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Congress of the Oirat-Kalmyk People Конгресс ойрат-калмыцкого народа Chuulhn
Chairman	Batyr Boromangnaev
First Secretary	E.E.Sangadzhiev
Standing Committee	V. N. Dovdanov, A. B. Sandzhiev,
Founded	12 December 2015 (2015-12-12)
Registered	Registered as a Non-Governmental and Non-Profit organization in March 2023
Headquarters	New York City
Ideology	Kalmyk nationalism
Website
congressoftheoiratkalmykpeople.org

The Congress of the Oirat-Kalmyk People (Russian: Конгресс ойрат-калмыцкого народа), also known as the Chuulhn (Oirat: Чуулһн, romanized: Çuulhn, Oirat pronunciation: [t͡ʃuːlˈɣən]) in Kalmyk Oirat Mongolian, is an registered worldwide organization claiming to represent the all Kalmyk people or broadly people of Russia's Republic of Kalmykia.

History

While the organization has its roots in Kalmyk nationalist organizations from the Soviet era, from All Oirat-Kalmyk Convention held on year 1920 in settlement Chilgir Yashkulsky District ,and declared Kalmyk Authonomy in Russian Federation. the first congress of the Oirat-Kalmyk people took place on 12 December 2015, in Elista, the capital city of Kalmykia, with around 200 popular delegates participating in total. A total of 3 congresses have been convened since 2015, the latest in May 2021. During this third congress on May 29, 2021 five delegates to the congress had criminal proceedings opened against them by Russian authorities for "participation in an unsanctioned public event" with one of the delgates being Batyr Boromangnaev, the chairman of the Kalmykia branch of Yabloko.

Russo-Ukrainian war

During the 2022 Russo-Ukrainian war the organization came out against the war publicly. The "Congress of the Oirat-Kalmyk People", Representative A.B. Sandziev, stated that over the past 400 years Kalmyks participated in all military conflicts on the side of Russia, but that they cannot support a war with Ukraine. The "Congress of the Oirat-Kalmyk People" further stated that the war is harming the Kalmyk genetic pool for an "insane massacre in Ukraine", urging Kalmyks must not to participate in the conflict.

On 27 October 2022, the "Congress of the Oirat-Kalmyk People" published a declaration of independence of Kalmykia and proclaimed the creation of an independent Kalmyk state.

On February 28, 2023, Batyr Boromangnaev was detained in Mongolia due to an expired passport and faced deportation to Russia to face criminal charges. His passport had expired while he was detained in Kazakhstan which he passed through en route to Mongolia.

In September 2023 the Congress announced that it was in the process of forming a battalion to fight on behalf of Ukraine as part of its International Legion.

Ideology and activity

The main stated reason for the gathering of the congress was the issue of statehood, which Kalmykia, unlike all of Russia's other republics, does not legally possess. Other things that the congress sought to address were the right to Self-Determination, making the use of the Kalmyk-Oirat language obligatory in areas defined by local and federal laws, establishing a new constitution for the republic, as well as other economic, demographic, and political issues facing the Kalmyk people.

The organization has also politically campaigned against Batu Khasikov's rule of Kalmykia and Dmitry Trapeznikov position as mayor of Elista, due to perceived incompetence and corruption. After large-scale protests, the Kremlin denied it was behind Trapeznikov's appointment to mayor.

Another change the congress has pushed for is the resolvation of the territorial disputes between Kalmykia and Astrakhan Oblast by returning the historically Kalmyk Dolbansky [ru] and Volga [ru] uluses (districts) which were transferred to Astrakhan under Stalin's leadership following the deportation of Kalmyks in 1943.

Following the start of the Russo-Ukrainian War in 2022, the Oirat-Kalmyk People's Congress joined hands with other separatist groups, the Free Idel-Ural movement and Buryat Mongols to form the "Free Nations League". The stated goal of the league is to protect the rights of nations held captive by Russia. Vladimir Dovdanov, a Kalmyk representative in the league, stated that what is most important is that Kalmyks are seen as subjects of the state, rather than disposable objects.

State persecution

Numerous incidents of Oirat-Kalmyk People's Congress members being persecuted have been claimed by activists. The organizers of the congress were detained following a convocation in 2021. An Elista court then assigned them 50 hours of compulsory work for holding an unsanctioned public event. Members of the organization have also been branded as agents of Kyiv by the Russian government, being arrested after accusations of espionage.After fear of arrest, and being sentenced to prison many activists forced to leave a Russia. And from late of 2022 and March 2023 leaders Batyr Boromangnaev and Arslang Sandzhiev, relocate to U.S. and since March 2023 Congress of the Oirat-Kalmyk People established a headquarters in New York City.On August 23 2023 Russia's Supreme Court ruled that "Congress of the Oirat-Kalmyk People" a "extremists" organization and banned any activity on all over Russian Federation.

References

1. "Russia's regions: federalism and its discontents". openDemocracy. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
2. ^ Rahman, Mahabubur (16 April 2022). "In the mayor's office of Elista, an official worked for the Kyiv regime from his office". Oops Top. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
3. "Kalmykia: Russia's Emerging Powder Keg?". Jamestown Foundation. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
4. Byurchiev, Badma. "Activists state persecutions after congress of Oirat-Kalmyk nationals in Elista". Caucasian Knot. Retrieved 14 January 2025.
5. "How the War in Ukraine Catalyzed a Re-awakening of National Identity Among Russia's Indigenous Peoples | Free Russia Foundation". Free Russia Foundation. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
6. ^ "Kalmyk people congress – let oligarchs and their children fight!". Free Idel-Ural. 10 March 2022. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
7. "Конгресс ойрат-калмыцкого народа опубликовал декларацию о независимости Калмыкии" [The Oirat-Kalmyk People's Congress published a declaration on the independence of Kalmykia]. Idel Real (in Russian). 28 October 2022. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
8. "Kalmyk Activist Who Fled Russia Unable To Enter Mongolia Due To Expired Passport". Radio Free Europe. Retrieved 14 January 2025.
9. Dobson, Courtney. "In War's Wake, Russia's Ethnic Minorities Renew Independence Dreams". newlinesmag. Retrieved 14 January 2025.
10. "Republic of Kalmykia » Kalmyks gather for a national congress to discuss the issue of statehood". Retrieved 25 May 2022.
11. "Обращение Исполкома Съезда ойрат-калмыцкого народа" [Address of the Executive Committee of the Congress of the Oirat-Kalmyk people]. Элистинский Курьер. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
12. ^ Chraibi, Christine (24 May 2022). "League of Free Nations: Indigenous activists from Russia to fight for independence from Moscow". Euromaidan Press.
13. "На съезде ойрат-калмыцкого народа потребовали отставки Хасикова" [Khasikov's resignation was demanded at the congress of the Oirat-Kalmyk people]. RFE/RL (in Russian). Retrieved 21 June 2022.
14. Times, The Moscow (2 October 2019). "Russian Town Rallies Against New Mayor From Rebel-Held Eastern Ukraine". The Moscow Times. Retrieved 20 June 2022.
15. "Kalmyks accused Russian authorities of hidden ethnocide, Moscow responded with arrests". InformNapalm.org (English). 19 June 2021. Retrieved 20 June 2022.
16. ^ "Организаторам съезда ойрат-калмыцкого народа назначили обязательные работы" [The organizers of the congress of the Oirat-Kalmyk people were assigned compulsory work]. RFE/RL (in Russian). Retrieved 20 June 2022.
17. "Ukraine war could lead to break-up of Russia – interview". lrt.lt. 20 June 2022. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
18. Byurchiev, Badma (12 June 2021). "Activists state persecutions after congress of Oirat-Kalmyk nationals in Elista". Caucasian Knot.
19. "Еще двоих активистов задержали за организацию Съезда ойрат" [Two more activists were detained for organizing the Congress of the Oirat-Kalmyk people]. kalmykia-online.ru (in Russian). 30 May 2021. Retrieved 21 June 2022.

v t e Separatist and autonomist movements in Russia
Protests	2024 Bashkortostan protests 2022 North Caucasian protests 2022 Russian Far East protests 2020 Kashtau mountain protests 2018–2019 Ingushetia protests 2018-2020 Shies protests 2014 Movement for Federalization of Siberia
Unrest and conflicts	March 2024 western Russia incursion Belarusian and Russian partisan movement (2022–present) Chechen–Russian conflict 2014 Grozny clashes 2010 Tsentoroy attack 2007 Zhani-Vedeno ambush January 2005 Dagestan Raids 2005 raid on Nalchik 2004 raid on Avtury 2004 raid on Grozny 2004 Nalchik raid 2004 Nazran raid 2002 Grozny OMON ambush East Prigorodny conflict Insurgency in the North Caucasus
Terrorist attacks after 2017	2017 Saint Petersburg Metro bombing Kizlyar church shooting
Coalitions	Civic Council Free Nations of Post-Russia Forum Free Nations League Idel-Ural
Current organizations	Separatist Adat People's Movement All-Tatar Public Center Committee of Bashkir Resistance Free Ingria Ingush Independence Committee Ittifaq Party Karelian National Movement Oirat-Kalmyk People's Congress Respublika Movement Autonomist Free Buryatia Foundation
Inactive organizations	Baltic Republican Party Caucasus Emirate Islamic State – Caucasus Province Transformation of Ural Republican Movement of Karelia
Active armed groups and units	Ajnad al-Kavkaz Dzhokhar Dudayev Battalion Imam Shamil Battalion Imam Shamil Dagestan Battalion Junud al-Makhdi Karelian Group Khamzat Gelayev Battalion Separate Special Purpose Battalion Sibir Battalion
People	Akhmed Zakayev Fauziya Bayramova Fail Alsynov Rafis Kashapov Said-Khasanom Abumuslimov Vadim Shtepa Vladislav Ammosov
Related	1992 Tatarstani sovereignty referendum Balkar and Karachay nationalism Chechen Republic of Ichkeria Circassian nationalism Erzyan Mastor International Legion Oyda Pan-Turkism Siberian regionalism Siberian Republic Tatar nationalism Turanism Ural Republic

• Nationalist organizations
• Indigenous organizations in Russia
• Separatism in Russia
• Kalmykia
• Politics of Kalmykia
• History of Kalmykia
• Nationalism in Russia
• Nationalist movements in Europe
• Political parties of minorities in Russia