieve the same, mysticism and magic would most likely turn out to be obstacles, deceptive illusions, that through them people would believe in their power and again find themselves in a deceptive mirage “ of the present", the heavenly world.

In addition, we must not forget that Buddhism emerged and grew in the East - a region of the world where mysticism and special abilities had traditional roots in the distant past. Fakirism, transvestism and the like - all this was in service with shamans, sorcerers, and magicians. Be that as it may, it must be admitted that in this way certain abilities of the human body developed. Another thing is that they did not contribute to enlightenment.

Therefore, we can say that when we begin to talk about the need for the “purity” of Buddhism and, in particular, getting rid of mysticism and other things, we simply find ourselves in a situation where we so easily abandon an objective approach to various manifestations of Buddhism. We abandon his historical past, the paths through which he reached us, the achievements of our ancestors and those who reached spiritual heights on the path to enlightenment.

How do you explain the phenomenon of the incorruptible body of Hambo Lama Itigelov? Are there similar examples of Buddhist feats in Tibet?

The phenomenon of Pandito Hambo Lama Itigelov is not an isolated case. In a similar way, people went to Nirvana both in former times and today in different places where they practiced certain forms of Tantric Buddhism. Another thing is that the methods themselves could be different. So, when in the late 80s. last century, the Mentor of the King of Bhutan died - a huge lama (Druk Kagyu tradition), two meters tall and weighing more than 100 kg; during his transformation into the rainbow business, he first literally shrank in half, which is in no way explainable by the laws of physics, and then disappeared completely, leaving only his hair and nails. Or the case of the venerable Kushok Bakula Rinpoche, known to all of us, whose reincarnation was found about a year ago. This Rinpoche, when he was cremated in Ladakh, showed a rainbow in the clear sky, and before that it snowed over the cremation site.

These cases show, in my opinion, only one thing - human possibilities are truly limitless, they must be comprehended, they must be admired, but one cannot rely on them as guidelines on the path to enlightenment. Unfortunately, it sometimes happens that careless clergy, or their activists and sympathizers, try to use such examples to show the “strength” and “possibilities” of Buddhism, thereby stepping on the shaky path of proselytism and fake Buddhism.

They do not understand that the result may thus be the opposite - after all, there will always be thinking people who will find the Buddha’s opinion on this matter and begin to talk about previous figures - about the same Badme Bovaev, for example.

A dispute will flare up, which in reality will go very far from the goal, namely, from realizing the importance of enlightenment itself, and finding ways. We too often and completely unnecessarily get stuck on things and concepts that either we really don’t understand or we mistakenly take them to be basic. Individual cult figures who do not notice the “forest for the tree”, that is, are carried away by a one-sided approach to what actually requires an in-depth assessment, also add fuel to the fire.

After all, the main thing in Buddhism is logic, anthology, and knowledge. “Where there is no logic, there is no truth,” says the Dalai Lama. Achieving enlightenment and nirvana - these peaks are so illogical, so unconnected with earthly existence, so individual that one can only talk about them conditionally.

This moment is so fundamental and principled, so unique that it allowed the great Nagarjuna to issue his paradoxical saying: “Nirvana is Samsara, and Samsara is Nirvana.” Actually, for those who achieve enlightenment, the Buddha’s teaching itself becomes the same relative thing, an idea. Buddha himself said that an enlightened person should renounce dharma, especially non-dharma, since “on the other side of the Ocean” everything known here becomes redundant and unnecessary. The Buddha's teaching in this case was a raft, which, after use, should be left on the shore - you will no longer need it.

What is the meaning of the contradictions between the conservative and renovationist parts of the clergy, which intensified after the spiritual congress of 1920 and the all-Kalmyk congress?

As for renovationism, I don’t know much about it. This is a special topic, extremely specific. We must begin with the fact that the renovationist movement took place in Kalmykia, Tibet, Mongolia, and Buryatia - and almost simultaneously. To what extent these or other figures of Tibetan Buddhism influenced this, what was the root meaning of this movement of reformers, and similar questions are probably still awaiting their researchers.

I would like to make a reservation once again that I am not particularly knowledgeable here. I can note that among the Kalmyks, since the end of the 19th century, there has been a struggle between renovationists and traditionalists. The former recognized the authority of early traditions, the latter relied primarily on the authority of the Dalai Lama. The latter managed, in particular, to open the choyorya (although initially it was the initiative of the Dalai Lama).

However, where is the beginning and end of Buddha’s Buddhism, where should “perversions”, etc. (?) be counted from, and what is “perversion” itself? All this is extremely relative. Therefore, let's approach such questions from the position of the Buddha - how important are such questions for you? How related are they to your desire to achieve enlightenment? Or is this just training for memory and brains?

We must remember that not only Tibetan Buddhism, but all of Mahayana Buddhism grew up on Tantra (for many this is a synonym for mystical abilities). But it is Tibetan Buddhism that is considered by many practitioners of this religion to be the main teaching that has preserved the teachings of the Buddha in maximum purity.

And we should be grateful to the country of mountains, its outstanding figures, who, in prayers and deeds for the positive karma of people, all humanity and all living beings, always remember our people, gratefully telling their followers and descendants about the extraordinary “sog-po” - that is, about us, about the Kalmyks. In such situations and processes, is it necessary to try to identify “malicious” mysticism, being limited in knowledge about Buddhism, and generally not setting the goal of achieving Nirvana? In my opinion, this approach is not the approach of a Buddhist. (Gerel Burkhanova).

Golden Abode of Buddha Shakyamuni in Kalmykia

Although Buddhism is traditionally associated with China, Kalmykia is also a highly revered place among Buddhists around the world. Not all, of course, but only some places, among which the golden abode of Shakyamuni Buddha is rightfully dominant.

Although, compared to many other architectural structures that we have written about, the monastery is still very, very young. We can say that during its construction, one cult was replaced by another - the golden monastery was built on Lenin Street (a former reinforced concrete products plant) in the capital of the Republic of Kalmykia, Elista.

The Buddhist temple in Kalmykia (also known as khurul) is famous primarily for its golden statue of Buddha, which is the tallest not only in Russia, but also in Europe; only Chinese statues surpass it in height. In beauty it can probably only be compared with the statue of Zeus, which was one of the wonders of the world (it’s impossible to check now). And in general it is believed that it is here that “the presence of his Dalai Lama is invisibly felt.” The 16th Dalai Lama himself, the spiritual leader of Buddhists, visited Kalmykia in 2004 and gave his blessing for the construction of the temple, and in 2005 the golden abode of Buddha Shakyamuni was opened to Buddhists around the world.

The Golden Abode of Buddha Shakyamuni is a seven-story mandala-shaped structure surrounded by 17 pagodas. The building is crowned with a golden roof, which, thanks to the 63-meter height of the building, is visible from anywhere in the city, and the roof is also decorated with singing winds - bells, which not only scare away evil spirits, but also pacify anyone who walks nearby.

At the main entrance there is a statue of a white elder, and near the pagodas there are statues of teachers of the Nalanda monastery, which used to be one of the main temples and educational centers of the Buddhist religion, and is now a historical monument. The white elder is a Mongolian spirit, which is a symbol of fertility, prosperity and longevity. It is believed that the white elder met with Shakyamuni Buddha, to whom he introduced himself as a character counting human sins.

The Golden Abode of Buddha Shakyamuni is not only a temple, but a building with quite a large number of functions - on its first floor there is a library (which contains multi-volume publications on the history and modernity of Buddhism, which are real rarities) and a museum, and a conference room for meetings. The museum regularly hosts exhibitions dedicated to the history of Buddhism, and here, in a glass pagoda, the robe of the Dalai Lama is kept, which is one of the shrines considered by Buddhists all over the world; there is a unique collection of masks of deities of the Buddhist pantheon, which were collected all over the world.

The second hall contains the main pearl of the building - the statue itself, which is 9 meters high, covered on the outside with gold leaf, and inside containing various jewelry, however, more of a spiritual than material nature, so there is no point in cleaving it: incense, cereals, earth and much more . However, the statue itself is decorated with diamonds. There is also an altar to which you can bring flowers, make an offering of water, or burn oil or other incense.

On the third floor there is a center for individual consultations, which is conducted by various specialists and students - doctors (though we are talking about alternative medicine - from aromatherapy to acupuncture), astrologers and monks. In addition, yoga classes are held in these rooms, and Tibetan language courses are free to attend. On the next floor is the residence of the head of Kalmyk Buddhists, on the fifth there are utility rooms. Even higher is the residence of the Dalai Lama, and even higher, on the seventh floor, there are rooms closed to ordinary visitors - meditation takes place there.

The Golden Buddha Abode has its own strict schedule. The day begins with a prayer service for the well-being of all people, and prayer services are also held according to the schedule of the lunar calendar. Visitors must observe not only cleanliness on the territory of the golden abode of Buddha (do not smoke, do not litter), but also purity of soul (do not think badly about anyone here, get rid of negative emotions and indulge only in the brightest thoughts).

It should be noted that the Golden Abode of Buddha on the eve of the crazy December 21 was considered one of the few places in which the chosen ones would find salvation from the end of the world, so many impressionable and simply curious people flocked here.

However, both the Dalai Lama and the leaders of the monastery assured believers of all religions that the end of the world should be understood in the spiritual, and not in the literal sense (and certainly not in the supposedly announced by an unknown Tibetan monk turning off electricity and stopping the movement of electromagnetic waves). And you can also seek spiritual refuge in the golden abode of Buddha. (Anastasia Berseneva, Ksenia Krzhizhanovskaya).

Place of power: In Kalmykia, a lonely poplar is considered a shrine

Every resident of the Buddhist republic knows the way to the lonely poplar that grows in the steppes of Kalmykia. This tree is a local shrine, a landmark, a natural phenomenon.

In Kalmykia, every tree counts,” Arslang Sanjiev, a resident of Elista, tells Metro. - It’s dry in the steppes, and our so-called forest belt causes a skeptical smile among residents of other regions: frail, crooked trees planted along the roads are the only thing we can boast about. And a lonely poplar is in the steppe, far from roads, and its trunk cannot be grasped by three people. This place is special for us.

According to legend, this poplar was planted by a Buddhist monk in the mid-19th century. He brought the seeds from Tibet, where he made a pilgrimage. The monk put the seeds in a traveling staff and buried them at the highest point of the hill in the steppe. Soon a poplar sprout sprang up in this place. Unlike other Kalmyk trees, the poplar turned into a gigantic tree with spreading branches casting a thick shadow.

It is difficult to find shady places in the steppes of Kalmykia, continues Arslang. - And many who traveled on horseback stopped here to rest. They read mantras and asked the deities for something of their own. And then these requests were somehow fulfilled. As a result, the lone poplar began to be revered as a shrine in Kalmykia.

Later, not far from the sacred tree, a cascade of springs was discovered - a rarity in arid Kalmykia. The springs here are salty. But people still drank this water and... quenched their thirst.

Not only did they not want to drink, many began to notice that this water heals wounds and also has a beneficial effect on the stomach. Later, already in the Soviet years, this water was officially recognized as medicinal.

Resident of Elista Vladimir Karuev in Kalmykia is considered almost the same landmark as a lonely poplar. In the Buddhist republic he is called dzhangarchi, which translated from Kalmyk means “performer of the Kalmyk epic.” Vladimir has mastered the technique of throat singing and now performs in concerts all over the world.

But I sing best in the Kalmyk steppe,” says Vladimir. “You won’t find such space anywhere in the world.” Until I was 33, I didn’t suspect any talent in myself. And then the White Elder, the patron saint of the Kalmyk people, came to me in a dream. “I noticed you when you were still in ninth grade,” said the sage. “And now your life will change.” I woke up and began to remember what happened to me 18 years ago. And I remembered. At that time, I unexpectedly began to read the folk epic “Dzhangar” avidly, and learned three tales by heart. During class, I held out my hand for a long time, and I was called to the board. I started to read, but the teacher cut me off mid-sentence. “Well done, you learned well,” she said. “Sit down, five.” But if she had allowed me to speak out then, and not stopped me, maybe this gift would have been revealed earlier?

Vladimir mastered the technique of throat singing and learned to play the folk instrument - khuur. The first experiments were carried out in the steppe, including under a lonely poplar.

There my destiny was revealed: I must tell people about what happened before us. A lonely poplar is asked for different things: health, happiness, but most often they ask for enlightenment. It opened up to me. By the age of 30, I was disillusioned with life and was close to suicide.

And that dream with the White Elder, the lonely poplar, the Kalmyk steppes saved me. Throat singing is almost ventriloquism, something that shamans are famous for. But the Kalmyk epic also tells about what happened before the emergence of all religions. Throat singing is the horse, words are the rider. When they get along with each other, something special happens inside and around you.

And if in Kalmykia and Mongolia they can understand the meaning of the words, then in other countries - in Europe or Latin America - no one knows what I sing about. But everyone listens with bated breath. Then the audience admits that they felt goosebumps running down their skin. When I perform, I give away energy. Returning home, I go to a lonely poplar tree for new strength, asking for enlightenment. I take out my khuur and sing. Here, in the steppe, the words-riders again mount a faithful horse and gallop across the steppe far, far away, towards the horizon, to return to me full of strength. (“Metro News”).

Anomalous zone Elista - Yashkul highway
The Elista-Yashkul highway is an anomalous zone, especially as I approach closer to Yashkul.

You will recognize the place by the monuments that line the sides of the route. In the same place, I have already lost two loved ones. The most interesting thing is that there used to be another road, Elista - Yashkul, built back in the days when smart people discussed these issues with old people.

And it is precisely this that, in some places, moves far away from the ruined places where people die most of all. But driving such a road, of course, is not profitable, it is too long and endlessly curved, and there is almost no asphalt anymore.

But realistically, I can tell you a lot about this route, but I don’t want to create horror, especially since I’m not a witness myself. Now, if only one lama would bother to come and consecrate these places.

Otherwise they only create communities, build all sorts of mandalas at the expense of people’s donations, but they cannot really help with the problem. And people are still dying, recently five young people from 83 to 87, mostly young beautiful girls, died, and there was a guy there whose wedding was soon to take place. Here's some horror for you, but it's completely uninteresting and sad.

The main thing is not to drive on this highway at night. And my dad also rode on Yusta, but our route will be scarier. (Gilyana Darsaeva).

The salt lake with the unusual name Manych-Gudilo is located on the territory of the Rostov region, Kalmykia, and Stavropol Territory. It was once part of a huge sea, which disappeared as a result of various disasters, leaving behind only small bodies of water.

This lake has always been unstable - both in terms of the water level (in dry years it served as both a pedestrian road and a highway), and in terms of the level of salt contained in it (depending on the volume of fresh water flowing into it), which, by the way, exceeds the level salts in the Black Sea. Now the water level in the lake is gradually falling, which leads to the unification of the islands with the coastline. But biologists hope that this will not negatively affect the wonderful world of Manych-Gudilo.

First of all, Lake Manych-Gudilo is unique for its fauna, which lives mainly on its two islands. For example, on Vodny Island live wild horses - one of the few herds preserved in Russia, the origin of which is quite difficult to explain.

According to one version, because of the special “Texan” landscapes, the island was chosen for filming a western, but unprepared movie horses got scared of the shots and ran away to the island; according to another, they were left over from an abandoned livestock farm, and only then multiplied. Another version, an exotic one, says that the treasures of the Mongol Khan are kept on the island, and horses guard them.

Bird Island shelters, as you might guess, feathered guests - herons, pelicans, seagulls and other species, including rare ones. Lake Manych-Gudilo not only serves as a shelter for them, but also contributes to the conservation of a number of rare birds, therefore it belongs to the category of natural reserves, or rather, it even contains a whole complex of reserves. On the islands and shores of the lake you can also find a very rare guest in our area - tumbleweeds.

However, for fishermen, for example, this is not such an interesting place, since the lake is inhabited only by needlefish and smelt, and also by some species adapted to survive in salt water. The bester fish also lives here, a hybrid of beluga and sterlet, which during the Great Patriotic War became the main bread of local villages.

But hunters take advantage of the fact that such a bird kingdom gathers here - however, licenses are issued only for shooting species that are not protected, and in strictly limited quantities. But if you are not a fisherman or a hunter, then you are recommended to take a trip to the “Rostov” reserve near the lake in the spring - tulips begin to bloom in the steppes, and this spectacle is truly mesmerizing.

Among other things, tourists visiting Lake Manych-Gudilo are traditionally interested in the question: where did it get its name? But the answer is simple - the word “Manych” in Tatar means “salty,” which is easy to verify by tasting a drop of water from the lake. But the “humming” part... In fact, the lake is “humming” and not splashing like usual, but the reasons for this are not clearly stated.

Some believe that the very prominent coastline causes the wind to make such strange sounds, and there is a version according to which, at the bottom of the lake, gaps periodically open, into which water flows with a humming sound. The origin of sound is also attributed to birds.

Whatever you say, the surroundings of Lake Manych-Gudilo are very unusual and beautiful - wild nature in all its glory, so you are guaranteed to enjoy the trip. (Anastasia Berseneva, Ksenia Krzhizhanovskaya).

COSMOGONIC VIEWS OF THE KALMYKS

Many natural biological and social patterns were a mystery to ancient people. But nevertheless, they tried in their own way to explain everything that surrounded them and had a certain impact on them. In this regard, the cosmogonic legends of the Kalmyks are of great interest.

According to the ancient beliefs of the Kalmyk ancestors, the Earth rests on a frog. When she croaks, the earth shakes - this explains the phenomenon of an earthquake. The Oirat-Kalmyks associated the origin of thunder and lightning with the dragon Lu. All winter it stays in the water, and in the spring the monster flies into the air, and evil spirits begin to ride it there. When the rider, the hellish messenger, lashes him with a whip, the dragon opens its mouth, gnashes its teeth, and lightning flashes. And when Lou roars in pain, thunder is heard (according to another version, the roar is produced by the stomping of his many feet). In Buryat mythology, all celestial phenomena, primarily thunder and lightning, are controlled by Khukhedei Mergen, in Greek - Zeus (the supreme god of the Greeks), in Russian mythology - the thunderer Elijah the Prophet.

Astral, solar and lunar myths and legends are very common in world folklore. There are many of them in Kalmyk oral folk art. The heavenly bodies played a big role in the nomadic life of the Oirat-Kalmyks. By the location of the sun, moon and stars in the sky, people found their way around the area, on the road, and determined the time. The area of ​​folklore associated with the stars has not yet been studied. Kalmyk cosmonyms (names of stars and constellations) reflect the motifs of pan-Mongolian astral mythology. For example, the name of the Polar Star - Altn hasn (Golden Stake) - reflects the ancient idea of ​​​​the stationary center of the sky around which the Universe revolves. Venus is called Tsolvts or Tsolmn (among the Mongols - Tsolmon, among the Buryats - Solbon), appears in Kalmyk mythology in the form of the morning star. According to popular beliefs, the productive force is concentrated in Tsolvts, and a woman’s prayer addressed to this star contributed to childbearing. For Tsolvts, the connection with horses is specific. The Oirat-Kalmyks call him “the bangs of a forelock horse,” and the Buryats revere Solbon as the patron saint of horses.

Other cosmonyms are also widely known among Kalmyks: Dolan burkhn (Seven deities - Ursa Major), Tetsgrin uidl (Heavenly suture - Milky Way), Burvn marl (Three deer - Orion), Mechd (Michit) or Sar mechn (Monkeys - Pleiades). In the mythology of the Mongolian peoples, the constellation Michit is a demonic character. According to ancient beliefs, the movements of this constellation in the firmament cause cold and heat on earth, ailments in people and animals, and various troubles. According to the ideas of the Oirat-Kalmyks, with the disappearance of the Michit constellation in the spring, people’s faces turn pale, the flour in bags and oil in dishes decreases, and livestock loses weight. This time was popularly called “mechn zh;ilikh tsag”, that is, the time of removal of Michit. On such days, dishes could not be left open so that poison would not penetrate into the food. For the same reason, bags with supplies were tightly tied.

In the constellation Pleiades (Michit) six stars are clearly visible. According to Oirat belief, these are six ascended wizards-masters - a blacksmith, a carpenter, a doctor, masters of reducing earthly space, breaking a special stone. The Kalmyk legend “Seven Stars,” which gave the name to the first collection of folk non-fairy prose, says that seven thieves turned into stars, forming the constellation “Dolan Burkhn” (Ursa Major). But even in the sky, the former thieves, out of their earthly habit, stole one star from the constellation Michit (Monkey), and now it can be seen in the constellation Ursa Major - next to the middle of the seven brightest stars of this constellation. The Oirat Kalmyks called this star “^h uga kevYn”, that is, a simple-minded boy. According to Kalmyk beliefs, taking the seventh star from Michit saved the world from destruction, as it reduced the cold exuded by Michit. According to Mongolian belief, when the Pleiades constellation aligns with the month, it snows.

Researcher S. Yu. Neklyudov notes that the formation of myths about Michit was influenced by ideas associated with the Year of the Monkey - the ninth year of the 12-year animal calendar cycle among the Turkic-Mongolian peoples: “Many signs of the Year of the Monkey - drought, cold early winter, livestock diseases, first of all, horses and camels - have a fairly exact correspondence in the mythological semantics of Michit." The Yakuts have a riddle about the Pleiades: God's deer with seven eyes. Why seven and not six? In this constellation there is another, barely noticeable star, like the Big Dipper. According to Mongolian legend, the Pleiades (“Zurgan one” or “Zurgan mechn”, that is, “Six stars” or “Six monkeys”) formerly consisted of seven stars, but Ursa Major (“Dolan burkhn” - “Seven gods”) stole from them one star. Since then, the “Six Monkeys” have been chasing the “Seven Gods” - this explains the location of the constellations Pleiades and Ursa Major. The Kirghiz call the Big Dipper “Jety Karak” (Seven Thieves). One rich man had a daughter and also had an excellent horse. Many wanted to buy this horse, but the owner did not agree to sell it for any amount. He kept his horse constantly chained to the North Star and watched over it day and night, alternating with his daughter. And then seven people conspired to steal the horse. These seven are the Jets-karaks. In this Kyrgyz legend, as in the Kalmyk one cited above, the origin of the seven bright stars of the Big Dipper is associated with the seven thieves. But the Kalmyks call the constellation itself not the Seven Thieves, like the Kirghiz, but the Seven Gods (Dolan Burkhn). The Kalmyk high-style expression “burkhn bolv” (“became a god”) means “died, ascended to heaven.” The constellation Ursa Major seemed to the Kalmyks to be the bearer of a happy destiny.

Legends and beliefs about the origin of lunar spots among the Kalmyks are associated with the hare. Burhan Shakjimuni (Buddha Shakyamuni), who was on earth in the form of a hare, sacrificed himself to a hungry man and thereby saved his life. In memory of this, an image of a hare appeared on the moon. A similar legend exists on the island of Sri Lanka. According to another Kalmyk legend, the wife of one mighty hunter stole the recipe for the elixir of immortality from her husband and, turning into a hare, hid from him on the moon. She sits there and crushes the components of this elixir in a stone mortar in order to produce it in sufficient quantity and feed it to all the children of the Earth. This is probably why the Kalmyks have considered the hare since time immemorial the patron saint of childhood.

The Buddhist researcher N. Lvovsky (hieromonk Methodius), who visited the Kalmyk steppes, wrote: “There are many interpretations regarding the image located on the moon. Someone explained it this way: this image is the shadow of fish and frogs falling on the moon, located in the outer ocean; according to the exact explanation of the nome, disseminated by Burkhan “Dzhak-Sadun”, it turns out that the well-known Bogdo Shakya-muni, when he moved into the soul of a whale, was so generous that he gave everything he had and even sacrificed himself; In view of this, as an example for everyone, Khormusta Tengri depicted the appearance of a whale on the moon.” The latter belief repeats the above version about Burkhan Shakjimuni, but here this deity appears in the form of a whale, not a hare.

In the Kalmyk legend about the mythical monster Arakha, who produces eclipses of the sun and moon, it is explained that the spots on the moon are Arakha himself and the iron cart to which he is chained. The collection “Seven Stars”, compiled by us, contains several cosmogonic legends about Arakh, which are variants of one plot. It comes down to this. The gods created the drink of immortality - arshan. The evil spirit of Arakh secretly drank it and urinated into the empty vessel. One of the gods (Ochir-Vani-gegyan) goes in pursuit of the monster. The moon and sun tell him where Araha ran away. God overtakes Arakha and cuts him into two parts with a scepter. The lower half of the monster went into the ground, causing diseases, reptiles, and insects to appear. And the upper part of Arakha was caught by the gods and chained to the moon. Araha takes revenge on the sun and moon by swallowing them from time to time, but the luminaries are quickly released since Araha does not have a lower half. This is how lunar and solar eclipses occur.

This plot is common among the Mongolian peoples and goes back to Indian mythology. According to ancient Indian myth, the dragon Rahu tricked himself into gaining access to the drink of immortality - amrita, which the gods ate, and drank several sips. The sun and moon noticed Rahu in the crowd of gods and exposed him. Then the god Vishnu, with his formidable weapon - a disk - cut off Rahu's head. But since the dragon’s head became immortal from amrita, it did not die, but ascended to heaven. Since then, wanting to take revenge on the moon and the sun, Rahu's head periodically swallows them.

In the folklore of the Mongolian peoples there are different versions of the name Rahu: Arakha, Arah, Araakha, Arahi, Arahu, Arkhan, Arahola, Arahalun, Raha, Rahula, etc.

In one Mongolian legend, Arakh is endowed with the function of a thunderer and is called one of the stars of the seven stars, which causes an eclipse.

The eclipse of the sun and moon found a unique explanation and reflection in the minds of our distant ancestors. Archaic works of oral folk art of Kalmyks in figurative artistic and fantastic form convey mythological images that are a reflection of these specific natural phenomena.

MYTHS AND TRADES OF KALMYKS

ABOUT THE ORphan BOSCH-KUBYUN AND THE EVIL KHAN

Once upon a time, in the nomadic camps of one khan, an orphan named Bosh-kubyun lived. He had nothing - no yurt of his own, no cattle, no good robe, he only had a two-year-old black bull, a bow and arrows. And among the arrows there was one special one: the whistler-arrow; It flew with a whistle and never missed its target.

Once the orphan Bosh-Kubun went to the lake to hunt. He climbed into the reeds and waited for the birds to fly.

How long, how long did he wait, only birds, large and small, flocked to the lake - cranes, bustards, geese, waders... Bosh-kubyun took aim and fired his whistle-arrow. An arrow flew and hit fifty birds on the wings, seventy birds on the necks, a hundred birds on the backs... That's how many birds the orphan Bosh shot at one time!

“What should I do with this game? - thinks Bosh-kubyun. “I’ll take them to the khan and woo his youngest daughter!”

Bosh-kubyun saddled his two-year-old black bull, loaded all the birds on it, and sat on top. He hit the bull on the shoulder blades - the bull shrank, hit him on the hooves - he twirled the bull's tail, hit him on the spine - the bull ran, so fast that it was impossible to hold him.

Bosh-kubyun arrived at the Khan's headquarters, unpacked, and began to carry the birds into the Khan's yurt. He puts it on the right and puts it on the left, the yurt is filled to the top. Khan Bosh-kubyun asks:

- Who are you and why did you bring me so much game?

Bosh-kubyun answers:

“I am an orphan, the Great Khan, my name is Bosh-kubyun.” I have neither a yurt nor cattle, I myself live in your nomads, near the round lake. It was on this lake that I shot so much game. And I brought it to you as a gift: it will be useful at the wedding feast, because I want to marry your youngest daughter!

When the khan heard these words, he became angry, stamped his feet, and shouted:

- Hey, servants! Grab this ragged scoundrel! He dared to woo my daughter! Beat him brutally, and then take him far away to the steppe, to a deserted place and throw him there!

By order of the khan, the servants pounced on the orphan Bosh, beat him half to death - he barely had any breath left in him - and took him to the bare steppe.

Bosh-kubyun is lying, tossing about, groaning, his mind is clouded - death is very close... Suddenly he sees an old man walking, very old, with a white beard, leaning on a stick. He came up, examined Bosh-kubyun and began to treat him - he gave him some drink, rubbed his bruises, and set broken bones. Bosh-kubyun became completely healthy.

“Well, kubün,” ​​says the old man, “now you are healthy and strong.” Go to your nomads. And so that you are no longer offended, I will teach you what to do. If you want to punish someone, just say: “Glue yourself!” And then your offender will not get up until you say: “Get up!”

Bosh-kubyun was delighted, thanked the old man and hurried to his nomadic camps.

He runs and sees the khan’s shepherd tending a herd of calves. Bosh-kubyun wanted to see whether the old man told him the truth. He shouted:

- Glue, Khan's shepherd, together with all the calves to the ground!

And immediately both the shepherd and all the calves stuck to the ground - they lay and screamed in fear.

“The old man told me the truth,” thought Bosh-kubyun and shouted:

- Get up!

As soon as he said this word, both the shepherd and the calves stood up at once.

“Now,” thinks Bosh-kubyun, “I’ll teach the Khan a lesson!” I’ll teach him a lesson that he’ll remember forever!”

He waited until evening, made his way to the Khan’s yurt and said:

- Glue to the ground, Khan and Khansha, along with your pillows and beds!

He said and left.

The next day, the khan and khansha woke up in the morning, they wanted to get up, but they couldn’t get up. They shouted to the servants:

- Get us up!

The servants came running to raise the Khan and Khansha, but they could not raise them. There is screaming and noise all around:

- Khan and Khansha are glued to the ground! It's impossible to lift them! Who will raise them?..

Officials, dignitaries, elders of nomads run from place to place, shouting, waving their hands. But they can’t do anything. They ordered me to read prayers. We prayed and prayed - there was no point! Then they called udgun-be - fortune tellers and emchi - healers. They tell fortunes for Udgun-be, they treat emchi, but it’s all to no avail... They began to pull the khan and khansha by the arms and legs, but they just couldn’t lift them off the ground. All the noble people, all the old people, gathered and began to hold advice: how to help the Khan and Khansha, how to raise them?.. They talked for a long time, they talked all day, they talked all night - they couldn’t come up with anything...

At that time, a man from distant nomads passed by and said:

“I heard that a famous emchi lives in the nomadic camps of Mogoitu Khan. He removes every disease as if with his hand! Bring him!

Officials, dignitaries and elders began to think: who should they send to the nomadic camps of Mogoytu Khan for emchi? The place is distant, the path is dangerous, there are many enemies on the way. They say:

- Apparently we need to send a whole detachment!

Suddenly Bosh-kubyun came in and said:

- I will go to the nomads of Mogoytu Khan for emchi!

Everyone was happy.

- Go quickly! - they shout.

Bosh-kubyun sat on his two-year-old black bull. He hit the bull on the shoulder blades - the bull shrank; hit the hooves - the bull's tail twirled; hit the ridge - the bull ran so fast that it was impossible to hold it.

Bosh-kubyun rode for a long time and finally arrived at the nomadic camps of Mogoitu Khan. He found Emchi and said:

“Our khan and khansha are glued to the ground, so they sent me for you, wise and glorious emchi, - can you help them in such trouble?”

Emchi says importantly:

- Who will help besides me? Is there another emchi like me? Only I can help!

Emchi put on his white hat, put on a white robe, sat on a white horse and rode off with Bosh-kubyun.

They drove and drove, and when they saw the Khan’s headquarters in the steppe in the distance, then Emchi began to mutter and mutter, foam appeared on his lips.

- Now I’ll find out everything! - shouts. - Now I’ll tell you everything! Now I will raise the khan and khansha!..

Bosh-kubyun listens to this, and thinks: “What if this emchi is really so omnipotent? I’ll have to check,” and said quietly:

- Glue, emchi, to the ground along with your white horse!

As soon as he said, Emchi stuck to his horse, and the horse to the ground. Emchi got scared and shouted in a voice that was not his own:

- Hey, kyubyun, pull me off the horse, I’m stuck like your khan!

Bosh-kubyun began to help Emchi - he could barely contain his laughter.

“No,” he says, “I can’t help you, wise and glorious emchi!”

“Then run quickly to the Khan’s headquarters, call people here, at least let them drag me off my horse!” - emchi screams.

Bosh-kubyun galloped on his black bull to the Khan's yurt.

- Where is emchi? - they ask him.

- Emchi is not far away. Only trouble happened to him: he stuck to the ground himself,” Bosh-kubyun answers. “He sent me for you, asking you to rush to his aid!”

Khan's dignitaries and elders came running to Emchi. They began to tug at him. They tugged and tugged, but they couldn’t get him off the horse, he was stuck to it so tightly.

- How can we help our khan, tell me, wise emchi? - the dignitaries and elders ask him.

- I have no time for your khan! - Emchi shouts. “I can’t help myself either!”

The dignitaries and elders returned to the khan and reported that the emchi himself was glued to the ground. Khan lost his mind from fear and anger.

- Do whatever you want! - shouts. - Just lift me up!

Then the khan's officials, dignitaries and elders of the nomads gathered again for council, thought, discussed and said:

- We must shout the cry: whoever saves the khan and khansha from trouble, marry the khan’s daughter to him and give half of all the khan’s wealth.

They asked the khan if he agreed? Khan yells:

- I agree to everything!

They shouted the cry, but no one volunteered to save the khan and khansha. They called the call a second time, but again no one volunteered. They called the call a third time - Bosh-kubyun came out and said:

“I’m not an udgun-be or an emchi, but I’ll still try!” But will the Khan keep his word?

Khan says:

- I’ll hold it, I’ll hold it! Just help me!

Bosh-kubyun says:

- Bring the Khan’s youngest daughter here!

They did as he ordered. Then Bosh-kubyun said:

- Khan and Khansha, rise up!

Immediately the khan and khansha stood up. The khan looked at Boshkubyun and shouted:

“This is that ragged scoundrel whom I ordered to be beaten half to death for his insolence and thrown into the bare steppe so that he would die of hunger there!” How did he get here? Apparently they beat him badly! Hey, servants, grab him, cut off his arms and legs!..

The khan's servants rushed to Bosh-kubyun, and he said:

- Glue to the ground, Khan and Khansha! Glue to the ground, Khan's servants!

As soon as he said it, everyone immediately stuck to the ground. And Boshkubyun and the Khan’s youngest daughter sat on a black bull. Bosh-kubyun hit the bull on the shoulder blades - the bull shrank; hit the hooves - the bull's tail twirled; hit the ridge - the bull ran, so fast that the best horse could not catch up. He took Boshkubün and the girl far, far away, and they began to live together, cheerfully and happily.

Yes, the years go by, the gray centuries flow by, and no one will ever stop their mighty run. As if recently my wrinkled hands were strong and young. The one lying in the Tyumen temple was also young.

Young and beautiful, like early spring, was Erle, daughter of Sagendje. And many hearts beat when they saw her, and her eyes, dark as night, were not forgotten.

Erle was beautiful, like the first glimmer of spring dawn. She spent sultry days in the tall grass near the thoughtful ilmen trees, cheerful, healthy, flexible. She imitated the cry of birds, jumped from hummock to hummock, lived the life of steppe swamps and knew their deepest secrets.

Erle grew up. And Sagendzhe wandered either near the wide Volga or along the quiet Akhtuba. Time flew, the herds multiplied. A lot of merchants came from Persia and Izdia, and the rich Sagendzhe bought a lot of goods from them for his daughter.

Often long caravans of well-fed camels rested near his tent, and the hands of slaves continually handed over expensive colored silks shimmering in the sun to Sagendzhe’s hands.

Noble matchmakers in rich, bright clothes dismounted from their horses fifteen steps away, threw themselves on the ground and crawled towards Sagendzha.

The moonlit summer night breathed the vapors of the damp earth, covered with a thousand flowers, in the silence camels sighed, sheep coughed, mosquitoes sang, crickets chirped, harriers moaned, and some bird cried out sleepily. The steppe sorceress lived and rejoiced, bringing wondrous maiden dreams to the beautiful Erla. Smiling, with her dark arms outstretched, she lay on expensive Bukhara carpets. And her mother, old Chatterbox, sat at her bedside, with eyes full of tears, in deep grief.

“And why did the night sandpiper scream so loudly,” she thought, “why are the willows making such a sad noise over the erik, and what is Sagendzhe talking about in a low voice in the next wagon with a rich matchmaker?.. My dear Erle. When I carried you under my heart, I was happier than now, because no one could take you away from me.”

And at that time Sagendzhe said to the noble matchmaker:

“I don’t need anything for my Erle because she is more valuable than anything in the world.” Let me talk to the groom, I want to find out how reasonable he is, and let Erle herself tell him her terms.

The matchmaker was delighted, jumped into the saddle, galloped to the noyon (noble feudal lord) Tyumen and told that, apparently, Erle would soon be laid across the saddle and brought to young Bemba.

Old Chatterbox was crying at her daughter's bedside. Sagendzhe sat with his legs crossed and looked sadly at Erle.

“And why did she grow up so quickly,” whispered Sagendzhe, “and why should some son of the Tyumen noyon take Erle from us, cheerful as a spring stream, like the first ray of the sun?”

Days passed, herds wandered through the lush grass of the Akhtuba Valley. Fat accumulated in camel humps and sheep tails. Mother and father were sad, only Erle was still having fun in the flowering steppe. In the evenings, the daughter wrapped her arms around her mother’s gray head and whispered affectionately that she would not leave her soon, that it was too early for her to leave her old people, and that she was not afraid of the wrath of the fierce noyon of Tyumen.

At the confluence of two rivers, the matchmakers of Noyon Tyumen and his son Bembe caught up.

Bembe did not dare to disturb Erle, he ordered to pitch tents on the other side of the dry erik and spend the night.

Bembe did not sleep, and Sagendje did not sleep either. Bolgun's eyes were red from tears.

The richly colored outfits of the matchmakers played like a rainbow in the morning sun. Ahead of everyone rode Bembe, the son of the merciless, ferocious noyon of Tyumen, whose name made the entire steppe tremble.

“Let Erle herself tell you the conditions,” Sagendje said when Bembe declared that he needed Erle like a camel needed a rapeseed, like a duck needed elmen, like the earth needed the sun.

The steppe spoke louder and the waves in the river sang, the reeds raised their heads higher and the camels looked friendly when the beautiful Erle came out to the guests.

Bembe traveled from the great mountains to the valley of the Ili River and the deep Lake Balkhash, he saw thousands of beautiful women, but he never saw anyone like Erle.

“Ask for anything you want,” he told her, “just agree.”

Erla smiled and said:

- Bembe, son of a noble noyon, I am glad to see you and will forever stay with you if you find me a flower, the most beautiful of which is not only in our steppe, but in the whole world. I will wait for him until next spring. You will find me in the same place, and if you bring a flower, I will become your wife. Goodbye.

Noyon Tyumen gathered noyons and clan elders and told them:

- Announce to all the people so that whoever knows about such a flower comes without fear and tells me about it for a great reward.

Tyumen's order flew around the steppe faster than the wind. One night a dusty horseman rode up to the noyon's wagon. And when they let him into the tent, he said to the noyon:

“I know where the beautiful flower your beauty Erla desires grows.”

And he talked about his wonderful country, which is called India and lies far beyond the high mountains. There is a flower there, people call it the sacred lotus and worship it as a god. If the noyon gives several people, he will bring a lotus, and the beautiful Erle will become Bembe's wife.

The next day, six horsemen set off on a long journey.

It's boring to talk about how Sagendzhe lived in the cold winter.

Northeast winds drove the cattle into the support, and he himself lay all day long and listened to the steppe storms singing sad songs behind the dugout. Even cheerful Erle yearned for the sun and waited for spring. She thought little about the fact that the terrible Bembe would someday return. Meanwhile, six horsemen were heading east and had already reached the valley of the Ili River. They slept and ate in the saddle. Bembe hurried them, and they delayed only to hunt for food.

They had to endure many hardships until they reached mysterious India. Wild steppes, tall mountains and stormy rivers met them on the way, but the riders stubbornly rode and rode forward.

Finally they arrived in India and saw a wonderful flower - the lotus. But no one dared to tear it down, everyone was afraid of incurring the wrath of the gods. Then the old priest came to their aid. He picked a lotus and gave it to Bemba, saying:

- Remember, man, you received a beautiful flower, but you will lose something even more beautiful.

Bembe did not listen to him, grabbed the lotus and ordered to immediately saddle the horses to set off on the return journey.

The fierce wind blew less and less often, and the sun remained in the sky longer and longer. Spring was approaching, and the pale, emaciated Erle was waiting for it.

In vain did the healers go to my father’s dugout, in vain did they feed it with various herbs, every day Erle melted like snow under the sun. Chatterbox couldn't cry anymore. With crazy eyes she looked at her daughter, who was leaving her forever.

And when the birds began to sing and the steppe began to bloom, Erle could no longer get up. With her thin hand she stroked her mother, distraught with grief, and her eyes still laughed quietly and affectionately.

If the birds could speak, they would tell Bemba to hurry up his horses, because soon, soon Erle’s heart will stop beating. But Bembe was in a hurry anyway. There was only a little way left. Tired horses, with bloodshot eyes, stumbled and almost fell from exhaustion.

Noble matchmakers rushed towards Bemba.

- Hurry up, Bembe! - they shouted. - Your beautiful Erle is dying.

And when Sagendzhe’s wagon appeared, everyone saw the mother and father coming out of it, backing away. The riders realized that Erle had died. Bembe sadly lowered the reins. He did not see the living, beautiful Erle, nor did Erle see a flower as beautiful as she herself.

They buried her on the banks of the Volga, and Erle built a temple in memory of Bembe.

On a dark night, Bembe went into the reed thickets of the mouth and planted a wonderful lotus there.

And this beautiful flower still grows there to this day.

A TALE ABOUT THE HOMELAND

There is nothing dearer to a person than the place where he was born, the region where he grew up, the sky under which he lived. And not only humans - animals and birds, every living thing under the sun yearns for their native land.

A long time ago, when the Kalmyks still lived in China, they brought an unusual bird to the Chinese emperor as a gift. She sang so much that the sun at the highest point in the sky slowed down, listening to her song.

The emperor ordered to make a golden cage for the bird, cover it with the fluff of a young swan, and feed it from the imperial kitchen. The emperor appointed his first minister to be in charge of poultry care. He told his first minister:

“Let the bird feel as good here as it has never felt anywhere else.” And let it delight our ears, thirsting for beauty.

Everything was done according to the orders of the formidable ruler.

Every morning the emperor waited for the singing of a bird. But she was silent. “Apparently, the bird, accustomed to free air, is stuffy in the palace,” the emperor thought and ordered the cage to be taken out into the garden.

The emperor's garden was the only one in the world in beauty. The mighty trees rustled with transparent green carved leaves, the rarest flowers smelled invigoratingly, the earth played with all its colors. But the bird was still silent. “What is she missing now? - thought the emperor. - Is she feeling bad with me? Why doesn’t she sing?”

The emperor invited all his sages to listen to their highly learned judgment. Some said that perhaps the bird got sick and lost its voice, others that the food was not right, and still others that it probably did not sing at all. The most venerable hundred-year-old sage suggested that the air exhaled by people is depressing. a bird and that's why it doesn't sing. After listening carefully to everyone, the emperor ordered the cage to be taken to a virgin forest.

However, even in the forest the bird remained silent. The wings are lowered to the floor, pearls of tears are rolling from the eyes.

Then the emperor ordered the captive sage to be brought, taken along with the soldiers of a neighboring hostile power.

“If you give us good advice and the bird sings, you will get freedom,” the emperor told him.

The captive sage thought for a week and reported:

- Take the bird around the country... Maybe it will sing.

The emperor and the bird wandered around his domain for three years. Finally they reached a swamp. Stunted bushes grew around it, and beyond stretched dull yellow sands. Foul fumes rose from the swamps, and annoying midges flew in swarms. They hung the cage on a dry saxaul branch. They posted a guard and everyone went to bed.

When the clear morning dawn lit up in the sky and its crimson began to spread wider and wider, the bird suddenly perked up, spread its wings, and hastily began to clean every feather with its beak.

Noticing the bird's unusual behavior, the guard woke up the emperor.

And when the eternal luminary showed its scarlet crest, the bird quickly took off, hit the golden bars of the cage and fell to the floor. She looked around sadly and began to sing quietly. She sang one hundred and eight songs of sadness, and when she began a song of joy, thousands of birds like her flocked from all sides and took up her song. It seemed to people that it was not the birds singing to the strings of the rays of the rising sun, but their souls, yearning for beauty, singing.

“This is where our bird comes from, this is its native land,” the emperor said thoughtfully and remembered his incomparable Beijing, where he had not been for three years.

“Open the cage doors and let the bird out,” he commanded.

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