Buryats around lake Baikal during the Tsarist Russia period

Sarist Russia reached the Buryat tribes living around Lake Baikal in the early 17th century, thanks to the advance of Russian Cossacks across Siberia during the reign of Ivan IV (Ivan Grozny). In this process, Tsarist Russia's policies of conquering Siberia, the construction of fortresses and organizing discoveries expeditions caused crucial changes in the social and religious structure of the Buryat society around Lake Baikal. The research examines the traditional way of life of the Buryats, their household organisation and the effects of belief systems such as Shamanism and Lamaism on their daily life in a historical context during the period the Russians reached the Baikal region. The informations achieved is based on the observations of ethnographers and historians of the period and the records of researchers who visited the region. The effects of Tsarist Russia's military expeditions and the progress that took place in the process of controlling the region on Buryat society are analysed and the transformations in the Buryat's genuine identity and social structure are evaluated. Focusing the attention on understanding the social and cultural dynamics of the Buryat society living around Baikal, this research offers the opportunity to examine the effects of Tsarist regime in the region in more comprehensive perspective.