By Vestnik Kavkaza
Russia’s Buddhists marked the lunar calendar New Year. The state holiday of White Month – Sagaalgan – is a day off in Buryatia.
The head of the republic Vyacheslav Nagovitsin explained symbolism of the holiday: “At first it was a holiday of white food. It was celebrated in autumn when an agricultural campaign came to an end and harvest was gathered, when people got milk yields and stored them. Then a grandson of Genghis Khan coincided the holiday with New Year. Usually it was early or late February. It is not marked in all countries in one and the same period. However, it is the most favorite holiday of Buryatia’s residents. The holiday is marked during a month and a young generation has to congratulate the older generation. It takes a month because members of a family can live in different cities and countries, but children come to parents and wish them all the best.
Temple-offices are taking place. Ahead of the holiday people get rid of all problems of the last year. 24 hours before New Year people attend temples and burn their troubles in “black fire.” And on February 12 people are refined and have good intentions, they are ready to live a new life. Of course, one should believe and attend temple.”
The new year in Buryatia is the Year of Tourism. “We live on the banks of a great lake, we call it “sea” – the Baikal. It is under control of the UNESCO. It puts certain responsibilities on us on preservation of the lake for the whole humanity. The Buryat Republic is multinational and tolerant republic. Last year we marked the 350th anniversary of willing joining Russia. 160 ethnic groups are living in our republic in peace for 350 years. We have a lot of mixed marriages. Very beautiful mestizo children are born. Our girls are winners of almost all beauty contests,” Nagovitsin says. “The ethnic issue is formed by people. When the authorities begin to establish rules, conflicts of interests appear at once. We act as surgeons – do no harm! We try to support the established relations which exist between people. We don’t try to regulate them because when you try to regulate, you will definitely touch on somebody’s interests. We should only create conditions for making people be together for they not to split. Three years ago I was asked: “What do you think about ethnic schools – for Buryats, Russians, or Azerbaijanis?” I said that I view it negatively. It mustn’t be done. Only where people are together, tolerance can appear.”
Answering the question by Vestnik Kavkaza on the situation with the Caucasus natives in Buryatia, Nagovitsin said: “I cannot say there is massive migration. They come. We have autonomous cultural centers which support relations with their natives, and people come. But there is no massive inflow from Azerbaijan or Armenia, for example. We cannot see it.
As for tourists, unfortunately people from the CIS visit us rarely. I don’t know why it is so. Probably it is because of economic problems or transport difficulties. The foreign tourist inflow is 15% - basically from China, Germany, France.”
