Burnatskom
Political party in Russia (1917–1921) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Central National Committee of the Buryat-Mongols of Eastern Siberia (Russian: Центральный национальный комитет бурят-монголов Восточной Сибири), generally known by its abbreviation Burnatskom (Бурнацком), was an organization of Buryat people in Russia during the Russian Revolution.
Central National Committee of the Buryat-Mongols of Eastern Siberia Центральный национальный комитет бурят-монголов Восточной Сибири | |
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Abbreviation | Burnatskom |
Chairperson | Rinchingiin Elbegdorj (1917) Jamsrangiin Tseveen (1917-1918) Mikhail Bogdanov [ru] (1918) Dashi Sampilon [ru] (1918-1919) |
Founded | 25 April 1917 (1917-04-25) |
Dissolved | 12 February 1921 (1921-02-12) |
Headquarters | Chita, Buryatia |
Ideology | Buddhist socialism Buryat nationalism Pan-Mongolism |
Immediately following the February Revolution, Gombojab Tsybikov (chair of Mongol Philology at the Oriental Institute of Vladivostok) travelled to Buryatia and together with Bazar Baradin [bxr], Tsyben Zhamtsarano, Mikhail Bogdanov [ru], Elbegdorj Rinchino, Dash Sampilon [ru] and others founded the nucleus of Burnatskom in March 1917.[1][2][3] The group gathered virtually all Buryat prominent leaders at the time.[2] Burnatskom supported Alexander Kerensky's Provisional Government and promoted national autonomy.[3] On 25 April 1917 the First All-Buryat Congress formalized the foundation of Burnatskom.[4] In April 1917 Burnatskom set up the autonomous State of Buryat-Mongolia.[1] Burnatskom had its headquarters in Chita and a branch in Irkutsk.[2]
The leaders of Burnatskom sympathised with the Socialist-Revolutionary Party and envisioned a socialist state compatible with Buddhism.[5] Burnatskom sought to reform and modernise Buddhist religious practices.[6] The organization promoted a regional parliament, education in the Buryat language, and pan-Mongolism.[7] However the organization also expressed its willingness to cooperate with the Soviet government if Buryat national institutions would remain intact.[8]
In the political strife of 1917, the Burnatskom competed with the Transbaikal Cossack Party for influence over the region.[2] As Buryat leaders were not given prominent positions on the Socialist-Revolutionary list, Burnatskom fielded its own list in the Transbaikal constituency in the 1917 Russian Constituent Assembly election, obtaining 17,083 votes (17.39%).[9][10][11][12][8] Burnatskom joined the Nationalities Council of the Provisional Siberian Government in Tomsk in December 1917.[6][13] Burnatskom organized military units, to "defend religion and national welfare", which the White ataman Grigory Mikhaylovich Semyonov used as rear-guard troops.[14][15] Nevertheless, relations between Burnatskom and Semyonov remained tense.[15]
Burnatskom continued to exist until 1919.[4] After the establishment of Soviet power in Buryatia, Burnatskom came to be branded as "bourgeois nationalists" and "anti-Soviet".[3] In 2017 the National Museum of the Republic of Buryatia organized an exhibition to celebrate the centenary of Burnatskom, highlighting its role as the first expression of Buryat self-governance.[4]