Siberian People Group: The Buryats

Posted: Thursday, May 17, 2007 by Rick Lang.

A typical Buryat family
The Buryats live in the autonomous republic of Buryatia which rests within the boarders of Russia in the South-Central Region of Siberia along the eastern shore of Lake Baikal and the Yablonovy Mountains. The Republic is mountainous and heavily forested. It has rivers and lakes that are rich in fish and provide hydroelectric mining, lumbering, and raising livestock. Fur trading is important in the north, where nomads also keep reindeer herds.

Ulan Ude, with a population of 365,000 is the capital of the republic. Ulan Ude is the legendary birthplace of Genghis Kan. The capital rests at the junction of the Uda and Selenga Rivers. The Langs have established a new home in this city and are developing the first of 13 Compassion Centers in Ulan Ude.

Buryats constitute about 24% of the republic’s population. Russians make up 70% of the population, and there are Evenki, Tuvan, Tatar, and Ukrainian minorities.

Altogether there are approximately one million Buryats in all of Russia and Mongolia but very few Buryats have a personal relationship with Christ. The Buryats adhere to Tibetan Buddhism, Shammanism, or Russian Orthodoxy.

Buryat (booryat') descended from a Mongolian language. Their ancestors originally migrated to Russia from Mongolia. The Buryat nomads who have largely put down roots, are descended from the Huns, Mongols, Evenki, and Turks.

Ways that you can pray…

Pray that the Lord’s blessing and success be upon the stateside teams that come to minister in Buryatia.
Pray that believers in Russia will answer the call to go out from where they are to the places of far-east Siberia to preach the gospel.
Pray for the national pastors and your missionaries, the Langs, as they minister. Pray for God’s protection, provision and spiritual wisdom.
Pray for the Buryat people to be responsive to the Gospel.
Pray that God would raise up pastors of Buryat nationality.

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