DEBATE ON DECOLONIALITY AND SENSE OF BELONGING AMONG YOUNG KALMYKS AND BURYATS WHO FLED TO MONGOLIA AFTER 2022
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.23858/ethp.2024.45.3722Keywords:
sense of belonging , young Kalmyks, young Buryats, Mongolia, RussiaAbstract
In 2022–2023, there was a significant shift in discussions about minority languages and ethnic groups in Russia. This study examines discourses concerning the attitudes to the Russian state, the sense of belonging and the future of ethnic minorities. The paper is based on interviews with young people from Mongolian-speaking republics in Russia, Kalmykia and Buryatia, who left for Mongolia after mobilization was announced in 2022. Fleeing possible conscription into military service, living in a country with a similar culture and language, and sharing emigration experiences with other young people made their life in Mongolia a space for fruitful discussions about their experiences, history and the future of their ethnic groups. The sense of belonging is context-sensitive. The study shows that the views of young Kalmyks and Buryats consider both official and activist perspectives. Their narratives about the future of their republics are closely linked to personal decisions to leave, life experiences and family memories of their community’s turbulent history. At the same time, the evolving perspectives of young people will shape future collective discourses among ethnic minorities.
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